FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2012

Local Focus
INSIDE THE SUBURBS BEHIND THE SCENES

BEHIND THE SCENES

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It Can Wait
By Kimberly Pohl
kpohl@dailyherald.com

INSIDE THE SUBURBS

Harper students hear dangers of texting and driving Local Focus

Theyre seemingly innocuous text messages, but lol, yeah and where u at are just a few of phrases that have led distracted drivers to cause fatal car wrecks. Some Harper College students are the latest to say the texts arent worth risking a life. The Palatine campus Thursday hosted Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, state Rep. Tom Morrison and others to promote AT&T Illinois It Can Wait campaign to urge students to consider the dangers of texting while driving. Texting is how we work, but we have to be the ones to decide that no message is worth injuring our kids, their friends and other people out on the road, Simon said. After the program, many students elected to sign an online pledge promising never to text and drive again at itcanwait.com. The sobering statistics and stories of loss quieted Harpers typically bustling Student Center Lounge. Those in attendance heard that more than 840 people have died on Illinois roads in 2012 so far,

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surpassing last years total. And according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, those who text while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash. Though not a texter himself, Harper President Ken Ender held up his black smartphone and admitted to making and taking plenty of phone calls while behind the wheel, a practice he pledged to stop. This is the best thing in my life and its the worst thing in my life, Ender said of the mobile device. It can save my life and it can kill me. Simon has taken part in similar programs at John A. Logan College and Parkland College, community colleges in downstate Carterville and Champaign. Other leaders including Oakton Community College President Margaret Lee are supporting the campaign, as well. We looked for a population of younger folks that drive a lot, and thats community

Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon meets with Harper College students to discuss the statewide initiative It Can Wait, which urges students to stop texting while driving.

colleges, Simon said. Harper student Bridie Damisch, 19, of Palatine doesnt own a phone herself, but signed the online pledge to set an example for friends and family who do. They think its OK to text if theyre at a red light or something, but even that isnt lawful, it isnt safe and it isnt

right, Damisch said. Students were encouraged to explore using phone apps that remove the temptation to text and drive. AT&T DriveMode, for example, allows users to temporarily limit a phones features and set up auto-replies so drivers can stay focused on the road.

Six juveniles have been petitioned to juvenile court Inside section flags for various offenses related to Inside section flags a hazing in September involving the Maine West High School boys soccer team, a Des Plaines police official said Thursday. With the police investigation concluded, no further information will be released because the hazing involved minors, Deputy Police Chief Nick Treantafeles said. Maine Township High School District 207 barred several Maine West boys soccer players from playing as a result of the incident. The students also could face school disciplinary action, while five coaches have been temporarily reassigned after allegations of misconduct. District 207 spokesman David Beery said Thursday the districts internal investigation continues. They (the coaches) remain reassigned with pay, Beery said. Its a multiagency investigation. There wont be any action until the investigation is concluded. District 207 has not given any details about the nature of the inappropriate conduct due to student and personnel confidentiality policies, but said a parent reported it to school officials Sept.

28. for $1 moreofficials immeDistrictto your newspaper access per week diatelyon all platforms inveslaunched an for access to your newspaper tigation and notified Des on all platforms Plaines Police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The status of the DCFS investigation is unclear. Among the coaches reassigned with pay are Mike Divincenzo, varsity head coach for boys and girls soccer, and Emilio Rodriguez, freshman boys and girls soccer coach, who have been removed from classroom teaching also pending the outcome of the investigations. According to the Maine West website, Divincenzo has been teaching at the school for more than 10 years. He is a 1994 graduate of Maine West High School where he played soccer and baseball. He teaches physical education classes at the school. The three other coaches who have been temporarily reassigned are not classroom teachers, officials have said. The Maine West Warriors boys soccer team won the conference in 2011. The varsity boys soccer program was allowed to continue its regular season unimpeded by the students suspension and finished the season with 17 wins, two losses and three ties. The team won its first regional tournament game and then lost in the regional finals to Evanston.

