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Tuesday, April 1, 2014
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Primary results are official Beaber will face Reed in November election By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus is calling the 2014 primary election results official.
Following election night on March 18, about 35 absentee ballots — 21 Republican — still had the possibility to change the outcome in the sheriff’s race. Only 18 votes sat
between sheriff Republican candidates Allan Beaber and Jim Shipp. On Monday, Hieronymus confirmed only 10 absentee ballots were received following the election, and the final results have widen
the gap between Beaber and Shipp by 20 votes. Final vote totals show Beaber with 1,321 votes and Shipp with 1,301 votes. Breaking it down, that means Beaber received four votes through absentee ballots, and Shipp received two votes.
Hieronymus said two ballots were nonpartisan party, meaning the last two ballots had votes for either fellow sheriff Republican candidates Alex Arauza, who received 591 votes, and Bill Rosenow, who received 535 votes. Hieronymus doesn’t
expect any more ballots to come through the mail. Absentee ballots had to be postmarked no later than March 17. She confirmed most of the ballots that came through the mail did so in the days immediately following the election.
See Primary Page 4
Cougar sighting Animal seen near Hennepin Canal By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
BUREAU — Another cougar has been apparently spotted in Bureau County. On Monday, Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson confirmed his department received a call last week, on Wednesday, from a 51-year-old man who was walking along the Hennepin Canal towpath, about one and one-half miles west of Lock 3 near Bureau, when he spotted a cougar. The man was a mature man who said he had seen cougars before when he lived in Texas and had no doubt in his mind that the animal he saw Wednesday was a cougar, the sheriff said. The sheriff’s department then contacted the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to further the investigation, but no signs of a cougar were found at that time. Last September, some Sheffield residents said they had also seen a cougar in their area of the county, on the southwest edge of town. As far as this latest cougar sighting near Bureau, Thompson said his department has had no reports of domesticated animals or family pets being harmed by a wild animal. If dogs or cats were being taken from their yards or cattle or sheep from a field, then the wild animal would
See Cougar Page 4
BCR photo/Amelia Bystry
Short sleeves and smiles Warmer weather during the weekend caused area residents to shed their heavy winter coats, instead opting for short sleeves and spring attire. While temperatures were in the 60s on Sunday and Monday, the extended forecast according to WQAD News 8 calls for daytime highs in the high 40s and low 50s, with overnight lows in the mid-30s. In this photo, Declan and Adia Sandullo pause for a photo during an outing at Zearing Park in Princeton.
Food pantry plans Easter outreach Donations are needed By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — With Easter less than three weeks away, the Tri-County Opportunities Council Food Pantry is working to provide Easter dinner baskets for its patrons this year.
Director Vanessa Hoffeditz said the food pantry will distribute 112 Easter dinner baskets this year. The baskets will be distributed April 17. The food for the baskets has all been ordered, so the baskets will all be the same; but money is needed to cover the cost of the food, she said. There will be a waiting list for the Easter baskets, and the waiting list people will be called if someone does not show up on April 17 for his/ her basket, Hoffeditz said.
Beyond the special Easter basket monetary needs, Hoffeditz said the food pantry “needs everything” for its regular distribution. Located at 1019 N. Main St. in Princeton, the food pantry served a total of 329 households in January and February, which is about 100 more households this year than at this time a year ago, Hoffeditz said.
See Pantry Page 4
For breaking news, sports and current weather conditions, go to bcrnews.com Year 168 No. 39 One Section - 16 Pages
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