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Inspired COMETS, ROCKETS BATTLE Olympians EACH OTHER, STILLMAN WRESTLING, B1
AMERICAN PROFILE, INSIDE
dailyGAZETTE Friday, January 31, 2014
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
LEE COUNTY
Car chase ends with arrest
Rockford woman wanted in Winnebago County on fleeing charge BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521
DIXON – A Rockford woman was arrested after she led authorities on a car chase for more than 30 minutes through Lee County this morning.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, a state police officer tried to stop Annette Wilson, 32, as she was driving on Interstate 88 east of Dixon at 10:30 a.m. Wilson then sped away, police said. State police policy is not to pursue
a person in a situation like that, Lt. John Biffany said. “You have to weigh the risk versus reward,” Biffany said. “We’re more likely to pursue a forcible felony suspect, such as someone wanted for murder or arson. It’s inherently
STERLING
dangerous to pursue. ... You run a lot of risks.” Biffany said the trooper then used his radio to broadcast information about the car. CHASE CONTINUED ON A4
Annette Wilson
ROCK FALLS
No injuries reported in IFH Group blaze Flames originated at air handling system’s motor BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521
ROCK FALLS – A large factory building was evacuated just after noon today when an air handling unit caught fire. The call came in for a structure fire about 12:10 p.m., when flames could be seen coming from the roof of the IFH Group, 3300 E. Rock Falls Road. The business manufactures custom-fabricated hydraulic oil reservoirs, fuel tanks, and lubrication storage and handling systems, and employs
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
A burned-out couch sits in front of a home in the 1900 block of Third Avenue in Sterling. A 64-yearold man was injured jumping out of a first-floor window to escape a fire. It orginated in a kitchen, which took heat and smoke damage. The building’s other two apartments were not damaged.
Man injured escaping fire
about 125 people, said its owner, Jim King Jr. According to the scene commander, after the air handling unit caught fire, the flames extended into the chimney on the roof. The fire was contained to that area, and no injuries were reported. King said that, thanks to fire extinguishers, the fire was pretty well contained by the time crews arrived on scene, and that it took them only minutes after that to completely douse the flames. The air handling unit is one of four or five systems the plant uses to pump fresh air into the building, King said, adding that it was the electric motor that caught fire. “Fortunately, the blower IFH CONTINUED ON A2
He leaped through first-floor window of apartment BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521
STERLING – A 64-year-old man was injured early Thursday when he jumped through a first-floor window to escape a fire in his apartment. Sterling Deputy Fire Chief Mike Dettman said the department received a call about the fire shortly before 4 a.m. at the apartment building in the 1900
TOP5 Your Weekend
Have a 1 Midwinter Meltdown DIXON – Rosbrook Studio, 107 S. Peoria Ave. is hosting what is hoped will be an annual event, the Midwinter Meltdown, featuring the Dirty Beet Brothers band, Dirt Simple, and Frank F. Sidney’s Western Bandit Volunteers. Doors open at 7 p.m. Saturday. Dirt Simple will kick off the show at 8 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge. Mama Cimino’s will be vending beer, wine, pop and pizza by the slice, or order off its menu.
$1.00
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block of Third Avenue in Sterling. When crews arrived, they broke into the building and found the fire in the kitchen of an apartment, but that much of the unit suffered heat and smoke damage. Crews needed about 10 minutes to put out the blaze, Dettman said. Neither of the two other apartments in the building was damaged.
2 Stupor Saturday DIXON – The day before the big football game is always more than a trivial pursuit in Dixon. It’s the day for the Stupor Bowl, an annual fundraiser for the Dixon Public Schools Foundation. As many as 32 teams will compete in the trivia contest. It begins at 9:15 a.m. Saturday in the cafeteria of Reagan Middle School. The championship match begins at 3 p.m.
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After jumping through the window, the man went to a neighbor’s apartment to take shelter from the cold until authorities arrived, Dettman said. The cause of the fire was undetermined, but remained under investigation. The 64-year-old was taken to a Rockford hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, Dettman said.
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Shoot hoops in Rock Falls
ROCK FALLS – Coloma Township Park District is having a Free Throw Contest at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the Rock Falls Middle School gymnasium. Entry fee is $1. Trophies will be awarded to first-place winners in age categories for boys and girls 6 to 18 years old and men and women 19 or older. For more information, call the park district’s administrative office at 815-625-0272.
BUSINESS ......... A16 CHURCH............ A13 COMICS ...............B4
CROSSWORD....B14 DEAR ABBY ......... A8 LIFESTYLE ........... A7
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Firefighters are seen at a fire at IFH Group in Rock Falls. Fire broke out in a venting system at the manufacturing plant.
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Listen to live music
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Want to get out of the house and listen to some live music? Here are some options: Matt Kinnaman will play from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Books on First, 202 W. First St., Dixon. Kris Hitchcock and Small Town Son will play Friday and Pie Filler on Saturday at Champs, 216 Locus St., Sterling. Frank F. Sidney’s Western Bandit Volunteers will play Friday at Cragel’s, 345 Washington St., Prophetstown. Threshhold will play Saturday at The Cooler, 311 W. Second St., Rock Falls. Terry Cox and Damon Johnson will play Saturday at Long Shot Sports Bar and Grill, 3312 W. Rock Falls Road, Rock Falls.
LOTTERY ............. A2 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
Super Sunday
Super Bowl XLVII (that’s 48), the National Football League championship, kicks off at roughly 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos will be playing the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The game will be broadcast on FOX, starting with the pregame show at, not kidding, 1 p.m. Stay at home to watch, or go visit a local sports bar. Most of them are having game day specials.
Today’s weather High 15. Low 11. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
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