MONDAY
December 22, 2014 • $1.00
SAME RESULTS Change in quarterback doesn’t help Bears against Lions in 20-14 loss / B1
HIGH
LOW
40 38 Complete forecast on page A10
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Snow expected for Christmas Eve Meteorologists unclear how much could fall ogists are still uncertain as to how much will come down. According to the NationIt seems McHenry County al Weather Service forecast, residents can expect some snow Christmas Day looks dry for Christmas Eve, but meteorol- now, with highs in the up-
By ALLISON GOODRICH
agoodrich@shawmedia.com
per 30s and lows in the upper 20s. However, Christmas Eve will bring with it a 50 percent chance of precipitation, meteorologist Amy Seeley said. The forecast indicates snowfall with highs in the mid 30s, and the evening will bring cooler temperatures into the upper 20s with just a 20 percent chance of light snow. Seeley said it was too soon to say for sure how much snow will come down, adding, “Right
now, we don’t even have it at an inch.” The days leading up to that will likely be wet and cloudy, but fairly mild in terms of temperature, according to Seeley’s information. McHenry County could see freezing rain Monday morning, but temperatures are expected to drop to the low 40s during the day, ensuring rain rather than snow or sleet. Monday also is the only day this week expected
to have notable wind, according to the National Weather Service. “It will be a little windy Monday, with southeast wind gusts up to 30 mph,” Seeley said. Clouds, light rain and highs in the mid 40s are expected Tuesday, with west wind up to five to 10 mph. Zooming out to the general Midwest, AccuWeather meteorologist Erik Pindrock told a similar story.
“Starting Tuesday, it looks like there will be a [storm] crossing the Midwest,” Pindrock said, advising eastbound travelers that steadier rain and snow is expected in parts of Indiana and Michigan. Both he and Seeley encouraged residents to stay aware of the what’s coming throughout the start of the week. “Keep an eye on the forecast, especially if you have travel plans,” Seeley said.
Raising juror pay sees mixed reviews
AUTO INDUSTRY TRENDS
By SOPHIA TAREEN The Associated Press
Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
A line of Chevy Cruzes at Gary Lang Auto Group on Wednesday in McHenry.
‘Trifecta’ for car sales Area car dealers point to low gas prices, loan rates, technology for sales bump By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com Low gas prices, low interest rates and vehicles with smarter technology have meant good news for the auto industry and could be driving sales of SUVs, local dealers say. “That’s what we call at the horse track a trifecta,” said Gary Rosenberg, owner of Crystal Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge. Rosenberg said sales of SUVs and trucks are through the roof right now, and lower gas prices could be to thank. Nationally, gas prices fell 23 cents in November to a four-year low of $2.76 a gallon, according to AAA. In the Chicago metro region, a gallon of gas averages $2.67; a significant decrease from an area all-time high of $4.50 a
gallon in March 2013. Gas prices are trending even lower in McHenry County, with rates dipping as low as $2.21 a gallon in Lake in the Hills. Gas has fallen because the global price of crude oil has dropped 45 percent since this summer. The U.S., Canada and other countries are producing more oil at a time when world demand is weak because of sluggish economic growth. Car dealers nationally reported brisk sales last month. Sales of the new Nissan Rogue, a small SUV, jumped 44 percent, while the Jeep Cherokee was up 67 percent. Rosenberg’s top seller is the Cherokee and its even larger Grand Cherokee. At McHenry’s Gary Lang Auto Group, owner Gary Lang said full and mid-sized vehicles are in high
demand. Both Lang and Rosenberg said increased car sales are a promising trend. “The encouraging thing about today’s market is this is not recovery business,” Lang said. “We had three years of that. Now the cars that were purchased in early stages of recovery are coming back as trade-ins. “People are buying cars on impulse again. … When business was bad, people were only buying cars out of necessity.” Car sales could be tied to low interest rates, although the threat of them climbing higher looms everyday, Rosenberg said. Bankrate reports the lowest interest rate on a 60-month new
See CAR SALES, page A8
“The encouraging thing about today’s market is this is not recovery business. We had three years of that. Now the cars that were purchased in early stages of recovery are coming back as trade-ins. People are buying cars on impulse again. … When business was bad, people were only buying cars out of necessity.”
BY THE NUMBERS The price of gas per gallon nationally in November, which is a four-year low.
$2.76
$2.67
The price of gas per gallon in the Chicago metro
region.
The price of gas per gallon recorded recently in Lake in the Hills.
$2.21
Gary Lang Owner of Gary Lang Auto Group
CHICAGO – A newly signed law that’ll more than double what Illinois jurors are paid while reducing the size of civil case juries is earning mixed reviews from criminal justice experts. Gov. Pat Quinn signed the measure Friday that backers say could lead to more diverse juries and offset anticipated costs by cutting back jurors in all civil cases from 12 to 6. But some counties are concerned about picking up the tab and researchers and advocacy groups believe smaller juries mean less impartial verdicts. To the measure’s sponsor – who was lobbied by the former Illinois Trial Lawyers Association president – raising juror stipends is a simple equation. Illinois currently hovers near the bottom of U.S. states when it comes to stateset rates, though it varies by county – between $4 and $10 a day, more in some places. Plus, state law doesn’t require employers to pay wages during jury duty. The new law, which takes effect in June, moves Illinois closer to other states by raising it to $25 the first day and $50 after. Few other states are as stingy: South Carolina jurors get a $2 daily minimum in civil cases and some – Connecticut and Massachusetts, for example– don’t pay the initial day, according to the National Center for State Courts. “It is a civic duty, but you are inconveniencing people,” said state Rep. Kelly Burke, an Evergreen Park Democrat co-sponsoring the plan. “It’s more than an inconvenience for some people, it’s a hardship.” Shannon Welling of Chicago served on a jury for a nearly two-week medical malpractice case this year. The 33-year-old said her employer continued to pay wages. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be much left from the daily $17.20 Cook County offers after commuting. “You keep getting told, ‘It’s your civic duty. P.S. Here’s 17 bucks, good luck!’ ” she said. “I’m lucky that I’m salaried ... That was solely the way I was able to survive.” States don’t often take up jury pay, especially during tough economic times.
See PAY, page A8
LOCAL
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WHERE IT’S AT
On the Record
First NFL TD
Sony hack
New McHenry County Board member talks Bears, politics / A3
A moment to remember for Johnsburg grad C.J. Fiedorowicz / B1
U.S. mulls putting N. Korea on terrorism sponsor list / A8
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