WEDNESDAY
Jan uar y 28, 2 01 5 • $1 .0 0
SOLID SHOOTING Marengo boys basketball beats Johnsburg, keeps hot streak alive / C1
34 31 Complete forecast on page A8
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Coroner: Hit-and-run victim dies CL South grad had been on life support since Saturday’s crash By ALLISON GOODRICH agoodrich@shawmedia.com
Ben Allison, 20, of Crystal Lake, died Tuesday at a hospital in Normal. He was a student at ISU.
Ben Allison, a 2012 graduate of Crystal Lake South High School, died Tuesday morning after being involved in a hit-and-run incident Saturday at Illinois State University, the McLean County coroner confirmed. Allison, a 20-year-old ISU stu-
dent, had been on life support and kept alive until his family could ensure the donation of his organs, close family friend Wayne Bower said. In a news release, the coroner’s office said Allison was an organ donor through the Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network. “The Allisons are very adamant about making sure Ben can
donate his organs and help as many people as possible,” Bower said. The coroner’s office said Allison died at 10:15 a.m. at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, where Bower said Allison was among a collection of about 50 family members and friends. “He was not alone,” he said. “Everybody got a chance to
spend some time with him. They brought in friends, his former teammates, then his family was with him at the end.” Allison’s former coach, Rich Perillo, said he had been getting updates from Bower, who traveled to Normal to be with Allison’s family and other friends. “He will be missed by everyone that knew him,” Perillo said.
“He was just such a great kid.” Friends said Allison moved to Crystal Lake from Michigan during junior high. He played goalie for the Crystal Lake South Gators hockey team, and was nicknamed “Big Ben” for his 6-foot-5 stature, which friends have said contributed to his skill
See CL SOUTH GRAD, page A6
TIF at Routes 176, 47 gets OK No action taken on zoning request for sports complex By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com LAKEWOOD – A special taxing district centered on the intersection of Routes 47 and 176 was approved following two confused and lengthy meetings Tuesday evening. The Lakewood Village Board approved the tax increment financing district in a 5-1 vote, wrapping up a meeting that skipped from a sports complex proposed for three parcels located at the center of the district to another special taxing district located in the same area that would generate sales tax dollars. Much of the opposition at the meeting involved concern that commercial development in the area, in particular the proposed Chicagoland Sportsplex facility at Route 47 and Pleasant Valley Road, would diminish the quality of life for nearby residents while causing the property values of their homes to plummet. The sports complex developers had requested the three parcels they’re looking to build on be rezoned from a mix of agriculture and business to just business with a planned development agreement. The village’s three-member Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the zoning change to the Village Board, which will make the final call at a later meeting. The developers had asked for the zoning change ahead of a development agreement and preliminary plat request because they needed to move forward with the village’s process but weren’t ready for those next steps, project manager Jack Porter said. The project’s financiers want to see movement on the village’s side before moving forward, but the village also wants to see the financing get firmed up before making its own move, he said. A public hearing was also held on whether to annex one of the proposed development’s parcels – 77 acres at Pleasant Valley and Hamilton roads
Seasonal slump for blood banks
Photos by Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
Kelsey Roller of Carpentersville has her blood drawn Tuesday during a blood drive at Faith Lutheran High School hosted by the school’s national honor society.
When cold weather hits, area organizations see donations slow down By STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO sdibenedetto@shawmedia.com
How to donate blood n Interested donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Anyone older than 17 can donate blood. People who are 16 years old can give with parental consent. n Heartland Blood Centers accepts walk-ins and appointments. To arrange a donation, visit www.heartlandbc.org or call its hotline at 1-800-786-4483. Interested donors also can contact the Crystal Lake office directly at 815-356-0608.
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See LAKEWOOD, page A6
he school cancellations and messy road conditions that followed the subfreezing temperatures earlier this month continue to have ramifications for area blood banks. Heartland Blood Centers, which operates a Crystal Lake location, started January about 3,000 units of blood below its regular donation target. As with any winter, blood donations typically taper off when the cold weather hits, said Amy Smith, donor recruitment director for Heartland. Poor road conditions and the cold and flu season often deter donors from giving blood during the winter months. School cancellations from the cold and snow also force blood banks to postpone and reschedule donation drives, Smith said. “When the weather starts to get bad, and we have to start canceling drives, then we are put in the predicament that we can’t collect for transfusions,” Smith said. Heartland Blood Centers provides blood to 59 hospitals in the Chicago and northwest Indiana region, including Centegra Health System in McHenry County. The
Voice your opinion When’s the last time you donated blood? Vote online at NWHerald.com. Amber Anderson, a phlebotomist with American Red Cross, draws blood from Kyle Seegers, 18, of Harvard during the blood drive at Faith Lutheran High School. donations provide hospitals with blood for life-saving transfusions for cancer patients, organ transplants, and trauma and accident victims, Smith said. Heartland’s daily blood donation target is 600 units a day. The group’s 14 area blood centers accept walk-ins and appointments six days a week, and Heartland operates seven to 11 mobile blood drives daily to try and secure enough units of blood. Centegra relies on blood donations for various needs, including patients who suffer from severe gastrointestinal bleeding or other nontraumatic conditions. “Centegra’s hospitals are Level II trauma centers that often treat severely injured patients who require transfusions,” said Dr. Joe Keenan, director of emergency services at Centegra. “In our emergency departments, we also use fresh frozen plasma to reverse blood-thinning medication, if a person has an injury that has caused bleeding.” When the cold weather keeps people inside, Heartland takes to the phones. Heartland actively contacts existing donors to encourage them to visit area centers, Smith said. “It’s all for life-saving transfusions,” she said. “Blood can’t be manufactured, so we need to have that 600-units-a-day target coming through.”
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