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DAILY CHRONICLE DeKalb looks to pad its record, end Yorkville’s postseason plans / B1
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Attorney: Hastert to plead guilty Prosecutors likely seeking prison sentence for former House speaker By MICHAEL TARM The Associated Press CHICAGO – Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert intends to plead guilty in a hush-money case linked to allegations of sexual misconduct, a defense attorney said Thursday, a move that could ensure any secrets from his days as a high school wrestling coach are never revealed in public. A written plea agreement
should be completed by Monday, attorney John Gallo told a federal judge during a brief status hearing. At the attorney’s request, the judge set Oct. 28 as the date for the 73-year-old Illinois Republican to change his plea. Defendants typically agree to plead guilty in hopes of a more lenient sentence. A plea deal also would avert a trial that could divulge more about the alleged misconduct behind
the criminal charges. Neither Gallo nor prosecutors offered details about any possible deal, including which counts Hastert would Dennis plead guilty Hastert to or whether the man who was once second in the line of succession for the presidency
would go to prison. Hastert did not attend Thursday’s hearing. He faces one count of breaking banking laws and one count of lying to the FBI about agreeing to pay $3.5 million to someone referred to in the indictment only as “Individual A.” The money was supposedly to hide claims of unspecified past misconduct. A plea deal would mean Individual A, who has never been identified, would not
have to testify about receiving any of the money. The Associated Press and other media, citing anonymous sources, have reported the payments were meant to conceal claims of sexual misconduct. In all, Hastert withdrew $1.7 million from 2010 to 2014, according to the indictment. Prosecutors are probably seeking a prison sentence. It would be unusual for them to entertain the possibility
of probation on such serious charges. Each count is punishable by up to five years behind bars. When Hastert was charged in May, the indictment noted he had taught and coached high school wrestling from 1965 to 1981 in close-knit Yorkville. That strongly suggests the charges are linked to that history.
See HASTERT, page A9
NIU getting ready for STEM Fest
STUDY RANKS COUNTIES BY NATURAL BEAUTY
By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com
Mary Beth Nolan – mnolan@shawmedia.com
Jerry Von Hatten of Aurora boats out from the docks to fish on Shabbona Lake in DeKalb County.
So there’s no Grand Canyon DeKalb County falls short in USDA rankings, but residents say beauty is here By BRITTANY KEEPERMAN bkeeperman@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – In a snapshot, DeKalb County can look awfully boring – but there is a certain appeal to the Illinois flatlands, Sycamore resident Jane Calhoun said. Calhoun, who moved to Sycamore from the Milwaukee area about a year ago, said she has found beauty and community in DeKalb County, no matter what some may say about rural living. “The charm is that you can see all these beautiful homesteads,” Calhoun said. In a recent analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture data by the Washington Post, DeKalb County ranked behind 97 percent of the 3,111 counties in the continental U.S. in terms of natural amenities that “enhance the location as a place to live.” The data took into account factors, such as scenic beauty and variation, climate and proximity to bodies of water. DeKalb County ranked No.
USDA natural amenities scale 2,739. McHenry County, Illinois 2,786. Winnebago County, Illinois 2,853. LaSalle County, Illinois 3,020. DeKalb County, Illinois 3,097. Champaign County, Illinois 3,111. Red Lake County, Minnesota
Sources: http://www.ers.usda. gov/data-products/natural-amenities-scale.aspx; http://www. washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/08/17/every-county-in-america-ranked-by-natural-beauty
The natural amenities scale is a measure of the physical characteristics of a county area that enhance the location as a place to live. The scale was constructed by combining six measures of climate, topography and water area that
reflect environmental qualities most people prefer. These measures are warm winter, winter sun, temperate summer, low summer humidity, topographic variation and water area. The data are available for coun-
ties in the lower 48 States. The file contains the original measures and standardized scores for each county as well as the amenities scale.
3,020. Nearby counties also faired poorly in the rankings: McHenry (2,739), Winnebago (2,786) and Kane (2,855). Even LaSalle County, home to Starved Rock State Park, was listed at No. 2,853. Lake Michigan likely helped boost Cook Coun-
ty to No. 2,156 and Lake County to No. 1,667. Ventura County, California, north of Los Angeles took the top spot on the list, and Red Lake County in northwestern Minnesota was last. Although DeKalb County may
1. Ventura County, California 2. Humboldt County, California 1,508. Carroll County, Illinois 1,562. Door County, Wisconsin 1,667. Lake County, Illinois 1,754. Jo Daviess County, Illinois 2,156. Cook County, Illinois
Explainer
DeKALB – Northern Illinois University’s STEM Fest has grown significantly over the years, but event organizers aren’t prepared to quit adding to it now. Last year, an estimated 7,500 people attended the festival, which showcases science, technology, engineering and math in a science fairlike gathering, said Pati Sievert Director of STEM If you go Outreach. This year’s STEM Fest will be from 10 WHAT: STEM Fest a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at WHERE: NIU ConvoNIU’s Convocation Cencation Center ter. WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 “This year, I am proud to say that we have close p.m. Saturday CONTACT: 815-753to 700 NIU volunteers between student groups 1272 NEW THIS YEAR: and NIU professors volunteering with their own Full-size model of Subbooths,” Sievert said. “So Ice Rover I’m really proud of the NIU student community for getting in on this.” The event’s coordinators have ordered 200 dissectable cow eyes and reserved a spot for the Sub-Ice Rover, a submarine designed to investigate the deepest waters of the Antarctic. “In the past we’ve had the model, and this year the full-size model will be there,” Sievert said. Attendees can expect to hear from a local NASA ambassador about Pluto, “the solar system’s most popular non-planet,” as well as the creator of “Spectra,” a comic book series chronicling the adventures of a crime-fighting teenage girl with laser superpowers. “Another cool thing that will happen on stage is the unveiling of one of our team member’s own books, ‘The Toy and the Twister,’ ” Sievert said. “It’s the first in a series of Stuffed Bunny Science.” While Stuffed Bunny Science might be better-suited for a young audience, STEM Fest has something for all ages, Sievert said. “It’s really important for the families to experience this together. ... I think it’s because it’s just a really fun day to come out and see what is new – what’s happening with science, engineering, technology and math. But it’s also a day to come and expose your kids to all of this for one day for free.”
Source: USDA Economic Research Service not offer mild winters or days at the seaside, Calhoun said she finds joy in what the county does have to offer – a sense of small town community with access to
See RANKINGS, page A9
Monica Synett file photo – msynett@shawmedia.com
Esther Vilchis, 6, peers at sickle cell disease through a microscope in 2014 at the Medical Sciences Lab booth at STEM Fest at the NIU Convocation Center.
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Word games
Seeking revenge
Pending case
St. Mary’s Church hosts community spelling bee / A3
Sycamore football looks to bounce back after losing to Morris last year / B1
Bond reduced for former student facing assault charges / A3
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