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How clean is your kitchen? FOOD, A9-11
JUNIOR STEPS IN AS MAIN PITCHER FOR MILLEDGEVILLE SOF TBA LL, B1
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, March 26, 2014
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
STERLING | BUDGET PLANNING
Still trying to strike a balance Expiring police, fire contracts among wild cards in early draft BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 570
Rock Falls projects surplus
STERLING – The city’s budget is still a work in progress, but the first draft has city officials hopeful about developing a balanced version before a public hearing on April 21. “We should be within $10,000, if we don’t balance,” City Manager Scott Shumard said.
Find out how much on A3. In the working draft, the general fund shows revenue of $10,478,491 and expenses of $10,560,692, resulting in a projected deficit of $82,201. The early draft has several moving parts, however. It includes more than the mini-
mum contribution to the capital fund and a cushion for health insurance contributions. Part of the projected deficit already has been closed, Shumard said, because “the health insurance numbers just came in, and those are better than expected.” BALANCE CONTINUED ON A2
Sterling City Manager Scott Shumard
Twin City Joint Fire Command Chief Gary Cook
ROCK FALLS HIGH
IDNR STOCKS POND IN ROCK FALLS WITH RAINBOW TROUT
Watch for upshift in driver’s ed cost School green lights first fee hike in more than 20 years BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 535
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
The Illinois Deparment of Natural Resources filled the pond at Centennial Park with 3,800 rainbow trout Tuesday morning in Rock Falls. The IDNR will open the spring trout fishing season at 5 a.m. April 5.
Cody Herrell (above) of Crystal Lake Fisheries works on transferring 3,800 rainbow trout from the truck to the pond at Centennial Park on Tuesday morning.
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TODAY’S EDITION: 28 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 160 ISSUE 77
INDEX
BUSINESS ........... A7 COMICS ...............B4 CROSSWORD....B13
DEAR ABBY ......... A8 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
ROCK FALLS – Gas isn’t the only thing going up in price these days. The cost to take driver’s education at Rock Falls High School is taking a jump, from the $50 it has cost for more than two decades to $175 next school year. The private business Drive Safe School of Driving in Dixon, which gets no state subsidies or other public assistance, charges $350 per student. As required by the state, Rock Falls High held a public hearing on the proposed hike on March 19; one person spoke against it. The district then sent Superintendent a request to the Ron McCord state for a waiver to impose the Other hike; the board will finalize the hike schools’ costs once the waiver is granted, SuperSterling intendent Ron $250* McCord said. Amboy Eventually, the $180 fee will reach $250, Dixon McCord said. The $150 state raised the cap P’town from $50 to $250 in $100 July 2011. Even with the Morrison increase, the school $75 loses money on the course: Consider- * – State’s cap ing salaries, benefits and other related costs, driver’s ed costs the district about $1,000 a student, McCord said. By state law, driver’s ed fees must be put back into the program; they cannot be used for any other purpose. The fee can be waived for lowincome students. Rock Falls has four teachers certified to teach the course, and about 138 students expected to enroll in it next year, McCord said.
Today’s weather High 42. Low 25. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B7.
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