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Inside
Partial recount changes little in sheriff’s race Prim’s victory stands; Zinke will not ask for full recount By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – Andrew Zinke will not ask a court for a full recount of his razor-thin loss to Bill Prim in the Republican primary for McHenry County sheriff following a partial recount that resulted in a net gain of one vote. The discovery recount of 53 of the county’s 212 voting precincts – the maximum of one quarter allowed under state law – netted one more vote for Zinke and one less vote for Prim. Prim had won the March 18 primary nomination for sheriff by 97 votes. Given that County Clerk Katherine Schultz’s office found a grand total of four irregularities, it would have been very unlikely that a circuit court judge would have found probable cause to order a complete recount. Zinke, who thanked his supporters and his family, hedged at calling it a
concession. “I’m not going to belabor the moment. Given how close it was, I would have been foolBill Prim ish not to check Republican and make sure,” nominee for Zinke said FriMcHenry day. County sheriff Prim also thanked his supporters Friday, and said he was happy the recount further verified that he won the Andrew Zinke p r i m a r y . H e said he and his McHenry campaign are County moving ahead undersheriff toward winning the Nov. 4 election. “It’s what we anticipated. I’m certainly happy with it, but it’s what we expected ... we
Photos by H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Deb and Bob Ruzga of McHenry sort their belongings Monday in their home. The Ruzgas are selling their home and the vast majority of their belongings to move to Africa to help start an orphanage.
Bound for their Oasis McHenry couple prepare for move to Kenya to help to start orphanage
See SHERIFF, page A7
By EMILY K. COLEMAN
Lawmakers propose pension overhaul fix Officials concerned university workers will retire earlier By DAVID MERCER and KERRY LESTER The Associated Press CHAMPAIGN – The Illinois Legislature is considering fixing a portion of a statewide pension overhaul that unwittingly takes a year of benefits away from university employees. Higher education officials say a mistake in the legislation passed by lawmakers in December is causing hundreds of public-university employees to retire or consider retirement earlier than anticipated. The pension-reform bill signed into law last year cur-
“My goal is to be sure that we do not cause a stampede toward the door because the legislative intent of the original bill is wrong.” State Rep. Chad Hays R-Catlin
rently calculates a retiring university employee’s benefits as of last year instead of this year. State Rep. Chad Hays, a Catlin Republican, filed one of two pieces of legislation this week that would change the language. Hays’ bill would base benefits on retirement as of
See PENSIONS, page A7
LOCALLY SPEAKING
ecoleman@shawmedia.com McHENRY – The closing day for selling their McHenry home is set. Boxes fill a front room. Random furniture is missing, sold off to friends and acquaintances. But to keep from getting lost in the to-do lists, Deb and Bob Ruzga are staying focused on the day when the first kids arrive at the gates of the orphanage they’re helping to start in southwest Kenya. “[We’re] keeping our sights on that and thinking about that and why we’re doing this,” Deb Ruzga said. “It’s a privilege that God has given us, so we don’t ever want to lose sight of that.” The McHenry couple have committed to two years working for Oasis for Orphans, a Chicago suburbs-based nonprofit that helps support two other orphanages in addition to the family-style children’s home where the Ruzgas will be based. The land has already been purchased, and Oasis is in the process of contract-
[We're] keeping our sights on [the orphanage] and thinking about that and why we're doing this. It's a privilege that God has given us, so we don't ever want to lose sight of that.” Deb Ruzga on preparing for a new life working for Oasis for Orphans
The Ruzgas pack some possessions Monday to donate to charity. ing for the construction of a guard house and fencing, the Ruzgas said. The group has enough funding to build three homes, which will each house 12 children, a “mama and an auntie.” The Chapel, a nondenominational church with multiple campuses, including the one the Ruzgas attend in McHenry, made a “substantial financial commitment” to help get the orphanage off the ground, according to the Oasis website. The Ruzgas are set to leave
at the end of June or beginning of July – after they finish selling their belongings, get past the June 4 closing on their home, put a few items in storage and visit their two children. They’re also responsible for raising all the funds they’ll need to support themselves for the next two years, including renting and furnishing an apartment, covering airfare to and from Kenya and paying for their living expenses.
See KENYA, page A7
We're just resting in God's plan for us and his faithfulness. My project management skills always required me to see the whole project start to finish, but God only gives me the next step. I have to be OK with that.” Bob Ruzga on leaving McHenry to work with an orphanage in Kenya
HEBRON
OWNER PUSHES TO PUT HEBRON ON MAP Daniel Hart’s new goal: show people that Hebron is a destination. Hart has owned Woodstock’s D.C. Cobb’s bar and restaurant since 2008 and is expanding his brand to Hebron with Hart’s Saloon. Hart describes Hebron as a prime location and is hoping to capitalize on the traffic to and from Lake Geneva. For more, see page E1.
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
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CRYSTAL LAKE: D-200 high schoolers visit Knaack to learn about welding and other manufacturing jobs. Local, B1