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DUKES TAKE CONFERENCE TITLE BOYS BASKETBALL, B1
Learn the A, B, seas of variety FOOD, A9-10
TELEGRAPH
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
LEE COUNTY | NEW JAIL
County will decrease increase Board members vote to cut tax hike for new jail by half, should voters approve it BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
DIXON – The Lee County Board unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday that in effect promises voters that if they pass a sales tax hike to pay for a new jail, the county will
seek only a half-percent bump, rather than the full 1 percent actually requested on the March 15 ballot. “Instead of being taxed a penny on intangible goods, it will now be a half penny,” Sheriff John Simonton said. That’s because early estimates of how much money the tax would raise were off, something officials
didn’t learn until after it was too late to change the language on the ballot. “When we voted on this in December, we were under the impression that we would gain $900,000 a year on a 1 percent sales tax,” Simonton said. “That was an erroneous figure and unfortunately, we didn’t get that exact figure back from
the Department of Revenue until 6 weeks after the request.” A 1 percent increase would generate about $2.2 million a year, much more than the $900,000 originally estimated, and more than is needed to pay for a $12 million to $15 million jail.
John Simonton
TAX HIKE CONTINUED ON A2
STATE BUDGET: LOCAL IMPACT
EDUCATION
Functioning among the dysfunction
UPLIFTING A program in Sterling schools builds more than muscle; it builds character, too
Fiscal crisis in Springfield takes toll on Dixon’s Kreider Services BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5535 @KathleenSchul10
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Alex Tapia waits at his station Tuesday before starting his reps during the Lifting Club at Challand Middle School. Students work out 2 days a week after school. BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
STERLING – It’s hard to believe sixth-grader Juan Carlos Vargas could benefit from more energy. He was like the Tasmanian devil Tuesday, flying from station to station and hollering with enthusiasm during Lifting Club at Challand Middle School. “Come on, let’s go, let’s go!” he yelled to his three workout buddies. Volunteer Brandon Nelson, pas-
tor at St. Paul Lutheran, had to tell eighth-grader Jeremy Masa to slow down, too, as he did lateral box jumps at a frenetic pace. But the goal isn’t just to boost energy. Or lose weight, for that matter – although Jeremy’s lost about 20 pounds since the club opened in late October. Seventh-grader Alex Tapia, who came up with the idea for the club, has lost about 30 pounds. That’s 30 pounds in about 15 weeks – 2 pounds shed per week, despite Christmas break’s intrusion. WELLNESS CONTINUED ON A12
DIXON – The current state budget stalemate, coupled with “a decade of neglect in Springfield,” is being blamed for the loss of more Sauk Valley social services and employees. Kreider Services provides training and programs for the intellectually and developmentally disabled and their families. Jeff “Kreider Services is not immune Stauter to the current dysfunction in Springfield,” and program changes and layoffs have been implemented “to deal with the current fiscal crisis brought about by the lack of a state budget agreement and a decade of neglect in Springfield,” Executive Director Jeff Stauter said in a news release Tuesday morning. DYSFUNCTION CONTINUED ON A5
ELECTION 2016
Candidates will make their case Debate planned for Lee County state’s attorney GOP candidates STAFF REPORT news@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5501
Challand Middle School sixth-grader Juan Carlos Vargas jumps rope for 30 seconds Tuesday during the after-school program Lifting Club, which meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. The districtwide Wellness Committee, formed about a year ago, hopes to add more groups and grow the ones it’s put in place – but they’ll need more volunteers to make that happen.
Online extra
Go to saukvalley.com to see video of Fitness Club in action.
DIXON – The three candidates seeking the Republican Party nomination for Lee County state’s attorney will participate in a debate at 7 p.m. March 8 in the Dixon High School auditorium, 300 Lincoln Statue Drive. Admission is free to the event, which comes 1 week before the March 15 primary election. It will be broadcast live on WIXN-AM 1460 radio and live streamed on its website, as well as be filmed by Sauk Valley Media and posted to its website. William Brozovich, Michael Downey, and Matthew Klahn are seeking the 4-year term as the county’s top prosecutor. There are no Democratic Party candidates. CANDIDATES CONTINUED ON A2
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 164 ISSUE 204
INDEX
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ......... A11 COMICS ...............B6
CROSSWORD....B12 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
FOOD ..............A9-10 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
Today’s weather High 30. Low 21. More on A3.
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