Northwest Herald from Woodstock, Illinois • Page 3

Northwest Herald riwherald.com iJEWi Saturday, January 14, 2006 Page 3A 1. Mark Prior Cubs pitcher It did not take long Friday for Mark Prior to find out what fans thought of his team's attempts to trade him to Balth more. "No trade! No trade! No trade!" they chanted at the Cubs Convention in Chicago. Prior said he took the trade talks in stride. "It never really bothered me," fie said.

"If it was something that became serious, I 1 probably would have got a phone call." MORE ON PAGE IB 2. Hugo Chavez Venezuelan president Before the Venezuela National Assembly on Friday, Chavez criticized an attempt made by the United Sates to block Spain from selling the nation 12 military planes with American parts. The U.S. Embassy in Madrid announced that the U.S. sought to halt the sale because of concerns that the Venezuelan government was growing antidemocratic.

Chavez said the U.S. action showed "horrific imperialism." MORE ON PAGE 12A 3. Melvin Chancey Former Hells Angels leader The former president of Chicago's chapter of the motorcycle club Hells Angels pleaded guilty Thursday to federal drug and racketeering charges. Chancey, 38, of Alsip pleaded guilty to dealing almost 20 pounds of cocaine and four ounces of methamphetamihe during the 1990s and conspiring with other Hells Angels members to threaten, intimidate, and potentially murder members of other biker gangs, officials said. Individuals making headlines today: AP photo NEWSMAKERS II n- 4 fr'rr City clerk charged in hired-truck probe Ban on public smoking in Chicago begins Monday -3T By MIKE ROBINSON The Associated Press CHICAGO Chicago City Clerk James Laski was charged Friday with soliciting payoffs and obstructing justice as federal prosecutors forged ahead with an investigation of bribery and political patronage abuses at city hall.

"What's alleged in the complaint is naked bribery, pay me money and you'll get business," U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said during a news conference. Laski, 52, is the 39th person and the highest-ranking official charged in the government's investigation of corruption in Chicago government, which stemmed from a probe into a city program that awarded hauling jobs to trucking companies. Fitzgerald said that federal prosecutors had a tape of Laski calling one cooperating witness to notify htm that Laski had agreed to a plan under which another witness would lie to a grand jury and say that payments made to Laski were cam Though Chicago is by no means a smoking-ban trendsetter more than a dozen states and hundreds of cities and counties around the country now ban smoking in restaurants, bars, or both anti-smoking advocates hope that other Illinois and Midwestern cities jump on Chicago's bandwagon.

"It's very, very important symbolically to have Chicago become smoke free because it's the leader in the Midwest, and it will have a trickle-down effect," said Daniel Smith, the American Cancer Society's national vice president for government, relations. "This is part of a national trend this is just now starting in the Midwest." DeKalb Alderman Kris Povlsen said he hoped that his city's lawmakers were swayed by Chicago's actions when they begin considering a smoking ban ordinance later this month. "I believe what we will see is more and more communities will embrace this concept," Povlsen said. By ANNA JOHNSON The Associated Press CHICAGO For Cheryl Woodcock, the city's new smoking ban is a real headache. The 42-year-old trader takes a smoke break a couple of times a day right outside the Loop office building where she works.

But beginning Monday, Woodcock will have to walk farther away from the building if she wants a cigarette, a real problem on a cold, sleeting day like Friday. "I think the ban is out of control," she said. "I understand not smoking in the building, but what do you do when it's 10 degrees outside? Do they really want all these smokers in the streets?" After much debate, Chicago's city council last month approved a ban on smoking in nearly all public places, including 15 feet from any entrance to areas where smoking is prohibited. The council gave taverns and bars inside restaurants until the middle of 2008 to comply. AP photo Chicago City Clerk James Laski leaves Chicago's federal court Friday after being charged with soliciting payoffs and obstructing justice in a federal investigation of bribery and political patronage abuses at city hall.

truck program. Laski appeared in court be- wear an electronic monitoring "Go, Cubs, yeah, go Cubs," fore U.S. Magistrate Judge Sid- bracelet so that federal officials Laski is quoted as saying, al- ney Schenkier and was released can keep track of his where- legedly the green light to lie. on $10,000 bond after agreeing to abouts. paign contributions and not bribes to get business in the I rOJUU 7 SI La urn is UZ.A it-' i (WVll" AP photo President Bush (right) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel address a news conference Friday at the White House.

Merkel on Friday suggested that the U.S. close its prison in Guantanamo Bay. Bush rejects call for closure of Guantanamo Bay prison ft Easily reclines at the touch of a button Provides continuous leg support when reclined Removable back for easier delivery and moving from room to room Fully reclines with only 3" wall clearance, allowing greater decorating flexibility and more efficient use of space TABLOS, LAMPS, AMD SO MUCH MORE to hold people that would do ourselves harm," Bush said at a White House news conference with Merkel. The U.S. says the detainees are' suspected Taliban or al-Qaida operatives or soldiers, but lawyers and rights groups say many were victims of circumstance who are not violent.

Bush and Merkel both had tough warnings for Iran over its nuclear brinksmanship. "We will not be intimidated by a country such as Iran," Mer-kel said. She also condemned statements by Iran's leader challenging Israel's right to exist. Iran threatened Friday to end surprise inspections "and other cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency if it is hauled before the U.N.

Security Council. The ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON President Bush rejected a suggestion by Germany's new leader that the U.S. close its prison at tanamo Bay, saying after a first meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that the facility was "a necessary part of protecting the American people." Guantanamo has become a symbol in Europe for what many people see as Bush administration excesses in hunting down and interrogating potential terrorists. At least one German is among about 500 foreign-born men held indefinitely at the prison camp on Cuba's eastern tip. "So long as the war on terror goes on, and so long as there's a threat, we will inevitably need SPICIAL MiKINO limsmiH 6 MONJHS S4Mf CASH rNMiCM jm II ELD Ready to Quit Smoking! FOR 6 MONTHS THIS IMKEWDD EBERKLNE HURRV! SAU ENDS r.lOIUDAYI If anyone deserves it, you do.

join the next Adult Quit Smoking Class offered by the McHenry County Department of Health Classes begin on January 17 Classes held at: McHenry County College To register call 815-334-4510 Attend all 6 sessions and the class is FREE! $699 mirv. purchase required and subject to credit approval. berklii ilKlilil 1. ICS -Li-i Funding for this program made possible through an Illinois Tobacco-Free Communities Grant, IL Dept of Public Health For free counseling call trie Illinois Tobacco Quitline at l-866-QUIT-YES 3T.