DAILY CHRONICLE
November 7-8, 2015 • $1.50
ON DISPLAY DeKalb, Sycamore high schools offer fall plays
WEEKEND
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By BRETT ROWLAND
Photos by Monica Synett – msynett@shawmedia.com
Southeast Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jill Henson checks her students’ progress Oct. 29 on an in-class assignment.
County schools’ grades Illinois issues report cards for state’s 859 districts ing high school, and, even more telling, the number who graduate ready for college or a career. The state measured that as a percentage of students who scored 21 or better on the ACT college entrance exam. “Our big story here is that we are getting data that tells us what kids need, where we’re at, and I think collectively, as a state, we need to organize resources,” said state Superintendent Tony Smith. “To have a tool like the report card, where we can come together and look at things, and ask questions and have really informed dialog, I think, is a pretty extraordinary tool.”
DeKALB – Most of DeKalb County’s school districts enjoy graduation rates that surpass the statewide average, but a majority of graduates may not be ready for college, according state education data. The Illinois State Board of Education released report cards Oct. 30 for each of the state’s 859 school districts, which serve more than 2 million students in 3,764 schools. The data includes statewide standards, district-level metrics and detailed information about each school. The information does not, however, reveal any results from the PARCC testing school admin- Graduation and istrators and students have readiness been waiting for. There are 41 schools in the Instead, the report cards eight DeKalb County school measure things, such as how many students are graduatSee GRADES, page A9
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DeKalb traffic light tweaks could boost flow efficiency browland@shawmedia.com
By RHONDA GILLESPIE
LOW
Complete forecast on page A12
SERVING DEKALB COUNTY SINCE 1879
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HIGH
DeKALB – Drivers in DeKalb could soon start seeing more green lights. At a meeting Monday, the DeKalb City Council is scheduled to discuss a $1.3 million project to better coordinate traffic lights in the city to make driving in and around town more efficient. It also could cut down on pollution, with less fuel burned by drivers idling at red lights, said John Laskowski, DeKalb’s interim public works director and city engineer. “This project would get our traffic signals to communicate better and have them better timed for more efficiency,” Laskowski said. The City Council will meet as a Committee of the Whole at 5 p.m. Monday at the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St., DeKalb. City officials are in the process of selecting an engineering firm for the project, according to city documents. The project would coordinate DeKalb’s signalized intersections to improve traffic flow, increase efficiency, decrease travel times and reduce pol-
lution. Design work for the project is expected to begin this winter and could be completed by next fall, according to city documents. The city budgeted $120,000 for design engineering for the project. The federal government and the state would pay for the bulk of the work – $960,000 – with a local match of $240,000 covering the rest. There are some challenges to improving traffic flow through DeKalb, Laskowski said. For example, any work in downtown DeKalb requires talks with both the state and Union Pacific, and train traffic will continue to be an issue. “The railroad will be a challenge,” Laskowski said. Much of the traffic signal work would be on Routes 38 and 23, and Annie Glidden Road, Laskowski said. DeKalb Mayor John Rey said synchronizing traffic lights could make driving in the city much more efficient. “It behooves us to do this,” he said. The City Council could consider the next step in the process at its Dec. 14 meeting.
Second-grader Erika Bellon and her classmates work on a writing assignment Oct. 29 at Southeast Elementary School in Sycamore.
By the numbers School district
Graduation Rate (%) DeKalb 428 82 Genoa 424 93 Hiawatha 426 87 Hinckley-Big Rock 429 88 Indian Creek (Shabbona) 425 98 Sandwich 430 84 Somonauk 432 93 Sycamore 427 90
College Readiness Rate (%) 40 46 33 73 60 42 66 55
Monica Synett – msynett@shawmedia.com
Cars stop at the traffic light Friday at the intersection of Fourth Street and Route 38.
Those who donated to Gliniewicz’s Ex-NIU student charged family deal with Fox Lake fallout with delivering LSD By KATIE DAHLSTROM
kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com FOX LAKE – Some of the scores of ribbons and posters have come down in Fox Lake as residents deal with the fallout over news their once beloved “G.I. Joe” had a troublesome history of drinking, sexual harassment and other misconduct before he staged his suicide to look like a homicide. While the shocking revelations have left some to wonder about money they donated to Fox Lake Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz’s family – in some cases requesting that money be returned – others have taken time to reflect on the way residents rallied together in the face of tragedy. “Despite what came out, I hope
we can remember how we came together as a community, and we don’t become hardened or jaded,” McHenry Outdoor Theater owner Scott Dehn said. “We all did the right things for the right reasons. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.” Gliniewicz Joseph died of a gunshot Gliniewicz wound Sept. 1 after he radioed to dispatch he was investigating three suspicious men. The shooting sparked a massive manhunt and an outpouring of support for the 30-year police veteran. But Wednesday, investigators revealed he had staged his suicide to look like a homicide as
he feared village officials would discover he had embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from the youth program he oversaw. Investigators said Gliniewicz spent the money on mortgage payments, gym memberships, adult websites and other personal expenses. His wife, Melodie, and son, D.J., also are believed to have been involved in the embezzlement scheme. A little more than a week after Gliniewicz’s death, Dehn hosted a showing of “Superman” as a fundraiser for the officer’s family. Dehn said about 1,000 people attended, raising just more than $5,000 that quickly was deposited in the “Lt. Gliniewicz Memorial Fund” at BMO Harris Bank.
See DONATIONS, page A9
By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – Officials wouldn’t say Friday if a former Northern Illinois University student charged with dealing LSD was connected to the death of student who fell from 11th-floor dorm window Sept. 26. Michael Z. Montgomery, 19, of the 1800 block of Abriter Court, Naperville, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, typically punishable by four to 15 years in prison. NIU police arrested Montgomery, and DeKalb County Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert set his bond at $5,000 Friday. He would have to post $500 to be released, and remained in the DeKalb County Jail on Friday evening. Montgomery’s attorney, Robert Nolan, told Stuckert on Friday Montgomery has “since withdrawn from the university.”
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IHSA playoffs
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DeKalb looks to improve on last year’s playoff exit / B1
New rugs give floors color, texture and add an accent to the room / C1
Kaneland association moving forward with its intent to strike / A4
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Police said Montgomery delivered 10 or fewer doses of LSD Sept. 24, according to court records. Two days later, NIU student Oluwarotimi “Timi” Okedina, 19, fell from a window on the 11th floor of Stevenson Towers while under the influence of LSD and marijuana, police have said. Assistant State’s Attorney Duke Harris declined to comment on whether Montgomery’s case had anything to do Okedina’s death. The Michael Z. prosecutor said it was too Montgomery early to know if Montgomery could face additional charges. If he posts bail, Montgomery would be required to wear an electronic home monitoring device and stay at his Naperville address. He is due back in court Dec. 10.
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