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July 25, 2014 • $1.00
IN WITH THE OLD Success of Bears’ defense may come down to seasoned veteran players / C1
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75 62 Complete forecast on page A12
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Oakwood Hills power plant spurned Hundreds turn out to voice opposition to proposed $450 million facility By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – More than 800 people gathered at the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn Thursday to voice their opposition to a $450 million power plant that could be constructed in Oakwood Hills. The Oakwood Hills Zoning Committee heard a thorough and detailed presentation
from project developers and engineers before the public had an opportunity to question those representatives and voice their concerns. Developers went over details on how the 430-megawatt, natural gas facility would create virtually no noise pollution, produce “negligible” emissions and have little to no effect on deep-water aquifers after revealing another poten-
come from a deep-water aquifer, but after developing a plan with Crystal Lake, Prairie For updates on the hearing, visit Grove and Cary wastewater NWHerald.com. treatment facilities, developers said groundwater would only be needed as a backup in tial wastewater treatment fa- emergencies. cility connection. Studies have shown the Engineers previously said deep-water aquifer could run 35 percent of the roughly 1.5 dangerously low by 2030. million gallons of water per Planners also showed exday the facility needs would amples of power plants that
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were as close as .3 miles to a school and 624 feet from a subdivision. Residents have been concerned about the proximity of the plant to the Prairie Grove school and audibly challenged the comparisons when those examples were presented. The plant would be located off Valley View Road near the Oakwood Hills Village Hall. When project managers
brought up the financial gains the village would receive such as the $1.3 million hosting fee and roughly $500,000 annually in property taxes for schools, members in the crowd responded, “we don’t need your money,” and “keep it.” Residents have presented studies throughout the process to developers showing
See POWER PLANT, page A2
Man ‘LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD’ charged with murder A WOODSTOCK WIN
Had been accused of concealing a homicide earlier By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com
Kyle Grillot - kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Chef Scott Commings, the executive chef at Loyola University Chicago Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, and his wife, Tiffinni, celebrate as he is announced as the winner of the 12th season of “Hell’s Kitchen” during the viewing party Thursday at the Main Street PourHouse in Woodstock. About300 people joined Commings at the bar for the final episode.
Chef Scott Commings wins ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Woodstock, won the show hosted by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Text the keyword NWHWOODSTOCK – After a In the finale, Commings video of Scott Commings WOODSTOCK to 74574 to sign defeated Chicago chef Jawalking through a door to up for WOODSTOCK news son Zepaltas in the show a waiting crowd to tell him text alerts from the Northwest that was filmed last year in he won season 12 of “Hell’s Herald. Message and data rates the Los Angeles area. Kitchen” played on the tele- apply. After the episode, Comvision, the standing-room mings was congratulated only crowd at Main Street by fans both inside and outPourHouse cheered and revealed Commings, the side of the bar, where an started to chant “Scott, executive chef at Loyola additional television was Scott, Scott.” University Chicago Retreat set up for people to watch. On Thursday night, Fox and Ecology Campus in People gave him hugs and
By JOSEPH BUSTOS
jbustos@shawmedia.com
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handshakes, and took photos with him. Inside the bar people sang along with the jukebox, which at one point played “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang. Commings, of Woodstock, initially struggled during the season. “The first part of the season I had a tough time just getting used to
See HELL’S KITCHEN, page A5
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Unemployment rate falls
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McHenry County’s unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent in June, a post-recession low / E1 STATE
Man in standoff charged
Scott Commings Chef for Loyola University Chicago Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock
See MURDER, page A5
Proven lawyers who are there when the water is rough.
Winning is no accident. Campaign ad called into question An ad for Bruce Rauner may have tailored headlines from news stories to make them appear more negative about his opponent / B2
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A 50-year-old Lake in the Hills man was charged with endangering the life of his teenage son a day after he threatened to kill himself / A4
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“The first part of the season I had a tough time just getting used to everything. It’s a different way of cooking than any of us were used to, a completely different way of doing things in the kitchen.”
A McHenry man who previously was charged with concealing a homicide was charged Wednesday with murder in the death of a woman found in his home, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said. William J. Ross, 62, was charged with concealing a homicide after a maintenance worker in November found the skeletal remains of Jacqueline R. Schaefer in a sealed room inside of Ross’ home William J. outside McHenry. Ross Ross now faces a murder charge after the sheriff’s office and the Illinois State Police Crime Lab identified additional evidence, according to a news release. The sheriff’s office would not specify what the new evidence was. Ross was free on $10,000 bond before he was taken into custody Thursday on the 600 block of Country Club Road. He now is being held in the McHenry County Jail on a $5 million bond. The sheriff’s office said it does not anticipate any additional charges. On Nov. 6, the skeletal remains of the 49-year-old Schaefer were found inside a plastic bag in the sealed bedroom.