Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

CENTRAI LLNOIS A3 Decatur, Illinois Herald Review Saturday, December 24, 1994 Out About WW to HI Dug Former insurance salesman from Mt. Zion bilked 11 or more of up to $175,000. By JUDY TATHAM Staff Writer fc.A,,,,, the large sums of money that were taken between 1990 and early 1994. A state investigation began when a Macon couple complained that $49,500 they had given to Rossi had not been invested in annuity policies as they had directed. Subsequently, there were other complaints from the area from people who believed they had purchased insurance or annuities.

Fichter said before the Jan. 31 sentencing he will have final figures on how much restitution should be ordered, provided probation is granted. He tentatively set the figure at $160,000 to $175,000. He said his office is investigating other reports from people with claims, even though there have been no formal charges filed in their cases. Their losses could be included in the order of restitution, he said.

BATMAN State's Attorney Larry Fichter said. Circuit Judge John K. Greanias will sentence Rossi. If Greanias denies Rossi's probation request, Fichter said he will recommend a 10-year prison sentence. Should Greanias agree to probation, Fichter told the judge that Rossi had agreed to these terms: an immediate deposit of $20,000 for restitution, plus payments averaging $2,000 monthly to make restitution.

Fichter told Greanias he had spoken with Rossi's present employer, and with his current income he should be able to make the payments. Later, Fichter said Rossi has lost his license to sell insurance and he is working at a financial company where he no longer has direct access to clients' money. So far, there has been no explanation what happened to DECATUR Former insurance salesman Fred G. Rossi plead guilty Friday to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from clients, many of whom were elderly. Rossi, who will be sentenced Jan.

31, is seeking probation and offering to repay as much as $175,000. Rossi, of Mount Zion, pleaded guilty Friday to seven felony theft charges. At least 11 people were victimized, some of whom were elderly and turned over their life savings, Macon County Who Wants to Shop? tekfoti $7 million 4 Management optimistic about future 1 'V as- By SHARON KS0SLEY for the Herald Review 5 ECR Group, on Jan 1. John Fleming of Club Management will continue to manage the resort for the new ownership. Fleming was optimistic about the future of the resort.

"Right now we're full up for New Year's Eve," Fleming said. "Our occupancy rate is at 40 percent, about 5 percent up from last year and that's without any pre-selling last year. Our 1995 sales will really show the effects of our work." Ed Parkinson of the Illinois Department of Conservation, which holds the land lease on the property, was pleased with Friday's decision. "From the first, the DOC's purpose has been to keep the resort open and running smoothly," Parkinson said. "The department is very satisfied." Fleming said cooperation between the different groups was important to a smooth transition.

"The DOC and the state stepped in and helped us when we needed it," he said. "It needs to be pointed out that Eagle Creek Resort is open and here because of the hard work and efforts of several different SHELBYVILLE The long battle for control of Eagle Creek Resort on Lake Shelbyville came to an end Friday with the $7 million purchase of the resort by it's principal investors. American National Bank and Trust of Chicago forced the sale with a foreclosure action filed earlier this year against Eagle Creek Resort Inc. and it's principal investor Ed Forrester. Forrester, who had managed the resort since it's 1989 opening, was not present at Friday's sale.

In several attempts to protect the property from bankruptcy, Forrester earlier this year had attempted to sell the property to other investment groups, only to be blocked by American National. In April, the court appointed Club Management Advisory Group of Florida as trustee of the property. American National was the only bidder for the property. Chicago lawyer David Nelson, representing American National, asked the court to set Dec. 29 as the date for filing a final report by the bankruptcy trustee.

Title could transfer to a new investors corporation, Customers make crafts disappear SHELBYVILLE Kathy Knearem and Karen Bennett would love to have a little snow at Christmas. In fact, they'd settle for a few little snowmen. The trouble is, when you're as talented with crafts as these two women are, you can't keep enough snowmen around to decorate your own house let alone keep up with customers' orders. "Snowmen are hot," says DeEtta Fox, owner of Aunt Darling's Daydreams in Shelbyville, which is located one block north of downtown on Morgan Street. Kathy's snowmen sell out as fast as she can make them.

She took five of the whimsical, gate post snowmen to the annual holiday bazaar at Baum School. And faster than you can say, 'Thum pa -dee-thump-thump," the snowmen were being carried to cars by eager buyers. KATHY'S WITCHES at Decatur's Pumpkinfest sold out equally as fast. "I took eight, and seven of them were sold the first hour," Kathy says of the purple and black witches. "I just can't keep up with all the orders." Her husband, Raymond, carves fence posts with a saw to resemble either a snowman, a witch, Santa Claus or Uncle Sam.

"I don't even have any to show you because someone just bought my last Uncle Sam yesterday," Kathy says. "I can't even keep a snowman for my own house." Karen has the same problem. "My kitchen is lined with little snowmen," she says, "but they're all for other people." KAREN HAS MADE about 100 snowmen so far this year, but the only ones left in the craft store in Shelbyville are tiny snowmen with twigs for arms. "The big ones get sold as fast as I bring them in," she says. What's up with the snowman fad? "Post people are just big this year especially snowmen," DeEtta says.

"Fads come and go very quickly. Like right now, besides snowmen, all you see are crows and sunflowers." But the crows might be old news before long, DeEtta says, noting that "someone told me the other day that crows are out and frogs in." All 50 booths in the quaint year-old craft store are filled with stuff. Old ironing boards have been transformed into coffee tables. Vests and lamps have been created from old quilts. Unique pins were made from "friendly plastic" a craft idea brought over from Germany when Karen moved to Shelbyville.

