dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-12--Is it time to rethink school shooting drills? Suburban districts say yes.

The nation 's two largest teachers unions want schools to revise or eliminate active shooter drills , asserting Tuesday that they can harm students ' mental health and that there are better ways to prepare for the possibility of a school shooting .
The American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association joined with the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund in calling for an end to unannounced drills or drills that simulate gun violence .
The recommendation generally drew support from several suburban school districts contacted Tuesday by the Daily Herald .
Spokesmen noted the school districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that less dramatic lockdown drills are required by state law .
Drills at Round Lake Area Unit School District 116 , for instance , are announced to teachers and students over school intercom systems before they happen and mostly consist of teachers locking classroom doors , turning off the lights and hiding with students away from the entrances , spokeswoman Heather Bennett said .
The district does not conduct drills where people pretend to be shooters , she said .
Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 officials agree 100 % with the recommendations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
District officials have a previously scheduled meeting with local police on Wednesday , and the possibility of accepting or adapting to the new recommendations is likely to be discussed , she said .
District 54 students participate in lockdown drills , but not in drills that simulate a shooter , McHugh said .
Parents are notified at the beginning of the school year that such drills will be held and are also informed on the days they occur before students return home .
The report released Tuesday recommends schools concentrate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooter incident rather than drilling students .
It also issued guidelines for schools that decide to use drills .
Those include never simulating an actual shooting ; giving parents , educators and students advance notice of any drill ; working with mental health officials to create age-appropriate and trauma-informed drills ; and tracking the effects of drills .
`` Traumatizing students as we work to keep students safe from gun violence is not the answer .
That is why if schools are going to do drills , they need to take steps to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm , '' said Lily Eskelsen Garcia , president of the National Education Association .
About 95 % of schools drilled students on lockdown procedures in the 2015-16 school year , according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics .
Illinois law requires at least one lockdown drill per school year on a day when students are present , McHugh said .
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 does organize active shooter drills for staff members and local police .
But students are deliberately excluded with the drills on institute days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Students in District 211 take part in simpler lockdown drills , he said .
Though one per year is required , the district has been holding two per year at each school .
Naperville Unit District 203 conducts announced drills as required by state law within the first 90 days of each school year , spokeswoman Sinikka Mondini said .
The district sends a follow-up message to parents each time a drill is conducted and never uses weapons , look-alike weapons or gunfire sounds during the drills .
Schools focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our students and faculty , '' Mondini said , using the ALICE method of training , which stands for Alert , Lockdown , Inform , Counter and Evacuate .
All staffers , including substitutes , have been trained , as have students in an age-appropriate manner at the elementary , junior high and high school levels , Mondini said .
A study of mass shooters from 1966 through 2019 found that nearly all were students and they exhibited warning signs before the incident .
The national report recommends schools create threat assessment programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent behavior and to providing students with appropriate treatment .
Cory Fink , District 116 's coordinator of crisis and safety , said he will complete the district 's first threat assessment manual by the end of the month .
`` It would be up to the team to intervene and come up with the best safety plan for the student at that time , '' Fink said .
`` The best practice is getting everyone on the same page and communicating . ''
• Daily Herald staff writers Eric Peterson , Doug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .

Is it time to rethink school shooting drills? Suburban districts say yes.
The nation's two largest teachers unions want schools to revise or eliminate active shooter drills, asserting Tuesday that they can harm students' mental health and that there are better ways to prepare for the possibility of a school shooting.
The American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association joined with the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund in calling for an end to unannounced drills or drills that simulate gun violence.
The recommendation generally drew support from several suburban school districts contacted Tuesday by the Daily Herald. Spokesmen noted the school districts already avoid those types of drills but that less dramatic lockdown drills are required by state law.
Drills at Round Lake Area Unit School District 116, for instance, are announced to teachers and students over school intercom systems before they happen and mostly consist of teachers locking classroom doors, turning off the lights and hiding with students away from the entrances, spokeswoman Heather Bennett said. The district does not conduct drills where people pretend to be shooters, she said.
Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 officials agree 100% with the recommendations, Executive Director of Community Relations Terri McHugh said. District officials have a previously scheduled meeting with local police on Wednesday, and the possibility of accepting or adapting to the new recommendations is likely to be discussed, she said.
District 54 students participate in lockdown drills, but not in drills that simulate a shooter, McHugh said. Parents are notified at the beginning of the school year that such drills will be held and are also informed on the days they occur before students return home.
The report released Tuesday recommends schools concentrate on training teachers to respond to an active shooter incident rather than drilling students. It also issued guidelines for schools that decide to use drills. Those include never simulating an actual shooting; giving parents, educators and students advance notice of any drill; working with mental health officials to create age-appropriate and trauma-informed drills; and tracking the effects of drills.
"Traumatizing students as we work to keep students safe from gun violence is not the answer. That is why if schools are going to do drills, they need to take steps to ensure the drills do more good than harm," said Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association.
About 95% of schools drilled students on lockdown procedures in the 2015-16 school year, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics.
Illinois law requires at least one lockdown drill per school year on a day when students are present, McHugh said.
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 does organize active shooter drills for staff members and local police. But students are deliberately excluded with the drills on institute days, Director of Community Relations Tom Petersen said.
Students in District 211 take part in simpler lockdown drills, he said. Though one per year is required, the district has been holding two per year at each school.
Naperville Unit District 203 conducts announced drills as required by state law within the first 90 days of each school year, spokeswoman Sinikka Mondini said. The district sends a follow-up message to parents each time a drill is conducted and never uses weapons, look-alike weapons or gunfire sounds during the drills.
Schools focus on "preparing a mindset of awareness in our students and faculty," Mondini said, using the ALICE method of training, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. All staffers, including substitutes, have been trained, as have students in an age-appropriate manner at the elementary, junior high and high school levels, Mondini said.
A study of mass shooters from 1966 through 2019 found that nearly all were students and they exhibited warning signs before the incident. The national report recommends schools create threat assessment programs and teams to identify and address potential violent behavior and to providing students with appropriate treatment.
Cory Fink, District 116's coordinator of crisis and safety, said he will complete the district's first threat assessment manual by the end of the month. "It would be up to the team to intervene and come up with the best safety plan for the student at that time," Fink said. "The best practice is getting everyone on the same page and communicating."
• Daily Herald staff writers Eric Peterson, Doug T. Graham and Marie Wilson contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-11--Back to guilty: Judge vacates the vacation of Harvest Bible youth minister's conviction

Just three months ago , Kane County Judge Michael Noland found former Harvest Bible Chapel youth minister Paxton Singer of Sugar Grove guilty of disorderly conduct .
That was on Nov. 13 .
Then , nine days later , Noland surprised everyone when he responded to a routine request by Singer 's attorneys to vacate the conviction by doing just that and agreeing to order a new trial .
On Tuesday , the case took another twist when Noland vacated the vacation .
The end result is that Singer is back to being deemed guilty of disturbing and alarming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the text messages he and the 15-year-old boy exchanged .
`` His ruling was absolutely absurd , '' Singer 's attorney , Terry Ekl , said after Tuesday 's hearing .
`` It can not be sustained on appeal . ''
Ekl had argued in a motion to dismiss the case that Noland ordered a new trial not because of an error during the proceedings , but because the judge believed the evidence fell short of convicting Singer beyond a reasonable doubt .
`` The court 's remedy , allowing the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amending the complaint , speaks volumes .
The court , based on the transcript , is giving the state another chance to 'right the ship ' because at the end of the proofs during the first trial , their attempt to convict the defendant was dead in the water , '' Ekl 's motion read .
Ekl thus concluded Noland `` implicitly felt that the evidence was insufficient . ''
Noland denied Ekl 's motion to dismiss the case , and affirmed his previous decision to find Singer guilty .
Prosecutors urged Noland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , arguing in their motion that it would not violate Singer 's protection against double jeopardy .
`` The defendant 's convictions were not reversed on appeal for insufficiency of the evidence nor was he intentionally provoked into requesting a mistrial by conduct of the state or the court .
The defendant was granted a new trial ( by ) his request , '' read part of a motion filed by Assistant State 's Attorney Lori Schmidt .
`` The court was very clear in his findings that the granting of the motion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on insufficiency of the evidence , therefore the law of double jeopardy does not apply in his case as a bar to further prosecution . ''
Asking for a new trial is a routine procedural step needed for appealing a decision to a state appellate court .
Singer was charged in October 2018 with two misdemeanors : disorderly conduct and sexual exploitation of a child .
Noland found him not guilty of the sexual exploitation charge .
The disorderly conduct alleges that the parents of the victim became alarmed when they saw text @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned Singer had asked the boy to stay overnight at Singer 's residence .
Singer is due to be sentenced April 16 .
He could receive up to 30 days in jail .

