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WARRIOR SEEKS OUT BIGGER CHALLENGERS WRESTLING, B1
LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT, A8-10
dailyGAZETTE
Thursday, February 13, 2014
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
DIXON SCHOOLS DIXON
Looking into the (distant) future Firm presents three options for revamping district BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
A large, inflatable rat stands along near the Bay Valley Foods plant Wednesday afternoon in Dixon, along with striking members of Teamsters Local 722. Three negotiating sessions with the Green Bay-based company have made little to no headway.
No weakening in Week 1 Union braves deep freeze; negotiations remain frigid BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529
DIXON – At 11 o’clock tonight, workers at Bay Valley Foods will have been on strike for a full week. During that time, members of Teamsters Local 722 have picketed outside the Dixon plant, in subzero temperatures, day and night. On Wednesday, a big inflatable rat made an appearance after Bay Valley Foods called in nonunion workers to run the plant, according to Steve Mongan, the president of Teamsters Local 722, which represents employees at Bay Valley Foods and elsewhere. Bay Valley Foods declined Wednesday to comment on negotiations.
Bundle up Click on this story at saukvalley.com to check out video of life on the picket line. Strikers on the picket line stay warm by keeping two small fires burning and by continually walking in front of the plant, workers outside the plant said Wednesday afternoon. People in the community have been supportive, picketers said, by honking car horns as they drive by and by dropping off food and coffee. The union has a warming station set up near Veterans Memorial Park, just west of the plant, Mongan said. WEEK CONTINUED ON A4
Members of Teamsters Local 722 picket Wednesday afternoon at the entrance to the Dixon plant. The union has a warming station set up near Veterans Memorial Park, just west of the plant.
DIXON – The Dixon Public Schools Strategic Planning Committee got a glimpse of what the school district could look like in 20 years. During a meeting Wednesday night, representatives from Arcon Associates Inc., presented possibilities about what the school district could do, from renovating buildings to building a new high school. The Strategic Planning Committee will get a presentation from another consulting firm, Green and Associates, Superintendent on Feb. 24. One Michael Juenger of the two firms could be chosen to do a master plan for the future of the district. The goal of presentation and discussion Wednesday night, Superintendent Michael Juenger said, was to consider what could be done with the schools in 15 or 20 years, not the immediate future. Steven Hougsted, of Arcon, said a big part of the process in the early stages includes reviewing many possibilities and determining which will work best for Dixon. Then the consulting firm and the district, he said, work together to determine how those possibilities can be implemented with the students and teachers. The Arcon representatives presented several options. FUTURE CONTINUED ON A4
ELECTION 2014| 71ST HOUSE DISTRICT
Smiddy, constituents all business
MATES SET TO TAKE ON STATE Fresh off winning the IHSA Northern Illinois Chess League Conference tournament, the Sterling High School chess team will take its fifth crack at the state meet this weekend in Peoria. Find out who is on the team and the expectations of coach Joel Penne on A5.
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TODAY’S EDITION: 28 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 160 ISSUE 48
Minimum wage, taxes carry chatter during town hall BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 570
STERLING – Raising the minimum wage, taxes and stimulating job growth generated some spirited discussion at a town hall with Democratic State Rep. Mike Smiddy on Wednesday night at Dairy Mart Plus banquet hall. Smiddy, of Hillsdale, brought up the topic of a proposed minimium wage increase, saying
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BUSINESS ......... A13 COMICS ............. A12 CROSSWORD....B12
he strongly supports boosting it from its current level of $8.25. “Ideally, an increase should happen on the federal level, but I don’t think it will,” Smiddy said. “I support the governor’s proposal to raise the minimum wage to $10.” Several in the audience of about 20 voiced their concerns about the impact that higher wages could have on small business owners. “I have a friend who is a small businessman, and he says that he’ll have to lay people off if the minimum wage goes up to $10,” Manuel Garcia of Sterling said. SMIDDY CONTINUED ON A4
DEAR ABBY ....... A11 LOTTERY ............. A2 OBITUARIES ........ A4
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Democratic State Rep. Mike Smiddy held a town hall at the Dairy Mart Plus banquet room Wednesday in Sterling. Among the most-discussed topics were minimum wage, taxes and job growth stimulation.
OPINION .............. A6 PLAN!T ................. A8 SPORTS ...............B1
Today’s weather High 36. Low 5. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
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