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There’s plenty to hear in the Sauk Valley

RALLY HELPS SEND COMETS TO REGIONAL BASEBALL, B1

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TELEGRAPH Thursday, May 19, 2016

SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851

DIXON | SCHOOL DISTRICT

A lot of desks to fill School losing 216 years of combined experience to retirement BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM

Coming Friday

DIXON – It can happen to any school district at any time. It just happens that this year, the Dixon School District is losing a whole bunch of staff to retirement. Nine, to be exact. “We’re literally losing from every area – from classrooms to support personnel to administrators,” Superintendent Margo Empen said. Not just any administrator, either. Karen

The stories of two Whiteside County retirees – Peg Wills, a first-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary School, and Carol Lubbs, secretary at East Coloma-Nelson School – will be featured in Friday’s editions, along with a list of all the school staffers retiring in the Sauk Valley. Price, also Dixon High’s athletic director, was recently named assistant principal of the year by Northwest Region of the Illinois Principal’s Association. She’s served

as secretary of the region’s Executive Board the past 5 years. She’s also up for one of eight citations from the National Federation of High School Association, which will be announced this summer. “Just to be nominated is amazing,” she said. She’s been a trailblazer, having become the first female athletic director at Dixon High 6 years ago, after having held that role at Highland Park High School, its first woman in that job in more than 100 years.

INSIDE A special teacher indeed ...

Among those retiring from the Dixon School District is Mike Santos. Learn more about the educator whose peers call “irreplaceable” and “one of a kind.” Page A5

RETIREMENT CONTINUED ON A5

NEWMAN GRADUATION

ROCK FALLS

Police officer faces charges Detective held in Lee County

HOPE

BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra

for the future

Graduates touched – but not beaten – by tragedy reflect on events that shaped their world, and look forward to the world they will now shape

ROCK FALLS – A Rock Falls detective was in Lee County Jail on Wednesday on charges of theft and official misconduct. Detective Sgt. Veronica Jaramillo, 43, of Sterling was arrested Tuesday by State Police and taken to Lee County Jail, rather than Whiteside, based on a joint decision by law enforcement and the defendant, Lee County Sheriff John Simonton said. She will appear in Whiteside County Court today for a bond hearing. Questions about the case were referred to State Police, which did not immediately return calls. The Whiteside County State’s Attorney does not comment on active cases, and did Veronica not provide any further information. Jaramillo Rock Falls Police Chief Tammy Nelson said in a news release Wednesday that her department was made aware of “an ongoing investigation” by State Police, and as standard procedure, all of the cases in which Jaramillo was the lead investigator will be reviewed and reassigned. It does not appear that any investigation or arrest will be impacted at this time, the release said. Jaramillo was hired in 2009 as a patrol officer; she was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the detective division in early October 2014.

ILLINOIS

Bill to decriminalize pot heads to Rauner Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

TOP: A Newman Central Catholic High School graduate walks up to accept his diploma Wednesday night during the school’s commencement ceremony. RIGHT: Newman graduates – 42 of them in all – celebrate at the end of the commencement ceremony at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Rock Falls. BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM

ROCK FALLS – As she sang the hymn “Taste and See” during Newman Central Catholic High School’s baccalaureate Mass on Wednesday evening at St. Andrew Catholic Church, Erin Pasley’s voice soared so majesti-

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INDEX

cally, there’s no doubt her dad could hear it. “I will bless the Lord at all times,” the 18-year-old sang. “Praise shall always be on my lips. My soul shall glory in the Lord, for God has been so good to me.” As her eyes shimmered, there’s no doubt she meant every word, even though she misses her father, Mike, every day. HOPE CONTINUED ON A3

ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ........... A7 COMICS ...............B6

CROSSWORD....B11 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2

SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Legislation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in Illinois is on its way to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk. The House approved the measure Wednesday on a 64-50 vote. It had previously passed the Senate. The bill would impose fines between $100 and $200 for possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana but no jail time. Rauner vetoed a bill last year that had lower fines and made possession of up to 15 grams a civil offense. Rauner recommended the higher fines and lower threshold. The bill also sets a standard for what’s considered too high to drive. A driver’s blood would have to contain 5 nanograms of THC, marijuana’s intoxicating chemical, within two hours of consumption to be considered impaired.

OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 PLAN!T ............A9-12

Today’s weather High 69. Low 47. More on A3.

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