Mike Peddle, Finance Advisory Committee chairman, speaks about the 2014 tax levy and the status of DeKalb’s finances during the City Council and Finance Advisory Committee meeting Thursday at the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St. The City Council proposed a 4.32 percent tax increase at the meeting. Aldermen will review the proposed increase at the Dec. 8 City Council meeting.

NIU defender Lauren Eberts battles with Wisconsin forward Laurie Nosbusch in the Huskies loss Thursday night.

Junior Mackenzie Roddy (left), Sophomore Alexis Gonzalez (15), and Freshman Jenna Radtke (5) celebrate scoring a point against Western Illinois on Aug. 4 at the Convocation Center.

After missing a bowl game invitation by less than a minute last season, the NIU football team has been busy in the offseason and has 15 verbal commitments. Of the recruits, 12 are from Illinois, two are from Indiana and one is from Missouri. In a Jan. 13 article, Taylor Bell of the Chicago Sun-Times called the Huskies’ recruiting class No. 1 in the MAC. Potential break-out performers include wide receiver Marcus Lewis of Warren Township High School, offensive lineman Panan Tense of Fenwick High School and defensive back John Tranchitella of Driscoll Catholic High School.

Former NIU cornerback to make AFL debut

After spending the last two years with the San Francisco 49ers, former NIU defensive back Randee Drew will play for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League this season. The two-time All-MAC selection played cornerback for the Huskies from 2000 to 2003 and tallied 14 interceptions in 44 games. Upon graduation, Drew was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the 49ers and spent last season in NFL Europe with the Amsterdam Admirals and Cologne Centurions.

Jacobs leaving early

The NIU defense has one less quarterback to worry about next year. Bowling Green’s junior signal caller Omar Jacobs announced on Jan. 6 that he will forego his senior season and will declare for the NFL draft. In 2004, Jacobs set an NCAA record for touchdown to interception ratio with 41 scores to only 4 picks. Despite sitting out two games due to injury in 2005, Jacobs still set the Bowling Green career touchdown passes mark with 71.

Eboo Patel discussed his experience as an interfaith leader and how students can get involved in the Interfaith Youth Care Tuesday night in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

When the Kent State wrestling team visited NIU Friday night, the significance of the match reached beyond a simple regular-season conference showdown.

It would be the litmus test to see which up-and-coming program had the best shot to unseat conference kingpin Central Michigan.

But after battling to a 16-16 tie, the bout brought up as many new questions as answers about how the rest of NIU's season would pan out.

ANSWERS:

NIU's lightweights (125-149 pounds) always will give NIU a lead when it counts.

The dismal National Duals showing aside, this unit is THE elite lightweight group in the MAC. Senior Josh Wooton is simply lights out at 141 pounds; he swept the MAC easily last season, and he is too strong and fast for anyone this year.

Former walk-on Mike Grimes won two matches at the NCAA Championships last season and hasn't cooled down since. While he hasn't had the tournament success he envisioned, Grimes is a mental rock in dual meets. One of the hardest workers on the team, Grimes is now a national elite who wins on sheer grit and determination.

And Pat Castillo? Well, Castillo always wins when it counts.

First at Pointer Open. Second place at Midlands. Fourth at Kaufman Brand. Put those results together with his 2-0 record at National Duals, and Castillo is the new stud in a long line of Huskie lightweight dominance.

The 125-pound sophomore was the heir apparent to Sam Hiatt for the past two years, and he's dominating his competition this year. After beating CMU's Luke Smith and KSU's Chad Sportelli, Castillo looks unbeatable in the MAC with his aggressive attacking style.

Danny Burk is the most improved wrestler on the team.

Arguments for Joe Sapp aside, Burk is the model of consistency this season and has produced against the hardest competition. The 174-pound class is one of the deepest in the NCAA, and Burk has faced probably the toughest draw of any wrestler this year.

After struggling to finish matches last season, Burk has turned into a scrapper who doesn't let bigger opponents push him around. KSU's Aaron Miller dominated Burk in last year's dual, but Burk hung toe-to-toe with Miller until the very end on Friday. No one's saying Burk didn't have heart last year. But he's definitely demonstrating it this year in his matches.

QUESTIONS:

Is Johnny Galloway back to his old form?

Despite impressive victories since the National Duals, the jury is still out on Galloway after Friday night.

Early in the season, the 165-pound junior was tentative in his offense and looked nothing like the dominator of the previous season who racked up 27 wins and six pins. But as the year has progressed, his confidence has returned.

Against Kent State, the Iowa City native's shots were lightning-quick, but what should have been a major decision almost turned into a pin when Galloway got caught on a shot. Physically, he's back where he was. Mentally, he still needs to prove he can finish his matches strong.

Can the heavyweights pull out wins?

As unflattering as it sounds, NIU's lightweights continue to bail out the heavy weights. Injuries have hampered sophomore Derek Hunsinger's return to the lineup at 197 pounds, and sophomore Nick McClone is streaky at 184. If Joe Sapp had not found a way to get a last minute takedown of KSU's behemoth Jermail Porter, the Huskies would have been down a quick 10-0.

Sapp has been great at times this season, but his technical fall loss to Buffalo's Harold Sherrell was disheartening. The heavy weights need to be able to prove reliable enough so the crowd doesn't need to hold it's breath at the end of matches.