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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Keeping the heat high and the bill low

By Nathan Lindquist | January 28, 2004

During winter months, residents can take other measures to keep warm besides raising the temperature in their homes. Winter is a time of peak demand for gas suppliers such as Nicor, which services about two million customers in northern Illinois. The...

Ingredients company to create 54 jobs in area

By Dan Patterson | January 28, 2004

SYCAMORE - A south-side industrial site landed a major new tenant Tuesday. Continental Custom Ingredients announced it will locate its headquarters and a production plant in the Sycamore Prairie Business Park off of Peace and Bethany roads. The company...

Biernacki ready for city

By Libby John | January 28, 2004

Despite approval by a split vote of 4-3 at Monday night’s city council meeting, DeKalb City Manager Mark Biernacki said he’s ready to take on his position. “I think the split vote was a reflection of the politics in DeKalb,” Biernacki said. One...

Keeping the convicted off the roads

By Nicholas Alajakis | January 28, 2004

New Illinois legislation in the works soon may prohibit drivers, whose licenses have been revoked or suspended for certain alcohol-related offenses, from purchasing vehicles. In what Secretary of State Jesse White calls an initiative to keep dangerous...

Board favors tax

By Dan Patterson | January 27, 2004

The DeKalb County Mental Health Board voted Monday to support the Public Safety sales tax referendum that is up for a March 16 vote. The referendum would finance an expansion of the DeKalb County Jail. Planning by the DeKalb County Board has marked an...

Teachers’ pay may be tied to test scores

By Nathan Lindquist | January 27, 2004

Student scores on standardized tests may affect teachers’ salaries in the near future. The Teaching Commission recently issued a report urging a nationwide policy of linking student test scores to teachers’ pay in order to keep educators accountable...

Council votes Biernacki in as city manager

By Stephanie Gandsey | January 27, 2004

Despite opposition from several council members and citizens, the DeKalb City Council approved the hiring of Mark Biernacki as city manager in a 4-3 vote Monday night. Fifth Ward Alderman Pat Conboy was one of those opposed to hiring Biernacki. “We...

DeKalb cop given court date for OWI charge

By Nicholas Alajakis | January 27, 2004

The DeKalb police officer who was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated has been given a court date.

Curt Biarnesen, 43, a veteran of the department, was arrested in the early hours of Aug. 27 in the Wisconsin township of Rome, a small town 43 miles east of Madison.

According to reports, police stopped Biarnesen’s car after he failed to dim his headlights while passing another vehicle. While speaking to Biarnesen, police said they smelled alcohol in the car, and after Biarnesen refused to perform field sobriety tests, he was placed under arrest.

According to police, at the time of the incident, Biarnesen’s passengers, all fellow DeKalb officers, claimed that the alcoholic odor most likely was coming from them.

In December, Biarnesen pleaded not guilty to charges. In a review hearing late last week, Biarnesen was given a court date of April 21.

Biarnesen’s lawyers wanted to get the OWI charges dropped, but Rome’s town attorney, Dan Wood, said the town is unwilling to do that.

It is rare for an OWI case in Rome to go to bench trial, Wood said. The cases usually are settled prior to any trial dates being set, he added.

In addition to facing charges of OWI, Biarnesen also faces charges for refusing to take a blood test.

A refusal conviction through the district attorney’s office could lead to a 12-month revocation of his license, Wood said.

Biarnesen still is on the force at the DeKalb Police Department. Chief Bill Feithen said he would not comment on the case, as it is a personnel issue.

Power outage leaves DeKalb in dark

By Nicholas Alajakis and Libby John - Senior Reporters | January 27, 2004

A semitrailer that struck a light pole Monday afternoon near the intersection of Lincoln Highway and Annie Glidden Road cut power to 1,900 customers for more than two hours.

The truck hit a light post about 4:09 p.m., which caused it to fall onto ComEd utility lines, ComEd spokeswoman Judy Mitchell said.

Power to many customers in the area west of Annie Glidden on Lincoln Highway was cut off.

At Pagliai’s Pizza, 1221 W. Lincoln Highway, the power outage stopped workers from making pizza.

"[The employees] are still here; we’re not really doing anything," said Jamie Paczak, a waitress at Pagliai’s, prior to the power being restored. "It’s really cold."

Power was restored to 80 percent of customers at 6:13 p.m., Mitchell said.

ComEd workers had to transfer the power from the fallen lines to other ones, Mitchell said.

"First we restore, then repair," Mitchell said.

Cell blocked

By Nicholas Alajakis | January 26, 2004

DeKalb County Jail employees will act as tour guides to demonstrate to the public how cramped the jail is. In March, voters will decide whether to enact a new tax that would finance an expansion of the jail. The referendum, set to be voted on March 16,...

Exam tests schools

By Elena Haliczer | January 26, 2004

Local high school educators and parents said the Prairie State Achievement Exam does not provide a clear indication of school performance. “The [PSAE] provides us with one piece of information on how our schools are performing. Using the PSAE purely...

City manager salary raise ‘not unusual’

By Libby John | January 26, 2004

Mark Biernacki’s proposed salary raise to $120,122 is not an unusual situation for new city managers, said Carol Zar, assistant director of the Center for Governmental Studies and a member of the Illinois chapter of the International City Manager Association....

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