Four arrested in bomb hoax

Daily Herald staff report

Hoffman Estates police have arrested four teens after determining a bomb threat at Hoffman Estates High School Wednesday morning was a hoax to try to get them out of school for the day. Sharell M. Thomas, 18, of the 7500 block of Bristol Lane in Hanover Park was charged with disorderly conduct for false transmission of a bomb threat a Class 3 felony. During a court appearance Thursday, Thomas was issued a $20,000 recognizance bond and put on 24-hour house arrest pending a Dec. 6 court date. Charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct were Markeisha N. Jones, 18, of the 7500 block of Bristol Lane in Hanover Park, and two juveniles an approximately

Markeisha N. Jones

Sharell M. Thomas

15-year-old girl from Hanover Park and an approximately 16-year-old boy from Hoffman Estates. Jones was released on a $1,500 bond and given a court date of Dec. 18. The other two are being prosecuted as juveniles. Schaumburg-Palatine High School District 211 officials confirmed that Jones has been a Hoffman Estates High School student since 2011 but Thomas does not attend the school.

The school was on a soft lockdown for about an hour Wednesday morning after the bomb threat. Police responded about 8:44 a.m. and conducted a search of the school and perimeter for suspicious items. During the search, there were several more hoax calls to the school office reporting a bomb, police said. The lockdown ended at 9:40 a.m. At about the same time Wednesday morning, Lake Park High School in Roselle received similar bomb threats. Hoffman Estates police would not say whether they believe the cases are linked, but indicated they are sharing information with Roselle police. Daily Herald staff writers Jessica Cilella, Eric Peterson and Barbara Vitello contributed to this report

Northwest suburbs in 60 seconds

Streamwood woman missing: Streamwood police are asking for the publics help in their search for a woman reported missing earlier this week. Rachel Morris, 20, of Streamwood was last seen at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, on the 700 block of South Bartlett Road near Shady Oaks Park in Streamwood. She was wearing a black winter hat, black jacket with a hood and unknown type pants. Anyone who has had contact with her is asked to contact Streamwood police at (630) 736-3700. Palatine Winter Market starts: The Palatine Winter Market will kick off Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Metra station, Smith and Wood streets. The monthly event, which takes place from 8 a.m. to noon, will give residents an opportunity to shop for many of the food items and services theyve come to enjoy at the Farmers Market. Merchants will sell breads and baked goods, organic meats and eggs, spices and olives,
pastas and sauces, natural pet treats and more. The villages tree-lighting festivities begin later that day at 4:30 p.m. in nearby Towne Square, Smith Street and Palatine Road. Arlington Avenue, 1200 block of Perry Street, 900 block of East Greenview Avenue, 400 block of South Second Avenue, 800 block of East Hollywood Avenue, 900 block of Walter Avenue, 1000 block of North Avenue, 1700 block of East Whitcomb Avenue, 1300 block of South White Street, 1600 block of Estes Avenue, 1200 block of East Willow Avenue, and 1700 block of Greenleaf Avenue.

Car burglaries in Des Plaines: Des Plaines has been struck by a rash of car burglaries in recent days, according to police reports. Burglars entered at least 22 vehicles, some locked, some unlocked, between 8 p.m. Nov. 9 and 8:45 a.m. Nov. 12 and stole money, GPS units, tools, CDs, sunglasses, an iPod Charger, a purse, iPods, a car stereo, an army knife, an amplifier, a speaker box, and a gym bag. Value of the stolen items was estimated at $2,500. Two vehicles were burglarized in a garage at a home on the 1300 block of South Center Street. Other vehicles were parked on streets, in lots or driveways on the 1900 block of South Birch Street, 600 block of Parsons Avenue, 1200 block of East Prairie Avenue, 600 block of

Police focus on traffic safety: The Palatine Police Department will take part in a Thanksgiving holiday traffic safety campaign with grant funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Through Sunday, Nov. 25, the department will put additional uniformed police officers on the street with a focus on identifying and arresting impaired drivers and enforcing speeding and safety restraint violations, The department also will set up safety belt enforcement zones throughout Palatine.