[OCT. 9, 2001]  Monday evening, Oct. 8, in the chapel on campus, Lincoln Christian College and Seminary hosted a forum on Islam. The forum presentation by Dr. Robert Douglas was entitled "Islam, Muslims, and America: A Christian Missionary’s Perspective." Douglas is the professor of intercultural studies at Lincoln Christian Seminary and an internationally recognized authority on Islam.

Dr. Keith Ray, president of the college and seminary, welcomed the audience and gave a brief introduction of the speaker and topic. Speaking for the school, he said, "It is our hope that through this conversation that Dr. Douglas will be able to inform you about the basic tenants of [the Islamic] religion, some aspects of that world view and bring you to a greater understanding about what is happening in our world." It was his wish that the forum would do three things in the audience’s lives: "To help you think more clearly about the world in which we live … [To help] all of us to engage a greater zeal for the truth of God … That you would sense in your own lives a greater calling in the affairs of God’s mission on this earth."

The outline of the evening was simple. After the introduction, Douglas gave a short speech introducing the audience to the religion of Islam and the varying beliefs among Muslims. Then there was about an hour of question and answer, followed by a closing prayer by the LCCS president.

Douglas began his speech by breaking through some misconceptions and prejudices held by many Americans. He said that in many people’s minds, all Arabs are Muslims and all Muslims are Arabs. This, however, is incorrect. He said that one-fifth of the world’s people are Muslims, and that this one-fifth is comprised of over 700 different ethnic and language groups. In fact, only one-fifth of all Muslims are Arabic.

But even beyond that, he said, many people think that not only do people believe that Muslim=Arab, but they believe that Muslim=Arab=Terrorist. He cited the television show "West Wing" in comparing this equation to Christian=White=Ku Klux Klan, a shockingly effective analogy.

From there, he explained how there are great differences, not only in the ethnic background of Muslims, but in the beliefs and practices. The spectrum ranges from orthodox or fundamental to progressive, and even within each label there are wide differences. His main point, which was driven home by the end of his speech, was that we, as people and as a nation, cannot allow ourselves to fall into bigotry or prejudice. Not every Muslim believes that Islam condones acts such as the ones committed on Sept. 11.

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After this, the floor was opened for questions. Eleven questions were posed by various people, from LDN’s own photographer Bob Frank to Pastor Mark Carnahan of Zion Lutheran Church. Some of these questions and answers are below.

Douglas answered, "From the terrorists’ perspective, yes." He then went on to explain the term Jihad, which essentially means "struggle." There are two forms, "Greater Jihad" and "Lesser Jihad." Greater Jihad is both the striving within yourself to be what God wants you to be and the struggle in action and speech to spread Islam. Lesser Jihad is striving in terms of warfare.

Again, Douglas answered that some would say yes. He cited some verses in the Qur’an that say not to befriend a Jew or Christian, or say that Muslims must "fight against polytheists and destroy them." According to the Muslim view of polytheism, which is that you associate any "partner" with God, Christians are polytheistic, because of the belief of Jesus as God’s son.

Douglas said that the reason the terrorists did what they did was because they were people "who believed that they were doing the will of God." The specific will of God was that they were attacking the nation that they saw to be corrupting the world and keeping society from being how God wants it.

The Qur’an was compiled of the speeches given to Mohammed by God. It is the unquestionable truth to the Muslims. The Bible is true only "to the extent that the Bible and the Qur’an match."

"No." Douglas quoted a Muslim acquaintance as saying, "You cannot know until the time. We cannot know how God will judge." God could always change his mind.

[Gina Sennett]

As promised, the United States led an attack on Afghanistan. The attack began Sunday, Oct. 8. American and British military forces made 30 hits on air defenses, military airfields and terrorist training camps, destroying aircraft and radar systems. The strike was made targeting only terrorists.

More than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East have pledged their cooperation and support the U.S. initiative.

