Local&Region
SECTION B Friday, March 7, 2014 Northwest Herald
Breaking news @ www.NWHerald.com
News editor: Kevin Lyons • kelyons@shawmedia.com
8COMMUNITY NEWS
OPERATION NETS 3 CANNABIS ARRESTS Two Harvard men and a Delavan, Wis., man were arrested in connection with a monthlong undercover investigation, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release Thursday. Matthew J. Roberts, 26, of the 700 block of Dewey St. in Harvard; Jasper D. Hanson, 27, of the 600 block Matthew J. of Hart St. in Roberts Harvard; and 26 David R. Beall, 29, of Delavan, Wis., were each charged with unlawful delivery of cannabis and unlawful Jasper D. possession of Hanson cannabis. 27 The county sheriff’s office narcotics task force, which includes members of the Lake in the Hills Police David R. Department, Beall and Harvard po29 lice conducted a monthlong undercover investigation leading to the arrests. The investigation revealed that drugs were being transported across state lines into McHenry County from Wisconsin, according to the release. At the conclusion of the investigation, detectives seized more than 250 grams of cannabis and $525. Hanson and Beall each posted $2,500 bond, while Roberts remains in custody with a $25,000 bail. Roberts is next due in court at 9 a.m. Thursday, Hanson at 9 a.m. March 21 and Beall at 9 a.m. March 28.
– Northwest Herald
SALE TO BENEFIT ABUSED HORSES The Hooved Animal Humane Society will host its annual Tack & Craft Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 15 in the Education Center at its farm, 10804 McConnell Road. The HAHS Tack Shop will be open and 20 other vendors will offer a variety of items. Attendees can tour the farm and meet horses available for adoption, and small animal rescue groups will have adoptable dogs and cats on-site. Admission is $3. For information, call 815-337-5563 or visit www.hahs.org.
8LOCAL DEATHS James W. Ayers 72, Spring Grove Walter “Bud” Barber 84, Richmond Darren R. Edmondson 53, West Dundee Brenda J. Kinderis 51, Algonquin Harold Lemke 84, McHenry Leroy L. Schreiber 70, Woodstock Shirley L. Webber 88, Oshkosh, Wis. Michael John Wieser Edward T. Winn 86, Richmond OBITUARIES on page B5
Bond referendum discussed Sun City residents question park district officials at forum By STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO sdibenedetto@shawmedia.com HUNTLEY – Sun City Huntley residents peppered Huntley Park District officials with questions about future costs and the need for a new indoor turf facility during a voter forum Thursday.
Residents from the large senior-living community in Huntley submitted more than a dozen written questions that primarily focused on the district’s plan to cover operating costs of the proposed facility. District officials tried to ward off concerns about future tax increases and re-
News to your phone Text the keyword NWHHUNTLEY to 74574 to sign up for HUNTLEY news text alerts from the Northwest Herald. Message and data rates apply. peatedly emphasized that program and rental fees
from people using the indoor complex would offset the costs to operate and staff the facility. “As with any business, you forecast and look at the demand that is out there,” said Executive Director Thom Palmer. “The demand is out there for a facility like this.”
Roughly 65 residents attended the forum hosted by Sun City’s civics committee. The event came nearly two weeks before Huntley residents head to the primary polls on March 18 to decide a referendum that would allow the park district
See REFERENDUM, page B2
Elderly woman pleads guilty
EVERYDAY HEROES
Struck and killed boy with her car By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com
Photos byJim Dallke – jdallke@shawmedia.com
TOP: Everyday Hero awards are displayed at the Everyday Heroes Breakfast. ABOVE: Keynote speaker Gene Brickhouse addresses the 2014 Everyday Heroes Thursday at a breakfast.
