Obamacare numbers coming in huge: Here's a guide to GOP excuse-making - latimes.com

 

If exchange enrollments meet or exceed the original projection of 7 million despite the loss of some six weeks in website functionality in October and November, that would be a testament to the public's latent desire for effective healthcare coverage.

 

We won't know the final March 31 tally for days, possibly weeks, but that indispensable enrollment tracker Charles Gaba is projecting 6.78 million exchange enrollments, with a chance of topping 7 million.

That figure covers enrollments in private healthcare plans via healthcare.gov and the individual websites offered by 14 states and the District of Columbia. As my colleague Noam Levey is reporting, the Rand Corp. estimates that another 4.5 million previously uninsured adults have signed up for Medicaid in states that expanded that program under the ACA. And about 3 million young adults have obtained coverage through an ACA provision allowing them to stay on their parents' employer plans until age 26.

Read the entire story by clicking on the following:  Obamacare numbers coming in huge: Here's a guide to GOP excuse-making - latimes.com#axzz2xawXPlN3

County Appointments Currently Available

 

Appointment Vacancies:

The following are volunteer Boards of the County of Boone that have vacancies:

Interested parties are asked to send a letter and resume expressing your interest and qualifications to Boone County Board Chairman Bob Walberg, 1212 Logan Ave., Suite 102, Belvidere, IL 61008. Please respond by April 18, 2014 to assure being considered.

Sanitary District Board of Trustees

One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire May 1, 2014

Boone County Ethics Commission

Three (3) vacancies for a term that will expire June, 2015

Boone County Board of Review

One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire June 1, 2016 (This person must be of the Republican Party)

Boone County Zoning Board of Appeals

One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire June 1, 2019

Boone County Building Board of Appeals

One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire June 1, 2019

UPDATE on I-90 crossroad bridge closures

Another Chris Christie ally topples amid Bridge-gate fallout - CSMonitor.com

embattled chairman of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, David Samson, a long-time friend and mentor to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), resigned his unpaid but politically powerful post on Friday, the governor announced at an afternoon news conference.

 

Mr. Samson, the senior New Jersey official at the dual-state transportation agency, was the last close ally to Governor Christie left standing after the Bridge-gate scandal broke in January. The governor has described Samson as one of the most influential figures in his career, and he has steadfastly supported the Port Authority chief, even as everyone else involved in the lane-closure controversy either resigned or was fired.

Samson’s top deputies, Bill Baroni and David Wildstein, also appointed to powerful Port Authority posts by the governor, resigned in December as the scandal began to engulf the Christie administration. Bridge-gate would gradually erode the governor's approval ratings in the 2016 presidential sweepstakes.

 

Read more of the story by clicking on the following:  Another Chris Christie ally topples amid Bridge-gate fallout - CSMonitor.com

(1) Belvidere Daily Republican (Facebook): Emotions high as Poplar Grove denies special use permits

Belvidere Daily Republican

March 18

By Bob Balgemann
Reporter
POPLAR GROVE - The Poplar Grove Village Board has voted 6-0 to deny issuing two special use permits needed to develop a 304-unit mobile home park on two parcels along South Poplar Grove Road.
But the issue isn't over.
Jim Hursh, attorney for the developer, said after Monday's March 10 board meeting that the next stop would be circuit court for a review of the decision.
Emotions ran high among many of those in a standing-room only crowd that packed two large rooms at village hall.
Village President John Neitzel more than once asked residents not to applaud when a speaker said something they liked.
He also admonished a man who criticized Hursh after the attorney said there were procedures to be followed and that they had clearly been met. He asked that emotions be set aside and that those procedures be considered.
"How dare you come to our town and say that," the man challenged. "You don't even live here."
Not in Poplar Grove, perhaps, but Hursh said he was a lifelong resident of Boone County and lived on Beloit Road.
Neitzel called for order and reminded those in the audience that no one had interrupted them while they were at the podium. He said the same respect should be shown the current speaker.
Eighteen people addressed the issue with 17 of them in opposition to the mobile home park. Petitions signed by more than 300 men and woman against the project were turned in to Village Clerk Martha Suhr.
Mark Petersen and others were concerned about the impact on the school district and public services. Others addressed the park being in a flood zone, further deterioration of Poplar Grove and damage to personal property by storm water.
"Protect our people, our taxes and our future," resident Glen Herrmann said.
Doug Clark said he had seen a drastic downturn in the village. His fear was that what he referred to as "a trailer park" would not draw the right kind of people.

Above is BDR’s Facebook:  (1) Belvidere Daily Republican

Developer targets area surrounding Rockford’s Meijer for tax abatements - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

First Rockford Group will ask the Winnebago County Board this Thursday to abate the county’s portion of property taxes on 334,000 square feet of land near Perryville and Rote roads, site of the planned Rockford store. The deal would cost the county about $689,000 over the life of the five-year abatement.

First Rockford Group CEO Sunil Puri said the tax break would sweeten the pot for investors looking to set up shop near the superstore. And if businesses do come, the additional county sales tax revenue and new jobs would overshadow the loss of property tax dollars.

“Our job is to expedite these projects. We are trying to hook as many people as we can during 12 months of construction,” he said.