Online news links

Washington, D.C.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

http://www.washtimes.com/

London

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/ 

Stars and Stripes
(serving the U.S. military community)

http://www.estripes.com/ 

New York

http://www.nypost.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/

Illinois

http://www.suntimes.com/index/ 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/ 

http://www.pantagraph.com/ 

http://www.qconline.com/ 

http://www.pjstar.com/

http://www.sj-r.com/ 

http://www.herald-review.com/

http://www.southernillinoisan.com/ 

Others

http://www.thepaperboy.com/ 

[OCT. 8, 2001]  Pastor Mark Carnahan is the minister of Zion Lutheran Church in Lincoln. Preston Carnahan, his son, has been the subject of previous LDN news articles and is now attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy, located in Long Island, N.Y. Pastor Carnahan and his wife, Maggy, visited Preston for the annual Parents Weekend at the academy. They arrived on Thursday, Sept. 6, five days before the attack.

"We looked the part of the tourists," said Carnahan, smiling at his wife sitting next to him in a sizable church office offset to his own. The room itself was lit somewhat low, giving it a sullen atmosphere at almost 8 o’clock at night, which would not only set the tone for the conversation, but also match it, in regard to the difficult subject matter.

"On Saturday, Sept. 8, we took the subway into the basement of the Trade Center," he said, also noting the many men and women they rode alongside of that day and on Monday who undoubtedly worked there — none of them the wiser as to what was on its way.

"You just took it for granted," Maggy began, in describing the twin towers before the tragic fall. "Just these beautiful, fantastic buildings that dwarfed the city. They were just so imposing, and yet you just took for granted that they were even there."

The Carnahans had visited New York on previous occasions and describe the misconception most have toward the city as humorous. "I love New York," Maggy continued. "The people there are so friendly, I always look forward to going." Surprisingly her attitude remains so optimistic, considering the events of this past trip.

Ready to return home after a successful visit, Carnahan recalls Tuesday morning, Sept. 11, in LaGuardia Airport:

"I was waiting in line to check my luggage before boarding (on American Airlines), when an employee came out and said there weren’t going to be any more flights that day," Carnahan began. "I looked at the airline employee, looked outside, then back at him and said, ‘Looks like a nice day to fly to me.’"

Eventually everyone in the airport was told to vacate the premises. "They told us we had to go," he continued. "I looked around and said, ‘Go where?’ And then he just told us, "Go!"

Once outside, the Carnahans and all the other airport evacuees began to grasp the severity of the situation, as they gathered to watch a massive fire in the sky.

Hearts pounding and fears rising with the smoke, Maggy recalls that leaden moment when she realized and said, "Wait a minute... One of the towers is gone."

Pastor Carnahan explained how another employee then came outside shouting, "You need to go! Everybody! The FBI is evacuating the area, everybody needs to go!"

Perhaps more shocked than confused, Carnahan asked yet again, "Go where?" There they were met with an answer of the inevitable... "Just go!"

With that, Pastor Carnahan, his wife and all other would-be travelers of the air became wanderers on foot. With literally nowhere to go but the interstate and no sight to focus on but a "giant in flames," they began walking. "We were like refugees," said Carnahan. "For awhile, that’s what we were."

Maggy noted how amazingly calm everybody seemed to be. As they walked, a small rental van pulled alongside, which they were the first to board. They described the van ride as quiet, nobody really saying anything, just watching. Watching as a city before them was falling apart and as the lone tower left standing was beginning to fall.

The van pulled over. Quiet. No words. Jaws and hearts alike instantly dropped. Carnahan and his wife looked out over the city toward the giant cloud pounding out of the crumbling shrine.

"Thirty seconds to a minute passed after it fell before anyone made a sound," said Carnahan quietly.

Then the driver, a native New Yorker, stood by the door and asked aloud the very thing that each and every one who witnessed it was thinking: "Did I just see what I thought I saw?"

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"I paddled until I was paddled out," Carnahan said reflectively, recalling his need to clear his mind later that night. Out in the water, kayaking with God, he tried not to think about the terror. He tried not to think about what he was forced to see that day, or what, within the course of retaliation, he may be forced to see in the coming months. He tried not to think about the cots he and his wife had slept on just a few nights before, for an event as innocent as Parents Weekend, that were now being shipped across the harbor, being used to hold dead bodies as part of a makeshift morgue, if need be.

