Page A4 Tuesday, June 19, 2012 NEWS Daily Chronicle Republicans want food stamp cuts in farm bill Court sides with state in DNA case "I think Americans would be flabbergasted at the amount of money spent on food stamps." Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. economy, it calculates that each dollar in benefits generates $1.72 in economic activity, including 16 cents for farmers who grow the food. While critics such as Sessions say the program is ripe for savings, the department says SNAP is doing a good job of eradicating fraud and error, with only 3 percent of payments in 2010 being excessive or going to ineligible households. The Senate last week rejected an amendment by Rand Paul, that would have saved $322 billion over 10 years by cutting it $45 billion a year and turning spending decisions over to the states.
The vote was 65-32 against, with 13 Republicans joining every Democrat in opposing it. "I think Americans would be flabbergasted at the amount of money" spent on food stamps, Paul said. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who chairs the Agriculture Committee, said the Paul amendment was "outrageous and would go completely against the commitment we as a country have made to help those who truly need it." trial. In this case, the state of Illinois said the DNA expert who matched the two samples played the critical role even though she did not actually extract the DNA samples and conduct the tests and that she testified and was subjected to a thorough cross-examination.
The court split into three factions in this case. Four justices Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Stephen Breyer and Anthony Kennedy joined in a strong opinion that would give prosecutors more leeway in using lab reports without having to put the analysts who prepared them on the witness stand. Four others Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, Antonin Scalia and Sonia So-tomayor said the Constitution does not permit the use of the lab analysis that helped convict Williams. In the middle was Thomas, writing only for himself, but controlling the outcome of the case. Thomas said the lab report used in this case could not be considered testimonial and so doesn't fall under the Constitution's cross-examination requirement.
The report "lacks the solemnity of an affidavit or deposition, for it is neither a sworn nor a certified declaration of fact," Thomas said. By JIM ABRAMS The Associated Press WASHINGTON The "farm bill" being debated in the Senate is somewhat of a misnomer. Four of every five dollars in it about $80 billion a year goes for grocery bills for one of every seven Americans through food stamps. Republicans say Congress could cut the cost $2 billion a year by just closing a pair of loopholes that some states use to award benefits to people who otherwise might not qualify. "This is more than just a financial issue.
It is a moral issue," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, one of several Republicans pushing for cuts in spending for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. The program has swelled from 28 million to 46 million participants and its costs have doubled in the past four years. The recession and slow recovery have increased the number of people unemployed over the same period from 8 million to 12 million. The Agriculture Depart- BRIEFS Obama, Putin: Syrians should choose gov't LOS CABOS, Mexico President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Monday that Syrians should choose their own next government, marking a subtle shift for both the United States and Russia as they confront the prospect that Russia's main ally in the Mideast could slide into civil war.
Sharing pledges of common ground, yet hardly much eye contact or obvious kinship in front of reporters, Obama and Putin met for the first time since the Russian leader returned to the presidency last month. Obama spoke at greater length, emphasizing several areas of cooperation between the one-time Cold War enemies, but the unending bloodshed in Syria hung over the talks. The two leaders "agreed that we need to see a cessation of the violence, that a political process has to be created to prevent civil war and the kind of horrific events that we've seen over the last several weeks," Obama said. Putin, seated next to Obama after the private meeting, said: "We've been able to find many commonalities" on Syria. But he offered no specifics on what those were, and it was unclear how much the closed two-hour talk did to close strategic gaps about how to POLICE REPORTS Editor's note: Information in Police Briefs is obtained from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office and city police departments.
Individuals listed in Police Briefs who have been charged with a crime have not been proven guilty in court. DeKalb city Melanie D. Fitzgerald, 21, of the 1500 block of Long-wood Drive in Sycamore, was charged Sunday, June 17, with driving under the influence, driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level demand greater food stamp cuts, too. Finding common ground with the Democratic-led Senate could be key to whether Congress can pass a bill that also makes fundamental changes in farm subsidies before the current legislation bill expires at the end of September. Sessions points out that the federal government now spends twice as much on food stamps as it does on fixing the nation's roads and bridges, and that SNAP is now the government's second-largest federal welfare program after Medicaid.
To qualify, households, except those with elderly or disabled members, must have gross incomes below 130 percent of the poverty line. The Agriculture Department, which runs the program, says the average monthly benefit per person as of November was $134.15. As for helping the have not wanted to discuss contingency plans to avoid creating the impression that the president is preparing for a high court rebuke. Europe's relief from Greek vote likely fleeting ATHENS, Greece Greece's election result has eased fears of imminent financial disaster for Europe, but the continent's leaders are still searching for a way to contain a debt crisis that threatens the global economy. A narrow victory for the New Democracy party in Greece means that the country is more likely to stick to the harsh austerity terms of its $300 billion bailout and not face a chaotic exit from the euro in the very near future an event many fear would destabilize Europe and send Shockwaves through the world.
