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ON THE COVER
Angela Schiola, Stage Coach Players community outreach chair, sorts donated food Nov. 12 at the Stage Coach Theatre in Dekalb. The food collected will be assembled into dinner boxes to provide local families with a Thanksgiving meal. See story, page 6.
Photo by Mark Busch
Ducky’s awarded $6.2K DeKalb city grant to repair roof, plumbing
Grant is part of city’s architectural program to help local businesses
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Ducky’s, a formalwear boutique in downtown DeKalb, has been granted more than $6,200 to help pay for plumbing and roof work at 250 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb.
The $6,283 architectural improvement program grant, payable in 2025, was awarded to owner Diane Hosey after recent action taken by the City Council.
In a 5-0-1 vote, DeKalb city leaders awarded the grant funding to Ducky’s. Mayor Cohen Barnes recused himself from the vote because he owns commercial property, including Sundog IT, that falls within the boundaries of the downtown tax increment financing district. Fifth Ward Alderman Andre Powell and 6th Ward Alderman Mike Verbic were absent.
City Manager Bill Nicklas said he believes it’s a fair ask to support the owner’s request for the grant.
The project is expected to cost the owner about $30,650 in total, city documents show.
“She’s obviously paying more than that for the project,” Nicklas said. “But for what happened with our investigation of the sewers, this probably could have been done in July or August.”
In June 2024, Ducky’s and several downtown buildings were awarded a separate TIF grant as part of a larger building sewer and stormwater system improvement project.
PUZZLE ANSWERS
puzzlesonpage16
Ducky’s Formal Wear, 250 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, has been granted more than $6,200 to help pay for plumbing and roof work.
“There were four buildings downtown that had identified cross connections between their building sewer and our stormwater system,” Nicklas said. “Much of the money that the council voted at the time went into two main extensions at different parts of the downtown in the 100 block and the 200 block on the south side of the downtown area. All four of the current building owners were not considered party to the creation. In fact, they did not know about the cross connection. Ducky’s was one of those.”
Nicklas said the city has long known about Ducky’s need for roof work and tuckpointing.
“Coincidentally at the time, Ducky’s was looking at a roof replacement, tuckpointing and not unlike what was done on the north side of the road and the 200 block just earlier in the spring,” Nicklas said. “But that had to be set aside because they also had unexpected expenses having to do with the plumbing that had to be done inside their basement. But the roof issues have continued and aren’t getting any better.”
While the city’s TIF architectural improvement program grant fund has been depleted for the year, council action authorized payment to Ducky’s to be accounted for and distributable with the fiscal 2025 budget, city documents show.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
CORRECTIONS
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Shaw Local News Network file photo
THE ARTS AT NIU
6 candidates file for D-427 seats in April consolidated election
By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – With the candidate petition filing period for the April consolidated election officially closed, Sycamore voters can expect to see familiar and new names on the ballot for the Sycamore School District 427 board.
Two people known for their involvement in the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival were the first to file their paperwork, and one of them would be a fresh face for the board. Festival committee president Jonathon “Cole” Regnery, first to file, said he’s running for the board because he likes community service and wants to find a way to further give back.
“I think the Sycamore school board does a lot of things right,” Regnery said. “I think a couple of things they could do better is get a tentative budget out in May. A lot of our peer districts do, and this will help build transparency and trust with the voters.”
Regnery said he also wants to see long-term plans for capital expenditures detailed by the school district.
“[It] would build a lot of trust and also just be a good fiscal idea going forward,” Regnery said. “I want to make sure we keep supporting teachers and students any way that we can, and
Sycamore school board member Eric Jones, board president
dent Steve Wilder attend a school board meeting Aug. 27 at
responsible planning for the future is the best way to do that.”
Sycamore school board President Michael DeVito, who took over the board’s presiding role after longtime board President Jim Dombek died in August, filed his papers second, according to the DeKalb County Clerk’s Office.
Over the past three months, DeVito has steered the board through a myriad of formal updates to best practices and procedures. He said he still has more to do.
WIC OFFERS CHOICES FOR CHILDREN
and
“I’ve got a job to finish,” DeVito said. “I believe that I can still offer more to the community and the school district. And so right now, I’m really trying to focus on being a positive agent for change with our board in board governance, adherence to policy and just really making sure that we focus on our mission and vision of the school district.”
Four other candidates, including three school board incumbents, also filed by the Nov. 18 deadline for the spring election.
Incumbent Eric Jones will seek to retain his seat, while Alan Zantout, who was appointed by the board to fill Dombek’s vacant seat this fall, will seek a full elected term. Christian Copple, who got his seat on the board when a position on the board went unfilled in the 2023 consolidated election, will seek the two-year unexpired term. Jones, Zantout and Copple were not immediately available for comment.
