FOID cards, anyone?

With gunshots ringing out in McHenry County in the past two weeks, notice how no one has mentioned FOID cards? Those pesky Firearms Owner Identification cards?

Why not?

Did Timothy S. Smith have a FOID card on May 29, when he allegedly shot and killed Kurt Milliman? Did Kimberly A. (Holian) Smith have a FOID card? Whose gun was it that was used to shoot Kurt?

And in the Feldkamp case? Did Jack Feldkamp, 84, or Audrey Feldkamp, 81, hold a FOID card? Was it their gun that their son, Scott Feldkamp, 54, used to defend his parents and himself?

Scott was visiting from Florida, where many residents have concealed carry permits. Did he have such a permit? Had he brought one of his guns with him?

Unfortunately, one of the questions that needs to be asked is, was he illegally in possession of a firearm in McHenry County since, as a Florida resident, he would not have had a FOID card and any Florida concealed-carry permit would not be valid in Illinois.

No one questions his defense of his parents and himself. I'm glad he had the gun. I wish it had been closer.

It's the stupid laws in Illinois that I question.

Press conference Wednesday

Is it true that Sheriff Keith Nygren flew back to Woodstock (that's, by air) for Wednesday's 1:00PM press conference about the Feldkamp murders in Marengo?

Help me here, folks. Two murders, one serious injury, murderer shot dead ... and the sheriff flies back for a photo op.

And about a week before, a man is killed by gunshot, suspect is charged with first-degree murder and suspect's wife also arrested, but not a peep out of the sheriff?

Which murder investigation demands the presence of the top cop in the county? The one with the assailant dead or the one with the alleged killer in custody?

If Nygren was on vacation in Minocqua, who paid for his flight back? The County? And who will pay for him to get back to his vacation?

Where's my FOIA request form???

Why is one murder news, and another is not?

Why do the murders of Mr. and Mrs. Feldkamp last night rate a press conference today, and yet the murder of Kurt Milliman on May 29th doesn't?

If the sheriff tries to stick by his "Credentialed Media" only limitation, I won't get in, anyway. Maybe someone will come from the Chicago Tribune and pounce with hard questions about what really happened at 4320 Doty Road.

Ride the Rumble - this week-end

The Woodstock City Council issued a Proclamation at last night's meeting regarding the participation of the Woodstock Harley-Davidson dealership in the 2011 Illinois H.O.G. (Harley Owners' Group) Rally, which will be held this week-end in Rockford. Mayor Sager praised the strong corporation support and participation in the City of Woodstock.

When a gathering of more than 1,000 motorcycles was mentioned, I was taking a few pictures during the meeting and totally missed the fact that the Rally is in Rockford, not in Woodstock. Information about the Woodstock Harley-Davidson dealership can be viewed at www.woodstockharley-dav.com/

Locally at the dealership this week-end, you can drool "near" new Harleys and enjoy their "Bikers, Blues, Brats and Brews" on Saturday, from 9AM-5PM.
If you are interested in the Rally, visit www.ilstatehogrally.com/

"Credentialed Media" only - Gus, you're outa here

After reading in the Northwest Herald this morning that the McHenry County Sheriff's Department would conduct a press conference at 11:00AM, I telephoned the department about 10:15AM and was told that the 11:00AM press conference would be held in the 2nd floor conference room, within the Sheriff's Department offices.

I arrived about 10:30AM and, after sitting for a few minutes in the 2nd floor lobby, I approached the Sheriff's offices. Ah, what's that? Large signs in  the hallway and on the entrance door announced "Credentialed Media Conference" with an arrow pointing ahead.

They might as well have put up a sign that read, "Media, enter here. Gus, stay out."

The courthouse security officer didn't have a clue as to what I was asking, when I inquired where the press conference would be. Nice briefing, guys. He directed me into the Administrative Offices section, where I was told the press conference had been re-scheduled to 1:00PM. I duly registered my objection, since I had been informed not 30 minutes earlier that it would be at 11:00AM. They couldn't have cared less about any inconvenience caused by moving the conference back two hours.

A press release was mentioned; I asked for it and one of the secretaries disappeared. I didn't get it.

Then I asked what "Credentialed Media" meant, anticipating that, when I came back at 1:00PM, I'd probably not be given access to the conference room. Lt. John Miller came out to talk with me, and he explained, politely, that my blog would not qualify. He left to get a copy of the Public Information and Media Relations Policy.

"Credentialed Media" means recognized, credible, established and some other $100 words from some lawyer's office. And then he read something about "having good relations with the department." Now that got my attention. They could have simplified the Policy by just saying, "If we like you, you're in; if not, you're not. Gus, you're not."

Somebody asked me once if I just walk around, looking for battles. I don't. But I don't pass one up, if it stops in front of me and raises a fist. I've already FOIA'ed the Policy. And then we'll head into Round 2.

Jail death investigation continues

The investigation into the death of a McHenry County Jail inmate, Tommy O'Dell, is apparently continuing. O'Dell died April 26, 2011, while in custody, after being escorted from Judge Feetterer's courtroom, where he had appeared on a charge, following his appearance in a different courtroom earlier that day on a traffic charge. There was a warrant for his arrest, and he was taken into custody while he was in the courthouse.

Based on the recent in-custody death of Thomas Puchmelter, a death investigation in the Jail might take about four days. Freedom of Information requests to the Sheriff's Department have so far not resulted in the report on O'Dell's death. An autopsy was conducted, and toxicology reports were requested. An inquest will eventually be held by the Coroner's office.

The Department may be investigating whether O'Dell was left unattended in a cell in the booking area and, if so, for how long and in what health condition he was at the time.

Marengo couple killed, son injured

The McHenry County Sheriff's Department is investigating the deaths of an elderly couple, John and Audrey Feldkamp, southeast of Marengo, and the injury of their son, who may have shot a knife-wielding assailant at the couple's home.

The Northwest Herald published its first online article at 8:41AM, which can be read at http://www.nwherald.com/

The Sheriff's Department will conduct a press conference at 11:00AM in the conference room at the Sheriff's Department, 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock.