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Sept e m be r 19, 2014 • $1 .0 0
FACING THE RIVALRY DeKalb and Sycamore prepared for game like any other / B1 HIGH
LOW
74 56 Complete forecast on page A6
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NIU’s budget has small surplus Spending plan includes more building projects By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Northern Illinois University’s trustees unanimously approved a budget for this academic year with a small surplus, despite declining state aid and enrollment. NIU’s total operating expenses for fiscal 2015 are $425.8 million, while the total reve-
nue is $426.6 million, according to the documents. This gives the university a surplus of about $800,000. “This budget is the first step to establish a baseline so that we can have future conversations about how to make sure that the budget is aligned with President [Doug] Baker’s strategic initiatives,” Trustee Marc Strauss said.
According to a board agenda memo, NIU expects to receive about $93.2 million from the state in the fiscal year that began July 1, down from $93.4 million in last year’s budget. This fall, enrollment dropped by 527 students to 20,611 total students. University officials have unveiled a master plan thesis designed to address student retention and attract more students. On July 31, the board created its own committee to address declining enrollment. According to a memo from NIU Board of Trustees Chairman John Butler, the enroll-
By the numbers Expenses: $425.8 million Revenue: $426.6 million State aid: $93.2 million Salaries: $217.7 million
Source: NIU budget documents ment committee will receive background information on recruitment and work on improving student recruitment and retention. Strauss will lead the enrollment committee, which will likely function for one or two
years, according to the memo. Baker will serve in a liaison role. “At the board level, there are certain things that can impact in a favorable way how we deal with recruitment and retention,” Strauss said. “It could include such things as how we align our system [to] reward and [recognize] our teaching faculty, which programs we continue to maintain, [or] are there capital expenses the board should look at?” The approved budget also includes capital projects such as allocating $812,000
Strong vote in Senate for Obama on Syria aid
FOCUSING ON THE
POSITIVE
By DAVID ESPO and DONNA CASSATA The Associated Press Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder coach Brian R. King speaks to the crowd Thursday at the DeKalb County RAMP Breaking Barriers luncheon at Faranda’s in DeKalb. He spoke about his four R’s – responsibility, resourcefulness, resilience, and reciprocity – of parenting and life. King has Asperger’s syndrome and is dyslexic, and all three of his sons have ADHD and Asperger’s. ABOVE: Zachary King was diagnosed in 2004 with Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD.
Brian R. King helps others cope with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com DeKALB – DeKalb resident Brian R. King used to get phone calls at least three times a week from school officials about his 6-year-old son’s behavior problems. King’s son, Zachary, now 16, would run out of the classroom and had trouble coping with social situations in general. King took his son to a psychologist in 2004 and filled out paperwork about Zachary, and in doing so, realized he shared many charac-
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Voice your opinion Do you know someone with Asperger’s syndrome? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle.com.
teristics with his son. Both father and son were diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. King was about 35 years old when he was first diagnosed. “All this suffering you observed, there’s a ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda,’ ” King said. “Some people didn’t know what to do. Some
to replace the roof on Grant Towers dormitory’s “central core,” which was installed in 1988 and covers 59,000 square feet, according to budget documents. Trustees also approved a $850,000 budget to renovate animal research facilities in Montgomery Hall and the Psychology Building. Additionally, NIU expects to pay an overall salary cost of $217.7 million during the current fiscal year. The university has implemented a vacancy management/rehire approval process to save some salary costs, according to budget documents.
people protected me and kept me from drowning.” Today, King focuses on helping other parents whose children have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or an autism spectrum disorder. His three sons all have Asperger’s syndrome and are taking medication for ADHD. King himself has Asperger’s and is dyslexic. His overall message to parents is to allow themselves to occasionally make mistakes. His outlook on life is to focus on the positives. King was the keynote speaker Thursday at the second annual
luncheon of the Regional Access and Mobilization Project. Attendees said they were inspired by the things they heard, particularly from 16-year-old Zachary King. “It was nice to actually hear from a youth’s perspective what he goes through on a daily basis,” said Imani-Alima Ibrahim, clinician at Parents With Promise, a private therapeutic practice that works with disabled parents. “He not only talked about his struggles but also triumph, and the support his dad gave him was
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First United Methodist in DeKalb celebrates anniversary / C1
Despite strong start, penalty leads to Sycamore’s loss against DeKalb / B1
DeKalb County hazmat team gets practice in drill / A3
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WASHINGTON – In the heat of an election campaign, Congress cleared the way for the U.S. military to train and equip Syrian rebels for a war against Islamic State militants Thursday night, reluctant ratification of a new strategy that President Barack Obama outlined scarcely a week ago. The 78-22 Senate vote sent Obama legislation that also provides funding for the government after the end of the budget year Sept. 30, eliminating any threat of a shutdown. The House approved the bill Wednesday. In an appearance at the White House soon after the vote, Obama said he was pleased that a majority of both Republicans and Democrats had supported the legislation. “I believe we’re strongest as a nation when the president and Congress work together,” he said. Noting the killing of two Americans by the Islamic State group, he said that “as Americans we do not give in to fear” and would not be put off by such brutal tactics. In the Senate, 44 Democrats, 33 Republicans and one independent voted for the bill, while nine Democrats, 12 Republicans and one independent opposed it. The issue created new fault lines for this fall’s elections for control of the Senate as well as the 2016 race for the White House. “Intervention that destabilizes the Middle East is a mistake. And yet, here we are again, wading into a civil war,” said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. laying down a marker for Republican presidential primaries still more than a year distant. Sen. Mark Begich, in a difficult re-election campaign, said, “I disagree with my president” on the wisdom of having the U.S. military become involved. “It is time for the Arab countries to step up and get over their regional differences” and be more aggressive in the fight against terrorists, the Alaska Democrat said, drawing a quick rebuttal from Republican rival Dan Sullivan. For a second straight day, the administration dispatched top-ranking officials to reassure lawmakers – and the public – that no U.S. ground combat operation was in the offing. Obama made the same promise in an address to the nation eight days ago laying out his new policy – and repeated it Thursday night. His new strategy includes increased airstrikes in Iraq and the possibility of strikes in Syria.
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