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Forget the Valentines, focus on growing your spiritual heart

Many years ago, as a young adult working at a corporate insurance office, I had a bird’s-eye view of Valentine’s Day deliveries in the main lobby.

Every year, rows of tables were arranged, filled with dozens of bouquets of red roses that all looked weirdly like each other.

If you’ve ever worked in a corporate culture, you will understand the metaphor. Individuality isn’t necessarily looked upon kindly in those environments.

At first, seeing those tables of bouquets in the lobby was a bit depressing for me.

I was in my early 20s and that visual only intensified for me my single status and that no one would be sending me flowers on Valentine’s Day. I felt left out. In my dualistic thinking at the time, everyone but me was getting flowers that day, or going to dinner, or receiving some sort of token of love from someone in their life.

Of course, that was not true. Plenty of people don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day according to the Hallmark-stamped standard. And they live to tell about it.

As time went on, I learned to celebrate my single status as a precious gift to grow my own soul, to bloom

into the unique beauty that God had placed in me.

Every year, instead of dreading the approaching holiday, I began to celebrate the whole month of February as “the month of the heart.” When February neared, I felt my excitement grow, and prepared to explore the spiritual heart that dwells in each one of us, and is the dwelling place of the Holy One.

I read, reflected and meditated on heart consciousness as a spiritual reality. I found it especially intriguing that the heart has a mind and memory of its own, as evidenced by heart transplant recipients often taking on the qualities or interests of their donors.

When social media began to take off, I posted an image of a heart each day, along with a relevant quotation. Those social media posts were my way of promoting a heart-centered consciousness in the world around me.

During that extended time of spiritual growth, I learned that Love is the force that flows through me and all of creation. That underneath and beyond all the noise and distractions we make for ourselves, Love is all that remains. A critical reminder during this age in which we live.

In short, I learned that I didn’t need a dozen red roses to affirm my value in this world, or that because I did not have a significant other in my life, I was somehow lacking the love that everyone else seemed to have in their life.

(On a side note, I also learned that

Mrs. Katie Henkel, teaches her kindergarten class Feb. 5, at Holy Cross Elementary School in Mendota. Henkel recently did a “name that kindergartener” trend. Scott Anderson ON THE COVER

in some cases, those dozens of red roses sent on Valentine’s Day were performative gestures intended more for public consumption, and didn’t necessarily represent true, heartfelt affection on the part of the givers and/or the recipients.)

It took me much longer than most to find my person, but if I had to let those years unfold again the way they did, I would.

What my husband and I have together is genuine and rooted in decades of us both learning to live with and accept our own imperfections, as well as developing our shared faith in God, which ultimately brought us together at the right moment in time.

As Valentine’s Day approaches next week, I believe it is more imperative than ever that we shift our focus from the day as a socially-sanctioned public expression of affection, to one of reflection on Love as the heart of all being, that sustains us through every age of light and dark.

And in recognizing Love as the heart of all being, we just might show up in our daily lives in a reasoned, heart-centered way, engaging with those around us with compassion, understanding, gentleness, forgiveness, peace, faith, hope and love.

“But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

• Spirit Matters is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.

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Mendota kindergarten teacher goes viral

In video, Henkel can ID her students by their greeting alone

By MATHIAS WOERNER mwoerner@shawmedia.com

On the 100 th day of kindergarten, Katie Henkel lined up her 19 students at Holy Cross School in Mendota, decked out in their best 100-year-olds’ clothes, and sat down to try and name all of her students.

The twist: she was going to do it backwards, based on the sound of their voice saying, “Hi, Mrs. Henkel!”

“She got it right away,” said a surprised Charlie Prescott.

“I already knew she was going to get my name,” said Randy Fox. “I was still kind of impressed.”

The video of Henkel and her kindergarten students went viral across multiple social media platforms.

“I was absolutely surprised by the

reaction,” Henkel said. “My sister contacted me, I had people from high school texting me, people were messaging my parents ... It was unbelievable.”

Henkel grew up in Dimmick and has been a teacher for four years, all at Holy Cross of Mendota. Her first year was as a fourth-grade teacher and the past three in a kindergarten classroom.

“I love the little kids. They’re just so innocent and honest,” she said. “I just know that they need to know they’re safe and they’re loved, and I want them to enjoy school. So that’s kind of why I wanted kindergarten.”

Henkel and her husband live outside of West Brooklyn with their three kids, All of whom have or do attend Holy Cross School.

Henkel took a winding path to get to Holy Cross.

Before she was a teacher, Henkel attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and Lake Land College in Mattoon. She was a dental hygienist for 15 years and used that experience

to get a teaching job at Illinois Valley Community College in the dental assisting program.

Then a door opened for Henkel to move into teaching at Holy Cross School.

“I had a friend who was going back to school to become a teacher and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do, so I was kind of like, you know what, this will be great,” Henkel said.

She did an online alternative teacher certification program through the University of West Florida and then took an opportunity at Holy Cross.

“I love the littles. Watching them come in and some of them don’t even know how to hold a pencil, and then seeing them leaving here and being able to read is just awesome,” Henkel said. “To watch them not even know the alphabet, to being able to read and sound out words is so exciting for me. And to see them excited about it is awesome.”

The learning is not just happening

for the students, though. Henkel said that her students teach her a lot as well. She credits them with teaching her patience (lots and lots of patience) and not take life too seriously.

“For kids, it’s not a lot, but they just want to be noticed. Getting that little bit out of it and getting them all just to listen can be a challenge,” she said.

While Henkel said that applies to teaching kindergarteners, she also thinks it’s a challenge for teaching at large.

“Teaching is really hard,” she said. “Putting out a fire here, putting out a fire there. They’re struggling, you’re helping them. There’s a lot on these teachers now.”

Henkel said she appreciates the support she receives from other teachers at Holy Cross and from her students’ parents to help her deal with the struggles of teaching.

“I just want people to know that it is a lot, teachers really do a lot, but they love the kids,” she said. “We are here because we want them to succeed.”

Illinois Valley artist turns hobby into thriving business

Haltenhof’s ‘The Laced Brush’ spreads art across the region

By MARIBETH M. WILSON mwilson@shawmedia.com

Lacey Haltenhof’s business, “The Laced Brush,” has been decorating window fronts throughout the Illinois Valley, illustrating each store’s unique characteristics. She’s painted downtown windows in La Salle, Peru, Ottawa, Streator, Earlville and Morris, turning a hobby into a thriving entrepreneurial venture.

“I just remembered how fun it was to dip a paintbrush, put your headphones on and kind of zone out,” Haltenhof said. “I didn’t necessarily think I was going to make a business out of it. It was just going to be a little hobby.”

Haltenhof launched her business by painting a banner with her friend for a Galentine’s event and posted it online, hoping to gain traction. She designed a few more banners for free before landing her first job – a welcome home banner for a newborn.

Wanting to expand into window painting, Haltenhof offered her services to Downtown Nutrition in Ottawa free of charge.

“Pretty quickly after that, I was going all over doing windows and that was super fun, because I got to leave my studio and talk to business owners,” she said.

Beyond window painting, she also offers kids’ coloring sheets, custom banners for various occasions, gift bags and table runners.

Downtown Nutrition owner Rebecca Hess said she’s proud to support Haltenhof and witness how far her small business has come in a short time.

“I’m really happy she’s been able to expand in so many different ways,” Hess said. “A lot of people love seeing them. They catch your eye as you go by and I enjoy being able to collaborate with her on social media and do reels for each other.”

With community support, Haltenhof launched her business in July. Much to her surprise, the response was overwhelming.

“I was always an artist – like 100%,” she said. “I got a small scholarship to [Illinois Valley Community College] for fine arts. It’s always something that I wanted to do, but in the back of your

head, you’re like, how do I become a working artist?”

The challenges of starting and maintaining a business remain, particularly the demand to show up consistently on social media.

“I found out real quick it could make or break you,” she said.

Haltenhof films herself completing projects from start to finish and has gained a large social media following with 1,000 followers on Facebook and 13,000 likes on TikTok.

Her most-watched TikTok video features Santa with curlers in his hair, blowing a massive pink bubble at an Earlville hair salon, with more than 80,000 views.

“That was so fun to paint,” Haltenhof said. “I was given a lot of creative control.”

Haltenhof said she’s proud of what she’s accomplished, already hitting her

yearly goal by completing a mural for More on Main in Ottawa.

“It was a big moment for me,” she said. “I had never done anything like that. I just felt so honored and blessed and thankful that someone would want me to paint a permanent piece on their wall.”

