The article below is taken from: http://www.firstelectricnewspaper.com/2012/08/huntley-marking-trees-for-eab-removal.html
Monday, August 6, 2012
Illinois getting tougher on human trafficking - Springfield, IL -
Among other changes, the new law expands the definition of "serious harm" to include non-physical forms of coercion, like psychological intimidation or withholding a passport to keep someone in servitude.
It also lengthens the statute of limitations for prosecuting those who exploit minors.
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center says Illinois generates the fifth highest number of calls to its hotline.
NIU spokesman: police investigating secret fund
Might there be any connection with this story and an earlier Daily Chronicle story and the public comments on that story? SEE: http://district100watchdog.blogspot.com/2012/08/two-niu-administrators-leave-recently.html
NIU spokesman Paul Palian Northern Illinois University officials are investigating reports of an alleged secret bank account channeling thousands of dollars to several university workers. NIU spokesman Paul Palian confirms to WNIJ the university's police department is looking into the matter: "There is currently an investigation underway. It was launched Friday afternoon. It is an NIU police investigation." - Paul Palian, NIU spokesman NIU employees working at a campus physical plant allegedly sold scrap metal to a local company, which would write checks to an account known as the ``coffee fund.'' Electronic records show checks from the DeKalb Iron and Metal Company to the fund have totaled more than $13,000 since 2005. School officials say they have no record of such a fund.J & WNIU
Click on the following for the source of the above story: NIU spokesman: police investigating secret fund | WNIJ & WNIU
Today’s Daily Chronicle has much more detail. GO TO: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2012/08/03/niu-probes-existence-of-coffee-fund/awdfbmu/
Kunkel said several employees, mainly from NIU’s Physical Plant, have sold scrap metal from the university to DIMCO on and off for at least the past 25 years. The company’s electronic records date back to February 2005, and checks from DIMCO since that time have totaled more than $13,000.
“It’s not going back to Northern,” said Kunkel.
Kathryn Buettner, vice president of university relations, said NIU Police plan to open an investigation immediately. She said Friday was the first time she or other administrators had heard about the coffee fund and said NIU takes the allegations very seriously…..
Kunkel said employees often used university-owned vehicles to drop off the scrap, usually coming in on Saturdays; sometimes they sent family members. Kunkel said when he asked what the coffee fund was for, he was told the money was split between several workers at the Physical Plant, who sometimes used the money for cookouts, or purchased coffee and food for the office.
Kunkel said the company keeps separate accounts for different NIU funds, including the Physical Plant and telecommunications department. He said he grew suspicious years ago, when NIU employees began asking him to pay a small percentage to the university and a larger percentage to the employee who dropped off the scrap, which prompted him to contact the university.
It appears that Associated Press has picked up the story. See the Northwest Herald’s short AP Piece: http://www.nwherald.com/2012/08/06/niu-probes-existence-of-a-secret-coffee-fund/av9uru6/
Friday, August 3, 2012
Daily Chronicle | County Board contemplates transparency
Note: Boone County received a similar score.
recent D-minus grade in transparency given to DeKalb County by the Illinois Policy Institute did not sit well with some County Board members and officials, and changes could be coming.
The county had low scores in categories such as employee salary and benefit information and Freedom of Information Act standards. Although salary and FOIA information is available on the county’s website, the IPI said the site should list salary and benefits on an individual basis and have clearer information on how to contact FOIA officers…..
new state statute will require counties to list the salaries and benefits of individuals making more than $75,000, so Charles Foster, R-Shabbona, said the county might as well list every employee….
seemed open to the idea of listing the few lobbying agencies to which the county belongs, as well as those agencies that lobby the county. Statements of economic interest also could be published on the website in the future
Economy responsible for new ‘ghost towns’
Is Boone County thinking about this?
How quickly they rebound will be directly linked to the reasons the development stalled in the first place,” he said. “There’s a big difference between a development that sits 90 minutes outside a metropolitan area whose pool of buyers dried up, and a very desirable, well-located piece of land being developed by someone who got in over his head financially.
“If the project made great sense because of its amenities, location and price, it will make great sense again,” Rice predicted. “If it was a project located just another exit or two farther from the city than the last project that was built, well, I think those developments may be slower to recover — and it’s possible they may never be completed. We’ve actually seen that with some Detroit developments, where they’ve just pushed dirt over the poured foundations. They’re done
Belvidere Township’s Governance in the news again
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Belvidere Township attorney, resident disagree over accusations
Written by Bob Balgemann
Belvidere Township resident Max Newport believes the township board of trustees has violated state statutes.
Township attorney Keri-Lynn Krafthefer disagrees, saying there is no proof of that.
They exchanged those views at the board’s July 24 meeting during the public comments portion of the agenda. And the public’s ability to address the board also was criticized by Newport.
Belvidere Township’s legal fees have skyrocketed 383 percent from five years ago.
By Jennifer Wheeler
The township has been scrutinized for months with residents filing lengthy Freedom of Information Act requests and writing memos that require legal responses. People have questioned the township’s budget, public comment process and whether the government body should even exist.
Click on the following for all of this story: http://www.rrstar.com/news/x417563755/Belvidere-Township-legal-fees-spike-leaders-blame-public-scrutinynity
Boone County reconsiders electrical aggregation vote - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
By Jennifer Wheeler
Walberg speculated that the referendum failed because residents felt uninformed on the issue, did not trust the government to negotiate rates or believed they were voting on smart meters
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