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Wednesday, February 25, 2015
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
DIXON | HEROIN OVERDOSES
Police: Two dead since Saturday Lieutenant: ‘Bad batch’ of heroin going around city BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521 @SeaWarren
DIXON – Since Saturday, two people in Dixon have died of a heroin overdose, police say. A 25-year-old woman died on
Saturday. A 35-year-old man died early Tuesday. Heroin overdose deaths have been on the rise in Lee County since the drug started being trafficked regularly into the area from larger Rockford dealers, police say. A bad batch seems to be going around now, Lt. Clay Whelan said. Responding to a call about 11:13 a.m. Saturday, police found Kelsey Jane (Santos) Beck, 25, unresponsive and
Westly A. Frey Jr.
Karen J. Breunig
not breathing inside a home at 521 E. Eighth St. She was pronounced dead at KSB Hospital.
Karen J. Breunig, 54, and Westly A. Frey Jr., 25, both of 521 E. Eighth St., were arrested Monday and charged Kelsey Jane with obstruct(Santos) Beck ing justice, a class 4 felony, for which they could face 1-3 years in prison. Breunig is Frey’s mother. Beck was Frey’s girlfriend, but she
did not live with him, police said. Whelan said that Frey and Breunig concealed physical evidence that was later brought to police by a concerned third party. In August 2011, Frey pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to 8 years in prison, with 3 years of mandatory supervision. He was paroled in October 2014. HEROIN CONTINUED ON A3
AFC SCHOOL BOARD
WHITESIDE COUNTY | SPELLING BEE
Middle school set to close
What impasse?
Cuts in district staff to be discussed next week BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Meagan Moore, an eighth-grader at St. Mary’s School in Sterling, shares an embrace with her parents, Steve and Deb Moore, after winning the Whiteside County Regional Spelling Bee on Tuesday evening at Morrison Junior High School. Moore won a trip to Washington, District of Columbia, to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
St. Mary’s student wins competition, earns spot in national event BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
MORRISON – The third time was a charm for Meagan Moore. After 12 rounds, the only thing that stood between Moore, an eighth-grader at St. Mary’s School in Sterling, and a trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee was the word impasse. Moments after she was given the word, Moore uttered the letters I-M-P-AS-S-E. With that correctly spelled word, Moore was named the winner of the Whiteside County Regional Spelling Bee on Tuesday night at Morrison Junior High School. She was able to win the
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competition in the 12th round over Glen Wicks, an eighth-grader from Montmorency School in Rock Falls. Wicks incorrectly spelled benevolent. “I was in shock, and I was not expecting it at all,” said Moore as she was surrounded by proud family members. “I was pretty nervous, and I tried to keep my nerves down and just focus and relax.” Moore was taking her third crack at the annual event. Last year, she was eliminated in the early rounds by the word fidelity. The first time she participated, 2 years ago, she came in second place and was eliminated on the word oratorical. IMPASSE CONTINUED ON A2
INDEX
ASHTON – Beginning next school year, students will not be attending classes at AshtonFranklin Center Middle School in Franklin Grove. How long that will be the case remains to be seen. The AFC school board on Monday approved a district reorganization plan, which closes AFC Middle School. Beginning next Superintendent school year, the John Zick AFC Elementary School, also in Franklin Grove, will house students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Students in the seventh through 12th grades will attend AFC High School, in Ashton. The middle school building will be used only for practices and other school-related activities. “This will not sacrifice educational programming for our students,” district Superintendent John Zick said. The main reason for the reorganization is a 10-year decline in enrollment and an education fund with a $362,000 deficit last year that could grow to $600,000 this year. That, school officials say, is a worst case scenario. The reorganization will save the district an estimated $440,000. District enrollment has dropped from 666 students in the 2004-05 school year to 520 this year. SCHOOL CONTINUED ON A4
Videos online
Glen Wicks, an eighth-grader at Montmorency School in Rock Falls, spells his word during the Whiteside County Regional Spelling Bee. Wicks came in second place.
ABBY ................... A8 COMICS ............. A12 CROSSWORD....B12
FOOD ................... A9 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
Go to saukvalley.com to see videos from the GayStraight Alliance open house at Sterling High School. Story on Page A5. There is also video from Summit of Hope in Rock Falls. Story on Page A7.
Today’s weather High 20. Low 8. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
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