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INSIDE AND OUT: WESTWOOD A WARMUP FOR WARRIORS
Cyclists: Give us a brake!
BOYS & GIRLS TRACK, B1
NATION, A2
TELEGRAPH Monday, March 21, 2016
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
A CLOSER LOOK | ILLINOIS HOME BIRTH SAFETY ACT
Pushing for home delivery Lawmaker says ‘the time is now’ to bring back midwives, but doctors warn of risks SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Mishra Keller skirted a state law when she chose to deliver her second child at home with the help of a midwife, given that the trained birthing professionals have been barred from practicing since 1987 in Illinois. Keller, a holistic health coach in Evan-
ston, disagrees with the state’s stance, saying that midwives are a “good resource.” “With the right training, they can help people have positive outcomes,” she said. State Rep. Robyn Gabel agrees, and is making her second attempt in a year to get the Home Birth Safety Act to the
House floor – and hopefully into law. The act would issue licenses to midwives for the first time since 1963 and legalize the practice, which she says is needed give women more delivery options. But its passage is uncertain in the General Assembly, and the proposal is still staunchly opposed by doc-
Online HB4364: http://shawurl.com/2hc9 tors, who say there are possible risks to mothers and babies that could arise during at-home births. DELIVERY CONTINUED ON A4
EDUCATION
TWIN CITIES
School colors turn red
Hide and seek TOP: Damien Garcia, 4, snatches up eggs Saturday at the Coloma Park District’s egg hunt at Centennial Park in Rock Falls. The district scattered 2,200 eggs with tickets inside that could be redeemed for prizes. BOTTOM: Sheryl Beien sets out eggs Saturday morning at the Sterling Park District’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Westwood Fitness & Sports Center. More than 10,000 eggs were hidden on four fields, which children were assigned to based on age. The Easter Bunny also dropped by. Go to http://shawurl. com/2hc5 to see a list of Easter Egg hunts coming this weekend in the Sauk Valley. MORE INSIDE: Turn to page 3A to see more photos of Saturday’s Easter egg hunts.
More than half of Illinois schools are deficit spending SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Most school districts across Illinois are spending more than they’re taking in and dipping into reserves or borrowing to stay afloat, according to new state data. On Wednesday, the 2016 School District Financial Profile Scores was released by the Illinois State Board of Education to gauge the financial health of the state’s 852 school districts, the Chicago Tribune reported. “On its face, this is a really good, positive report,” state board vice chairman Steven Gilford said at a meeting at which the report of the scores was approved, “but I think there’s a couple of pieces of this that are really, really troubling.” DEFICIT CONTINUED ON A4
CARROLL COUNTY
City Council will vote on tax increase BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
MOUNT CARROLL – Mount Carroll leaders want to help improve their city, but first they need money to do it. That’s where a tax increase comes in, and on Tuesday, that’s where the City Council will come in. Members will vote on a sales tax increase that will help fund projects in a proposed Business Development District. Council members came to a consensus 2 weeks ago to raise the retailers occupation tax within the proposed district by 1 percent, which would pay for various projects in the district. Groceries, medication, services, farm equipment, cars, trucks, ATVs, boats, RVs, and mobile homes would be exempt from the increase. SALES TAX CONTINUED ON A4
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 164 ISSUE 227
INDEX
ABBY ................... A7 COMICS ...............B5 CROSSWORD....B10
LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2 OBITUARIES ........ A4
OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2 POLITICS ............. A5
Today’s weather High 49. Low 41. More on A3.
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