BLACKHAWKS GAMEDAY WRAPPED AROUND SPORTS WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS Game 7: Detroit at Blackhawks 7 p.m. Wednesday, NBCSN
Complete coverage inside Online: NWHerald.com/blackhawks
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 • COOKING OUT
Sausages, peppers help to season your grill Planit Taste, D1
The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
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Prairie Ridge headed to state Sports, C1
Route 14 widening pushed back Project given 2014 start date; Route 47 plan hits snag By SHAWN SHINNEMAN sshinneman@shawmedia.com Motorists who’ve long been riding their brakes on Route 14 between Crystal Lake and Woodstock might be annoyed
House budget avoids big cuts
Woodstock originally was scheduled for construction during the summer of 2012. But it was pushed back a year because the state had trouble acquiring right of way, the Illinois Department of Trans-
to find the state is doing the same on a plan to remedy the congestion. The project to expand from two to five lanes from Crystal Lake Avenue in Crystal Lake to West Lake Shore Drive in
portation told Woodstock officials. Now there could be funding issues, and Woodstock officials say they’ve been given
See ROUTE 14, page A4
Construction updates Start the workweek by making sure your commute goes smoothly. Sign up for the Northwest Herald’s road construction email newsletter to stay updated on local construction projects. Sign up at NWHerald. com/newsletter. The newsletter will be emailed Sunday evenings throughout road construction season. You also can find construction updates online at NWHerald.com/ construction.
CAPACITY TO BITE Dog incidents slightly increase as temps warm up
By SARA BURNETT The Associated Press
See BUDGET, page A4
By JOSEPH BUSTOS
W
jbustos@shawmedia.com
ith the weather working its way toward consistent highs above 70 degrees and into the 80s, more people will be outside enjoying the warmer weather – and many will have their dogs with them. People might be more inclined to let their dogs off the leash to run around, but that might not always be a good idea. Kara Plonczynski, the health educator for McHenry County Animal Control, said dog bites go up during warmer months, but not significantly. She added that most bites occur with the dog owner, a neighbor, friend or someone the dog knows, and usually are accidents.
Illustration by Caleb West – cwest@shawmedia.com
SPRINGFIELD – The Democratic-controlled Legislature began piecing together a new state budget Tuesday that avoids the steep cuts of recent years and also gave final approval to a historic expansion of Medicaid, as Republicans accused their colleagues across the aisle of having “an insatiable appetite to spend money we don’t have.” Lawmakers still must deal with Illinois’ worst-in-thenation state pension crisis – a nearly $100 billion problem that remains unresolved with just Republican days to go in Leader Tom the legislative session. Votes Cross says also are expectDemocrats ed this week refuse to on two other “put a lid on measures that spending.” give Illinois its best chance at generating new revenue: a proposal to expand gambling and another to regulate a high-volume oil and gas drilling process known as “fracking.” A House committee gave initial approval to a $6.6 billion spending plan for elementary and secondary education. It keeps general state aid level for the first time in at least four years, though schools will continue to receive just
See BITE, page A6
Cameras to be allowed in Kane County courtrooms By JONATHAN BILYK jbilyk@shawmedia.com GENEVA – Kane County’s courtrooms soon will gain more visibility for certain trials, beginning in mid-June. Last week, the Illinois Supreme Court signed off on a set of policies and procedures crafted by the judges serving in Kane’s courtrooms that
would allow media organizations to request and gain the use of cameras to cover local court proceedings. “Our hope is introducing cameras will give citizens greater access to their courts, yet still preserve the dignity of the judicial process and the guaranteed right to fair trials,” Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas
LOCALLY SPEAKING
Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride (left) and Dore Michaels of Prairie State Legal Services Lathan Goumas – lgoumas@shawmedia.com
Kilbride said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to Kane County’s results.” Kane County will become the 29th county in Illinois to enact policies permitting cameras in courtrooms under a pilot program launched last year by Kilbride and the Supreme Court. In more than a year since, cameras have been allowed
into courtrooms for several trials, such as the DuPage County murder trial of Johnny Borizov earlier this month. McHenry County Court officials have been moving slowly on cameras in courtrooms. So far, they held a panel discussion where most judges and speakers were extremely hesitant about allow-
CRYSTAL LAKE
PREP SOFTBALL
STUDENTS OFFER MUSIC MENTORING
McHENRY DEFEATED, 8-2, IN SEMIFINALS
A group of Crystal Lake South High School students will volunteer their time to help grade-school students sharpen their musical skills during the summer. The Music Mentors program is free to students in fifth through eighth grades who are enrolled in their school’s band program. Half-hour sessions take place once a week. For more, see page B1.
McHenry softball coach John DiFrancesca instilled in his players a focus on the present. It’s that mindset that kept sophomore pitcher Kristin Koepke and senior second baseman Alexa McClaughery confident despite a persistent Warren team that defeated the Warriors in the Class 4A Prairie Ridge Sectional semifinals. For more, see page C1.
WOODSTOCK: Illinois Supreme Court chief talks access to lawyers and judges. Local&Region, B1
ing cameras in courtrooms as most collar counties have done or are in the process of doing. In addition to DuPage County, cameras are now allowed in courtrooms in DeKalb, Kendall, Lake, Boone and Winnebago counties, among others.
See CAMERAS, page A6
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