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WEEKEND ENTERPRISE | LOCAL SCHOOLS
How they spell relief: S-A-T Local administrators support decision to replace PARCC in high schools BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 CHeimerman_SVM
The Illinois State Board of Education’s decision to replace the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test with the SAT for high-schoolers has left local administrators relieved. Last school year, the state announced it no longer would
pay for the ACT exam, placing the burden on students and parents whose districts don’t foot the bill. Unlike the ACT and SAT, PARCC – a technology-based assessment administrators called a “nightmare to administer” – has no bearing on college entrance. As a result, high school students didn’t take the results seriously, and college officials ignored them outright. “If assessments aren’t bring-
ing any value, Inside then why are we n Did the using them?” state school said Tad Everett, board make Sterling schools the right call? superintendent. A9 “ P A R C C means absolutely nothing to anyone,” said Ron McCord, Rock Falls High School District superintendent. “The SAT means a lot to our college-bound students.” Students in the third through
eighth grades will continue to take the PARCC test. Whether it was the Illinois Standard Assessment Test for K-8 students that gave way to PARCC or other tests that fell by the wayside, the trend over the years has been that once kids reach high school, the percentage of those who meet or exceed expectations plummets. REPLACE continued on A94
THE PEOPLE’S VOICE | JIM SEELEY JR. OF TAMPICO
Tad Everett Sterling superintendent said his district “not accepting” of big drop in high school test results
Ron McCord The Rock Falls High School leader said “PARCC means absolutely nothing to anyone”
ROCK FALLS
Roadblock to clinic addition?
LAST LAUGH
Panel tables request for variance needed for health department project BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Jim Seeley Jr., 69, has learned to deal with his PTSD with music and medication. He plays guitar, runs karaoke a couple of nights a week, and plays from 4 to 6 p.m. every Thursday at Soldiers Lounge in Bazaar Americana, 609 W. Third St. in Sterling. He’s also on the air from noon to 3 p.m. on Erie radio station 105.5 FM-WQUD.
Tampico man addresses PTSD, takes control of life
I
t took Jim Seeley Jr. nearly half a century to get another shot at a life without post-traumatic stress disorder. The Navy veteran was always the funny guy. The band’s frontman. Then he’d wake up the next morning, freshly tortured by dreams of his capture and abuse suffered while he was stationed in Hawaii at age 18. “I’d wake up in the morning just pissed,” the 69-year-old said in his Tampico home. “I’d take things important to me, like my guitars and and stuff, and just bust it into a million pieces. Instead of hurting somebody, I’d hurt myself. I’d cry. Didn’t know why. I wouldn’t play music for months at a time. And
christopher HEIMERMAN Heimerman is the Enterprise Projects Editor at Sauk Valley Media. He can be reached at cheimerman@ saukvalley. com or 815-625-3600, ext. 5523.
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 46 36 Pages
served 4 years, never seeing combat. He didn’t need to end up with PTSD.
this is my love. This is what I do.” His captors were three civilians in a Buick convertible who offered him a ride back to base from a music shop, then pulled a gun and a knife on him before abusing him six ways from Sunday over the next 2 or 3 hours. He buried the memory and
Mostly sunny
Today: 81/64 For the forecast, see Page A12
Online extra Click on this story at saukvalley.com to watch video of Jim Seeley Jr. playing some blues and talking about how much better music – and life – is since he got treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.
‘I was done’ Seeley was ready to kill himself 2 years ago, and he told his sixth wife, Bonnie O’Neal, just that. She took the dogs to the groomers, and he walked into the bedroom and stared at the gun rack on the wall. He decided against
Business
New owners plan to carry on the tradition at Beauty Hutch in Morrison. See Page C1
it, but today, he knows it would’ve just been a matter of time. A deputy sheriff showed up, asked Seeley what he was doing, whether he was armed, and then frisked him. Seeley asked him what was going on. “He told me, ‘Someone called and said you were going to hurt yourself,’” he said. PEOPLE’S VOICE continued on A104
Community An NIU doctorate student is making herself at home among the birds and vegetation at Nachusa Grasslands this summer. See Page C12
ROCK FALLS – An expansion project at the Whiteside County Health Department could be in jeopardy because of a zoning issue with the city. An addition to the Community Health Clinic was planned to provide more space for its dental services operations. Administrator Beth Fiorini said the cramped quarters make it uncomfortable for staff and patients, even posing challenges in adhering to patient confidentiality guidelines. The only potential roadblock for the project at 1300 W. Second St. in Rock Falls was procuring a needed variance from the city. Plans call for the expansion to extend about 18.5 feet south of the existing building, which would encroach on the city’s required 25-foot setback. The existing building doesn’t conform with city zoning code, but it predates what’s on the books and was grandfathered in. ADDITION continued on A34
INSIDE STORY
Trump card filled Donald Trump announced Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate Friday, adding an experienced politician with deep Washington connections to the Republican presidential ticket. Page A10
Index Births................. C5
Lottery............... A2
Business............ C1
Markets........... A12
Classified........... B7
Obituaries.......... A4
Comics.............. A8
Opinion.............. A6
Community...... C12
Scoreboard....... B4
Crossword Saturday.......... B11
Scrapbook........ C3
Crossword Sunday.............. C8
Support groups... C5
Dave Ramsey.... C1
Weather........... A12
Dear Abby......... C6
Wheels............ B12
Sports............... B1 Travel............... C10