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WALKING ON THE WILDCOMMUNITY, SIDE IN C12 DIXON
DIXON
Woman dies in fire
ENTERPRISE SERIES ILLINOIS TOWNSHIPS
Under the Radar: Many townships, little scrutiny
About this series Today’s story is part of a yearlong occasional series about townships in Illinois.
Financial statements late, wrong Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
A woman died in a fire that destroyed this house Friday morning at 1787 Clearview Drive in rural Dixon. Lee County Coroner Jesse Partington said he wouldn’t release the woman’s name until after the autopsy is completed today.
House in rural Dixon destroyed in blaze BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
DIXON – A woman’s body was found Friday morning in a home west of Dixon that was destroyed by fire a few hours earlier. A man and a woman lived in the house, but the man wasn’t there at the time of the fire, neighbors say. He was outside the home being comforted by others as fire crews worked at the scene. County Coroner Jesse Partington wouldn’t release the woman’s name, saying the family requested it be withheld until after the autopsy is completed today. Lee County Sheriff John Varga said fire crews were called at 4:19 a.m. to the home, at 1787 Clearview Road, near Granny Rose Animal Shelter.
This photo, posted to Sauk Valley Media’s Facebook page by a neighbor, Niky Druien, shows the home fully engulfed by fire Friday morning. Druien said she was in the shower about 4 a.m. when she thought she heard gunshots. “I looked out and the house was fully engulfed in flames,” she said. “It was bad.”
FIRE CONTINUED ON A2
DIXON | CITY ADMINISTRATOR HIRING
Nord comes with high praise, and a question BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
DIXON – David Nord, who is poised to become Dixon’s first city administrator, served a quarter century in the same position for the village of Cherry Valley. And he served for a time as the leader of a
state association of city and county managers. In early May, though, he left the village with little warning. By the Rockford Register Star’s account, Nord unexpectedly announced he was no longer working for the village. According to the story, offi-
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cials gave little explanation. A memo sent by Village President Jim Claeyssen to trustees and staff announced that Nord left to “pursue other interests,” the Register Star reported. In July, the newspaper reported that the village’s offices were sparse, with the
Ag exposure
Fewer farm kids leads to change in vo-ag education approach. See Page C1
Officials: Health issues hinder timely reporting BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
ROCK FALLS – Townships are required to publish their annual financial statements in a newspaper. Coloma Township has been late doing so in recent years – and has made key mistakes when it has printed the information. For its 2009 and 2011 financial statements, it reported that it had received the same amount of property taxes – $99,963 – for its town fund. In 2010, it received just $21 more – $99,984. “I can’t imagine it would stay the same for 2 years,” Whiteside County Treasurer Darlene Hook said. “The chances are slim.” Interest and miscellaneous income were also exactly the same amounts for all 3 years. That also was the case for miscellaneous spending – $61,777, among many other similarities. No such problems were found in the 2012 statement. The statements from 2009 to 2011 were published late, between April and August 2012.
‘I don’t like to make excuses’ In an interview with Sauk Valley Media, Coloma Township Supervisor Debra Burke said she was unaware of the similarities between the published statements. They were errors, she said. STATEMENTS CONTINUED ON A5
public works director having suddenly departed and the police chief having stepped down. (Officials say the chief retired.) As for Nord, according to the Register Star, he left “unexplainably.” NORD CONTINUED ON A4
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