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STERLING, MORRISON PLAY BALL ... FOR QUITE A WHILE BASEBALL, B1
Prepare for your visit to the poll ELECTION 2016, A5
TELEGRAPH Tuesday, March 15, 2016
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
DIXON | WATER AND SEWER
City recommends rate hike Of several options, council picks 6 percent uptick over 3 years BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers
DIXON – After about 45 minutes of debate, the City Council on Monday made a general recommendation to increase water
and sewage rates by 6 percent over the next 3 years. The increase would add about $2.22 to residents’ monthly utility bill, totaling an estimated $26.64 increase per year. City Manager Cole O’Donnell presented the council with three
scenarios of 5, 6 and 7 percent increases over the next 5 years in order to keep up with the cost of projected infrastructure improvements. He said the city will need to allocate at least $500,000 to both water and sewer funds
each year for equipment and infrastructure improvements, and the goal of the increase is to build reserve funds back up to about $3.8 million – the budget’s current level. RATE CONTINUED ON A4
STERLING
Next meeting
The Dixon City Council will next meet at 5:30 p.m. March 21 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.
EDUCATION
Main fixed, but work continues Sterling
to reduce WACC enrollment School district facing projected $800,000 shortfall in FY17 BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Heavy equipment sits idle at the site of a water main that broke Sunday morning in downtown Sterling, causing part of Third Street to be shut down for the day as crews repaired the damage.
Stopbox repaired; road damages assessed after Sunday morning break BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – A water main break on East Third Street near Locust Street is fixed, but utility crews are taking the opportunity to do additional work in the area. Sterling Police reported the break about 5:40 a.m. Sunday, after being notified by a downtown business owner. The city’s public water utility, Illinois American Water, said the water was safe to drink, so a boil order wasn’t issued. Some residents noticed changes in the color and pressure of the water, but the utility said running it for a while would take care of the problems. Because the utility’s crews were there, and the road was torn up, they decided to do some unplanned work. A lone bicyclist pedals along the usually bustling thoroughfare in downtown Sterling. MAIN CONTINUED ON A2
MISSOURI | THE SHELEY TRIAL
Judge denies request for change of venue Motion requesting new judge also denied BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra
HILLSBORO, Mo. – A convicted spree killer’s requests to have his Jefferson County murder trial moved
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 164 ISSUE 223
and judge changed were denied. Assistant Prosecutor Attorney Steven Jerrell successfully opposed Nicholas Sheley, 36, of Sterling by shutting down several argumentative exhibits: that Jefferson County residents are prejudiced because
INDEX
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ............... A8
of TV news video that aired in 2008; that residents are biased because of online news coverage; and that a jury cannot be selected because of several out-of-state newspaper articles. “We don’t pick juries here from Iowa, Illinois or Wisconsin,” Jerrell said in the argument submitted to Circuit Judge Nathan B. Stewart. SHELEY CONTINUED ON A5
CROSSWORD....B10 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
STERLING – To help alleviate a projected $800,000 shortfall, the Sterling school district plans to significantly reduce the number of students it sends to Whiteside Area Career Center, Superintendent Tad Everett said in a letter to WACC superintendents, obtained by Sauk Valley Media. In the letter, Everett said Sterling High students still will attend four programs: building trades, Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities, commercial food services and auto service. Starting this fall, though, they will take health occupations and allied health, welding and fabrication, criminal justice, computer science and early childhood education classes through Sauk Valley Community College. The decision, which would save about $50,000, is part of a budget reduction plan the board will discuss in closed session at its meeting Wednesday before sharing details in open session. Members are working to balance a fiscal year 2017 budget projected to be $800,000 in the red. A public reduction-in-force hearing will be held March 30. “We’ll allow people a voice to the things that are proposed,” Everett said Monday afternoon. He would confirm only that the budget reduction plan will be discussed at Wednesday’s board meeting. “That public voice is very important to us.” REDUCE CONTINUED ON A3
To attend
Nicholas Sheley
NATION/WORLD .. A9 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
The Sterling school board meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the high school library, 1608 Fourth Ave. Go to sterlingpublicschools.org, or call 815-6265050 for more information.
Today’s weather High 63. Low 46. More on A3.
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