FRIDAY
Ju n e 5 , 2015 • $ 1.00
END OF THE ROAD
NORTHWEST
McHenry unable to overcome Boylan’s standout pitching; fall, 4-1, in Class 4A sectional semifinal / C1
HERALD RALD
HIGH
LOW
70 51 Complete forecast on page A10
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State’s attorney seeks re-election Pursuing 4th term, Bianchi wants more resources for diversion programs By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi announced Thursday that he will seek a fourth term in office. Bianchi, of Crystal Lake, will run in a March 2016 primary, followed by a general election in the fall. “I want to continue to work serving the citizens of McHenry County and to keep the community safe and a good place to raise a family,” said
Bianchi, a Republican. Bianchi, 71, has been state’s attorney for 12 years. When asked whether he intends to complete a full four-year term if re-elected, he said, “At this point, yes.” “I’m excited to continue the work,” Lou Bianchi he said. “I feel healthy and energetic. I’m looking forward to another
U.S. reports massive data breach, eyes China
term.” A news release sent to area media by his campaign on Thursday includes a laundry list of Bianchi’s accomplishments since taking office, such as increased prosecution for DUIs and sex offenders, as well as saving an estimated $500,000 a year by using in-house attorneys on civil cases. Perhaps what he’s most proud of, Bianchi said, was spearheading efforts to introduce prison diversion programs in the 22nd Circuit, start-
ing with the Mental Health Court, and eventually the Drug and Domestic Violence courts. “We started with the Mental Health Court. That was, and probably still is, the greatest issue facing our community,” Bianchi said. “The drug and heroin problems go hand in hand with mental health issues.” Although Bianchi said he will stay “tough on crime,” he wants
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See BIANCHI, page A7
‘Miracle baby’ thriving
By KEN DILANIAN and RICARDO ALONSO–ZALDIVAR The Associated Press WASHINGTON – China-based hackers are suspected of breaking into the computer networks of the U.S. government personnel office and stealing identifying information of at least 4 million federal workers, American officials said Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that data from the Office of Personnel Management and the Interior Department had been compromised. “The FBI is conducting an investigation to identify how and why this occurred,” the statement said. The hackers were believed to be based in China, said Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican. Collins, a member of the Senate intelligence committee, said the breach was “yet another indication of a foreign power probing successfully and focusing on what appears to be data that would identify people with security clearances.” A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington called such accusations “not responsible and counterproductive.” “Cyberattacks conducted across countries are hard to track and therefore the source of attacks is difficult to identify,” spokesman Zhu Haiquan said Thursday night. He added that hacking can “only be addressed by international cooperation based on mutual trust and mutual respect.” A U.S. official, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the data breach, said it could potentially affect every federal agency. One key question is whether intelligence agency employee information was stolen. Former government employees are affected as well. “This is an attack against the nation,” said Ken Ammon, chief strategy officer of Xceedium, who said the
Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com
Ian McDonagh, 11, uses Legos to create a stop-motion movie May 23 at his home in McHenry. McDonagh was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and underwent a risky procedure on his atrial septum while still in utero.
McHenry boy, 11, battles back from rare heart condition By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com McHENRY – Sitting in his mom’s lap in their McHenry home, Ian McDonagh leans in for a kiss. Ian’s mom, Nannette, smiles warmly, remembering that for a time she didn’t know if she would ever kiss her son while his heart was beating. Ian, 11, was born with two rare heart conditions that required doctors to sear a hole in his heart minutes after he was born. It left little time for Nannette to
meet her son before he was whisked down a hallway for the procedure. “I kept asking if could kiss him, and the doctor said, ‘No, we don’t have time,’ ” Nannette McDonagh recalled. “The day he was born, they said, ‘Yes, but make it quick.’ ” Now, Nannette gives out affection without hesitating. Hugs come easy when Ian completes a drum solo, hands her a Lego set or – as he did this week – graduates from Riverwood Elementary School. “We just take it one day at a time,”
Nannette McDonagh said. “We learn not to sweat the small stuff, and we celebrate every milestone that we have.”
A rare combination Ian has two conditions that led to his precarious birth. The first, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, is a heart defect that rendered his left ventricle – the heart’s main chamber for pumping oxygen-rich blood to the body – useless. About 900 babies are born with this
See THRIVING, page A7
On the Web To view video of Ian McDonagh, visit NWHerald.com.
See BREACH, page A7
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Crystal Lake-based McHenry Athletic Complex undergoes renovation, more planned / A3 NATION
‘Finnish cool’ Hawks’ Teuvo Teravainen quietly confident as he’s gone about making things happen on the ice during the NHL playoffs / C1
2016 presidential campaign Ex-Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush joins unwieldy race as new phase of GOP campaign begins / B3
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