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Developer targets area surrounding Rockford’s Meijer for tax abatements - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

The Daily Northwestern : Evanston votes to abolish township

Joseph Diebold, Managing Editor
March 18, 2014 •

By a near two-to-one margin, city voters elected Tuesday to abolish Evanston Township.

With 44 of 53 precincts reporting, 63.23 percent of more than 7,500 voters had chosen to support the referendum to abolish the township.

The township, which has the same boundaries as the city of Evanston, provides tax advice to residents and general assistance to the needy. The referendum was subject to lengthy debate. Advocates argued it was not providing the necessary assistance and would save money if abolished, and opponents said the city is not prepared to absorb the township services.

Under Illinois law, all township services will be transferred to the municipal government. Two years ago, a similar ratio of voters elected to pursue dissolution in a nonbinding referendum.

Above is take from:  The Daily Northwestern : Evanston votes to abolish township

Doctor accused of sex assault on Des Plaines woman - chicagotribune.com

By Jonathan BullingtonTribune reporter

Charles S. Dehaan, 59, was arrested Friday morning at his home in Belvidere on charges of aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to Des Plaines Police Department Cmdr. Randy Akin. He is expected to appear in bond court on Sunday.

Starting in January of 2009, Dehaan allegedly began making in-home monthly visits to a 59-year old Des Plaines woman recovering from surgery, police said. During the course of those medical examinations, Dehaan allegedly began to fondle the woman's breast and genital area, police said, and also exposed himself while exhibiting "evidence of sexual arousal."

His alleged actions continued through July of 2012, Akin said, but the patient’s medical condition prevented her from stopping them…..

Dehaan is also the subject of a federal indictment earlier this year on allegations of Medicare fraud, court documents show.

Read the entire story by clicking on the following:  Doctor accused of sex assault on Des Plaines woman - chicagotribune.com

Cigarette Taxes and Cigarette Smuggling by State | Tax Foundation

By Joseph Henchman, Scott Drenkard

New York is the highest net importer of smuggled cigarettes, totaling 56.9 percent of the total cigarette market in the state. New York also has the highest state cigarette tax ($4.35 per pack), not counting the local New York City cigarette tax (an additional $1.50 per pack). Smuggling in New York has risen sharply since 2006 (+59 percent), as has the tax rate (+190 percent).

Other peer-reviewed studies provide support for these findings.[2] Recently, a study in Tobacco Control examined littered packs of cigarettes in five northeast cities, finding that 58.7 percent of packs did not have proper local stamps. The authors estimated 30.5 to 42.1 percent of packs were trafficked.[3]

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Cigarette Taxes and Cigarette Smuggling by State | Tax Foundation

Residents tour animal shelter at dog chip event... - Belvidere Daily Republican(facebook)

 

Belvidere Daily Republican added 7 new photos.

March 20 at 2:38pm ·

Residents tour animal shelter at dog chip event

By Tricia Goecks
Editor

BELVIDERE – A converted vet’s clinic on Appleton is the current home of the Boone County Animal Services and Adoption Center. The BCAS sponsored a low cost micro chipping clinic and offered visitors with a rare glimpse of the cramped facilities.

Kris Toohey and Christy Spurlock from the Measuring Cup were on hand to sell baked goods outside of the shelter. The duo donated 50 percent of the proceeds to the BCAS.

“We want people to see the facility. Where the kennel is set up we have intake dogs with dogs who are waiting for a foster homes in the same ward so we cannot allow public entrance,” operations supervisor Roger Tresemer said. “If we have a new facility we will have a ward for intake dogs, an adoption ward for dogs as well as an intake ward for cats and an adoption ward for cats.”

Because of the tight space, the BCAS keeps new arrivals at the facility during a seven day incubation period. For dogs that are picked up as strays, BCAS staff posts the dog’s photo on their Facebook page with the hope of reuniting the dog with its humans. Approximately half of the time, the dog owners come in to retrieve their dog.

For the dogs that remain, many of the dogs are sent to live with 1 of 11 dog foster families. “The foster carer’s job is see what behaviors they have and to help them get healthy. We see if they have issues with children, housetraining, and we work on that,” BCAS volunteer Kathy Coil said.

Coil and her husband have fostered 24 dogs over the past 2 years and eyed a black and white Shih Tzu as her next foster dog. “He looks like he has been loved. Those little things get out,” Coil said.

Coil admitted that it she gets attached to the dogs that she fosters and cries when it is time to send her foster dogs to their new forever family. “I feel so bad for her,” Tresemer said. “Every single time she tears up.”

“I tried two different ways to foster them out. Sometimes I come in and meet the family and I find that is harder on me. I try to tell them about the dog and I find that I break down,” Coil added. “So I found now that I bring them in here before the new parents get her and then I just cry all the way home.”

“I don’t want them to feel like I am giving up my dog to them.”

“I was a foster failure that’s why I don’t do it,” Tresemer said. “I adopted them all.”

“You’re a softie,” Coil chided him.

Coil explained that among the benefits of the BCAS placing dogs with foster families. “These dogs are not living in the kennel,” Coil said. “And these people are trying like heck to make them adoptable.”

The love that the BCAS staff has for the animals in its care is obvious. Animal control officer Justin Unger slipped into the kennel with a pit bull mix that he picked up along the side of the road a week earlier. The dog leapt for joy into Unger’s arms as though they had been separated for eons.

