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A fast focus on DIXON GETS DOWN 1,600 meters TO THE NITTY GRITTY ENTERTAINMENT, A9-A14
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dailyGAZETTE Thursday, April 30, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
DIXON
Input will drive infrastructure priorities Residents weigh in during IDOT tour BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
DIXON – The state’s infrastructure tour was in town
Wednesday, but the stage belonged to an array of government and business leaders, and concerned residents. Dixon was the fifth of 33 stops on the Illinois Infrastructure Listening Tour that kicked off Monday in Champaign. Hosted by the Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce, the event was held in the KSB Hospital dining room.
The purpose of the tour is to gather public input that will be given to Gov. Bruce Rauner and lawmakers for the purpose of helping prioritize the state’s infrastructure needs. The meeting was hosted by Christine Reed, deputy secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation. IDOT and the Illinois Capital Develop-
ment Board are conducting the tour. Reed said the new administration has been criticized for having a transportation plan that’s light on details, but it was done that way with a purpose in mind. “We want to make sure you’re heard in Springfield,” Reed said. “You know what you need
for development, and infrastructure drives the economy – that’s why you’re here.” Everything from roads, rails, and bridges to technology infrastructure and mass transit were discussed, with an emphasis on economic growth and improving quality of life. TOUR CONTINUED ON A4
STERLING
LEE COUNTY COURT | REST STOP MURDER
The plea: Guilty Sterling native’s killer will be sentenced in June, tells judge he doesn’t want to be at sentencing hearing
Washington will welcome new principal Stumpenhorst coming from Challand Jr. High BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Terence Doddy sits in a Lee County courtroom Wednesday morning. Doddy, 37, of Rockford, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the July 1 death of 44-year-old Tonya Bargman at a Paw Paw rest stop. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 1. BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521 @SeaWarren
DIXON – Calmly and with an almost peaceful air, Terence Doddy pleaded guilty Wednesday to murdering a Sterling native at a Paw
Paw rest stop during the summer. On July 1, Doddy watched 44-year-old Tonya Bargman, then of Monticello, enter a bathroom at the Willow Creek rest stop. Lee County State’s Attorney Anna Sacco-Miller said surveillance video shows him grabbing
Bargman by the neck and throwing her to the ground before hauling her into the bathroom and closing the door. The next thing seen on the video is Doddy leaving the restroom, alone, and attempting to lock the door. DODDY CONTINUED ON A4
STERLING – Nine years ago, longtime Dixon teacher Heidi Palmer and a fresh-faced educator named Lindsy Stumpenhorst were leaving class when Palmer said something very interesting to the young teacher. “She looked at me and said, ‘You will be a principal one day,’” Stumpenhorst said. “I laughed at her because I thought it was hysterical. Being a principal was not interesting to me.” The times have definitely changed. Beginning July 1, Stumpenhorst will become the new principal at Washington Elementary School in Sterling. Sterling School Board members signed off on the hire during their meeting Wednesday. “I never thought in a million years I’d be where I am now,” Stumpenhorst said. “Things have changed. [Heidi] can predict the future a little bit better than I can.” She will replace Steve Etheridge, who will leave the school after 1 year. He will become an elementary school principal in Moline, which is his hometown. “I took a job as an elementary school principal in Moline so I could be closer to my family,” Etheridge said. “The Sterling School District is a wonderful place to work and I appreciate everything they did for me during my time at Washington.” The Sterling School Board approved a 2-year contract for Stumpenhorst, which will pay her $70,000 a year. Etheridge currently makes $68,500, but would have made $70,000 if he stayed at Washington through the next school year. STUMPENHORST CONTINUED ON A2
ON THE BOOKSHELF
Rock Falls grad explores a new Universe Co-author of book series dives into new genre with sci-fi offering
Joshua Russell, a 1997 Rock Falls High School graduate, is one-third of the writing trio behind the new book, “Chimera.”
BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521 @SeaWarren
CHICAGO – Joshua Russell has been creating stories since he was 8 years old. And now, as one-third of the writing team behind the new young adult sci-fi series, “The Universe Eventual,” he’s still creating.
For more local arts and entertainment news, see today’s Plan!t section, A9-A14
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ABBY ................... A8 COMICS ............. A12 CROSSWORD....B13
The first of the five-book series, “Chimera,” was released Saturday. Russell, 35 and a 1997 Rock Falls High School grad, grew up outside of Nelson, one of five siblings. His parents are Peter and Cindy Russell. In high school, he ran for the cross country team, and in his spare time, he made movies. Except for the whole aging thing, not much has changed. While he teaches screenwriting as a professor at DePaul University during the day, he creates independent
LIFESTYLE ..... A7-A8 LOTTERY ............. A2 MOVIES................ A8
MUSIC ..........A13-14 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
films by night. Russell, along with friend Nathan Beauchamp, and Nathan’s sister, Rachel Tanger, make up the books’ pseudonymic author, N.J. Tanger. The first was written by Russell and Beauchamp, with Tanger editing, but the next books are more of a combined effort by the trio. They’ve already written the second and third, and readers can expect the second book out midsummer, Russell said. RUSSELL CONTINUED ON A2
Today’s weather High 62. Low 38. More on A3.
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