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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

October sparks fire safety

By Nicholas Alajakis | October 4, 2001

Those clumsy cows...

Legend has it that Mrs. O'Leary's cow started the Great Chicago Fire on Oct. 9, 1871. Now, 130 years later, the only disaster that also serves as a professional sports namesake also helps firefighters preach the importance of fire safety.

National Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 7-13, and the DeKalb Fire Department would like to remind and educate everyone in the community how important it is to be prepared if a fire should occur in your home.

"It's important to teach fire safety in order to protect people," said Dennis Votaw, DeKalb's assistant fire chief.

And though fire prevention week only comes once a year, the fire department takes full advantage of teaching fire safety in the community all month long.

The department will go around town to elementary schools with a makeshift firehouse fitted onto a trailer.

With the help of the trailer, Votaw said firefighters teach kids how to protect themselves and their families if ever faced with a fire. And it works.

"There's been several occasions where after having a class, kids have helped in fire and emergency situations and done just fine," Votaw said.

Inside the traveling firehouse, students have the opportunity to be placed in real-life situations. With the assistance of a smoke machine, children learn the proper ways to navigate through a fire while putting themselves in the least amount of danger.

The off-duty firefighters also bring their fire gear to schools.

"We take fire gear to show them that [firefighters] are real people, so they aren't afraid of them and let them know an actual person is under the equipment," Votaw said.

"Usually kids hide in their home, and if a firefighter comes in they will hide and not say anything because they are scared," he added.

Though the fire department doesn't have any similar events for adults, they gladly will help educate organizations or companies on fire safety if requested.

The reason so much attention is given to children, Votaw said, is because they need the most training.

"It's nice to get to them when they're young, because it s something they can use their entire life," Votaw said.

The best way to help yourself in any situation is to be prepared by having functional smoke detectors. The batteries in smoke detectors should be tested and replaced twice a year, Votaw said.

"You can reduce your chances of dying by 50 percent by having working smoke detectors," he said.

Though special attention is designated to fire prevention in October, fire safety should be practiced year round, Votaw said.

Desks cramp some students’ classroom style

By Melanie M. Schroeder | October 4, 2001

Studying for tests, doing homework until 3 a.m., working 40 hours a week — the only time some students can catch up on sleep is during class. But how can they when the desks are so uncomfortable? Some students say they have trouble fitting into the...

Suspect arrested for robbery

By Nicholas Alajakis | October 4, 2001

DeKalb police have arrested Ahmed Hussen Hassan, 23, of Chicago on charges of an armed robbery at Stop-N-Shop, 708 E. Lincoln Highway.

The robbery occurred Tuesday night, when Hassan walked into Stop-N-Shop and reportedly threatened a victim with a knife before taking an undisclosed amount of money from the register.

Hassan was spotted by an off-duty DeKalb police officer as he fled the scene. The officer was not aware that Hassan had just robbed the store, but did remember his car description, said Lt. Jim Kayes of the DeKalb Police Department.

Later that evening, when Hassan attempted to come back to DeKalb, a tollbooth operator spotted Hassan's vehicle and contacted authorities, who stopped him at the corner of Annie Glidden Road and Lincoln Highway.

After the victim identified Hassan, police arrested the suspect.

Hassan is charged with armed robbery, burglary and unlawful use of a weapon. He remains in the DeKalb County Jail with a $50,000 bond. If convicted, Hassan could face about five years in prison because he has no previous criminal record, Kayes said.

Strange illness at Kaneland HS

By Tyler Vincent | October 4, 2001

In a 48-hour period, almost 20 percent of the student body at Kaneland High School in Maple Park became ill, according to a press release Thursday from the Kaneland Community Unit School District No. 302's superintendent of schools.

"District officials and staff from the Kane County Health Department are investigating several possible sources of this illness," the press release said. "There is not an obvious pattern that would implicate water or food at this time."

The administration called off after-school events and practices on Thursday and also canceled classes and activities today. The elementary and middle schools will proceed with their normal schedules today, according to the release.

