UNIQUE COMFORT FOOD CREATIONS
PLANIT TASTE, D1
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2014 • NWHERALD.COM • 75 CENTS
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Huntley holds off Crystal Lake South with late 3-pointer
Sports, C1
Judge gives tenant 7 days to leave ‘Sovereign citizen’ waives jury trial, agrees to vacate McHenry residence By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – Rolling a wheelchair backward down a deserted courthouse hallway, Marion Berntsen had bizarre answers to a reporter’s questions. McHenry County Judge Thomas Meyer had just given her
one week to vacate the McHenry home where she’d been living. The 73-year-old Berntsen was fighting tooth and nail her landlord Anja Hertel’s petition to evict her. A jury trial was set for Tuesday, but not before Berntsen first inexplicably waived a jury trial, then agreed to leave the McHenry home.
Cases such as these rarely make it to a jury, Hertel’s lawyer explained. In August 2013, Berntsen responded to a Craigslist ad Hertel placed for a roommate. After a brief meeting, she began renting a room for $500 a month. Not long after Berntsen arrived with a semitrailer full of
boxes, filled Hertel’s refrigerator with rotting meat and her garage with boxes of old food that attracted mice, it was clear their verbal rental agreement wasn’t going to work out. “I feel like the devil has been living in my house and he will finally be removed,” Hertel said after Meyer gave Berntsen until
11:59 p.m. Tuesday to leave the home. “I feel so bad about the next victim. For me, I don’t want there to be another victim.” Berntsen said she had “no idea” where she would live next. She has an extensive history of legal fights with various
Marion Berntsen, 73, of McHenry
See SOVEREIGN, page A6
WHEN COLD TEMPERATURES ARE PART OF THE JOB
Braving the winter weather
Ill. fiscal fix main goal for hopefuls GOP candidates focus on economy By SARA BURNETT The Associated Press
Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
MDC Environmental Services employee Jeff Hasselmann picks up recyclables along his route as snow begins to come down Tuesday in Woodstock. “The winter is tough,” Hasselmann said. “I can handle the heat in the summer, just bring extra water.” Hasselmann said that Jan. 7, during the deep freeze, was the coldest weather he has ever worked in. By STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO sdibenedetto@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – During the winter months, Jeff Hasselmann typically heads to work dressed in layers, including a couple of sweatshirts, overalls, rubber boots and a heavy jacket. The layers are necessary when the workday involves driving throughout Woodstock in frigid temperatures with the passenger’s side door open. But the work conditions don’t faze Hasselmann, who is accustomed to Midwestern winters after spending the past 15 years as a
Outdoor workers say elements add extra challenge to workday recycle collector for MDC Environmental Services. “When you add snow and ice, it makes the job that much more harder,” Hasselmann said. “You really have to be alert at all times because your conditions deal with black ice or wet snow that packs down.” During the recent snowfall and arctic cold, many businesses gave
LOCALLY SPEAKING
Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
days off or shortened workdays to employees. But for trash collectors, firefighters, policemen, public works employees and mailmen, the winter elements just add another challenge to the job. Hasselmann runs daily collector routes throughout Woodstock in the mornings with a front-loaded truck. The job requires him to exit the vehicle at each stop to ensure
that people’s recyclables are disposed securely into his truck. Driving without the passenger’s side door closed, Hasselmann said he often struggles to keep his hands and feet warm throughout his route. He constantly has to check his mirrors for passing drivers while driving in snowy and icy conditions. Those conditions make it even harder to prevent his truck from sliding and slipping on the road. When asked whether he prefers winter or summer, Hasselmann
See WORKERS, page A6
HEBRON
GIRLS BASKETBALL
VILLAGE PRESIDENT CHARGED WITH DUI
BIG RALLY FOR PR IN WIN OVER McHENRY
Hebron’s village president could face stricter sentencing from a previous cocaine case if he’s convicted of drunken driving in Wisconsin. John G. Jacobson awaits a March 13 court date on charges that include operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Jacobson is on probation as part of a plea deal from the cocaine case.
The McHenry girls basketball team had the lead and control of its game versus Prairie Ridge in the first half, looking to be well on its way to a possible upset, but the Wolves picked up the pace offensively to turn a 10-point halftime deficit into a 49-34 win. Prairie Ridge scored the game’s final 21 points. For more,
For more, see page B1.
see page C1.
McHENRY COUNTY: Area public works crews patch potholes after deep freeze, thaw. Local&Region, B1
CHICAGO – All four Republican candidates for Illinois governor said fixing the state’s economic woes would be among their top priorities if they win – an issue they’ll be trying to distinguish themselves on in a state that’s home to one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates and a multibillion-dollar backlog of overdue bills. In response to a campaign questionnaire from The Associated Press, the four contenders – state Sens. Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford and Winnetka businessman Bruce Rauner – cited the need to cut spending, lower taxes, get people back to work by creating a more business-friendly climate – and “all of the above.” While offering only a few specifics, the four will no doubt be pressed on the issue in a series of upcoming debates leading up to the March 18 primary. “Jobs. Jobs. And Jobs,” wrote Rutherford, of Chenoa, a former vice president for ServiceMaster Co., in response to an AP question asking for each candidate’s top three priorities if elected. “Illinois government finances are dire and our state is universally considered unfriendly to business. Building an environment that job creators are
See GOVERNOR, page A6
Primary election • The Illinois primary election is March 18. • INSIDE: Three of four gubernatorial candidates speak at Q&A event in Plainfield. PAGE A3
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