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EXTRA TIME FOR STERLING Author helps IN POSTSEASON you eat smart BOYS SOCCER, B1
FOOD, A9, A11
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, October 21, 2015
SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
ROCK FALLS | TOURISM
Director’s interim tag removed Loos will make $42,000 annually, also serve as events coordinator BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
ROCK FALLS – The city’s tourism department has its first permanent director. Janell Loos of Sterling was named director of tourism and events coordinator at Tuesday’s Rock Falls City Council meeting. The council returned from an executive session to unanimously approve her employment
agreement with the city. Loos has been the full-time interim director of the newly created city department since the last week of July. As permanent director and events coordinator, her annual salary will be $42,000. The employment agreement runs from today through April 30, 2017. The pact can be extended at that time, or terminated before it runs its course. The city had received 10 applications for the position, but decided to stick with Loos.
“We were really pleased with her work as interim director, and we think she’ll be a great addition to our group of department heads,” City Administrator Robbin Blackert said. Blackert said Loos hit the ground running under challenging circumstances when she started in the tourism office. The Convention and Visitors Bureau had been disbanded after a legal battle between the organization and the city.
Next meeting The Rock Falls City Council next meets at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3, at City Hall, 603 W. 10th St. The agendas will be posted at www.rockfalls61071.com and at City Hall. Call 815622-1100 for more information.
Janell Loos
TOURISM CONTINUED ON A5
THIS WEATHER WE’RE HAVING? IT’S THE CAT’S MEOW
STERLING
City shares initial info on possible utility tax It would help pay for nonunion workers’ wages, balance budget BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Peanut takes a break along the Dixon riverfront Tuesday afternoon while out for a walk with his owner, Aaron Koester. The frisky feline seemed to take well to the leash despite being “a bit anti-social” in Koester’s words. Showers could be in the mix for today. But with the temperature expected to creep into the upper-70s, it should be a good day to take the pet for a walk – especially before it cools off later in the week. Check out the 5-day forecast on A3.
DIXON
Scapegoat saddled with blown save Exorcism fails to help Cubs dig out of 2-0 NLCS hole BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
DIXON – Murphy’s Law says that anything that can go wrong, will. On Tuesday night, some baseball fans in Dixon tried to break Murphy’s Law for their beloved Cubs. And they did it by watching a goat get exorcised at PatiO’s Irish Pub in Dixon.
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If you can bear to look ... Recap of Game 3 between the Cubs and Mets, B1. “They exorcise goats a lot in Chicago, and we thought maybe the problem was we haven’t done it out here in Dixon,” PatiO’s owner Ed Miller said. Cubs fans know the background. During the 1945 World Series between the Cubs and Detroit Tigers, Billy Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis brought his pet goat to a game and was asked to leave. SCAPEGOAT CONTINUED ON A3
INDEX
Brenden West/bwest@saukvalley.com
Murphy the goat waits in his cage before his exorcism Tuesday night at PatiO’s Irish Pub in Dixon. “Father Mike Reilly Lahey” performed the exorcism, and predicted the Chicago Cubs would win the World Series. But the Cubs lost 5-2 in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, putting them in a 3-0 hole and a loss away from elimination.
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ......... A12 COMICS ............. A10
CROSSWORD....B11 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
STERLING – A proposed gas and electric tax could bring the city more than $2 million. That would be good news for not only the city’s bottom line and its stormwater system, but some of its employees as well. But utility customers would see a new charge on their bill. Mayor Skip Lee said at Monday night’s City Council meeting Scott that the tax Shumard could cost City manager t h e a v e r a g e hopes to know homeownmore about er as much tax loopholes $5 a month, in 4 to 6 weeks. though he said it’s unlikely the city would ask for that much. “We wouldn’t go for the maximum; we’d institute what we need to bridge the budget gap, and address the salaries and stormwater issues,” Lee said. Also at the meeting was Ed Long, a wastewater treatment plant worker who was told in April that he and more than half of the city’s nonunion workers were due a raise, based on a wage study of 16 cities with similar demographics – including Dixon and Rock Falls. It would take about $71,000 to bring all 60 of the employees to the minimum recommended pay levels, according to City Manager Scott Shumard. UTILITY TAX CONTINUED ON A4
Today’s weather High 76. Low 47. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
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