Back to guilty: Judge vacates the vacation of Harvest Bible youth minister's conviction
Just three months ago, Kane County Judge Michael Noland found former Harvest Bible Chapel youth minister Paxton Singer of Sugar Grove guilty of disorderly conduct.
That was on Nov. 13. Then, nine days later, Noland surprised everyone when he responded to a routine request by Singer's attorneys to vacate the conviction by doing just that and agreeing to order a new trial.
On Tuesday, the case took another twist when Noland vacated the vacation. The end result is that Singer is back to being deemed guilty of disturbing and alarming the parents of one of his teenage congregants with the text messages he and the 15-year-old boy exchanged.
"His ruling was absolutely absurd," Singer's attorney, Terry Ekl, said after Tuesday's hearing. "It cannot be sustained on appeal."
Ekl had argued in a motion to dismiss the case that Noland ordered a new trial not because of an error during the proceedings, but because the judge believed the evidence fell short of convicting Singer beyond a reasonable doubt.
"The court's remedy, allowing the state to try it one more time after amending the complaint, speaks volumes. The court, based on the transcript, is giving the state another chance to 'right the ship' because at the end of the proofs during the first trial, their attempt to convict the defendant was dead in the water," Ekl's motion read.
Ekl thus concluded Noland "implicitly felt that the evidence was insufficient."
Noland denied Ekl's motion to dismiss the case, and affirmed his previous decision to find Singer guilty.
Prosecutors urged Noland to move forward with the second trial, arguing in their motion that it would not violate Singer's protection against double jeopardy.
"The defendant's convictions were not reversed on appeal for insufficiency of the evidence nor was he intentionally provoked into requesting a mistrial by conduct of the state or the court. The defendant was granted a new trial (by) his request," read part of a motion filed by Assistant State's Attorney Lori Schmidt.
"The court was very clear in his findings that the granting of the motion for a new trial was not based on insufficiency of the evidence, therefore the law of double jeopardy does not apply in his case as a bar to further prosecution."
Asking for a new trial is a routine procedural step needed for appealing a decision to a state appellate court.
Singer was charged in October 2018 with two misdemeanors: disorderly conduct and sexual exploitation of a child. Noland found him not guilty of the sexual exploitation charge.
The disorderly conduct alleges that the parents of the victim became alarmed when they saw text messages about masturbation, and when they learned Singer had asked the boy to stay overnight at Singer's residence.
Singer is due to be sentenced April 16. He could receive up to 30 days in jail.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-11--Jussie Smollett faces new charges; Foxx questions timing

CHICAGO -- Actor Jussie Smollett was indicted Tuesday for a second time on charges of lying to police about a racist and anti-gay attack he allegedly staged on himself in downtown Chicago , renewing a divisive criminal case that drew worldwide attention last year .
The indictment came from a special prosecutor who was appointed after Cook County prosecutors dropped the same charges last March .
The new charges were sure to reignite many of the tensions that surrounded Smollett a year ago .
When his claims first emerged , he drew a groundswell of support from fans and celebrities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack .
The case came to reflect the polarized state of political discourse in America .
Many Democrats initially called it a shocking instance of Trump-era racism and hate , while Republicans depicted it as yet another example of liberals rushing to judgment and disparaging the president 's supporters as bigots .
Special prosecutor Dan Webb said in a statement that Smollett faces six felony counts of disorderly conduct , charges that stem from four separate false reports that he gave to police in which he contended he was a victim of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not the victim of a crime . ''
The statement immediately raised questions about county prosecutors ' decision to drop the charges and made it clear that those prosecutors had not adequately explained to special prosecutors why they did so .
But Webb stressed that he had reached no conclusions about whether anyone involved in the case had engaged in any wrongdoing .
Smollett , who is black and gay , was originally charged with disorderly conduct in February 2019 for allegedly staging the attack and lying about it to investigators .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with little explanation , angering police officials and then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel .
The indictment `` raises serious questions about the integrity of the investigation that led to the renewed charges '' Glandian said , citing the use of the same detectives who were part of the original investigation into the attack to conduct the latest probe , despite Smollett 's pending civil claims against the city and police officers for malicious prosecution .
He is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Feb. 24 .
Smollett told police he was walking home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when two masked men approached him , made racist and homophobic insults , beat him and looped a noose around his neck before fleeing .
He said his assailants , at least one of whom he described as white , told him he was in `` MAGA country '' -- a reference to President Donald Trump 's campaign slogan , `` Make America Great Again . ''
Several weeks later , authorities alleged that Smollett had paid two black friends $ 3,500 to help him stage the attack because he was unhappy with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Empire , '' a Fox series about that follows a black family as they navigate the ups and downs of the recording industry .
Smollett was accused of using the scheme to drum up publicity for his career .
A judge in August appointed Webb , a former U.S. attorney , to look into why the original charges were dropped .
Webb also was investigating whether phone calls that Cook County State 's Attorney Kim Foxx had with a Smollett relative and a former aide of former first lady Michelle Obama unduly influenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recused herself from the case but continued to weigh in .
At the time , Judge Michael Toomin , who assigned the case to Webb , raised the possibility that Smollett could be charged again .
According to the judge and attorneys , double jeopardy does not apply because Smollett was never prosecuted .
In his news release , Webb said he concluded that prosecuting Smollett was `` in the interest of justice '' for a number of reasons , including the extensive details of Smollett 's false account as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigation .
When the first indictment against Smollett was returned , Webb wrote , the state 's attorney 's office had concluded that the evidence in the case was `` strong . ''
But the office failed to offer any new evidence to explain why authorities dropped the charges just a few weeks later , Webb said .
Further , Webb took issue with an assertion in a news release issued when the charges were dropped that Smollett had not received special treatment and that the case was resolved `` under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any defendant with similar circumstances . ''
Webb asked for but never received any examples of other such cases , he wrote .
The city has sued Smollett , seeking reimbursement of more than $ 130,000 for overtime paid to officers who were involved in investigating Smollett 's report .
Smollett 's attorneys have said the city should not be allowed to recover costs from Smollett because it accepted $ 10,000 from the actor `` as payment in full in connection with the dismissal of the charges against him . ''
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if convicted .
When he was originally charged with disorderly conduct , it was reported that he could be placed on probation or sent to prison for one to three years per count .
Smollett 's case has become an issue in Foxx 's bid for a second term .
Those looking to unseat the first black woman to hold the county 's highest law enforcement position , have blasted her handling of the matter as haphazard and indecisive .
They say it indicates she has bad judgment and favors the rich and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Foxx 's campaign committee issued a biting statement Tuesday referring to former FBI Director James Comey 's decision to briefly reopen an investigation into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton 's email shortly before the presidential election in 2016 that Donald Trump would win .
`` What 's questionable here is the James Comey-like timing of that charging decision '' …which can only be interpreted as the further politicization of the justice system , something voters in the era of Donald Trump should consider offensive , '' the statement from Friends for Foxx said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the eve of the Cook County State 's Attorney election is clearly all about politics not justice , '' she said .
Smollett , 37 , has not had any notable film or television roles announced since his departure from the TV series was made public in April 2019 .
Producers have the option to bring him back during the sixth and final season but have said they have no plans to do so .
`` Empire '' has 10 episodes left .
It is scheduled to return March 3 .