Sitting back home

Safe here in the office, recalling those moments and the days that followed, Carnahan tried not to think and he tried not to cry.

He battled a new set of tears while relaying the trip home, where they encountered an all-but-abandoned truck stop in Pennsylvania. Abandoned because of the owner’s skin color… brown. Sadly he recalled how they witnessed the truck stop owner being harassed.

Rubbing the sleeping head of his young son on his wife’s lap steadied his emotions as he continued, explaining his family’s rocky mental state. "I just zone out. It’s like slow motion. I’ll be driving, and it’s like I’m in another zone, like I’m not a part of normal things," says Carnahan.

"I don’t think I’ve ever had nightmares before," added Maggy, adjusting her son, "but I’m having them now."

Arriving safely back in Lincoln — by car, not plane — the Carnahans say they are struck with a deep sense of guilt for leaving that world behind, for returning to normalcy while others maintain the horror.

Though while still there they stood in line to give blood and stood aside the city to pray, back here they fight to scatter the ashes of terror — the pictures their minds have brought back with them. Fighting, however, with undoubtedly the best weapon Carnahan knows to arm himself with: a resounding faith. "God is in control," the pastor said firmly. "God is good, and He is in control. I just trust God. He is the only answer for my fears."

It’s a faith that will serve the Carnahan family well as they continue to seek out a life as they knew it, a life that may not return, given Carnahans’ stolid summary about this ordeal and each vivid memory therein: "It’s not a matter of reliving it... because we’re still living in it."

The Carnahans have a daughter and son-in-law stationed in Hawaii. As of now they are uncertain where they will be assigned or what that assignment will be. They are parents to a young toddler girl. ... Her power of attorney papers are currently en route to Lincoln.

[Colin Bird]

[OCT. 6, 2001]  In 2000, there were 9,911 residential fires, and over 100 people died as a result. Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 7-13, and your state senator wants you to know how to protect your family, yourself and your property from being part of this statistic. "Knowledge is key when preventing fires and the fatalities that can result from them," says Sen. Claude Stone, R-Morton.

The following is a list of steps that will help to keep everyone out of harm’s way:

•  Install and maintain smoke detectors.

•  Sleep with bedroom doors closed. Closed doors provide protection against heat and smoke.

•  Know your exits. Choose the safest escape route, but if you must go through smoke to escape, crawl low, where the air is cleaner and cooler. Regularly practice your escape route with your family.

•  Before opening a closed exit door, feel the door and frame around it for any signs of heat.

•  If you are trapped, close the doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the door to keep smoke out. Wait at a window and signal for help.

•  Stop, drop and roll. If your clothes catch fire, don’t run!

•  Once you’re out, stay out! Do not go back into your home for any reason until it’s safe.

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For more information on fire safety, go to the Illinois Senate Republicans’ website, www.senategop.state.il.us, and look under consumer information.

Communities can also receive state assistance in the area of fire prevention. To date, Illinois FIRST has funded 790 grants for fire protection buildings, vehicles and equipment. Sen. Stone and all of the Republican senators of Illinois continue to work on grants for communities in their districts to assist fire departments through the Illinois FIRST program. 

[News release]

[OCT. 6, 2001]  Gov. George Ryan announced that kindergarten through third-grade teachers from 170 schools across the state have just received a new tool to help their students excel in reading. Created in cooperation with Gov. Ryan's Advisory Council on Literacy and Illinois Reads, School-Home Links are activities that teachers ask families to use with their children at home to reinforce reading concepts taught in the classroom.

"With School-Home Links, we can be sure that what is taught in the classroom is being reinforced at home," Gov. Ryan said. "These activities will help children make learning a part of their lives, both in and outside of the classroom."

Each School-Home Link helps children practice skills that will better enable them to meet Illinois state learning standards in language arts. The links were originally developed by two elementary school faculties and then refined by the U.S. Department of Education in cooperation with the Boston Annenberg Challenge.

Teachers can assign the grade-appropriate School-Home Link as often as three times a week. Both parents and children are asked to work together to complete the different reading activities, which will be kept by the teacher in the student's portfolio.

