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Wednesday, April 3, 2013
NEW USE FOR OLD FAVORITE
Pressure cooker makes risotto a fast and easy dish Food, C1
PREP BASEBALL • SPORTS, B1
DeKalb waits a season to play games at home
DeKalb shortstop Jared Johnson
Prosecutors: Curl agrees to deal Agreement proposes 37-year prison sentence in slaying of NIU student By JILLIAN DUCHNOWSKI jduchnowski@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – William “Billy” Curl would be 71 years old when he gets out of prison under a plea agreement he’s expected to accept today for the 2010 slaying of college freshman Antinette “Toni” Keller. DeKalb County State’s Attorney Richard Schmack said the 37-
year proposed prison sentence is the stiffest penalty negotiated in DeKalb County, except for a case that was eligible for the death penalty, since 1980. If finalized, the plea agreement would avoid a trial that could last for weeks and eliminate the possibility that Curl could be acquitted. “Our job is to protect the public,” Schmack said Tuesday. “We
have Mr. Curl in jail. We believe he killed Antinette Keller. We believe very strongly about that. We want him to go to prison. That is not a sure thing when you go to trial. That is a sure thing when you plea it out.” Curl, 36, of DeKalb, was scheduled to stand trial April 11 on charges alleging he raped and murdered Keller, then burned
her body and her belongings. Keller, an 18-year-old Northern Illinois University freshman from Plainfield, was last seen about noon Oct. 14, 2010, when she told friends she was going for a walk in Prairie Park. Her burned remains were found in the park two days later. Curl’s public defenders and two prosecutors spent about 45
minutes Tuesday discussing details of the crime, potential sentences and a possible plea agreement in Judge Robbin Stuckert’s private chambers. “I am very comfortable with what we did,” Schmack said. “Everyone in my office thinks this was a good result.”
William “Billy” Curl
See DEAL, page A3
DeKALB MAYOR’S RACE
DOUGLAS BAKER TO LEAD NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Candidate Groce will focus on cooperation
Presidential opportunity
By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com
Photos by Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
The newly appointed president of Northern Illinois University, Douglas Baker, speaks Tuesday at Altgeld Hall on the NIU campus in DeKalb. Baker will begin his term in July.
Baker focused on making NIU centered on students By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Where others saw problems, Douglas Baker saw opportunity. As Baker progressed further into the interview process that eventually led him to becoming Northern Illinois University’s 12th president, he became more excited about joining an institution he believes has the untapped resources to become the national standard for a 21st century public university. It is a potential that some prospective candidates, such as Murray State University President Randy Dunn, never
saw citing NIU’s ongoing investigations as too troublesome to pursue the opportunity. “Every university has its challenges,” Baker said. “But the strengths at this university are just so big I had no hesitation coming here. ... It’s a very positive opportunity.” Baker, who is executive vice president at the University of Idaho, in Moscow, Idaho, was unanimously selected Tuesday as the successor to NIU President John Peters by the NIU Board of Trustees. Baker was selected from an initial pool of about 48 candidates and four finalists for the position.
See BAKER, page A4
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For complete coverage of the presentation of Northern Illinois University’s newest president, Douglas Baker, including a video interview and a photo gallery, visit Daily-Chronicle.com.
Douglas Baker (left) introduces his wife, Dana L. Stover, at Altgeld Hall on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb. Baker is the 12th president in NIU’s history.
Douglas Baker n Birthplace: Hood River, Ore. n Age: 57 n Education: Doctorate from the University of Nebraska; baccalaure-
ate and master’s degrees from Colorado State University. n Job: Set to become NIU president on July 1; has been provost and executive vice president at the University of Idaho since 2005. n Family: Married to Dana L. Stover; two daughters, Hannah and Robin n Research focus: Numerous publications on organization strategy and structure, motivation and leadership and sexual harassment n Interests: Kayaking, hiking, golf and playing basketball. He and his wife are motorcycle enthusiasts who in the summer of 2012 drove their imported cycles through Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies.
DeKALB – Jennifer Groce was raised believing in the ideals of her great-uncle, who taught her that government is not a “them,” it’s an “us.” When she left Decatur for college, she wanted to study the federal government, but it wasn’t until she saw the DeKalb League of Women Voters in action that she began to appreciate local government. “They put the ‘good’ in good governance. They walked it,” Groce said. “Getting to come in and see that, the change they had been a part of, was so inspiring.” Twenty-five years after she arrived in DeKalb, Groce is one of four candidates vying for the mayor’s office in the Tuesday’s election. When Groce took the stage at a closed-door candidates’ forum hosted by the DeKalb Area Renters Association in January, she described herself as the “ice rink lady.” Groce is a research associate at Northern Illinois University’s Center for Governmental Studies. Before that, she was director of Re:New DeKalb when the city bought and later dismantled a synthetic ice rink that sat at the corner of First and Locust streets. Groce said she initially thought it wouldn’t work, but popular demand and the fact it was synthetic pushed her into supporting it. “It just seemed like, boy, this is really aligning well,” Groce said. “But the lesson learned is, if you don’t execute something with excellence, don’t do it. ... We should have looked harder at the conversations we had with the other units of government.” Groce joined Re:New DeKalb in 2003, when it was known as Main Street DeKalb. Groce says the community has benefitted from the organization’s work. In particular, she reflected on the praise the group received from members of the
JENNIFER GROCE n Age: 36 n Education:
Bachelor’s degree, political science, Northern Illinois University; graduate certificate in regional economic development, Northern Illinois University n Career: Research associate, Northern Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies n Marital status: Married, husband Eric n Children: Alex and Sabrina
Election Central For complete coverage of local election races, visit elections. dailychronicle. com.
See GROCE, page A2
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