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January 9-10, 2016 • $1.50
SERVING DEKALB COUNTY SINCE 1879
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Sycamore museum’s tortoise dies Officials say Hercules was popular with visitors, had ‘a fun personality’ By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – Officials at the Midwest Museum of Natural History announced Friday the museum’s most popular living attraction, Hercules the sulcata tortoise, had died. Hercules lived in the Discovery Den at the museum, 425 W. State St., Sycamore, where he was visited by thousands of guests. The 30-pound tortoise, whose species is indigenous to Africa, died Monday of natu-
ral causes, said Cindy Khatri, the museum’s executive director. “He was probably our most popular animal ambassador and he really provided a unique educational opportunity for all of our visitors – an opportunity to meet an animal that would have been from Africa, and a chance to kind of see what the wildlife was like,” she said. When put to a vote, Hercules came out on top as everyone’s favorite.
The tortoise even won a mock presidential election in 2012 against a TAILS Humane Society rabbit named Athena. The campaign was a realization of the “Tortoise and the Hare” fable, and was used to teach Sycamore students about voting. “We kind of explained what voting was and how it worked. We brought Hercules to the schools and they got to meet him and see his shell and learn about reptiles,” Khatri said. “Of course TAILS had the op-
position with Athena the rabbit – or the hare – and they talked about mammals.” Hercules meant as much to the community as he did the local schools, Midwest Museum of Natural History President Jennifer Lavoie said. Having been housed in an open space where he was free to interact with visitors, the tortoise gained a large fan base in his at least nine years at the museum.
See HERCULES, page A5
Danielle Guerra file photo - dguerra@shawmedia.com
Hercules, a sulcata tortoise at the Midwest Museum of Natural History in Sycamore, chows down on a carrot on Dec. 17, 2010.
Pena Nieto: ‘El Chapo’ Guzman recaptured
A LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENED AND WHAT’S AHEAD FOR DEKALB COUNTY
By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO and MARK STEVENSON The Associated Press
Danielle Guerra - dguerra@shawmedia.com
DeKalb County Board Chairman Mark Pietrowski Jr. sits Friday at his desk in his office at the DeKalb County Legislative Center in Sycamore.
Year of triumphs, setbacks County Board chairman reflects on 2015 and eyes challenges in 2016 By RHONDA GILLESPIE rgillespie@shawmedia.com DeKALB – The county had “a lot of issues,” some board members pointed out, when Mark Pietrowski was elected chairman, and a year later he notes that more work remains. “For this first year, there’s a number of different things that stand out,” said Pietrowski, 33, a Democrat who became chairman when his party gained a majority on the DeKalb County Board in December 2014. Whether his tenure as chairman continues beyond this year could depend on whether Republicans or Democrats have a majority on the County Board after the fall election. The start of 2015 saw the county continue its work to deal with the calamity of unsafe living conditions in the Evergreen Village mobile home park located just outside the Sycamore city limits. The county secured $7.1 million in state and federal grants to buy the property, relocate the residents and clean up the land to make it an open space. Pietrowski praised the coun-
on April 9. Buildings were leveled, two people were killed and dozens more had their lives forever changed. Pietrowski, who lives in Cortland and represents District 3, had only been in leadership four months when the tornado struck. The county was not equipped to address such a massive rebuilding effort, and administrative procedures and red tape created delays. As a result, in May 2015, County Board members created an emergency preparedness task force. Then, months later in November, the county adopted its first disaster recovery plan. “God forbid, hopefully nothing Daily Chronicle File Photo to that scale would ever happen DeKalb County Board Chairman Mark Pietrowski Jr. (right) hands certificates to again,” Pietrowski said. “But Sycamore-residing, bronze-medal-winning Team USA Special Olympians Matt if it did, instead of having things Sherman (left), Brenden Morrissey (second left) and Cody Zimmer – who com- be delayed because of meetings peted at the World Summer Games in Los Angeles – during a DeKalb County and committees ... if it’s declared Board meeting Aug. 19 at the Legislative Center in Sycamore. a state of emergency, automatically fees would be waived ty’s work to turn the 59-acre prop- mittee has been working on,” Pi- and department heads would have erty into the Sycamore Forest etrowski said. “It looks like it will the ability to move forward with Preserve, which could open this be a fantastic space.” things without having to wait on spring. Adding to the year’s challeng- different committees.” “I’m really pleased with the es for DeKalb County was the EF4 See FIRST YEAR, page A5 plans that the forest preserve com- tornado that tore through Fairdale
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Stepping up
Arrest made
Barbs prevail
Baker shining as senior for NIU men’s basketball / B1
Cortland day care provider charged with battery to a child / A3
Komitas gets win over Kedzie, helps Barbs top Knights / B1
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MEXICO CITY – The world’s most-wanted drug lord was captured for a third time in a daring raid by Mexican marines Friday, six months after he tunneled out of a maximum security prison in a made-for-Hollywood escape that deeply embarrassed the government and strained ties with the United States. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman using his Twitter account: “mission accomplished: we have him.” Few had thought Guzman would be taken alive, and few now believe Mexico will want to try to hold him a third time in Mexican prisons. He escaped from maximum-security facilities in 2001 and on July 11, 2015, the second breakout especially humiliating for the Pena Nieto administration, which only held him for less than 18 months. The capture had top Mexican officials at a Foreign Ministry event gleefully embracing and breaking into a spontaneous rendition of the national anthem after Interior Secretary Miguel Osorio Chong delivered the news. No sooner than Guzman was apprehended, calls started for his immediate extradition to the U.S., including from a Republican presidential candidate, Florida Sen. Mark Rubio. “Given that ‘El Chapo’ has already escaped from Mexican prison twice, this third opportunity to bring him to justice cannot be squandered,” Rubio said. According to the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. submitted full extradition requests after he was arrested in February 2014. But Guzman’s lawyers already filed appeals on those and were granted injunctions that could substantially delay the process.
See CAPTURED, page A5
AP file photo
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines Feb. 22, 2014 at a navy hanger in Mexico City, Mexico.
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