Jen McMullen, owner of More on Main in Ottawa and Streator, said she was convinced Haltenhof could complete the mural based on her previous window work.

“The customers love it,” McMullen said. “There have been all kinds of comments and people are really impressed. One comment I heard was that it’s so unique – you know it doesn’t look like she copied it from someone else. And she doesn’t.”

With her yearly goal already completed, Haltenhof is looking ahead.

“I would love to have a brick-and-

mortar shop,” she said. “Maybe a sipand-paint studio. I thought it was really fun for me after school when I was little to take art classes. I don’t know if anyone does that right now, but I think it would be cool to give art lessons.”

Her dream store would offer classes, sell her own art and showcase local artists.

Her advice for young artists and entrepreneurs: go for it.

“Don’t worry about how you’re going to look to other people,” she said. “Just really try to stay in your lane, focus, do what makes you happy and nine times out of 10 you’re going to be fulfilled from it and that will be enough – or you’ll be pleasantly surprised and people will be attracted to whatever you’re doing.”

To book Haltenhof, email thelacedbrush@gmail.com.

To see her previous work, visit her Facebook, Instagram or TikTok pages.

Bilingual education surges in Illinois schools

By JESSIE MOLLOY jmolloy@shawmedia.com

Harvard, a town of less than 10,000 people located 70 miles from downtown Chicago, is rural, marks its summer with its annual Milk Days and is – perhaps surprising to some – largely bilingual.

Its school system is working hard to embrace that, becoming one of just 33 districts identified by the University of Illinois at Chicago to implement a full dual language program.

“Bilingualism is part of our community, and it’s part of our district culture,” said Monica Diaz, the director of bilingual and dual language programs for Harvard School District 50. “I’m sure there are some people who don’t like it, but they’re a small minority.”

As the state of Illinois celebrates 10 full years of its Seal of Biliteracy program, more schools around the state are adapting to accommodate the continuously expanding need for and interest in bilingual education, some through program’s like Harvard’s.

The Seal of Biliteracy is a recognition given to high school students who, through a series of tests, demonstrate proficiency in English as well as at least one other language.

In the graduating class of 2025, the state awarded the Seal of Biliteracy to 11,131 students, with an additional 5,980 students receiving the Commendation Towards Biliteracy recognition, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. That number represents about 12% of all graduating Illinois seniors.

By comparison, only 503 students received the Seal of Biliteracy in 2015, the first year in which students were recognized.

“Multilingualism is a powerful asset – one that prepares graduates to lead, collaborate, and problem-solve in an increasingly interconnected world. The program’s continued expansion shows that more students than ever are seizing the opportunities that multilingualism creates,” State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said in a December 2025 statement.

The increase has been driven both by a steadily increasing population of English learner and bilingual students as well as a growing increase in dual language education programs for native English speakers. In 2016, the Illinois State Report Card showed about

Spanish, and then they switch to English in third grade.

Pearce said if students are proficient in their native language first, it makes it easier for them to transfer over to English.

“It takes them a little longer, but they become more proficient in the long run,” Pearce said.

Dual language programs

The first dual language program in Illinois actually predates the Seal of Biliteracy program by 10 years in Woodstock School District 200, where the entire kindergarten-to-12th grade student body has the option to take part in a Spanish-English language program.

10.5% of Illinois students were English learners. In 2025, that number had risen to 17.5%.

In 2022, it was reported by the ISBE that 72% of English learner students in the state spoke Spanish. Similarly, about 80% of biliteracy awards given in the state in 2025 were awarded for fluency in Spanish, and just less than half of all the Seals of Biliteracy presented went to current or former EL students.

As demand for bilingual education services has grown, two distinct approaches have arisen in Illinois schools: traditional English learner programs that work with students to improve their English proficiency, often while still fostering skills in their native language, and dual language programs that use bilingual staff to teach students in both English and Spanish.

Traditional English learners programs

In order to ensure students who are not fluent in English can receive an education, most Illinois schools provide some sort of English learner services or classes designed to help improve their English proficiency.

Joliet Township High School District 204 is home to a very high number of English learner students, with just under a quarter of the district’s students qualifying as English learners.

Less than 10% of the students qualified as English leaners just 10 years ago when the program was restructured to offer classes at both of its schools, Superintendent Karla Guseman said.

Most of the district’s English learners speak a mix of English and Spanish and are primarily taught in English with access to extra services and supports, District Director of Multilingual Services Edgar Palacios said.

“Most of the students were born here, but they need supports because English is not their primary home language,” Palacios said.

“We’re really proud of our EL programming,” Guseman said. “We’ve ensured we have an instructional coach at each campus who works with teachers to help them with their EL students, and we also have bilingual social workers and family liaisons at each campus to help with those students.”

Since District 204 launched its program for earning the Seal of Biliteracy in 2020, 250 students have earned the recognition, many of them from bilingual households.

“It’s been really popular,” Curriculum Director for Social Science and World Language Paul Oswald said. “We want to validate our student’s bilingualism, and it looks good for them on resumes and getting college credit.”

Another approach to working with English learner students without completely implementing a dual language program is being used by Mendota School District 289, which currently offers a bilingual program for its youngest students.

Spanish-speaking families have the option to enter the bilingual program, Curriculum Director Tyler Pearce said. For preschool through second grade, students are taught almost entirely in

“It’s a really big deal here, almost half of our 6,200 students are in the program at this point,” District 200 Director of Communications Kevin Lyons said.

About 37% of the district’s students are of Hispanic descent, yet about 43% of the students are in the Spanish program, which is split about half-and-half between native English and Spanish speakers, Lyons said.

Students in the program learn half of their subjects in English and half in Spanish thanks to bilingual teachers, many of whom are native Spanish speakers themselves.

“In any given day, the students are learning in both languages,” Lyons said. “Having the students all mixed in together is helps because the kids can help each other with their languages. That peer participation is big, especially with things like their speech patterns and accents.”

Since the Seal of Biliteracy program’s creation, Lyons said about 850 Woodstock graduates have earned the honor, most of whom came out of the dual language program.

“The state requires that schools with 20% or more English learners have programming for them, and research shows the best programing is dual language,” Diaz said.

District 50, which started its dual language program in 2007, is a largely rural district with 46.1% of students in need of English learner services, and 55% considered low income.

“Given our demographics, it’s hard to reach the state standards, but we are showing really good growth,” Diaz said.

See BILITERACY, page 8

Chicago man sentenced to 4 years in prison after Sept. 23 Mendota standoff

By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com

A Chicago man who choked someone and then launched an armed standoff in Mendota is going to prison for four years. A judge rejected Shaquille Jones’ request for probation with alcohol treatment.

argument that turned violent. Jones, they told police, tried to choke them with a shirt wrapped around their neck. He then took her phone and laptop to keep them from calling the police.

Lisa says,

Jones, 32, appeared Friday in La Salle County Circuit Court for sentencing on a blind plea to aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony carrying three to seven years in prison. Prosecutors previously had agreed to cap their sentencing request at five years.

When offered a chance to speak, Jones rose from his seat and read rapid-fire from a prepared statement – the court reporter asked him to slow down – asking for time served and a chance to battle his alcohol issues.

“I let the drinking get the worst of me that day,” Jones said of his Sept. 23 arrest following a standoff.

But Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. said he couldn’t look past the cumulative events leading up to the standoff – “It was a long day” – and couldn’t disregard a criminal record that included trips to prison.

Jones was charged Sept. 23 after the victim in the case went to Mendota police and said that Jones had an early-morning

LOCAL NEWS BRIEF

University of Illinois Extension seeks youth for Club

Kids interested in learning more about horses have an opportunity to join the Horse and Hippology Club, which is seeking participants for future programming.

An open house and practice dates have not yet been scheduled. University of Illinois Extension is currently gauging interest from youth in Bureau, La Salle, Marshall, and Putnam counties.

The club is open to youth ages 8 to 18. Junior division participants must be 8 to 13, and senior division participants must be 14

Jones would not come out of the residence, prompting a midday standoff with Mendota police that brought the 1100 block of Fifth Street to a standstill.

At sentencing Friday, assistant public defender Heidi Nelson said the incident was fueled by alcohol and that Jones “doesn’t remember what happened that day.”

Jones had never been properly treated for his alcohol and mental health issues and deserved a chance to correct them. She asked for a time-served disposition plus probation.

But assistant La Salle County state’s attorney Alison Kerestes said Jones has a long record dating back to a juvenile offense for aggravated battery, for which he received a custodial sentence, and a record of non-compliance when granted probation.

