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Wednesday, January 22, 2014
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
WHITESIDE COUNTY COURT | PROPHETSTOWN FIRE
Boy, 12, pleads guilty to arson ‘I wish you the very best,’ judge says before sentencing him to 5 years probation BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521
STERLING – A 12-year-old boy who, along with his halfbrother, was accused of setting a fire that burned down much of downtown Prophetstown in July pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of arson. He was sentenced to 5 years of probation, the maximum probation sentence allowed. The 18 other charges against him were dismissed. As the boy entered his plea, his father, wearing a “Prophet Strong” T-shirt, wiped away
tears and reached for a box of tissues. The terms of probation for the 12-year-old won’t allow him to possess any incendiary devices or have unsupervised contact with his 16-year-old halfbrother, who is also accused of starting the fire that destroyed eight buildings July 15 in the historic downtown. The boy also will participate in victim-offender conferencing, which will give victims of the fire an opportunity to express the impact the arson had on their lives and the community. This will be the first time that tactic is
used in Whiteside County. “You’re very young,” Whiteside County Associate Judge Bill McNeal said Tuesday. “The act you committed was very serious. ... I’m sure that on that night you didn’t mean to burn down a big chunk of Prophetstown.” “No, sir,” the boy said. “I wish you the very best,” McNeal said. “You take care.” The boy left the courtroom, as did his maternal grandmother, who had traveled to Illinois from New York for the court appearance. BOY CONTINUED ON A5
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Firefighters from a number of area departments work the scene of a blaze in downtown Prophetstown in this July 15 photo. Authorities say the fire, which destroyed eight buildings and damaged two others, was started in a recycling bin behind Cindy Jean’s Restaurant (pictured here). On Tuesday, one of the half brothers accused of starting the fire pleaded guilty to arson.
EDUCATION | SCHOLASTIC BOWL
DIXON
Look back, and ahead, at finances
Bowling for braniacs Teens more than able to meet this academic challenge
Audit presentation indicates positive future for Dixon
BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 535
STERLING – It’s trivia on steroids, and these kids have bulked up big time. They are the jocks of genius. In a warm, cramped classroom at Newman Central Catholic High School on Tuesday evening, the Comets’ varsity team squared off against Bureau Valley in one of the first Scholastic Bowl tournament matches of the evening. If you’ve never been to a bowl tournament, you’re missing out on a dizzying display of teen intellect. Topics come in six categories: literature and grammar, social studies, math, science, art and miscellaneous, which includes pop culture and sports. Each student is responsible for two areas of expertise, which he or she chooses. During play, the five panelists can consult with one another to provide an answer. Players move in and out of the panel, just like a sports team. In the first round alone Tuesday, answers required knowledge of subjects including, but in no way limited to: tectonic plates, Greek deities, opera, Charles Lindbergh and the Nazis, Indonesian islands, Pontius Pilate, eminent domain, the Fibonacci number, J.R.R. Tolkein, uranium, the moon and New Jersey politics. The Comets had it in spades: They won the first match, 380 to 80. Like any good coach, Ann Propheter would love to see more kids participate. BOWLING CONTINUED ON A2
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 28 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 185
BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529
DIXON – Some of Dixon’s recent and infamous history was discussed during Tuesday night’s meeting of the Dixon City Council. Commissioners were given a presentation of audited financial statements from the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years, including former Comptroller Rita Crundwell’s final year with the city, and went into executive session to discuss releasing minutes from closed meetings after Crundwell’s arrest in 2012. Crundwell last year was sentenced to 19 years, 7 months in federal prison for stealing nearly $54 million from the city over two decades. A decision on releasing the closed-session minutes likely won’t happen for another two or three meetings, Mayor Jim Burke said Monday, and would have to come back to the council as an aaction item on an agenda. The audit started in August 2012, Wipfli’s Rory Sohn said, and had to begin with detailing and documenting the money Crundwell had stolen, in order to accurately adjust the starting financial figures. FINANCES CONTINUED ON A4
Dateline Dixon Inside Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Members of the Newman Central Catholic High School team work out math questions with pencil and paper during Tuesday night’s Scholastic Bowl tournament at the school. Math is one of six categories in the competition. The others are literature and grammar, social studies, science, art and miscellaneous.
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A13 COMICS ...............B7 CROSSWORD....B13
DEAR ABBY ......... A8 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
Want to have a say in what downtown Dixon looks like years from now? in his weekly column, SVM reporter Matt Mencarini writes about tonight’s meeting to gather public input on a streetscape plan. Page A3
Today’s weather High 13. Low -7. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B8.
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