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SVM PREVIEWS WEEK 8 GAMES
PREP FOOTBALL, B1 LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT, A7-10
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Thursday, October 17, 2013
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
DIXON SCHOOLS
District eyes Lincoln closure Decision now lies in hands of school board BY DEREK BARICHELLO dbarichello@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 526
DIXON – A proposal was made Wednesday to close Lincoln Elementary School, but no action was taken as more discussion is expected in the next 2 weeks. Second- and third-grade students attending Lincoln would move to Jefferson Elementary School, while fourthand fifth-grade students at Jefferson would be housed at Reagan Middle School, according to Dixon Superintendent Michael Juenger’s proposal presented at Wednesday’s regular meeting at Jefferson. Prekindergarten and early childhood programs at Reagan would transfer to
Washington Elementary School, which still would house kindergarten and first grades under the plan. The high school would not be affected. Closing the elementary school and reconfiguring the grade levels is projected to save a minimum of $246,000 annually in the education fund and $70,000 annually in the operations and maintenance fund. The proposal comes in response to a projected $1.47 million deficit in the education fund for the 2013-14 school year, leaving a fund balance of $1.44 million. The education fund is the largest and most critical in a school district, funding everything from teachers’ salaries to educational programs. The administration is recommending
COMPARING CITIES
the proposal, but the school board must vote on it to put it into action. A public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Reagan cafeteria to discuss the plan and a staff-only meeting will take place Oct. 23. If the district does not reduce its expenses for the 2014-2015 school year, the balance in its education fund would be depleted and it would be forced to set up a budget-reduction plan with the state, said district business manager David Blackburn. The education fund went from a balance of $4.3 million in 2012 to a projected $1.44 million at the end of the school year, Blackburn said. LINCOLN CONTINUED ON A4
Submitted
Dixon Superintendent Michael Juenger proposed to close Lincoln Elementary School in Dixon during Wednesday night’s board meeting. Lincoln students would be divided between Jefferson Elementary and Reagan Middle schools.
BUDGET BATTLE
HIGH WIRE WORK IN DIXON
Morrison sewer bills rate among the highest
Congress votes to end shutdown Bipartisan measure reopens government
Sterling has lower rates than others BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
MORRISON – Morrison residents might suffer from sticker shock next month when they open their sewer and water bills. Residents who use 4,000 gallons in a month will see a 40 percent increase in the sewer portion of their bills. The city plans to use the extra money to pay for a new wastewater treatment plant. That increase is just the start. The city expects big increases the next 4 years. By 2017, the new plant should be fully operational, Mayor Everett Pannier said. The 4,000 gallons will cost $47.65, considerably higher than Dixon’s rate of $26.19 and Sterling’s $17.20. Rock Falls is still higher at $54, but that should change soon. Pannier said the city will likely raise rates by a similar percentage next year. After 4 years, the rates will likely level off, the mayor said. SEWER CONTINUED ON A2
Comparing sewer rates Here’s a comparison of monthly water rates for a resident who uses 4,000 gallons in a month: Dixon $26.19 Morrison $47.65 Rock Falls $54.00 Sterling $17.20 Note: Dixon and Sterling measure their sewer bills in cubic feet, but Sauk Valley Media translated that into gallons.
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 28 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 119
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
The Reagan Statue appears to be keeping an eye on ComEd crew members as they work on an electrical tower near the riverfront in Dixon. The crew worked Wednesday to replace insulators on the towers.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Up against a deadline, Congress passed and sent a waiting President Barack Obama legislation late Wednesday night to avoid a threatened national default and end the 16-day partial government shutdown, the culmination of an epic politiPresident cal drama that Barack Obama placed the U.S. economy at risk. The Senate voted first, a bipartisan 81-18 at midevening. That cleared the way for a final 285-144 vote in the Republican-controlled House about 2 hours later on the legislation, which hewed strictly to the terms Obama laid down when the twin crises erupted more than 3 weeks ago. The legislation would permit the Treasury to borrow normally through Feb. 7 or perhaps a month longer, and fund the government through Jan. 15. More than two million federal workers would be paid – those who had remained on the job and those who had been furloughed. At the White House, Obama hailed the Senate’s vote. The White House embraced the bill, worked out by the Senate’s two party leaders, saying in a statement it would “protect the full faith and credit of the United States and end the government shutdown.” Republicans had other concerns. “We fought the good fight. We just didn’t win,” conceded House Speaker John Boehner as lawmakers lined up to vote on a bill that includes nothing to eradicate or scale back Obama’s signature health care overhaul. LEGISLATION CONTINUED ON A4
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A14 COMICS ............. A12 CROSSWORD....B13
DEAR ABBY ....... A11 LOTTERY ............. A2 OBITUARIES ........ A4
OPINION .............. A6 PLAN!T ................. A7 SPORTS ...............B1
Today’s weather High 60. Low 38. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B8.
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