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DIXON, A3
SPORTS, B3
TELEGRAPH Tuesday, April 8, 2014
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
LEE COUNTY | FINANCES
Little progress on plan
DIXON
Innovative creation of No effort toward hiring county administrator crude oil considered BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525
DIXON – Nearly 2 years ago, the Lee County Board approved a long-range financial plan that called for hiring a county administrator and conducting an outside review of staffing levels. Since then, the board has made little, if any, progress toward achieving the plan’s goals.
The plan was inspired by the expected loss of about $1 million in annual revenue as the result of an expiring clause in the county’s contract with Phoenixbased Republic Services. That clause, which expired at the end of 2013, guaranteed the county income of $1.8 million a year – regardless of the amount of waste deposited. Now, the fees are based on how much waste the landfill accepts, resulting in
the projected loss of $1 million a year in that revenue. One of the plan’s goals was to hire a professional labor negotiator, but that wasn’t done. Although many County Board members had vowed they would enact a wage freeze to control spending, they, instead, raised workers’ pay in contract after contract. PROGRESS CONTINUED ON A2
Burke: Conversion of waste to algae to oil ‘a great concept’ BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529
DIXON | FIREARM SAFETY
DIXON – Dixon wants to take a closer look at a new potential use for its wastewater treatment facility. Lance Schideman, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Illinois, gave a presentation to the City Council about a pilot plant that could turn the city’s wastewater into algae, which could then be turned into oil. In December, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said its researchers had turned algae into crude oil. Mayor Jim Burke said the city has interest in bringing Dixon Mayor a pilot plant with Jim Burke the technology to Dixon, but would have to meet with the federal or state levels of the Environmental Protection Agency to move forward. “This is a great concept,” Burke said. “If this works, I mean, I cannot believe that the state wouldn’t want to jump in on this thing and take the lead in the country.” CRUDE CONTINUED ON A4
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Dixon Police Officer Doug Lehman polls a Reagan Middle School eighth-grade class Monday afternoon. The students were asked if they live in or have frequently visited a household that keeps a gun on the premises. The department held the class to teach the students about gun safety.
Police conduct Guns 101 Reagan students learn firearm safety in series of lectures BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521
DIXON – A crowd of about 100 eighth-grade students gathered in Reagan Middle School’s gymnasium Monday afternoon just before 1 p.m. Not an unusual sight – it was their P.E. period, after all. But on Monday, those students were joined by members of the Dixon Police Department to talk about something a little more serious than correct push-up form: firearm safety. The series of lectures provided throughout the day to Dixon middle-schoolers came in response to the recent shooting death in Rock Falls, in which two friends were allegedly handling a gun, and one of the boys ended up being fatally wounded. Illinois State Police continue to investigate the shooting they’re calling accidental. GUNS CONTINUED ON A2
DIXON
Merger could be finalized this month Recovery funds to be used for street project BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529
Reagan Middle School eighth-grader Mikayla Huisheere asks a question Monday afternoon during a gun safety question-and-answer session held by the Dixon Police Department at the school. The class came in response of the accidental shooting death of a Rock Falls High School student.
DIXON – The merger between Dixon Main Street and the Riverfront Commission moved a step closer to reality. The City Council unanimously voted to place the merger contract on file during its regular meeting Monday night. It could be finalized during the next regular City Council meeting. If the merger is approved, Main Street will absorb the day-to-day operations of the riverfront and also will create a new events and marketing coordinator position, which has been posted on Main Street’s website for several weeks. Part of the salary and benefits for that position will be paid for with city funds. MERGER CONTINUED ON A4
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TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 239
INDEX
BUSINESS ......... A12 COMICS ............. A10 CROSSWORD....B11
DEAR ABBY ......... A7 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
Today’s weather High 54. Low 29. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.
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