One of the most tragic cases that the BCAS had was a newborn puppy who was found in a Wheaties box outside of the shelter’s front door. Someone had attempted to force open the puppy’s eyes which resulted in the dog losing its eyes. The puppy was named Wheatie and was adopted by a member of the BCAS staff.

Tresemer hoped that the shelter will be able to move into a larger facility. “We want a more efficient effective animal control program for the county,” Tresemer said. “Many board members have toured the board and come to the consensus that we need a new facility.”

The BCAS accepts monetary and product donations. Items that the BCAS needs are cotton balls, paper towels, canine shampoo, stainless steel water dishes, collars, treats, dog foods and bleach. The shelter is located at 1230 S. Appleton Road in Belvidere.

Residents tour animal shelter at dog chip event... - Belvidere Daily Republican

America must kill this fish | The Verge

By Arielle Duhaime-Ross

…the four Asian carp species in US waterways all have one thing in common: incredibly effective gills that can filter much smaller particles than the average native fish. So scientists at the USGS are trying to produce poison particles so small that only Asian carp pick them out of the water.

But small particles alone, which some other species can ingest, won't cut it for such a large and dispersed population of fish, so researchers are going one step further by putting the carp's unique digestive system to good use. "The particles are designed to be broken down, but only by the enzymes in the carp's gut," Chapman says. Other fish that might ingest the particles, such as largemouth bass or catfish, don't produce this enzyme, so they won't be affected. "And when carp break it down," he says, "they release the toxin and it causes them to die."….

"Carp eggs require a certain amount of drift in the water to survive," Chapman explains. "If the eggs settle to the bottom, it can have a lethal effect on the fish."

If researchers can build dams that only come up halfway to the water's surface, they might be able to interrupt the drift in the carp's favorite spawning locations. "….

Yet none of the current solutions are perfect, Irons says. And even if the methods in development turn out to be effective, "blocking the Chicago canal might still be necessary,"

 

 

Click on the following to read all of the story:  America must kill this fish | The Verge

Garden Prairie Organics Applies for Expansion (again)

 

Here is the notification to local officials.

Here is the legal notice from the Boone County Journal, March 21, page 12 (http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2014/Boone-County-News-03-21-14.pdf#page=1)

 

 

In April 2013 Garden Prairie Organics was denied a similar request.    SEE:  http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2013/04/garden-prairie-organics-denied_30.html

Anti-puppy mill ordinance in Winnebago (WTVO/WQRF)

 

Anti-puppy mill ordinance in Winnebago (WTVO/WQRF)

 

A possible new ordinance in Winnebago County could implement regulations on people who try to bread animals in large quantities for ….

Elected officials are waiting on an evaluation from the Winnebago State's Attorney to see whether or not an ordinance can be presented in the coming months. It’s possible that they might have to lobby legislators in Springfield in order to implement a legislation of this nature in the county

CLick on the following to read/watch the story:   http://www.mystateline.com/fulltext-news/d/story/anti-puppy-mill-ordinance-in-winnebago/23844/MLKI2pe6TUikCO62RwJ7_w

Belvidere Superintendent loses to Johnston, Iowa, school leader - Blogs - Rockford Register Star

 

by Susan Vela

March 17, 2014 9:51 a.m.

 

Belvidere Superintendent Michael Houselog expressed disappointment about losing in the  pursuit to next lead the Johnston School District, about 10 miles northwest of Des Moines, in Iowa.
…..“Personally I was attracted to the position because my daughter Amy and her family live in central Iowa very close to Johnston,” Houselog said in an email. “I was honored to be among the ninety qualified candidates who completed application materials, the seven  who interviewed with the board, and finally to interview with the community as one of the two finalists….

Houselog would have moved closer to family and seen his salary move from $197,000 to $225,000 if the Johnston school board had chosen him.
A few years ago, he was named a finalist for the Dubuque School District superintendent position.

Read more: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20140317/Blogs/140319360#ixzz2wK4Pp0Rt

.

WICS NewsChannel 20 :: News - Top Stories - New Bill Would Help High Unemployment Counties

Could Boone/Winnebago be 2% higher than state % for a year?

 

The proposed law is the brainchild of State Rep. Bill Mitchell, who calls Macon County home.
"Since the 80s we've had higher unemployment than the state of Illinois, higher unemployment than the national average," Mitchell said. "The labor force has contracted in the last five years by 3,000 people."
Mitchell's bill proposes two tax incentives for employers in high unemployment counties to help change that.
"A portion of your workman's compensation costs would be subsidized by the state as well as the EDGE tax credit," Mitchell said.
That's Economic Development for a Growing Economy tax credit. Businesses that hire at least five new workers would be reimbursed a portion of their state income taxes. That's if the business is based in an area that's determined to be struggling.
"There's about 10 counties that this would be applicable to. And it's an arbitrary measure I used, it's just two percentage points over the statewide average for a year," Mitchell said.

Read the entire story by clicking on the following:  WICS NewsChannel 20 :: News - Top Stories - New Bill Would Help High Unemployment Counties

Illinois issues 14,000 drivers licenses to undocumented foreigners in 2 mo. | Fox News Latino

state of Illinois issued 14,000 temporary drivers licenses to undocumented foreigners in two months, which, if that rate of demand is maintained, could double the number of licenses expected to be handed out during the first year of the law that allowed it.

