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August 8-9, 2015 • $1.50
Turner showcases more than his backflip skills for NIU football / B1
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Police keeping tabs on Outlaws MC Genoa chief says local motorcycle gang a concern, but not as bad as other clubs By KATIE SMITH ksmith@shawmedia.com GENOA – Despite the violent and exciting portrayal of motorcycle gangs on TV, acting Genoa Police Chief Robert Smith said he’s had virtually no problems with a local chapter of what law enforcement officials said historically is a violent motorcycle gang in the community. The Outlaw Motorcycle Club (Out-
laws MC), which has established a clubhouse at 231 E. Railroad Ave., Genoa, has been in DeKalb County for about three years, Smith said. “You could drive by and you would never know it’s a motorcycle club. I think there’s bad apples in any club or organization,” Smith said. “Maybe the one we have here is not as bad as the other ones. It’s still a concern. It’s not like they’re Boy Scouts. They’re organized and connected to crime.”
The Outlaws are no club, said Steve Cook, executive director of the Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigation Association. The Outlaws are recognized as a highly structured criminal gang by both the FBI and the United States Department of Justice. In 1993, two of its members were convicted for murdering a McHenry County couple for $15 and laughing when police wrongfully arrested the couple’s son, Gary
Gauger, who was sentenced to death and served 3½ years on death row before he was released. Cook said he thinks it’s only a matter of time until the DeKalb County chapter of the Outlaws publicly butts heads with its biggest rival, the Hell’s Angels, who have a chapter only 30 miles away in Rockford. “You don’t get to be a member of the Outlaws without being about something, and when I say ‘being
CUTTING COSTS
Michelle Gibson, DeKalb County Health Department solid waste specialist, helps find a certain shoe size for a child during the back-to school event Thursday at the DeKalb County Government Center in DeKalb.
Back-to-school savings available throughout DeKalb County By KATIE SMITH - ksmith@shawmedia.com
about something,’ I mean something criminally,” Cook said. The Genoa City Council tabled a request April 6 from then-Genoa Police Chief Ty Lynch to set up video surveillance overlooking the Outlaws’ clubhouse. At least two Genoa residents spoke up at the meeting with their concerns for the approval of a police camera system.
See OUTLAWS MC, page A7
What is gov’t’s role in a zombie apocalypse? Super PAC founded by DeKalb man asks question of politicians By ADAM POULISSE apoulisse@shawmedia.com
Photos by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Madeline Taylor, 6, who will attend first grade this fall in DeKalb School District 428, tries on a pair of shoes during the back-to-school event Thursday at the DeKalb County Government Center in DeKalb. The DeKalb County Health Department’s “Shoes Share” program has been collecting shoes since May to distribute at the event.
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eKALB – For Jennifer Taylor, sending her children back to school is a reality almost too stressful to consider. The mother of five, four of whom will attend school in the fall, does whatever she can to ease the cost of the back-to-school season. “It kills you,” Taylor said. “It makes me grit my teeth. It can be over $500.” After “splurging” in 2014, however, families are expected to spend less on school this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Back-to-school spending in the U.S. is expected to reach $24.9 billion this year, according to the study. Still, parents with children in kindergarten through high school can expect to spend $630.36 on electronics, apparel and other school needs – down from $669.28 last year, the survey found. Fortunately, DeKalb County offers a number of money-saving back-to-school programs aimed at relieving the cost of supplies and services for parents with schoolaged children.
Back-to-school costs What the average parent of a child in kindergarten through high school spends on back-to-school supplies: Apparel: $217.82 Supplies: $97.74 Shoes: $117.56 Electronics: $197.24 Source: National Retail Federation Park. The event offers free supplies, food, music, games and community resources, including haircuts and blood donations. “Being a teacher and having children, I know the school supplies lists are very long, and some Samuel Resendez, 6, ties the shoelaces of his new shoes during the back-to-school parents can’t always get the school supplies that they need. People will event Thursday at the DeKalb County Government Center in DeKalb. be able to come out and just at one spot be able to find those resources,” Treveda Redmond, a former and health services, Redmond said. eighth-grade teacher at Clinton “Last year, we gave out 300 back- Redmond said. “People don’t know what reRosette Middle School and a moth- packs filled with school supplies,” sources are out there,” she added. er of two, began her own program she said. “Five hundred is this “My vision was to have one event to serve the community and to year’s goal.” for people to come and find different provide students with school Redmond and a group of volunsupplies. teers will give away backpacks filled resources.” The Back to School Bash is a one- with donated school supplies from stop shop for supplies, information 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 15 at Welsh See SAVINGS, page A7
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With school just around the corner, check out the latest supplies / C1
Chamber members air thoughts on potential tax hikes in DeKalb / A3
Olson: View of bombings changes over time / A2
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DeKALB – Tom Sherman wants to know what politicians think about the government’s role in a zombie apocalypse when – nay, if – it happens. Sherman, a 44-year-old DeKalb resident, established the Zombie Apocalypse Super PAC, a nonpartisan political action committee dedicated to asking one, and only one, hard-hitting question – “the most important question,” according to the super PAC’s website – of current politicians and candidates for next year’s election. The question: “What role does government have in the zom- Voice your bie apocalypse?” opinion “I’d be interested in knowHave you ever i n g w h a t o u r donated to a political elected officials action committee? would do in a Vote online at Dailyzombie apocaChronicle.com. lypse,” Sherman said. “Our intention is to get those answers and post them.” “We’ve written senators already,” Sherman added. “We’re waiting for responses from everybody.” The super PAC only has been up and running for a couple of weeks, Sherman said, and it is comprised of his family and friends. The super PAC also has a website and Facebook page. At the website, you can watch promotional videos from the organization, get information and make a donation. It has only received one donation so far, and it “wasn’t much,” Sherman said. A super PAC is an independent political action committee that can raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions and individuals, but can’t contribute directly to parties or candidates. The groups also can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for political purposes outside of political campaigns. They’ve also been the source of controversy.
See ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, page A7
More online See videos, read more and donate to the DeKalb-based Zombie Apocalypse Super PAC by visiting zombieapocalypsesuperpac.com.
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