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Walnut man heads council
MANY POSITION BATTLES FOR HAWKS BASEBALL, B1
TODAY’S FARM, INSIDE
dailyGAZETTE Tuesday, March 10, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
STERLING AND DIXON | FARMERS MARKETS
Route 2 more organic foods? Cities team with NIU to urge more local produce BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
Sterling and Dixon are two of the four participants in a grantfunded program to make locally produced food a bigger part of rural economic life. Beardstown and Ottawa are the other cities involved in the Farmers Market Growth Proj-
ect. Northern Illinois University received the grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The university’s Center for Governmental Studies will oversee the project and work with the four communities. The project’s aim is to increase farmer participation and bring more fresh food options to area residents. NIU learned late last year it
had received project funding, and the project is now on an 18-month timetable, Sterling Main Street Executive Director Janna Groharing said. The process will start sooner in Sterling because it is the only participant with an indoor market that runs year-round. “They have sent out letters and surveys to current and past vendors,” Groharing said, “and
starting this week, they should be sending out researchers to speak with people about what they want to see at Twin City Farmers Market.” The NIU team will share its data, and by next summer it will help each community to implement plans to expand the markets. PRODUCE CONTINUED ON A2
Market hours Twin City Farmers Market When: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, year-round Where: Twin City Produce Building, 106 Ave. A in Sterling Dixon City Market When: 7 a.m. to noon and 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, May through October Where: River Street at Peoria Avenue in Dixon
DIXON | BUDGET
GOODNIGHT, OLD MAN WINTER?
City plans on $500K being cut Counts on negotiations to reduce income tax cuts Rauner proposed BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @MattMencarini
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Walkers unable to resist the lure of mild temperatures Monday afternoon cross the pedestrian bridge spanning the Rock River between Sterling and Rock Falls. Weather is expected to remain sunny and mild the rest of the week.
LIFE IN THE 50S There’s a 2-degree range in the projected highs through Saturday, with the mercury expected to reach 52 or 54 each day. Each day is also expected to be mostly sunny. In fact, sun is in the forecast every day until March 18. But as sensible Midwesterners, we know that can change. For today, winds should again be mild. For more, check out our 5-day forecast on A3.
SAUK VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE | NEW PRESIDENT
DIXON – After four budget workshops and some cutting, the city is prepared to place a balanced budget on file next week. The budget will take into account a $500,000 cut in its portion of the state income tax after Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget proposal called for reducing the share going to local governments from 8 percent to 4. The full 4 percent cut would cost the city $777,000 a year. Commissioner of Accounts and Finance Dave Blackburn said the $500,000 cut takes into account some negotiating that will likely happen before the state’s budget is passed. Dixon’s budget will be placed on file Monday. There will be a budget hearing during the regular City Council meeting April 6, and it will be approved during the regular council meeting April 20, the final meeting for the current council. CUT CONTINUED ON A4
ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Prospective candidates down to 3 Trio to visit March 23; replacement expected to be named April 27 BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
DIXON – Sauk Valley Community College’s list of potential new presidents has been narrowed down to three. A search committee, made up of community members, trustees and staff members, selected the final three candidates last week, and the names were released Monday. The candidates are Douglas Brauer, current vice president of economic development and innovative workforce solutions at Richland Community College in Decatur; David Gerlach,
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TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 161 ISSUE 64
INDEX
Douglas Brauer
David Gerlach
David Hellmich
George Mihel
retiring president
vice president for advancement at the State University of New York at Canton; and David Hellmich, the vice president of academics at Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington, Kentucky. CANDIDATES CONTINUED ON A4
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ............... A8
CROSSWORD......B9 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
New director named The Illinois Department of Corrections has named its new director, while the Thomson Prison expects its first wave of 200 inmates to arrive this spring. More on the new director on A5
NATION/WORLD .. A9 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
Today’s weather High 54. Low 31. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B5.
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