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Tuesday, April 29, 2014
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Meth lab apartment uninhabitable DeKalb authorities researching who would give OK to allow new tenants to move in covered in October at Travel Inn in DeKalb. The building was evacuated from about 1:30 to 6 p.m. Friday while local firefighters and the Illinois State Police Meth Response Team removed the lab without incident, authorities said. Michael J. Dumiak, 30; Malgorzata M. Dutkowska, 25, and Jennifer Simpson, 32, were charged with aggravated participation in the production of methamphetamine, participation in the production of methamphetamine, and pos-
By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – The cleanup process for the apartment where DeKalb police said they found an active methamphetamine lab remains murky, but officials have allowed the tenant in the apartment downstairs to return to his home. Police said they found a working meth lab Friday at 418 N. Eleventh St. after they knocked on the door as part of an ongoing investigation sparked by the meth lab dis-
session of methamphetamine manufacturing. Police said Dumiak and Dutkowska were living together in apartment No. 3 upstairs, while Simpson was living in apartment No. 1. The three are due in court today. Dumiak’s bond was set at $500,000, while Dutkowska’s and Simpson’s bonds are $200,000 each. David Johnson, who lives in the downstairs apartment, went to a friend’s house for a few hours while the scene was cleared. He said he returned about 11 p.m. Friday night and
hasn’t had any interruptions to his regular routine since then. “No, I’m not really concerned,” Johnson said of living in the building. “I asked if anything seeped into my apartment and they told me ‘no.’ I believe them.” The apartment that housed the alleged meth lab was deemed uninhabitable and will remain that way until it is cleaned, although officials said they are not sure how long that process might take. Police believe the lab was not
operated for long in the apartment, police Sgt. Steve Lekkas said. DeKalb Public Works Director T.J. Moore said the property owner, Richard Burke of Genoa, is responsible for the cleanup. On Monday, Moore was not sure what city agency would be responsible for clearing the apartment to be inhabited again. “We’re still investigating the process and will be in touch with the property owner,” Moore said. Burke could not be reached
for comment Monday afternoon. The Illinois Department of Public Health suggests hiring an environmental cleanup company with expertise in hazardous material waste removal and cleanup before anyone enters the building without protective equipment. Building materials and furniture could have absorbed contaminants and continue to release chemicals, according to the agency.
See METH LAB, page A7
Advocates: Highway funding in trouble
John Rey reflects on first year as DeKalb’s mayor
By JOHN O’CONNOR The Associated Press
Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
DeKalb Mayor John Rey was elected April 9, 2013. After serving the city of DeKalb for a year, Rey said that the many people he’s met and the new relationships he’s forged are his favorite duties of being mayor.
City manager search, NIU and finances dominated focus By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – DeKalb Mayor John Rey’s first year in office has been a fast ride of building relationships and making decisions, but one’s been more trying than another. “There are a lot of formal aspects of the position, and those were fairly easy to grasp and become
involved in,” Rey said. “The informal relationship-building has been one of the challenging dimensions, but at the same time those have been the most satisfying, too.” Rey was elected mayor April 9, 2013, garnering 1,500 votes to win a fourway race. Before his successful bid for mayor, Rey served as the president of the Ben Gordon Founda-
tion, the DeKalb School District 428 board and the Kiwanis Club of DeKalb. May 6 marked the official start of Rey’s tenure. He replaced Kris Povlsen, who decided he would not seek re-election after 16 years on the City Council, including five as mayor. “I think the transition was a good one,” Povlsen said. “I think he’s really doing the job he needs to do
with the drive and motivation needed there.” Among the first things on Rey’s and fellow council members’ agenda was the selection of a new city manager to replace Mark Biernacki, who retired in June. They completed a nearly six-month search in December, selecting Anne Marie Gaura. Rey called the selection process a balancing act
between being involved in the search and selection while not becoming entirely absorbed by the process. He said while he knew he would be asked to consult on some issues in the interim, he also knew selecting a search firm would be the best option. “It probably stands out as one of the most
SPRINGFIELD – An influential group of Illinois transportation advocates is warning lawmakers of a drop-off in spending on roads and bridges and pointing out a murky federal funding picture as it tries to bolster its case for an aggressive tax plan it said would provide sound financing. The Transportation for Illinois Coalition plans to deliver a letter to state lawmakers today warning them of looming bankruptcy in the federal endowment for road building and the expiration this year of Gov. Pat Quinn’s $31 billion statewide construction program called Illinois Jobs Now. “State funding for transportation was inadequate for too long before Illinois Jobs Now and the dramatic decline now that the program is expiring will lead to backsliding in the condition of our roads and bridges,” reads the letter, obtained in advance by The Associated Press. But just as Congress struggles with how to shore up the Highway Trust Fund, scheduled to run out of money this summer, the state Legislature faces the unpleasant task of finding new revenue for its portion of infrastructure building and maintenance. The transportation coalition has proposed creating a state fund of $1.8 billion annually to provide steady spending for roads, bridges and more. But it would mean a 4 cents-a-gallon increase on gasoline and a 7-cent hike on diesel – taxes that haven’t increased for road purposes since 1990. The plan also would direct sales tax on fuel paid at the pump back to transportation funding, increase
See FUNDING, page A7
See MAYOR, page A7
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