Heather Tomlinson, a mother of a Sycamore school district student who said she’s studying for a bachelor’s degree in social work, also filed to run.
“I wouldn’t want an open seat available, so I thought I would get involved and see if there was any good I could do in the community,” Tomlinson said.
Asked what she’d want to focus on if elected, Tomlinson said she wants to hone in on safety and the quality of education for Sycamore students.
“Just making sure that students are getting the care that they need, and the learning programs that they need, and that our safety measures are in place,” Tomlinson said. “We did have a couple of threats for safety this year, and that was very concerning to me as a parent. So I just would like to be involved in decision-making for things like that.”
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Children can enjoy milk, yogurt, cereal, eggs, juice, peanut butter, beans, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and more with WIC benefits!
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Camden Lazenby file photo
Michael DeVito
Superinten-
Sycamore Middle School.
Kishwaukee Valley Art League events planned
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – The Kishwaukee Valley Art League has planned several events and programs in December at Gallery on State, 322 W. State St., Sycamore.
The league’s next general meeting is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 5. It will include an artist demonstration and “Create With KVAL” challenge.
KVAL will participate in Sycamore’s Winter Chocolate Walk from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 12. Attendees can visit downtown businesses to sample chocolate treats. The league will serve chocolate treats and host its Holiday Arts and Crafts Market and “Create with KVAL” event. Participants can buy holiday gifts and watch KVAL artists demonstrate. Entry cards and hot cocoa mugs are available at Blumen Gardens, 403 Edward St., Sycamore. To buy tickets, visit discoversycamore.com.
The Second Saturday series will
LOCAL NEWS BRIEF
Financial wellness workshop set for Dec. 2 in DeKalb DeKALB – The DeKalb Public Library will host a workshop on financial wellness for people with disabilities. The free workshop will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 2 in the library’s lower-level
continue from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 14. This month’s free program will be hosted by KVAL artist Rick Borrett. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own art supplies.
The league’s “Secret Subject” challenge cards are available at the gallery. KVAL members can draw sealed envelopes containing a one-word “secret subject” card and create a piece depicting the subject. The artwork will be presented at the league’s general meeting Feb. 6.
KVAL is collecting new art supplies to donate to local charities. They can be dropped off at Gallery on State through Dec. 15. Monetary donations also will be accepted.
Applications are available for the 54th annual Northern Illinois Art Show set for June on the front lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse, 133 W. State St., Sycamore. The show will feature up to 70 artisans exhibiting various fine arts and crafts mediums. To apply, visit the gallery or kval-nfp. org.
Zimmerman Meeting Room, 309 Oak St.
To view a downloadable resources list, visit the National Disability Institute. No registration is required. For information, email susang@dkpl. org or call 815-756-9568, ext. 2114.
– Shaw Local News Network
Photo provided by the Kishwaukee Valley Art League
The Kishwaukee Valley Art League will host several events and programs in December at Gallery on State, 322 W. State St., Sycamore.
‘It’s just community, it’s wonderful’
Stage Coach Players, DeKalb community, donate Thanksgiving meals
By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – A DeKalb-based acting troupe has taken it upon themselves to give back to the community that attends their performances by partnering with The Salvation Army to help fill plates on Thanksgiving.
This week Stage Coach Players donated dozens of Thanksgiving meals to people who may not be able to afford the tastiest parts of this week’s holiday. While many member of the Stage Coach Players contributed to the more than 50 boxes of meals that were donated, organizers said the wider DeKalb community got in on the endeavor.
Gloria Dennison, a member of Stage Coach Players and one of the main organizers of the charitable effort, said she was “really impressed with the outpouring of giving from the community.”
On the last night to donate, the basement of Stage Coach Theatre, 126 S. Fifth St., DeKalb, was packed with nonperishable Thanksgiving meal items.
“They have given cash so that we can get the gift cards for the turkeys,” Dennison said. “They have given us all kinds of, as you can see, mountains of food.”
The group has held an annual Thanksgiving food drive since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic spurred the group to find a way to give back to the community. That first year they donated about 100 meals, but Stage Coach Players Outreach Committee member Jan Kuntz said 50 meals has become their usual goal in the years since.
“It’s just community, it’s wonderful,” Kuntz said. It puts the community in our theater, and that’s what is gratifying.”
Kuntz and Dennison said more people who have not previously donated contributed to this year’s effort than they were expecting, but were happy to spend their time sorting through and organizing the donations.