The School-Home Links were aligned with the Illinois state standards by Illinois Family Education Center and the Illinois State Board of Education. The Lincoln-based Illinois Family Education center field-tested the links in 32 East St. Louis schools during the 1999-2000 school year.

"The School-Home Links provide regular communication between teachers and parents about what a child is learning, prompt parent-child interaction at home, and extend learning time to build children’s reading skills," said IFEC Executive Director Sam Redding.

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The School-Home Links represent an integral part of Gov. Ryan's commitment to promoting literacy. He recently created the Summer Bridges program, which provides an extended learning experience to children who are at risk of academic failure and encourages them to improve their reading skills. In 2000, 75 school districts reported that at least 60 percent of students who participated in the Summer Bridges program demonstrated an improvement in their reading ability.

In 1999 Gov. Ryan formed an Advisory Council on Literacy, which consists of 20 members representing diverse interests. The advisory council and the state’s literacy office aim to increase the number of literate adults and help all children read well by the end of third grade.

Last year, Gov. Ryan launched the Illinois Reads initiative to coordinate and improve literacy policies and programs. Illinois Reads maintains a website (www.illinoisreads.org) that is a clearinghouse of reading and literacy resources in Illinois.

[News release]

[OCT. 5, 2001]  Even though the public may not have been aware of it, agencies all over the United States, including those in Logan County, were preparing for terrorist attacks well before the destruction of New York’s World Trade Center, and they are ready to take action if an event occurs.

[Click here for Part 1]

The Health Department also has quick access to help from state and even federal agencies, if necessary.

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[Joan Crabb]

[OCT. 4, 2001]  The Federal Department of Public Health has conducted an inspection that has found violations at the Lincoln Developmental Center in Lincoln that could lead to the facility’s decertification, taking away crucial federal funds. State Rep. Jonathan Wright said he’s committed to keeping the center open and operating.

The state has initiated the decertification process based upon alleged violations cited by the Department of Public Health. Rep. Wright, R-Hartsburg, says he is taking steps to work with the Illinois Department of Human Services to address all concerns, in order to keep Lincoln Developmental Center operating for years to come.

"Lincoln Developmental Center is a wonderful asset to the city of Lincoln and the surrounding area. It offers much needed services to people with developmental disabilities, while also providing quality employment opportunities," said Wright.

Rep. Wright has been in continued contact with key individuals within the Department of Human Services and within the office of Gov. George Ryan. "I am committed to exhausting all efforts to ensure that Lincoln Developmental Center remains a thriving facility for people with developmental disabilities," Wright said.

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In addition to the employment opportunities brought to the community by Lincoln Developmental Center, the facility provides excellent care for those people with developmental disabilities who are not able to function in a more informal setting, such as a residential care facility.

"I continue to receive many telephone calls from parents of residents at Lincoln Developmental Center concerned about the decertification process and how that will impact their child," Wright said. "The parents are committed to keeping the facility open based upon the excellent care their children have received over the years."

[News release]

[OCT. 4, 2001]  Federal inspection of the Lincoln Developmental Center has put the facility in jeopardy of losing its certification.

Sen. Duane Noland, R-Blue Mound, and Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, recently learned that the Lincoln Developmental Center is in danger of losing its federal certification. While minor, there were enough violations, mostly revolving around staffing and patient care programs, to bring the facility under closer inspection. It is believed that the problems began at the administrative level and filtered down.

"Lincoln Developmental Center is a facility with over 700 employees and over 370 residents. The center has a huge economic impact on central Illinois. In addition, the facility houses friends and family members of residents of central Illinois. The continual operation of this facility is a matter of great concern to me," said Sen. Noland. The center provides a vitally important service to the most vulnerable in our society.

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Several upper-level administrative positions have recently been changed in an attempt to enact new procedures and correct the weak areas of service. Peggy Davidsmeyer has been named the new director, replacing Gwendolyn Thornton. Davidsmeyer brings strengths of experience in the field as an assistant director at Jacksonville Developmental Center for seven years. She has worked with developmentally disabled people for 30 years.

