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Taking a look at codes in Rock Falls, Sterling
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RIVERSIDE CHAT, A5
SPORTS, B3
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Tuesday, October 15, 2013
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
STERLING
Lee to Cox: ‘Do the right thing’ Mayor says alderman no longer lives in city BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
STERLING – Mayor Skip Lee said this week that he doesn’t believe Ward 2 Alderman Barry Cox lives within city limits any longer. Since the 1980s, Cox lived in a split-level house at 1203 E. 20th St. In 2010, he bought a house
at 24269 Hillcrest Drive, 5 miles northwest of Sterling. These days, a big dumpster sits in his driveway on 20th Street and his house appears vacant. Neighbors say Cox, an alderman for 23 years, has moved out of town. Cox, however, said last month that he complied with the requirement that an alderman maintain a residence in his ward. His voter registration and driver’s license are tied to his city address, he said.
Mayor Skip Lee
Alderman Barry Cox
But when asked where he hangs his hat at night, Cox said, “It’s none of your damn business where I sleep.”
The city received a legal opinion recently indicating that situations like Cox’s were legal. “He is legally entitled to be an alderman,” Lee said in an interview. “I have expressed my concerns with Alderman Cox. I have urged that he, as a man of honor and one who has served the city so long, do the right thing.” The mayor said he wouldn’t tell Cox what the right thing was. Asked what he would do, Lee
said, “Once I was no longer sleeping in the city, I would have left the council. My personal trait is that when I change something, I move on, but he’s very connected to his ward. If I had been on the council as long as he has, I may have that connection, too.” Lee said he had received a couple of calls from residents concerned with Cox’s residency. COX CONTINUED ON A2
LEE COUNTY
BOY SCOUTS WORK AT VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK
Village sees boost in traffic Growth of Rochelle affects Steward roads BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
David Swegle, 12, of Boy Scout Troop 85 in Dixon, dumps a shovelful of dirt into a wheelbarrow manned by Sam Hildebrand (left), 13, and Nolan Halla, 13, Monday afternoon at the Dixon Veterans Memorial Park. Fellow scout Anton Halla picked a project at the park for his Eagle Scout badge, and recruited the boys to help out. LEFT: Anton Halla, 15, waits for the next load of concrete at the park. Halla spearheaded the effort to install a concrete pad at the park to display the park’s military ambulance. The Troop 85 Boy Scout sent his proposal through the scout ranks, recruited help and made calls about supplies to earn his Eagle Scout badge.
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 117
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A12 COMICS ............... A9 CROSSWORD....B11
DEAR ABBY ......... A8 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
STEWARD – With 256 residents, the village of Steward wouldn’t seem to have any traffic problems. But officials say Steward is seeing more traffic as the result of increased business activity in Rochelle, 4 miles to the north. Recently, Lee County officials have been discussing ways to deal with the increased traffic Jim Bratko through Steward, which is in the county’s northeastern corner. The issue came up at this month’s meeting of the Lee County Board’s Transportation Committee. County Engineer Dave Anderson told the committee that he would speak with the city of Rochelle about the issue, while County Board member Allyn Buhrow, R-Ashton, promised to get input from Steward officials, according to meeting minutes. In the meantime, Anderson said, the county would collect information on prices for flashing lights above the stop signs at Steward and Perry roads. TRAFFIC CONTINUED ON A2
To attend The Lee County Zoning Board will meet at 9 a.m. today in the County Board meeting room on the third floor of the Old County Courthouse, 112 E. Second St. The board, among other things, will vote on a resolution on setting up displays on the lawn of the old Lee County Courthouse. Last year, some objected to the long-standing practice of allowing a Christmas display at the courthouse. Call 815-288-5676 for more information on the meeting.
Today’s weather High 66. Low 45. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B7.
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