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Public forum for sober home held By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – Among some of the questions DeKalb County Board member Joseph Bassett had regarding the proposed sober living home in Sycamore is what kind of surveillance there will be. The answer: Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert told a crowd Thursday during a public forum that local police will be able to stop by the home at 491 E. State St. in Sycamore at any time. The recovering drug ad-
er would live there to monitor the men. “This is their home,” StuckDeKalb County Board members ert said. “We’re not going to be will vote on Dec. 17 about whether watching them with cameras. to approve the $145,000 purchase We’re not planning to watch of the proposed sober living home. their every move.” Then the city of Sycamore will vote Multiple questions were in January on whether to issue a posed Thursday to a panel of special-use permit to allow it to DeKalb County Drug/DUI operate as a group home. Court officials. While the meeting was informal, attendees learned more about the dicts and alcoholic men living proposal to have a sober living there would be placed on elec- home for recovering addicts tronic home monitoring for at who will first need to complete least three weeks when they a three-month residential move in, and a house manag- treatment program.
What’s next
Police cases converge to stir national debate
There are multiple steps before the deal becomes official. DeKalb County Board members will vote Dec. 17 about whether they support the county purchasing the home for $145,000. Then the city of Sycamore will vote in January on whether to issue a special-use permit to allow the property to operate as a group home. A request for a sober home in Sycamore already has failed. A 2,388-square-foot house at 303 Exchange St. in Sycamore was proposed earlier this year but failed to become official af-
ter County Board members cited the proposal didn’t fit with the county’s 100-year plan, which would contain county property to the area bordered by North Walnut Street to the east, North Locust Street to the west, East Sycamore Street to the north and East State Street to the south. Not every question asked during the public forum had a definitive answer. For example, one man asked whether the house manager would be an employee of the county. State’s Attorney Richard Schmack said the
house manager, who would receive a stipend, could be a part-time co-employee of the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court or possibly could be an independent contractor. “I’d feel better if I was presented with a more detailed analysis if I’m voting on this in two weeks,” Bassett said. What attendees did find out was that the house manager will make weekly reports to Drug Court Coordinator Michael Douglas, a maximum of seven men will live in the
See FORUM, page A5
Santa comes to town Festivites begin in DeKalb, similar events planned tonight in Sycamore
By TOM HAYS and COLLEEN LONG The Associated Press NEW YORK – The New York chokehold case converged with the Ferguson shooting and investigations out of South Carolina and Cleveland to stir a national conversation Thursday about racial justice and police use of force. A day after a grand jury cleared a white New York City officer in the death of a black man, civil rights leaders pinned their hopes on a promised federal investigation. Demonstrators protested for a second night in New York and turned out in such cities as Denver, Detroit and Minneapolis. And politicians and others talked about the need for better police training, body cameras and changes in the grand jury process to restore faith in the legal system. “A whole generation of officers will be trained in a new way,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed he and his police commissioner outlined previously announced plans to teach officers how to communicate better with people on the street. President Barack Obama weighed in, saying one of the chief issues at stake is “making sure that people have confidence that police and law enforcement and prosecutors are serving everybody equally.” Even before the decision in the Eric Garner case came down, racial tensions were running high because of last week’s grand jury decision not to charge a white officer in the shooting death of black 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Other cases were added to the mix Thursday: • In the tiny South Carolina town of Eutawville, a white former police chief was charged with murder in the 2011 shooting of an unarmed black man. Richards Combs’ lawyer accused prosecutors of taking advantage of national outrage toward police to obtain the indictment more than three years after the killing. • In Cleveland, the U.S. Justice Department and the city reached an agreement to overhaul the police department after federal investigators found that officers use excessive force far too often, causing deep mistrust, especially among blacks. The investigation was prompted chiefly by a 2012 car chase that ended in the deaths of two unarmed people in a hail of 137 bullets. Just last week, protesters took to the streets of Cleveland after a white police officer shot and killed a black 12-year-old boy carrying what turned out to be pellet gun. After a night of protests led to 83 arrests in New York, the Rev. Al Sharpton called the state-level grand jury system “broken” when it comes to police brutality cases and urged federal authorities to fix it. “The federal government must do in the 21st century what it did in the mid-20th century,” he said. “Federal intervention must come now and protect people from state grand juries.” Still, federal civil rights cases against police officers are exceedingly rare. In the past two decades, only a few such cases have reached trial in New York – most notably the one involving Abner Louima, who was sodomized with a broom handle in a police station in 1997. Several other high-profile cases didn’t come together. That’s largely because federal prosecutors must meet a high standard of proof in showing that police deliberately deprived victims of their civil rights through excessive force, said Alan
Photos by Monica Synett – msynett@shawmedia.com
Madisyn Morgan, 3, visits with Santa in his house Thursday in the Van Buer Plaza in DeKalb. Morgan asked for an Elsa watch and a Barbie.
Santa’s visiting hours
By AIMEE BARROWS news@daily-chronicle.com DeKALB – The Egyptian Theatre provided cookies and hot cocoa. The DeKalb High School madrigals provided entertainment. But 6-year-old Jayden Rogers described Santa Claus as “cool” after all the activities that welcomed him to downtown DeKalb on Thursday night. “I want a space station,” Rogers said. “My favorite part was seeing Santa and getting a candy cane.” Santa will open his house in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore tonight, but he rolled into DeKalb on Thursday in a rather humble ride: He was waving from atop a city plow truck. Jessica Antonacci, events manager of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, said close to 200 people attended Thursday. “It’s a great family event and a good old-fashioned tradition [in DeKalb],” Antonacci said. “It’s been a great night.” DeKalb resident Greg
In front of the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore: 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 21. In Van Buer Plaza in downtown DeKalb: every Saturday before Christmas from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The city also will have free carriage rides when Santa’s house is open.
Blake Rogers, 2, of DeKalb touches the Christmas decorations while listening to the caroling of the DeKalb High School madrigals on Thursday at the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb. Hulmes said he brings his family every year. “It’s a tradition,” Hulmes said. “It’s a beautiful way to kick off the holidays. I love to see the music.” Linda Kocjan of DeKalb brought her family to see Santa, but she also has a personal connection to the event. “I have two small kids who wanted to see Santa. I was in
madrigals [at DeKalb] high school, so it’s fun to see them perform.” Adults may come for the music, but the children had one thing on their mind. “I wanted to come to see Santa and tell him what I want for Christmas, which is lots of toys,” said Camille Files, 7, of DeKalb. Her sister Kayla, 4, said she loves the candy canes.
Felicia Kapity, 8, said she “came to see Santa and all the pretty lights.” Sycamore will kick off tonight’s festivities with a free showing of “The Polar Express” at 4 p.m. at the Sycamore State Theatre. After the movie, Santa will be dropped off in front of the theater, and residents will escort him to his house in front of the courthouse. Once Santa arrives, the trees on the lawn will light up for the first time this season. Rose Treml, executive director of the Sycamore Chamber
See SANTA, page A5
See POLICE, page A6
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Helping hands
New foundation
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Clinton Rosette students donate to Freezin’ for Food / A3
Catholic church holds Mass for first time since a fire destroyed it / B12
Indian Creek crushes Hiawatha in first conference game / B1
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