Jussie Smollett faces new charges; Foxx questions timing
CHICAGO -- Actor Jussie Smollett was indicted Tuesday for a second time on charges of lying to police about a racist and anti-gay attack he allegedly staged on himself in downtown Chicago, renewing a divisive criminal case that drew worldwide attention last year.
The indictment came from a special prosecutor who was appointed after Cook County prosecutors dropped the same charges last March.
The new charges were sure to reignite many of the tensions that surrounded Smollett a year ago. When his claims first emerged, he drew a groundswell of support from fans and celebrities and gave an emotional television interview about the attack.
The case came to reflect the polarized state of political discourse in America. Many Democrats initially called it a shocking instance of Trump-era racism and hate, while Republicans depicted it as yet another example of liberals rushing to judgment and disparaging the president's supporters as bigots.
Special prosecutor Dan Webb said in a statement that Smollett faces six felony counts of disorderly conduct, charges that stem from four separate false reports that he gave to police in which he contended he was a victim of a hate crime "knowing that he was not the victim of a crime."
The statement immediately raised questions about county prosecutors' decision to drop the charges and made it clear that those prosecutors had not adequately explained to special prosecutors why they did so. But Webb stressed that he had reached no conclusions about whether anyone involved in the case had engaged in any wrongdoing.
Smollett, who is black and gay, was originally charged with disorderly conduct in February 2019 for allegedly staging the attack and lying about it to investigators. The allegations were dropped the following month with little explanation, angering police officials and then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Tina Glandian, Smollett's attorney, questioned Webb's decision to file new charges.
The indictment "raises serious questions about the integrity of the investigation that led to the renewed charges" Glandian said, citing the use of the same detectives who were part of the original investigation into the attack to conduct the latest probe, despite Smollett's pending civil claims against the city and police officers for malicious prosecution.
He is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Feb. 24.
Smollett told police he was walking home early on Jan. 29, 2019, when two masked men approached him, made racist and homophobic insults, beat him and looped a noose around his neck before fleeing. He said his assailants, at least one of whom he described as white, told him he was in "MAGA country" -- a reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again."
Several weeks later, authorities alleged that Smollett had paid two black friends $3,500 to help him stage the attack because he was unhappy with his salary as an actor on "Empire," a Fox series about that follows a black family as they navigate the ups and downs of the recording industry. Smollett was accused of using the scheme to drum up publicity for his career.
A judge in August appointed Webb, a former U.S. attorney, to look into why the original charges were dropped. Webb also was investigating whether phone calls that Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx had with a Smollett relative and a former aide of former first lady Michelle Obama unduly influenced the decision to drop charges. Foxx recused herself from the case but continued to weigh in.
At the time, Judge Michael Toomin, who assigned the case to Webb, raised the possibility that Smollett could be charged again. According to the judge and attorneys, double jeopardy does not apply because Smollett was never prosecuted.
In his news release, Webb said he concluded that prosecuting Smollett was "in the interest of justice" for a number of reasons, including the extensive details of Smollett's false account as well as the resources that the police department threw at the investigation.
When the first indictment against Smollett was returned, Webb wrote, the state's attorney's office had concluded that the evidence in the case was "strong." But the office failed to offer any new evidence to explain why authorities dropped the charges just a few weeks later, Webb said.
Further, Webb took issue with an assertion in a news release issued when the charges were dropped that Smollett had not received special treatment and that the case was resolved "under the same criteria that would be available for any defendant with similar circumstances." Webb asked for but never received any examples of other such cases, he wrote.
The city has sued Smollett, seeking reimbursement of more than $130,000 for overtime paid to officers who were involved in investigating Smollett's report. Smollett's attorneys have said the city should not be allowed to recover costs from Smollett because it accepted $10,000 from the actor "as payment in full in connection with the dismissal of the charges against him."
It was not immediately clear what sentence Smollett faces if convicted. When he was originally charged with disorderly conduct, it was reported that he could be placed on probation or sent to prison for one to three years per count.
Smollett's case has become an issue in Foxx's bid for a second term. Those looking to unseat the first black woman to hold the county's highest law enforcement position, have blasted her handling of the matter as haphazard and indecisive. They say it indicates she has bad judgment and favors the rich and powerful in deciding who will be prosecuted.
Foxx's campaign committee issued a biting statement Tuesday referring to former FBI Director James Comey's decision to briefly reopen an investigation into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's email shortly before the presidential election in 2016 that Donald Trump would win.
"What's questionable here is the James Comey-like timing of that charging decision"…which can only be interpreted as the further politicization of the justice system, something voters in the era of Donald Trump should consider offensive," the statement from Friends for Foxx said.
Smollett's attorney also raised political implications.
The attempt to re-prosecute Smollett "on the eve of the Cook County State's Attorney election is clearly all about politics not justice," she said.
Smollett, 37, has not had any notable film or television roles announced since his departure from the TV series was made public in April 2019. Producers have the option to bring him back during the sixth and final season but have said they have no plans to do so.
"Empire" has 10 episodes left. It is scheduled to return March 3.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-11--Epstein denies he was control freak when Maddon was in Cubs' dugout

MESA , Ariz. -- Flying in from Chicago Monday and spending most of Tuesday morning in staff meetings to prepare for spring training , Cubs president Theo Epstein said he did n't have the time to take a look at major-league baseball 's reported proposal to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 14 in beginning in 2022 .
Epstein was able to absorb some strong words from Joe Maddon , who exited as Cubs manager at the end of last season .
In an interview with ESPN , Maddon said Epstein wanted to `` change everything , '' during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dugout .
`` Philosophically , Theo needed to do what he needed to do separately , '' Maddon said .
`` At some point , I began to interfere with his train of thought a little bit .
And it 's not that I 'm hard-headed .
I 'm inclusive .
`` But when I started there , ( 20 ) 15 , '16 , '17 , it was pretty much my methods .
And then all of a sudden , after '18 going into '19 , they wanted to change everything .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Epstein seemed to be somewhat stunned by Maddon 's remarks .
`` I 'm going to take the high road here , and that 's easy for me to do because I love Joe and I value our friendship and I 've got nothing but respect and appreciation for what he brought to the Cubs , '' Epstein said .
`` Nobody on the planet , and I 've said this before , nobody on the planet could 've done what he did those first couple years .
`` Changing the whole mindset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially the young guys -- to be themselves and be comfortable and thrive . ''
After heaping praise on Maddon , Epstein strongly denied he ever pushed his manager to change .
`` I guess I 'll just say that this is my 29th season in major-league baseball , it 's my 18th running a team , '' Epstein said .
`` I can guarantee you that I 've never wanted to get involved in running the clubhouse , I 've never wanted to infringe on a manager 's authority .
I 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hire or fire a coach .
I guess with one exception , due to some off-field issues , I had to get involved .
`` I 'm a firm believer that it 's the manager who has to help define the culture around the major-league team .
The manager has to be a leader of the clubhouse .
The manager has to set expectations and hold players accountable to certain basic organizational standards for preparation and for work and for behavior .
Teams run best when that 's from the manager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not from the front office .
`` I have no interest in usurping a manager 's power or authority or place running the team .
I can only succeed doing my job if we have a strong manager who 's empowered in that clubhouse . ''

