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Former probation officer charged WHITESIDE COUNTY, A15
UTILITY MAN A KEY PART FOR COMETS PREP BASEBALL, B1
TELEGRAPH Tuesday, March 25, 2014
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
HEALTH CARE
DIRECTIONS 2014| VISION 2030
Roads to the future
Crunch time for sign-up Workers dig in, as Monday deadline looms BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 535
SVM file photo
Traffic along U.S. Route 30 outside of Morrison moves slowly through the falling snow during a storm that hit the Sauk Valley on March 5, 2013. Plans have long been in the works to widen 24 miles of Route 30 between Rock Falls and Fulton, from two to four lanes.
SIGN-UP CONTINUED ON A4
Dixon, Morrison prepare for increased traffic BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 535
When you think of increased traffic loads in The Sauk Valley in the not-too-distant future, two primary areas come to mind: the eastern edge of Dixon in Lee County, where the city plans economic and residential growth, and the U.S. Route 30 corridor in Whiteside County, where longstanding plans to accommodate growth might finally be coming to fruition.
In Dixon In 2007, the city commissioned a traffic study that looked at the Interstate 88 interchange area, in anticipation of major economic
While regionalism is becoming a bigger factor in running smalltown governments, it could be the key component in determining whether the Sauk Valley’s largest cities grow and thrive or become bedroom communities. To better assess and plan for future regional development, Whiteside and Lee were among five northwest Illinois counties to seek the help of the Cen-
AMBOY
ter for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University. The other counties were Ogle, Carroll and Stephenson. The result was the April 2013 “Promoting Prosperity in Northwest Illinois,” a comprehensive study of what the regional economy looks like now, and the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges economic development leaders will need to consider in working toward growth. RURAL CONTINUED ON A9
‘All in there for the kids,’ now gone Special section in today’s edition
Rural development about maximizing assets BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 570
Need help? Find out how to get it, whether in person or online, on A4.
development in that part of town. Among its conclusions: By 2030, traffic on nearby state Route 26 (Galena Avenue) will reach an average of 52,500 vehicles a day, which would require widening it to three lanes in each direction. Bloody Gulch Road, which intersects with 26, will carry about 40,000 vehicles a day, which means it will need two lanes in each direction. The study looked at the area known as the I-88 and Galena Avenue Planned Development District, which is bounded by Keul Road on the north, College Avenue on the west, Progress Drive and Lievan Road on the south, and U.S. Route 52 on the east. TRAFFIC CONTINUED ON A10
It’s going to be a very busy week for Rebecca Engelbarts. She is the Lee County Health Department’s sole part-timer, hired to help residents either choose a federally approved health plan or sign up for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. It’s not going to be any quieter for the five Whiteside County Health Department workers charged with doing the same. Both departments are open for extended hours and having off-site sign-ups this week and weekend for residents who need to choose health care coverage ahead of Monday’s deadline. Sign-up in Illinois ends at 10:59 p.m. Monday. Coverage will begin May 1 for those who enroll this week.
Today’s Telegraph includes a 52-page special section, “Vision 2030,” that examines what the Sauk Valley might look like in 2030 Section C looks at Commerce in the Sauk Valley in 2030: Employment, The Workplace, Agriculture, Banking & Finance, Housing, Transportation, and Infrastructure. Section D examines Community in the Sauk Valley in 2030: Education, Health Care, Culture, Religion, Cities & Towns, Consolidating Government Services, and Riverfront Development and Recreation. Also throughout the sections, SVM staff members share their visions for the future.
Stories Inside Section A
No one is arguing to get rid of cities, or villages, or counties. Townships are another story. Page A3 In need of a job but not willing to leave your home town? There is a solution, if you’re willing to learn new skills. Page A5. Local county health department administrators Beth Fiorini and Cathy Ferguson share their opinions about future health care issues. Pages A13-14
Amboy High teacher, P.A. announcer dies unexpectedly at 47 BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 535
AMBOY – Monday was a sad, somber day for the Amboy High School family. Mike “Paz” Pasley, 47, a popular social studies teacher for the past 10 years, died unexpectedly Sunday at KSB Hospital in Dixon. The school had Mike Pasley a brief meeting Full obit on A4 with students Monday morning to let them know, and had counselors and clergy members on hand all day for any who wished to use them, Principal Joshua Nichols said. GONE CONTINUED ON A2
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TODAY’S EDITION: 32 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 229
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A15 COMICS ...............B4 CROSSWORD....B15
DEAR ABBY ......... A8 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
Today’s weather High 28. Low 11. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B9.
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