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Serving DeKalb County since 1879 Garrison Govig (left)
BOYS BASKETBALL • SPORTS, B1
Friday, January 3, 2014
ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH
Govig giving Indian Creek an aggressive inside presence
Library vies for visit by author Local, A3
Police: Shabbona man found dead Devin G. Blakeley attended a New Year’s Eve party Tuesday at 10720 Duffy Road and left the party on foot about 2 a.m. Wednesday, authorities said. Police were notified about 2:45 p.m. Thursday after he
By JILLIAN DUCHNOWSKI jduchnowski@shawmedia.com WATERMAN – A 20-yearold Shabbona man was found dead Thursday afternoon near a frozen creek in rural Waterman, police said.
was found just east of the party location. “He was located by two of his friends [Thursday] afternoon; that’s when they called us,” Gary Dumdie, chief deputy with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, said. “He had
not been reported missing prior to his friends contacting us.” The incident happened northeast of Waterman near the intersection of Duffy Road and Route 23. Police believe alcohol was
involved but need to wait for autopsy results before determining more, Dumdie said. DeKalb County Sheriff’s police and the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office are investigating the death. “As far as what happened,
we don’t know for sure at this point,” Dumdie said. “We’re still putting pieces together and interviewing people who were there. We don’t believe there was any foul play, but we have not ruled that out positively.”
Justices rake in cash tied to law
Jobless rate expected to keep falling
Court to decide pension reform The ASSOCIATED PRESS SPRINGFIELD – The potential arbiters of Illinois’ pension-reform law have collected nearly $3 million in campaign contributions during the past 13 years from groups that support both sides of the issue, according to a published report. The Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday that most of the money was collected by one justice, Thomas Kilbride, in a 2010 campaign to retain his seat that was the nation’s most expensive of its type in a quarter-century. Still, if a legal challenge to the newly minted pension-reform law reaches the high court, it will be decided by seven justices, six of whom have Thomas accepted cam- Kilbride paign contribu- Illinois Sutions from one preme Court or both sides of chief Justice the debate: labor unions, business groups or a political fund operated by House Speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan, a powerful Chicago Democrat, said last month the initiative could not have passed without his ability to persuade members of the House. A number of business groups have said they support the law, while public employee unions oppose it, saying it violates a part of the state constitution. “Even the most honorable justice has to acknowledge this looks bad. It puts them in a bad light,” David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, told the newspaper. The Illinois Constitution calls for the election of judges and, in the case of Supreme Court justices, retention campaigns after each 10-year term. Elections cost money. There is no legal limit on campaign contributions to judges, but the Judicial Code of Conduct prohibits them from personally soliciting or accepting contributions – a task left to campaign committees. “Politics plays no role in any of the issues that we have before us,” Chief Justice Rita
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Business services representative Danita Sims, with First Institute, and Prince Montgomery, of DeKalb review Montgomery’s resume Dec. 19 at the WorkNet Center in DeKalb.
Resources remain for DeKalb County’s unemployed By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com
and SHAWN SHINNEMAN sshinneman@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Workers at DeKalb’s WorkNet Center miss the convenience of sharing space with the unemployment office. Elaine Cozort, coordinator of adult learning and outreach services at Kishwaukee College, said they still are providing job search assistance for people who need it. Kishwaukee College partners with the WorkNet Center at 1701 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb. It is the
Voice your opinion How will the local job market fare in 2014? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle. com.
same location as the Illinois Department of Employment Security office that closed in March. “A lot of people are surprised we’re still here,” Cozort said. “They thought we were closed.” Overall, statistics show things are looking up for the state’s unemployed residents. The state econ-
omy is gaining about 6,000 jobs a month, compared with the 18,000 jobs Illinois was losing each month at the height of the recession, said Greg Rivara, Illinois Department of Employment Security spokesman. Rivara attributes falling unemployment to an improved housing market, better debt ratios and increased consumer confidence – a factor helped by Congress’ recent budget deal. He said he sees no reason that those trends won’t continue in
“
We’re encouraged just by the number of employers working with us. [Hiring will] gradually start to increase after the first of the year.
’’
Elaine Cozort
coordinator of adult learning and outreach services at Kishwaukee College
See UNEMPLOYMENT, page A6
Baby New Year finally arrives County’s first baby born Thursday in Sandwich By DEBBIE BEHRENDS dbehrends@shawmedia.com SANDWICH – The first baby born in 2014 in DeKalb County didn’t arrive until Jan. 2, and she wasn’t due to arrive until Wednesday. Miranda Mae Patterson was born at 9:53 a.m. Thursday at Valley West Hospital in Sandwich. Her parents are Amy Jo Park and Maurice Patterson.
On the Web To view video of the family, visit Daily-Chronicle.com. Ran-Ran, as her father is calling her, weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and is 20 inches long. She also has a full head of very dark hair. Miranda also is being welcomed by big brother, Connor Park, 12, and big sister,
Deanna Park, 10. “She hasn’t left my side since the baby arrived,” Amy Jo Park said of her elder daughter. Although he was at the hospital to greet his new sister, Park said her son was more interested in video games. No stranger to the limelight, Park said Deanna was the first baby born at
See BABY, page A6
Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
Amy Jo Park (from left), Maurice Patterson and Deanna Park, 10, welcome newborn Miranda Mae Patterson on Thursday at Valley West Hospital in Sandwich. Miranda Mae was born at 9:53 a.m. and weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce, and is DeKalb County’s first baby of 2014.
See JUDGES, page A6
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