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Lawsuit coming in Valley school bus accident Kids hurt? Cops say no, lawyers say there were injuries
Spring Valley — directly contradicting a police report — and they are now suing Johannes Bus Service. A formal complaint has not been filed in Bureau County Circuit Court and names of those By Tom Collins reportedly injured won’t be reNEWSTRIBUNE SENIOR REPORTER leased until the lawsuit has been PRINCETON — Local lawyers filed. However, a law firm with an ofsay several children were injured in a Sept. 6 school bus crash in fice in Peru announced Friday a
pending lawsuit against Johannes for its role in the crash, at which time 32 children were en route to John F. Kennedy School in Spring Valley. The Sept. 6 crash occurred at the intersection of East Minnesota and Power streets, where the bus “made heavy impact at a high rate of speed with another motor vehicle at the intersection.”
“Contrary to the earlier reports that there were no injuries, a number of students were, in fact, injured in the crash, sought medical treatment and are continuing to suffer from the injuries they sustained,” Schweickert, Ganassin, Krzak, Rundio said in a news release. That news release directly contradicts a Spring Valley police report indicating the 32 children
were aboard but that no injuries were reported. The crash report issued Friday indicated bus driver Dennis A. Matz, 74, of Mendota was ticketed for failure to yield following the collision with Jeanette M. Smith of Spring Valley. Both drivers were uninjured. Police said Matz, driving the bus westbound on Minnesota See BUS Page A2
Kindergartners: Ready or not? Teachers talk about how readiness has changed By Ali Braboy
NEWSTRIBUNE REPORTER
Every day starts with play. Waltham kindergarten teacher Karin Kummer is happy the importance of play is coming back for students. She’s worked as a Waltham teacher for 16 years and worked for Putnam County for six years before that. The students are happier, more engaged and motivated when they’re able to learn in a playful way, such as using alphabet puzzles or retelling stories with puppets. The reintroduction of the importance of play was discussed recently at a Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) summit. KIDS is a tool that helps better understand the readiness of kindergartners. “All those things help them be creative and solve problems and work with their classmates,” she said. This summer, the Illinois State Board of Education released statewide results of the 2018-19 KIDS assessment, which helps teachers, parents and families better understand the developmental readiness of children entering kindergarten. Kindergarten teachers statewide began using KIDS in Fall 2017, so the ISBE said its still in the process of learning the data and trying to identify trends. The statewide implementation followed five years of piloting with select districts. The assessment involves kindergarten teachers collecting multiple pieces of evidence for each student on 14 measures in three areas – social and emotional development, language and literacy, and math – during the first 40 days of school. The newest assessment found 26% of kindergartners demonstrated readiness in all three developmental areas. La Salle Northwest kindergarten teacher Cathy Smudzinski has noticed overall that students are not coming in ready as they had in the past academically, socially and emotionally. She’s taught for 18 years. How kids play has changed over the years, said Derek
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Oakley Gander (center) plays with other kindergartners Aubrey DeSerf, AJ Nicholas, Spencer Mertes and Riley McDonald at Waltham Elementary School. The Illinois State Board of Education released statewide results this summer that 26% of kindergartners demonstrated readiness in all three developmental areas (social and emotional development, language and literacy and math) for the 2018-19 assessment. Kilmartin, La Salle’s school district curriculum director and preschool director, mentioning that play deals with many more electronics than in the past. The two mentioned that language skills are a concern locally, statewide and nationally. More kids than ever are nonverbal, Kilmartin said. Years ago, children picked up books and pretended to read that book and talk about the pictures, but that doesn’t happen as much
anymore, Smudzinski said. Smudzinski notices a difference even in public spaces like restaurants and parks how parents behave differently with children now than in the past. She recalled bringing toys and books with her own children when going out and interacting with them. Sometimes, she used whatever was at the table (such as building with coffee creamers at the table). See READY Page A2
Tips for parents on kindergarten readiness:
Waltham kindergarten teacher Karin Kummer: Let your kids play with other children so they know how to take turns and work together; give them independence by letting them put on their own clothes and shoes; give them responsibilities like having them pick up their own toys and bring a dish to the sink after dinner; start routines like brushing teeth, reading a story and then going to bed so that the transition to school routines isn’t so difficult. La Salle kindergarten teacher Cathy Smudzinski: Sit and play with them, make learning fun, talk with them, put puzzles together with them, let them cut paper with scissors, count numbers to grandma’s house, sort socks — make everyday activities into an educational activity. Oglesby kindergarten teacher Amy Turri: Reading to your kids is the No. 1 tip. She said “LeapFrog: Letter Factory” is a very good tool.
Utica bumps up sales tax Trial setting in La Salle baby’s Officials: Rate still equal or lower to others By Steve Stout
SHAW MEDIA
Jan. 1. Mayor David Stewart said the increase was the right thing to do. Additionally, trustees adopted the village’s fiscal year (ending March 31, 2019) report. Treasurer Jill Margis explained the report will be available for public review at the Village Hall “by the end of the month.”
With little discussion and no opposition, Utica trustees increased the village’s sales tax to 7% Thursday. Utica attorney Herb Klein, who presented the sales tax increase ordinance to the board, said the 0.5% increase from the current 6.5% keeps the village’s sales tax equal to SPEED LIMIT REQUEST DENIED or lower than many other La Police Chief Rodney Salle County municipalities. Damron informed the board The new rate goes into effect See UTICA Page A4
death likely coming Oct. 4 By Tom Collins
NEWSTRIBUNE SENIOR REPORTER
OTTAWA — Trial dates are likely to be set Oct. 4 in the death of a La Salle infant now that the suspect has a report in hand from a pathologist. Kenneth Herbst, 23, of La Salle appeared Friday for a status hearing, during which public defender Tim Cappellini reported he’s three weeks away from being able to ask for trial dates. Cappellini said he obtained a sought-after report from a pa-
thologist (the details of which are sealed) and anticipates asking for a trial setting on Oct. 4. Herbst would face 20-60 years in prison if convicted of first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege he smothered the baby with a pillow in March. Meanwhile, prosecutors want to introduce evidence that Herbst had hurt the baby before. In a Wednesday filing, prosecutors asked Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. to let them admit evidence of See TRIAL Page A2