Your source for community news and sports 7 days a week.
PANTHERS MOVED UP A CLASS
Need comfort? Say cheese!
THREE RIVERS TRACK PREVIEW, B1
FOOD, A9&12
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, April 8, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
2015 ELECTION | SALES TAX REFERENDUMS
Split vote in Twin Cities Fulrath wins seats on Sauk, RFHS boards It was a good day Tuesday for Dennis Fulrath. The 68-year-old Rock Falls man won two elections, one to the Rock Falls High School Board and the other as a trustee on the Sauk Valley Community College board. In winning election to the Sauk board, Fulrath defeated current Vice Chairman Scott Stoller. Read more about the races on A4 & A7.
Sterling school board member unseated Paul Sandefer was voted onto the Sterling School Board Tuesday, defeating longtime board member James “Jay” Van Horn. “I’m looking forward to getting to work and working with the board to make the Sterling School District the best it can be,” Sandefer said. “I want to do what we can to move things forward.” Read more on A7.
Tampico mayor survives challange The ballot was full of names Tuesday in Tampico. Mayor Kristine Hill (pictured) survived a challenge from Mary Jo Sigel. Hill received 55 percent of the vote. Her husband, Bruce Hill, however, lost his re-election bid as a commissioner. Toby Johnson, Scott Meier, Michael Sigel and Derrick Maupin were victorious in a seven-person race.
Sales tax goes down to defeat again in Carroll County For the fourth time in as many years, Carroll County voters on Tuesday said no to a 1 percentage point increase in the county sales tax to pay for improvements to school facilities. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, 1,427 voters (56 percent) said “no” to the increase. There were 1,134 “yes” votes.
Voter turnout low throughout region Voter turnout generally is lower in municipal elections, and Tuesday was no exception. Here are the percentages of registered voters who cast ballots in Sauk Valley counties: Carroll County: 22.54 percent Lee County: 20.84 percent Ogle County: 18.79 percent Bureau County: 18.6 percent Whiteside County: 9.85 percent See the voting totals on A10-11.
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 161 ISSUE 85
Rock Falls voters approve sales tax increase, but Sterling says no BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
Local Option Sales Tax Rock Falls Yes – 356 (54.85 percent) No – 293 (45.15 percent) Sterling Yes – 427 (45.86 percent) No – 504 (54.14 percent)
Rock Falls passed a sales tax increase Tuesday to pay for roadwork, while Sterling will have to look at other options to pay for about $14 million in stormwater sewer projects. In Rock Falls, passage of the Local Option Sales Tax will bring a half-cent tax increase
to merchandise bought in that city. The increase amounts to an additional 50 cents on every $100 spent. Voters passed the
referendum by a margin of 356293, or 55 percent of the vote. The tax will not be assessed on groceries, medication, services, farm equipment, cars, trucks, ATVs, boats, RVs, or mobile homes. The city receives about $410,000 from the passage of the first half-cent increase in 2004. City officials said doubling that annual revenue stream was necessary to make
a meaningful difference in fixing roads. The main sources of funding local roads projects is the Motor Fuel Tax cities receive each year and the half-cent sales tax. In 2014, Rock Falls received about $227,000 in MFT funds, but much of that money is paying for projects already done on Second Street. SPLIT CONTINUED ON A3
STERLING
Durbin visits students at WACC Tour included stops at six classrooms BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521 @SeaWarren
STERLING – A group of about 20 highschoolers sat in rapt attention Tuesday as U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin waxed poetic about job opportunities for nursing students. This class at Whiteside Area Career Center was full of teens – all girls, save for the single table of boys in the corner – who hope to go into that field. The Democrat was in Sterling Tuesday afternoon to tour the Whiteside Area Career Center with Director Kim Purvis. Rock Falls Mayor Bill Wescott and Sterling Mayor Skip Lee tagged along. The nursing class was one of a handful that Durbin learned about during his visit, and the class seemed excited to have him there. Asked what field the students wanted to go into, the teens erupted in a chorus of shouts and giggles. “Trauma nurse!” “Surgical nurse!” “Gentlemen in the corner, what would you like to be?” their teacher said. “CNA.” “Radiologist.” “Well, there’s a great demand out there,” Durbin said. “I’ve visited a lot of community health centers, and there’s a lot of demand for nurse practitioners and family practice physicians.” DURBIN CONTINUED ON A2
Online extra Click on this story at saukvalley.com to see videos of Sen. Dick Durbin’s visit.
Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., talks to students in the Allied Health class Tuesday afternoon at the Whiteside Area Career Center, during a tour with director Kim Purvis.
2015 ELECTION | STERLING CITY COUNCIL
Elston, Wilen take council seats in Sterling BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – Voters returned the 1st Ward incumbent to the City Council by a healthy margin, but it took some time for a winner to emerge among three newcomers in the 2nd Ward. Retha Elston, 51, turned
INDEX
back a chalInside lenge from Incumbent another first- falls short in t i m e c a n d i - Rock Falls date, 30-year- City Council old D i a n a race, A5 V a s q u e z . Elston brought home 60 percent of the 252 votes cast. Elston, 51, a registered nurse at KSB Hospital in Dixon, has
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ........... A7 COMICS ...............B5
CROSSWORD....B11 LIFESTYLE ........... A9 LOTTERY ............. A2
served the ward since her appointment to the council in 2006. She said she was impressed by her challenger, who is director of community and personal health services at the Lee County Health Department. “Diana ran a good race, and she’s also very passionate about Sterling,” Elston said. “She has some good ideas,
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
and I look forward to using her input.” Vasquez, a Sterling native, lived in Texas for a while before moving back about a year ago. She said she will use this race as a learning experience to build on for a future run at political office. STERLING CONTINUED ON A5
Today’s weather High 64. Low 51. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PAPER, CALL 815-625-3600 OR 800-798-4085