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COMETS CLAW THEIR WAY BACK TO A WIN OVER WILDCATS BASKEBTALL, B1
dailyGAZETTE Monday, January 30, 2017 n SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
ILLINOIS | DISABILITY SUPPORT
DIXON
State is ready, willing and ABLE to help Program launched today will let families save more money for disabled loved ones Tribune News Service
Kimberly Dorencz-Cuervo walks a financial tightrope when it comes to taking care of her 3-year-old daughter Dayna, who has a severe form of spina bifida. The Morgan Park mom wants to ensure Dayna is taken care of day to day, and the family’s Medicaid benefits help cover that. But Dorencz-Cuervo also wants to save for a new, more accessible home so her daughter has the freedom to move around as she pleases. Some fine print in benefit programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income means the family can only squirrel away so much money. The programs limit recipients’ personal assets to $2,000, and benefits are suspended if families exceed the cap. “It’s really hard for us to put any money aside right now for that fear,” Dorencz-Cuervo said. Today, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is announcing a new program that aims to help families like Dorencz-Cuervo’s save for the future. ABLE continued on A54
Report: Support falls short for disabled residents Court: State doesn’t back up compassion with enough cash to help people achieve independence in their communities SPRINGFIELD (AP) – A federal court monitor is criticizing Illinois for a second year in a row for failing to ensure that people with developmental disabilities receive adequate support within their communities. The monitor’s annual report, issued last week, says a lack of state funding to raise caregiver wages has created unprecedented shortages of workers who assist developmentally disabled residents when they move out of institutions and into apartments or group homes. The services include everything from eating and hygiene to learning life skills. The report expanded on a similar finding last year. But the Illinois Department of Human Services said in a statement that it disagrees with the conclusion. The agency insists the state continues to meet requirements laid out in a federal decree issued in 2011 after civil rights groups sued Illinois for failing to comply with a 1999 Supreme Court ruling that unjustified institutionalization constitutes discrimination.
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Work comes down to the wire Dwarfed by their task at hand, crews work on transmission lines along the Rock River on Sunday afternoon, across from Page Park in Dixon.
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STERLING
Woman’s body found in ditch Police: No foul play suspected BY ZACH ARBOGAST zarbogast@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5607
STERLING – Police say no foul play is suspected at this time in the death of an elderly woman whose body was discovered in a drainage ditch Sunday morning in Sterling. The body was found shortly after 8 a.m. in the ditch alongside Blue Freedom Farm Market property at 1829 Locust St. The market is closed
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for the season, but the neighboring Subway is open regular hours. The woman’s name is being withheld, pending notification of the family. The investigation is ongoing. The State Police Crime Scene Investigation unit and members of the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department were working the taped-off scene earlier today. Sterling police were assisted at the scene by CGH Ambulance, Sterling Fire Department, Illinois State Police and the Whiteside County Coroner’s office. ABBY.................... A7 COMICS................ A8 CROSSWORD.......B8
LIFESTYLE............ A7 LOTTERY.............. A2 NATION................. A9
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Officers look over a creek bed Sunday between Blue Freedom Farm Market and Subway on Locust Street, where the body of an elderly woman was found.
OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6 POLICE................. A2
Today’s weather High 32. Low 29. More on A3.
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