The dinner boxes feature enough food for six to eight people and a $15 gift card for a turkey. The boxes also include canned sweet potatoes, green beans, pinto beans, hot cocoa mix, cranberry sauce, diced fruit, whole kernel corn, jarred or canned gravy, boxed dry potatoes, stuffing, dessert mix and bagged white rice.
Those aren’t the only items the Stage Coach Players are collecting, however. As the community prepares
I don’t think people realize that, they think we’ve bounced back from everything but it’s still crunch time for many people. People are still hurting and needing, and The Salvation Army gives so much.”
for the next major holiday season, which now is only weeks away, the group will collect toys for the Angel Tree sponsored by the DeKalb Salvation Army.
Kuntz said she’s happy the theater has partnered with The Salvation Army and believes many underesti -
mate how impactful their support can be for people.
“I don’t think people realize that, they think we’ve bounced back from everything but it’s still crunch time for many people,” Kuntz said. “People are still hurting and needing, and The Salvation Army gives so much. And I
don’t think people realize how much they do for the community.”
The angel tree, which contains tags with descriptions of the needs and wants of area children, can be found outside the theater from 4 to 6 p.m.
Photos by Mark Busch
Donna O’Hagan (front), a Stage Coach Players member, and Angela Schiola, Stage Coach Players community outreach chair, sort donated food into boxes Nov. 12 at the Stage Coach Theatre in DeKalb. The food collected will be assembled into dinner boxes to provide local families with a Thanksgiving meal.
Jan Kuntz, Stage Coach Players Outreach Committee member
Kathy Cain of Sycamore drops off items for the food drive Nov. 12 at the Stage Coach Theatre in DeKalb. The food collected will be assembled into dinner boxes to provide local families with a Thanksgiving meal.
Rooted For Good lists December Grow Mobile
contact@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Rooted For Good released a list of December locations for Grow Mobile, a mobile food pantry that offers free food and household items to all who visit, no requirements necessary.
Rooted For Good is working to ensure the well-being of residents, staff and volunteers. Organizers ask that people practice good hand hygiene and stay home if they are ill.
To receive Grow Mobile alerts, text FreeGroceries to 844-727-2012.
Grow Mobile dates in December:
• 3:30 to 5 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Malta Historical Society, 127 N. Third St., Malta.
• 4 to 5 p.m. Dec. 3 at Hinckley First
United Methodist Church, 801 N. Sycamore St., Hinckley.
• 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 5 at University Village Apartments, 722 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
• 12:30 to 2 p.m. Dec. 10 at Family Service Agency, 1325 Sycamore Road, DeKalb.
• 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Cortland Lions Club Shelter, 70 S. Llanos St., Cortland.
• 11 a.m. to noon Dec. 12 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 830 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
• 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 17 at University Village Apartments, 722 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
• 3:30 to 5 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Malta Historical and Genealogical Society, 127 N. Third St., Malta.
Holiday feast customs subject of next lecture in DeKalb County History Center series
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – The December hybrid Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore series will feature a lecture on holiday feast customs.
The free lecture will be held at noon Dec. 5 at the history center, 1730 N. Main St., Sycamore.
During the lecture, Culinary Historians of Northern Illinois Vice President Bruce Kraig will discuss how the holiday feast customs are based on 19th century stories. The lecture also highlights stories by Charles Dickens, Washington Irving, Clement Clarke Moore and Sarah Josepha Hale.
“Connecting celebrations and traditions we love with their contexts is a
• FOOD COLLECTION
Continued from page 6
Nov. 26, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10. Participants are encouraged to take a tag and return it with a new, unwrapped gift or toy.
While angel tree tags still are avail-
fun way to build one’s understanding of history,” DeKalb County History Center Executive Director Michelle Donahoe said in a news release. “This is just one example of how we are creatively exploring topics connected to our exhibit ‘FOOD: Gathering Around the Table.’”
The “Dickens and Holiday Food Traditions” lecture is part of Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore, a free lecture series offered as part of a collaboration between the DeKalb County History Center and the Ellwood House Museum.
Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore is funded in part by the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture Fund.
For information, visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762.
able for the taking, Dennison said on Nov. 19 that a couple of people already had donated a large amount of toys to the cause.
“We don’t know who they are, they saw the information in the paper and they came down and they filled the whole box with toys,” Dennison said.
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
Glidden Homestead to host ‘Holiday at the Homestead’ DeKALB – The J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center will host a “Holiday at the Homestead” open house to support the museum.
The event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 1 on the homestead’s second floor, 921 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb.
