NORTHWEST
HERALD
May 3 , 2 01 5 • $1 .5 0
SUNDAY
HIGH
78 56
INSIDE TODAY A new way to find
Complete forecast on page A12
a job in McHenry County NWHerald.com
THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN McHENRY COUNTY
Facebook.com/NWHerald
MCC graduation rate up College works to increase degree, retention numbers
LOW
@NWHerald
Flood data in works for CL City engineer hopes to have update this fall By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com
Sarah Nader file photo – snader@shawmedia.com
Graduates line up to receive their diplomas May 10, 2014, during the McHenry County College Spring Commencement in Crystal Lake. By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – More than 300 McHenry County College students were automatically awarded degrees and certificates this school year. The students had completed the required coursework. They had met all the requirements. But they hadn’t filled out the form to actually
apply for graduation. The automatic graduation system – in which the college reviews students’ transcripts to see if they qualify for degrees and certificates – is one of a few programs that college administrators credit for pushing up the institution’s graduation rate. A total of 1,774 students will have graduated from McHenry County College this year, up from 997 students in the 2010-11 school year, ac-
cording to the college’s statistics. Of the students who started attending the college full time in fall 2011 with the goal of getting a degree or certificate, 29.63 percent of them have done so, according to a 2015 Illinois Community College Board report. That compares favorably to the 24.87 percent average across the state. The college is looking to continue improving its graduation and reten-
tion rates, but Tony Miksa, its vice president of academic and student affairs, said it’s important to keep context in mind while assessing those numbers. Some students come to McHenry County College to take classes over the summer before heading back to their four-year schools, he said. Some are looking to transfer after a
CRYSTAL LAKE – The June 2013 storm that resulted in 62 reports of flooded basements, 50 road closures and a collapsed roof put plans to address flooding in Crystal Lake on hold as the city sought to update and expand its flooding study. That study is approaching its completion, City Engineer Abby Wilgreen said, adding that it will help the city prioritize various flooding mitigation projects moving forward. Wilgreen hopes to have the update finalized and presented to the Crystal Lake City Council in the fall or early winter, complete with laying out the trouble spots, judging various alternatives viable for those locations, what they’d cost and how much protection they’d offer, what grants are available and what other government entities would need to be involved. The state-owned Route 176 was one of the roads that flooded so much it had to be closed over night, Wilgreen said. Addressing flooding at the low point in the road – a spot west of Terra Cotta Road in
See GRADUATION, page A11 See FLOODING, page A11
Experts: Convictions will be tough to win in Baltimore case By MICHAEL BIESECKER and BEN NUCKOLS The Associated Press BALTIMORE – Baltimore’s top prosecutor acted swiftly in charging six officers in the death of Freddie Gray, who suffered a grave spinal injury as he was arrested and put into a police transport van, handcuffed and left without a seat belt. But getting a jury to convict police officers of murder and manslaughter will be far harder than obtaining arrest warrants. Legal experts say the case is fraught with challenges. A widely shown video that cap-
tured the nation’s attention shows Gray, 25, being loaded into the van, but not what happened once he was inside. Other than the accused officers, the only known witness is a convicted criminal later placed in the Marilyn v a n ’ s o t h e r J. Mosby holding cell, unable to see what was happening with Gray. State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby announced the charges Friday amid a backdrop of a city in turmoil – four
SPORTS
days after public anger over Gray’s death triggered riots, with heavily armed troops enforcing a nightly curfew, and the day before protest marches that drew thousands. By bringing charges less than two weeks after Gray’s death, Mosby, 35, said her decision showed “no one is above the law.” “To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America: I heard your call for, ‘No justice, no peace,’ ” the prosecutor said. “Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man.” Within hours, the city’s police union questioned the
prosecutor’s impartiality, accusing her of a rush to judgment and demanding she recuse herself from the case. Even some of those who support Mosby’s stand worry further violence might erupt if she fails to win convictions. Alan Dershowitz, a wellknown criminal lawyer from New York and professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, suggested Mosby’s actions were motivated more by political expediency and short-term public safety than strong evidence. He called the charges “outrageous and irresponsible,” especially a
LOCAL NEWS
Community comes together McHenry County Mental Health Board launches suicide prevention program / A3 BUSINESS
See BALTIMORE, page A10
WHERE IT’S AT Advice .................... Style 8 Business .................... D1-4 Classified.....................F1-7 Community ....................B1 Local News............... A2-11 Lottery............................A2 Movies...................Style 11 Nation&World...........B4-5 Obituaries ....................A11 Opinions ........................B2 Puzzles ....................... F5, 8 Sports......................... C1-8 State ...............................B3 Style..........................Inside Weather ....................... A12
AP photo
Demonstrators cheer Saturday in the intersection of West North and Pennsylvania avenues in Baltimore as they march a day after charges were announced against the police officers involved in Freddie Gray’s death.
Sp�in� int� actio�! The Cooling Season is under way – Schedule your Inspection today!
Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing and Electrical Lic#055-001101
‘This was a tough day’ Marengo falls, 7-6, to two-time defending tournament champion Plainfield Central in final game of own tournament / C1
No more excuses GymGuyz trainers look to bring the gym to homes in the McHenry County area / D1