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EASTLAND GIRLS HOOPS BALLCARDS
Chicken dish puts spring on table
SPORTS, B3
FOOD, A9
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, February 26, 2014
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
2014 ELECTION | REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR LEE COUNTY SHERIFF
Sheriff hopefuls talk training Simonton, Varga face off at forum Tuesday BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521
DIXON – Lee County Sheriff John Varga touted his experience and his relationship with the County Board at a candidates forum Tuesday. His opponent, John Simonton, said he could do better. About 200 people showed up to the Sauk Valley Tea Party-hosted event, which was held at Dixon’s Loveland Community House.
The first question of the night was about the jail and the sheriff’s deputies’ training when it comes to working with inmates with mental health disorders. Varga said that in recent years, especially with statewide budget cuts and closing of state mental health facilities, the jail is now being forced to house a population it isn’t equipped to handle, but that his correctional officers are doing what they can with what they have. That idea of working with what you have was the theme of the night for Varga, who also often spoke of the uphill climb during his tenure at sheriff, marked by a shrinking budget.
“We try to get the best training that we can to the correctional officers that we have, and that’s either by video or through medical service providers,” Varga said. “For the most part, during an arrest, depending on the circumstances, we might not really find out the main issues that they have until they get to the jail, and either they get evaluated by doctors or we have family members come in and tell us.” Varga said inmates with mental health disorders face 6 to 8 months in Lee County before they’re able to be transferred to the appropriate facilities. TRAINING CONTINUED ON A4
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Barb Schwamberger of Dixon asks a question Tuesday night during a Sauk Valley Tea Party-hosted sheriff forum in Dixon. Lee County Sheriff John Varga and candidate John Simonton, both Republicans, answered questions at Loveland Community House.
TWIN CITIES
DIXON
‘Better outcomes’ in new ICU
New rental inspections talk on tap Landlord group wary of proposed changes BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 570
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
ICU Director Val Pfoutz describes a lifting system used in KSB Hospital’s new intensive care wing. KSB has just finished the wing and is waiting for approval from the state to begin accepting patients.
KSB project cost $2.8 million BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529
DIXON – The new and old intensive care units at KSB Hospital are separated by a floor and 30 years. After nearly 18 months on planning and construction, the public will get its first look during an open house Wednesday. The new ICU, which emphasizes patient and family comfort and work efficiency, cost the hospital $2.8 million. The new ICU has twice the space, more technology, more efficient work spaces, and an isolation room to prevent airborne diseases from spreading.
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It will be open for patients in about a month, said hospital President David Schreiner, after it receives final approvals from the state. While doing the research and planning, the hospital determined it didn’t need to expand its current ICU capacity, Schreiner said, so the new third floor facility will have six patient rooms. The old ICU is on the fourth floor of the hospital and will be turned into administrative meeting space, officials said, because the cost of renovating it for other medical uses was too expensive. ICU CONTINUED ON A2
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The former ICU was built 30 years ago. The cramped spaces and floor cords are just a few of the aspects that have been changed in the new unit.
Online extra Go to saukvalley.com to take a video tour of the new intensive care unit at KSB Hospital in Dixon.
BUSINESS ......... A11 COMICS ...............B6 CROSSWORD....B11
DEAR ABBY ......... A8 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
ROCK FALLS – Rental inspections that are being developed by the cities of Rock Falls and Sterling will be discussed tonight. Rock Falls’ building code committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Rock Falls Community Building, 601 W. 10th St. Information about ordinances will be presented and discussed. Building inspector Mark Searing of Rock Falls and Building and Zoning Superintendent Amanda Schmidt of Sterling have been working on each city’s program for several months, coordinating their efforts to ensure the rules would be consistent in both cities. This type of program would be a first for both cities. Currently, inspections are done only after a complaint is made by a tenant or landlord. In 2009, Sterling failed in an attempt to institute a mandatory inspection program for rental properties, due largely to opposition from the Sauk Valley Landlord Association. The association and its board still oppose any restrictions on the rental process, its president, Rod Kleckler, said. “This isn’t about life-safety; if they would enforce the codes as they are written now, there is plenty in there for them to make the cities look better,” Kleckler said. “Why target only rental properties? It’s hard enough for us to make repairs, pay taxes and insurance.” A draft of the ordinance calls for a system that grades properties A through D, with A being the highest and D the lowest. The inspections would be done between tenants when someone moves out. If the property received a good grade, it would not be reinspected for 5 years after a new tenant moved in. “We’re trying to put as little impact on landlords as possible, and try not to bother tenants when properties are occupied,” Searing said.
Today’s weather High 16. Low -3. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B7.
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