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SOCCER SQUADS READY FOR KICKOFF, TOO
Dow endures 1,000-point dive
SEASON PREVIEW, B1
STOCKS, A9
dailyGAZETTE Tuesday, August 25, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
STERLING | STRATEGIC PLANNING
Elected officials get high marks Cross-sections of city staff, residents evaluated, as well BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – The city’s elected officials work well together, and “camaraderie is strong.” But more work is needed to make sure city leaders have the same priorities
and vision for Sterling’s future. Those are some of the findings of consultants hired to help with the city’s ongoing strategic planning initiative. Geneva-based Peter Burchard LLC and facilitator Gerald Gabris, a professor at Northern Illinois University, were hired to do the
5-year planning project for $10,800 plus expenses. Burchard, a former Naperville city manager and health care executive, has done consulting work with more than 100 municipalities. Gabris has spent months gathering information from three focus groups – one made up of a cross-
section of 30 residents, another of city staff, and the other composed of Sterling’s elected officials. Data from the focus groups is being analyzed to determine the city’s top priorities for a 5-year period.
More on A5 Find out what positive marks in each of the four categories compiled by the firm indicate.
SCORE CONTINUED ON A5
POLO TROUPE GOES THROUGH ‘SOUND’ CHECK AT STERLING STORE
DIXON | RITA CRUNDWELL UPDATE
Boyfriend seeks $4K for storage of property Government files motion to dismiss petition BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
ABOVE: Beth Brooks, cast as Maria in the upcoming Polo Area Community Theatre production of “The Sound of Music,” sings during a preview of the show Monday evening at JoAnn Fabrics in Sterling. Showtimes are set for 7 p.m. Sept. 25 and 26, and 2 p.m. Sept. 26 and 27 at Polo Town Hall, 117 N. Franklin Ave. Visit polotheatre.org for more information. RIGHT: Samantha Butts (from left) holds on to Maybella McCoy-Sinitch as Myah Ackenberg, Patrick Call, Sadie Baumann, Vivian Lobdell, and Mackenzie Arndt finish a song from the musical.
SAUK VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE | STRATEGIC PLANNING
Officials seek input on school’s future Opinions can be shared in open sessions, online BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
DIXON – Do you have a vision for Sauk Valley Community College’s future? If so, there are a few ways to share it with officials as they update the school’s strategic plan. In the coming weeks, students, staff and community members will get to
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ask questions, express concerns, and offer ideas to college officials during open sessions, or via an online survey. The school’s new president, Dave Hellmich, wants to simplify the strategic plan, which includes the college’s mission, vision, values and goals. INPUT CONTINUED ON A3
INDEX
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ........... A9 COMICS ...............B6
To get involved In order to form strategic initiatives and, ultimately, a strategic plan, Sauk Valley Community College will hold a series of open sessions at the college in room 1K4: Faculty and staff forum: 9 a.m. Friday at the college Community forum: 4:45 p.m. Sept. 22 Student forum: 12:30 p.m. Sept. 23 An online survey, at svcc.edu, is available until Sept. 25.
CROSSWORD....B11 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
NATION/WORLD .. A8 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
DIXON – The longtime boyfriend of Rita Crundwell wants the government to pay him more than $4,000 for storing some of her property that the U.S. Marshal’s Service recently seized. The government countered with a motion to dismiss the petition of Jim McKillips. In essence, it says McKillips had failed to prove that he was required to move and store the items. U.S. District Court Judge Phillip G. Reinhard has ordered both parties to resolve the claims. So far, those attempts have failed. McKillips, of Beloit, Wisconsin, declined Monday to say whether he was still in a relationship with Crundwell or to answer questions about his petition. Crundwell, a former Dixon comptroller, was arrested April 17, 2012, and ultimately pleaded guilty to wire fraud for siphoning more than $53 million from city coffers over 2 decades. A federal judge ordered her to pay back that amount in restitution, of which the government has collected about $9.3 million from the sale of her horses, ranch, and other real estate and personal property. A money judgment for about $53 million was also issued, meaning the government can go after about $106 million in Crundwell assets, current or future. The city also has received about $30 million in a lawsuit settlement with its former auditors and bank. On May 26, the court ordered forfeiture of what the government called “newly discovered” assets, which included items held in storage at Pac Rat Mini-Storage in Beloit. BOYFRIEND CONTINUED ON A4
Today’s weather High 73. Low 51. More on A3.
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