The open house includes an “Annie’s Story Time” for families at 1 p.m. Music will be performed by DeKalb High School orchestra students at 2 p.m.
The museum’s gift shop features various stocking stuffers including hand-forged bottle openers and candy canes. The blacksmiths also will provide demonstrations, weather permitting. Coffee and cookies will be served.
Joseph Farwell Glidden invented one of the most widely used types of barbed wire in 1873. The invention changed the American West’s history and impacted the world. The homestead was restored and preserved by a nonprofit organization in 1995.
Admission to the open house costs $5 and is free for homestead members and children ages 14 and younger.
The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center is a nonprofit organization working to preserve the home and barn while providing educational opportunities to the public.
For information, call 815-756-7904 or email jessi@gliddenhomestead.org.
DeKalb County History Center to host holiday open house Dec. 7 SYCAMORE – The DeKalb County History Center will host a holiday open house to thank the community.
The free event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 7 at the history center, 1730 N. Main St., Sycamore.
Attendees can tour the center’s “FOOD: Gathering Around the Table” exhibit. The event also will feature snacks, crafts and hot chocolate.
“It’s the time of year where we want to say thank you and open the door for new people to visit the History Center,” DeKalb County History Center Executive Director Michelle Donahoe said in a news release. “Having events like this creates an opportunity for the community to come and check out this great local treasure and even start a new family tradition. There is something for everyone at this event.”
“FOOD: Gathering Around the Table” is
a Smithsonian exhibit that features agriculture, technology, food, local festivals, and cooking stories and a hands-on section for children to play “grocery store.”
For information, visit dekalbcountyhistory.org or call 815-895-5762.
DeKalb church to host Bread and Roses concert Dec. 7
DeKALB – Bread and Roses will perform a “Making Music in the Heart” winter concert Dec. 7.
The free concert will begin at 3 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 830 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
The concert will feature a mix of seasonal favorites and meaningful songs such as “Here Comes the Sun,” “Let it Be” and “Blackbird.”
Dimensions Dance Academy’s Rock n’ Roll Wheelchair dance class students will perform to the song “This Is Me.” Goodwill donations for DeKalb Migrant Aid will be accepted.
Bread and Roses is a DeKalb-based chorus of about 25 women who travel to many surrounding areas to perform, including St. Charles, Kirkland and Huntley.
For information, visit breadandroseschorus.org, dimensionsdanceacademy. com or dekalbmigrantaid.com.
Celebration Chorale’s Christmas cantata begins Dec. 7 in DeKalb
DeKALB – The Celebration Chorale will perform its annual “The Song of Bethlehem” Christmas cantata for the holiday season.
The free performance will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 and 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at First United Methodist Church, 2501 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb.
The cantata, directed by Christine Monteiro, features a collection of new and familiar carols. The group also will perform three songs from the “Home Alone” movie series.
Free-will offerings will be accepted. The church is handicapped-accessible. Parking will be available next to the church.
Celebration Chorale was founded in 1994 and features singers from various religious backgrounds and area churches.
For information, email thecelebrationchorale@gmail.com, call 815-739-6087, or visit the group’s Facebook page.
– Shaw Local News Network
LOOKING BACK
1924 – 100 YEARS AGO
R. E. Fellows, members of the state department having charge of the issuing of auto licenses, is spending a few days in DeKalb, checking up on autos who are driving without state license and chauffeurs who have not secured a state license giving them the privilege to drive an auto for hire or for another person. There are several people in this city who are being checked over by Mr. Fellows to determine if the person is meeting the requirements of the law. A taxi driver of this city was picked up yesterday and questioned as to the whereabouts of his chauffeur’s license. According to the state law it is necessary that the license be shown in plain view.
Arresting one speeder last evening, the police department today stated that the war on speeders in the vicinity of the Apolo piano factory will continue until the autoists of that neighborhood have slowed down to the city speed rate. The complaints that have been made make it necessary for the department to make arrests. All of the workers at the factory do not use autos, and many ride on bicycles and according to one complaint received, the condition had become such that it was not safe for a bicyclist to ride on the pavement for fear of being run down.
It is a popular error to imagine that a dictionary is only for the student, the literary man, or the professional worker. Improve the language of people and you elevate their standards of intelligence. We do not hesitate to say that one of the reasons for the easy victory over Spain by the United States in 1898 was the higher education of our soldiers and sailors. This is what makes the “man behind the gun.” As you increase a person’s vocabulary you enhance his power of thought. And it is this power to think that gives initiative to the individual. Of course, the only proper method of acquiring new words and their meaning is the dictionary.
