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Plan for pet home advances Facility would care for pets of seniors who can’t keep them By ADAM POULISSE apoulisse@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – The DeKalb County Planning and Zoning Committee on Wednesday recommended an amendment to DeKalb County Animal Welfare League’s special use permit, allowing them to build a home for senior pets belonging to senior citizens. “I’m very happy the animal shelter is going to improve their site and provide a valuable service taking care of the dogs and cats of people who need the help,” committee Chairman John Emerson, a Republican from District 2, said. The animal welfare league has plans to add a 5,500 squarefoot building to the animal shelter grounds at 16173 Baseline Road near Genoa. Roberta Shoaf, league president and shelter executive director, says the building will be a “sanctuary for senior pets.” The facility, still in the discussion and planning stage, will provide a home for elderly dogs and cats whose owners are moving to assisted living facilities. The building would take care of the pets and allow their owners to maintain contact with them. The request will go before the DeKalb County Board for final approval on April 15. “We’re hoping to move forward and hopefully by the time it gets to the full board we’ll be able to set in motion some plans to get started,” Shoaf said. Regulations of special use permits allow for land and building expansion so long as it does not exceed 10 percent of the existing property, which the shelter’s proposed project does, according to Paul Miller, Planning, Zoning and Building director. Thus, an amendment was needed. All present committee members – Emerson, Tracy Jones, Frank O’Barski, Riley Oncken and Anita Turner – voted in favor of the amendment.
Photos by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Aurora Police Cmdr. Kristen Ziman speaks Wednesday about riding along with the first woman officer in Aurora while she was new to the job in front of the law enforcement community present for the Women of the Shield event, honoring women in law enforcement in DeKalb County at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center. Ziman has been a part of the Aurora Police Department for 24 years.
‘Women of the Shield’ DeKalb County women celebrate law enforcement achievements By BRETT ROWLAND browland@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Representatives from several DeKalb County law enforcement agencies gathered Wednesday at Northern Illinois University’s Convocation Center to honor women in their ranks for the first time. More than 70 officers and community members attended “Women of the Shield: Honoring the Women in Law Enforcement of DeKalb County.” Family members, elected officials and law enforcement leaders from agencies outside the county also attended in a show of support. “At every turn, you will find a woman of the shield standing tall and caring for her community, regardless of their gender, sexual identity or expression, ability, race, religion, creed or nationality,” said Carrie Williams, assistant director of NIU’s Gender & Sexuality Resource Center. “It is the creed of the women of the shield to protect and serve to ensure our nation rises to our potential greatness.”
DeKalb Police Officer Reda Reese, smiles as she shakes hands with Northern Illinois University Police Chief Tom Phillips (left) before receiving her certificate Wednesday at the Women of the Shield event, honoring women in law enforcement in DeKalb County, at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center. The event underscored the important role women play in protecting the public at a time when national attention has often been focused on misconduct and inequality in police departments. Organized by NIU police officer Wey-ni Langdon, the
event served as a way to pay respect to pioneering women in law enforcement during Women’s History Month and recognize the achievements of local women in law enforcement. “They have paved the way for young officers like myself
to move up the ranks,” Langdon said. Langdon said women bring a different perspective to policing and that police departments should have cultural and gender diversity that mirrors the communities they serve. She wants to see the event grow in the future, possibly statewide, and include scholarships for young women interested in careers in law enforcement. Aurora Police Cmdr. Kristen Ziman, the event’s keynote speaker, shared the story of her journey through the ranks. “When I started in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois, we had about 250 [officers], and when as I came on as a cadet and even as a sworn officer, there were no females in rank,” she said. “It never occurred to me at anytime during my career that I would promote through the ranks.” Ziman told of her excitement at the time to be assigned to work with a female field training officer, Karen Such.
See WOMEN, page A6
“In order to raise funds to build something, you have to have a permission to build it. In order to build it, they want you to have the funds. We’re in the middle-of-the-road place where we want to get it started, we want to start a fundraising campaign ... but we can’t start any of that until we have permission to build a facility.” Roberta Shoaf DeKalb County Animal Welfare League’s president A special use amendment typically gives the permit holder a year to begin construction or operation. However, at Miller’s request, the league would have three years to begin construction or operation. “That gives them two years to do fundraising,” Miller said. Shoaf said that without the extra time, the welfare league was in a bit of a Catch-22. “In order to raise funds to build something, you have to have a permission to build it. In order to build it, they want you to have the funds,” she said. “We’re in the middle-of-theroad place where we want to get it started, we want to start a fundraising campaign ... but we can’t start any of that until we have permission to build a facility.” Shoaf said she didn’t know when the pet retirement home will begin construction. “If you give me enough money to do it,” Shoaf said, “I’ll start it tomorrow.”
Military: Bergdahl may face life in prison if convicted By ALLEN G. BREED and LOLITA C. BALDOR The Associated Press FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who abandoned his post in Afghanistan and was held captive for five years by the Taliban, was charged Wednesday by the U.S. military with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and could get life in prison if convicted. The charges are the latest development in a long and bitter debate over Bergdahl’s case.
They also underscore the military and political ramifications of his decision on June 30, 2009, to leave his post after expressing misgivings about the U.S. military’s role, as well as his own, in the Afghanistan war. Bergdahl, 28, Sgt. Bowe was captured by Bergdahl the Taliban and held by members of the Haqqani network, an insurgent group tied to the Taliban that operates both in
Pakistan and Afghanistan. Last May 31, Bergdahl was handed over to U.S. special forces in Afghanistan as part of an exchange for five Taliban commanders who were imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The exchange set off a debate over whether the U.S. should have released the five Taliban members. Little is known about what the five have been doing in Qatar, where they are being monitored by the government. Some lawmakers have predicted that the five would
return to the battlefield. Wednesday’s announcement brought further criticism of the exchange from some lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas and the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security. “President Obama endangered our national security and broke the law when he chose to negotiate with terrorists and release hardened enemy combatants from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Sgt. Bergdahl – who many believed at the time was a deserter,” McCaul said in
a statement. The Obama administration appeared to stand by the swap. “Was it worth it? Absolutely. We have a commitment to our men and women serving overseas, or in our military, defending our national security every day, that we will do everything we can to bring them home, and that’s what we did in this case,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in an interview on Fox News. The misbehavior charge could land Bergdahl in prison for life, though some legal ex-
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perts said a lengthy sentence was unlikely. He also could be dishonorably discharged and forfeit all his pay if convicted on either charge. Next, an Article 32 hearing – similar to a civilian grand jury proceeding – will be held at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, where Bergdahl has been performing administrative duties. A date was not announced. From there, it could be referred to a court-martial and go to trial.
See BERGDAHL, page A6
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