“He’s never once completed conditional discharge or court supervision successfully,” Kerestes said, adding later, “He’s a danger to society. He has a violent past and the Illinois Department of Corrections is appropriate in this matter.”

Jones has about four months’ credit for time served, but his four-year prison term is subject to the state Truth in Sentencing Act, requiring certain felons to serve at least 85% of their time.

to 18 as of Jan. 1 of this year.

Youth do not need to be enrolled in 4-H or own a horse to participate. The participation fee is $20 unless the youth is already a 4-H member.

Participants can compete in several events. Horse bowl is a quiz about horses. Hippology covers horse science and practical skills and horse speaking helps kids practice public speaking about horses and the 4-H Horse Project. Anyone interested can visit Illinois Extension’s website for more information or contact them at 217-333-9295.

–ShawLocalNewsNetwork

State looks to expand manufacturing training

Latest round of grants could dedicate $24 million to 6 downstate campuses

By REECE DOWER Medill Illinois News Bureau

CHICAGO – As the U.S. sheds manufacturing jobs, Illinois is accepting applications for $24 million in grant funding to establish training facilities at community colleges aimed at bolstering the state’s manufacturing labor pool.

The funding is for six “manufacturing training academies” at downstate community colleges that will add to two existing academies that opened in 2024.

The new grants will be awarded through a bidding process. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced that the latest application window opened earlier this month. Community colleges outside of Cook and the collar counties can apply for grants ranging from $3 million to $6 million.

It comes as the industry faces harsh headwinds from a range of factors, including those outside of Springfield’s control.

The training academy program is an offshoot of the bipartisan budget and public infrastructure framework that became law during Gov. JB Pritzker’s first year in office in 2019. The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, a pro-business trade consortium, was instrumental in its launch.

“Today’s manufacturing is far different than it looked 10, 20, 30 years ago,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of IMA. “[For] the states that are going to win on economic development, a large part of that is making sure we have a skilled workforce.”

State funding

The first two training academies were built at Heartland Community College outside Bloomington and Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. The colleges now offer programs and certificates in a range of manufacturing processes and technologies, including robotics, welding, advanced automation and renewable energy technology.

The state also made awards to Richland Community College in Decatur and Kankakee Community College.

“Our skilled workforce is part of what makes Illinois a manufacturing powerhouse,” Pritzker said in a statement. “This critical grant funding will empower more Illinoisans to pursue high-demand, well-paying jobs in our growing manufacturing sector.”

The state also awarded more than $17 million this month to fund pre-apprenticeship programs in the state’s building and construction trades. While pre-apprenticeship training is distinct from the manufacturing academies, Pritzker promoted both programs as means to funnel candidates into in-demand jobs with high barriers to entry.

Pre-apprenticeship programs are designed to prepare candidates to enter registered apprenticeship programs, ascension to which is highly competitive in the unionized building trades, said Jay Rowell, executive director at Hire 360, a recipient of the new grant funds.

Other Pritzker administration policies also have sought to bolster manufacturing in Illinois. The 2021 Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act uses tax incentives to attract qualified renewable energy-related manufacturing companies to make capital investments in the state.

The administration’s announcement of the training academy expansion cited a “growing list” of manufacturers that are expanding operations in Illinois. Some, such as Cache Energy and Nano Nuclear, are REV Illinois program participants.

Swimming upstream

The manufacturing sector as a whole continues to shrink across the U.S. The U.S. lost 63,000 manufacturing jobs in 2025, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over that same period, Illinois lost 7,100 manufacturing jobs, a pace 2.5 times the national rate. Frank Manzo, an economist at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, attributes this, in part, to increasing input costs from tariffs and federal cuts to infrastructure funding.

The Illinois Economic Policy Institute is closely tied to several of the state’s labor organizations.

Manufacturing as a share of U.S. GDP has been on the decline for decades, as has the number of manufacturing jobs in Illinois. Average hourly earnings for manufacturing workers have not kept pace with those in professional and business services, according to BLS data, and the gap continues to widen.

Manufacturing training programs have proven to develop skilled labor

pools in the way the policy aims to, Manzo said. But he also argued “by far” the number one way to address any labor shortage is to raise pay and benefits to make the sector more attractive to new candidates who would otherwise not work in it.

“Unions have been hollowed out,” Manzo said. “As a result, job quality at these plants has been hollowed out, and that’s one of the reasons why people don’t want to work in manufacturing.”

Illinois unions have declined steadily over the past 30 years, and manufacturing unions especially have been decimated. Once a leader of the union movement, the Illinois manufacturing sector in 2024 was only 7% unionized, 1% higher than the national average, according to Manzo’s think tank.

In new sources of work such as renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, where the training academy program is focused, union density is particularly low, according to Professor Robert Bruno, director of labor education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He also sits on the Economic Policy Institute’s board.

He added that labor provisions in Illinois’ 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act have made progress to

See TRAINING, page 8

• BILITERACY

Continued from page 5

On average, between 30 and 35 graduating seniors earn the Seal of Biliteracy each year in classes of only 200 to 220 students, a feat which requires an 18 or better in English language arts on the ACT as well as a high score on one of several qualifying tests to evaluate speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills in the second language.

District 50’s program largely resembles Woodstock’s at the elementary and junior high levels where all students enrolling in the district have the option to partake, and more than half the district’s students do.

Once the students reach high school they learn primarily in English, but have the option to take “rigorous Spanish classes,” including Advanced Placement Spanish language and literature classes.

“The challenge is finding enough staff who are bilingual to teach all the

• TRAINING

Continued from page 7

address that challenge.

“The strongest institution for generating higher job quality is to work under a collective bargaining agreement,” Bruno said.

Many of the IMA’s affiliated employers are unionized, but at the same time, their political efforts are sometimes opposed to strengthening organized labor, Bruno said. While not always in agreement on statewide issues, labor organizations and the IMA both support the training academy model.

“The IMA has a long history of working collaboratively with unions across Illinois on a number of vital issues,” Denzler said in response.

Pat Devaney of the Illinois AFL-CIO said the state’s unions and the IMA’s interests are sometimes in conflict, but they regularly work together productively.

Both the unions and the manufacturers benefit from a skilled workforce, he said, but jobs must be unionized to be a pathway to the middle class.

Course curriculum

Labor boosters said they were disappointed that nothing in the law or grant agreements requires the community colleges receiving grant funds to teach about unionization.

classes, especially being a rural district,” Diaz said.

Most districts with a dual language program rely on finding teachers from foreign countries, including Spain and Mexico, to work in their programs, although districts with long-established programs have started being able to look at their own alumni.

For districts with newer programs, finding teachers is just one of the challenges they face. It is also a regular learning curve to plan as the students in the program advance.

For Rochelle school districts 212 and 231, this year has been a “planning phase” to introduce its first dual language cohort to high school.

The district started its program in 2017 and its first class of dual language students are preparing to graduate 8th grade.

“High school is going to be different,” said the districts’ language services director, Celeste Canfield. “Our program needs to keep evolving to make sure we’re making the right changes as needed.”

Heartland Community College, which was awarded almost $7.5 million in 2021, said the only coursework related to labor organizing or workers’ rights in its state-backed manufacturing programs is a 10-hour OSHA construction safety course.

Paul Carlson, dean of business, technology and human services at Kankakee Community College, which received $12 million in 2024, according to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant tracker, said their curriculum does not cover workers’ rights or labor organizing.

“We do not avoid these topics if brought up in classroom settings,” Carlson said.

“They are just not typical of our stakeholders’ needs or students’ interests as they are beginning their lifelong learning and choosing whatever field of endeavor.”

Officials at Southwestern Illinois College and Richland Community College did not respond to multiple requests for comment about their grant-funded workforce development curricula.

• Reece Dower is a graduate student in journalism with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications, and is a fellow in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois.

Automated license plate reader count expanding in Illinois

Editor’s note: This story is the first of a two-part series about the use of automated license plate readers, commonly known as LPRS or Flock cameras, in northern Illinois. This installment focuses on how cities use the cameras and the successes they have noted.

By CAMDEN LAZENBY, FELIX SARVER, BOB OKON, AMANDA MARRAZZO, TOM COLLINS and CHARLENE BIELEMA Shaw Local News Networ

Automated license plate readers, also known as LPRS and Flock cameras, have become a powerful tool for law enforcement across northern Illinois, helping police to solve murders, locate missing persons and catch fleeing suspects.

“LPRS are probably the most impactful technology that law enforcement has added to their toolbox in years,” DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd said.

Joliet Police Chief William Evans agrees.

He said the cameras have been “instrumental in getting an arrest and a conviction” in every major crime that the police solve.

