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Pumpkin spice up your life FOOD, A9-11
PANTHERS POUNCE ON CONFERENCE TITLE CROSS COUNTRY, B1
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, October 1, 2014
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
DIXON | CORRECTIONAL CENTER
Warden retires amid probe IDOC action follows sex offender’s arrest in her home BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521
DIXON – The Dixon Correctional Center warden has retired in the wake of an investigation that recently led to her being removed from her job, Illinois Department of Corrections spokesman Tom Shaer said Tuesday.
Although Shaer still wouldn’t say specifically why IDOC was investigating Nedra Chandler, he said that the department has a protocol regarding contact with people of interest to IDOC. Chandler had been housing a registered sex offender, Robert L. Swon, at her Sterling home since shortly after his release from prison
at the end of 2013. She was placed on paid administrative leave after IDOC began investigating a potential violation of protocol. That investigation began Sept. 19 when Sterling police arrested Swon, 27, at Chandler’s home on child pornography charges. “Any contact with a known felon or anything that might be of interest
to this department is to be reported and detailed in writing,” Shaer said. Sterling Police Detective Mike Henry, who handled Swon’s case, said he had been told during the investigation that Swon was one of Chandler’s former foster children, although he could not confirm that.
FRANKLIN GROVE | NACHUSA GRASSLANDS
Where the bison will roam
WARDEN CONTINUED ON A4
Nedra Chandler Escorted off prison property Sept. 19
DIXON | FACILITIES PLAN COMMUNITY FORUM
Class sizes, tech needs echoed as priorities Director of planning encouraged more than 60 attend event BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525
Photos by Earleen Hinton/ehinton@shawmedia.com
Cody Considine, restoration ecologist at Nachusa Grasslands, stands by the hydraulic controls for the new corral that has been specially designed to handle the new herd of bison moving to the preserve this week.
Nature Conservancy’s addition took long time to round up BY EARLEEN HINTON Shaw Media ehinton@shawmedia.com
FRANKLIN GROVE – Cody Considine couldn’t help but smile as he stood on a high hill overlooking the old Holland farm site at Nachusa Grasslands on a clear, sunny day last week. “Right there, where you see that fencing, is where we will be directing the bison into the corral when we have our roundups,” said Considine, restoration ecologist at the Grasslands. That’s right. He said bison. And yep. Right here in Lee County, just a few miles from Dixon and Oregon. Casual visitors to the 3,000-acre preserve, which is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy, probably haven’t noticed all the extra activity going on these past few months. BISON CONTINUED ON A5
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TODAY’S EDITION: 28 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 160 ISSUE 209
Be a bison buddy
Damian Considine of Dixon welds repurposed oil well drilling pipe to make a guard for a water tank in the bison corral, with the help of Mike Saxton of the Quad Cities.
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A13 COMICS ...............B4 CROSSWORD....B10
The new bison herd eventually will graze over 1,500 acres at Nachusa Grasslands, at 8772 S. Lowden Road in Franklin Grove. Visitor areas, yet to be built, will provide spots where the public may be able to watch the herd. Programming will be added to help teach visitors about the bison and how they’ll benefit the preserve. In addition to the regular opportunities to help out at the grasslands, a corps of bison volunteers will be needed to check fence and monitor the herd, and eventually give tours and act as docents at the viewing stands. Go to www.nachusagrasslands.org or contact preserve manager Bill Kleiman at 815456-2340 or bkleiman@tnc. org to learn more about the preserve, its new herd, or to become a volunteer.
DEAR ABBY ......... A8 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
DIXON – There was an echo effect Tuesday night at Dixon High School. The need for more technology, expanded curriculum and larger classrooms were continuously brought up during the first community forum held to gather input on the school district’s long-range facilities plan. During the roughly 90-minute event, more than 60 members of the community broke into groups to discuss what is most important to them in the schools. After meeting for about 20 minutes, each group picked a spokesperson, and Angie Harrison took full advantage of her designation. “Classrooms are not big enough at all,” said Harrison, who has two high school students in the school district – Jacob, a senior, and Jared, a freshman. FORUM CONTINUED ON A4
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Amy Yurko conducts a forum Tuesday evening at Dixon High School intended to gather the community’s input on the district’s long-range facility plan.
Today’s weather High 75. Low 59. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B7.
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