HappyNewYear! Happy New Year! Tuesday, JaNuary 1, 2013
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Laying down the laws
From cellphone use to fees, new state provisions take effect today
Deal set on ‘fiscal cliff’ White House, Sen. GOP agree in last-minute talks the ASSociAteD PreSS
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Mariah Worth helps her 2-year-old cousin eleanor Wilson hop off a step on the Pike Marsh nature trail on thursday at Moraine Hills State Park. the cousins walk this same trail daily. new revenue sources for illinois’ state parks went into effect today, including a surcharge on license plate renewals. By eMiLY K. coLeMAn
ecoleman@shawmedia.com Of the more than 150 new laws to take effect today, an expansion of a cellphone ban for construction zones is one of the few that will affect most Illinois residents.
The law prohibits the use of cellphones in all work-zone sites, not just those with a reduced speed limit. Another new law bans drivers of commercial vehicles from using a hand-held cellphone or texting while driving. Illinois drivers also will see the
cost to renew license plates go up. A $2 surcharge is among a variety of new and increased fees designed to raise more than $32 million for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which has struggled to make ends meet. The Legislature has cut the amount of
sales tax the department receives. The department also now can charge for environmental reviews it conducts, require stickers to use all-terrain vehicles in parks, charge an entrance fee to the Illinois State
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Youngsters first to ring in new year Many count down at noon in Harvard By JiM DALLKe
jdallke@shawmedia.com
HARVARD – With winter break approaching one week for Harvard schoolchildren, parents and their children got a chance Monday to get out of the house and ring in the new year with crafts, music and games. At the fourth annual Harvard Kids’ New Year’s Bash at Crosby Elementary School, kids made beaded bracelets, had their faces painted and played 15 games. There also were performances
Amelia Hernandez, 4, of Harvard crawls through a colorful tube Monday at Kids’ new Year’s Bash 2012 at crosby elementary School in Harvard. Kids celebrated the new year by counting down to noon.
by magician RC Ruggles and Katie Bendorf’s Music Studio. At noon, Harvard Mayor Jay Nolan did the countdown for kids who weren’t going to stay awake until midnight to celebrate the arrival of 2013. “Kids have been home a week now, and they probably need to get some energy out,” event organizer Amy Stech said. “It’s a nice break for the parents to come and have a couple hours for kids to do kids’ stuff.”
Sarah Nader – snader@ shawmedia.com
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next eLection HingeS on groWtH The village of Fox Lake is missing opportunities to grow, the challenger to the village president in the April 9 election said. Village Trustee Donny Schmit, along with a slate of Common Sense Party candidates, is running against Village President Ed Bender and other incumbents that make up the Focused on Fox Lake Party. for more, see page a3.
corban Murphy (right) Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
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crystal laKe: Corban Murphy, CL Central senior, is Athlete of the Week. Read more preps news on Sports, B3.
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WASHINGTON – Racing the clock, the White House reached a New Year’s Eve accord with Senate Republicans late Monday to neutralize across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts in government programs that were to take effect at midnight, according to administration and Senate Democratic officials. Under the deal, taxes would remain steady for the middle class and rise at incomes over $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples – levels higher than President Barack Obama had campaigned for in his successful drive for a second term in office. Spending cuts totaling $24 billion over two months aimed at the Pentagon and domestic programs would be deferred. That would allow the White House and lawmakers time to regroup before plunging very quickly into a new round of budget brinkmanship certain to revolve around Republican calls to rein in the cost of Medicare and other government benefit programs. Officials also decided at the last minute to use the measure to prevent a $900 pay raise for lawmakers this spring. Democratic senators said they expected a vote on the measure, but had not taken action by 11:30 p.m. Central time. They spoke after a closed-door session with Vice President Joseph Biden, who brokered the deal with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. “The argument is that this is the best that can be done on a bipartisan basis,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., when asked about the case the vice president had delivered. Passage would send the measure to the House, where Speaker John Boehner, ROhio, refrained from endorsing a package as yet unseen by
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