WEDNESDAY
S eptember 3 0, 2 01 5 • $1 .0 0
D-C RALLIES
NORTHWEST
Chargers overcome early deficit, hand McHenry its first loss of the season / C1
HERALD
HIGH
LOW
64 43 Complete forecast on page A8
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Romano brother testifies at trial
VIDEO GAMBLING PROFITS PUT ON HOLD
Conversations with defendant recorded By HANNAH PROKOP hprokop@shawmedia.com
GAMING REVENUE DELAY
Shaw Media file photo
A video gaming machine is seen at The Gambler in McHenry. Suburbs who recently enacted video gambling are fearing they won’t get their fair share of tax money until legislators in Springfield approve the state budget.
County municipalities see effects of Illinois budget impasse By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com Add it to the growing list of concerns municipalities have with the budget stalemate in Springfield: The potential to lose thousands in video gambling dollars. Municipalities that host bars and restaurants won’t get their cuts of the profits from the machines until a state budget is in place, Gov. Bruce Rauner has said. The state doesn’t have the authority to distribute video gambling profits to municipalities across the state without a balanced budget, the governor’s office has said. Local governments collect thousands of dollars each month from the machines. In 2014, $10.6 billion was spent at Illinois’ machines, with $9.8 billion paid out to gamblers. And municipalities that allow bars and restaurants to host the machines raked in $42 million, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. It’s unclear how the delayed payments for
By the numbers Top 5 revenue generating municipalities (August 2015) Municipality McHenry Woodstock Lake in the Hills Johnsburg Harvard
Establishments 23 15 6 8 11
Share $20,676 $15,898 $9,121 $8,220 $5,965
Source: Illinois Gaming Board video gambling will affect municipalities at this point. “Obviously this causes issues in providing services,” Woodstock’s Finance Director Paul Christensen said. “I say that, but on the other hand, the city has built significant reserves to weather storms like this.” McHenry and Woodstock are far and away
the most popular places for video gambling in the county, with Lake in the Hills, Johnsburg and Harvard not too far behind. McHenry’s 23 video gambling establishments reaped $41,491 in July and August, according to data from the Gaming Board. Woodstock would have collected about $31,744 in those same two months. There are 19 bars and restaurants in Woodstock with video gaming machines. At the same time, with McHenry’s $19 million annual budget, or Woodstock’s $31 million budget, it’s just a small piece of the pie. “It’s a nice revenue source for the general fund,” said McHenry City Manager Derik Morefield. “But it’s such a small percentage that it won’t make or break us one way or another.” Woodstock’s Christensen added: “I would say its an inconvenience. It causes some uncertainty. While we fully expect the money to come eventually, you’re never 100 percent sure
See GAMBLING, page A7
Voice your opinion: Have you ever used a video gambling machine at a local bar or restaurant? Vote online at NWHerald.com.
WOODSTOCK – A video of an interview with Michael W. Romano being questioned days after his father and stepmother were killed showed John Birk, the current McHenry deputy chief, repeatedly prodding Romano to say he knew who killed his parents. The interview was shown Tuesday in the sixth day of the trial of the former Algon- Michael W. quin resident, 56, be- Romano fore his brother, Nick Romano Jr., testified in court. Nick Sr., 71, and Gloria Romano, 65, were found dead in the early morning hours of Nov. 19, 2006, in their home between Crystal Lake and Cary. Bothhadbeenshotinthebackofthe head – Gloria once and Nick Sr. twice. Michael Romano was indicted on four counts of first-degree murder last year and was extradited from Las Vegas. He denies the charges. When questioning Romano in the taped interview dated Nov. 25, 2006, Birk told Romano he had learned from interviews with people close to Nick Sr. that he wanted nothing to do with Michael Romano and had written him out of his will in 2001 – something Michael Romano said he previously was unaware of. Prosecutors have said Michael Romano made comments about inheriting his parents’ multimillion-dollar estate in the months leading up to the deaths. Birk said there were things Romano was saying that weren’t adding up. Among them was that Romano said he was in his parents’ house for about 30 seconds when he found their dead bodies at about 3 a.m., and he told Birk he saw a shell casing near Gloria’s body, as well as a Camel cigarette butt near her. Birk told Michael Romano in the interview that it didn’t make sense that Romano could notice the shell casing and identify the cigarette
See ROMANO, page A4
Bleacher ruling will not affect CL South homecoming events D-155 board set to discuss bids for demolition, future scheduled events By CAITLIN SWIECA cswieca@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – Although the Community High School District 155 Board is set to discuss bids for the demolition of the Crystal Lake South High School bleachers at its meeting Wednesday, the school’s homecoming festivities will go on this week as planned, according to a statement posted on the district’s website Tuesday afternoon. The affirmation comes five days after the Illinois Supreme Court decided the district must comply with local government zoning and stormwater regulations, which means the dis-
trict needs to comply with the court-ordered demolition of the bleachers unless an alternative option is negotiated. “The Board of Education will review permanent options for removing, reconfiguring, or replacing the bleachers at the Crystal Lake South High School stadium,” the statement, posted by District 155 spokeswoman Shannon Mortimer, said. “There has been no legal action to prohibit events at the stadium in the interim. Accordingly, we are looking forward to Homecoming festivities going forward this week at Crystal Lake South High School.” The announcement added
clarity after a Thursday statement from school board President Ted Wagner said the field would host events last Friday and Saturday, and the district would assess “alternate options regarding future scheduled events at the stadium.” On Monday, McHenry County Judge Michael Chmiel said he doesn’t want any “artificial delays” holding up the demolition or another form of compliance with the city’s zoning ordinances. Chmiel first ordered the bleachers be torn down in October 2014. Chmiel also said the city of Crystal Lake or the property owners who first filed the law-
suit could have come to court Monday with a request to prevent the bleachers from being used at future events, but neither party did so. Annie McGinn, a member of the school’s homecoming committee, said Wagner’s statement and the court decision caused confusion and frustration among those planning this week’s events. The committee is preparing for 6,000 attendees, she said, and had heard rumors the football game could be moved Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com to the field of the team’s oppoCrystal Lake South’s Corey Sheehan is lifted high into the air by teamnent, Dundee-Crown. McGinn said she spent mate Kevin Amren after Sheehan scored a touchdown against Bloom
See BLEACHERS, page A4
Township during a football game Sept. 12 at Crystal Lake South in Crystal Lake.
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Going grain
New facility
Facing charges
Rye berries exhibit versatility in breads, beers, salads / D1
Fox River Grove to discuss public works building at Thursday meeting / A3
Police: Man punched ref after being tossed from soccer game / A3
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