Driving his bicycle into the rear of the Erick Johnson auto while it was parked in front of Mr. Johnson’s home on South Seventh street caused an unknown bicyclist to make a flying leap through the back curtain of the auto. The force with which the bicycle hit the auto caused the rider to leave the seat and go through the back curtain.
1949 – 75 YEARS AGO
The Waterman class rings have not arrived on the scene as yet, but the seniors still have hopes of receiving them before Christmas.
Plans for the completion of the Galena Road west from Aurora through Hinckley and Waterman to connect with a north and south highway near Dixon were discussed at a meeting of the Hinckley business men’s club, officials of the state highway department, and members of the road and bridge committee of the Kane County board of supervisors Thursday.
Pavement leading from the main building of the state college to the Lincoln Highway entrance has been under repair for several days, the result of which will make the pavement as easy for traffic as the other buildings around the college buildings and campus. The road, which is used to a great extent by trucks hauling coal and other supplies to the college, has been in need of attention for some time.
Workmen yesterday afternoon ripped part of the parapet of the Little building away in order to prevent it from falling upon the heads of some unsuspecting passerby. The walls of the Little building were found to have been depending upon the structure which is now being demolished for the new bank site. Braces have been placed against the structure and are now holding it in place but some loose masonry on the top of the Little building was thought to be dangerous and was removed.
the greatest problem of youth today according to a Youth Research Center survey of 7,000 high-school students, which elicited three million bits of information about troublesome areas of a young person’s life. This enormous jigsaw puzzle of items was sorted out to help parents, teachers and others working with this age group.
For the woman who doesn’t like clothes hugging the body, spring 1975 is her season. For the “big” look in the new collections is the “loose” look. It’s a spacious silhouette to which designers give various names.
Details of the fire which destroyed the Shabbona roundhouse of the Q. last evening are carried on the first page in a complete story. The fire which was discovered about midnight destroyed the railroad building but two locomotives were removed before being damaged by the fire.
Following several inquiries, it was announced yesterday afternoon that the next tuberculosis clinic to be conducted by Miss Cushman, county nurse, will be held in Sycamore on December 31. The plans have not as yet been completed, but it is stated that Dr. T. P. Rice will conduct the clinic.
The body of Mrs. Florence Kling Harding, who died in Marion, Ohio, yesterday, was encased today in a black metal casket, an exact duplicate of that in which the late president lies. Monday afternoon it will be laid away beside her husband in the receiving vault in Marion cemetery pending completion of the Harding memorial.
1974 – 50 YEARS AGO
A resolution to develop the city’s Dresser farm for recreation space and a tree nursery was approved, 4-2 by the DeKalb City Council last night. The 90-acre farm at North First Street and Dresser Road has not received very good care in recent years and sewer service is not available. The city has been renting the land for farming.
Low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness, self-criticism, and loneliness, is
An Air Force F-111 aircraft van exhibit will be on display from 8:30 until 3 p.m. at DeKalb High School Dec. 2, Northern Illinois University Student Center, Dec. 3, Sycamore High School, Dec. 4, and Rochelle Township High School Dec. 5. The air conditioned 40-foot van contains a 7 ½-foot F-111 working model controlled from a mock cockpit.
1999 – 25 YEARS AGO
This year’s Illinois School Report Card lists Sycamore schools as healthy despite a few problems. The district scored above the state average in several categories, including American College Test scores.
In a bid to get shoppers to buy rather than browse, merchants started the holiday season today by cutting prices and offering freebies, and many shoppers showed up before dawn, sometimes even before midnight.
A severed underground cable caused parts of the city of DeKalb to lose power Tuesday evening. The power outage lasted from 4:36 to 7:15 p.m. It took a while to find out where the problem was. The black-out area centered around Lincoln Highway from First Street to Annie Glidden Road, but also included parts of First Street, Annie Glidden Road and Taylor Street.
Northern Illinois University and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services are stepping up their aid to neglected and abused children in the school system. Beginning as a welfare and education program in 1994, the partnership currently coordinates the work of education advisers across the state.
– Compiled by Sue Breese
Photo provided by the DeKalb County History Center Cortland Elementary School first grade students present a program, “The First Thanksgiving,” at the Cortland Elementary gymnasium in November 1999.
A “48 Hours” crew films Deanne Lamesch, the mother of Melissa Lamesch, following a sentencing hearing for Matthew Plote on June 27 at the Ogle County Judicial Center in Oregon. Plote, 37, of Malta, was sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 murder of Melissa 27, of Mt. Morris, and her unborn baby boy.
‘48 Hours’ episode on murder of Mt. Morris woman and unborn baby set to air this month
By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com
OREGON – The 2020 murder of a Mt. Morris woman will be the topic of a “48 Hours” episode with a scheduled air date of Saturday, Nov. 30.
