Ex-preserve official dies

A former longtime general superintendent of the Cook County Forest Preserve District was found dead at his Inverness home Friday morning.

Arthur L. Janura, 87, was discovered lying near a circuit breaker box in 2 to 5 inches of water, Barrington-Inverness police said. Authorities don't know if the cause of death was electrocution or related to Thursday's storms.

Before he retired in 1991, Janura served for 27 years as the district's general superintendent. He was also a member of the President's Citizens Advisory Committee. The board of commissioners honored him in 1998 by renaming the Poplar Creek Preserve near Hoffman Estates the Arthur L. Janura Preserve.

"Mr. Janura was known for his passion for preserving and protecting Cook County's open space holdings," Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said in a statement.

Barrington-Inverness Police Sgt. Jerry Libit said authorities were notified about 11 a.m. by Janura's son, who came to the house in the 1700 block of Clover Drive after he was unable to contact his father the previous night.

Before anyone entered the basement, Libit said. ComEd came to turn power off to the house, which is located near Lake Inverness. Authorities then confirmed that Janura was dead. An investigation is under way.

Police said there was a power outage in the neighborhood at some point during Thursday afternoon's storms, and that Janura had set up a generator outside his garage. Power had been restored by the time Janura's son made the discovery.

"We want to remind people to not enter standing water," Libit said. "There's always a risk that electricity is running from underground."

According to the forest preserve district, Janura's 46-year tenure included positions as a senior forester and superintendent of maintenance and operations.

He was a former president of the Midwest Institute of Park Executives and director of the American Institute of Park Executives.

During World War II, Janura was an army intelligence officer in the European Theatre of Operations, the statement said.