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Sights set on water ski record
POLICE CONFIRM SOME DETAILS OF SHOOTINGS ROCK FALLS, A5
SPORTS, B1
WEEKEND ENTERPRISE | THE CRUNDWELL AFTERMATH
Crundwell minutes still secret Council might soon open records of closed sessions BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
DIXON – At 6:30 p.m. April 16, 2012, Dixon Mayor Jim Burke called a special City Council
meeting to order. A commissioner immediately asked that the council meet behind closed doors. Everyone agreed. The reason: They had to talk
about specific personnel issues that are exempt from the state Open Meetings Act, a law that requires most discussions Rita of a government body to be open to Crundwell the public. The members met privately for nearly 2 hours. That wasn’t just any meet-
ing. Earlier in the day, FBI agents had arrested Rita Crundwell, the city’s longtime comptroller, for stealing nearly $54 million from city Dixon Mayor coffers over two Jim Burke decades. She has since been sent to prison. What did the council discuss in the private session?
WEEKEND FEATURE| KSB HOSPITAL IN DIXON
Early, but still ‘perfect’ Kennedi Jo doing well despite scares at child birth
PERFECT CONTINUED ON A9
ROCK FALLS
Another delay for tenants’ return BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521
ROCK FALLS – An early-morning water line break on Friday at the evacuated Civic Plaza II will push back the move-in date of its residents to at least next week. The break flooded the elevator shaft and the first floor, and took out the control for the elevators. That will need to be repaired before the residents are able to return to their homes. Rock Falls building inspector Mark Searing said he got a phone call about the water line break about 8 or 8:30 Friday morning. “We were going to be able to open it back up today,” he said. “Then I got the call.” TENANTS CONTINUED ON A2
COMMUNITY
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Despite a premature birth and a health scare for Mom, Kelsey Smothers and her daughter, Kennedi Jo, were healthy and looking forward to going home Friday. Kennedi Jo was born 7 weeks early on Dec. 31 at KSB Hospital in Dixon. Kelsey and her husband, Justin, live in Amboy.
Snow possible
VOLUME 6 ISSUE 20 40 Pages
MINUTES CONTINUED ON A4
New water line break floods parts of Civic Plaza II
BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529
DIXON – Kennedi Jo Smothers was born about 3:30 p.m. Dec. 31. She was born at KSB Hospital in Dixon. And she was born 7 weeks premature during emergency cesarean section surgery to save her mother’s life. “I was at home, and she was always kicking up a storm,” Kelsey Smothers said Thursday from a bed in Room 218 in KSB’s obstetrics department. “... I didn’t feel her moving for about 2 hours. I drank a soda, ate some Oreos, and lay on my side. I did what I could.” Kelsey and her husband of 2 years, Justin Smothers, both of Amboy, then went to KSB Hospital, where Kennedi Jo’s vital signs checked out fine, they said. Kelsey, however, was sent to a Rockford hospital because doctors were concerned about preeclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that can occur late in a pregnancy, said Dr. Robb Rydzynski, Kelsey’s doctor, who had seen her a week before Dec. 31. “We’re not exactly sure why it happens, but it typically occurs during the end of a pregnancy,” he said. “Women have a constellation of symptoms. It’s something that affects their entire body.” Pre-eclampsia, which can include elevated blood pressure and kidney and liver failure, can transition to eclampsia, Rydzynski said.
That’s still officially secret. But it could change. Under the Open Meetings Act, public bodies are required to review minutes of executive sessions twice a year to determine whether the need for secrecy still exists. Or they can release the minutes if they no longer see the need for confidentiality.
Today: 33/17 For the forecast, see Page A8
The People’s Voice
Christopher Heimerman talks with an impressive group from Kreider. See Page A3
Self improvement The Doctors offer seven small lifestyle changes to get healthier Also inside USA Weekend: Winter citrus fruit parfait Ways to save on college tuition Matt LeBlanc
Images of 2013 A look at some of SVM photographer Philip Marruffo’s favorite shots from last year. PAGE C12
Index Births................ C5 Markets ............ A8 Business........... C1 Nation .............. A8 Classified .......... D1 Obituaries ......... A4 Comics ............. B6 Opinion............. A6 Community ..... C12 Scoreboard .... B10 Scrapbook ....... C3 Crossword Saturday ........... D6 Sports .............. B1 Support groups .. C5 Crossword Sunday ............. C8 Travel .............. C10 Dear Abby ........ C6 Weather............ A8 Lottery .............. A2 Wheels ............. D8