The episode will be about Matthew Plote, 37, who was found guilty of killing Melissa Lamesch, 27, on Nov. 25, 2020, just one day before Thanksgiving and two days before their baby was expected to be born.
Jurors deliberated for two hours March 22 before finding Plote guilty of four counts of first-degree murder; three counts of intentional homicide of an unborn child; and one count
each of residential arson, aggravated domestic battery and concealment of a homicidal death.
Calling it a “brutal crime,” Judge John “Ben” Roe sentenced Plote on June 27 to life in prison after hearing victim impact statements from Lamesch’s mother, father and sister, as well as arguments from attorneys. Roe said he considered all arguments and evidence and, in addition to the life sentence, sentenced Plote to 60 years in prison for the death of the baby and 15 years in prison for setting the Lamesch home on fire in an attempt to conceal the deaths. The sentences will be served concurrently.
AS THE HOLIDAYS DRAW NEAR, DON’T FORGET THE GIFT CARDS
Earleen Hinton file photo
Photo provided by the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
Signs of unsafe driving in older drivers
A license to drive has long been symbolic of independence. Teenage drivers long for the day they earn their licenses and can take to the road without mom or dad riding shotgun, while aging drivers want to keep driving as long as possible so they can come and go as they please in their golden years.
There’s no formula drivers and their families can employ to determine when it’s time to take the car keys away from senior citizens.
Thankfully, fatal collisions involving older drivers have declined considerably in recent decades. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, collision-related fatalities among drivers ages 70 and older declined by 15 percent between 1997 and 2018. A host of factors have no doubt contributed to that decline, including lane-assist technology and forward collision warning systems that have become standard offerings on many modern vehicles. As much as technology has helped make driving safer for everyone, aging drivers should still keep an eye out for certain signs that may indicate their skills behind the wheel are diminishing and potentially compromising their ability to drive safely. According to AARP, the following are warning signs of unsafe driving.
• Delayed response to unexpected situations: Frequent close calls and narrowly avoiding collisions when other drivers stop suddenly indicate reduced response time that can put aging drivers at an elevated risk of being involved in an accident.
• Becoming easily distracted while driving: Distracted driving has become a significant concern in recent decades, but it’s often associated with young drivers. However, aging drivers who are easily distracted also pose a safety risk to themselves and other motorists.
• Decrease in confidence while driving: Only drivers will know if they feel confident enough to drive safely, and it’s vital that aging drivers be honest with themselves when assessing how they feel when driving.
• Having difficulty moving into or maintaining the correct lane of traffic: Laneassist technology can help drivers recognize how often they’re staying in the correct lane of traffic. When the warning bell goes off frequently, it might be time for older drivers to reconsider if it’s safe for them to be behind the wheel.
• Hitting curbs when making right turns or backing up: Hitting curbs when turning or backing up indicates drivers may be having difficulty controlling their vehicles and/or seeing the road, both of which indicate it’s no longer safe for drivers to get behind the wheel.
• Getting scrapes or dents on car, garage or mailbox: These signs also indicate drivers are having trouble controlling their vehicles.
Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb
310 North Sixth Street DeKalb, Illinois 60115
The Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb is accepting pre-applications for the Low Income Public Housing Program from applicants who are income eligible and have two (2) or more local preferences. Sequoya Apartments in Shabbona is accepting applications from the Elderly and/or Disabled. The Housing Choice Voucher Program is accepting applications from households whose Head, Spouse or Sole Member is Elderly (62 or older) and/or households whose Head, Spouse or Sole Member has a verifiable Disability.
• Driving too fast or too slow for road conditions: This indicates drivers are not as alert to their surroundings as they need to be to stay safe on the road. It’s not easy for aging drivers to relinquish their drivers’ licenses. Learning to recognize potential warning signs of unsafe driving can help aging drivers make the safest decisions for themselves, their passengers and their fellow motorists. • Accommodations for independent living seniors, couples or person with disabilities • Security Features • Laundry Facilities • Friendly On-site Management • Clean & Safe Atmosphere • 24 Hour Maintenance Service
For more information, please call 815-758-2692, or applications are available at our main office at 310 N. 6th Street, DeKalb or online at www.dekcohousing.com
Demolition of Hopkins Pool in DeKalb underway
Replacement projected to cost millions; new pool could open by 2026
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – The DeKalb Park District started the demolition of Hopkins Pool this month, with plans to wrap up that portion of an ongoing major pool overhaul projected to cost millions, in mid-February.
