Gurnee detective continues march to top in world games

Gurnee police Det. Mike Langer recently took another step toward his goal of a gold medal in the World Police and Fire Games.

The games are an Olympic-style competition for police officers and firefighters. The 2009 event drew 10,600 competitors from around the world to Vancouver, Canada.

Langer, competing for the fifth time in the World's Toughest Competitor event, posted his best finish ever by winning the silver medal.

"I got a bronze in Barcelona in 2003 and now I have a silver," Langer said. "The only thing left is the gold, and I am going to work very hard to be ready in two years."

Langer said his event is modeled after the Olympic decathlon and features seven competitions that are all done in one day.

He said their were 21 other competitors in his age group for the event.

Travel delayed

No matter how ready you think you are to take a long trip, something can always come up at the last minute to disrupt your plans.

Consider the case of Deborah Malone, 28, who was so committed to leaving town this week she showed up at the Waukegan courthouse with her bags packed.

Malone, who has a couple of addresses in Antioch Township listed in court records, had reached an agreement with prosecutors in which she was going to spend 18 months in prison for theft and driving under the influence of alcohol.

She went before Circuit Judge John Phillips carrying a pair of tote bags; one with her medications and the other with her school books, that she was hoping to take downstate with her.

But when it came time to present the agreement to Phillips for his approval, there was a catch. Or more correctly, a caught.

Phillips detected the scent of alcohol wafting up to his position at the bench and ordered Malone to the probation department offices for a breath test.

When she returned to the courtroom around 11 a.m. she was accompanied by a report that said her blood alcohol content was 0.196 percent, a remarkably unacceptable level in an environment where the norm is 0.0 percent.

"I am certain that she understands she is standing in a courtroom right now," Phillips said. "But with that kind of a reading, I am not sure she will remember much of anything that is going on here tomorrow."

So Malone was escorted to the county jail, where she will be allowed to rest up under the blanket of a $400,000 bond and return to see Phillips later this month under better conditions.

Safety seat check

The Lake County coroner's office is teaming with the sheriff's office, Zion police and Safe Kids Chicago in sponsoring a free child safety seat inspection on Thursday, Aug. 27.

From 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., technicians will be in the parking lot of the Walmart at Route 173 and Kenosha Road to make sure the seats are installed properly in vehicles.

For more information, call (847) 377-2200.