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ROCKETS GO ALL OUT FOR A WIN VOLLEYBALL, B1
Treats are the best, bar none
JURY HEARS 911 CALLS
MURDER TRIAL, A7
FOOD, A9-10
dailyGAZETTE Wednesday, September 21, 2016 n SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
STERLING
‘Pill mill’ doctor pleads guilty; faces up to 13 years Ng’s wife also pleads guilty to tax fraud charge BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
ROCKFORD – A former Sterling doctor accused of running a pill mill pleaded
guilty today in federal court to distributing narcotics and tax fraud. His wife also pleaded guilty to tax fraud. Richard H. Ng, 64, of DeKalb, admitted to illegally dispensing hydrocodone, oxycodone and morphine sulfate for no legitimate medical purpose. Ng faces up to 13 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1.1 million, U.S. Attorney Zachary Far-
don said in a news release. He will be sentenced Dec. 19. Ng owned and operated the nowdefunct Sauk Medical Clinic, 705 W. Third St., and a clinic in DeKalb. He pleaded guilty to dispensing the drugs to three undercover agents several times between Dec. 10, 2010, and Feb. 7, 2011. He and Lee Lee Foong, 57, his wife and office manager, pleaded guilty to income tax fraud for failing to report
$284,890 in cash received from the clinic, which would have resulted in about $92,646 due in federal income tax, the release said. She faces up to 3 years in prison, a year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine. She will be sentenced Dec. 20. They were arrested May 15, 2013, but had been under investigation since well before December 2011, when the case first was taken to a grand jury.
STERLING | NEW BUSINESS
MOUNT CARROLL
Grinning from fear to fear Haunted house owner enjoys delivering some thrills, chills and a few ghostly giggles
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
A Pizza Ranch will be moving into the former home of Ryan’s Family Steakhouse, 3900 E. Lincolnway. Co-owners Matt and Mike Middendorp of Clinton, Iowa, are hoping to have the buffet open Feb. 1.
Sterling corrals new restaurant Pizza Ranch coming to town BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
ABOVE: Jim Warfield has owned the Mount Carroll home that houses Raven’s Grin Inn for 29 years. The haunted attraction is open almost every night of the year – but don’t be fooled: Warfield says the hauntings go further than the spooky props and scenes he has designed. He said he’s had some very real experiences at the house that he says were caused by ghosts. BELOW: A catmobile welcomes visitors to Raven’s Grin.
BY KACIE LONG klong@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5521 @kacieek4
MOUNT CARROLL – Halloween is getting scary close. For some, like Jim Warfield, every day is All Hallows’ Eve. The 67-year-old not only runs, but lives in a haunted house with his wife, Jessica. You need not wait until late-October to take a tour. Raven’s Grin Inn is open year-round. The house was built in 1870 and has been a schoolhouse, a speakeasy, and a car dealership, among other things. Warfield, 67, said he made his home into a haunted house for entertainment purposes, but many people have claimed to have had real supernatural experiences while inside his home. “People would go down to the wine cellar during the tour and I would walk down the steps and they would say, ‘Wow! That was really neat, how’d you do that?’ and I said ‘What?’ and they said, ‘That woman back there in the corner with the dark hair and the white dress, she floated across the room,’” said Warfield. RAVEN’S GRIN continued on A114
STERLING – A deal has been finalized to bring Pizza Ranch to the building that once housed Ryan’s Family Steakhouse. Brothers Matt and Mike Middendorp of Clinton, Iowa, have signed a franchise agreement with the Orange City, Iowa-based company. The building will be leased from local businessman Pete Harkness. PIZZA RANCH continued on A54
ROCK FALLS
Alderman resigns from city council Ebenezer cites conflict-of-interest concerns over seat on school board BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
ROCK FALLS – After 5 months on the council, Troy Ebenezer resigned, citing potential conflict-of-interest concerns stemming from his role as a local school board member. Ebenezer is vice president of the Rock Falls Elementary School District 13 board. He was appointed April 19 to fill the 4th Ward aldermanic seat left empty by the resignation of John Watts. RESIGNATION continued on A54
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TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 162 ISSUE 201
INDEX
ABBY.................... A8 BUSINESS.......... A12 COMICS................B6
CROSSWORD.....B10 FOOD...............A9-10 LIFESTYLE............ A8
LOTTERY.............. A2 OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6
Today’s weather High 89. Low 65. More on A3.
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