"The Lincoln facility provides much needed services to the people of Illinois. It is a priority to keep it open and operating at full staffing levels," said Rep. Bill Mitchell

Noland and Mitchell are requesting a meeting with Secretary Baker and personnel from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Public Aid to brief them on the status of the Lincoln Developmental Center and the available corrective measures to keep the center open.

[LDN and news release]

[OCT. 4, 2001]  Even though the public may not have been aware of it, agencies all over the United States, including those in Logan County, were preparing for terrorist attacks well before the destruction of New York’s World Trade Center, and they are ready to take action if an event occurs.

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[Joan Crabb]

[Click here for Part 2]

[OCT. 4, 2001]  Lincoln Christian College and Seminary has just finished its 2001 Strauss Lectures, named for Dr. James Strauss, a former professor and living legend at the school. The speaker this year was Nancy Pearcey, a Christian author and intellectual historian. Part of the lectureship’s schedule was a Tuesday evening banquet in Taylor Hall on the LCCS campus. The banquet featured two prominent politicians.

Sen. Patrick O’Malley from Chicago, a Republican candidate for governor, spoke about his background and family, stating that he felt it was important for his audience to know something about him. He talked about his parents and how they raised 14 children. He talked about his wife and about their two children. He spent a long time talking about his daughter Brigid. Because of a brush with infant death syndrome, she is able to do very little for herself, but she can smile. With love in his voice, he spoke of how that smile has changed his life. He spent a little time talking about his political background and views, but he left that mainly to the flyers and mouse pads his campaign associates handed out.

[Click here for related article, "Patrick O’Malley runs for governor."]

Bill Redmond, Lincoln Christian Seminary alumnus and former congressman from the state of New Mexico, was the main speaker for the dinner. He gave a sermon on the response that Christians must take to the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attacks. During that sermon, he told the story of the "Star-Spangled Banner" in a way that had most of the audience truly hoping that "the flag was still there." He said that early in the history of America, the country was thought to be an experiment, unknown from day to day if it would fall. And today, it is up to God whether we rise or fall. He said, though, that we must follow the words of the Bible, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14). Redmond concluded the evening with a stirring reading of Isaiah 41.

[Gina Sennett]

[OCT. 4, 2001] 

I come before you to share my candidacy for governor of Illinois. Today, I’m formally announcing my intention to seek that office in the March 2002 Republican Primary Election.

For almost a decade now, I’ve been honored to serve as state senator of the 18^th District, in southwest Cook County. The 18th District is truly a microcosm of the state. As state senator, I regularly meet and listen to the people I represent. In recent months, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and listen to people from many other parts of the state. In the coming months, I intend to meet and listen to many more.

Patrick O'Malley

It’s hard, if not impossible, to describe the level of frustration I’ve encountered and continue to encounter. The citizens of Illinois are the true "shareholders" of state government, but these days one hears little, if any, pride of ownership.

Voters have lost confidence in both the integrity and credibility of those who seek and those who serve in public office. They look to their elected officials to say what they mean and do what they say. But, more often than not, they find that campaign promises and commitments end when terms of office begin.

To say more and more people are turning off and tuning out is an understatement. More accurately, they’re turned off and, for the most part, tuned out.

I’m running for governor because I believe I can change this. I believe I can get the citizens of Illinois to tune in and turn on. I believe that working together we can reshape the Republican Party and state government. Together, we can change politics in Illinois!

I believe I have a vision to share with those who feel their vote or their priorities no longer matter. I believe I have the ability to re-establish their confidence and engage people from all parts of Illinois to work with me for stronger families, better schools, more jobs with better wages, a healthier environment and safer neighborhoods.

I will provide leadership that all citizens of Illinois can count on. Working together, we can make things better, and in the process state government can begin to serve the many instead of the few.

In every office I’ve sought, I’ve received great support. I’d like to think this is because I’m one public official who says what I mean and consistently does what I say I’m going to.

As voters come to know me, they see this. My record as a public official and as a legislator is clear and consistent.

I’ve based my public service, as well as my professional and private life on the values learned and practiced in the homes, neighborhoods and communities of Illinois; the same values instilled in Ronald Reagan as a boy growing up in Illinois and the same values he employed to change the world. These are the values I will champion as governor of Illinois!