"AKO LOOK AT THIS," DeEtta says, pointing to an antique table marked "SOLD." "The craftsperson just added a picket fence to it," DeEtta says. "That's the big thing right now turning antiques into crafts. "Everything Kathy and Karen make are a hit. Even those ugly little trees Kathy makes are a big bit. We're just selling the heck out of acE( MA mm tns i rfo case appeal mu if 7 Iff; Refusal leaves appellate districts split on whether to permit such evidence By HEIDI KILDEBRAKD Springfield Bureau SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal concerning the ad-missability of DNA evidence in the search Council report that said the specific test was not generally accepted by the scientific community.

The 5th District Appellate Court upheld Heaton's conviction, concluding that the judge had not abused his discretion by allowing the DNA evidence. Heaton's attor Herald ReviewStephen Warmowski Bob Yoakum of Decatur, 71 has better things to do than go shopping two days before Christmas. Yoakum casts his line into Lake Decatur Thursday morning. He was using a twister-tail jig while trying to catch white bass on the north end of the lake where warm water from the Staley's hot water ditch flows into the lake. DNA testing of semen helped convict the suspect alizei 3 from fatal crash still liospif Investigators found no skid marks, indicating driver did not try to stop.

murder trial of Stuart Heaton. Heaton, 28, is serving a life sentence for the July 1991 murder of 16-year-old Krystal Lynn Naab. Heaton appealed his conviction arguing that genetic tests tying him to the murder were improperly performed and overstated the probability that a spot of semen on the victim's body came from Heaton. Heaton was convicted of stabbing Naab in her rural Ramsey home 81 times with sewing scissors. The spot of semen found on Naab's body and reports of a white pickup truck near her home the day she died linked Heaton to the murder.

Defense attorneys appealed the conviction, arguing that the trial judge should have allowed them a special hearing to challenge the reliability of the DNA testing procedures. The judge decided not to hold the special hearing two weeks before publication of a National Re- By TED KLEIXE Staff Writer ney asked the state Supreme Court to hear the case to settle disagreements on the issue among the appellate court districts. The 1st District Appellate Court has held that DNA evidence is not admissible because the method of interpreting the statistical significance of a DNA match is not generally accepted by the scientific community. Appellate courts in the 2nd, 4th and 5th districts have held that it is admissible. In its October list of orders, the Supreme Court rejected Heaton's request to consider his appeal.

Heaton's attorney, Robert By-man, said the legal battle is not over, but that he and Heaton have not decided on the next legal step. Still a Decatur Memorial Hospital are Ricardo Blue, 11, address unavailable, and Tinisha Slaw, 9, of the 1400 block of North Church Street. The youngest victim, 7-year-old Teyianis Browning, of 1240 W. Macon was in fair condition at St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

Illinois State Police investigators attempting to reconstruct the accident said they found no skid marks at the scene, indicating Slaw never attempted to stop. "He had plenty of things trying to tell him to stop," Trooper Karen Havener said. As part of their investigation, troopers also reviewed a videotape of the accident taken by cameras belonging to Caterpillar. Troopers have not been able to determine if Slaw was speeding. DECATUR Three children remain hospitalized for injuries received in an accident Thursday near Caterpillar main gate at the intersection of Pershing Road and 27th Street.

Another passenger injured in the accident, 19-year-old Angela Gully, was released from Decatur Memorial Hospital on Friday. Jericho Slaw, 19, was killed in the accident. Slaw apparently drove through a flashing red light, hitting a police squad car traveling eastbound on Pershing Road. I stairs rata mew SiliTltfii pw 1 The "ugly little" trees are I Hvlrrl with a crnlH urswfan Panel to look at long-range needs, potential problems anticipated at 60-year-old plant. By DEBBIE PIERCE Mattoon Bureau Chief star atop a primitive bright green tree.

Orders may be made by calling the store at 774-5510. But be prepared. You might see actual snow before you see your snowman. KAMCY JO BATMAH is always on the lookout for odd and interesting goings on in Coles and Moultrie counties. When not accosting area residents for stories, Nancy Jo can be reached at 429-0356.

The committee will look at Mattoon's future water needs, options available to meet those needs, and what it will cost. It will develop information about available state or federal financing and additional user fees; what options are acceptable to residents; and make recommendations to the Water Board and the city council. No glaring problems are apparent with the plant right now. The committee will be focusing its attention on long-term usage. Increased water-quality rules, local water' demand and expected increases relate to provement at Consolidated Communications; Roberta Holla da, retired instructor at Lake Land College; and Phyllis Karpus, personal banking officer at Central National Bank.

Also serving are Mark Nelson, assistant principal at Mattoon High School; Ralph Oelke, retired environmental coordinator at General Electric, and John Warner, gas operations supervisor at Central Illinois Public Service Co. Kottwitz and Mike Smyser, superintendent of the water department, will be ex-of- ficio committee members. city expansion plans makes the study necessary, Kottwitz said. The committee will begin with results from a previous study, and probably will need additional engineering, technical and financial studies, he said. "This will be a working committee.

I believe it will take a lot of time to gather all the data needed to arrive at a logical conclusion that can be presented to the city council," Kottwitz added. Members of the committee are Gene Baker, a driver with Dial-A-Ride; Rick Hall director of continuous quality im- 6. MATTOON A newly appointed committee will get together for the first time Tuesday to begin work on an extensive study of the city's 60-year-old water treatment plant. The seven-member Water Facilities Study Committee, proposed by Water Commissioner Hal Kottwitz, was approved by the city council Thursday..