But the technology also has sparked privacy concerns, with critics warning that the cameras create a “mass surveillance infrastructure” that could be misused to track undocumented immigrants or women seeking abortions.

What are automated license plate readers?

Flock Safety operates the largest automated license plate reader system in the nation. The cameras are not 24-hour surveillance devices; instead, they are activated by motion as vehicles pass and capture images of license plates, registration information and the backs of vehicles.

While not technically a surveillance camera, a license plate reader can see more than a car’s license plate. It also allows law enforcement to find out where a vehicle was at a certain time, its direction of travel, and can help identify people in the vehicle.

“The license plate readers can filter; let’s say you put in ‘tan, Chevy,’ or ‘tan passenger car vehicle,’ it’ll give you all the tan vehicles that pass through this license plate reader during that time,” Byrd said. His department has used Genetec, another license plate reader provider, since 2022.

But it goes beyond just a car’s color and license plate: Officials reviewing images collected from license plate readers can often discern a vehicle’s make and model, and other identifying details, such

as damage, Byrd said.

Rapid expansion across the region

The number of northern Illinois law enforcement agencies using license plate readers has grown in recent years.

In Will County, the sheriff’s office has 47 Flock cameras installed throughout the county, with plans to add seven more, according to Undersheriff Dan Jungles. Joliet, the largest city in the county, has more than 80 cameras, and Plainfield has 16.

DeKalb has 21 LPRS in nine locations. In McHenry County, Crystal Lake installed nine fixed and three mobile readers in 2023. McHenry installed five cameras beginning in 2022.

“The fixed-location LPRS were strategically installed around the city limits to capture vehicles entering and exiting,” Crystal Lake Deputy Chief Richard Neumann said.

“With the assistance of the LPRS, the Crystal Lake Police Department has been able to locate several missing endangered people and arrest numerous offenders for violent crimes against persons and property crimes,” Neumann said.

Sycamore operates 26 LPRS under a Sycamore Police Department contract with Flock Safety. The city received little pushback when the program was expanded in March 2024.

In La Salle, Bureau and Whiteside counties, Peru and Ottawa police depart-

ments both installed Flock cameras in late 2021 and now have 10 or more each. The La Salle Police Department has six cameras in operation for about two and a half years. Mendota installed its first four cameras in 2025. Spring Valley installed three in early 2025 and Sterling installed 16 license plate readers beginning in May.

Success stories

Police departments across the region credit the cameras with solving serious crimes, including a fatal Easter Sunday shooting in Streator, located in La Salle County. Surveillance cameras in downtown Streator captured a Chevy Cruze from which shots were fired, killing 17-year-old Camryn Merritte and injuring two others. The driver was not visible in the footage, and neither survivor cooperated with the police.

However, the Cruze was repeatedly captured on surveillance systems and Flock cameras from Ottawa to Streator to Peoria. Police recovered the vehicle in Peoria, wiped clean. A breakthrough came when a camera at a Clark gas station recorded a masked man emerging from the driver’s seat. Separate footage from inside an Ottawa residence, shot the day of the incident, showed a man wearing identical clothes with a mask lowered below his chin.

The man was identified as 31-year-old Tyler Skerett of Streator. At trial in October, Skerett argued the evidence was

entirely circumstantial. A jury disagreed and convicted him of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced in December to 117 years. Robbery and fraud: In 2024, McHenry County cameras led to the arrest of Tamir Refaie of Burbank. Police said Refaie posed as a ride-share driver and picked up a woman at O’Hare Airport who had just flown in from Germany and asked him to drive her to a hotel in McHenry.

He drove her to McHenry, but before letting her out, intimidated and detained her until she gave him $1,400, according to a criminal complaint. He drove her to an ATM at a bank in McHenry, where she withdrew the money, McHenry police public information officer Ashley O’Herron said at the time.

The woman told police the man drove a black BMW SUV. An officer reviewed Flock footage looking for the SUV the woman described and located a possible suspect vehicle traveling toward McHenry and then driving in the opposite direction about 20 minutes later during the time of the crime. Though the BMW was registered to a woman, further investigation showed she was related to Refaie. Police also learned Refaie was facing similar charges in Cook County.

The woman from Germany identified him in a lineup, and he was arrested. McHenry Police Commander Nicholas

Groups say license plate readers could be used for ill intent

Editor’snote:Todaymarksthesecondof a two-part series about automated license plate readers in northern Illinois. Thursday’s installment focused on cities’ successes. Today’s installment examines privacy concerns, national controversies, and ongoing debate.

By CHARLENE BIELEMA, CAMDEN LAZENBY, TOM COLLINS, FELIX SARVER, AMANDA MARRAZZO and BOB OKON Shaw Local News Network

When DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies found Holly and Gary Schmidt dead inside their Sycamore home Sept. 30, the victims of apparent blunt force trauma, deputies determined a car was missing from the scene, court records show.

DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan said license plate readers – often called LPRS and sometimes ALPRS for automated license plate readers – were used during the multiagency search for the car.

“One of the registered vehicles was missing from the home, and that vehicle was located on an LPR in Rockford,” Sullivan said.

Kevin Schmidt, who police say later confessed to plotting the killings, was apprehended by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office within three hours of DeKalb County sheriff’s deputies first entering the Schmidt home. Without the license plate reader that located the vehicle driven by Kevin Schmidt, police would have relied on the car’s description and word of mouth to hopefully determine its whereabouts.

But even as cases like this highlight the technology’s effectiveness, they also have intensified concerns about how much data is collected, and who controls it.

While police across northern Illinois credit automated license plate readers such as Flock cameras with solving serious crimes, privacy advocates and civil liberties groups are raising the alarm about the technology’s potential for abuse and how it could create warrantless surveillance.

Illinois has passed laws restricting how the data can be used, but questions remain about whether those protections are sufficient.

Recent cases involving misuse of the data have intensified the debate over whether current safeguards are sufficient.

Concerns over misuse in Joliet

Not everyone is convinced the cameras are being used appropriately. In

authorities, in violation of a law passed in 2023. Between mid-January and April, there were 262 searches on immigration-related matters in Mount Prospect alone, Giannoulias said.

Federal access violations alleged

In August, Giannoulias’ office announced that an audit had “discovered that U.S. Customs and Border Protection gained access to Illinois license plate camera data – a violation of state law.” Giannoulias “immediately ordered the company to shut off access to U.S. Customs and Border Protection” and said his office had “spearheaded legislation, which now gives us the tools needed to hold Flock accountable for its actions.”

Joliet, Sam Coffey, a candidate for the Joliet High School District 204 board, raised concerns at a Jan. 6 City Council meeting.

“A lieutenant recently in the Joliet Police Department was fired for reasons that included misuse of a license plate reader like this,” Coffey said.

Coffey was referring to Joliet Police Lt. Jeremy Harrison. An investigation by the city’s inspector general found Harrison violated several departmental policies, including the policy on the automated license plate reader system, city records show.

Following the investigation, Joliet Police Chief William Evans recommended Harrison’s termination last December.

“I’m not bringing that up to attack the department, I’m just saying it shows a basic truth that when surveillance tools are this powerful, policies alone can’t prevent the misuse and even trained professionals are susceptible to breaking community trust,” Coffey said.

Coffey urged the Joliet City Council to remove Flock cameras because they “create a system that continuously collects data on anyone who drives past them.”

“Many people have concerns with what happens with that data,” Coffey said.

Evans, asked about Flock cameras after Coffey’s comments, said they have been “instrumental in getting an arrest and a conviction” in every major crime that the police solve.

At a candidate forum in January, Will County Undersheriff Dan Jungles called

Flock cameras the most important tool currently in law enforcement.

“We have solved dozens of murders, we have solved dozens of crimes,” Jungles said.

A petition calling for the end of their use in Joliet has collected 125 signatures, which may not be enough to end a practice that has strong support from city police.

National controversies raise red flags

The concerns are not limited to northern Illinois. In June, state Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, and others joined Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in condemning the use of Flock by the state of Texas to track a woman who traveled to Illinois to seek abortion services not allowed in Texas. According to Giannoulias’ office, more than 83,000 cameras were used to track the woman.

The Associated Press reported that Mount Prospect authorities shared license-plate data with the sheriff in Johnson County, Texas, who was looking for a woman whose family was worried because she had undergone a self-administered abortion. News stories also report that police said they were seeking help from the cameras to find her at the family’s request, out of concern for her safety and not to arrest her.

However, the case raised an alarm about how Flock data could be misused.