When I was growing up, there was a ballplayer who liked to say, "Baseball has been very good to me." My family and I would be the first to say this nation and this state have been very good to us. We have lived the "American dream." I look upon this campaign and subsequent service as governor as the greatest opportunity the people of Illinois can give to me "to give something back."

Make no mistake; I seek the office of governor to be governor. I’m not "maneuvering" to run for another office. And my candidacy does not hinge or rely on anybody else’s candidacy or non-candidacy. I’m in this for the long haul, and as my Irish ancestors would say, I fully intend "to play all the innings out and, in the end, to carry home the prize."

Today, we’re beginning a journey of more than 400 days. I’m inviting people from all parts of Illinois to join with me. It’s time for a new beginning. Working together, we can and will make a difference!

Patrick J. O’Malley biography

Born Oct. 22, 1950, in Evergreen Park; second-oldest of 14 children; graduated from St. Walter’s Grammar School and Marist High School; earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in finance from Purdue University, a juris doctor degree from The John Marshall Law School; married to Mary Judith (Stump); residence in Palos Park; two children, Brigid and Patrick Jr.; a daughter-in-law, Elizabeth; and a granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth

Elected in 1992 to represent the 18th District; reelected in 1996 and 2000

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Chairman of the Senate Financial Institutions Committee; vice chairman of the Senate Education Committee; member of the Senate Insurance and Pensions Committee; member of the Senate Judiciary Committee

Served as a member of the board of trustees of the Palos Fire Protection District (1985-1994), serving as board president since 1987; served as elected member of the board of trustees and chairman of the Finance Committee for Moraine Valley Community College (1989-1992)

Community service

Loyola University Health System board of directors; Saint Xavier University board of trustees; United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago board of trustees; Veterans Outreach Program of Illinois (American GI Forum) board of directors; The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn board of directors; Metro Southwest Alliance board of directors (founding chairman); Illinois State Crime Commission; Misericordia; Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs; American Heart Association; American Cancer Society; Southwest Metropolitan Family Services

Republican Legislator of the Year, Illinois State Crime Commission; Champion of the Southland, Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce; Putting Families First Award, Concerned Women for America of Illinois; Friend of Agriculture, Illinois Farm Bureau; Presidential Commendation (1999), Illinois State Bar Association; award from the American Association of Retired Persons’ Illinois office; Serving Illinois Families Award, Illinois Family Institute; Guardian of Small Business Award, National Federation of Independent Business; Frederick Milton Thrasher Award, National Gang Crime Research Center; Legislator of Year (1996), Suburban Area Agency on Aging; Leadership Award, Illinois Environmental Council; Environmental Service Award, American Lung Association; Golden Apple Award, Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance; Service Award, Illinois Veterans Leadership Program; Beta Gamma Sigma honor society

Legislative achievements
listed by Sen. O’Malley 

Statewide hearings on tax reform — Led the charge for the 1993-94 statewide public hearings to comprehensively study the state’s revenue system to lay the groundwork for meaningful tax reform.

1995 Chicago school reform — Sponsored the nationally acclaimed school reform legislation restructuring the bureaucracy-bound Chicago school system, thereby restoring local control and accountability.

Child support enforcement — As a leading advocate for improving the collection and enforcement of child support to keep children out of poverty, championed the new law to hold parents criminally liable for their willful failure to meet their child support obligations.

Repeal of the retail rate law — Led the fight to repeal the state subsidy program for garbage incinerator developers, saving Illinois taxpayers as much as $13 billion.

Project Exile Illinois — Authored legislation encouraging the federal prosecution of all persons who use firearms in crimes against others. With its implementation, by requiring a minimum, mandatory five-year prison sentence in a federal penitentiary, Illinois will be the toughest state in the Union in the prosecution of criminals who commit crimes with guns.

Cook County assessment reform — Sponsored numerous laws reforming the Cook County property assessment system and giving property owners more rights in appealing their property taxes.

Circuit Breaker program — Sponsored the 2001 expansion of this program, which provides pharmaceutical assistance and property grants, to benefit an additional 500,000 senior and disabled citizens.