Epstein denies he was control freak when Maddon was in Cubs' dugout
Cubs president Theo Epstein said he had no hard feelings after ex-manager Joe Maddon said some critical comments in a radio interview. Associated Press File Photo
MESA, Ariz. -- Flying in from Chicago on Monday and spending most of Tuesday morning in staff meetings to prepare for spring training, Cubs president Theo Epstein said he didn't have the time to take a look at major-league baseball's reported proposal to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 14 in beginning in 2022.
Epstein was able to absorb some strong words from Joe Maddon, who exited as Cubs manager at the end of last season.
In an interview with ESPN, Maddon said Epstein wanted to "change everything," during his final year in the Cubs' dugout.
"Philosophically, Theo needed to do what he needed to do separately," Maddon said. "At some point, I began to interfere with his train of thought a little bit. And it's not that I'm hard-headed. I'm inclusive.
"But when I started there, (20)15, '16, '17, it was pretty much my methods. And then all of a sudden, after '18 going into '19, they wanted to change everything."
Instead of lashing right back, Epstein seemed to be somewhat stunned by Maddon's remarks.
"I'm going to take the high road here, and that's easy for me to do because I love Joe and I value our friendship and I've got nothing but respect and appreciation for what he brought to the Cubs," Epstein said. "Nobody on the planet, and I've said this before, nobody on the planet could've done what he did those first couple years.
"Changing the whole mindset, raising expectations, getting players -- especially the young guys -- to be themselves and be comfortable and thrive."
After heaping praise on Maddon, Epstein strongly denied he ever pushed his manager to change.
"I guess I'll just say that this is my 29th season in major-league baseball, it's my 18th running a team," Epstein said.
"I can guarantee you that I've never wanted to get involved in running the clubhouse, I've never wanted to infringe on a manager's authority. I've never told a manager that he had to hire or fire a coach. I guess with one exception, due to some off-field issues, I had to get involved.
"I'm a firm believer that it's the manager who has to help define the culture around the major-league team. The manager has to be a leader of the clubhouse. The manager has to set expectations and hold players accountable to certain basic organizational standards for preparation and for work and for behavior. Teams run best when that's from the manager, the coaching staff and the players, and not from the front office.
"I have no interest in usurping a manager's power or authority or place running the team. I can only succeed doing my job if we have a strong manager who's empowered in that clubhouse."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-11--Sanders edges Buttigieg to win New Hampshire

MANCHESTER , N.H. -- Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire 's presidential primary election Tuesday night , narrowly edging moderate rival Pete Buttigieg and scoring the first clear victory in the Democratic Party 's chaotic 2020 nomination fight .
In his win , the 78-year-old Sanders , a self-described democratic socialist , beat back a strong challenger from the 38-year-old former Midwestern mayor -- two men representing different generations and wings of their party .
`` This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump , '' Sanders declared .
As Sanders and Buttigieg celebrated , an unexpectedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a path out of New Hampshire as the contest moves on to the string of state-by-state primary contests that lie ahead .
Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren posted disappointing results and were on track to finish with zero delegates from the state .
The New Hampshire vote made clear that the early days of the Democratic contest will be a battle largely between two men four decades apart in age and ideological opposites .
Sanders is a leading progressive voice , calling for substantial government intervention in health care and other sectors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more incremental changes , giving Americans the option of retaining their private health insurance and making a point of appealing to Republicans and independents who may be dissatisfied with Trump .
`` Thanks to you , a campaign that some said should n't be here at all has shown that we are here to stay , '' Buttigieg told cheering supporters .
Yet Sanders and Buttigieg enter the next phase of the campaign in different political positions .
While Warren made clear she will remain in the race , Sanders , well-financed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is quickly becoming the leader of the progressive wing of the party .
Meanwhile , Buttigieg still has moderate rivals to contend with , including Klobuchar , whose standout debate performance led to a late surge in New Hampshire .
Biden promises strength in upcoming South Carolina , while former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was not on Tuesday 's ballot but looms next month .
After a chaotic beginning to primary voting last week in Iowa , Democrats hoped New Hampshire would provide clarity in their urgent quest to pick someone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least two candidates dropped out in the wake of weak finishes Tuesday night : just-the-facts moderate Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and political newcomer Andrew Yang , who attracted a small but loyal following over the past year and was one of just three candidates of color left in the race .
While struggling candidates sought to minimize the latest results , history suggests that the first-in-the-nation primary will have enormous influence shaping the 2020 race .
In the modern era , no Democrat has ever become the party 's general election nominee without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The action was on the Democratic side , but Trump easily won New Hampshire 's Republican primary .
He was facing token opposition from former Massachusetts Gov .
Bill Weld .
Warren , among the front-runners for months , offered an optimistic outlook as she faced cheering supporters , `` Our campaign is built for the long haul , and we are just getting started . ''
Despite an embarrassing defeat that raised questions about her path forward , Warren vowed to move trudge on .
`` Our campaign is built for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just getting started , '' she declared .
Having already predicted he would `` take a hit '' in New Hampshire after a distant fourth-place finish in Iowa , Biden essentially ceded the state .
He traveled to South Carolina Tuesday as he bet his candidacy on a strong showing there later this month boosted by support from black voters .
He was not on the ballot , but Bloomberg , a New York billionaire , loomed over the New Hampshire contest as moderates failed to embrace a single alternative to Sanders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ skipping all four states that vote this month in favor of dozens of delegate-rich contests in March .
He 's already devoted hundreds of millions of dollars to the effort .
Bloomberg returns to the campaign trail Wednesday with stops in Tennessee but will face fresh scrutiny after audio emerged on Tuesday raising new questions about his support for New York 's controversial stop-and-frisk policy found to disproportionately target people of color .
Sanders and Buttigieg were on track to win the same number of New Hampshire delegates with most of the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Warren , Biden and the rest of the field were shut out , failing to reach the 15 % threshold needed for delegates .
AP has allocated six delegates each to Sanders and Buttigieg and four to Klobuchar with eight still to be called .
After Iowa and New Hampshire , Buttigieg held a one delegate lead over Sanders with one Iowa delegate yet to be allocated and Buttigieg leading ever so slightly in that contested count .
Klobuchar now joins a close knot in a second tier with Warren and Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders .
Democrats were closely monitoring how many people showed up for Tuesday 's contest .
New Hampshire 's secretary of state predicated record-high turnout , but if that failed to materialize , Democrats would confront the prospect of waning enthusiasm following a relatively weak showing in Iowa last week and Trump 's rising poll numbers .
The political spotlight quickly shifts to Nevada , where Democrats will hold caucuses on Feb. 22 .
But several candidates , including Warren and Sanders , plan to visit states in the coming days that vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the race for the long haul .
Peoples reported from Washington .
Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington , Will Weissert , Holly Ramer and Thomas Beaumont contributed from New Hampshire .
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast , `` Ground Game . ''

