NWH-11-22-2013

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President’s assassination remains vivid for ’63 Bears

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013

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Phone videos shown at trial

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY

Recalling JFK’s death

Closing arguments set in murder case By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – A series of short, grainy videos retrieved from Robert Signorile’s cellphone were some of the last pieces of evidence presented by the state before resting its first-degree murder case Thursday against the Huntley man. The videos were recorded a month before Michelle Mathieu’s death March 24, 2012. In the clips, Signorile, 44, can be heard asking Mathieu how she got injured, saying “all those bruises are from alcohol, aren’t they?” Robert “ N o , b e c a u s e Signorile you beat the [expletive] outta me,” she responded. Prosecutors also presented pictures pulled from Signorile’s phone. The photos were taken hours before authorities were called to their Sun City Huntley home. In one, Mathieu was face down on the floor and covered in a robe. It was the same position paramedics previously testified that they found her in. An autopsy revealed that Mathieu died from a closed head injury caused by blunt force trauma. She had bruising on her body, fractured ribs, a broken back and head trauma that required emergency brain surgery. Assistant Public Defender Angelo Mourelatos has said Mathieu was an alcoholic who suffered

Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com

William Bolger of McHenry holds a piece of his John F. Kennedy memorabilia Thursday at his home. Bolger attended the Democratic National Convention where Kennedy was nominated and the inauguration.

50 years later, area residents remember a day that shaped history By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com

John F. Kennedy in 1963

It was Nov. 22, 1963, and President John F. Kennedy had just been shot. William Bolger had been heading back to the office for a meeting when someone stopped him and called him into the house to watch the reports com-

ing in on TV. Bolger, who had attended the Democratic convention that nominated Kennedy and later, the inauguration, went on to his meeting. “I felt it was all out of place,” he said, adding that when he heard the news, he felt “great sorrow because [I] felt he was such a great man.”

The student union at Northern Illinois University was packed. Some people were crying. Others were staring at the TVs in stunned silence. Nancy Fike and Craig Pfannkuche were in that student union. Neither knew each other at the time, but they would

See HISTORY, page A7

“I don’t think anyone should ever forget the events that shape history. I certainly think this was one of those events.” Nancy Fike, McHenry County-based historian

READ MORE: Solemn ceremony at Dallas’ Dealey Plaza to mark John F. Kennedy’s assassination. PAGE A6

See TRIAL, page A7

Unions plan ‘emergency call-in days’ to lobby lawmakers By KERRY LESTER The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD – As legislative leaders met Thursday to develop a plan to deal with Illinois’ $100 billion pension crisis, the state’s biggest public employee unions were planning a concerted lobbying push to oppose it.

The “We are One Coalition,” which represents the state’s major public employee unions, alerted members this week about “emergency call-in days” next week and on Dec. 2-3. Members were being asked to call lawmakers and urge them to vote against pension bills that don’t have union support. The coalition also said

LOCALLY SPEAKING

that members plan to visit the offices of “persuadable” lawmakers across the state for “a vigorous grassroots lobbying effort” with as many union members and retirees in attendance as possible. Legislative leaders spoke via conference call Thursday to firm up a plan that could save close to $150

billion over 30 years. They said they had made progress and plan to meet at least once more before a possible special legislative session that would likely start Dec. 3. “Points of agreement have progressed to the stage that we are consulting our caucus,” said Rikeesha Phelon, the spokeswoman for Dem-

ocratic Senate President John Cullerton. The legislative leaders’ work builds off a framework developed by a bipartisan pension committee that would have saved $138 billion over 30 years.

See UNIONS, page A7

CRYSTAL LAKE

MCC BOARD APPROVES LEVY FREEZE The McHenry County College Board of Trustees finalized a property tax levy freeze Thursday, but residents could still see a slight increase in bills because of declining property values. College estimates show the owner of a $250,000 home would have to pay roughly $6.50 more a year to the institution. For

Jody Henderson of South Wilmington

more, see page B1.

Jessica Bourque – jbourque@shawmedia.com

McHENRY COUNTY: Area organizations, schools host fundraisers, donation drives to help with tornado relief. Local, B1

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