The spokesman for the Office of the Secretary of State, Ernesto Martinez, told Efe on Thursday that the high demand could force the government to open new license issue locations in the second half of the year, which would be added to the 36 currently in operation.

"The numbers are impressive. We've attended to 24,000 people and granted 14,000 licenses, most of them at the 23 offices operating in Chicago and its metropolitan area," he said.

Each day, between 20,000 and 30,000 requests for licenses are received by telephone and an average of 4,000 appointments are made for the written and driving exams, according to figures provided by Martinez.

However, authorities are concerned with the high percentage of rejections due to lack of documentation, of people who have unresolved cases for traffic offenses or who have driven with false licenses.

Read the rest of the story by clicking on the following:  Illinois issues 14,000 drivers licenses to undocumented foreigners in 2 mo. | Fox News Latino

Bill would give state control over wind-turbine regulations - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

by Doug Finke
GateHouse Media Illinois
Posted Mar. 15, 2014 @ 1:52 pm

SPRINGFIELD — Since the first wind turbine was installed in Illinois, it’s been the purview of county governments to set the rules for siting and installation of the turbines within their borders.

This year, though, lawmakers may be asked to consider a bill that would take that authority away from counties and have uniform, statewide standards administered by a state agency.

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Bill would give state control over wind-turbine regulations - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Key races, referendums facing Winnebago and Boone county voters - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

Boone County voters have several contenders to choose from in the Republican primary for the County Board.

There are 11 candidates running in three districts, where two seats are available in each.

In District 1, the race is not contested. Voters can choose both Sherry Giesecke and Raymond Larson.

In District 2, incumbents Karl Johnson and Ronald Wait are seeking re-election. Also running are Jeffrey Carlisle and Mark Sanderson.

In District 3. Marion Thornberry is the incumbent. The other two candidates are Sherry Branson and Brad Stark. Voters also must select between Chris Berner and Kenneth Freeman to fill a two-year term in that district.

On the Democratic side, there are no contested races.

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Key races, referendums facing Winnebago and Boone county voters - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Belvidere Daily Republican: Superintendent Houselog finalist to lead Johnston (Ia.) schools

Below is from Belvidere Daily Republican’s FACEBOOK

 

1. Belvidere Daily Republican

   March 11

   Superintendent Houselog finalist to lead Johnston (Ia.) schools
   By Bob Balgemann
   Reporter
   BELVIDERE - For the second time in two years Belvidere Community Unit School District 100 Superintendent Michael Houselog is a finalist to lead a school district in Iowa. And once again family ties are a motivating factor.
   He was scheduled to be interviewed Monday March 10 in Johnston, Ia., a northwester...n Des Moines suburb, with the other candidate, Corey Lynn from Stillwater, Minn., on tap for Tuesday night.
   The Johnston board of education will meet Wednesday March 12 and Laura Dillavou, communications director for the district, said discussion but no decision is expected at that time.
   Spring break is coming up the following week and she said the board had scheduled a special meeting for March 24. If board members have reached a consensus, she said a decision could be made that night.
   The current superintendent, Clay Guthmiller, 62, is retiring effective June 30 after eight years with the district of about 6,700 students.
   Houselog came to Boone County in 2003, where he served for three years as superintendent of North Boone Community School District 200. He then was hired as District 100 superintendent and has been there ever since.
   He called both the Belvidere and Johnston school districts exciting places to be. And if the Johnston board chooses the other finalist, he said that would be all right. "I like this job; I love this area," he said.
   Family was a primary reason he sought to become superintendent of the Dubuque Community Schools last year. The move would have brought him and his Belvidere family closer to his mother. But the Dubuque school board sought another of the finalists for the job.
   He said his daughter, son-in-law and now 5-month-old granddaughter live about one-half hour from Johnston. He said his mother also was interested in that area, should he become superintendent there.
   "Family is really important," he said. But in addition, the Johnston job "is a great opportunity. It's an excellent district."
   As he did last year, he made District 100 board members aware that he had applied for the Iowa position.

Belvidere Daily Republican: Illinois EPA, Chrysler working to determine odor origin

Below is from the Belvidere Daily Republican FACEBOOK

Illinois EPA, Chrysler working to determine odor origin
By Tricia Goecks
Editor
BELVIDERE – Residents in south and central Belvidere have noticed a strong odor that has been developing over the last few months. The Illinois EPA is investigating the source and cause of the odor and is working with Chrysler’s Belvidere Assembly Plant.
“We had a lot of complaints that alleged it was coming from th...e Chrysler plant,” Bill Hatfield from the Boone County Health Department said. “I have no evidence of a public health issue related to the odor.”
Hatfield conducted an organaleptic analysis to zero in from where the odor originated. As part of Hatfield’s analysis, he was able to exclude a sewage treatment sludge field as the source of the odor and determine that the source was from the area surrounding the Belvidere Assembly Plant. Hatfield’s organaleptic analysis consisted of driving on all sides of the plant and using his nose to smell the air on a windy day.
The Illinois EPA conducted a site visit at Chrysler and is working with the company to determine the origins and resolution of the odor. “The company has retained an environmental consultant to assist in identifying the source and resolution to the odors,” Kim Briggs from the Illinois EPA’s public information office said. “The inspection report is still being finalized.”
“We’ve had the EPA out several times and so far, no one has been able to identify the source or cause of the odor,” Jodi Tinson from the Chrysler Group said. “We continue to work with the EPA and cooperate fully in their investigation.”
“Until we know what is causing the odor, we can’t make any modifications or address the situation.”
“I wonder if Chrysler is doing something differently than in the past,” asked an area resident who did not want to be identified. The resident wondered if a manufacturing process or materials change within the last six months was the reason why the odor developed recently.See More

