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DUKES, ROCKETS READY TO GO OFFENSE TO OFFENSE FOOTBALL PREVIEW, B1
dailyGAZETTE
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Thursday, October 13, 2016 n SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
OGLE COUNTY | IN THE COURTS
Former sheriff charged BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
OREGON – A former Ogle County sheriff is facing two felony theft charges from his time in office.
Michael Harn, 54, is accused of buying goods and services with Ogle County funds under false pretenses and using them for his personal benefit. According to court documents filed Wednesday, prosecutors say he bought numerous items
with county funds, including electronic equipment, boat equipment, radio-controlled toys, party tents, coolers, weapons, hunting guns, Harley-Davidson clothing and accessories, adult novelty items, and outdoor fountains. CHARGES continued on A54
STERLING
RECREATION BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 CHeimerman_SVM
Gait
keeper Pete Kostelnick gives new meaning to cross-country running. The marathon man with local ties is making his way across the U.S. on his way to a record-breaking run
Michael Harn
ROCK FALLS – Pete Kostelnick waves appreciatively to every oncoming driver who gives him an extra few feet as he runs Wednesday along the north shoulInside der of U.S. Route 30. After Learn and Live: all, they’re his people. Sauk Valley Media’s Sure, he’s had lots of runChristopher Heining buddies throughmerman joined out the first 2,200 miles of Pete Kostelnick on his run at a world record. his cross-country But for hours at a time, run and came back it’s just him, the whisper with a spring in his of the wind through corn step. Page A2 stalks, and the hundreds of thousands of faces he sees behind the wheels. If he looks close, he might recognize a few, at least during this Midwestern reunion tour.
Dixon will step up work on its trails City gets $2 million grant for trail work, which could help more people beat a path to Dixon’s door BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
Sterling ties Kostelnick, 29, grew up in Boone, Iowa, and went to Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, so you could imagine how exciting it was to plot those cities on his route. RUNNER continued on A54
Pete Kostelnick, 29, of Lincoln, Nebraska, runs past a barn Wednesday morning along U.S. Route 30 in rural Lee County. Kostelnick hopes to set a world record by running 3,100 miles from San Francisco City Hall to New York City Hall in just 44 days.
DIXON – Wheels will soon be spinning farther along the city’s bike path, thanks to a $2 million grant awarded Wednesday to extend the trail system. The path extension is one of 33 projects throughout the state receiving a piece of a $30.7 million pie from Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grants. The project calls for extending the bike path about 2,800 feet east on River Road toward Raynor Garage Doors and west on River Road connecting to First Street and following the viaduct to Seventh Street. The expansion totals about 1.6 miles of additional path. Mayor Li Arellano Jr. said the project will improve the quality of life for bicyclists, walkers and joggers and give the city a more competitive edge in attracting visitors or new residents. “We’re getting to a point where we can compete with many suburban communities with trailways,” he said. “This adds to our city in immense ways.” The grants are federally funded through the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act and administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Dixon was picked from a pool of 241 state applications vying for projects totaling $261.3 million. The grant requires a 20-percent local match of funds, which is $400,000 on the city’s end. Arellano said the local match will be taken out of Rita Crundwell recovery dollars, a fund that has about $4.85 million available. The city’s next steps will be to finalize engineering designs and bid the project for construction. Arellano said construction on the path could also open up other improvement projects that could be completed at the same time. TRAILS continued on A54
Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
MUSIC
A different body of work A Dixon graduate is embarking on a new musical path as a solo artist, and she’s inviting listeners along on the journey
BY LUCAS PAULEY lpauley@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5576 @LucasJayPauley
DIXON – Vivian McConnell, a 2009 Dixon High School graduate, has already built a pretty impressive musical resumé. The 25-year-old is an integral member of the Chicago band Santah, which also features
her brother, Stan McConnell, a 2005 Dixon High grad, and Steven Plock, Class of 2006. McConnell is also the frontwoman and one of the founding members of the band Grandkids, which made quite a name for itself in the Champaign-Urbana music scene during Vivian’s time at the University of Illinois. BODY continued on A124
V.V. Lightbody, the solo project of 2009 Dixon High graduate Vivian McConnell (right), and Homme will play from 7:30 p.m. to midnight Friday at Rosbrook Studio, 107 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon. Submitted
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 162 ISSUE 217
INDEX
ABBY.................... A8 BUSINESS............ A7 COMICS................B6
CROSSWORD.....B10 LIFESTYLE............ A8 LOTTERY.............. A2
OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6 POLICE................. A2
Today’s weather High 57. Low 39. More on A3.
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