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Community quandary Support and questions greet Obama’s free college plan By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com MALTA – If community college had been free to attend when he graduated from high school, David Hahn might not have waited more than a decade to start. So when President Barack Obama announced in his State of the Union address his proposal to make community college free for millions of students, Hahn thought it sounded like a great idea. But the ambitious plan also seemed to have some drawbacks. “I thought it was awesome,” said Hahn, a 32-year-old business major who serves as the college’s student trustee. “I had to take a step back. Politicians say a lot of things, but where is the funding going to come from?” As with other leaders at Kishwaukee College, Hahn supports the idea of making community college more affordable, but questions how Voice your opinion plausible Obama’s idea is. Obama earlier Do you support the this month laid government offering a free community college out his proposal in Tennessee, education to qualifying which has a free students? Vote online at community college Daily-Chronicle.com. program that has drawn 58,000 applicants, almost 90 percent of the state’s high school seniors. Under Obama’s plan, students, including adults and recent high school graduates, would qualify for tuition waivers if they attend at least half-time, maintain a 2.5 GPA and make progress toward completing a degree or certificate program. The federal government would pay 75 percent of the costs, while the states would be required to cover the remaining 25 percent. But Kishwaukee College President Tom Choice’s reaction was tempered because the college is dealing with shortfalls in state funding already. “It’s hard to be against something like that,” Choice said. “The only large question is: Who’s going to pay for that? In Illinois, it would be very difficult.” Rob Galick, vice president of finance and administration at Kishwaukee College, said each year the college absorbs between $100,000 and $200,000 that allows veterans to attend school tuition-free because state funding has dropped away while the
See COLLEGE, page A6
Photos by Monica Synett – msynett@shawmedia.com
A crop science course is taught Wednesday at Kishwaukee Community College.
ABOVE LEFT: Steve Durin teaches a crop science course Wednesday at Kishwaukee Community College. ABOVE RIGHT: T.J. Miller of Rochelle takes notes during a crop science course Wednesday at Kishwaukee Community College.
TAILS dogs to get exercise area Humane society to get indoor addition By DARIA SOKOLOVA dsokolova@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Elizabeth Johnesee walked Stitch, a mixed Australian cattle dog, along Barber Greene Road as chilly air nipped at her face and the dog jumped on its hind legs. Johnesee is one of many volunteers at TAILS Humane Society who often can be seen walking dogs outside the nonprofit shelter at 2250 Barber Greene Road in DeKalb. TAILS volunteers walk the dogs outside in any weather, but with the help of donations and grants, the organization recently broke ground on a new dog exercise building that eventually will give volunteers a way to exercise the animals without being out in the elements.
Once the 900-square-foot exterior shelter is finished, Groeper said between 15 and 75 dogs will have space to run around and play when there is inclement weather. The shelter will be the main project of 2015 for TAILS, which cares for more than 2,500 displaced pets each year, according to its website, www. TailsHumaneSociety.com. Groeper said the total cost of the building project had yet to be determined as her agency still was finalizing expenses. The nonprofit relies on grants and donations for the project, Monica Synett – msynett@shawmedia.com Elizabeth Johnesee, a staff member at TAILS Humane Society, walks and Groeper said it is estimatStitch, Australian cattle dog mix, Tuesday in front of the humane ed to cost about $84,000. So far, TAILS has received society’s building, where ground had been broken to make way for $75,000 in grants and donaan indoor dog exercise room. tions, including $3,500 from the Petco Foundation, Groeper Michelle Groeper, TAILS It is expected to be completed said. executive director, said the by the end of March, Groeper Groeper said volunteers are idea was brought up by her said. equally excited to have a new “We are really excited that place instead of having to walk predecessor, Beth Drake, who identified an expansion as one it’s finally going,” Groeper of the organization’s needs. said. See DOGS, page A6
Green-energy plan to help Liberia fails By RONNIE GREENE and JONATHAN PAYE LAYLEH The Associated Press BUCHANAN, Liberia – On paper, the pitch was simple: A green energy company backed by $217 million in U.S. government loans would convert one of Africa’s poorest countries into the world’s first biomass-driven economy. But the plan to help Liberia collapsed amid questionable business decisions and oversight. The company, Buchanan Renewables, dismissed 600 workers and left the country amid complaints of workplace injuries, environmental harm and, at times, sexual abuse. Backing the company at every stage was the Overseas Private Investment Corp., a federal agency with a global mandate but low profile. The agency approves more
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DeKalb City Council votes to postpone building inspection program / A3
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than $3 billion a year in financing, targeting developments in hard-pressed communities. But its internal watchdog has issued reports on just five deals since 2005, a period when OPIC approved more than 530 projects. From the start, an investigation by The Associated Press found, OPIC’s support for the power project in the western African country of Liberia was marked by questionable scrutiny and deep political links. Even for ostensibly philanthropic projects meant to aid the world’s poorest, corporate opportunities and profits can intersect with family and business ties among Washington’s political elite. On the ground in Liberia, Buchanan Renewables’ CEO
See LIBERIA, page A6
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