Sheriff Nygren, time's up!

Be sure to read this morning's article in the First Electric Newspaper (FEN)  (http://www.firstelectricnewspaper.com/) about the directive of the Office of the Public Access Counselor (a division of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General) to the McHenry County Sheriff's Department (a/k/a Sheriff Nygren's place) to release information sought by FEN in the removal of Deputy Scott Milliman from duty.

FEN submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Sheriff's Department to learn the reason that Milliman was placed on administrative leave. The Department responded by providing only the day (December 23) that Milliman was placed on leave. FEN wants more. The PAC ordered Nygren to provide it "immediately." That word may not be in Nygren's dictionary.

On this morning's edition of FEN it says, "That was one day before Cal Skinner's McHenry County Blog began printing Federal Court transcripts referring to Milliman's testimony Sheriff Keith Nygren had told him to kill people, ran an illegal alien ring and was involved in bribery."

Speaking of Sheriff Nygren, where is Sheriff Nygren? He has been conspicuously absent from comments and physical appearance in the case of the murder of Kurt Milliman, Scott's brother, on May 29.

Can anyone think of a more important function of the sheriff of a county than taking charge of the investigation and riding herd on investigators to make absolutely certain everything is done correctly?

And a press conference to release such information which could be released without jeopardizing an investigation? No way. If Nygren were in town, he'd be right in front of the cameras and microphones. But he apparently has not authorized the Undersheriff to operate as "Sheriff" in his absence. So, is McHenry County effectively without a Sheriff at this time?

The sheriff's department refuses to even reply to my emails, requesting notification of any and all press conferences related to the Kurt Milliman case.

Kimberly Smith's bond was reduced to $15,000 by Judge Condon. Where are the comments from the State's Attorney's Office or the Sheriff's Department? Were they pleased to see the bond lowered? Was it too low, to begin with?

Isn't there something in the CALEA-certified Manual for how to investigate a murder? Does the Standard Operating Manual at the Sheriff's Department contain a section of instructions for stonewalling the media?

Or is the Sheriff's Department afraid that a member of the electronic media (often referred to as blogs) might pitch them some hardball questions and put them on the spot? Writers for McHenry County Blog, First Electric Newspaper, Crystal Lake Patch and this blog are ready with our questions.