Secretary of State Giannoulias also said Mount Prospect shared data on undocumented immigrants with federal

A commentary posted on the ACLU website Aug. 18 said citizens should be warned of the technology, saying Flock “is building a dangerous nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure.” The ACLU warned that “the problem with mass surveillance is that it always expands beyond the uses for which it is initially justified.”

Flock denies wrongdoing

In response to questions about the controversy and claims that Flock shares information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Josh Thomas, chief communication officer for Flock, said, “We respectfully disagree.”

“No, Flock does not have a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] or any sub-agencies of the Department of Homeland Security,” according to a link to a company message that Thomas shared. “Flock does not share customer data with any federal agency without a local customer’s explicit choice and control.”

Thomas said every piece of data collected by Flock is owned and controlled by the local customer, whether that is a city, county, school district or private organization. Agencies can share camera access with other police departments on a one-to-one basis, by geographic radius, or statewide. Agencies also can choose to share data nationwide.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t have its own license plate reader program, but it has access to programs run by other law enforcement agencies in DeKalb County. Sullivan said his office uses LPRs “on a daily basis,” and described them as one of the first tools his office uses when responding to a report involving a vehicle.

Continued from page 10

Clesen said that without the cameras, there “is no way” they could have identified Refaie.

Missing persons: In November, an elderly McHenry woman with dementia was reported missing. Police received a description of her car, and an officer used the Flock system to search for the vehicle. When he identified it passing one of the cameras, he ran the license plate and confirmed it was their missing person.

The car was captured on cameras driving on Route 31 near Rakow. McHenry police shared the information with Crystal Lake police, who also use Flock readers. The woman was found and safely reunited with her family.

In another case, McHenry officers were alerted by Flock of a stolen vehicle possibly driven by a man wanted by the Matteson Police Department for an alleged stabbing. “Officers quickly located the vehicle, took the suspect into custody and released him into the custody of the Matteson Police Department,” Clesen said.

Other successes: In Woodstock, Flock cameras were instrumental in the quick apprehension of Adilyn R. Monette, 21, of Woodstock, in connection with the Walmart fire on New Year’s Eve. Monette, charged with aggravated arson, is accused of setting baby cribs on fire inside the store, according to the complaint in McHenry County court.

• LPR CONCERNS

Continued from page 11

Sullivan said LPRS allowed his office to efficiently determine that a call for a stolen vehicle was actually about a repossessed vehicle.

“It’s so responsive and quick, so it’s easily identifiable,” Sullivan said. “It’s a quick tool for us to use just to help find a vehicle.”

State protections and ongoing debate

But while police chiefs and top law enforcement officials across northern Illinois have been proponents of the technology’s incorporation into police work, others worry about the potential for abuse.

Khadine Bennett, the advocacy and intergovernmental affairs director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, said there isn’t a state or federal regulation defining how long law

Woodstock cameras also helped locate a man accused of sexual assault in Woodstock after he’d fled to Georgia. The cameras captured his plates and registration as he traveled, and when he arrived in Georgia, he was apprehended and extradited to McHenry County.

Sterling Police Chief Pat Bartel said the cameras there have helped identify vehicles used in two shots-fired incidents, located a felon from Texas wanted for multiple shootings, recovered a kidnapped individual and arrested the perpetrator and recovered three stolen vehicles.

Police defend the technology

Police chiefs across the region defend the technology as an essential investigative tool.

“They provide alerts for vehicles that might be associated with a missing or endangered person or a person who is wanted on a criminal arrest warrant,” Sycamore Police Chief Erik Mahan said. “The cameras have also assisted us in solving crimes, such as helping us to locate vehicles involved in hit-and-run crashes, including one where a police vehicle was stuck head-on.”

Spring Valley Police Chief Adam Curran said three were installed there in early 2025, and they have been instrumental in solving numerous cases. Curran acknowledged the potential for privacy violations but pointed out that the sheer volume of images captured does not readily lend to misuse. He further stated he does not share information with anyone outside law enforcement.

enforcement agencies, or Flock Safety, can hold onto footage collected through ALPRS.

“Some places do it for 30 days, some people do it indefinitely,” Bennett said. “If you have all of that access to information, then you’re able to create a kind of a warrantless surveillance of somebody who is associated with that license plate.”

Bennett said the ACLU of Illinois advocates for a three-day retention period for data collected through LPRS. She also argued that a policy regarding the rationale for use needs to be created.

“The ability to track where people are going, and tracking them day after day after day, that’s the surveillance component that really worries us,” Bennett said, while noting there is not an expectation of privacy while driving in public.

Illinois did pass a law in 2023 restricting how license plate readers can be used, limiting their use to criminal investigations. However, the debate continues about whether those protections are sufficient.

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Familiar face takes over Starved Rock Foundation

L-P grad Matthew Klein is a photographer, entreprenuer and now nonprofit president

By MATHIAS WOERNER mwoerner@shawmedia.com

The Starved Rock Foundation has a new president: 25-year-old Matthew Klein took over the role on Jan. 15, succeeding Pam Grivetti.

Klein has experience with the foundation, a history with Starved Rock and a love for the park.

“I am excited,” Klein said. “I am ready for the challenge of being the president of the foundation.”

Klein is a decorated photographer, videographer and entrepreneur from the Illinois Valley who already has done a lot for the park and the foundation, both as a visitor and as a board member.

A 2018 graduate of La Salle-Peru High School, Klein joined the Starved Rock Foundation Board of Directors in 2022. Last year, he served as the foundation’s vice president.

“He’s been involved since he was a boy. I know he’s loved Starved Rock his whole life, so it was natural for him to step into this position,” foundation vice president Mike Toohey said.

Starved Rock helped Klein begin his photography career. He began when he was 16 and, a year later, Klein co-founded his media production company, reelCreative.

“That was kind of an accident. I had a drone and my friend had drones. We were creating different cool little drone shots of Peru that we posted on Facebook and people would share it,” Klein said. “People would say, ‘Hey, could you bring your drone to our business and take some photos?’ ... And then one project just led to the next.”

Klein’s business drew the attention of Unrealistic Productions, which featured Klein’s work in an HBO original documentary in 2021.

“It was not only a really cool experience, but it was also super challenging because it was very specific,” Klein said. “I licensed them many clips I already had captured that they used in the show, but then there were also some specific ones that kind of challenged me.”

Klein is grateful for the challenge, though, and what it has led to, one of

which was to take his photos of the park and create a calendar out of them for himself and a small group of friends and family.

People loved it and more clamored for a calendar the next year. This went on until Klein approached the Starved Rock Foundation about making his calendars part of a fundraiser for Starved Rock.

Klein’s calendars have raised over $40,000 in support of Starved Rock. In total, the Starved Rock Foundation has donated goods and services amounting to over $500,000 to Starved Rock.

It wasn’t long after the fundraiser that Klein became a board member for the foundation.

“He came in with a different energy,” Starved Rock Foundation bookstore manager Robbin Keenan said. “He’s kind of brightened things up with more people, younger people and more ideas.”

In the time that Klein has been a board member, the Starved Rock Foundation added an audio-visual system, updated the museum, the lighting in the Starved Rock State Park Visitors Center, and much more.

“We’re not done,” Klein said. “It’s like ‘What else can we help with? How can we improve the trails? What can we

do to amplify a different part of the visitor experience?’ We just want to deliver a great experience for our visitors.”

The Capital Development Board of the state of Illinois allocated $18 million for a project that will upgrade the trails in the park, although the foundation is not directly involved with that.

The Starved Rock Foundation has been in existence since 1991. Klein appreciates the work that has been done before his arrival by former president Pam Grivetti and all of the previous board members.

“Over the past five years, we’ve seen a really good amount of growth, with

Matthew Klein points to new signage and upgrades that were made inside the Starved Rock Visitors Center on Feb. 4 at Starved Rock State Park. Klein is the vice president of the Starved Rock Foundation.

interest from new volunteers, new ideas, and our group at the park has been really receptive towards them,” he said.

Some of those ideas have been implemented already.

The barriers to entry for becoming a member have been largely eradicated.

The Starved Rock Foundation has opened an avenue to become a member online, rather than offering solely in-person applications.

Last summer, the foundation invited some high school students who needed

See FAMILIAR FACE, page 17

IVCC launches workshop for aspiring business owners

FastTrac curriculum teaches business planning, funding strategies

By BILL FRESKOS bfreskos@shawmedia.com

Illinois Valley Community College is offering a course to help aspiring entrepreneurs launch or grow their businesses.

The small-business accelerator class teaches participants how to develop a business plan and create strategies for funding and marketing.

