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July 8, 2015 • $ 1 .0 0
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DAILY CHRONICLE
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Wendy’s demolition to start soon Officials say fire-damaged Sycamore restaurant could come down as early as next week By ADAM POULISSE apoulisse@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – The fire-damaged former Wendy’s restaurant at 439 E. State St. could be demolished next week – as long as weather holds to allow the utilities to be disconnected. “We’ve had quite a bit of rain, and future rain may im-
pact the process,” Sycamore City Manager Brian Gregory said. “Once the the utilities are removed, demolition could begin as early as next week.” Gas utilities already have been removed from the eatery, which was declared a total loss after a fire in January. ComEd is expected to disconnect electric lines Thursday if the rain
holds off, Gregory said. From there, it’s a “few-day process” to knock the building down and remove the debris and a water main, but Gregory said he doesn’t expect the work to cause traffic delays. “The water main termination is in the turn lane that’s adjacent to the property,” Gregory said. “If [there are] any inter-
ruptions, they’ll be minimal.” The property will remain commercially zoned. The restaurant has been an eyesore for passing traffic on Route 64 for months, with many wondering when the building would finally come down. The restaurant owner, who is based in China, and his agent, who lives in Washington state,
had to obtain permits from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Transportation and the state before demolition could begin. Those were obtained sometime within the past month, as was a demolition permit issued by the city. Northern Illinois Services will be responsible for the dem-
olition. Mayor Ken Mundy said the entire process has “been like pulling teeth.” “It’s been real tough with the Wendy’s,” he said. “This has been the sixth month ... that building has sat there in that condition, but we think we have a little light at the end of the tunnel.”
Judge bars full Ill. worker pay without budget
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By SARA BURNETT The Associated Press CHICAGO – Illinois won’t be allowed to pay state workers in full during an ongoing budget impasse, a Cook County judge ruled Tuesday, potentially leaving some 65,000 employees without a paycheck and putting added pressure on lawmakers to approve a new spending plan. Judge Diane Larsen said that without a 2016 budget in place Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger may only pay some workers who are covered under a federal labor law. Those workers would receive the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour plus overtime. But Munger’s attorneys and lawyers for the state’s personnel agency said it would take as long as a year to determine which employees would be paid under federal law and adjust payroll because of antiquated computer systems. That effectively means no workers will be paid until Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the Legis- Leslie Munger lature approve a budget, the comptroller’s attorneys said. It’s also likely to trigger federal fines and penalties. Larsen’s ruling likely won’t be the final word. Munger and the leader of the state’s largest public-employee union separately said Gov. Bruce they plan to appeal, and Rauner Rauner directed the state personnel department to do the same. Thirteen labor unions representing state employees also have filed a lawsuit in St. Clair County seeking full pay. A hearing in that case could occur this week. “Public service workers in state government are on the job despite the lack of a state budget for the fiscal year that started July 1,” said Roberta Lynch, executive director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. “Throughout Illinois they are keeping their communities safe, protecting kids, caring for veterans and people with disabilities, and providing countless other vital public services – and they should be paid for their work on time and in full.” The comptroller’s office must begin processing payroll on Thursday for workers to receive their first paycheck of the new fiscal year as scheduled in mid-July. Rauner told employees in a memo last week that they must continue coming to work, and AFSCME has said its members plan to do so. The governor also said his office is asking local banks and credit unions to offer loans to workers who need help paying their bills. Larsen acknowledged the situation is unfortunate but said the state constitution prohibits the
Monica Synett – msynett@shawmedia.com
Detective Jeremy Grubbs, DeKalb County Crime Stoppers liaison, dusts a spray paint can for latent prints Friday at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives are looking for tips through Crime Stoppers leading to information on recent vandalism and burglaries at B&O Used Auto Parts in Sycamore.
Police team up with community Crime Stoppers tips have helped solve hundreds of local cases By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Nubia Rodriguez hasn’t felt safe at work since her shop has been burglarized and vandalized twice in the past four weeks. Rodriguez, manager of B&O Used Auto Parts in Sycamore, didn’t even know the store’s case was posted online by DeKalb County Crime Stoppers until customers began asking her about the unidentified person who broke into the shop, she said. “Ever since then, we put up our alarm system and all that,” she said. “We still get worried.” When the crimes at B&O Used Auto Parts were reported, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office shared the information through
Crime Stoppers, a nonprofit program through the sheriff’s office. Residents with new information or tips about cases are asked to either anonymously call the Crime Stoppers hotline or email its office. The sheriff’s office then notifies the respective DeKalb County city officers about the tip so an investigation can begin, Sycamore detective Sgt. Rod Swartzendruber said. “I think it’s a very useful tool for the community and I know it’s helped solved crimes, and I know it’s helped pick up wanted people off the street,” Swartzendruber said. “I hope people are comfortable using it because it can be really anonymous if you want it to.” Unlike a typical neighborhood watch program, Crime Stoppers engages the community in iden-
tifying and locating people who are wanted for arrest or suspected in ongoing cases, DeKalb County Crime Stoppers liaison Detective Jeremy Grubbs said. Callers who provide tips earn a cash reward of up to $1,000, which is funded by fees paid to the DeKalb County Circuit Court. Making a call does not guarantee a reward, however, Grubbs said. “Just because somebody calls in something, they may not have enough specific information to lead to an arrest,” he said. The oldest available documents for DeKalb County Crime Stoppers date to 1982. Since then, the program has led to arrests in more than 1,000 cases, and paid out more than $20,000 in rewards, Grubbs said. “We take every tip seriously,”
Grubbs said. “We don’t ever take a tip and let it sit.” Crime Stoppers and similar programs have been proven to reduce crime and solve felony cases that otherwise might not be solved through criminal investigation alone, according to a study done by the U.S. Department of Justice. By 1986, shortly after Crime Stoppers became a national trend, the program had already helped solve more than 92,000 felony crises, recover more than $50 billion in stolen property and narcotics, and convict more than 20,000 people, the study found. Officers hope to accelerate the investigation of the B&O Used Auto Parts burglaries by using
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WHERE IT’S AT
Teeing off
Charges filed
Learning skills
Jerry Rich continues his ambassadorship with pride / B1
DeKalb police arrest two people in connection to June 30 fight / A3
Camp Power program teaches kids different facets of science / A3
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