Sanders edges Buttigieg to win New Hampshire
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, meets with voters Tuesday outside a polling place in Manchester, New Hampshire. Associated Press
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, speaks Monday during a campaign event at Exeter Town Hall in Exeter, New Hampshire. Associated Press
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks Monday to supporters at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral during a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire. Associated Press
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent, stands on stage with his wife, Jane Sanders after speaking Monday at a campaign stop at the Whittemore Center Arena at the University of New Hampshirein Durham. Associated Press
Samantha Murch accompanied by her two boys, Alexander, 8, center, and Jacob, 11, left, votes Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary at Bishop O'Neill Youth Center, in Manchester. Associated Press
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., accompanied by his wife Jane Sanders, depart after meeting at McDonough School, in Manchester, N.H., Tuesday. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire's presidential primary election Tuesday night, narrowly edging moderate rival Pete Buttigieg and scoring the first clear victory in the Democratic Party's chaotic 2020 nomination fight.
In his win, the 78-year-old Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, beat back a strong challenger from the 38-year-old former Midwestern mayor -- two men representing different generations and wings of their party.
"This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump," Sanders declared.
As Sanders and Buttigieg celebrated, an unexpectedly strong performance from Amy Klobuchar gave her a path out of New Hampshire as the contest moves on to the string of state-by-state primary contests that lie ahead. Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren posted disappointing results and were on track to finish with zero delegates from the state.
The New Hampshire vote made clear that the early days of the Democratic contest will be a battle largely between two men four decades apart in age and ideological opposites. Sanders is a leading progressive voice, calling for substantial government intervention in health care and other sectors of the economy. Buttigieg has pressed for more incremental changes, giving Americans the option of retaining their private health insurance and making a point of appealing to Republicans and independents who may be dissatisfied with Trump.
"Thanks to you, a campaign that some said shouldn't be here at all has shown that we are here to stay," Buttigieg told cheering supporters.
Yet Sanders and Buttigieg enter the next phase of the campaign in different political positions.
While Warren made clear she will remain in the race, Sanders, well-financed and with an ardent army of supporters, is quickly becoming the leader of the progressive wing of the party.
Meanwhile, Buttigieg still has moderate rivals to contend with, including Klobuchar, whose standout debate performance led to a late surge in New Hampshire. Biden promises strength in upcoming South Carolina, while former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was not on Tuesday's ballot but looms next month.
After a chaotic beginning to primary voting last week in Iowa, Democrats hoped New Hampshire would provide clarity in their urgent quest to pick someone to take on Trump in November. At least two candidates dropped out in the wake of weak finishes Tuesday night: just-the-facts moderate Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and political newcomer Andrew Yang, who attracted a small but loyal following over the past year and was one of just three candidates of color left in the race.
While struggling candidates sought to minimize the latest results, history suggests that the first-in-the-nation primary will have enormous influence shaping the 2020 race. In the modern era, no Democrat has ever become the party's general election nominee without finishing first or second in New Hampshire.
The action was on the Democratic side, but Trump easily won New Hampshire's Republican primary. He was facing token opposition from former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.
Warren, among the front-runners for months, offered an optimistic outlook as she faced cheering supporters, "Our campaign is built for the long haul, and we are just getting started."
Despite an embarrassing defeat that raised questions about her path forward, Warren vowed to move trudge on.
"Our campaign is built for the long haul, and we are just getting started," she declared.
Having already predicted he would "take a hit" in New Hampshire after a distant fourth-place finish in Iowa, Biden essentially ceded the state. He traveled to South Carolina Tuesday as he bet his candidacy on a strong showing there later this month boosted by support from black voters.
He was not on the ballot, but Bloomberg, a New York billionaire, loomed over the New Hampshire contest as moderates failed to embrace a single alternative to Sanders. The former New York City mayor was skipping all four states that vote this month in favor of dozens of delegate-rich contests in March. He's already devoted hundreds of millions of dollars to the effort.
Bloomberg returns to the campaign trail Wednesday with stops in Tennessee but will face fresh scrutiny after audio emerged on Tuesday raising new questions about his support for New York's controversial stop-and-frisk policy found to disproportionately target people of color.
Sanders and Buttigieg were on track to win the same number of New Hampshire delegates with most of the vote tallied, and Klobuchar a few behind. Warren, Biden and the rest of the field were shut out, failing to reach the 15% threshold needed for delegates.
AP has allocated six delegates each to Sanders and Buttigieg and four to Klobuchar with eight still to be called.
After Iowa and New Hampshire, Buttigieg held a one delegate lead over Sanders with one Iowa delegate yet to be allocated and Buttigieg leading ever so slightly in that contested count. Klobuchar now joins a close knot in a second tier with Warren and Biden, about ten delegates behind the two leaders.
Democrats were closely monitoring how many people showed up for Tuesday's contest. New Hampshire's secretary of state predicated record-high turnout, but if that failed to materialize, Democrats would confront the prospect of waning enthusiasm following a relatively weak showing in Iowa last week and Trump's rising poll numbers.
The political spotlight quickly shifts to Nevada, where Democrats will hold caucuses on Feb. 22. But several candidates, including Warren and Sanders, plan to visit states in the coming days that vote on Super Tuesday, signaling they are in the race for the long haul.
Peoples reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington, Will Weissert, Holly Ramer and Thomas Beaumont contributed from New Hampshire.
Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, "Ground Game."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-11--Police: 93% of cars stolen in Naperville were unlocked

The `` lock it or lose it '' lesson police have been promoting in Naperville might not have sunk in for the vast majority of residents who had their cars stolen last year .
That 's because there was no sign of forced entry in 93 % of motor vehicle thefts in 2019 , police said Tuesday as they released last year 's crime data .
That means the cars in those cases were unlocked .
Investigators also found no signs of forced entry in 77 % of burglaries to motor vehicles , 75 % of residential burglaries and 48 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've heard many times us talking about 'lock it or lose it , ' '' Police Chief Robert Marshall said .
`` We are still seeing a significant increase in burglaries from unlocked cars and unlocked homes . ''
Why ?
One offender who was found victimizing homes off Hobson Road on the city 's east side told investigators it 's because suburban areas where doors are unlocked are `` easy pickings , '' Marshall said .
The city reported 73 motor vehicle thefts in 2019 , 210 burglaries to motor vehicles and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ categories saw decreases from 2018 , when there were 312 burglaries to motor vehicles and 176 burglaries .
But motor vehicle thefts occurred more often in 2019 than in 2018 , when 68 cars were reported stolen .
Police were surprised to find through analytics efforts conducted by a newly formed administrative services division just how often these stolen cars were left unlocked .
`` We knew the amount of motor vehicles that were being stolen was high that were unlocked , but we did n't know it was 93 % , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So that was one thing we were shocked by . ''
Police are renewing their calls for people to `` fortify your house in any way you can , '' Deputy Chief Jason Arres said .
That includes locking doors of cars that are left on driveways and removing garage-door openers from them , locking cars that are inside garages , and locking access doors from garages to homes .
`` At least you can prevent that next step of someone entering your home , '' Arres said .
Other crime prevention measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and installing a security camera system and posting a sign about it .
Police encourage residents to call them whenever there is suspicious behavior -- without worrying about being a nuisance .
`` Bother us .
That 's our job , '' Arres said .
`` Our job is to serve the residents of this community .
You are not a bother to the men and women who are responding to these calls .
That 's what we need to do because that 's what 's going to help us catch these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents . ''