According to a news release, the program uses the nationally recog -

nized Kauffman FastTrac curriculum and wraps up with a Shark Tankstyle pitch presentation, where top participants can earn awards to invest in their businesses.

Instructor Connor Cofoid, an IVCC alum and founder of a startup consulting business, will lead the sessions.

Classes will begin next week and meet every Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 17 to April14 at IVCC’s main campus. The program costs $549, though grant funds are available to cut the price in half for students registering through IVCC Continuing Education.

To register, call 815-224-0427 and reference ID 25908. More information is available on IVCC’s website.

Winter Olympics-themed events to begin Feb. 11 at Mendota’s

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

The Graves-Hume Public Library will host several events to celebrate the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

• Winter Olympics Drop-In: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees will be able to participate in Winter Olympics activities. Wednesday, Feb. 11. The event is intended for youth. No registration is required.

• History of the Winter Olympics: 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12. Participants can learn about the Winter Olympics history, listen to stories, and explore previ-

library

ous Olympic Games artifacts and images. The program will be led by the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. No registration is required.

• Winter Olympics Movie Night: 3:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13. Attendees will be able to watch a screening of the movie “Cool Runnings.” The movie is rated PG. Parents may attend the screening. The contact information for participants family’s must be provided. The doors to the library will be locked at 4 p.m. Registration is required. The screening is open to people ages eight and older.

For more information, call 815-5385142.

Venerable Fulton Sheen to be beatified, according to the Vatican.

Vatican OKs beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen

By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com

Venerable Fulton Sheen, the El Paso native who became a prominent TV personality and evangelist, will be beatified, the Vatican has advised the Peoria Diocese. This puts him one step closer to becoming a saint.

“The Holy See has informed me that the Cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to Beatification,” Peoria Bishop Louis Tylka said in a Monday statement. “The next step in the process is the celebration of beatification, in which Fulton Sheen would be declared Blessed.

“In the Catholic Church, beatification is the first major step to sainthood, granting a deceased person the title ‘Blessed’ and allowing limited public veneration [like in a region] after proving heroic virtue and one verified mira-

cle. Canonization is the final step, declaring the person a saint, permitting reverence across the entire Church, and requiring a second miracle after beatification, making their veneration universal.”

Archbishop Sheen was declared Venerable when Pope Benedict XVI recognized his life of heroic virtue on June 28, 2012. The miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession was recognized by Pope Francis on July 6, 2019.

Sheen was to have been beatified in late 2019, but the ceremony was canceled over allegations of sexual abuse in the Rochester Diocese when Sheen was bishop there. Monsignor Gray of the Peoria Diocese has since reported that the allegations against Sheen were unfounded.

No new date for beatification has been issued. Tylka said the date and event details will be released soon through celebratesheen.com.

Now through February 13th, submit a photo of your pet into one of our 3 categories - Cat, Dog, or Other.

Then from February 14th-23rd, Illinois Valley readers will vote for which pet they think is the cutest.

The winning pet in the Dog and Cat categories will each receive a free grooming service from Pawsitively Purrfect Mobile Grooming & Spa. The winning pet in the Other category will receive a $25 gift card.

OSF Saint Elizabeth hosts free advance care planning class

Educational session covers DNR orders, health care decision-making in Ottawa

By BILL FRESKOS bfreskos@shawmedia.com

OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa will host a free educational class next month focused on advanced care planning and informed health care decision making. The class will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday,

OBITUARIES

DARLENE M. GEHANT

Born: January 2, 1933 in West Brooklyn, IL Died: February 2, 2026 in West Brooklyn, IL

Darlene Mary (Chaon) Gehant, 93, of West Brooklyn, Illinois, died peacefully in her home on February 2, 2026. Darlene was born in West Brooklyn on January 2, 1933, to Oliver H. and Alberta M. (Dinges) Chaon. She came from very humble beginnings, and her early childhood farmhouse lacked electricity, running water, and all modern conveniences. Darlene was the eldest of three sisters and since there were no brothers, Darlene had to learn every task on the farm to help her folks. She drove tractors, bailed hay, shocked oats, collected eggs, and milked cows. She would often reminisce of operating an old Oliver tractor when her feet could barely reach the pedals. The work ethic that she developed as a young farm girl became a source of strength and identity for her throughout life. Darlene’s early education consisted of attending a one-room schoolhouse, endearingly known as the Zinke School. She was exposed to reading, writing, and arithmetic, and she excelled in

DANIEL “DAN” MUNSON

Daniel “Dan” Munson, 69, of Mendota , passed on 02/02/2026.

Arrangements entrusted to Burgess Funeral Homes, LaSalle. Additional information: Memorial Visitation 4 to 6, with a service at 6 in the Burgess Funeral in La Salle on Thurs Feb. 12th.

Feb. 17, in meeting rooms 2 and 3 at OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, 1100 E. Norris Drive.

The presenter will be an advanced practice registered nurse in palliative care, and is designed to improve health literacy by helping participants better understand care preferences and medical decisions.

According to a news release, topics will include the differences between DNR-comfort care and DNR-do not intubate orders, the meaning and intent of each, along with how DNR orders reflect a patient’s goals of care.

The class is open to the public and no registration is required.

the classroom as a young child. Darlene later attended St. Mary’s School and West Brooklyn High School before graduating from the Mount St. Clare Academy in Clinton, Iowa. Attending Mount St. Clare, she followed in the footsteps of her mother, mother-in-law, cousins, and family friends. It was a school and religious community in which she took great pride. While at the Mount, Darlene had the opportunity to travel to the Vatican for the Holy Year Jubilee in 1950 and had an audience with Pope Pius XII. As a sixteen-year-old girl, who had rarely set foot outside of Lee County, she sailed from New York to France on the Queen Elizabeth, and in doing so, experienced the rough seas of the Atlantic Ocean. This most likely contributed to her lifelong aversion to water.

Darlene met her husband Robert A. Gehant when she started her job at the H.F. Gehant Banking Company on her 18th birthday, and the two were married on April 7, 1953, at St. Mary’s Church in West Brooklyn. With very few interruptions, Darlene worked at the bank until the age of 87. Other than her family, the bank provided the greatest joy and satisfaction in her life. She loved her coworkers and thoroughly enjoyed working with customers (even the bank examiners). She progressed from farm girl to Senior Vice President and Director, joining several other area farm girls

Send obituary information to lasalleobits@shawlocal.com. Obituaries also appear online at legacy.com/obituaries/newstrib, where you also may sign the guest book.

who excelled in the banking profession in neighboring banks.

Darlene was baptized, received first holy communion, was confirmed and married in St. Mary’s of the Assumption Church in West Brooklyn. Her faith was the guiding constant of her life, and it was the source of her quiet, yet remarkable personal strength. She served as a lay minister, was a member of the Altar Society, and she sang in the choir for many years which was one of the greatest joys of her life. Darlene prayed the rosary for her children every day. She saw the best in everyone, and she had a Christlike empathy for those who were suffering or struggling with life’s challenges. Her abiding wish for the world was peace, and she emulated her favorite saint, Saint Francis, in her daily life. Darlene loved her work and her community, and she also had several other activities that she enjoyed. Darlene always had a large garden. She and her grandfather, George Dinges, would plant everything imaginable and then spend time together watching it grow. Throughout the years, Darlene served as the de facto town historian. Quite often, community members and even complete strangers, would stop by her home after visiting the cemetery to inquire about their ancestors. Darlene had a remarkable memory, and she often could offer historical and ancestral information. In her later years, Darlene’s enjoyed sitting at the

edge of her garage and watching the comings and goings of West Brooklyn, a community that she truly loved. Darlene had a lifelong connection with and affinity for Mount Saint Clare, serving on their finance board for many years. Darlene was preceded in death by her husband Robert A. Gehant, parents Oliver H. and Alberta M. Chaon, and her sisters Donna Mae (George) Johnson and Rose Marie (Pete) MacKay. She is survived by her daughter Ann F. Gehant (Ed Kavanaugh) of Champaign, Illinois, and sons William A. (Deirdre) Gehant of West Brooklyn, and Timothy R. Gehant (Glen Rexing) of Chicago, Illinois. Darlene Is also survived by her grandchildren Conor DuBoyce, Brad Kavanaugh, and Kelly Lord and her many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Sisters of St. Francis in Clinton, IA, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Also, in Darlene’s memory, please pass along a smile and a kind word. That would mean the world to her.

Funeral Mass for Darlene will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in West Brooklyn, Illinois, with Father Randy Fronek officiating. Visitation will be held on Friday, February 6, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Horner-Merritt Funeral Home in Mendota, Illinois. Burial will follow services at St. Mary’s Cemetery in West Brooklyn, Illinois.

