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County drug court recognizes graduates
FIVE-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALIST BONNIE BLAIR HEADLINES LOCAL EVENT
Passion for service
Group also presents officials with ‘mentor court’ plaque By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com
Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair (center) poses with Greg Kladar (left), Matt Farris and John Lauer for photographer Roger Kyler of Kyler Photography. The group holds Blair’s gold medal, which she won in the Calgary Olympics. Kladar, Farris and Lauer are employed at Ringland-Johnson Construction. Blair was the keynote speaker of the evening.
Kishwaukee YMCA awards salute community work By ANDREA AZZO
On the Web
aazzo@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Sycamore High School senior Erin DeWitt doesn’t know what she would do if she wasn’t so involved in community service. DeWitt, a member of the school’s Key Club and chairwoman of its Illinois-Eastern Iowa new club building and reactivation, was presented Thursday with the outstanding youth award, given to her by Kishwaukee YMCA. “It gives you a sense of satisfaction,” she said. “You know you’re leaving the right mark in the community.” Four people were presented with awards Thursday during Kishwau-
Who is your favorite U.S. winter olympian? Vote online and see video of the interview with Bonnie Blair at Daily-Chronicle.com.
kee YMCA’s Y Community Awards Dinner at Faranda’s Banquet & Conference Center, 302 Grove St., DeKalb. The event included keynote speaker Bonnie Blair, a Champaign native and five-time Olympic gold medalist in speedskating, as well as dinner and promotional Mike Kokott, assistant vice president of marketing and planvideos that featured Kishwaukee ning at KishHealth System, speaks after accepting an award YMCA members. Thursday at the Y Community Awards Dinner in DeKalb. Kish-
Health System won the outstanding business or organization award.
See YMCA, page A8
55 U.S. schools face federal sex assault probes By KIMBERLY HEFLING The Associated Press WASHINGTON – From huge state universities to small colleges and the Ivy League, 55 schools across America are facing federal investigation for the way they handle sexual abuse allegations by their students. For the first time, the Education Department revealed its list of colleges under investigation on Thursday – although no details of the complaints – as the Obama administration sought to bring more openness to the issue of sexual violence on and around
the nation’s campuses. The schools range from public universities, including Ohio State, the University of California, Berkeley and Arizona State, to private schools, including Knox College in Illinois, Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and Catholic University of America in the District of Columbia. Ivy League schools including Harvard, Princeton and Dartmouth also are on the list. The government emphasized the list was about investigations of complaints, not judgments. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said there was “absolutely
zero presumption” of guilt. Few details of individual cases are known, but some are. One, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, involves allegations of mishandling of a matter involving a football player. The investigation began after federal authorities received complaints related to the expulsion of Brendan Gibbons, a former placekicker. A student group examined the school’s student sexual misconduct policy and last month determined the university failed to explain a yearslong delay between the alleged incident and
Gibbons’ expulsion in December. Spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said the university has been “fully cooperating.” Schools on the list, for the most part, were unwilling to talk about specific incidents but said they have been working with the federal department to be more responsive to student complaints. “We are hopeful at the end of this there will be a resolution that will strengthen our internal processes and result in a safer community,” said Dartmouth spokesman Justin Anderson. “There’s always something we
See PROBES, page A8
SYCAMORE – For years, Penny Hammersley was driven by drugs. She woke up daily with an elaborate plan for how she was going to get the money for the drugs she needed to get through the day. It was stealing a stranger’s credit card so she could buy things and sell them for drug money that landed her in DeKalb County Jail. “It was exhausting,” Hammersley said. “I always felt like I was losing my mind.” She entered the DeKalb County Drug and DUI Court: Choosing Life and Ending Abuse Now program. Although About the she relapsed about six months into the program, she eventually program found her way back to sobriety. Since it Now, finding a job and maintaining that sobriety drives Ham- started in 2006, mersley, 33. 65 people have “I’m at peace,” Hammers- graduated from ley said. “I’m not going to bed DeKalb County at night and having 50 million Drug Court. thoughts about how I’m going to Another 13 have get the next one.” graduated from Hammersley was one of five DUI court since to graduate from the drug court it started in program Thursday, thanking 2009. loved ones and DeKalb County staff for their support. The county’s drug court program provides treatment and counseling for nonviolent offenders with substance abuse problems. Participants that successfully complete the typically year-long program have their charges reduced or dismissed. DeKalb County Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert applauded the graduates for their work, wishing them strength as they move beyond drug court. “They are all aware that lifelong sobriety will be a continued challenge for each of them,” Stuckert said. “They have all, however, demonstrated a willingness to face changes, face their demons and gather the tools that will assist them each and every day.” The program also was recognized Thursday.
See DRUG COURT, page A6
Katie Dahlstrom – kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com
Penny Hammersley, 33, waits to speak during her graduation from DeKalb County Drug and DUI Court: Choosing Life and Ending Abuse Now program during a commencement ceremony Thursday at the DeKalb County Legislative Center.
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