Police: 93% of cars stolen in Naperville were unlocked
The "lock it or lose it" lesson police have been promoting in Naperville might not have sunk in for the vast majority of residents who had their cars stolen last year.
That's because there was no sign of forced entry in 93% of motor vehicle thefts in 2019, police said Tuesday as they released last year's crime data. That means the cars in those cases were unlocked.
Investigators also found no signs of forced entry in 77% of burglaries to motor vehicles, 75% of residential burglaries and 48% of commercial burglaries.
"You've heard many times us talking about 'lock it or lose it,'" Police Chief Robert Marshall said. "We are still seeing a significant increase in burglaries from unlocked cars and unlocked homes."
Why? One offender who was found victimizing homes off Hobson Road on the city's east side told investigators it's because suburban areas where doors are unlocked are "easy pickings," Marshall said.
The city reported 73 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, 210 burglaries to motor vehicles and 155 burglaries.
Two of the crime categories saw decreases from 2018, when there were 312 burglaries to motor vehicles and 176 burglaries. But motor vehicle thefts occurred more often in 2019 than in 2018, when 68 cars were reported stolen.
Police were surprised to find through analytics efforts conducted by a newly formed administrative services division just how often these stolen cars were left unlocked.
"We knew the amount of motor vehicles that were being stolen was high that were unlocked, but we didn't know it was 93%," Cmdr. Mike Son said. "So that was one thing we were shocked by."
Police are renewing their calls for people to "fortify your house in any way you can," Deputy Chief Jason Arres said.
That includes locking doors of cars that are left on driveways and removing garage-door openers from them, locking cars that are inside garages, and locking access doors from garages to homes.
"At least you can prevent that next step of someone entering your home," Arres said.
Other crime prevention measures include keeping on interior and exterior lights, and installing a security camera system and posting a sign about it. Police encourage residents to call them whenever there is suspicious behavior -- without worrying about being a nuisance.
"Bother us. That's our job," Arres said. "Our job is to serve the residents of this community. You are not a bother to the men and women who are responding to these calls. That's what we need to do because that's what's going to help us catch these criminals that are coming in and victimizing residents."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-12--First snow, then arctic cold in our forecast. Winter weather advisory expanded.

A winter weather advisory has been expanded to include Cook , DuPage and Kane counties .
Snow should move into @ @ @ @ @ continue into Thursday , the National Weather Service is forecasting .
Some areas could see @ @ @ @ @ of snow by the time the storm moves out of the area .
Wind gusts @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday could lead to blowing snow in some open areas as well .
The @ @ @ @ @ and areas south of I-80 .
The advisory runs from 4 p.m. today until noon @ @ @ @ @ moves out of the area , the cold will sweep in .
Temps should drop @ @ @ @ @ with highs in the low 20s .
Windchills early Friday could drop as low as @ @ @ @ @ in some areas .
Highs on Friday will be in the teens , with lows @ @ @ @ @ should feel much warmer on Saturday , with highs in the mid-30s .

First snow, then arctic cold in our forecast. Winter weather advisory expanded.
The coldest temperatures of the year are forecast for the area Thursday night into Friday morning. Daily Herald FILE PHOTO
A winter weather advisory has been expanded to include Cook, DuPage and Kane counties.
Snow should move into the area this afternoon and continue into Thursday, the National Weather Service is forecasting.
Some areas could see as much as four inches of snow by the time the storm moves out of the area.
Wind gusts of up to 35 mph on Thursday could lead to blowing snow in some open areas as well.
The advisory originally included Will County and areas south of I-80.
The advisory runs from 4 p.m. today until noon Thursday.
After the snow moves out of the area, the cold will sweep in.
Temps should drop throughout the day Thursday, with highs in the low 20s.
Windchills early Friday could drop as low as 10 to 20 below zero in some areas.
Highs on Friday will be in the teens, with lows overnight around 7.
It should feel much warmer on Saturday, with highs in the mid-30s.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-12--Auction closes with $6 million final bid for Pheasant Run Resort

An online auction for the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles ended Wednesday with a final bid of $ 6 million .
The Ten-X Commercial real estate website indicated the resort 's undisclosed reserve -- the minimum selling price established by the seller -- had not been met , though it says a winning bidder could still be declared .
The auction on the 18.3-acre property at 4051 E. Main St. began Monday with a starting bid of $ 2 million .
The live bid process required a $ 25,000 participation deposit and had an initial bid increment of $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While bidding was mostly quiet the first two days , it picked up steam in the hours before the auction closed Wednesday afternoon .
The name of the highest bidder has not been released .
The Pheasant Run listing has since been removed from the Ten-X Commercial website .
Rich Lillis of Colliers International , the real estate company that has been marketing the site , declined to comment .
The iconic 57-year-old resort has been listed for sale since November , shortly after resort management announced plans to restructure operations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 42 remaining employees were notified last month their jobs also are in jeopardy .
With 293 hotel rooms and seven restaurants , Pheasant Run was listed on the auction site as an `` extraordinary lodging investment opportunity '' with the potential for redevelopment and rebranding opportunities .
It operates 31,930 square feet of banquet and meeting space , a comedy club , a theater , an indoor/outdoor pool and an 18-hole golf course it leases from the DuPage Airport .
Built in 1963 on what was once a dairy farm , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charles on the map as a premier entertainment destination .
It continued expanding in size and scope the next couple of decades as founder Edward McArdle developed his vision for the property .
But Pheasant Run later struggled during the economic downturn and fell into foreclosure in 2011 .
The property was purchased three years later by an investment group , Saint Charles Resort LLC .
The resort typically generates $ 500,000 to $ 600,000 in tax revenue for St. Charles each year .
After the auction closed Wednesday , City Administrator Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information regarding the highest bidder or the potential sale of the property .
While the future of the resort remains uncertain , city officials have expressed a desire to partner with any new owner or developer to help revive the city 's eastern gateway .

Auction closes with $6 million final bid for Pheasant Run Resort
An online auction for the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles ended Wednesday with a final bid of $6 million.
The Ten-X Commercial real estate website indicated the resort's undisclosed reserve -- the minimum selling price established by the seller -- had not been met, though it says a winning bidder could still be declared.
The auction on the 18.3-acre property at 4051 E. Main St. began Monday with a starting bid of $2 million.
The live bid process required a $25,000 participation deposit and had an initial bid increment of $500,000, though it was later lowered.
While bidding was mostly quiet the first two days, it picked up steam in the hours before the auction closed Wednesday afternoon. The name of the highest bidder has not been released.
The Pheasant Run listing has since been removed from the Ten-X Commercial website. Rich Lillis of Colliers International, the real estate company that has been marketing the site, declined to comment.
The iconic 57-year-old resort has been listed for sale since November, shortly after resort management announced plans to restructure operations and lay off 75% of its staff.
The 42 remaining employees were notified last month their jobs also are in jeopardy.
With 293 hotel rooms and seven restaurants, Pheasant Run was listed on the auction site as an "extraordinary lodging investment opportunity" with the potential for redevelopment and rebranding opportunities.
It operates 31,930 square feet of banquet and meeting space, a comedy club, a theater, an indoor/outdoor pool and an 18-hole golf course it leases from the DuPage Airport.
Built in 1963 on what was once a dairy farm, the resort in its heyday put St. Charles on the map as a premier entertainment destination. It continued expanding in size and scope the next couple of decades as founder Edward McArdle developed his vision for the property.
But Pheasant Run later struggled during the economic downturn and fell into foreclosure in 2011. The property was purchased three years later by an investment group, Saint Charles Resort LLC.
The resort typically generates $500,000 to $600,000 in tax revenue for St. Charles each year.
After the auction closed Wednesday, City Administrator Mark Koenen said he had not received any information regarding the highest bidder or the potential sale of the property. While the future of the resort remains uncertain, city officials have expressed a desire to partner with any new owner or developer to help revive the city's eastern gateway.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-12--Could a park with a guitar-inspired promenade replace vacant factory in Mundelein?

