Fighting irish fall to tide
notre dame overmatched in 42-14 BCs Championship game
notre dame quarterback everett golson
Tuesday, JaNuary 8, 2013
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LIFEStYLE CHANGES
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www.NwHerald.com
The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
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3 keys to improving heart health Planit Style, d1
experts’ tips on meeting your goals in 2013 Inside
Ill. House pension bill in doubt
Lawmakers balk on compromise legislation in last days of lame-duck session By KeVin p. CraVer
kcraver@shawmedia.com with wire reports The fate of a last-minute pension reform plan is in doubt after the Illinois House adjourned Monday afternoon without calling for a vote. The House is scheduled to re-
convene today, but local lawmakers are skeptical that the attempt to tackle the state’s $96 billion unfunded pension liability will be approved. Today is the last full day of the lame-duck session. On Wednesday, the General Assembly elected in November will be sworn in. If the House approves the mea-
sure, the Senate would have to be called back into session to vote on it for it to pass. A House committee Monday afternoon approved a compromise bill that would freeze costof-living increases and require higher contributions from employees in the five state-run pension systems. Controversial
language to shift the burden of teacher pensions to local school districts was dropped for the time being. McHenry County’s two veteran House members expressed doubt at the bill’s chances – not only of passage but also of surviving an inevitable court challenge from the state’s powerful
public-sector unions. Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, said he needs more information on what Senate Bill 1673 will accomplish if approved. “I need to see hard numbers, and I need to see the analysis of the constitutionality,” he said
see pensions, page a5
At the
heart
of sleep
Problems getting good rest can lead to cardiac trouble Photo illustration by H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Continuous positive airway pressure therapy (Cpap) uses a machine to help a person who has obstructive sleep apnea breathe more easily during sleep. good sleep is increasingly being linked to heart health, experts say. By LaWerenCe sYnett lsynett@shawmedia.com
C
hris Kohlman has had trouble sleeping for as long as he can remember. But the 63-year-old didn’t recognize how serious the problem was until about 15 years ago, when he continually would wake up tired or become drowsy during the day. “I would sleep, but I wouldn’t wake up refreshed and would have trouble staying awake during the day,” Kohlman said. “I wasn’t as energetic as I was in the past, and it was causing me difficulties at work because I was able to do my job, but
I couldn’t enjoy it like I used to.” The Woodstock resident since has been a longtime patient at Centegra Sleep Services in Algonquin, where he participates in a variety of sleep tests and studies each year. Because of sleep apnea – a chronic condition in which a person repeatedly Chris stops breathing dur- Kohlman ing sleep – Kohlman also uses a CPAP mask, which helps him sleep at night. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure, which maintains
blood oxygen levels that can drop with sleep apnea and episodes of not breathing for 10 seconds or longer. Besides aiding in day-to-day routines, sleeping habits are increasingly being linked to heart health, experts say. Research has physicians and patients alike turning more toward sleep patterns and the effect they can have on the heart. People who get less than six hours of sleep a night are at a significantly higher risk of stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure, according to a study led by Dr. Rohit R. Arora of the Chicago Medical School. Those who get
more than eight hours of sleep also are at a higher risk of developing heart problems, such as chest pain and coronary artery disease. As part of the American College of Cardiology, researchers last year studied more than 3,000 patients over the age of 45 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which examined a broad range of health issues. People getting too little sleep were two times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack, and 1.6 times more likely to have congestive heart failure, data showed.
see sLeep, page a5
Voice your opinion: How much sleep do you usually get? Vote online at nWherald.com. tips: How to get better sleep. planit style, d1
Online
The pension reform bill as presented is Amendment 10 of Senate Bill 1673. Read the bill at www.ilga. gov.
GOP scoffs at vow on debt By CharLes BaBington The Associated Press
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, meet Congressman Michael Burgess. The president says he absolutely will not let Republicans threaten a national debt-ceiling crisis as a way to extract deeper federal spending cuts. Burgess’ take? “It’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard,” the Texas Republican says. “He’s going to have to negotiate.” Both sides may be bluffing, of course. They may reach an agreement before the debt-limit matter becomes a crisis in March, or possibly late February. But the tough talk suggests this year’s political fight could be even nastier and more nerve-grating than the recent “fiscal cliff” showdown, or the July 2011 brinkmanship that triggered the first ratings downgrade of the nation’s credit-worthiness. Asked about the White House’s apparent assumption that Republicans will back down, Burgess said: “I’m not going to foreclose on anything, but that’s just not going to happen.” He is hardly alone. On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,
see deBt, page a5
LOCALLY SPEAKING
WOOdStOCK
Courthouse denied repair grant Restoration of the historic Old Courthouse dome and front limestone stairs will have to wait after the city was rejected for a grant to offset the repair costs. The city applied for a Richard B. Driehaus Courthouse Initiatives Grant from Landmarks Illinois to fund part of the projects, which have been put on hold until funding can be found. For more, see page B1.
Monica Maschak - mmaschak@shawmedia.com
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