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July 24 , 2015 • $1.00
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Board ratifies union contract
McHENRY COUNTY COLLEGE EXPANDS PROGRAM OFFERINGS
Critics say raises for sheriff’s deputies at odds with flat taxes By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com
H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Advanced pastry students Emily Shepley (left) of McHenry and Grace Farris of Greenwood discuss the recipe for a ribbon sponge cake during class recently in the culinary classroom. McHenry County College has been adding a few new programs to its offerings, including baking and pastry management, paralegal studies and health information technology.
Bridging the skills gap New curricula result of talks with industry leaders By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – Sixteen workers are lined up to enter McHenry County College’s brand-
new industrial maintenance technician certification program this fall. The program was the result of many conversations with local industry leaders and years of put-
ting together a curriculum, getting the program accredited and finding the staff, space and equipment to run the classes. The $200,000 federal grant that was going to cover those workers’
tuition and books is held up in a state budget fight, McHenry County Workforce Network Director Julie Courtney said, adding that
See MCC, page A4
WOODSTOCK – The McHenry County Board approved a four-year labor contract with sheriff’s deputies, but not before opponents lectured the majority on the sustainability of giving out raises while keeping the tax levy frozen. Board members voted, 16-6, to ratify the contract with the Fraternal Order of Police unit representing the sheriff’s office’s sworn patrol deputies and detectives. The contract, retroactive to the Nov. 30, 2014, expiration of the previous contract, gives deputies a 2.25 percent raise Diane this fiscal year and a Evertsen 1.75 percent increase in 2016. The contract will be reopened midterm so wages and health and dental benefits can be negotiated for the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years. But a minority before Tuesday evening’s vote warned that county government is on an unsustainable financial path when it comes to wages and benefits for its union and nonunion employees. The FOP unit for sworn sheriff’s police is the largest of the 10 unions representing various county government employees, many of which will be returning to negotiations for expiring contracts. Opponent Diane Evertsen, R-Harvard, said that raises – the new sheriff’s contract means about another $400,000 for this fiscal year alone
See CONTRACT, page A4
Prosecutor: Autopsy shows Illinois woman in Texas jail died by hanging By MICHAEL GRACZYK and JASON KEYSER The Associated Press HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The autopsy of a black woman who was found dead in a Texas jail revealed no injuries that would suggest she was killed by someone else, authorities said Thursday. Waller County prosecutor Warren Diepraam said the autopsy showed that 28-year-old Sandra Bland, who was from Naperville, had no defen-
sive injuries on her hands that would typically indicate a struggle. Some lacerations or abrasions were found on her wrists. Those were consistent with a struggle while being handcuffed. The marks around Bland’s neck were consistent with a suicide by hanging, Diepraam said. Bland also had about 30 small cuts on her wrist that were probably self-inflicted within the past few weeks, he added. She was arrested in a traffic stop three days before she was found in
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her cell July 13. Her family and friends dispute the official finding that she killed herself using a noose fashioned from a plastic garbage bag. Texas Rangers and the FBI are investigating. Also Thursday, the woman’s sister confirmed that Bland had taken prescription medication for seizures in the past. Booking documents filled out for Bland after her arrest indicate she
See AUTOPSY, page A8
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Crystal Lake debates liquor licenses for movie theaters and nail salons to serve alcohol / A3 NATION
‘Marvelous theme’ Spring Grove farm’s corn maze keeps the hockey buzz going, pays tribute to the Hawks’ 3rd Stanley Cup victory in 6 seasons / C1
AP photo
Frank Scott visits a memorial to Sandra Bland on Thursday in Prairie View, Texas, to water a plant he had left previously. The autopsy of Bland, a black woman found dead in a Texas jail, revealed no injuries that would suggest she was killed by someone else, authorities said Thursday.
Immigration debate Controversial GOP frontrunner Donald Trump pays visit to U.S. – Mexico border / B4
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