Arkush: Bears’ loss to Lions difficult to grade
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
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The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
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Ross set to appear in Nevada court Accused of concealing homicide near McHenry; woman’s remains not yet identified By LAWERENCE SYNETT lsynett@shawmedia.com The man accused of hiding a dead body inside a vacant home he owns near McHenry is scheduled to appear in a Nevada courtroom Tuesday morning. William J. Ross, 62, of 518 N. Country Club Drive, remains
Push for ethanol changes Ill. game
at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas on a felony charge of concealment of a homicidal death. He is awaiting extradition from Las Vegas to McHenry County. The caretaker of the home in an unincorporated area of the county found skeletal remains in a bedroom of the residence
Wednesday and informed the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said the woman appeared to have been dead for quite some time. The woman has yet to be identified due to the condition of the remains, according to the McHenry County Coroner’s Of-
fice. A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Court late last week said Ross put the body in a plastic bag and sealed the room where her remains were found. No one had been living in the home for more than a year and a half, Undersheriff Andrew Zinke said. The caretaker had main-
tained the exterior of the property for more than a year. Ross later was identified by investigators as the homeowner through the use of telephone records, and it was determined that he was residing in the Las Vegas area.
William J. Ross
See HOMICIDE, page A5
It’s not all about money
Farmers pull land out of conservation By JIM SUHR The Associated Press COBDEN – For all its scenic splendor in a mostly pancake-flat state, southern Illinois can be a hassle for farmers. The soil isn’t as fertile as up north, and the hilly terrain lends itself to erosion. That’s why so many farmers, like others across the Corn Belt, set aside much of their land years ago to a federal program that paid them to keep it idle in the spirit of conservation. At a time when corn prices were flagging, it simply made sense, giving farmers guaranteed income that helped them cover property taxes and other farm costs. But that has changed with America’s increasing demand for ethanol, the fuel additive that since 2010 has been the nation’s top use for corn. The government’s push for green energy has changed both the economics and the land of southern Illinois. Farmers are planting more corn in this area known as “Little Egypt” for its place between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the town of Cairo on the state’s southernmost tip. In the 10 southern Illinois counties that lost the most conservation land since 2006, the disappearance amounts to more than 43,000 acres, a swath bigger than St. Louis. The pullback from the Conservation Reserve Program has paid off for farmers like
Photos by Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
Claire Urbanski, 14, of Crystal Lake folds her family’s laundry Tuesday while watching TV. Claire and her brother, Lucas, have weekly chores they have to complete to collect their allowance. BELOW: Lucas Urbanski, 14, takes out the trash Tuesday before dinner.
Allowances help teach kids life skills By LAWERENCE SYNETT lsynett@shawmedia.com Claire and Lucas Urbanski check the refrigerator door each week for a list of chores their parents have assigned to them. The Crystal Lake twins have to wash the dishes, feed the dog and vacuum the house, among other tasks, which balances out to about five chores apiece and a $10 allowance. Skip a chore and 50 cents is deducted, add a larger job such as cleaning out the car and earn extra cash.
Fail to complete more than one task in a week – the brother and sister lose phone privileges for 24 hours. “The small allowance incorporates things that they are supposed to be doing with incentives and repercussions,” said Maureen Urbanski, mother of the 14-year-old Bernotas Middle School students. “They always had chores before, but it was kind of just chaotic. It wasn’t working well because we just had to repeat ourselves over and over.”
See ALLOWANCES, page A5
See FARMERS, page A5
LOCALLY SPEAKING Bush Elementary fourth-grader Aily O’Brien
Joe Shuman for Shaw Media
DISTRICT 300
CRYSTAL LAKE
PROPERTY TAX LEVY INCREASE UNVEILED
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District 300’s tentative $2.9 million increase from last year’s property tax levy will likely cost a typical homeowner in the district $26 more on next year’s property tax bills. Administrators from the school district unveiled the district’s projected property tax levy to board members Monday. For more, see
When Crystal Lake South steps onto the volleyball court this weekend at Redbird Arena in Normal for the Class 4A state semifinals, its opponents will have to be ready for what’s becoming a balanced attack. Junior setter Cassy Sivesind said the Gators have become smarter within the offense. For
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