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January 24-25, 2015 • $1.50
Ernie ‘Mr. Cub’ Banks dies at the age of 83 / B1
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Decision delayed on rape charges Judge defers ruling in case against former NIU police officer Andrew Rifkin By DARIA SOKOLOVA dsokolova@shawmedia.com DeKALB – A former Northern Illinois University police officer will have to wait before a judge decides whether to dismiss rape charges against him. In DeKalb County court Friday, Judge Robert Pilmer deferred making a ruling on Andrew Rifkin’s request to drop charges that Rifkin sexually assaulted a Northern Illinois University freshman in October 2011, when Rifkin was an NIU officer. The incident occurred Oct. 14, 2011, at Rifkin’s apartment off-campus in Cortland, and the victim reported it to police two weeks later. Rifkin has asked that the charges be dismissed, or that several key NIU police officials be barred from testify-
ing if the case does go to trial. After the hearing, Rifkin’s attorney, Bruce Brandwein, said he was hoping for a more definitive decision, but that he planned to make several other moves before the next court date March 6. One key issue is a 2½hour, videotaped interview NIU police had with Rifkin at the NIU police department shortly after Rifkin was arrested. “What bothers me the most at this point is we have a 2½-hour interview with two hours of audio they turned off,” he said. “I don’t know what happened during that two hours, what was said. “I’m probably also going to file a motion to suppress statements that were allegedly made by my client during this 2½-hour interview.” The case against Rifkin, 27, is part
of a chain of events involving the NIU police. Earlier charges against Rifkin were dropped by former DeKalb County State’s Attorney Clay Campbell in November 2012 after it came to light that NIU police had not turned over witness statements that could have helped Rifkin’s defense. Two students visited NIU police and told them the relationship between Rifkin and the victim was consensual. The students’ statements were put into Rifkin’s personnel file but not given to prosecutors. When that came to light in October 2012, Judge Robbin Stuckert said the police failure to provide the stateDanielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com ments was an “egregious” violation of rules and that jurors would hear Former Northern Illinois University police officer Andrew Rifkin leaves Judge Robert Pilmer’s courtroom in the DeKalb County Courthouse on Friday in Sycamore. Rifkin about it if the case went to trial.
See RULING, page A6
is accused of sexual assault against an NIU freshman student while off-duty and off-campus in October 2011.
DeKalb’s industrial heart beats on
$2 gasoline: Good times keep rolling at the pump By JONATHAN FAHEY The Associated Press
Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Cushioneer employee Jamie Rojas uses a saw to trim solid urethane foam into blocks for a client Tuesday at the plant on Pleasant Street in DeKalb. Cushioneer designs, manufactures and assembles cushion packaging for a wide variety of clients, from technology firms to the Emmy Awards.
Pleasant Street neighborhood must attract new manufacturers By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – In 45 years on Pleasant Street in DeKalb, Richard Lynch has seen his share of change, including the loss of businesses that used to be his neighbors. Lynch opened Dick’s Body Shop at 1460 Pleasant St., in 1970, but his connection to the street doesn’t end there. His grandfather used to work in the now mostly demolished Wur-
litzer building and his grandmother used to work at General Electric’s soon-to-close small motors plant. “I think there will be good things,” Lynch said of the coming years for the area. “I just don’t know of any businesses that are going to come into the area.” City records show the Pleasant Street area was known as the industrial center of the town when the area proliferated at the turn of the 20th century. But with new-
er industrial parks opening and mainstays such as the Wurlitzer building and GE leaving, some say that label doesn’t fit anymore. Still, local business leaders and economic development professionals believe the area stretching from Peace Road to 14th Street will retain its status as a thriving industrial district.
A CHANGING STREET
Street, last year, bringing down some sections that have stood since the late 1800s. Meanwhile, General Electric officials will shutter the plant the company has operated since 1946 at 1900 Pleasant St. on Friday. Kathy Brown, the former president of IUE-CWA Local 1081, which represents most of the 94 workers at the plant, has worked at the GE plant for 33 years.
Crews demolished most of the Wurlitzer building, 1660 Pleasant
LOCAL NEWS
Knitting
Evergreen Village Editor’s Note
Hobby can be easy to learn, all it takes is a stitch or two / C1
Illinois EPA finds 19 places in the mobile home park have asbestos / A3
See GAS, page A6
Voice your opinion How long do you think gas will cost less than $2? Vote online at DailyChronicle.com.
See HEART, page A6
LOCAL NEWS
LIFESTYLE
NEW YORK – At some point this will end, perhaps even soon. The price of gasoline will not fall to zero. But for the first time since 2009, most Americans are paying less than $2 a gallon. Just three months ago experts were shocked when it fell under $3. “It’s crazy,” said Michael Noel, an economics professor at Texas Tech University who studies oil and gasoline prices. “But for consumers it’s very, very good.” Consumers and the economies of the U.S. and most of the rest of the world are basking in the lowest prices for crude oil and gasoline in six years. U.S. crude oil traded Friday just below $46 a barrel and the average price for a gallon of gas was $2.04. While there are some losers, such as oil companies, the oil-producing states and the oil-exporting countries that benefited from $100 a barrel for four straight years, most economists agree that the good outweighs the bad. The drop in prices is acting like an immediate tax cut for drivers, leaving them more money to spend on other things. The Energy Department predicts lower prices this year will save a typical household $750 compared with last year. Julia Conner paid $1.98 a gallon Thursday near her home in Wesley Chapel, N.C.
Olson: College should be more affordable for everyone / A2
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