The country's economy still is in a very vulnerable state, however. It is in a fifth straight year of recession and could easily deteriorate to the point where a default and euro exit were inevitable. Europe is struggling to put out several fires, not just the one in Greece. Heavily indebted Spain and Italy saw their borrowing costs rise Monday, increasing pressure on their government finances and keeping alive fears that another big bailout might be needed. That would considerably strain the eurozone's DeKalb County Antonio Olivarez, 28, of the 700 block of Raymon Street in Elgin, was charged Sunday, June 17, with driving under the influence, driving without a driver's license and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
Northern Illinois University James C. Barr, 34, of DeKalb, was charged Thursday, June 14, with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving on the sidewalk. ment credits the program with keeping about 5 million Americans out of poverty every year. Before 2004, people received paper stamps or coupons worth $1, $5 or $10. Since then, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam have moved to debit-type cards that allow recipients to authorize transferring their benefits from a federal account to retailer accounts.
Democrats led by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York are resisting a proposal by Agriculture Committee leaders in both parties to trim a modest $250 million from the program each year by cracking down on abuses. They say that would deprive about half a million households losing an average $90 a month in food aid. The Republican-controlled House, which has yet to write its own farm bill, is certain to end the violence. Obama administration mulls pared health law WASHINGTON Covering all the bases ahead of a momentous Supreme Court ruling, the Obama administration plans to move ahead with major parts of the president's health care law if its most controversial provision does not survive, according to veteran Democrats closely involved with the legislation.
Even if the requirement that nearly every U.S. resident have health insurance is declared unconstitutional, the remaining parts of the law would have far-reaching impact, putting coverage within reach of millions of uninsured people, laying new obligations on insurers and employers, and improving Medicare benefits even as payments to many service providers get scaled back. The White House says President Barack Obama is confident the whole law will be upheld when the court issues its ruling in the next week or two, but officials will be ready for any outcome. "We do believe it's constitutional, and we hope and expect that's the decision the court will render," senior adviser David Plouffe said Sunday on ABC. "We obviously will be prepared for whatever decision the court renders." Administration officials above the legal limit, improper lane use, driving without insurance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
John G. Lang, 31, of the 1100 block of Rushmoore Drive in DeKalb, was charged Sunday, June 17, with battery. Darvis S. Yates, 24, of the 200 block of East 12th Street in Chicago Heights, was arrested Sunday, June 17, on a failure-to-appear warrant for possession of marijuana and also charged with criminal trespass to real property and two counts of domestic battery. By MARK SHERMAN The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a rape conviction over objections that the defendant did not have the chance to question the reliability of the DNA evidence that helped convict him.
The court's 5-4 ruling went against a run of high court decisions that bolstered the right of criminal defendants to confront witnesses against them. Justice Clarence Thomas provided the margin of difference in the case to uphold the conviction of Sandy Williams, even though Thomas has more often sided with defendants on the issue of cross-examination of witnesses. The case grew out of a DNA expert's testimony that helped convict Williams of rape. The expert testified that Williams' DNA matched a sample taken from the victim, but the expert played no role in the tests that extracted genetic evidence from the victim's sample. And no one from the company that performed the analysis showed up at the trial to defend it.
The court has previously ruled that defendants have the right to cross-examine the forensic analysts who prepare laboratory reports used at OBITUARIES ROBERT M. BIDGOOD Born: June 19, 1922, in Chicago, Died: June 13, 2012, in DeKalb, II DeKALB Robert M. Bidgood, 89, of DeKalb, passed away June 13, 2012, surrounded by his family after a brief illness. He was born June 19, 1922, in Chicago to Clyde and Margaret (Kendall) Bidgood. He served in the United States Army from 1942-1946 and was in the Naval Reserves from 1960-1961.
On Nov. 5, 1949, he married Florence Van Der Molen. He was a Master Mason, a member of Lodge 144 in DeKalb and the Local 701 IBEW union. He worked as an electrician from 1953 until his retirement in 1985. He is survived by his sons, Jeffrey (Suzanne) Bidgood of Sandwich and Scott (Elizabeth) Bidgood of St.
Charles; and grandson, Scott R. Bidgood. He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Florence; grandson, Michael James Bidgood; and siblings, Tom and Phyllis. A Masonic service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 30, at First Baptist Church, 349 South Third DeKalb.
The memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church. Arrangements were entrusted to Marengo-Union Funeral Home. For information, call the funeral home at 815-568-8131.