DeKalb man arrested Wednesday for sexual assault

By Nicholas Alajakis | October 4, 2001

A man accused of sexually assaulting a DeKalb woman is being held in DeKalb County Jail after his bond was set at $100,0000 Thursday morning. DeKalb resident Alejandro Hernandez, 28, was arrested Wednesday on charges that he sexually assaulted a woman...

Peters has big plans

By Kelly Mcclure | October 4, 2001

NIU President John Peters revealed plans for expensive projects Thursday in his annual state of the university address. Speaking to a full audience in the Holmes Student Center's Carl Sandburg Auditorium, Peters said that by next year, large events will...

DeKalb PD to get new computers

By Todd Krysiak | October 4, 2001

It's only getting easier for police officers to access information while on the job.

The DeKalb Police Department will upgrade most of its computer system during the next year, in response to the availability of better technology that allows officers to spend less time on paperwork.

Police officers currently use mobile data terminals, or MDTs, in their patrol vehicles.

"The MDT system is very useful but only allows us to access state files," DeKalb police Cpl. Jim Haacker said. "It doesn't allow us to access in-house files that our department has."

Laptops soon will replace the MDTs and could be used in patrol cars as early as December.

"The new system will be much quicker, have the capability of being removed from a patrol vehicle and allows us to access DeKalb police files that the state might not have," Haacker said.

DeKalb police use a central computer system that holds local information. Currently, the information stored in that computer only can be accessed from the police department or a police sub-station. Department sub-stations are located in Wal-Mart, 2300 Sycamore Road, and University Village, 722 N. Annie Glidden Road.

With the laptops, that information will be available to all officers who have either a laptop or palm pilot.

The Cops More Program 2001, operated by the U.S. Department of Justice, has issued the department more than $230,000 for the upgrades.

Police also will be able to write reports while in a patrol vehicle, making it unnecessary for officers to return to a police station for that purpose. The data will be saved temporarily to a disk and later loaded into the central computer.

"The ultimate goal is to have wireless report-writing, so officers won't have to return to the department to submit a report at all," DeKalb Police Chief Bill Feithen said.

The project will be enacted in three phases during the next year. The laptops will be added first, followed by the purchase of a digital booking system and the addition of wireless report-writing. Lastly is the addition of palm pilots to the bike patrol, allowing those officers to access department records.

The digital booking system will make it possible for all of the new computerized information to be processed quickly and efficiently.

Officers can expect the laptops in about two to three months, Feithen said.

"We have to get together with the state of Illinois and get some agreements [on the use of the funds] drawn up," Feithen said. "We also have yet to receive final approval for the project from the city council, although they did authorize the initial grant application."

The entire project is not expected to take more than a year.

Habitat for Humanity doghouse stirs interest

By Linda Luk | October 3, 2001

Walking by Neptune East, people might notice the little black and red doghouse that sits by a tree with the words "Huskie Habitat House" written over the entrance. The doghouse was placed outside the residence hall in mid-September to bring recognition...

Estimate grants developers half of funds

By Nicholas Alajakis | October 3, 2001

Joseph Freed and Associates was given an estimate on the amount of funding that the city of DeKalb is willing to issue for the redevelopment of Northland Plaza, but the tentative amount is about half of what the company originally requested. In a meeting...

Women tuggers ‘give 110 percent’

By Katie Carrico | October 3, 2001

"Straighten your legs!" "Adjusted!" "Nice job girls!" These are the kind of yells you can expect to hear up and down Greek Row for the next couple weeks as sororities prepare for women's tugs. Women's tugs is an annual philanthropy event sponsored by...

Peters to address university

By Kelly Mcclure | October 3, 2001

NIU President John G. Peters is scheduled to give his annual state of the university address at 3 p.m. today in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center. "Typically the president uses his address as an annual setting of priorities for...

Transit board postpones shuttle bus vote

By Linda Luk | October 3, 2001

Are they or aren't they? Members of the Mass Transit Board were scheduled to vote on the use of shuttle buses Wednesday, but these plans fell through. Christy Hartnett, SA director of transportation, said it was found that the board could not vote because...