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Belvidere Daily Republican

FACT SHEET: Opportunity for All: Rewarding Hard Work by Strengthening Overtime Protections | The White House

After weathering the Great Recession and through five years of hard work and determination, America is creating jobs and rebuilding our economy. But as a result of shifts that have taken hold over more than three decades, too many Americans are working harder than ever just to get by, let alone to get ahead.

President Obama believes that, in America, if you work hard and take responsibility, you should have the opportunity to succeed. That’s why he has pledged to make 2014 a year of action, working with Congress where they’re willing, but using his phone and his pen wherever he can to build real, lasting economic security for the middle class and those working hard to become a part of the middle class.

As part of that effort, today, President Obama is directing the Secretary of Labor to begin the process of addressing overtime pay protections to help make sure millions of workers are paid a fair wage for a hard day's work and rules are simplified for employers and workers alike.

Basic Overtime Protections Have Eroded

The overtime rules that establish the 40-hour workweek, a linchpin of the middle class, have eroded over the years.  As a result, millions of salaried workers have been left without the protections of overtime or sometimes even the minimum wage. For example, a convenience store manager or a  fast food shift supervisor or an office worker may be expected to work 50 or 60 hours a week or more, making barely enough to keep a family out of poverty, and not receive a dime of overtime pay. It’s even possible for employers to pay workers less than the minimum wage per hour.

The overtime and minimum wage rules are set in the Fair Labor Standards Act, originally passed by Congress in 1938, and apply broadly to private-sector workers. However, there are some exceptions to these rules, which the Department of Labor has the authority to define through regulation. One of the most commonly used exemptions is for “executive, administrative and professional” employees, the so-called “white collar” exemption.

Workers who are paid hourly wages or who earn below a certain salary are generally protected by overtime regulations, while those above the threshold who perform executive, professional or administrative duties are not.  That threshold has failed to keep up with inflation, only being updated twice in the last 40 years and leaving millions of low-paid, salaried workers without these basic protections. Specifically:

• In 1975 the Department of Labor set the threshold below which white collar workers were entitled to overtime pay at $250 per week.
• In 2004 that threshold was set at $455 per week (the equivalent of $561 in today's dollars). This is below today’s poverty line for a worker supporting a family of four, and well below 1975 levels in inflation adjusted terms.

Today, only 12 percent of salaried workers fall below the threshold that would guarantee them overtime and minimum wage protections (compared with 18 percent in 2004 and 65 percent in 1975).  Many of the remaining 88 percent of salaried workers are ineligible for these protections because they fall within the white collar exemptions.  Many recognize that these regulations are outdated, which is why states like New York and California have set higher salary thresholds.

At the same time, employers and workers alike have difficulty navigating the existing regulations, and many recognize that the rules should be modernized to better fit today’s economy.

Details of the Presidential Memorandum

Improving the overtime regulations consistent with the Memorandum the President will sign today could benefit millions of people who are working harder but falling further behind. The Fair Labor Standards Act protects over 135 million workers in more than 7.3 million workplaces nationwide.

The Presidential Memorandum instructs the Secretary of Labor to update regulations regarding who qualifies for overtime protection. In so doing, the Secretary shall consider how the regulations could be revised to:

• Update existing protections in keeping with the intention of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• Address the changing nature of the American workplace.
• Simplify the overtime rules to make them easier for both workers and businesses to understand and apply.

FACT SHEET: Opportunity for All: Rewarding Hard Work by Strengthening Overtime Protections | The White House

Former Rockford cop pleads guilty to aggravated DUI charges - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

The accident occurred about 9:20 p.m. on May 21, 2012, when Cruz was passing a SUV in a no-passing zone southbound on Beloit Road and struck a pick-up truck and collided with the SUV near Townhall Road.

All four passengers of the SUV were taken to the hospital, one of the passengers, Mary "Susie" Danielson of Poplar Grove, was paralyzed from the neck down as a result of a spinal cord injury. Another passenger, Kim Hawkinson, suffered a collapsed lung.

Cruz was a thirteen-year veteran of the Rockford Police Department who was off duty at the time of the crash. He is no longer with the Department.

Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on May 15. Aggravated driving under the influence is a class 4 felony with special sentencing guidelines punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

Read more: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20140303/News/140309809#ixzz2vsSQriQQ

Boone County Courthouse site of puppy mill protest - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

A small group of protesters stood outside the Boone County Courthouse Tuesday morning to protest Kimber Lettier, whom they said operates a puppy mill from her Caledonia property.

Lettier was being arraigned on two counts of aggravated battery for threatening a Boone County Animal Control employee.

According to the Feb. 28 bill of indictment, Lettier “made contact of an insulting or provoking nature when she grabbed (the animal control employee) by the arm,” which was alleged behavior for the first count, and, in the second count, “caused bodily harm to (the employee) when she pulled (her) hair.”

