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Speech team PROPHETS SURVIVE state-bound SECTIONAL STERLING, A5
GIRLS HOOPS, B1
dailyGAZETTE Friday, February 20, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
STATE BUDGET PROPOSAL | LOCAL MAYORS’ REACTION
Cuts would be ‘devastating’ Cuts could cost Dixon $745,000 a year and Rock Falls $458,000 a year BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @MattMencarini
DIXON – Gov. Bruce Rauner’s first budget proposal reduces the share local governments
receive from the state’s income tax, a reduction area mayors say could be devastating. Dixon Mayor Jim Burke said the cut would reduce the city’s budget by about $745,000. He’s working on calling a meeting of may-
ors in Lee, Whiteside, Ogle and Stephenson counties for next week to discuss the cuts with the area’s state representatives. The meeting could take place in Dixon, he said, adding that state Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon,
and state Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, will likely be invited. The budget proposal calls for a reduction of the local share of income tax revenues from 8 percent to 4 percent. For Rock Falls, the cut comes
to about $458,000 a year, Mayor Bill Wescott said. “Any budget, especially the general fund budget, taking that hit will be devastating,” he said. DEVASTATING CONTINUED ON A11
STERLING
DIXON | LEE/OGLE COUNTY REGIONAL SPELLING BEE
Resthave to hire about 20
Youth served
Hires will be made in next few months BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521 @SeaWarren
MORRISON – With new space comes new jobs. That’s the case at Resthave Nursing and Retirement Home, anyway. With the completion of its new skilled nursing wing, and as construction on an assisted living wing wraps up, the nursing home is expected to bring on about 20 new employees. Tami Tegeler, executive director of the nonprofit agency, said the hiring will be in nursing and other departments. “Basically we’ll be hiring part time, if not full time, across every department,” she said.
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Rebekah Zeigler of Centennial Elementary School in Polo smiles after winning the Lee/Ogle Regional Spelling Bee on Thursday in the auditorium of Dixon High School. Zeigler won the honor despite being a fourth-grader, one of the youngest of the 26 competitors.
Polo fourth-grader Rebekah Zeigler wins, earns trip to D.C. BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
Whiteside County bee
DIXON – Back and forth went Rebekah Zeigler and Lydia Cermak, the final spellers left Thursday in the Lee/Ogle Regional Spelling Bee after 24 others were eliminated. Finally, Cermak, a sixth-grader at Oregon Elementary School, was tripped up by the word tuckahoe. Zeigler, a fourth-grader at Centennial Elementary School in Polo, responded quickly by correctly spelling lederhosen. After 28 rounds, victory, and a trip to the national bee, was within Ziegler’s reach. All that stood in the way was spelling one final word correctly. The word she was given? Borzoi, a large Russian wolfhound. Zeigler confidently stepped to the microphone in the packed auditorium of Dixon High School, and correctly spelled the word.
TOP5 Your Weekend
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Take An American Journey in Dixon
DIXON – The Canterbury Concert Series features “An American Journey” at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 221 W. Third St. Kithara Trio will play works by American composers on the flute, cello and harp. Admission is free.
$1.00
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The Whiteside County Spelling Bee will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Morrison Junior High School, 300 Academic Drive, Morrison.
RESTHAVE CONTINUED ON A5
“I feel really good about winning,” Zeigler said with a wide smile. “My mom and dad helped me a lot.” Zeigler had served notice last year as a third-grader, the youngest grade eligible in the bee, by finishing 10th. Students in the third through eighth grades can compete. By winning this year, Zeigler, the 9-yearold daughter of Mark and Alissa Zeigler, receives an all-expenses-paid trip for two to National Harbor, Maryland, just south of Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee that begins Lydia Cermak, a sixth-grader at May 24 and concludes May 29. Oregon Elementary School, took YOUTH CONTINUED ON A2 runner-up honors Thursday.
Go snowshoeing in the park
OREGON – The forecast is for slightly warmer weather Saturday, so enjoy the great outdoors by going snowshoeing with the Oregon Park District at White Pines State Park. If you can walk, you can snowshoe, so no experience is necessary to participate. Trekkers should be at Nash Recreation Center, 304 S. Fifth St., by 10:30 a.m. The hike ends around 1:30 p.m. Cost is $6 for park district residents and $7 for nonresidents. Advance registration is required.
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Blues, Bluegrass in the Grove
FRANKLIN GROVE – It’s the third Friday of the month, so it’s time for Blues and Bluegrass night at the H.I. Lincoln Building, 136 N. Elm St. Open stage acoustic gospel, folk, country, blues, and bluegrass will be performed, beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted to help with the upkeep of the historic building.
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ......... A13 COMICS ...............B4
CROSSWORD....B12 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
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Michael Krabbenhoeft/ mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Shown is one of the new dinning rooms at Resthave Nursing and Retirement Home in Morrison, which plans to hire about 20 more staffers after recent expansion.
Sounds of the civil rights movement
MORRISON – A “Music of the Civil Rights Movement” program will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday at United Methodist Church, 200 W. Lincolnway. Folk singer Chris Vallillo will perform songs and talk about the importance of music to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. There also will be a question-and-answer session. Donations will be accepted.
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
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Christian artist in Sterling
STERLING – Chris Himmel of Jacksonville will play a variety of Christian music at 7 p.m. Saturday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 205 E. 10th St. A freewill offering will be taken to help Himmel continue his solo music ministry, which he started in 2014.
Today’s weather High 22. Low 20. More on A3.
Grand Victoria
Memory care unit project on track, A3.
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