28 McHenry County residents honored at breakfast Watch online
By JIM DALLKE jdallke@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – If you tell substance abuse counselor Rick Atwater he’s a hero, he’ll probably disagree with you. The same goes for breast cancer fundraiser Tina Hueppe and youth sports coach Dave Jenkins. Lou Longo, who recycles aluminum cans and donates the funds to a domestic violence awareness agency, wouldn’t call himself heroic. But that is the commonality among everyday heroes. They don’t believe the work they’re doing is extraordinary; it’s work that simply needs to be done. On Thursday, these behindthe-scenes workers received recognition as 28 McHenry County residents were honored at the 2014
The 2014 Everyday Heroes Breakfast can be viewed online at NWHerald.com. Everyday Heroes Breakfast at the Crystal Lake Country Club. They aren’t serving on the front lines or running inside burning buildings. They aren’t traveling into space or winning Nobel prizes. Instead, these are the “heroes that populate our lives,” said Gene Brickhouse, the keynote speaker at Thursday’s event. “They are the ones who make our sun shine,” Brickhouse said. “They are the ones that put comfort in our lives, that give us a reason to be (and) make a difference in our lives.” These heroes are honored for their selflessness, courage and will-
ingness to act when no one else will, he said. “There’s not one ounce of egotism or narcism, only their own generosity and sacrifice,” he said. “There are no agendas, no incentives. Only spontaneity. They see a circumstance. They see a need or a void or a want, they see someone in trouble and they act.” The Everyday Heroes were nominated by their peers and featured in a February publication produced by the Northwest Herald. Each person received an award and an Everyday Heroes hat at the breakfast. “These 28 men and women don’t seek recognition, but their efforts make McHenry County a better place to live,” said Jason Schaumburg, editor of the Northwest Herald. “And it is our pleasure to recognize them today for all they do for our communities.”
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WOODSTOCK – Visibly shaking and steadied by her attorney, 84-year-old Veramae Phillip faced the family of the 5-year-old boy she struck and killed with her vehicle. “My heart aches for you,” the white-haired Woodstock woman told the parents of Brayon Silva. “There’s nothing I can say or do to make it better. I am so sorry.” Before their face-to-face, the boy’s parents had a question for the woman. “I want to ask why she left the scene,” the boy’s mother said as she clutched photographs of her son – smiling, running and playing soccer. Silva, of Leland, was struck and killed on Sept. 8, 2012, in the 4600 block of Franklinville Road outside Union. Phillip kept driving. The boy was crossing the street with his father and a sibling to get to their car. It had been dark and raining at the time. On Thursday, she pleaded guilty to failure to give information or render aid after an accident, a Class A misdemeanor. The plea deal was accepted by McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather, who ordered Phillip to pay a $1,000 fine and complete one year of probation. “This is a tragic, tragic situation,” the judge said. “There is no greater tragedy for a parent than to lose a child. I am so sorry for your loss.” Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Combs, who also is chief of the criminal division, said he agreed to reduce the felony charges against Phillip based on her age, her remorse and her now-revoked driver’s license. Outside the courtroom, he also noted she had no prior criminal history. Phillip has told authorities she didn’t realize she hit the boy. As she left the courtroom, she said to Combs, “I had no idea.” A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to $2,500 in fines or a year in the county jail.
Jewel acquires former Dominick’s location in FRG By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com FOX RIVER GROVE – People will be able to buy their groceries in the village again. The former Dominick’s location at 800 Northwest Highway is set to become a Jewel-Osco, according to a news release. The location was one of five former Dominick’s stores that Jewel’s parent company, Albertson’s, announced the purchase of Thursday. “We’re excited to have them,” Village Administrator Derek Soderholm said. “Hopefully they get it up and running and we’ll get people shopping soon,” Soderholm added. Two locations in Chicago and
“We want to serve as many shoppers as we can. Whether they lost their home [grocery store], we want to serve them in an existing Jewel-Osco store or one of those nine.” Allison Sperling Jewel-Osco communications manager one location in Merionette Park and in Lake Zurich also were acquired. The exact price of the purchase was not disclosed. Jewel late last year purchased four Chicago-area Dominick’s locations, and the company is investing $100 million into new projects and remodels this year. Fox River Grove officials
were aware a grocery store was in negotiations to buy the vacant Dominick’s, but they did not know it was Jewel-Osco until Thursday, Soderholm said. Even though the Village Board in January was prepared to discuss a redevelopment agreement for a new grocer, Soderholm said no agreement is under discussion now. When Jewel opens the Fox
River Grove location and how many people will be employed there has yet to be determined, said communications manager Allison Sperling. With the five additional locations, Jewel would have 185 stores in the Chicago area. “We want to serve as many shoppers as we can,” Sperling said. “Whether they lost their home [grocery store], we want to serve them in an existing JewelOsco store or one of those nine.” McHenry County still has two vacant Dominick’s properties after parent company Safeway left the Chicago area at the end of last year. One location is in Lake in the Hills at the northeast corner of Randall and Algonquin roads. The other is along Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
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