Plans for a new municipal park on the site of a former guitar factory in Mundelein got rave reviews from village officials this week .
With a preliminary $ 1.5 million price tag , the park is planned for land at 444 E. Courtland St. A 13,000-square-foot building there has stood vacant since U.S. Music Corp. relocated to Buffalo Grove about 10 years ago .
During Monday night 's village board meeting , Daniel Grove , a senior project manager with Lisle-based Kimley-Horn and Associates , walked Mundelein officials through the plans his firm developed .
Gateways , a promenade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sculptures and a performance stage are among the planned elements for the park , which has been dubbed Courtland Commons .
Even though the factory building will be torn town , the designs integrate elements of the building and its history , Grove said .
For example , the plan for a main gateway incorporates the building 's cantilevered design .
Likewise , the promenade design resembles a guitar neck , down to concrete bands that look like frets from overhead .
Before U.S. Music occupied the building , it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public art that resembles picture frames as a connection to that history .
All of those suggested elements would tell a story and make the site authentic to Mundelein , Grove said .
`` ( It ) honors that past , '' he said .
A stretch of the Seavey drainage ditch , which relieves the regional Indian Creek watershed , is on the property and will remain .
A stormwater detention pond will be built on the site to further prevent flooding .
That pond is part of a $ 10 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rainstorm caused catastrophic damage in the neighborhood .
When it came time for trustee comments , board member Robin Meier called it a `` superior plan . ''
`` It honors the past and plans for the future and takes care of present ( needs ) , '' she said .
Trustee Erich Schwenk gushed about the plan , too .
`` I love it , '' he said .
`` The guitar , the frets , the neck ...
It looks like a guitar .
well done . ''
But Schwenk and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the village will pay for the park .
Village Administrator John Lobaito said officials will seek grants to help cover the cost .
Additionally , the work can be done in phases or scaled back to make budgeting easier , he said .
`` I do n't think it 's going to be $ 1.5 million , '' Lobaito said .
Trustees eventually voted to accept the plan .
More board action will be needed to make it a reality .
The entire U.S. Music site occupies about 16 acres and is owned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to purchase about 12 acres of the site to create the stormwater detention area and park , Lobaito said .
About three of the remaining acres are reserved for a proposed apartment-building development .
Village officials plan to sell the developer nearly 7 acres of adjacent land now occupied by the public works department , which is moving , Lobaito said .
The developer plans to build townhouses there , Lobaito said .

Could a park with a guitar-inspired promenade replace vacant factory in Mundelein?
Plans for a new municipal park on the site of a former guitar factory in Mundelein got rave reviews from village officials this week.
With a preliminary $1.5 million price tag, the park is planned for land at 444 E. Courtland St. A 13,000-square-foot building there has stood vacant since U.S. Music Corp. relocated to Buffalo Grove about 10 years ago.
During Monday night's village board meeting, Daniel Grove, a senior project manager with Lisle-based Kimley-Horn and Associates, walked Mundelein officials through the plans his firm developed.
Mundelein officials this week praised this design for what would become Courtland Commons park on the site of a long-vacant guitar factory. - Courtesy of Village of Mundelein
Gateways, a promenade, a plaza with seating, paths, sculptures and a performance stage are among the planned elements for the park, which has been dubbed Courtland Commons.
Even though the factory building will be torn town, the designs integrate elements of the building and its history, Grove said.
For example, the plan for a main gateway incorporates the building's cantilevered design. Likewise, the promenade design resembles a guitar neck, down to concrete bands that look like frets from overhead.
Before U.S. Music occupied the building, it was a picture frame factory. Grove suggested commissioning public art that resembles picture frames as a connection to that history.
All of those suggested elements would tell a story and make the site authentic to Mundelein, Grove said.
"(It) honors that past," he said.
- Mark Welsh | Staff Photographer Mundelein village trustees are considering a plan to replace the long-vacant U.S. Music Corp. factory with a park.
A stretch of the Seavey drainage ditch, which relieves the regional Indian Creek watershed, is on the property and will remain. A stormwater detention pond will be built on the site to further prevent flooding.
That pond is part of a $10 million flood-control project developed after a July 2017 rainstorm caused catastrophic damage in the neighborhood.
When it came time for trustee comments, board member Robin Meier called it a "superior plan."
"It honors the past and plans for the future and takes care of present (needs)," she said.
Trustee Erich Schwenk gushed about the plan, too.
"I love it," he said. "The guitar, the frets, the neck ... It looks like a guitar. well done."
But Schwenk and other trustees also raised concerns about how the village will pay for the park.
Village Administrator John Lobaito said officials will seek grants to help cover the cost. Additionally, the work can be done in phases or scaled back to make budgeting easier, he said.
"I don't think it's going to be $1.5 million," Lobaito said.
An image from the Courtland Commons park proposal in Mundelein. - Courtesy of Village of Mundelein
Trustees eventually voted to accept the plan. More board action will be needed to make it a reality.
The entire U.S. Music site occupies about 16 acres and is owned by a private developer. The village needs to purchase about 12 acres of the site to create the stormwater detention area and park, Lobaito said.
About three of the remaining acres are reserved for a proposed apartment-building development.
Village officials plan to sell the developer nearly 7 acres of adjacent land now occupied by the public works department, which is moving, Lobaito said.
The developer plans to build townhouses there, Lobaito said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-12--Firearms offenses, methamphetamine arrests on the rise in Kane County

Kane County prosecutors will continue aggressive prosecution of firearms offenses , which have increased since 2017 , and officials are also keeping tabs on a rise in methamphetamine arrests .
These were two observations State 's Attorney Joe McMahon made this week during his monthly media meeting .
`` We 've tried to take an aggressive approach , meaning that if somebody is charged with a gun crime and it 's a mandatory prison sentence , those cases , for the most part , are not being reduced ( to misdemeanors ) and those people are going to prison , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors filed 116 cases for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon , which is when a defendant has a loaded gun outside of a home or business without a concealed carry permit .
Kane County prosecutors charged 121 cases in 2018 and 128 cases in 2019 , according to McMahon 's office 's annual report .
In 2017 and 2018 , prosecutors charged 64 cases of unlawful possession without a Firearm Owner 's Identification card .
That number rose to 69 in 2019 , according to the annual report .
McMahon said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as a drug deal or a domestic dispute , could escalate an already tense situation with potentially deadly results .
`` Guns -- they compound everything , '' he said .
Gang members convicted of possession a firearm can face a prison term of up to seven years ; felons can not possess a firearm and are subject to up to five years in prison if convicted of having a gun .
McMahon said authorities are still seeing a `` significant presence '' of cocaine and heroin in the area , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrests in the last 18 to 24 months and they now account for 5 % of all drug arrests .
`` Historically , we did not see a lot of meth in the area .
It was a drug more prevalent in rural areas .
It can be very inexpensive to manufacture , '' McMahon said , adding meth can be cheaper than other drugs , including marijuana .
`` I do n't think here it 's a cost issue , '' he said .
`` It 's a product the cartels are @ @ @

Firearms offenses, methamphetamine arrests on the rise in Kane County
Kane County prosecutors will continue aggressive prosecution of firearms offenses, which have increased since 2017, and officials are also keeping tabs on a rise in methamphetamine arrests.
These were two observations State's Attorney Joe McMahon made this week during his monthly media meeting.
"We've tried to take an aggressive approach, meaning that if somebody is charged with a gun crime and it's a mandatory prison sentence, those cases, for the most part, are not being reduced (to misdemeanors) and those people are going to prison," McMahon said.
In 2017, prosecutors filed 116 cases for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, which is when a defendant has a loaded gun outside of a home or business without a concealed carry permit.
Kane County prosecutors charged 121 cases in 2018 and 128 cases in 2019, according to McMahon's office's annual report.
In 2017 and 2018, prosecutors charged 64 cases of unlawful possession without a Firearm Owner's Identification card. That number rose to 69 in 2019, according to the annual report.
McMahon said a person possessing a gun in certain situations, such as a drug deal or a domestic dispute, could escalate an already tense situation with potentially deadly results.
"Guns -- they compound everything," he said.
Gang members convicted of possession a firearm can face a prison term of up to seven years; felons cannot possess a firearm and are subject to up to five years in prison if convicted of having a gun.
McMahon said authorities are still seeing a "significant presence" of cocaine and heroin in the area, but have noticed a rise in methamphetamine arrests in the last 18 to 24 months and they now account for 5% of all drug arrests.
"Historically, we did not see a lot of meth in the area. It was a drug more prevalent in rural areas. It can be very inexpensive to manufacture," McMahon said, adding meth can be cheaper than other drugs, including marijuana.
"I don't think here it's a cost issue," he said. "It's a product the cartels are pushing."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-12--DuPage County clerk says $100,000 in bonuses needed to help keep staff

DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek is defending her decision to spend more than $ 100,000 to give one-time , lump-sum bonuses to every employee in her office .
County board member Jim Zay this week questioned Kaczmarek about the 5 % bonuses distributed in December .
The Carol Stream Republican said Wednesday that he raised the issue because the clerk 's office is exploring the possibility of spending more than $ 300,000 to buy a mail sorting machine for its election division .
If Kaczmarek needed money for the purchase , Zay said , she should n't have spent roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office 's 2019 budget to give bonuses to 41 employees .
Kaczmarek , a Glen Ellyn Democrat , said during Tuesday 's county board meeting she decided on the across-the-board bonuses because of concerns about staff turnover following the merger last year of the clerk 's office and the former DuPage Election Commission .
`` There were a lot of things broken at the election division and the county clerk 's office , '' Kaczmarek said .
`` And it was more than equipment .
It was people .
It was morale .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges this year , including a big election in November .
`` We need every single person to do their job at the election division and at the traditional clerk 's office , '' she said .
`` Everyone is needed .
Everyone is important . ''
She said the clerk 's office ended the 2019 fiscal year on Nov. 30 with a budget surplus .
Even after the bonuses , Kaczmarek said , `` we still had quite a bit of money '' left over .
There are no plans to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We told our employees that it was a one-time thing , '' she said .
As a countywide elected official , Kaczmarek gets the final say on how she spends her budget -- a point Zay acknowledges .
`` She 's elected by the people , '' he said .
`` But then you ca n't come to the county board and ask for help when you 're not helping yourself . ''
Zay said there are county departments that had their budgets cut in recent years because of other spending needs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retaining staff .
For the clerk to hand out bonuses when other departments are dealing with cuts , Zay said , `` the optics are bad . ''
On Wednesday , Wheaton Republican Jeanne Ives , who is seeking the GOP nomination in the 6th Congressional District , released an online ad criticizing Kaczmarek because of the `` Chicago-sized bonuses , '' but it was quickly taken down .
Ives and Gordon `` Jay '' Kinzler of Glen Ellyn are vying to run against freshman Democrat Sean Casten in November .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support for Kaczmarek .
Considering what 's been asked of Kaczmarek in the past year , board member Mary FitzGerald Ozog , a Glen Ellyn Democrat , said , `` I think that a one-time bonus across the board is about the most equitable way you could reward employees who have worked exceptionally hard . ''
Chief Deputy Clerk Adam Johnson released a statement Wednesday saying Kaczmarek consulted with the county 's human resources department before issuing the bonuses `` to confirm that bonuses had been paid on multiple previous occasions by other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The bonuses , he said , were one-time payments that , unlike raises , will not compound over time .
When Kaczmarek took office , roughly 33 % of the full-time positions in the clerk 's office were vacant and roughly 20 % of the election commission 's full-time posts were vacant , he said .

DuPage County clerk says bonuses totaling more than $100K were needed to keep staff
DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek is defending her decision to spend more than $100,000 to give one-time, lump-sum bonuses to every employee in her office.
County board member Jim Zay this week questioned Kaczmarek about the 5% bonuses distributed in December.
The Carol Stream Republican said Wednesday that he raised the issue because the clerk's office is exploring the possibility of spending more than $300,000 to buy a mail sorting machine for its election division.
If Kaczmarek needed money for the purchase, Zay said, she shouldn't have spent roughly $106,000 in surplus funds from her office's 2019 budget to give bonuses to 41 employees.
Kaczmarek, a Glen Ellyn Democrat, said during Tuesday's county board meeting she decided on the across-the-board bonuses because of concerns about staff turnover following the merger last year of the clerk's office and the former DuPage Election Commission.
"There were a lot of things broken at the election division and the county clerk's office," Kaczmarek said. "And it was more than equipment: It was people. It was morale."
Kaczmarek said the office faces many challenges this year, including a big election in November.
"We need every single person to do their job at the election division and at the traditional clerk's office," she said. "Everyone is needed. Everyone is important."
She said the clerk's office ended the 2019 fiscal year on Nov. 30 with a budget surplus. Even after the bonuses, Kaczmarek said, "we still had quite a bit of money" left over.
There are no plans to give similar bonuses in the future.
"We told our employees that it was a one-time thing," she said.
As a countywide elected official, Kaczmarek gets the final say on how she spends her budget -- a point Zay acknowledges.
"She's elected by the people," he said. "But then you can't come to the county board and ask for help when you're not helping yourself."
Zay said there are county departments that had their budgets cut in recent years because of other spending needs and some of those departments are having problems retaining staff.
For the clerk to hand out bonuses when other departments are dealing with cuts, Zay said, "the optics are bad."
On Wednesday, Wheaton Republican Jeanne Ives, who is seeking the GOP nomination in the 6th Congressional District, released an online ad criticizing Kaczmarek because of the "Chicago-sized bonuses."
Ives and Gordon "Jay" Kinzler of Glen Ellyn are vying to run against freshman Democrat Sean Casten in November.
Meanwhile, several Democrats on the county board voiced support for Kaczmarek.
Considering what's been asked of Kaczmarek in the past year, board member Mary FitzGerald Ozog, a Glen Ellyn Democrat, said, "I think that a one-time bonus across the board is about the most equitable way you could reward employees who have worked exceptionally hard."
Chief Deputy Clerk Adam Johnson released a statement Wednesday saying Kaczmarek consulted with the county's human resources department before issuing the bonuses "to confirm that bonuses had been paid on multiple previous occasions by other DuPage County elected officials and department heads."
The bonuses, he said, were one-time payments that, unlike raises, will not compound over time.
When Kaczmarek took office, roughly 33% of the full-time positions in the clerk's office were vacant and roughly 20% of the election commission's full-time posts were vacant, he said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-02-12--CLC to receive second $100,000 grant from Metallica's foundation

The College of Lake County has again received a $ 100,000 grant from the heavy metal band Metallica as part @ @ @ @ @ Within My Hands Foundation grant .
CLC is one of 10 community colleges in the @ @ @ @ @ for the second consecutive year .
More than 60 students benefited from last year 's @ @ @ @ @ President Lori Suddick said the scholarships help students in need pay for classes , equipment @ @ @ @ @ they can complete their credential and engage in a career that provides a living wage @ @ @ @ @ first year , the more than 700 Metallica Scholars at the 10 schools had an @ @ @ @ @ program completion rate .
Those who completed their studies had a 95 % job placement @ @

CLC to receive second $100,000 grant from Metallica's foundation
The College of Lake County has again received a $100,000 grant from the heavy metal band Metallica as part of the band's All Within My Hands Foundation grant. CLC is one of 10 community colleges in the country to receive the grant for the second consecutive year. More than 60 students benefited from last year's $100,000 grant. CLC President Lori Suddick said the scholarships help students in need pay for classes, equipment and other financial burdens so they can complete their credential and engage in a career that provides a living wage. In the program's first year, the more than 700 Metallica Scholars at the 10 schools had an 80% to 90% program completion rate. Those who completed their studies had a 95% job placement rate.