Hike in user fees urged by County Board panel

In an effort to cut a record $96 million 1988 property taxincrease, a Cook County Board committee Thursday recommended askingthe Legislature for permission to increase user fees. TheLegislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee alsorecommended that the board seek authority to set its own user fees,instead of having to seek permission from the Legislature. Under theproposed resolutions, people protesting property tax assessmentswould have to pay a fee. A fee also would be charged to peoplemaking successful bids at the county's annual tax sale and scavengersale. In other action, the committee voted to ban smoking, except indesignated areas, in all facilities operated by the county PublicHealth Department. The full board is expected to approve therecommendations Monday. Emergency services acting chief named

David L. Smith, a veteran official with the state EmergencyServices and Disaster Agency, was named its acting director by Gov.Thompson. The 37-year-old Smith, a Springfield resident, replacesCharles Jones, who leaves today to join a marketing and managementconsulting firm he started. Thompson said Smith, chief of thedisaster agency's field services division for the last seven years,will serve until a permanent director is appointed. Smith has askedthat he not be a candidate for the $40,396-a-year job.

Hartigan hits state statute publisher

The company that publishes the state's statute books has ignoreda law requiring it to register as an out-of-state firm doing businessin Illinois, state Attorney General Neil F. Hartigan charged in asuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. Hartigan said WestPublishing Co., a St. Paul, Minn., based firm, has extensive businessdealings in Illinois and should have paid an undetermined fee.Hartigan said he is investigating more than a score of otherout-of-state companies that have failed to register depsite doingbusiness here. Neil F. Flynn, an attorney for West, said the companywill file "an appropriate response" after reviewing the complaint. U.S. suit charges bias at Walgreens store

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Thursday suedWalgreen Co. for alleged racial discrimination in hiring, transfersand promotions at a Franklin Park store. The class-action suit filedin U.S. District Court says Walgreens failed to hire and recruitblacks for cashier and stock positions. The suit contends thedrugstore chain refused to transfer or promote black pharmacist LydiaWiggins from another store to Franklin Park. It also chargesWalgreens retaliated against Wiggins by failing to process herinternal grievance after she filed a complaint. The commission wantsan injunction to stop the discriminatory action and to start anaffirmative action hiring program at the store. Walgreens officialshad no comment. Bond revoked for suspect in murder

A $150,000 bond was revoked Thursday for Mark Ferns, 21, after acharge of criminal sexual assault was added to a first-degree murdercharge against him. Ferns, of 2701 S. Homan, is charged with beatingand running over Rosie Casallas, 37, whose body was found Sunday inthe 3300 block of South Kedzie. Bond set for man accused of raping girl, 9

Bond was set at $30,000 Thursday for a man charged with rapinghis 9-year-old cousin. James Chisholm, 26, of 315 S. Albany,allegedly assaulted the girl March 26 when she went to his houselooking for her mother. City worker critically hurt in accident

A city equipment operator was critically injured Thursday when afront-end loader ran over him as he was jump-starting it at thecity's incincerator near Kilbourn and Chicago. Richard Galluzzi, 57,of 728 S. Oakley, a 25-year city employee, was listed in criticalcondition at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood. Streets andSanitation Commissioner John Halpin said the front-end loaderapparently jumped into reverse gear and ran over Galluzzi, who wasbeing assisted by another workman in starting it. Patient charged in drowning of man, 70

A 27-year-old man at a Rogers Park health care center has beencharged with the drowning of a fellow patient. Police said MartinVinales, 70, died early Thursday shortly after he was reportedmissing from the Lake Front Health Care Center, 7618 N. Sheridan.Police said another patient, Robert Spiller Jr., admitted takingVinales to the lakefront nearby and holding his head under waterbecause the older man laughed at him. An employee reported seeingSpiller and Vinales walk away from the facility at 3 a.m., policesaid. Police found Spiller in the center laundry, washing hisclothes, according to police Sgt. Paul Carroll, of the Area 6 violentcrimes unit. A search of the area produced Vinales' body in the lakeoff 7523 N. East Lake Ter. Spiller is scheduled to appear today inHoliday Court.