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Family to appeal lawsuit dismissal
KISHWAUKEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Faculty seek agreement
Parents of David Bogenberger sued NIU students, fraternity after their son’s death in 2012 By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – The parents of a Northern Illinois University freshman who died in a fraternity house in 2012 plan to appeal a Cook County judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit against the people at the party and the fraternity. Peter Coladarci, who represents David Bogenberger’s family, said they disagreed with Judge Kathy Flanagan’s decision Thursday to dismiss the suit against 22 men, 16 women, the landlord for the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, the NIU chapter and the national fraternity orga- David Bogenberger nization. “I’m sure we’re going to end up in the supreme court,” Coladarci said. “It could very well be another two years.” Bogenberger, a 19-year-old Palatine High School graduate and fraternity pledge, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.351 percent when he died at the “Pikes” fraternity house in November 2012. Bogenberger and 18 other pledges attended the unsanctioned party, at which fraternity members and other guests ordered pledges to drink vodka, authorities have said. The pledges drank alcohol for about two hours while playing a game in which they were assigned “moms” and “dads” whose identities they were supposed to guess, authorities have said. Five fraternity leaders face felony hazing charges, and 17 other fraternity members were charged with misdemeanor hazing in DeKalb County court. The five felony cases were continued Dec. 3 until Feb. 23, when prosecutors hope all 22 defendants will appear before DeKalb County Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert, attorneys said. In the civil case filed in Cook County, Coladarci argued the
Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Kishwaukee College math department chairman and union president Matt Read (left) shows an informational pamphlet to Rob Galick, Kishwaukee College vice president of finance and administration, outside of door 61 on campus Thursday in Malta. Read and other professors spent their lunch hour and before and after their classes to pass out fliers to students which explain what the faculty’s stance on a fair contract is and also to remind them to study for their finals.
Union members’ contract expired at start of semester By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com MALTA – As students at Kishwaukee Community College prepare to conquer their finals, their instructors are gearing up for a different battle. Members of the Kishwaukee College Education Association, a union that represents around 80 full-time faculty members, have been working without a contract since August. Union members are passing out information on campus and could start informational pickets, said Matt Read, the math department chairman and union president. In the meantime, they will continue teaching.
this spring. The union’s last contract was approved in 2011 and expired in AuHow the average salary for full-time faculty at Kishwaukee College compares gust. Under the previous contract, with other community colleges with similar student enrollment. faculty received 1.5 percent annual salary increases, plus three salary COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AVERAGE PAY increases that totaled $2,950 by the Kishwaukee College 4,717 $57,354 end of the contract. Read said negotiators for the Morton College 4,886 $76,492 union and the college have been Prairie State College 5,064 $67,339 meeting since spring to try to reach Danville Area 4,037 $50,903 a new agreement. They plan to Community College meet again for negotiations next week. Heartland Community 5,215 $61,727 The average full-time faculty College member at Kishwaukee College Source: Illinois Community College Board earned $57,354 last year, around $14,000 less than the average com“It just makes us work more dilRead would not comment on any munity college faculty salary of igently toward a contract,” Read details of the negotiations because said. of a gag order both sides agreed to See CONTRACT, page A10
What they pay
See APPEAL, page A10
Illinois residents finding health insurance costs up in many areas area, where health care competition is fierce. But costs rose in Springfield and Belleville, according to an analCHICAGO – Illinois residents re- ysis of average rates for popular inturning to HealthCare.gov to buy in- surance plans conducted for The Assurance are finding prices higher in sociated Press. Health care costs are many parts of the state. increasing, but competition for inMonday is decision time under surance plan customers means popPresident Barack Obama’s health ulous Chicago is bucking the trend, care law, the last day for consumers said Marc Pierce of Stonegate Advito choose new plans if they want the sors, a Chicago-based independent changes to take effect Jan. 1. consulting company that conducted Average costs fell in the Chicago the analysis for AP.
By CARLA K. JOHNSON The Associated Press
In Decatur, John and Alicia Phillips decided to stick with the same Blue Cross Blue Shield policy even though their monthly premiums will increase slightly to $249 a month after their tax credit. Their deductibles will increase, too, from $1,000 per person to $1,500 per person, which will raise their out-of-pocket costs when they use health care in 2015. John Phillips, 43, owns an auto repair shop. His wife is a day-care
teacher. “I looked at some other plans,” Phillips said. “I stuck with the company I knew had paid the bills before without argument.” In the eastern Illinois community of Paris, 59-year-old Starla Redmon wants to shop around. Her low-cost bronze plan is going up from $75 a month to $94 a month, after financial assistance. “If I can find other insurance, I will,” she said. The law requires most people to
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DeKalb City Council to vote on parking at Ellwood House campus / A3
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have health insurance, and the fine for not having it is going up next year to $325 per adult – or 2 percent of household income, whichever is greater. “Almost every one of my clients got an increase of some sort,” said Jamie Simmons, an insurance broker win the southern Illinois city of Carterville. “Several people have said, ‘I’m going to drop it and pay the fine.’ ”
See INSURANCE, page A10
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