• FAMILIAR FACE

Continued from page 13

volunteer hours into the park, and the students pitched in around the park.

“Now we have a website. Now we have social media. Those are all relatively new things. Our team has updated over the past few years,” Klein said. “There’s a lot of opportunities for us in marketing and communications.”

Through all of the transitions, projects and initiatives, Klein’s responsibilities with the Starved Rock Foundation haven’t dimmed his desire to enjoy the park as a visitor.

“I love photographing landscapes and I’m now getting more into wildlife. I like experiencing these natural places that are often just empty. I think it’s a super good way for me to disconnect and like take a reset from the hustle and bustle,” Klein said. “When you go out hiking, it’s even better when there’s no service. Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh my god, I don’t have service.’ Like, that’s the point.”

Klein is a co-founder of Starved Rock Hikers, a community-driven organization focused on sharing trail information, park resources and a deeper understanding of the landscape.

Klein wants others to join in the appreciation of Starved Rock and be involved in the park, citing becoming a member, finding a way to volunteer, or even leading a hike.

Klein is grateful for the support staff around him that help the Starved Rock Foundation function.

While Klein doesn’t know what his future holds, he’s content with where he is.

“I didn’t intend to go to the big city where the big opportunities supposedly are. I feel like I’m a person who is very much driven in terms of when you have a project, you want to get it done,” Klein said. “If you have an idea, if you have a project, it’s pretty realistic to make that happen. I’m proud to call the area home, and I don’t have any intentions to leave.”

& VANS

STATE

Pritzker’s budget report could set tone for 2027 spending plan

By JERRY NOWICKI jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com and BEN SZALINSKI bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com

With Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual budget address less than two weeks away, a new report from his office is setting the table for a speech that’s likely to be bleak in tone.

And it’s likely to serve as a warning to lawmakers and advocates that the state doesn’t have room for new spending programs in the upcoming fiscal 2027.

The report’s message: Enacted or threatened federal funding cuts are creating tremendous uncertainty, even in the current fiscal year.

“Unlike the federal government, all states, including Illinois, are required to annually balance their budgets and have limited, if any, options to fill gaps left by these federal reductions,” according to the report from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.

The governor’s office also put direct dollar amounts on some of the impending federal policy changes or cuts:

• $100 million over two years to implement administrative changes related to new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid requirements.

• $80 million annually as a result of

the federal government shifting a greater share of SNAP administrative costs.

• $705 million in new benefits spending on SNAP if Illinois exceeds newly created error rate caps.

• $6.1 billion in cumulative lost revenue for Medicaid ($3.8 billion of which is lost federal support) by fiscal 2033, due to caps on provider taxes. Impacts would be first felt in fiscal 2028 and would ramp up over the following years.

• $1 billion in child care-related funding in fiscal 2027 if the courts allow the administration’s funding “freeze” to take effect.

Decoupling, child care

The culprit for the known variables is largely H.R. 1, widely publicized as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” In October, the governor’s office warned it could erase $830 million in tax revenue for the current fiscal year. But state lawmakers acted to decouple the federal and state tax code in certain areas during their fall veto session, and the report expects that to reduce the current-year impact to about $587 million.

Pritzker also directed state agencies to hold back $482 million in current-year spending last month.

The impact of tax code changes would be less in the upcoming fiscal year because the largest current-year impact was due to the “acceleration of

certain tax benefits forward,” according to the report.

But as of Friday morning when the report was published, there was also a major unknown variable: The Trump administration had threatened to freeze $1 billion in child care-related funding to Illinois (and another $9 billion to several other blue states.)

Ostensibly, the administration said it was seeking to root out fraud – without making specific allegations –although the affected states argued the amount of paperwork required for the child care funds to be released presented them with an intentionally “impossible” task.

But Friday marked the tail end of the second two-week restraining order that a federal judge put on the freeze, creating an added level of uncertainty in the run-up to the budget address that Pritzker is slated to deliver on Feb. 18.

Existing budget shortfalls

The report notably didn’t touch on fiscal pressures related to structural shortfalls in ongoing revenue compared to expenditures in Illinois’ budget.

GOMB’s October report pegged the fiscal 2027 deficit at $2.2 billion if lawmakers didn’t make any changes to spending or taxing policies, noting much of the deficit was driven by the state’s own policies but exacerbated by federal changes.

The baseline projections show revenue is not expected to grow in fiscal 2027 without lawmakers finding a way to increase it. At the same time, spending was on track to increase by about $1.9 billion from the current fiscal year without changes.

Federal funding allotments are already showing signs of falling short in fiscal 2026, according to the January report from the General Assembly’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

Federal payments to Illinois were down $169 million last month compared with January 2025 – a decline of almost 36%. While COGFA’s experts caution that federal receipts are typically one of the state’s most volatile revenue sources because they arrive on an inconsistent schedule, January marked the third straight month of decline.

Federal receipts now are down $202 million, or 8%, so far this fiscal year.

“The fiscal 2026 budget assumed a notable rise in Federal Sources this fiscal year, so significant improvement is needed over the remaining five months to reach initial budget expectations for this category of revenues,” according to the report.

Despite indications the federal government is sending less money to the state, other sources such as income and sales taxes continue to increase, and revenue is up 3.5% so far in fiscal 2026.

Pritzker backs longtime political ally Margaret Croke for comptroller

By BEN SZALINSKI bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com

Gov. JB Pritzker is backing one of his longtime Statehouse allies, state Rep. Margaret Croke, to be Illinois’ next comptroller.

Croke has represented an Illinois House district on Chicago’s North Side since 2021, but her relationship with Pritzker dates back to 2017 when she helped lead Pritzker’s first campaign for governor. In a statement Monday, Pritzker said Croke “has always been committed to responsible fiscal management.”

“Whether it’s advocating for job creation, reproductive rights, or the expansion of child care, Margaret knows how to get things done,” Pritzker said. “At a

time when the Trump administration is playing politics with federal funding, we need a comptroller who will not shy away from a fight and will lead with transparency and efficiency.”

Margaret Croke

Croke has chased Pritzker’s endorsement since entering the race to succeed Comptroller Susana Mendoza and told Capitol News Illinois in October “he’s the guy I look up to.”

“Every day, he stands up for Illinoisans and fights back against the Trump

administration, and I’m proud that he believes I am the best person to serve as comptroller in this critical moment,” Croke said in a statement Monday.

Croke received Pritzker’s financial support in past campaigns for state representative, and Pritzker’s endorsement could open the door to more financial help from the billionaire governor ahead of the March 17 primary.

Croke is already the top fundraiser in the comptroller primary and is also backed by the influential Cook County Democratic Party.

Before joining the General Assembly, Croke was a deputy director at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity where she oversaw legislative affairs for the state’s economic devel-

opment office.

As a state representative, Croke chairs the House Financial Institutions and Licensing Committee and has been a key voice on budget issues in the House.

On the political side, Croke led outreach to women voters throughout Illinois during Pritzker’s 2018 campaign and was a member of his transition team following his election. She also is currently a board member of Think Big America, Pritzker’s political action committee that supports pro-abortion ballot measures and candidates throughout the country.

Croke is facing off against two follow state lawmakers – state Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, and state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, as well as Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim.

PUZZLES

ACROSS

1. Breezed through 5. Consumer protection agency

8. Criminal syndicate

11. Moves back from

13. Satisfaction

14. Feel concern or interest

15. Monetary units

16. Congressman (abbr.)

17. Israeli city

18. Restaurants

20. 2,000 lbs.

21. Grandmother

22. North, South and Central

25. In an early way

30. Foes

31. Social networking platform

32. Early term for basketball player

33. Another name for sesame plant

38. Disallow

41. Provide greater detail

43. Inaccessible

45. Evoke emotions

47. Ancient kingdom near Dead Sea

49. Celtic punk rockers

50. A fencing sword

55. Actor Idris

56. Affirmative (slang)

57. Afflicted in mind or body

59. One point north of northeast

60. Born of

61. Social media hand gesture

62. Hong Kong food stall __ pai dong

63. Opposite of beginning

64. Email function

DOWN

1. Sign language

2. Fashionable

3. Borough in Helsinki

4. Inability to hear

5. More quickly

6. An idea accepted as a demonstrable truth

7. Shrewdly

8. Rooney and Kate are two

9. Mediterranean port

10. Benedictine monk

12. Midway between south and southeast

Town

19. Satisfy 23. Mice genus

24. Brass instrument

25. Chest muscle (slang)

26. Transmits genetic information from DNA

27. Records electric currents generated by the brain

28. Woman (French)

Pointed end of a pen

Popular sports league

Body part

Inoffensive

Yellowish cotton cloth

Feline 42. Does not tell the truth

Seduced

46. Abba __, Israeli politician 47. Repair

48. Olive genus

51. Swiss river

52. Prejudice

53. C. European river

54. Keep under control

58. Father

Mendota routs Hall on Trojans senior night

Aden Tillman becomes 20th player in school history to reach 1,000 points

By KEVIN CHLUM kchlum@shawmedia.com

There’s no doubt, it was a memorable senior night for the Mendota boys basketball team on Feb. 3.