Online condolences may be made at www. To sign the online guest book, visit www.legacy.comdaily-chronicle. ROBERT RAYMOND BRUNING Robert Raymond Bruning, 83, of Kirkland, died Saturday, June 16, 2012, at Northwoods Care Center in Belvidere. Arrangements are being completed with Olson Funeral and Cremation Services, Quiram Kirkland Chapel. For more information, visit www.olsonfh.com or call 815-895-6589.
Visit www.legacy.comdaily-chronicle. THOMAS 'DUNNER' HENIGAN Thomas "Dunner" Henigan, 88, of Sycamore, died Sunday, June 17, 2012, at Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb. Arrangements are pending at Butala Funeral Home and Crematory in Sycamore. For information, visit www.ButalaFuneralHomes. com or call 815-895-2833.
Visit f3 ability to protect its members and keep the currency union together. "The crisis is far from over," Commerzbank analyst Christoph Weil said in a note to investors. "A sovereign default by Greece and the country's exit from the monetary union have probably been avoided for the time being." Long Vt. bridge split to be widened for traffic RICHMOND, Vt. After more than a year of planning using computers, laser levels and measuring devices accurate to a fraction of a millimeter, it took engineers with tape measures and construction workers with sledgehammers to finally bring the 83-year-old Checkered House Bridge into the 21st century.
On Monday, workers cut the historical 350-foot U.S. Route 2 bridge in two lengthwise by unbolting the braces holding the trusses together and began the process of pushing the sides apart to widen the span by 12 Vi feet. As far as anyone involved in the project has been able to determine, it's the first time such a technique has been tried on such a large bridge. Officials say the wider bridge is needed to accommodate modern traffic that frequently includes bicyclists, pedestrians and farm equipment. Wire reports Matthew J.
Sloan, 24, of North Aurora, was charged Friday, June 15, with criminal trespass to real property. Sycamore Amy K. Kennedy, 38, of Sycamore, was charged Tuesday, June 12, with driving under the influence, driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content greater than the legal limit, driving on a suspended license, driving without valid registration and illegal transportation of alcohol. EMPLOYEE OWNED Visit the professional design staff at 2700 DeKalb Avenue in Sycamore or call 815.756.6593 for more details AVIS ROMPF The funeral service for Avis Rompf, 88, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 20, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, W.
Sandwich Road at Pratt Road in Sandwich. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, at Beverage Family Funeral Home in Sandwich. Visit www.legacy.comdaily-chronicle. YVONNE SCHROEDER WILLIAMS Born: Feb.
12, 1931, in Chicago Died: June 17, 2012, in Shabbona DeKALB Yvonne H. Schroeder Williams, 81, a longtime resident of DeKalb, died Sunday, June 17, 2012, at Shabbona Health Care Center in Shabbona. Born Feb. 12, 1931, in Chicago, the daughter of Herbert and Wilma (Trapp) Braband, she married Robert E. Schroeder, the love of her life and father of her children, on July 28, 1951, in LaGrange.
Until her retirement, Yvonne was a Realtor in the DeKalb-Sycamore area. She is survived by her children, Dale (Marlene Chapman) Schroeder of DeKalb, Eileen (Steven) Brewer of Sycamore, Joyce (Dale) Hager of Cortland and Craig Schroeder of DeKalb; grandchildren, Kristin Ayres, Timothy Schroeder, Daniel (Tricia) Hager, Kevin (Amy) Hager and Joel Brewer; and great-grandchildren, Raychael Ayers, Alexis Ayres, Garry Ayres, Natalyia Ayres, Aiden Hager and Logan Hager. Yvonne was preceded in death by her first husband, Robert Schroeder in 1975; second husband, Frederick Williams in 1996; parents; brother, Alan; infant child, Rhonda; and grandson, Joshua Brewer in 1993. The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 21, at Anderson Funeral Home, DeKalb, with the Rev.
Stephen Persson of First Baptist Church, Sycamore, officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Park Cemetery, DeKalb. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, at Anderson Funeral Home, DeKalb. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Yvonne H.
Williams Memorial Fund, in care of Anderson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 605, 2011 S. Fourth DeKalb, IL 60115. For information, visit www. AndersonFuneralHomeLtd.com or call 815-756-1022.
To sign the online guest book, visit www.legacy.comdaily-chronicle. View a complete list of Daily Chronicle obituaries by clicking on the calendar dates SUtltljJ LljrOlrirtt A special thank you and heartfelt appreciation for your kindness and Let the Sycamore Hy-Vee Floral Shop help you remember your loved one. From traditional arrangements to more personalized tributes.Your Sycamore Hy-Vee Floral shop will help you design tributes to memorialize your loved ones. expressions of sympathy on the death of Benton (Ben) E. Bastian.
From the Bastian Family (srn ff if i-eftf) Send flowers, A www.legacy.comDaHy-Chronicle.