That work, which got underway this month, is tentatively expected to ramp up the week after Thanksgiving. The district’s plans for the pool won’t be complete for some time, however, with a projected reopening date of 2026.
“It’s definitely an exciting time for us,” Executive Director Paul Zepezauer said. “It’s been a long process for the district and the different administration staff that have been a part of this project and the different board members that have been involved from the time this started to the time that we’re at now. But we’re excited to get the process going. We’re looking forward to seeing the project progress.”
The park district needs a construction permit from the Illinois Department of Public Health to start building a new pool.
Zepezauer said there may be a lull between the end of demolition in February and the start of construction to take into account.
“We hope that by the time June rolls around we’re in full new construction mode,” Zepezauer said.
Zepezauer said the park district is eyeing a 2026 season opening for Hopkins Pool, which means 2025 will be the second summer DeKalb residents won’t have a public pool to use. That leaves the only major public pool in DeKalb County in Genoa.
Once completed, the new DeKalb pool will have a number of new features and amenities, according to project plans. Those may include an outdoor entrance; newly renovated locker rooms; new concession stands; a main pool with six lanes of 25 yards for lap swimming along with a big section with zero-depth entry, which is a beach-style walk-in entry; a kids area with a spray ground featuring a couple of water slides; a large bucket that’ll dump water; and several spray features around the perimeter.
The pool’s construction drawings are not yet final, Zepezauer said. According to the latest drawings, the bather capacity is up to 826, up from 750 as previously reported.
“The construction drawings are about 50% complete and we’re aiming to have those 100% complete and submit to IDPH for permitting and going out to bid at the same time, which would be in mid-January,” Zepezauer said. “Hopefully, we would be officially be approving the bid sometime most likely toward the end of February.”
The total estimated cost for the pool project, which includes expenses for infrastructure coming to the site for the Hopkins Community Center and infrastructure for the locker rooms, is in the range of $12 to $15 million, officials said.
Zepezauer said working with Larson and Darby Group to finalize the construction drawings has been worthwhile.
“That part is actually going relatively smooth,” he said. “There’s always challenges throughout the process, but overall it’s a good team, a good group of people and they’re working through the problems as they arise. When you’re dealing with a site like this that has older infrastructure in place and then you’re trying to fit that new project on it, there’s a lot of different ways you can do things. We’re working through some of those challenges, but overall it’s going well.”
Mark Busch
Hopkins Pool sits empty Tuesday, Nov. 19, awaiting demolition so construction can begin on a new pool set to open in 2026.
Mark Busch
Hopkins Pool sits empty Tuesday, Nov. 19, awaiting demolition so construction can begin on a new pool set to open in 2026.
Almost a dozen file to run for DeKalb school board
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Four sitting members of the DeKalb School District 428 board will not seek reelection in the spring, filings show. DeKalb voters likely will have their pick of almost a dozen new candidates for the four open seats, however.
Board President Deyci Ramirez, board Secretary Ariel Owens and board members Amanda Harness and Fred Davis did not submit their nomination papers to the office of the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder by the deadline.
Candidates interested in running for office had a window from Nov. 12 through Nov. 18 to file their nomination petitions.
There are four open seats on the board.
Seeking those open seats are 11 residents who filed candidacy papers, according to DeKalb County records: Marilyn Parker, Jose Jaques, Nicholas Atwood, Brandon Elion, James Mitchell, Twangie Smith, Howard Solomon, Erin Grych, Kristin Bailey, Stephen Gaffney and Derek Shaw.
The consolidated election is April 1.
Here’s who’s running for DeKalb city office in April election
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Four incumbents are seeking reelection to their positions at DeKalb City Hall in the April 1 consolidated election.
Mayor Cohen Barnes, 2nd Ward Alderwoman Barb Larson, 6th Ward Alderman Mike Verbic and 5th Ward Alderman Andre Powell filed their nomination papers to the office of the DeKalb city clerk by the Nov. 18 deadline.
Powell was appointed to fill the remaining DeKalb City Council term for the 5th Ward spot vacated when former Alderman Scott McAdams resigned. Filing papers show that he will seek the elected spot for a full term.
Fourth Ward Alderman Greg Perkins did not file because he said he
LOCAL NEWS BRIEF
DeKalb library to hold media demonstration Nov. 29
DeKALB – The DeKalb Public Library will host a live demonstration for patrons to learn about different technol-
does not plan to seek reelection, however.
Candidates interested in running for office had a window from Nov. 12 through Nov. 18 to file their nomination petitions. There are mayoral and aldermanic seats open in the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th Wards, and two of those races will be contested.
The consolidated election will convene April 1.