On top of the traditional senior night festivities, the game started on a special note for the Trojans when injured senior Grady Jones was able to start the game before quickly coming out to a loud round of applause from the crowd.

Then senior Aden Tillman scored the first six points of the game to become the 20th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.

The game was paused as Tillman was presented with a commemorative ball, which he took into the packed stands to deliver to his sister.

All that happened just in the first two minutes.

The Trojans took control early and led start to finish in a 70-42 rout of rival Hall in a Three Rivers Conference East Division game in Mendota’s final regular-season home game.

“The crowd was amazing,” Tillman said. “A Tuesday later in the season, a few years ago, we might have had like 42 people in this gym. It’s really a testament to what our seniors have done for this program and the culture that we brought.

“I think me [reaching 1,000 points tonight], the basketball gods have a way of rewarding you for doing good things. I think everything we do, we deserve a reward like that every now and then.”

Tillman entered the night needing four points to achieve the milestone, and on Mendota’s first possession, he got the ball in the post, made a move to score and was fouled. He hit the free throw to put him one away.

On the Trojans’ next trip down the floor, he buried a 3-pointer on an assist from Johan Cortez to surpass 1,000 points.

“It’s an awesome thing,” Tillman said. “It’s a tribute to all the guys around me, too, because I don’t think I

“We were good in the first and third quarters,” Wasmer said. “The second quarter, they made some shots and we had some lapses defensively. But the first and third quarters, our ball movement was awesome. We’re so unselfish right now, and it’s fun to watch when the ball is popping like that. I’m happy with the way we passed the ball.”

Mendota led 39-24 at halftime and extended the lead to 62-32 by the end of the third quarter to force a running clock in the fourth.

Hall played its fourth straight game without 6-foot-4 sophomore starter Chace Sterling.

Braden Curran led the Red Devils (12-13, 1-6 TRC East) with 11 points, while Greyson Bicket and Noah Plym scored eight each.

“We’re playing a man down,” Hall coach Mike Filippini said. “Our kids are trying. They’re doing the best they can, but when you’re missing your 6-4, 230-pound center who scores and rebounds for you, it’s tough. It’s never a good time to play Mendota without one of your starters.

“We told the kids in the locker room, there’s no Mendota in our regional. We’re in a 10-team sub-sectional, and there’s nobody even remotely close to the caliber of Mendota. We just have to keep playing hard. We’re pretty confident we’re going to get Chase back. The news was a lot better than we first thought.”

Also for Mendota (21-5, 6-1), Oliver Munoz scored 12, Cole Tillman had 11 and Dane Doyle added 10.

Along with Aden Tillman and Jones, the Trojans also honored seniors Alex Beetz, Cortez, Mateo Goy, Munoz and Doyle.

had one bucket tonight that wasn’t off an assist. That’s how I score. I feed off the other guys’ energy and their assists. It’s a team game.”

Tillman drained five 3-pointers and scored 30 points, which is the second-highest total in his career.

“There’s something about that kid, he just lives up to the moment,” Mendota coach Steve Wasmer said. “He’s got an intrinsic thing. Once we got him that first post layup, I kind of knew it was going to be a special night for him.

He had a look in his eyes once he hit the 3. He was feeling good. When he’s shooting, he’s hard to guard because he can get his shot off.

“I’m super happy for him. He deserves it.”

The Trojans built a 22-7 lead by the end of the first quarter, and that was with leading scorer Cole Tillman and fellow starter Drew Becker not entering the game until less than a minute remained in the opening period as Wasmer played seniors.

“Everything was perfect,” Wasmer said about senior night. “We have an incredible group of seniors. It was packed again tonight, and they deserve it because they work so hard, and it’s because of them that all these people are here.”

The Trojans close the regular season with five road games, but they have a chance at another home game as Mendota is hosting a sectional.

“We talked about it in the locker room, we’re saying we’re going to be back here, don’t think it’s our last game here,” Aden Tillman said. “Sectionals is a goal we’re really trying to reach.”

BOYS BASKETBALL: MENDOTA

Cole Tillman follows brother’s path to 1K points as Mendota tops Princeton

By KEVIN HIERONYMUS khieronymus@shawmedia.com

It’s been a grand week for the Tillman brothers.

Just three days after his brother, Aden, scored his 1,000th career-point, Mendota sophomore Cole Tillman hit the same milestone, scoring 32 points to lead the Trojans to an 80-54 Three Rivers East victory at Princeton.

Tillman’s milestone basket came on an inbounds pass from Dane Doyle early in the third quarter, netting his 21st point of the night to give the Trojans a 45-35 lead. The game was momentarily paused as Prouty Gym public address announcer Mike Vrana announced the visitor’s achievement. Mendota coach Steve Wasmer handed Tillman a commemorative basketball, which he took up in the stands to give to his father, Luke.

Tillman, who became the 21st player in program history to score 1,000 points, couldn’t have scripted it any better, hitting his milestone basket in the same week as Aden, who is two years older.

“It means a lot,” he said. “My brother’s a real good scorer. I learned from him when we were little and I just carried it over to high school with him. What a coincidence. I always looked up to him. Definitely cool.”

The younger Tillman said he first beat his brother in one-on-one about the seventh or eighth grade, and joked that Aden didn’t like it.

“[Our] one-on-ones are always good. Still to this day they’re always close. He can shoot the rock,” Cole Tillman added.

Wasmer said the brothers are a lot alike.

“They’re both such good kids. They always come to work. Great teammates,” he said. “They got their thousand very unselfishly. They’re both excellent passers. They’ve got to hunt for their points and take what the other team gives them.

“I think Cole could score 40 if he wanted to. ‘I’m going to shoot, I’m going to shoot.’ But he’s a team player

grats to Cole and his brother Aden for both getting a thousand points this year.”

Mendota (22-5, 6-1) found a Tiger team (4-21, 1-6) full of determination to give the Trojans a game, and they did.

Oliver Munoz scored twice on the break to put the Trojans up 19-13, but the Tigers used two free throws by Jack Oester and a scoring drive by Daniel Barnes to close with 22-17 at the end of the first quarter.

Hayden Sayler sandwiched Tiger baskets around three by Coleman, the middle a 3, to keep Princeton close at 29-22 early in the third quarter.

Sayler added a 3-pointer and after a drive by Oester, freshman Julian Mucha nailed another Tiger 3 to keep the Tigers within seven. Drew Becker hit two free throws to give Mendota a 41-32 halftime edge.

It was not until late in the third quarter that the Trojans were able to put the game away. They scored nine straight with baskets by Dane Doyle and Becker and a 3-pointer and a putback by Cole Tillman to go up 58-39.

Cole Tillman added a 3-pointer from the left corner as the Trojans took a 61-43 lead at quarter’s end.

“We battled them the whole way. It was not just the first half. We battled them the second half, too,” Smith said. “I know it’s 26 on the scoreboard. It really was a 20-point game. They beat us by nine in the first half, and in my eyes, they beat us by 11 in the second half so it was a 20-point game. They knew they were in a dogfight.

“Were they more talented than us? Absolutely. Are they better basketball skill-wise than us? Absolutely. We did what we could to win a basketball game, and that’s all I can ask out of these kids at the end of the day.”

Oester finished with a 17 points for the Tigers, Jackson Mason added eight, and Hayden Sayler seven.

and more about we than me.”

“Tillman’s a nice player, and they run everything through him and they

share the ball really well,” Tiger coach Jason Smith said. “He’s improved so much physically from a year ago. Con-

Along with Cole Tillman’s 32, the Trojans got 11 by Becker and 10 each from Doyle and Munoz.

SPORTS

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1990: In a huge upset, James “Buster” Douglas KOs Mike Tyson in 10th round in Tokyo, Japan to win the world heavyweight boxing title.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

HITTING MILESTONES

Mendota Boys basketball celebrates 1,000 career points for two teammates in two games / 22-23