DDC-1-26-2013

Page 1

WEEKEND EDITION

$1.50

Breaking news at Daily-Chronicle.com

Serving DeKalb County since 1879

USA WEEKEND • inside

pet project • LIFESTYLE, C1

Kick off your Super Bowl bash with Guy Fieri’s gridiron grub

Analyst: Labor market seeing improvements

Golden retrievers, like Louie, could help dog cancer study

school Showing

pride

County’s labor force grew by about 400 from Nov. to Dec. By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com

DeKALB – DeKalb County’s streak of lower yearover-year unemployment continued in December. Although December’s unemployment rate of 7.7 percent rose from 7.3 percent in November, it still was better than the December 2011 rate of 8.4 percent. Norman Kelewitz, an analyst with the Illinois Department of Employment Security, said December was the 13th consecutive month of year-overyear declines in unemployment for the county. “The economy has been improving,” Kelewitz said. “The labor market has been getting better.” The county’s labor force grew by about 400 from November to December, increasing to 59,868. There were 4,582 unemployed county residents in December, the data showed. Norm Walzer, a senior research fellow at Northern Illinois University’s Center for Governmental Studies, said the growth in the labor force was a positive. He added that there could be a number of reasons why the unemployment rate increased

month-to-month. “Discouraged workers are coming back into the labor force and are now shown as unemployed figures,” Walzer said. “There might be cutbacks in businesses. We’d expect more employment in December because of the Christmas season.” Even though the weather has been temperate compared with past years, Kelewitz said certain job sectors – such as construction and retail – slow down in the winter after the Christmas season. “January [unemployment] will go up because of less construction, plus a decline in retail,” Kelewitz said. “It happens every year.” In terms of unemployment, DeKalb County has come a long way since the Great Recession from December 2007 to June 2009. In December 2009, DeKalb County’s unemployment rate was 10.7 percent, Kelewitz said. In December 2006, it was 3.8 percent. “There has been a vast improvement, but things were very bad,” Kelewitz said. “We’re coming down from a historically very high unemployment.”

Ill. politicians lead varied push for new gun laws By DON BABWIN The Associated Press

CHICAGO – U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin campaigned in his home state Friday for gun control legislation he co-sponsored in Washington this week, including an assault weapons ban. The Illinois Democrat, who was joined at a Chicago news conference by the city’s police superintendent, acknowledged that it will be difficult to get the legislation passed but said Dick Durbin he is optimistic nonetheless. He echoed a sentiment many others have expressed over the past month: that the slayings of 20 small children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school was the “tipping point” that should persuade lawmakers to enact tougher gun laws. “What will it take to move Congress when it comes to sensible gun laws? It took Newtown, Connecticut.,” Durbin said. “Now the conversation is much more serious and the opportunities are dramatically better.” In addition to the assault weapons ban, Durbin has

proposed a bill that would crack down on so-called straw buyers, or people who buy guns on behalf of people who aren’t allowed to own them. Durbin is among several prominent Democrats following President Barack Obama’s lead in pushing for tougher gun laws. Obama has cited the gun violence in his hometown of Chicago as part of his push to tighten the nation’s gun laws. In Washington on Friday, Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago reintroduced the Trafficking Reduction and Criminal Enforcement Act, which is designed to hinder the illegal gun market by improving gun tracking data. Illinois’ other U.S. senator, Republican Mark Kirk, is working with Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia on legislation targeting gun trafficking. “Proud to partner w/(at) Senator Kirk to introduce the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act next week — common sense bipartisan gun safety reform,” Gillibrand tweeted Thursday. Kirk’s office confirmed the senator’s involvement Friday.

See GUN LAWS, page A6

Saturday-Sunday, January 26-27, 2013

Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com

Skyler Hayward (left), 9, gets an autograph from Mr. Spartan before the girls basketball game Friday between DeKalb and Sycamore at the Convocation Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

‘Biggest game of year’ also marks end of Castle Challenge fundraiser By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com

Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com

Kayla Baum (left) and Melissa Sieglinger dance during halftime of the girls basketball game Friday between Sycamore and DeKalb.

DeKALB – For the students of DeKalb and Sycamore high schools, Friday was one of the biggest nights of the year. Fans of the Spartans and Barbs packed the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center to see their respective boys and girls basketball teams take each other on. “It’s the biggest game of the year,” said DeKalb senior Teague Walker. Like other students in the DeKalb section, Walker was completely decked out in white. She said it was to show solidarity with the DeKalb team, who was wearing white that game. For some of the Sycamore fans, the theme was chaos. Sycamore seniors Mark Barron and Colin Eggleson said they tried to get as many students as possible to wear the craziest thing they had in their possession. “We don’t want no dull outfits,” Eggleson said. “We’re not DeKalb ... We live for this night.” Eggleson wore a black shirt with blackand-yellow striped overalls. Barron wore a cow costume, complete with udders and a mask. Barron said it was the craziest thing he had in his closet. Not to be outdone, Eggleson added that he also had a gorilla costume with him.

See CASTLE CHALLENGE, page A6

More online To view a photo gallery or video from the game, visit Daily-Chronicle.com. Kyle Bursaw – kbursaw@shawmedia.com

Sycamore fan Mark Barron, 17, cheers for the Spartans during the second half of the girls game. DeKalb defeated Sycamore, 36-18, Friday in their annual game at the Convocation Center.

Inside For complete game stories, turn to PAGE B1.

Freshman David Long, 14, hands out balloons to DeKalb fans during the third quarter of the girls game Friday between Sycamore and DeKalb. Rob Winner – rwinner@ shawmedia. com

Inside today’s Daily Chronicle Lottery Local news Obituaries

A2 A3-4 A4

National and world news Opinions Sports

Weather

A2, A5 A7 B1-4

Advice Comics Classified

C4 C5 C6-8

High:

22

Low:

17


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.