State energy policy (SJR 34 and 35) — These resolutions frame the debate concerning the development of Illinois’ coal resources to provide reliable and affordable electricity throughout Illinois.

Railroad crossing blockages and freight train gridlock — Efforts to hold railroad companies accountable for blocked railroad crossings and related safety issues have put the spotlight on a national issue: the need to address the freight train gridlock in northeastern Illinois.

Tax relief — Sponsored the largest tax refund program in the history of the state, returning more than $250 million to payers of Illinois income tax.

[Patrick O’Malley campaign news release]

[OCT. 3, 2001]  Shortly after 9 a.m. on Saturday, smoke began to emerge from the Illinois American Water Company treatment plant at 1730 N. Jefferson St. in Lincoln. A Lincoln Police Department squad car appeared on the scene at 9:12, responding to what was believed to be a smoke problem. The first officer to the treatment plant door fell back gasping and coughing, calling to his partner to stay back. So began a Logan County ESDA and LEPC exercise testing emergency reaction to release of a hazardous material, in this case chlorine.

From the spectator viewing area, the unfolding scene seemed slow-moving and low key. White wisps substituted for the yellow-green plume of chlorine the scenario called for. Firefighters wearing standard response uniforms and masks pulled the victim to the street in front of the treatment plant and sat him up. The second police officer staggered from the squad car, and firefighters also assisted him. By 9:20 an ambulance had arrived and both victims were moved toward Feldman Drive by stretcher. Minutes passed as rescue workers checked chemical references and developed a plan of action.

Meanwhile, in the Crisis Management Center at the Public Safety Complex, the smoke was identified at 9:23 as possibly chlorine gas. Computer projections incorporating barometric pressure and wind speed and direction indicated that the plume of gas was moving at 10 mph and that those within half a mile were in imminent danger. Later the zone was enlarged to 1.7 miles.

A chlorine concentration of 40 parts per million can kill in 30 minutes, according to Logan County Health Department administrator Lloyd Evans. High concentrations can cause emphysema, permanent lung damage and cardiac arrest. Even 1 to 3 parts per million can mildly irritate mucous membranes and the upper respiratory tract, he said.

Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Coordinator Dan Fulscher assembled Local Emergency Planning Committee members to deal with the crisis. Fulscher and Lincoln Police Chief Rich Montcalm briefed Mayor Beth Davis and Logan County Board ESDA chairman Doug Dutz, acting for the board’s chairman, Dick Logan. The two elected officials decided to block all roads into the city, call in all sheriff’s deputies and issue a Shelter in Place order.

According to Patrick Keane of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, when there is inadequate time to move people before a contaminant reaches them, it is best for people to stay in their homes, closing all windows and doors, shutting off air conditioners, and not drinking water. The closer a person is to an immediately hazardous substance, the better it is to stay inside, Keane said. It is unwise to evacuate a person into a higher concentration than is present in the home.

The team decided to use all methods available to inform the public: broadcasting through Civil Defense speakers, interrupting radio programming, overriding cable to insert a line of instructions and activating weather alert radios. Davis said the decision-makers were concerned about people out in the downtown and west-side shopping areas and so decided to phone a number of stores and have the message broadcast at Wal-Mart. These activities, as well as others away from the Jefferson Street scene, were not actually carried out.

The danger zone included Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, and all three previously planned shelters not in the zone were in line with the moving chlorine. The team therefore decided to activate a shelter in New Holland and also to ask Lincoln Christian College for permission to set up a shelter and triage area. In addition to assessing the severity of injuries and beginning treatment, shelter personnel would help track victims for families who are looking for them.

Near the intersection of Jefferson and Feldman Drive a child’s swimming pool was set up for gross decontamination of victims. A spray of water can remove much chlorine from clothing, but that water is then contaminated and must be contained. Further decontamination would be conducted at shelters, to protect health-care workers as well as victims. The first two victims were decontaminated and in the ambulance by 9:28.

