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JUNIOR GETS HELP WITH LIFE IN THE FASTER LANE
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Tuesday, August 30, 2016 n SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
WHITESIDE COUNTY | DENTAL CLINIC
Clinic still has room to grow Expansion project could rise in the east, but it would be more expensive, reduce parking BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
ROCK FALLS – The Whiteside County Health Department is weighing its remaining options for creating more space at its cramped dental clinic after
the city denied its request for an easement variance. The health department had planned to expand in a southerly direction, but the variance was needed because construction would have encroached on the 25-foot setback called for in city code.
The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission on July 27 handed down a recommendation to shoot down the request, and on Aug. 2, the Rock Falls City Council denied the variance. The city had suggested the health department instead build west, toward its parking lot, but county officials said
DIXON COURTS
BUSINESS
A good of frame mind
Zach Haas, 23, takes measurements Monday while working on a building for Rural Renovators.
A Franklin Grove business owner went from being cooped up inside walls to building them instead, and he couldn’t be happier
BY TERRY THOMAS Special to Sauk Valley Media
FRANKLIN GROVE – The midsummer sun pounded down mercilessly on the two men stooped and pounding nails atop the partially completed structure. It wasn’t yet midday, and the thermometer already registered near 90 degrees. “We’re trying to get as much done as we can before the rain comes in,” Kyle Stumpenhorst said as he descended from the rooftop, perspiration glistening on his forehead. “We’re hoping to have this project done by end of next week.” He glanced to the west where dark clouds roiled on the horizon, an indi-
cation the weather could turn at any moment. Mother Nature’s mood swings are but one of the challenges Stumpenhorst, 33, faces as owner of Rural Renovators, a Franklin Grove-based building firm that specializes in post-frame construction. But he’s not complaining. “It’s a lot of work,” he said, “but I love it” – and it shows. In each of the past 2 years, The National Frame Builders Association, the only national trade association to represent post-frame industry professionals, has recognized Rural Renovators for construction excellence. FRAME continued on A94
Greg Haas, 23, Rural Renovators’ owner Kyle Stumpenhorst’s only full-time employee, carries a piece of sheet metal Monday afternoon while working on a home. Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
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INDEX
ABBY.................... A7 BUSINESS.......... A10 COMICS................ A8
that option wouldn’t be feasible logistically or financially. “It would not be practical to expand west because we would have to remodel the entire building to achieve what we had set out to do,” County Administrator Joel Horn said. CLINIC continued on A54
CROSSWORD.......B9 LIFESTYLE............ A7 LOTTERY.............. A2
OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6 POLICE................. A2
Making a Full Court press for change File system getting more than just an upgrade; it’s getting a complete overhaul BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
DIXON – Lee County will undergo a complete overhaul of its court filing system in the coming weeks. Talks of transitioning to an upgraded system began about 2 years ago, and after months of preparation and an investment of about $500,000, the new platform will launch Sept. 19. “Everything we do here, every process we have today will be different on Sept. 19 when we go live,” said Denise McCaffreyEhrmann, Lee County circuit clerk. Offices including the Lee County Circuit Clerk, the State’s Attorney and the Probation Department have been training personnel to operate the Full Court Enterprise system, which is used in Ogle, Winnebago and Boone counties. Full Court Enterprise will replace the county’s AS 400 system established in 1989, and online public access to case information will be available through FCE rather than judici.com, which Whiteside County will continue to use. McCaffrey said the new setup will better streamline documentation practices and allow them to prepare for the Illinois Supreme Court deadline to have all records filed electronically, a clock that runs out Jan. 1, 2018. The deadline for documents in civil cases to be electronically filed is July 1, 2017. The Lee County Board and other departments affected by the change have shown continued support for the project, she said, which was crucial to bring the project to fruition. COURT FILES continued on A54
Today’s weather High 82. Low 67. More on A3.
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