Local&Region News editor: Kevin Lyons • kelyons@shawmedia.com
8COMMUNITY NEWS
Free financial aid session at MCC CRYSTAL LAKE – Prospective and current college students can prepare to apply for college financial aid by attending a hands-on workshop to complete the federal financial aid form online. The workshop will run from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 21 in Room A123 at McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14, Crystal Lake. Appointments are required. Staff from the Office of Financial Aid and Veteran Services at MCC will help students and parents complete the online form for the 2013/2014 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is required to be considered for federal and state grants, work-study and student loans. To schedule an appointment, call 815-455-8761.
SECTION B Sunday, February 10, 2013 Northwest Herald
Breaking news @ www.NWHerald.com
Jailed lawyer hit with lawsuit Suit: Smiekel gave careless and negligent representation By SARAH SUTSCHEK ssutschek@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – A man whose former attorney tried to have him killed has filed a civil lawsuit against the attorney, who recently was sentenced to 8½ years in federal prison. Jason W. Smiekel pleaded guilty to solicitation of mur-
der using interstate commerce for what prosecutors said were at least three attempts to have Brian Hegg killed. The final attempt involved an undercover federal agent, and Smiekel was arrested in August 2011. Hegg wad Smiekel’s client in a paternity case, and Smiekel eventually had a relationship with – and be-
came engaged to – Hegg’s exgirlfriend. A t Smiekel’s sentencing hearing, experts Jason W. testified that Smiekel he had a severe anxiety disorder that made him act irrationally and left him in
great fear of Hegg. According to the lawsuit filed by Hegg this week in McHenry County court, Smiekel “carelessly and negligently” represented Hegg at a time when Smiekel was “drinking heavily, experiencing anxiety bouts and receiving mental health treatment.” Smiekel advised Hegg,
among other things, that it was a “waste of time and money” to request joint custody and then created a conflict of interest when he formed a romantic relationship with Hegg’s ex. Smiekel also gave her privileged information, Hegg said in the lawsuit.
See SMIEKEL, page B6
Super-sized work goes into snowman
– Northwest Herald
Park district to host fundraiser LAKEMOOR – A silent auction is planned to raise money for the village of Lakemoor’s expanded park programming. Donations to be auctioned off are being accepted until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the new Village Hall, 28874 Route 120, Unit C & D. The silent auction is set for 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 16 at The Long Shot Sports Pub, 615 W. Route 120, Lakemoor. Those who cannot attend the auction can place bids by emailing parks and recreation coordinator John Guenther at jguenther@lakemoor.net with their name, phone number, email address, the item number and the bid amount by 4 p.m. Feb. 14. Some auction items are available for viewing online at the Lakemoor Parks website, lakemoorparks.net. Winners will be notified by email or phone.
– Northwest Herald
8LOCAL BEST BETS
Opera house dedication set WOODSTOCK – The Woodstock Opera House stage will be dedicated to Orson Welles at 2 p.m. today at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St., Woodstock. Members of the public are invited to attend the dedication of the Opera House stage to Welles, the multitalented theater and film guru responsible for “Citizen Kane,” among other masterpieces. Admission is free. For information, call 815-338-4212 or visit www.woodstockoperahouse. com.
author to speak about mongolia “Mongolia: The Farthest Horizon” will be presented from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Algonquin Area Public Library, 2600 Harnish Drive. Author-photographer Cynthia Clampitt will guide attendees through Mongolia. Registration is required in person or online at www.aapld.org.
8LOCAL DEATHS Suzanne K. Baldocchi 73, Crystal Lake Erna Ericson 104, Crystal Lake Nicholas I. Gemell 91, Crystal Lake Dorothy Gough 101, formerly of Elgin Nancy Svenson 69, Wonder Lake Gerda Ida Wedekind 91, Crystal Lake OBITUARIES on page B7
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Gayann Roberts (left) and her daughter, Tiffany, smooth out the base of a giant snowman in the front yard of their McHenry home Friday. The family used the snow from Thursday’s winter storm to create the giant snowman, which is about 12 feet tall. Coffee cup lids were used as buttons, Kraft lids were used for the eyes and mouth, and baby carrots attached end-to-end were used for the nose.
Parents group to hold D-26 election forum By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com CARY – A parents group that has questioned decisions by District 26 in the past will host an election forum this week. District 26 Parents with a Voice has scheduled an election forum Tuesday at the Cary Pub, 208 W. Main St., that will feature candidates running for the District 26 school board in the April election. Ken Hillman, who runs the District 26 Parents with a Voice Facebook page, will be the moderator.
If you go n What: District 26 Parents with
a Voice Election Forum n When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday n Where: Cary Pub at 208 W. Main St. n Cost: Free Of the nine candidates running for the board’s four available seats, five have confirmed that they will attend the forum: current school board member Chris Jenner, Scott Epstein, Jennifer Crick, Bruce Ritter and Bradley Slavik. Current school board
member Floyd Myers has declined because of medical reasons as he recovers from hip surgery. Josh Howell will not attend but will have a statement read on his behalf. Chris Christensen is tentatively scheduled to attend. Incumbent Julie Jette told the Northwest Herald that she does not plan to attend. Jette said people are entitled to their opinions, but she does not like the negative comments against the district that are posted on the Parents With a Voice Facebook page.
See D-26, page B6
Inaugural Relay for Life in Woodstock to kick off April 20 By SHAWN SHINNEMAN sshinneman@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – Organizers have high hopes for Woodstock’s first Relay For Life, the overnight walk to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. The event, which starts late April 20 and runs through the next morning, will be at Woodstock North High School, 3000 Raffel Road. Students from the school are helping organize the event. “We had a couple teams that did our Huntley relay, and one of the students thought
that it’d be a great idea to do one at the high school,” said Mike Jostes, a community manager with American Cancer Society. The cancer society has several Relay For Life venues within the county. At least one member from each team always is walking during Relay For Life, while the others camp out surrounding the track. The event has raised more than $4 billion since it began in Tacoma, Wash., in 1985. Participants are required to donate $10 to sign up. Incentives, such as a T-shirt for raising $100, help drive donations.
The money raised goes toward cancer research, programs to allow high school students to sit in on cancer research, wigs and makeup for cancer patients, medical bill payments for struggling patients and families, and gas for volunteers who take patients to and from treatments, Jostes said. The events usually draw between 200 and 400 participants, he said. “Our goal is $35,000 raised,” Jostes said. To register for Relay For Life of Woodstock, visit www. relayforlife.org/woodstockil.
McHenry church lobbies lawmakers for gay marriage JIM DALLKE jdallke@shawmedia.com McHENRY – With a vote on gay marriage likely to take place Thursday in the Illinois Senate, members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry will be visiting local lawmakers Monday in support of the legislation. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation, along with Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, will visit the offices of state Sen. Pam Althoff
State Sen. Pam Althoff, McHenry
State Rep. Jack Franks Woodstock
in McHenry and state Rep. Jack Franks in Woodstock. Patrick Murfin, chairman of the social justice committee at the Unitarian
See CHURCH, page B6
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