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Merger proposal presented to council
SVM ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
DIXON, A3
SPORTS, B3
TELEGRAPH
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
UPDATE| BODY FOUND ON INTERSTATE 88
Another 911 call was made Motorist: ‘He was laying half in the road’ BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521
DIXON – An inspection of 911 calls shows that at least three – not two – motorists alerted police the night of
Nov. 12 to the presence of a man on the ground and waving to drivers alongside Interstate 88. The calls were made almost 12 hours before the body of Lee Catlin, 65, was found in a ditch
near the road. The autopsy showed that Catlin had died of hypothermia. A longtime retired teacher from Bettendorf, Iowa, Catlin was clothed in one shoe, socks, sweatpants,
a shirt and a jacket. The temperature in Dixon the night he died dipped into the midteens. At the time of his autopsy, Catlin had a blood-alcohol content of 0.105, higher than the legal limit. He also was found to have severe cirrhosis of the liver.
WEATHER | DEEP FREEZE
The 911 recordings, obtained through a public records request, show that at 8:46 p.m. Nov. 12, 20 minutes after the first 911 call was placed, another motorist made a 911 call describing a man lying on the road, gesturing near mile marker 51.5. ANOTHER CONTINUED ON A10
ROCK FALLS
Service center an honor for scouts
When eagles dare
It will serve girls in Whiteside, Lee, Ogle counties BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 535
Sterling, Rock Falls were coldest cities in Midwest early Monday Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
An eagle soars above the steamy Rock River on Monday morning, leaving its frost-covered nest in Lawrence Park. Sauk Valley residents woke up to the coldest temperatures in the region. BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
The temperature plunged to minus 27 at the Whiteside County Airport in Rock Falls early Monday. Even the weatherman admits that was unexpected. “You had the coldest air in the Midwest,” said Andy Ervin, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities. “It was pretty remarkable. No other place was close to what you saw in Rock Falls and Sterling.”
The forecast Today – High of 26 degrees; 4 to 8 inches of snow Wednesday – High of 15, but low plummets to minus 13 Thursday – Colder, on the whole; high of 6, low of minus 4 The temperature hit its low about 7:30 a.m. Towns such as Mount Carroll, Princeton and DeKalb saw temperatures nowhere near that low. Why the difference? Unlike the others nearby towns, Sterling and Rock Falls are in the Rock River Valley, and a combination
of circumstances, including calm winds and fresh snow cover, allowed temperatures to plummet, said Mike McClure, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities. “It was just the perfect setup,” he said. “The dense, cold air settled in the river valleys, and you had no
wind to scour out that cold air.” The phenomenon applied to other areas. For instance, Rockford, which the Rock River cuts through, saw a temperature of minus 16 shortly after 7:30 a.m., while the temperature was minus 12 in Freeport to the west and minus 8 in Marengo to the east. By noon, the temperature in Sterling and Rock Falls had risen to 7 degrees, similar to other towns in the area.
POLITICS | CONGRESSIONAL FUNDRAISING
Bustos ahead in race for money Kinzinger’s haul in 2013 dwarfs rival’s BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat whose district includes Whiteside County, is far ahead in fundraising over her Republican rival, former Rep. Bobby Schilling. This year’s race is a rematch in the 17th Congressional District. In 2012, Bustos ousted then-incumbent Schil-
$1.00
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ling, who had served one term. According to their campaign finance reports, Bustos of East Moline raised $1.1 million last year, more than three times Schilling’s $292,806. The Colona Republican started his campaign in July. Friday was the deadline to file the latest reports with the Federal Election Commission. RACE CONTINUED ON A11
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A12 COMICS ............... A8 CROSSWORD....B11
ROCK FALLS – In recognition of the passion and dedication local Girl Scouts and their volunteers have displayed, the regional powers-that-be are opening a service center to provide assistance, support and encouragement. “We’re opening a service center in Rock Falls because we have just a really dedicated corps of volunteers, troop leaders, Scouts and families in the area, and they’ve been very vocal about having a Girl Scout presence in their community,” Ann-Marie Soderstrom, public relations manager for Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, said Monday. The nearest service centers now are in Freeport and Rockford. New CEO Fiona Cummings, who took office in the fall, said at the time that her goals for the organization were to boost volunteer and girl recruitment, increase community partnerships, and improve resources for current volunteers. It is hoped the center can help accomplish those goals. Cummings “heard the groundwell of support [for a local service center] and listened,” Soderstrom said. “This is just proof that people in the Rock Falls area feel strongly about Girls Scouts, and that Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois is just as committed to them, and that’s why we want to be there,” Soderstrom said. SCOUTS CONTINUED ON A5
Open house details inside Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline
Raised $1.1M in 2013, $2.1M in 2012
DEAR ABBY ......... A7 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
Bobby Schilling, R-Colona
Raised $292,806 in 2013, $2.5M in 2012
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
The grand opening of the local service center – which is designed to serve residents of Whiteside, Lee and Ogle counties – will be held Saturday. Get all the details on A5.
Today’s weather High 26. Low 7. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B5.
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