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Coroner says student death accidental CHRISTINA SPAKOUSKY Daily Egyptian SIUC student Juan Ochoa, 25, of Bensonville, was found dead in his home Tuesday by Carbondale police. The death was accidental, said Jackson County Coroner Thomas Kupferer on Wendesday. He said the reason for Ochoa’s death would be determined by a toxicology report, which could take up to a month to process. Ochoa, a junior studying philosophy, was commonly referred to as “Juano� and deeply cared for his friends, said Ochoa’s girlfriend Angie Owcarz. “He liked to dance a lot. He liked to be with people that he loved, travel and play pool,� said Owcarz. “He went to shows and he loved the Grateful Dead more than anything in the world.� James Perez, Ochoa’s uncle, of Elmurst, said he spoke on behalf of the family and wanted people to know Ochoa had a very loving and supportive family. “Everyone that had a chance to meet or know Juan knows how special he was,� Perez said. University chaplain Robert Gray said Ochoa’s family would have the funeral in his hometown. Owcarz, a junior from Woodstock studying glass art, said a benefit for Ochoa’s family would be held at Tres Hombres at 7 p.m. Thursday. All of the funds will go to Ochoa’s family, and people are asked to wear Hawaiian shirts or brightly colored clothing to honor Ochoa, Owcarz said. She said she is expecting a large turnout. “(Ochoa) thought Carbondale was one of the most beautiful places in the world with some of the most beautiful people,� Owcarz said. “He had a beautiful soul.�
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Christina Spakousky can be reached at xtina25@siu.edu or 536-3311 ext. 258.
veryone that had a chance to meet or know Juan knows how special he was — James Perez Ochoa’s Uncle
ISAAC SMITH | DAILY EGYPTIAN
Hurley Haskea, 13, of Marion, eats a turkey sandwich Wednesday in the new Jimmy John’s location at 515 ½ South Illinois Ave. Jimmy John’s recently moved from 519 ½ South Illinois Ave. to its new spot, leaving behind yet another vacant property — one of nine empty spaces on the Strip.
Booby’s latest vacancy on Strip CHRISTINA SPAKOUSKY Daily Egyptian One of the city’s oldest restaurants has closed its doors, adding yet another empty property to the Strip. After more than 30 years, Booby’s Submarine Sandwiches at 406 S. Illinois St. in Carbondale unexpectedly closed during the holiday break. Many other businesses have closed or moved — some because of damage from last year’s ice storm or the May 8 derecho, but others say it’s simply a lack of foot traffic that has led to the vacancies on the Strip. Mayor Brad Cole said Carbondale’s downtown is not the only downtown suffering by the failing economy. “It’s a long-term process and an important area of town that we’re trying to get some momentum towards,� Cole said. Nine vacant properties stand between Mill Street and Route 13, waiting for that boost. But that might not happen because the Strip just isn’t what it used to be, said Alicia Niemeyer, Booby’s general manager.
Niemeyer said the lack of foot traffic downtown left the business struggling for revenue, and they decided to sublease the property. A businessman interested in renting the property made all the necessary arrangements but canceled at the last minute, Niemeyer said. “The focus is not on the Strip anymore by the community,� Niemeyer said. “It (used to be) the prime spot.� Jeff Hill, bass player for the Himalayas, a local band, said after Hangar 9 was irreparably damaged by the ice storm, Booby’s began supporting the music scene, offering a place where eclectic, racy bands could play. He said now there isn’t much happening on the Strip compared to 20 years ago, and bands have very few places to perform. “What you see in town right now is the absence of bar venues,� Hill said. “To see (Booby’s) go away would be a pretty big loss.� While so many properties remain empty, some business owners are hopeful that things are turning around, even if they aren’t necessarily removing vacancies from the area. Pagliai’s should complete its move from
515 S. Illinois Ave. to 509 S. Illinois Ave.—an old bookstore just north of the old Hangar 9—by mid-February, said Melissa Parsons, general manager. And Jimmy John’s moved from 519 1/2 S. Illinois. Ave. to 515 1/2 S. Illinois Ave. last month. Parsons said she hopes the new Pagliai’s would attract business by offering more parking and 10 50-inch flat screen TVs for sports fans. “Pag’s has always been a staple of Carbondale,� Parsons said. “The old one was great but didn’t have new kitchens and couldn’t entertain large parties.� Students deserve a more developed entertainment area because they are such an important part of the business model in a college town, said Ken Butler, owner of the Jimmy John’s franchise. “No one can deny the majority of business is the students,� Butler said. “The city needs to cater to them a bit more.�
Christina Spakousky can be reached at xtina25@siu.edu or 536-3311 ext. 258.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Juan Ochoa, from Bensonville, right, poses for a picture with Angie Owcarz, a junior from Woodstock studying glass art. Police found Ochoa dead Tuesday at his home in Carbondale.
PABLO TOBON | DAILY EGYPTIAN