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Love is in the air, DIXON TAKES CONTROL OF BNC RACE and the kitchen BOYS BASKETBALL, B1
FOOD, A9-10
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Wednesday, February 10, 2016
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
ROCK FALLS | FATAL FIRE
‘Accidental undetermined’ In stark brevity, 2 words bring an indefinite close to tragedy BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra
ROCK FALLS – The investigation is over, but the cause of the Jan. 13 fire that killed five members of a Rock Falls family likely never will be determined, although there are “strong” indications that it was electrical in nature,
local and state fire officials said Tuesday. Statements provided to investigators by the surviving daughter indicate that the fire could have started as a result of an overloaded power outlet or power strip with too many computers, cellphones, or electronics plugged into it, said Bill Milby, Twin City deputy fire chief. What was left of the two-story
home at 414 Second Ave. was razed Monday. Patrick Hopkins, 61, his wife, Mary (Adams) Hopkins, 49, their daughter Maggie, 26, son Donovan, 16, and daughter Katie Jo, 13, were in two bedrooms upstairs when the fire started in the living room downstairs. They perished, along the family’s three dogs. FIRE CONTINUED ON A4
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
The investigation is over, but the cause of the Jan. 13 fire that killed five members of a Rock Falls family at 414 Second Ave. likely never will be determined.
DIXON
DIXON
Big money is in the cards for winner
Cheek, please Parents fortunate enough to find help for their daughter is asking others to help save a life
VFW puts its heart into helping fix up its building BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Greer, 2, and big sister Harlow, 5, sit with parents Courtney and Kel Bond on Tuesday in their Dixon home. In honor of Greer, and thousands of other patients who need a transplant, the Bond family is sponsoring a donor registration drive Tuesday at KSB Hospital, where people can join the National Bone Marrow Registry with a simple – but potentially lifesaving – swab of the cheek. BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
DIXON – Greer Bond is a sweet, cheerful 2-year-old. To look at her, you’d never know she has leukemia. “Last spring, around Easter, we started noticing little things, such as random fevers,” said Courtney Bond, 30, Greer’s
DIXON – Feeling lucky? You might want to pay a visit to the VFW Thursday. For 38 weeks, the club has been sponsoring a Queen of Hearts fundraiser. With no winner, the jackpot is up to $77,175. At the beginning of the game, there were 54 numbered cards, under which nestled all four suits plus the two jokers found in a standard deck of playing cards. Only 16 cards are left. Here’s how it works: Six tickets cost $5, and on the back of each, you put your name, your phone number, and the number under which you think the queen is lurking. “We dump everyone’s name in a barrel, and if the winning ticket has the correct card, they win,” VFW Cmdr. Chuck Langele said. “If no one gets the correct card, we do it again next week.” The person who finally picks the queen of hearts will win 70 percent of the jackpot if he or she is present for the drawing – $54,022.50 if the win is made Thursday – while 15 percent will be given to a Dixon charity to be determined and the remaining 15 percent will go to the VFW. CARDS CONTINUED ON A4
mother. “We also noticed bruising on her stomach and face.” On April 20, Greer was diagnosed with Philadelphia Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or Ph+ ALL. After several rounds of chemotherapy, doctors concluded that her best chance to grow up with her family is a bone marrow transplant. CHEEK CONTINUED ON A7
DIXON ONE
For task force members, all roads lead to new ideas BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
DIXON – The group tasked with creating a one-stop shop for marketing, tourism and development made a few stops of its own recently, to do some shopping for ideas.
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TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 164 ISSUE 199
Members of the Dixon One task force visited other cities to gather information and ideas that could be used for the group that will combine Main Street, the Riverfront Commission, and Dixon Tourism. On Tuesday, task force members met to discuss their findings. Task force chairman Gary Gehlbach
INDEX
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ......... A12 COMICS ...............B6
said volunteers were sent to other communities comparable to Dixon “to see how they are handling their marketing, tourism, chamber of commerce and economic development. There may be better ideas out there than we can come up with.”
CROSSWORD....B12 FOOD ..............A9-10 LIFESTYLE ........... A8
TASK FORCE CONTINUED ON A4
LOTTERY ............. A2 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
Next meeting
The Dixon One task force will meet again at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at City Hall, 121 W. Second St. Go to discoverdixon.org or call City Hall at 815-288-1485 for an agenda or more information.
Today’s weather High 18. Low 7. More on A3.
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