Here’s how the ballot is shaping up in DeKalb:
Mayor’s race
• Incumbent Cohen Barnes
• John Walker (serving as 7th Ward alderman)
• Kouame Sanan, employee in Northern Illinois University’s IT Department
Resident Linh Nguyen’s name was removed from the ballot Nov. 19 when
the city’s Electoral Board ruled that she had filed her papers outside of the legal window to file. Nguyen said she plans to appeal in a fight to remain on the ballot.
2nd Ward
• Incumbent Barb Larson
• Michael Embrey
• Laura Lackson
4th Ward
• Justin Carlson
5th Ward
• Incumbent Andre Powell
6th Ward
• Incumbent Mike Verbic
City clerk spot uncertain
The DeKalb city clerk’s office also is up for reelection after a failed refer-
endum this month that would have made the seat an appointed employee instead of an elected official.
City employee Ruth Scott has been taking on the clerk’s duties in the meantime after a judge removed Clerk Sasha Cohen from office in March, ruling that he’d abandoned his job after he failed to file statements of economic interest, according to the law. Recent action by the DeKalb City Council means a new clerk, if elected in the spring, will not be paid a city salary.
Cohen and the clerk’s position had been at the center of years of scrutiny from city officials, alleging that he repeatedly failed to adequately perform the duties voters in 2021 elected him to do.
No one filed this month to run for the DeKalb city clerk’s office in the spring, however, city officials said.
ogy for scanning and digitizing old media.
The demonstration will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 29 in the library’s Nancy D. Castle Collaboration Studio, 309 Oak St.
The free demonstration is intended for adults and teens.
Attendees can learn how to digitize and scan photographs, VHS tapes, 35 millimeter slides and eight millimeter reels.
No registration is required.
For information, email patrickc@dkpl. org or call 815-756-9568, ext. 2115. – Shaw Local News Network
Megann Horstead file photo
Four sitting members of the DeKalb School District 428 board declined to seek reelection in spring 2025. Instead, voters will likely have a choice of almost a dozen candidates seeking the four open seats.
AMUSEMENTS
ILLINOIS $19,122 00; SPORTS OF ALL SORTS $5,303.87; STEVEN KIMMEL $36,316.20; STRATUS NETWORKS $14,348.85; SYCAMORE CUSD #427 $2,869.00; SYNDEO NETWORKS, INC $7,500.00; TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS $2,605 65; TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM $29,247.51; UNIQUE PRODUCTS $4,866 20; UNITED AIRLINES $3,585.01; VERIZON WIRELESS $3,035.60; WASTE MANAGEMENT $9,209 82; WEBSTAURANT STORE $5,061.35; WELDERS SUPPLY COMPANY $3,198 00; WELDSTAR CO $4,301.03; WISCONSIN DE PARTMENT OF REV $4,712.84; XELLO IN C $4,222.75; BRUCE GRIFFITH $124,455 32; EFTPS $235,793 92; NI EBT $158,707.44; OLD NATIONAL BANK $403,128.75; TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM $133,742.19
Certified Payroll Less than 25,000: Anderman, Dawn; Boesche, John; Carlson, Susan; Eike, Carrie; Engel, Mark; Flink, Donovan; Furnas, Timothy; Jaques, Jose; Mayer, Brian; Morgan, Kimberly; Rangel, Carolyn; Saurbaugh, Jeff
Certified Payroll 25,000- 39,999: Weishaar, Christina
Certified Payroll 40,000-59,999: Barr-Sherman, Shaala; Carr Kyle; DiIacova Michael; Duffy, Laura; Farrell, Scott; Johnson, Brittany; Koeller, Bradley; Kunigonis, Amy; Luoma, Nicole; Nelson Kevin; White, Teresa
Certified Payroll 60,000- 89,999 Ho lliday, Amber; Tekiela, Timothy; Wessel, David
Certified Payroll over 90,000: Crouch, Thomas; Horn, Amy; Pierce, Matt
Non-Certified Salary Range Less than 25,000: Chapas, Angela; Gomez, Maritza; Hinkle, Kyle; Lovell, Justine; Owens, Jametha; Sherman, Cassandra; Sherman, Veronica; Staples, Shakina
Non-Certified Salary Rang e 25,000-39,999: Harned, Angel; Roberts, Domi ni que
Non-Certified Salary Rang e 40,000-59,999: Davis, Fred; Knetsch, Jennifer; Stroh, Call a
Non-Certified Salary Range 60,000 and over: Delano, Charles; Delano, Margaret; Halley, Sara
(Published in The Midweek November 27, 2024) 2207144
