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EASTLAND GIRLS HOOPS BALLCARDS
Chicken dish puts spring on table
SPORTS, B3
FOOD, A9
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Wednesday, February 26, 2014
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
2014 ELECTION | REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR LEE COUNTY SHERIFF
Sheriff hopefuls talk training Simonton, Varga face off at forum Tuesday BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 521
DIXON – Lee County Sheriff John Varga touted his experience and his relationship with the County Board at a candidates forum Tuesday. His opponent, John Simonton, said he could do better. About 200 people showed up to the Sauk Valley Tea Party-hosted event, which was held at Dixon’s Loveland Community House.
The first question of the night was about the jail and the sheriff’s deputies’ training when it comes to working with inmates with mental health disorders. Varga said that in recent years, especially with statewide budget cuts and closing of state mental health facilities, the jail is now being forced to house a population it isn’t equipped to handle, but that his correctional officers are doing what they can with what they have. That idea of working with what you have was the theme of the night for Varga, who also often spoke of the uphill climb during his tenure at sheriff, marked by a shrinking budget.
“We try to get the best training that we can to the correctional officers that we have, and that’s either by video or through medical service providers,” Varga said. “For the most part, during an arrest, depending on the circumstances, we might not really find out the main issues that they have until they get to the jail, and either they get evaluated by doctors or we have family members come in and tell us.” Varga said inmates with mental health disorders face 6 to 8 months in Lee County before they’re able to be transferred to the appropriate facilities. TRAINING CONTINUED ON A4
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Barb Schwamberger of Dixon asks a question Tuesday night during a Sauk Valley Tea Party-hosted sheriff forum in Dixon. Lee County Sheriff John Varga and candidate John Simonton, both Republicans, answered questions at Loveland Community House.
UTILITIES
DIXON
‘Better outcomes’ in new ICU Some
without water in Amboy
Resident: City gave us ‘erroneous’ information BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
ICU Director Val Pfoutz describes a lifting system used in the hospital’s new intensive care wing. KSB has just finished the wing and is waiting for approval from the state to begin accepting patients.
KSB project cost $2.8 million BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529
DIXON – The new and old intensive care units at KSB Hospital are separated by a floor and 30 years. After nearly 18 months on planning and construction, the public will get its first look during an open house Wednesday. The new ICU, which emphasizes patient and family comfort and work efficiency, cost the hospital $2.8 million. The new ICU has twice the space, more technology, more efficient work spaces, and an isolation room to prevent airborne diseases from spreading.
It will be open for patients in about a month, said hospital President David Schreiner, after it receives final approvals from the state. While doing the research and planning, the hospital determined it didn’t need to expand its current ICU capacity, Schreiner said, so the new third floor facility will have six patient rooms. The old ICU is on the fourth floor of the hospital and will be turned into administrative meeting space, officials said, because the cost of renovating it for other medical uses was too expensive. ICU CONTINUED ON A2
The former ICU was built 30 years ago. The cramped spaces and floor cords are just a few of the aspects that have been changed in the new unit.
Online extra Go to saukvalley.com to take a video tour of the new intensive care unit at KSB Hospital in Dixon.
AMBOY – Michael Therriault and his family have been without water for nearly 3 weeks, saying it appears to be the result of a frozen line on the city’s side of the system. When he informed the city, he said, “I was told it was a problem all the way to the main.” A city worker informed him that the customer was responsible for the water line all the way to the main, he said. In many towns in the Sauk Valley, the municipality is in charge from the curb box to the main, where Therriault’s problem is believed to have taken place. On Saturday, more than 2 weeks after losing water service, Therriault, who lives in the 700 block of East Main Street, called Alderwoman Deanne Hoy about it. Hoy said she hadn’t known about it. It turns out two other houses and two businesses also are without water, she said. The city is checking to see whether it can solve the problems and has been to Therriault’s house, she said. “This is definitely an issue,” Hoy said. “[The city] should haven’t waited this long to deal with this water issue. From what I was told, the attitude they were given was, ‘Wait until the spring thaw.’” When their water went off, Therriault’s wife, Carolyn, and his daughter, Vicki Therriault, started spending nights at the Comfort Inn in Dixon, with Therriault visiting often. The motel got too expensive, so they returned home. WATER CONTINUED ON A4
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 210
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A11 COMICS ...............B6 CROSSWORD....B11
DEAR ABBY ......... A8 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
Today’s weather High 16. Low -3. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B7.
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