Click on the following for more details:  Boone County Courthouse site of puppy mill protest - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Belvidere Daily Republican: Decision nears to hire architect for animal services building

 

March 11, 2014

By Bob Balgemann

Reporter

BELVIDERE - The Boone County Board may decide in April which architectural firm is hired to build a new animal control services department building.

Four firms are being asked to submit proposals for a 3,000 square-foot building to be constructed on county-owned land on the east side of Illinois 76, just south of Spring Creek Road, which houses the county highway department complex.

The proposals would include future additions that ultimately would produce a 6,500-square-foot building.

Mark Schmidt, senior principal for Knapp Schmidt Architects in Wisconsin, presented his feasibility study to the health and human services board at its March 6 meeting.

A 2,600-square-foot building, one of several options in the report, would replace the current county facility at 1230 S. Appleton Road.

The 3,000-square-foot building also would include space for cats, a few more dogs and a sallyport. The absence of room for cats has been a continuing concern of department Supervisor Roger Tresemer and programs director Jacqui Mitzelfelt.

Schmidt, whose company is one of the four finalists for the job, was asked to leave the room while the committee discussed what steps should be taken next. One possibility was to consider recommending to the full county board that Knapp Schmidt be hired for the entire job.

Out of fairness to the other three firms that still were interested in the project,, committee member Kenny Freeman said all of them should be given an opportunity to submit proposals. They won't be reinterviewed and their proposals would use information contained in the feasibility study Knapp Schmidt did for the county, at a cost of $3,500.

"That will put us back another month," committee Chairman Paul Larson said. "But it will give us time to investigate the utility work."He was referring to the cost of hooking into the city of Belvidere's water and sewer lines, which are in the area and already serve the nearby Maple Crest nursing home.

Committee members agreed that well and septic were not the best option for the building.

Before the unanimous vote was taken to proceed, committee member Bill Pysson raised the question of where the money would come from to construct the new building. He suggested the county finance committee look at how to finance a $500,000 construction cost for the 2,600-square-foot building in the feasibility study.

"I question whether the $5 (increase in the dog registration fee) will be enough," he said.

Earlier in the meeting county Administrator Ken Terrinoni said early returns on the recently imposed, higher registration fee, show it generated $3,000. But he told the committee it still was early in the new fiscal year and not to be worried at this point.

Resident Robert Christianson, who has been advocating a new animal control building, said from the audience that financing should be considered right away, because interest rates are starting to go up.

rvpnews | Belvidere Daily Republican

Transform Rockford comes to Belvidere

Proposed tax credit changes could propel projects in downtown Rockford - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

Developers apply for state or federal tax credits, which are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income taxes owed. Developers can use them to offset their own income, or sell them at a discount to investors.

Here’s an example of how River Edge credits work now and how projects could be affected by the proposed changes.

Gorman & Co., a Wisconsin developer, wants to do an estimated $50 million rehabilitation of the Amerock/Ziock building downtown. The 25 percent River Edge tax credit would provide Gorman with $12.5 million in tax credits to use or sell to an investor to help finance the project. Gorman also is eligible for a 20 percent federal historic tax credit, worth $10 million.

Click on the following for more details:   Proposed tax credit changes could propel projects in downtown Rockford - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Bruce Rauner leads GOP race for Illinois governor - chicagotribune.com

By Rick Pearson

Clout Street

8:31 p.m. CST, March 7, 2014

A new Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows Rauner, the wealthy first-time candidate from Winnetka at 36 percent support — down 4 percentage points from a month ago amid a blitz of labor union-backed TV ads attacking his business dealings as a venture capitalist.
But Dillard, a state senator from Hinsdale with the backing of major public employee unions, has emerged as the new chief alternative to Rauner. The poll showed Dillard at 23 percent, doubling his support since last month, especially among Downstate voters.
Dillard’s gains came as state Sen. Bill Brady and Treasurer Dan Rutherford lost support in recent weeks. Brady was at 18 percent, down from 20 percent in early February. Rutherford, who was hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former employee last month, was at 9 percent — a 4-percentage-point drop from the last poll.

See the film clip and story by clicking on the following:  Bruce Rauner leads GOP race for Illinois governor - chicagotribune.com

Jury awards Brown's Chicken killer $451K in civil rights case - chicagotribune.com

By Jonathan Bullington

Tribune reporter

9:27 p.m. CST, March 8, 2014

A federal jury awarded a man serving a life-sentence for the 1993 massacre of seven workers at a Brown’s Chicken restaurant in suburban Palatine nearly a half-million dollars in his civil rights lawsuit against a former Cook County Jail guard accused of beating him in 2002.

When told by the Tribune Saturday of the jury's decision in favor of James Degorski the day before, the families of the victims expressed outrage…

In May 2002, a few hours after he arrived in the maximum-security tier at Cook County Jail,  Degorski, now 41, was allegedly beaten by Thomas Wilson, who was a Cook County Sheriff's deputy.

The blows left Degorski with facial fractures that required surgery to insert two metal plates in his face. Wilson was placed on unpaid leave and eventually fired in 2004 by the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board.

Wilson claimed his actions were in self-defense, and a Cook County circuit judge acquitted him in 2003 of aggravated battery and official misconduct charges.

