Your source for community news and sports 7 days a week.
Your guide to this year’s vendors
BIG GUY BACK ON THE FIELD FOR BEARS
SENIOR SHOWCASE, INSIDE
CAMP COVERAGE, B1
dailyGAZETTE Monday, August 4, 2014
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
ROCK FALLS | CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Students join ranks Junior representatives ‘honored’ to fill roles BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525
ROCK FALLS – For two local high students, working with the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce is an honor. Rhyanna Hadden, a junior at Newman Central Catholic High School, has been named as a junior ambassador for the Rock Falls Chamber of Commence Ambassadors Club. Raven Valdivia, a junior at Rock
Falls High School, has been named the new junior board member for the chamber. “I’m honored to be part of it, “ said Hadden, 16. “I’ll be able to work with the community and work with adults to see their views on the community. It will help me decide what I want to be when I get older.” Members of the Rock Falls Ambassadors Club take an interest in their community and are among the first to welcome
businesses into the community. They host ribbon-cuttings, volunteer to help with events, and fund-raise for student scholarships. “When given the opportunity to mentor and help youth, our ambassadors were excited and ready to embrace Rhyanna Hadden as a new junior ambassador,” said Bethany Bland, president of the Rock Falls Chamber. STUDENTS CONTINUED ON A4
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Raven Valdivia (left) and Rhyanna Hadden are the newest teen representatives of the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce. Valdivia has been named a junior board member, and Hadden is the new junior ambassador.
Fatal crash claims two
HAMMER IN FORGES AHEAD IN GRAND DETOUR
A head-on collision between two motorcycles east of Mount Morris killed two and injured another. Read more on A2.
NEWS ANALYSIS | ILLINOIS COMPTROLLER’S RACE
Hopefuls differ on merging offices Incumbent on board with idea; rival has other suggestions Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
ABOVE: Stuart Corsa of Rockford shapes a longbow Saturday morning during a demonstration of the craft at Hammer In 2014 at the John Deere Historic Site in Grand Detour. The 2-day event, part of the 50th anniversary of the John Deere site, continued Sunday as dozens of blacksmiths from the Midwest gave demonstrations and sold work. There were also basket weavers, broom makers, wheelwrights, woodwrights and more. RIGHT: Steven Stukenberg of Harvard puts a twist in a piece of iron Saturday morning. BELOW: Gary Blankenheim of Horicon, Wisconsin, hammers on a piece of iron Saturday morning at the John Deere Historic Site. Blankenheim’s grandfather was a blacksmith for John Deere at its plant in Horicon. A charity auction Saturday raised money for scholarship programs through the Upper Midwest Blacksmith and Illinois Valley Blacksmith associations. Turn to A9 for more photos.
BY SOPHIA TAREEN The Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) – The two candidates seeking the job of writing checks in a state notoriously behind in paying bills differ on a big issue hovering over the state comptroller’s office – whether to eliminate it by merging it with the treasurer’s office. Republican incumbent Judy Baar Topinka said it’s a no-brainer, since combining offices saves money, but her Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, said there are other ways to cut costs. The two explained their positions in an Associated Press candidate questionnaire focused on the matchup between the GOP veteran and the daughter of the late Democratic U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, which promises to be one of Illinois’ most watched November contests. COMPTROLLER CONTINUED ON A4
Sheila Simon Democratic challenger
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 160 ISSUE 168
INDEX
COMICS ...............B5 CROSSWORD....B11 DEAR ABBY ......... A7
LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2 NATION/WORLD .. A8
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
Today’s weather High 84. Low 60. More on A3.
Judy Baar Topinka Republican incumbent
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PAPER, CALL 815-625-3600 OR 800-798-4085