WEDNESDAY
Febru ar y 18, 2 01 5 • $1 .0 0
BIG FLAVOR Sprinkle peanut butter powder on popcorn for unusual but addicting taste / Planit Taste D1 NWHerald.com
THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN McHENRY COUNTY
HIGH
LOW
6 -9
Complete forecast on page A8
Facebook.com/NWHerald
@NWHerald
MCC trustees weigh tuition hike Student government representatives voice support for increase By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – Student space is the top wish students said they have for McHenry County College, the student representative to the college’s board said. But Robert Tenuta, the college’s chief financial officer and treasurer, said his concern is meeting the obli-
gations the college already has. The college’s Board of Trustees is considering a tuition increase and a new infrastructure fee, which would be earmarked for the long list of deferred maintenance and would help offset a projected deficit. The vote is scheduled for its Feb. 26 meeting. Five student government representatives spoke at the Tuesday meeting, four of them in favor of the
Rauner’s budget likely to rile Dems
tuition increase, noting the college’s tuition is on the low end compared to other Illinois community colleges and the infrastructure work that needs to be done. The break-even point would be a $5 tuition increase and a new $5 infrastructure fee, Tenuta said, adding the lower numbers are based on new information coming from the state. The college originally had been
warned to expect as much as a 30 percent reduction in general state aid, but now that number may be closer to 20 percent, he said. The difference would be about $270,000. “The state is stiffing us,” Trustee Chris Jenner of Cary said, adding a tuition increase is letting the state off the hook but said as he is a general supporter of user fees, he would grudgingly accept a small increase.
Several of the trustees were leaning toward the $5 tuition increase and $5 infrastructure fee by the end of the meeting despite some having voiced initial objections to raising tuition. Board Vice Chair Linda Liddell of Crystal Lake emphasized that while she was OK with the increase, she wanted to see a committee put
See MCC, page A4
SHERIFF’S OFFICE, HUNTLEY POLICE AIM TO INFORM PUBLIC
Republican gov. to propose 1st budget By SARA BURNETT and KERRY LESTER The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD – Since the night he was elected, Gov. Bruce Rauner repeatedly has said he wants Illinois to be the most competitive yet compassionate state in the nation. He’s also quick to add one caveat: “We don’t have the money to be able to be compassionate.” As the Republican prepares to propose his first budget Wednesday for a state that’s billions of dollars in the red, many lawmakers and advocates for low-income, elderly and disabled people are bracing for major cuts to areas such as Medicaid and mental health care. A Rauner administration official said Tuesday the governor Bruce Rauner will call for hiring more prison guards and spending more money on mental health care for inmates. He’s also expected to propose reducing funding for higher education. It’s all likely to set up a big battle with the Democrats who control the Legislature, many of whom prefer to raise Illinois income tax rates that rolled back on Jan. 1 to avoid massive cuts. But Rauner has said keeping tax rates low is key to improving the state’s economy – and generating the money needed to be more compassionate. Following a meeting with Rauner and other legislative leaders Tuesday afternoon, House Speaker Michael Madigan said the governor indicated he was prepared to deliver some “tough medicine.” “I think it’s fair to say he doesn’t plan to propose any tax increases,” said Madigan, a Chicago Democrat. Here’s a look at some things to watch as Rauner lays out his plan:
MORE PRISON GUARDS Rauner is expected to call for adding 473 new correctional officer positions – a move that would save about $10 million in overtime costs and make Illinois prisons safer, an administration official
Photos by Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Huntley police officer Jeff Fabis (left) talks with officer Justin Harper while on a call Monday for an open door at a house on Rolling Meadows Lane. Calls such as this will be posted to the McHenry County crime mapping website, which displays many crimes happening in different neighborhoods. Certain felonies and crimes with ongoing investigations will be omitted, Fabis said.
Area police departments make crime maps available By CHELSEA McDOUGALL
Online
cmcdougall@shawmedia.com Using data to determine crime trends and target hot spots in the community is not a new policing phenomenon. But putting that information online is. A growing number of area police departments – such as the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and more recently in Huntley – have made their crime maps available to the public as a way to help prevent crime through a well-informed public. The sheriff’s office’s intelligence-led policing efforts have allowed authorities to target highcrime areas in the county and turn it into a map. The map then strips what Sgt. Mike Muraski called “law enforcement sensitive” data and makes it available for public consumption. The idea is two-fold. One, target high-crime areas by padding patrols and police presence, and two,
n McHenry County Sheriff’s crime map: http://mchenrycountygis.org/ crimemap/ n Huntley incident mapping website: http://shawurl.com/1qkg
Huntley police officer Jeff Fabis investigates a call for an open door Monday at a house on Rolling Meadows Lane. have the public’s involvement to help reduce crime. Huntley modeled its crime map after the maps used at the sheriff’s office.
“It allows us as a department to understand where crimes are occurring and identify hot spots,” Huntley Police Sgt. Amy Williams said.
Data for these crime maps are pulled from police records. Names and exact addresses are removed for the public version. While Huntley leaves off domestic violence incidents, medical calls and traffic stops, the sheriff’s office lays it all out there. There usually is a 24hour lag time before the maps are updated. Huntley began its public crime mapping tool in a response to a community survey that demanded one. It launched last fall. Because it’s so new, significant crime drops are yet to be seen. Muraski explained that it’s
See CRIME, page A4
See BUDGET, page A4
STATE
SPORTS
LOCAL NEWS
Girls hoops
Building pathway Smoke-free act
Woodstock, Woodstock North set to meet in regional title game / C1
Woodstock approves agreement for new bike path along Route 14 / A3
Illinois bill would add e-cigarettes to indoor smoking ban / B3
WHERE IT’S AT Advice ................................ D3 Buzz.....................................C6 Classified......................D6-12 Comics ...............................D4 Community ........................B1 Local News.................... A2-6 Lottery................................ A2 Nation&World...............B4-5
Obituaries ......................A6-7 Opinion...............................B2 Planit Taste .................... D1-2 Puzzles ...........................D3, 5 Sports..............................C1-5 State ................................... B3 Stocks................................. A7 Weather .............................A8