In May 2004, Degorski sued Wilson, another correctional officer, and former Sheriff Michael Sheahan. The suit accused Wilson of using excessive force and the others for failing to stop him.

The civil case was postponed while Degorski’s criminal case played out in court. During that time, his attorney in the civil suit died, Bonjean said, and it appeared he might not find another willing to represent him. He was convicted of the mass murders in 2009; his accomplice Juan Luna was convicted in 2007…..

…

 

Read all of the story by clicking on the following:  Jury awards Brown's Chicken killer $451K in civil rights case - chicagotribune.com

Veteran reporter starting blog at rrstar.com - Blogs - Rockford Register Star

Rockford Register Star’s new Boone County Reporter.

 

By Susan Vela

Susan Vela covers regional issues with a particular focus on Boone and Stephenson counties.

m.

Hello!
This is my first blog, and it’s fair to say I’m curious about the possibilities of this personal and professional enterprise.
In practically 20 years of print journalism, I’ve written a column here and there. While my formative years were about reading the columns of Chicago’s Mike Royko and Detroit’s Mitch Albom and, later on, New York’s Maureen Dowd, I haven’t necessarily always known where to take my columns.
I’ve touched on a few hot-button issues and sometimes drawn upon my family for material. But I’ve never had to worry about consistently and regularly finding fodder for such writing enterprises.
Now, it’s the wave of the future, and I accept the challenge willingly and happily. Your problem, Dear Reader, is that this is bound to be a learning experience for myself.
To start, I’ll probably delight in some of the local residents who cross my path. Then, once I get to know the region, I’m not sure what will happen.
I certainly hope to draw upon the communities that I’ll be covering: Boone County, Belvidere, Poplar Grove, Caledonia, Capron, Timberlane and New Milford.
For now, let me tell you a little bit about myself.
I’m a native Michiganian who resisted journalism because she was accepted into the University of Michigan’s engineering program. And that oddball choice was because, like most students who did well in sciences and math at my high school, I felt obligated to try joining the ranks of the state’s manufacturing force.
(Hindsight? They say it’s 20-20.)
I tried. But, I couldn’t put behind a love for reading and writing. Journalism was the bug that buzzed into my ear and then, after Michigan State University journalism classes, I interned/worked at the Alma Morning Sun.
So, um, I’ve been practicing print journalism for nearly 20 years. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind with several beats and communities.
I look forward to getting to know this one more.
Have a great day!

Above is from:  Veteran reporter starting blog at rrstar.com - Blogs - Rockford Register Star

Most Chicago-Area Schools Not Reporting Serious Crime to State Database | NBC Chicago

Most parents want to believe that they'll be informed of every incident involving weapons or violence in their child's school. But aside from a report in the local newspaper -- or the occasional note sent home by a principal or superintendent - there is not a comprehensive source to check to find out what is going on.

That shouldn't be the case. For years, the Illinois State Board of Education has maintained a little-known database called the School Incident Reporting System, or SIRS, where - by law - parents are supposed to be able find out about every incident of assaults, weapons and drugs in every school in Illinois.

 

It was true for Allison Reid-Neimiec, a mother of three small children in northwest-suburban Belvidere, Illinois.

Two years ago she began researching her neighborhood schools as she prepared to send her oldest daughter to kindergarten. She discovered a news item about a child who brought a gun into a nearby elementary school, and she wanted to get more information. She sought information through the School Incident Reporting System - but found nothing from Belvidere.

"My reaction was -- What? Did I find it wrong? Have I missed it somewhere?" Reid-Neimiec said. "And then it was kind of outrage: This is a law and we're not following the law?"

In fact the law itself may be part of the problem: Illinois law clearly states that schools must report all incidents of weapons, assaults and drugs to both local police and Illinois State Police. The law also mandates that this information should be available to the public. The School Incident Reporting System is supposed to help serve both of those purposes - but only if a school chooses to use it.

And, as Reid-Neimiec discovered, the Belvidere School District hasn't reported to SIRS for years. (NBC5 Investigates left several messages seeking a response from the Belvidere School District, but the superintendent did not return any calls.)

"Everybody ought to know exactly what is going on in their school, so if there is a problem - or if there is a pattern - it can be solved," said Susan Garrett. Garrett is a former state senator - and now chairman of the board of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. In 2012 she introduced legislation to strengthen and clarify the laws that require schools to report these incidents. The bill did not pass - so the law continues to be unclear for schools.

"Every parent wants to know that their schools are as safe as possible," Garrett said, "and really what this bill did, was to find a way to ensure that every step was being taken to make sure that if there are issues, we're going to find out about them and we're going to share those issues with people who need to know."

"It's the parents that can lean on those legislators to create consequences when the law isn't followed," said Reid-Niemiec. "It's the parents that can lean on their school boards when they're up for election, to ask 'what are you going to do to keep our children safe?'"

"I would like to see another legislator pick up this proposal and do something with it," said Garrett. "If it passes the Senate with everybody voting yes, we should be able to get this done

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Many-Chicago-Schools-Not-Reporting-Gun-Violence-Incidents-247190441.html#ixzz2vJbnkmkd

If you wish to check School Incident Reporting System  go to:  http://www.isbe.state.il.us/research/htmls/sch_incident.htm  and you we see the following: 

Click on the “Student Incident Report by Month and Year”.  Using “2014” you will find that Rockford District 205, Hononegah, Harvard, DeKalb and City of Chicago Schools all reported incidents.

