Byline: Russell Lissau Daily Herald Staff Writer
Diverse is a good description of the Daily Herald's annual top 10 list of Lake County news stories.
This year's version features quite a few political stories, including the deaths of some notable officials and criminal convictions of two others. It also recaps the success of a local football team, an unusual narcotics investigation and a local school district's ongoing financial and personnel troubles.
Yes, it definitely was a diverse year.
These are our choices for 2002's biggest stories, according to an informal newsroom survey. They are not listed in any particular order.
Grever convicted
Former Ela Township Supervisor Robert Grever was sentenced to six months in jail in November for concealing a $205,000 debt owed the township by his wife.
Grever - who also served 10 years on the Lake County Board, including two years as its chairman - was convicted of 12 counts of official misconduct. Under the terms of his sentence, the 67-year- old Kildeer resident will be freed from custody to work and perform public service. The sentence also called for fines and probation.
The scandal stemmed from his former mother-in-law's time as a resident at Winchester House, the county-run nursing home, in the 1990s. Under the system used at the time, the center billed townships for their residents' care, then left it to the townships to collect from estates or relatives of patients. But instead of paying the bills, Grever's ex-wife spent the money on herself, her husband, their home and their children, she testified at his trial.
Wells pleads guilty
Former Antioch Village Administrator Tim Wells also had legal problems this year. Wells pleaded guilty to felony forgery and perjury in August after being accused of forging the name of a former mayor on a document and lying about it.
Wells, 51, of Antioch, was indicted after prosecutors learned he mishandled a $1.5 million gift to the village. The money - which was given to the village in 2000 - was to be used for a local senior center, but instead was spent on other village matters.
Wells forged the signature of then-Mayor Marilyn Shineflug on a letter regarding the senior center, prosecutors said. He lied about the signature during a grand jury hearing in January 2002.
Wells, who was Fox Lake's village administrator when the charges were filed earlier this year, was sentenced to two months in the county's work-release program.
Patriots go to finals
The varsity football team at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire became the first North Suburban Conference squad to play for the state title in November. The Patriots also were the first Lake County team to reach the finals since Deerfield made it in 1984.
Although Stevenson lost to Lockport High in the Class 8A final 35-14, the players were welcomed back from Champaign as heroes. Students, parents, local politicians and other fans cheered the team during a brief rally a few days after the game at the school.
Notables pass away
Lake County was saddened by the deaths of several community leaders this year.
State Rep. Tim Osmond of Antioch died earlier this month, Waukegan Mayor Dan Drew died in January and Grant Township Supervisor Gordy Kiesgen died in October. All three men suffered heart attacks.
The county also lost conservationists George Ranney Sr. and Dorothy Donnelley. The Libertyville Township residents - and siblings - fought against the development of wildlife and donated land to projects including the Liberty Prairie Reserve.
Donnelley, 92, died in her sleep in February. Ranney, 90, succumbed to pneumonia in June.
District 116 problems
The turmoil in beleaguered Round Lake Area Unit School District 116 continued in 2002.
Five of the district's seven board members resigned this year: Jim Hult, Sandy Miracle, W. Guy Finley, Deanna Ruiz and Gordon Rogers.
Finley, Rogers and Ruiz had joined the board in 2001 as members of a Clean Slate ticket promising reform in the district, which is $7 million in debt. But infighting on the board later split the running mates and led to some of the resignations.
The district's financial picture improved this year, but its money woes are far from solved. A five-member state panel was appointed in September to govern the schools' finances. That team now is searching for a chief executive officer to run the district. Additionally, the board has approved a new levy that allows them to raise taxes, circumventing the state tax cap.
Bust at Burger King
Four Lake County residents were arrested early this month and accused by police of operating a cocaine ring at a Mundelein Burger King restaurant.
More than nine months of police surveillance culminated when authorities bought 1 kilogram of cocaine - with an estimated street value of $300,000 - from a night manager, his wife and two former employees at the franchise, which is on Midlothian Road south of Route 60-83.
Employees stashed the drugs in clear plastic bags next to coffee creamers, milk and condiments in small refrigerators in the drive- through window area, police said. Drug customers either phoned orders ahead or asked for certain employees at the drive-up ordering station, officials said.
During the police investigation, 'hundreds' of drive-through drug deals were observed, with customers ranging from casual users to suspected dealers, authorities said.
Six Flags settles suits
Lawsuits cost the Six Flags Great America theme park a bundle this year.
In March, Six Flags Inc. agreed to eliminate or modify a certain type of ride in all of its parks as part of a lawsuit settlement with a McHenry girl who was injured at the Great America theme park in Gurnee.
More than $50,000 in damages was sought from Six Flags in the suit filed on behalf of Kati Konstantaras. As part of the settlement, neither side revealed the amount of cash she received because of a confidentiality agreement.
Konstantaras was on the Cajun Cliffhanger when her right foot became trapped between the ride's floor and wall in July 2000. Her foot was crushed and she lost part of a toe on the ride, which has since been removed from the theme park.
A Six Flags Great America executive blamed the Cajun Cliffhanger's operator was to blame for the accident.
Also in March, the theme park agreed to pay $1.9 million to the family of a Danville man who died after suffering an asthma attack at Six Flags Great America in 1997.
Kenyon Lewis died after the amusement park's in-house paramedics failed to provide the teen with proper medical care during the asthma attack.
The suit alleged the in-house paramedics failed to provide Lewis with inhaler medication, failed to properly treat him with oxygen and failed to transport him to an adequate health-care provider.
Face-off in Antioch
Antioch Community High School faced off against village and police leaders over a request to allow a police officer and specially trained dog to patrol the campus and search for illegal drugs.
Police and village officials say the random patrols would deter students from bringing drugs and other illegal substances to school. But school board members are concerned the patrols would violate the privacy of students and protections guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment.
District 117 officials will allow police searches if probable cause exists, which meets U.S. Department of Education policies for random weapon or drug searches.
The issue heated up in November and had not been resolved as the year drew to a close.
Democrats win seats
Democratic candidates scored some big victories in Lake County in the November general election. Despite the county's reputation as a Republican stronghold, local Democrats picked up three seats in the General Assembly and retained two other legislative seats.
The victories helped give the Democrats majorities in both state legislative houses.
In the race to represent the new 59th House District, Democrat Kathy Ryg of Vernon Hills defeated Republican Roger Byrne, also of Vernon Hills.
In the 29th Senate District, former state Rep. Susan Garrett of Lake Forest unseated Republican incumbent Kathy Parker of Northbrook. And Democrat Eddie Washington of Waukegan was elected Lake County's first black state legislator when he defeated Republican candidate Susan Tenzi in the 60th House District.
Two local Democratic incumbents retained their seats, too. State Sen. Terry Link of Vernon Hills defeated Lake Bluff Republican Charles 'Chuck' Fitzgerald in the 30th District, while Karen May of Highland Park defeated Marc Brown, also of Highland Park, to keep her 58th House District seat.
City kills work-release project
Lake County officials thought they had found a temporary solution to the overcrowding problems at the county jail. They thought a vacant building in downtown Waukegan would be ideal for a relocated work-release program, which would free up space in the jail for other prisoners. The county board approved the purchase and renovation, hired an architect and set up a construction timetable to open the facility in 2003.
But the Waukegan city council killed the plan in September by refusing to grant two permits necessary for construction. Some aldermen said the separate work-release facility wasn't appropriate for the site, while one voted 'no' as political payback for what he said were previous slights by the county against Waukegan.
Although county officials still are working on a way to find more space for inmates, an alternative plan has yet to be publicly discussed.
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