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Fresh arms lift Warriors to victory
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SOFTBALL, B1
dailyGAZETTE Tuesday, April 19, 2016
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
STERLING | CITY COUNCIL
City’s budgets stay in the black 2016-17 budgeted with a surplus, and reserves cover 2015-16’s anticipated deficit BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – Thanks to an infusion of new revenue, the city adopted a 20162017 budget that shows a surplus of
about $182,000. The Sterling City Council OK’d a $32,742,180 total budget Monday, and also put last fiscal year’s amended budget to bed. The new fiscal year begins May 1. The 2015-2016 budget had shown
about a $335,000 deficit, but City Manager Scott Shumard decided to wait to make cuts because of the state’s budget uncertainties. The city wanted to avoid having to go through the process twice, and there was enough in reserves to cover the deficit.
Although the state is still without a budget, Gov. Bruce Rauner has backed off earlier threats to cut up to 50 percent from what the cities receive from state income tax revenues. BUDGETS CONTINUED ON A5
STERLING
OGLE COUNTY
Coming in May: increases in bills BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – Residents will see an increase in sewer and garbage rates when the new fiscal year begins May 1. When the city entered into a loan agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency several years ago, officials had warned that sewer rates could be impacted. The loan was for several sewer separation projects. “At that time, it was agreed that sanitary sewer rates would need to be evaluated on an annual basis and adjusted to meet debt service and operational requirements,” City Manager Scott Shumard said. For sewer, the minimum basic user charge will increase from $5.35 to $5.85, and the basic user rate per 100 cubic feet will move from $1.91 to $2.10. The minimum debt service charges will remain at $3, and 25 cents, respectively. The total flat rate, allowing up to 1,000 cubic feet a month, would be $32.35. Sewer expenses in the new budget are estimated at $3.96 million, up considerably from last year’s final total of about $2.83 million.
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Retired teacher Jim Cole will be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail later this month. Cole is hiking the trail with two of his sons as a bonding experience, but also to raise money for Serenity Hospice and Home in Oregon.
Crest
BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
Hitting his
A Polo man is going the extra mile – a hundred of them, in fact – to help an Oregon hospice home
POLO – In favorable weather, Jim Cole can be found walking around with a pack stuffed with books strapped to his back. He’s not transporting them, selling them, giving them away or even reading them. Instead, the books, wrapped snugly in towels, serve as placeholders for the weight the 69-year-old plans to carry through 100 miles of desert under an unforgiving sun. On April 23, the Polo resident plans to journey with his two sons, Matthew, 40, and Ben, 36, to hike a leg of the Pacific Crest Trail, which spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. CREST CONTINUED ON A9
INCREASES CONTINUED ON A5
WHITESIDE COUNTY
Autopsy scheduled for inmate who died in jail BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra
MORRISON – An autopsy is scheduled for this afternoon in the death of a 28-year-old inmate who died Saturday at Whiteside County Jail. Walter E. “Boogie” Divers Jr., of Sterling, was found unresponsive in his cell shortly after 11 a.m., Lt. John Booker said in a news release. Life-saving measures were performed, and Divers was taken to Morrison Community Hospital where he was
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pronounced dead. State Police are investigating, which is standard practice any time there is a death at the jail, the release said. Neither suicide nor foul play is suspected, Booker said. Walter E. Toxicology results Divers Jr. are pending, Coroner Joe McDonald said. Divers was arrested about noon Friday in the 700 block of Locust Street in
INDEX
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ............... A8
Services Visitation for Walter E. “Boogie” Divers Jr. begins at 10 a.m. and the funeral at 11 a.m. Thursday at McDonald Funeral Home in Rock Falls. Divers is survived by his father, Walter Divers Sr. of Rock Falls; his mother, Debra (Metzler) Williams of Sterling; his fiancee, Elizabeth Gonzales of Sterling;
and three children: Aryah Emily Divers, 6, and Jordan and Janea Mitchell, 13 and 6, respectively. His obituary is on Page A4. A gofundme account has been established to help the family pay funeral expenses. Search for “RIP Walt “Boogie” burial fund” at gofundme.com.
Sterling for failure to appear in court in a 2013 case in which he was convicted for driving with a revoked licensed and resisting a peace officer.
CROSSWORD......B5 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
He also was charged in September with felony domestic battery, and pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor.
Today’s weather High 69. Low 55. More on A3.
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