Grand Total of all schools reporting:

Attacks Against School Personnel------------------------280

Incidents Involving Drugs--------------------------------1507

Incidents Involving Weapons-----------------------------540

 

Some monthly reports for nearby schools:

August 2013

Harvard---------------1----Incident Involving Weapons

September 2013

Rockford District 205---1---Incident Involving Drugs

Harvard------4----Attacks Against School Personnel ---1—Incident involving drugs

Hononegah, Rockton---3-----Incidents Involving Drugs

Woodstock --------------3-----Incidents Involving Drugs

October 2013

DeKalb------------------3------Incidents Involving Drugs

Harvard-----------------1-----Incident Involving Drugs

Hononegah--------------5-----Incidents Involving Drugs

Woodstock--------------3-----Incidents Involving Drugs

November 2013

DeKalb-------------------3-----Incidents Involving Drugs

Hononegah--------------4-----Incidents Involving Drugs

Woodstock--------------3-----Incidents involving Drugs

Employment Opportunities | Boone County, Illinois

Appointment Vacancies:

The following are volunteer Boards of the County of Boone that have vacancies:

Interested parties are asked to send a letter and resume expressing your interest and qualifications to Boone County Board Chairman Bob Walberg, 1212 Logan Ave., Suite 102, Belvidere, IL 61008. Please respond by March 21, 2014 to assure being considered.

Mental Health Advisory Committee
Two (2) vacancies for a term that will expire 2018

Garden Prairie Street Light District
One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire April, 2017

Boone County Fire Protection District #1
One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire the 1st Monday in May, 2017

Boone County Fire Protection District #2
One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire the 1st Monday in May, 2017

Boone County Fire Protection District #3
One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire the 1st Monday in May, 2017

Boone County Fire Protection District #5
One (1) vacancy for a term that will expire the 1st Monday in May, 2017

Employment Opportunities | Boone County, Illinois

Johnston superintendent finalists announced | The Des Moines Register | desmoinesregister.com

Mr. Houselog still looking for another job.

….The next superintendent of the approximately 6,700-student district northwest of Des Moines will take over for current Superintendent Clay Guthmiller, 62, after he retires June 30…..

The school board released the list of candidates to The Des Moines Register on Thursday.

• Michael Houselog, superintendent of the Belvidere Community Unit School District in Belvidere, Ill., oversees a $92.5 million budget, according to a news release from the Johnston school district. Houselog’s district includes two high schools, two middle schools, five elementary schools and a magnet school.

• Corey Lunn, superintendent of Stillwater Area Public Schools in Stillwater, Minn. Lunn oversees a $100 million budget, an early childhood family center, nine elementary schools, two junior high schools, two middle schools and one high school.

Click on the following for more details:  Johnston superintendent finalists announced | The Des Moines Register | desmoinesregister.com

New health insurance marketplaces signing up few uninsured Americans, two surveys find - The Washington Post

 

Only one in 10 uninsured people who qualify for private plans through the new marketplaces enrolled as of last month, one of the surveys shows. The other found that about half of uninsured adults have looked for information on the online exchanges or planned to look.

…. One of the surveys, by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., shows that among people who are uninsured and do not intend to get a health plan through one of the exchanges, the biggest factor is that they believe they cannot afford it.

Click on the following to read the whole story:  New health insurance marketplaces signing up few uninsured Americans, two surveys find - The Washington Post

Belvidere Daily Republican: Candlewick Lake Watershed plan to be finished by June 1

March 4, 2014

By Bob Balgemann

October 2012, the Candlewick Lake Association Board of Directors began pursuing the possibility of getting a planning grant through the Clean Water Act. The goal was to benefit the body of water known as Candlewick Lake as well as everything else in the watershed, including Boone Lake and Beaver Creek.

More than one year later, in December 2013, the $83,333 planning grant was approved. Sixty percent, or $50,000, would come from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with 40 percent, or $33,333, coming from Candlewick Lake through resident dues.

Now Candlewick Lake has received preliminary approval for an $80,000 implementation grant, again with a 60-40 split, to move ahead with yet-to-be-named projects aimed at improving the watershed.

Consultant Olson said the hope is to have a project ready for implementation this spring, with others to follow.

Read the rest of this article by going to:   rvpnews | Belvidere Daily Republican

Report: Exelon Warns Ill. Legislators of Possible Nuclear Plant Closures at Byron, Quad Cities and Clinton -

 

Citing off-the-record interviews and documents circulating in the state legislature, Crain's Chicago Business reported Monday that the Byron, Quad Cities and Clinton plants are at risk of closure. In addition to an abundance of natural gas holding down wholesale power prices, periods of excess wind generation can drastically cut spot prices and force reactors in the region to operate at a loss. Similar market conditions caused Dominion to close its Kewaunee plant in Wisconsin last year.

Click on the following to read the article:  Report: Exelon Warns Ill. Legislators of Possible Nuclear Plant Closures at Byron, Quad Cities and Clinton - Nuclear Power Industry News - Nuclear Power Industry News - Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Plant Portal