STAFF MEMBER DIES
STAT ATTACK
Mike Drake, 50, dies after three-year battle with cancer. He was a staff member with the University Housing and Dining Services.
Men’s and women’s basketball teams recent game stat recaps.
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D ai ly Eastern News WWW.DAILYEASTERNNEWS.COM
THE
“TELL THE TRUTH AND DON’T BE AFRAID”
VOL.97 | ISSUE 76
TUESDAY, January 8, 2013
CHARLESTON | ARSON INVESTIGATION
4-ALARM FIRE DAMAGES NINTH STREET APARTMENT By Robyn Dexter News Editor
A Charleston fire truck waits outside 2007 Ninth St. on Monday after a fire had been put out earlier at that location. The Charleston Fire Department completely closed down Ninth Street for several hours while handling the fire and investigation. No one was injured in the fire; however, five of the 11 apartments in the complex were damaged.
The Charleston Fire Department responded to a four-alarm fire at 2007 Ninth St. at 5 a.m. Monday. Fire Chief Pat Goodwin said the fire department is still in the early stages of investigation. “We’re working with our staff and staff of the state fire marshals as well to secure the building,” he said. “The complex sustained heavy damage, especially the south side.” Goodwin said no one was injured, and the building was evacuated. “We did have some slips and falls (while evacuating people) due to the ice, but other than that, things went well, and we’re in the investigation stage now,” he said. CFD Firefighter Gerald Smith said not much information is available yet because the department is still investigating the fire, and more information will be available at a later time. “(CFD) is still on scene investigating the fire, so we’re hoping we’ll have more information in the next few hours,” Smith said. “It was a goodsized fire, so they’ll be out there investigating for a while.” CFD, the Charleston Police Department and a representative from the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal arson investigation unit are investigating the relationship between the fire and a car that was allegedly vandalized with paint at some point in the night or early morning.
MASTER PL AN | CAMPUS SAFE T Y
HONORS COLLEGE | DEAN VACANCY
JACOB SALMICH | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
MARCUS SMITH | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Firefighters roll up hoses after extinguishing a fire Monday at 2007 Ninth St. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The car that was painted belongs to Stewart Broom, a resident of the apartment complex where the fire took place. Broom said he came back from Champaign late Sunday and woke up because of the fire and found out his car had been painted red. “I looked out my bedroom window, and there were flames in the hallway about 4 feet from our window,” he said. “My wife and I got the kids out to the car, and I stayed to knock on windows and alert people.” When he came outside, Broom said he discovered the vandalism done to his car. Broom said the red paint was all
around the windshield and around the bumper in the back of the car. “There’s gotta be some connection to the fire and the paint,” he said. “When we got back at 9:30 last night, there was nobody around, and this morning it was there.” At 7 p.m. Monday, Goodwin said there was no new update to the status of the investigation. “We’ll be working more (Tuesday), not on the scene but with some other things,” he said. “Right now the cause of the fire is still under investigation.” Robyn Dexter can be reached at 581-2812 or redexter@eiu.edu.
Security plan to be Search for honors dean continues "We have received enough applications to ensure presented to BOT adequate depth in this pool of applicants." By Stephanie Markham Administration Editor
By Stephanie Markham Administration Editor The timeline for implementation of the campus security master plan will depend on future funding, according to Rex Hilligoss, the architect for Facilities, Planning and Management. Eastern joined with security firm Exp U.S. Services to collect data that would help set a plan for improved security systems on campus. Robert Lomb, the project manager, and Scott Henry, the senior security engineer for the firm, addressed how they would create the security master plan to campus governance groups during the past fall semester. Lomb explained in a September meeting to Faculty Senate that the plan would be developed to cover all buildings and outdoor areas, not just specific buildings.
He said data to be collected includes identifying university assets, evaluating security threats and finding how to coordinate new electronic security measures. He also said the plan would be implemented in phases once approved by the Board of Trustees, and the costs of operation would be determined by the level of security needed in each stage. Hilligoss said in an email the security master plan steering committee met during the third week of December to compose a document of data collected by the firm to present to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has previously invested $247,000 in the security firm according to its 2012 summary of purchases.
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Blair Lord, the vice president for academic affairs, formed a search committee last semester to find a new dean of the Honors College. John Stimac, the current Honors College dean, has held the position as a three-year term since 2010. John Best, a psychology professor and the chairman of the search committee, said the group began reviewing applications in December 2012, and the position will be open July 1. He said the committee is accepting electronic applications from anywhere, including within the university. “We have received enough applications to ensure adequate depth in this pool of applicants,” Best said. The committee will review the submitted applications, compare each candidate to the job requirements, and then begin a process of phone interviews, he said.
John Best, chairman of Honors College dean search committee
According to the job description on Eastern’s website, the dean reports to the vice president for academic affairs and is responsible for undergraduate honors student recruitment, retention, support, curriculum and coordination with other academic departments. Best said a large number of constituents will get the chance to interview and evaluate the candidates, including honors faculty and staff, honors students, other deans and chairpersons. “After the phone inter views, there will be a process where some of those individuals will be interviewed on campus by all of the constituents,” he said. “We’ll gather information about how that interview process went, and finally the
search committee will write a list of recommendations and submit that to the provost who will make a decision.” Best said the committee would be looking for individuals who have a vision for honors and can provide leadership. The new dean will need to be able to lead students through completion of the honors program and ensure the honors faculty members are well qualified, he said. “They’re responsible for the overall quality of the honors experience and making sure honors students have the highest quality experience they can have with the recourses available,” Best said.
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