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O c to ber 26 , 2015 • $1 .0 0
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DAILY CHRONICLE Kishwaukee Family YMCA prepares for annual Family Halloween Event / A6
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Law affects Kish’s president search House Bill 3593 sets rules for nonunion public community college employee contracts By RHONDA GILLESPIE rgillespie@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Kishwaukee College has more than 25 applications for president to consider, and trustees will be guided by new legislation once they’ve made their pick. The college’s current leader, Thomas Choice, is set to retire Dec. 31 after more than a decade at the school. Choice first was hired as vice president of career and transfer services and rose to president in 2007.
He is going out on a much lighter note than former College of DuPage President Robert Breuder, who was fired last week – ending a leave of absence that he started earlier this year. The leave came after news surfaced he would exit the school in 2016 with a $763,000 severance package – which was about $200,000 more than his total $500,000plus annual compensation. That headline-grabbing drama led to adoption of a new law. State Rep. Robert
Pritchard, R-Hinckley, and state Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, were among the legThomas Choice islators who sought to outlaw exorbitant contract terms. The legislators, whose districts include DeKalb County, backed House Bill 3593, which Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law last month. It sets rules for nonunion public community col-
lege employment contracts. The head of Kishwaukee College’s board of trustees said he’s aware of the new law, which he called excessive and solely “a response to College of DuPage’s challenges.” “Very few colleges have those kinds of provisions – maybe nobody else – in their contracts,” Robert Johnson said of Breuder and COD’s agreement. “So it’s one of those overkill kinds of things where the legislature says,
Know more House Bill 3593 was signed into law Sept. 22. The following apply to any employment contract entered into with an employee of the community college district: • Contract start and end date may not exceed four years. • All renewals and extensions of contracts must be made during an open meeting of the
board. • Severance under the contract may not exceed one year’s salary and benefits. • Public notice must be given of an employment contract entered into. • Public notice must include the contract itself, including additional documents that change the initial contract.
See BILL, page A2
Nearby states set for lottery business
SYCAMORE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
By SOPHIA TAREEN The Associated Press CHICAGO – Even buying lottery tickets in Illinois is losing its charm. With Illinois delaying payouts of more than $600 because of its budget mess, neighboring states are salivating at the chance to boost their own lottery sales. Businesses near borders, particularly in Indiana, Kentucky and Iowa, say they’ve already noticed a difference. The Lottery problems stemming from Illinois’ budget impasse have led to a lawsuit and come amid questions about Illinois’ revenues and a shake-up in lottery management. Here are some things to know about the situation:
LEAVING ILLINOIS
Photos by Sam Buckner for Shaw Media
ABOVE: Silas, 8, and Joe Newell, 6, play in the leaves Sunday before the Pumpkin Parade. BELOW: The Pumpkin Parade makes its way through Sycamore on Sunday.
Pumpkin Fest parade rolls through Sycamore Two-hour spectacle boasts hometown pride By RHONDA GILLESPIE rgillespie@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – Sunday’s annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival parade was a two-hour spectacle of community participation, Halloween fun and hometown pride. “It’s a love fest,” said DeKalb County Board Member Misty Haji-Sheikh, D-7th Dist., who attended the parade with her husband, Michael. Crowds lined each street of the estimated 2½-mile-long parade route, which meandered through a southeast section of town. It began near Somonauk Street and Borden Avenue and ended at Southeast Elementary School. “Everybody comes, and they’re excited,” said Haji-Sheikh. “They wave and shake [parade participants’] hands. Little kids give you high-fives. It’s just so much fun.” Glenn and Laura Pryzbyla enjoyed the parade from the portable chairs
they pitched near the corner of Lincoln and Main streets. Their daughter, Abbie, had a comfy seat in her dad’s lap. The Cortland residents said it was their first year attending the parade – and likely not their last. “We like it a lot, to be close to home and to enjoy a short drive over here,” said Glenn Pryzbyla. “The parade is very nice and very convenient.” Abbie said she enjoyed the Shriners, who whirled through in the parade in tiny, colorful cars. Both she and Dad got the biggest kick out of the dogs that trotted through wearing costumes. “Yeah, those were funny, too,” said Abbie, who plans to dress up as a mermaid for Halloween. Marching bands came from all over the region to participate in this year’s parade, held on a seasonably warm fall day under a clear, blue sky. DeKalb’s middle schools’, and Kaneland’s and
Many gas stations, smoke shops and convenience stores in states bordering Illinois say they first noticed an increase in August, when the state said payouts more than $25,000 would have to wait because there wasn’t authority to cut checks that big. Now, those businesses are reporting a bigger flurry since Oct. 14, when the Illinois Lottery announced it had lowered that threshold to payouts more than $600. Idalia Vasquez, who manages a GoLo gas station in Hammond, Indiana, said irked Illinois residents have been streaming in to buy lottery tickets. She estimates ticket sales are up as much as 80 percent since Illinois’ second delay announcement. “We have long lines, but they’re patient with it because Illinois is not paying,” Vasquez said of the store about 20 miles from Chicago. “They’re all coming here and saying, ‘I’m from Illinois, how do you play it here?’ ” The Hoosier Lottery even issued a statement welcoming Illinoisans.
REVENUE
Lotteries in Missouri, Indiana, Iowa and Kentucky say sales have increased since Illinois first set a cap on prize payouts. But they all caution that other factors might be in play.
See PUMPKIN PARADE, page A4
See LOTTERY, page A8
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WHERE IT’S AT
Long drive
Second season
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NIU chips away to longest drive in nearly 2 years / B1
Four of the five area teams advance to the playoffs / B1
Blackhawk Restaurant Group to appear before DeKalb council / A3
Advice ................................ B4 Classified....................... B6-9 Comics ............................... B5 Local News............. A2-4, A8 Lottery................................ A2 Nation&World...................A2
Obituaries .........................A4 Opinion...............................A9 Puzzles ............................... B4 Sports..............................B1-3 State ...................................A4 Weather ........................... A10