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West Nile Virus risk rises PAGE 10
D209 votess on budgett PAGE 12
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
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Forest Park fire chief announces retirement McDermott taking over as head of North Riverside Fire Department By BOB UPHUES Editor
Fire Chief Bob McDermott is retiring from a 32-year career as a firefighter in Forest Park at the end of the month. McDermott, 53, is a Forest Park native and Nazareth Academy graduate who lives in LaGrange Park. He was elevated to fire chief in Forest Park in 2016 after 11 years as deputy chief. He started his career as a fulltime firefighter there in 1988. McDermott, who will split his time between North Riverside and Forest Park through the end of September, reported for his first day in North Riverside on Sept. 4. “The timing could not have been more perfect,” said McDermott, who said it was time for him to leave the firehouse that’d been his second home for three decades. “I’ve been either deputy chief or chief in Forest Park for the past 17 years, and I think there comes a point where organizations are ready for a change,” McDermott said. “I think Forest Park is ready for a change.” North Riverside Fire Chief John Kiser resigned from his post Sept. 3, paving the way for the village to hire McDermott. North Riverside Mayor Hubert Hermanek Jr. said he interviewed McDermott on Monday, Aug. 30 after an internal candidate had turned down an offer to become fire chief. That candidate reportedly recomSee FIRE CHIEF on page 11
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
HEROIC
Last month, Dina Farrington (right) donated a kidney to Billy Brown (left), pictured with his mother Julie Brown. Dina and Julie both work at Garfield School.
Amidst pandemic, a selfless gift
D91 teacher donates kidney to colleague’s son By MARIA MAXHAM Editor
On Aug. 20, Billy Brown, son of District 91 teacher Julie Brown, received a new kidney. The donor? Dina Far-
IN Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 THIS Big Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 ISSUE Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
rington, another teacher in the district. “As soon as she found out about it, and without any hesitation, she just went for it,” said Julie Brown, whose 19-year-old son Billy is improving every day from his surgery. Farrington learned about Billy’s condition on Facebook after Brown posted the story. “We were at our wit’s end because he was going to be having to start dialysis, and my husband Ed said, ‘Why don’t
you put Billy’s story on Facebook?’” said Brown. A number of people had already come forward willing to donate a kidney, including herself, her husband, and her other children, but none were candidates. Other relatives volunteered, but for various reasons, including age, health conditions, and wrong blood type, weren’t viable matches. “So I posted Billy’s story on FaceSee KIDNEY TRANSPLANT on page 7
Not your average a cappella
New tattoo shop in town
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