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WHITESIDE COUNTY | DRUG COURT
Mission to save, not imprison Participants get treatment, life skills training BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521
MORRISON – Lee County’s drug court program has been around since 2005. Ogle County has had one in place since 2009. Come September, Whiteside County will become the latest to offer the rehabilitative court service. Drug courts are a type of restorative justice program
used in counties all over America. The program is available to nonviolent offenders with a documented history of substance abuse. After a drug suspect is arrested, his attorney can suggest drug court as a viable option. If the drug court team agrees, an offender is given the opportunity to participate. If he makes it through the intensive, life-rehabilitating program, he could see his sentence reduced or even his
Success stories abound Lee County (since 2005): s PARTICIPANTS s SUCCESSFUL GRADUATES s 4HREE GRADUATES RE arrested: one misdeMEANORS TWO FELONIES
charge dropped altogether. Participants in the program are randomly drug tested, and must appear in front of a judge regularly so their progress can be monitored. Courts across the country vary in their guidelines, but in Whiteside County, at least, State’s Attorney Trish Joyce hopes to match participants with community mentors.
Ogle County (since 2009): s PARTICIPANTS s SUCCESSFUL GRADUATES s &OUR GRADUATES RE arrested: two misdeMEANORS TWO FELONIES
SAVE CONTINUED ON A5
THE PEOPLE’S VOICE| PATRICK TAYLOR AND THE CHICKEN CAR
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Mary Jenner made it through the Lee County drug court program. Read about how she did it on A5.
STERLING THEATER
Take it from the top? Situation after owner’s departure ‘like starting over’ BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570
STERLING – When the city and Skip Huston parted ways in June, Sterling Theater was, in many respects, back at square one. Huston, owner of Theater Management Group, was not making payments in a timely fashion, and he was distancing himself from the vision that city officials had for the downtown “brew and view.� While Huston’s exit has opened the door to get everyone back on the same page, it also has forced the theater to weather a difficult transition. TOP CONTINUED ON A4 Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Patrick Taylor, 21, of Dixon, bought the Chicken Car in 2010 for $500, and it’s the only car he’s owned. He has created a fan base on Facebook and Twitter, and Taylor says the car helped bring the folk rock band Mumford & Sons to Dixon.
Two birds of a feather christopher HEIMERMAN Heimerman is the Night News Editor at Sauk Valley Media. He can be reached at cheimerman@ saukvalley. com or 800-798-4085, ext. 5523.
I
had to make a conscious effort to keep my recorder close to Patrick Taylor’s face. You know, close enough to get a good recording, but without making it, you know, weird. I wasn’t sure how the noise of riding in a car would affect the quality of the podcast, which you can hear at saukvalley.com. Not to mention this car, the world-famous Chicken Car (not hyperbole; it’s got fans from Australia to South America) tends to make more noise than most. But perhaps more significant, Taylor is pretty soft-spoken. Not what I expected from somebody who frequently relishes the lime-
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Flower farm
9OU CAN PICK YOUR OWN FLOWERS AT "RILL S 0ENROSE &LOWER &IELD See Page C1
light alongside his beloved ride. If the understated Taylor hadn’t spoken up back in 2010, the car wouldn’t have become the chariot of choice for internationally acclaimed folk rockers Mumford & Sons. Heck, the gentlemen might not have even stopped over in Dixon two summers ago. But on that fateful day, Mike Cathey, Taylor’s boss and the owner of BBY Chicken, was ready to use a frontloader to knock the ginormous chicken head off the car. He wanted to scrap the 1993 Ford Mustang. PEOPLE’S VOICE CONTINUED ON A3
Back to school School days are ahead; learn the latest tips Also inside USA Weekend: 2ECIPE FOR FRUITY OAT BARS Dorm room decor tips Director James Cameron
Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
With the departure of Sterling Theater’s owner, Skip Huston, owner of Theater Management Group, City Manager Scott Shumard says, for those taking over, “This is like starting over again.�
Index Births................ C5 Lottery .............. A2 Business........... C1 Markets ............ A9 #LASSIFIED .......... D1 Obituaries ......... A4 Comics ............. B8 Opinion............. A6 Community ..... C12 Scoreboard .... B10 Scrapbook ....... C3 Crossword Saturday ........... D5 Sports .............. B1 Support groups .. C5 Crossword Sunday ............. C8 4RAVEL .............. C10 Dave Ramsey ... C8 Weather.......... A10 Dear Abby ........ C6 Wheels ............. D8