At 9:34 two firefighters crawled into the treatment plant and pulled out another victim, an Illinois American Water employee. At this point a miraculous glitch occurred. Planners expected the employee to be dead, since pure chlorine can kill in 7 to 10 seconds and he had been exposed to a heavy concentration for 25 minutes. Nevertheless, firefighters revived him. Speakers at the debriefing session after the exercise had a hard time explaining this.

Keane, who is Region 7 coordinator of the State Interagency Response Team, interjected several problems into the action. One was the change in wind direction that put ALMH in the danger zone. Another was a fire in the communications trailer. Members of the Macon County ESDA team then used ham radios to collect and distribute messages.

At 9:46 three firefighters returned to the plant to repair the chlorine leak, presumably caused by an operational accident in which one tank ruptured into another.

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The two who entered the building were wearing bright blue training suits simulating the Level A totally contained Tyvex suits needed in direct exposure to chlorine. Putting on the suits is a slow and cumbersome process because the firefighter must be careful not to damage the suit, according to Mark Miller, assistant chief of the Lincoln Fire Department. The suit is quite bulky because it must cover equipment such as the canister of purified air. In addition, all the firefighters moved deliberately so as not to waste air.

When the two entered the building, one reported that the smoke was so thick he couldn’t see his own hand. They then tried to enter through an attached shedlike structure but found that their key would not work. Finally by 10:10 they had entered the building and stopped the leak, shutting off the chlorine.

The Crisis Management Center resembles NASA Mission Control without the TV monitors. Seats are identified by title such as "CMC Assistant Manager" or "Coroner," and people are busy passing messages and conferring on issues. One question after the leak was fixed was how long to continue emergency procedures. Once the plume had passed and outside concentrations of chlorine were less than inside, people needed to open windows but still avoid basements because chlorine is heavier than air.

At 10:30 the Environmental Protection Agency found less than 1 part per million of chlorine in the air. By 10:52 water tested OK. At 11:07 roads were opened, and soon after, the Shelter in Place order was lifted. The scene was declared stable at 11:20, and city departments were finished and ready for other calls. Evacuees were released with written precautions from the Logan County Health Department for re-entering their homes. They were told to flush all faucets and clean all wet and damp surfaces before skin contact or ingestion. The boil order for water ended, and at 11:21 the exercise concluded.

In general, the approximately 40 participants who gathered for the wrap-up agreed that the hours of previous meetings had resulted in a successful operation. "I am very pleased with today’s exercise," Fulscher said, "and quite sure that in a real event everything will be done properly to ensure community safety." He said such exercises bring people together to discuss deficiencies and how to improve. Larry Adams, Montgomery County ESDA coordinator said also, "It is easier if you know the workings of other groups."

Fulscher emphasized the importance of having the mayor and county board chair participate. "It’s good that chief elected officials understand what a Crisis Management Center is," he said, because they play a pivotal role in decision-making.

One issue that came up repeatedly in the assessment was communication. One suggestion was to use common language such as saying the wind had shifted to the north-northwest instead of to 330 degrees. Warren Curry of the Logan County Sheriff’s Auxiliary said landmarks could also be used for directions. Another communication problem was cross-feeding of radio systems. Fulscher said communication would always be the biggest problem but that during several years of exercises it has been greatly improved.

Other recommendations included

—Setting up a central location for mapping information, such as ground elevations and locations of homebound people.

—Finding a few more ham radio operators.

—Purchasing compasses for fire engines and squad cars.

—Putting a warning diamond on the water plant fence to signal the chlorine danger.

—Using more field observers.

—Adding more volunteers to the disaster intelligence committee.

—Holding more "tabletop" exercises, limited to the Crisis Management Center. Evans said, "We know the firemen and police know how to do their job."

"Next year’s exercise will take off from the end of this one," Fulscher said. Keane elaborated that it could include such issues as directions to food handlers, verification that homes had been ventilated and long-term effects on victims. He praised the joint use of Logan and Macon County teams but said it would be good if the same work could be done simultaneously in both counties to prepare for a widespread disaster.

Keane was one of two exercise evaluators. Larry Adams, the LEPC observer, said his job was to ask, "Can Logan County implement their hazardous materials plan?" His answer was a strong yes.

[Lynn Shearer Spellman]

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