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Firefighter charged with sexual assault
SVM ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
STERLING, A2
SPORTS, B3
TELEGRAPH Tuesday, April 15, 2014
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
OGLE COUNTY | SHERIFF’S DEPT. ADMINISTRATIVE TOW FEE
LEE COUNTY
Collections back in force
Fund not yet transfered to county treasurer BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529
OREGON – Ogle County Sheriff Michael Harn told some County Board members Monday that his department would resume collecting the controversial administrative tow fee.
In an email to seven County Board members and State’s Attorney Mike Rock, Harn said he “will be implementing the fee as it was before.” He also apologized for any confusion that was caused by his internal memo April 1. In that memo, the sheriff told
his department that it would continue to “tow vehicles subsequent to arrest” but that it wouldn’t “distribute the vehicle seizure paperwork, nor require owners to remit the $350 impound fee.” COLLECTIONS CONTINUED ON A4
Zoning panel nixes apartment project Neighbors say they fear low-income development
Michael Harn
STERLING
BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525
DIXON – On an inherited property, a couple wants to convert an old farmhouse into a duplex and build another house to become a rental. But neighbors told Lee County’s zoning board that they feared it would attract low-income people, with one saying he moved to the country to get away from such development. The board rejected the couple’s request to change the property’s zoning from agricultural to multifamily residential, which would have paved the way for their development. But the board used different reasoning from the residents. Today, the issue will go before the full Lee County Board. At a zoning board meeting this month, Paul and Lynn Roe of Grand Detour said they wanted the project at 1518 Atkinson Road to generate income. Her mother died a few years ago, and they inherited the property. NIXES CONTINUED ON A4
STERLING
Savoring bittersweet times
Mayor: Loose hogs concern city
YWCA of the Sauk Valley preschool closing after 50 years
Farmer says he’ll remove pigs in a couple of weeks
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Izzy, a preschooler at YWCA of the Sauk Valley in Sterling, takes a pause from coloring to tell at story during class time. The YWCA will end the program at the end of the school year because of teacher retirements, budget concerns, and increasing regulation.
BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570
BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525
STERLING – Sixteen exuberant 4- and 5-year-olds worked their way around the various activity stations at the YWCA of the Sauk Valley preschool class, switching from steely focus to bubbly conversation modes in a heartbeat. The first hour of the class is usually devoted to small group activities. On Wednesday last week, some were making ornate ducks, complete with feathers, while others worked on small umbrellas in recognition of the week’s featured letter, U. Micah was locked in on cutting Play-Doh into small pieces. After they dropped into a large plastic mixing bowl, he periodically stopped to stir the contents. “I’m making cookies,” he said matter-of-factly. “This is sugar that I’m putting in now.” He said he was making M&M cookies – the kind he makes at home with his mom.
STERLING – Loose pigs have attracted the notice of City Hall. On April 3, a pig was spotted two times near the Mobil convenience store at East Lincolnway and Polo Road. A photo, printed in Sauk Valley Media, showed a man on a car apparently trying to get away from the staring hog. Last Friday, Mayor Skip Lee met with officials at City Hall about pigs that have escaped from a farm near Sterling’s retail district on East Lincolnway. With him were representatives of the Mobil station and the sheriff’s and police departments. The farmer, Norm Koster, said Monday that he expects to remove the hogs from the farm in a couple of weeks, because he plans to plant corn there this year. He suspects that female pigs have escaped because they were in heat and looking for male companions. When it rains, the hogs tend to root around in the soil and then put wet dirt against the electric fence, which shorts it out, Koster said.
BITTERSWEET CONTINUED ON A8
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 244
Vino and Carter carefully cut out shapes last Wednesday morning at the YWCA preschool program.
‘‘ INDEX
’’
I’ll really miss hearing those little voices outside every day. YWCA Executive Director Carol Fitzgerald
BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ............... A9 CROSSWORD......B9
DEAR ABBY ......... A7 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
PIGS CONTINUED ON A4
Today’s weather High 45. Low 24. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B5.
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