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HE SCORED A SPOT IN Who’ll be on the come April? THE HALL OF FAME ballot WHITESIDE, CARROLL & DIXON, B1
dailyGAZETTE OGLE COUNTIES, A3
Thursday, December 22, 2016 n SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
WHITESIDE COUNTY | 14TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT
Judge Joyce takes the bench Former state’s attorney is living her dream, hopes to be a role model
BY ASHLEY CADY acady@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5521 @ashleycady_svm
MORRISON – Trish Joyce Wednesday became Whiteside County’s former state’s attorney, taking up the gavel in her new position as 14th Judicial Circuit Court judge.
The 57-year-old was sworn in Wednesday morning in Rock Island, and will be based at the courthouse in Morrison. The circuit serves Whiteside, Rock Island, Henry and Mercer counties. The state Supreme Court chose Joyce, one of three applicants, to serve the last 2 years of John Hauptman’s term; he retired Dec. 5.
“I’m very grateful to Justice [Thomas ] Kilbride and the other Supreme Court justices for having faith in me and selecting me for this appointment,” she said. “Being on the bench has always been a dream of mine, something that I’ve aspired to.” JUDGE continued on A54
Trish Joyce
DIXON
EDUCATION
The right path to $300,000 All the T’s are crossed, and so are some fingers, as city tries again to get grant to right the blight BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Sterling High School students Reuben Luna and Cara Alexander talk about their experience in the vocational classes they are enrolled in through Sauk Valley Community College on Wednesday night at the school board meeting in the high school library. Luna, a senior, is taking welding, while Alexander will complete her nursing certificate in the spring.
Sauk-cess stories Despite initial trepidation about sending SHS classes to college, the move has passed the test with students
From left: Sterling High School students Reuben Luna and Cara Alexander, Sterling High School Principal Jason Austin, and Jon Mandrell, vice president of Sauk Valley Community College, speak to members of the Sterling school board Wednesday evening about the transition of some vocational courses to Sauk.
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TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 10
INDEX
ABBY.................... A8 BUSINESS............ A7 COMICS................B6
BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 CHeimerman_SVM
STERLING – Ever the diplomat, Sauk Valley Community College’s vice president, Jon Mandrell, just smiled and shrugged. Sterling High School junior Cara Alexander had just told Mandrell’s self-declared partner, Sterling High Principal Jason Austin, that she’d rather stay at Sauk than head back to the high school after her nursing classes. “I love going to Sauk,” Alexander said during Wednesday’s school board meeting. “Going from Sauk back to the high school, I wish I could just stay at Sauk the whole day.” The school board had to make some mighty painful cuts back in March. Among their decisions was to transition some vocational classes from the Whiteside Area Career Center to Sauk, in order to save about $50,000. Health occupations, welding and criminal justice were moved to Sauk via a new partnership. If Alexander and senior Reuben Luna have missed out on anything, they wouldn’t know it. Neither took any courses at WACC, but they both had rave reviews for their education at Sauk. “My instructors are amazing,” Alexander said. “I’ve learned so much through them – not only the basics of nursing, but also how to empathize for people.”
DIXON – The city is hoping to land a $300,000 federal grant that could pair nicely with its bike path expansion project. Dixon is one of hundreds of cities competing for an Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Assessment Grant that provides funds to expand, redevelop or reuse blighted properties. Only one of the 218 grants awarded last year went to an Illinois entity – the city of Chicago – but City Manager Cole O’Donnell is hopeful that more grants will be funneled into the state this time around. GRANT continued on A54
OGLE COUNTY
Resident: Jail and tourism don’t mix Board urged to consider carefully where it puts a proposed lock-up BY VINDE WELLS Shaw Media vwells@shawmedia.com
OREGON – An Oregon man doesn’t think a new jail would exactly do wonders for the city’s tourist trade. Bryan Zobeck told the Ogle County Board on Tuesday that Oregon Together, a community organization working toward development, has identified the downtown and the riverfront as development and tourism areas, but Zobeck said he feels “the placement of the jail could interfere with that.” JAIL continued on A54
INSIDE TODAY In the spirit of Christmas, SVM Entertainment Editor Lucas Pauley is willing to give the Griswolds another shot, but don’t look for Clark and the rest of the gang to end up on his list of festive favorites. But you can find out what music, movies and other entertainment made his Christmas list, in this week’s Planit: A9-11
STORIES continued on A44
CROSSWORD.....B10 LIFESTYLE............ A7 LOTTERY.............. A2
OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6 POLICE................. A2
Today’s weather High 33. Low 17. More on A3.
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