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THEY’RE HITTING THEIR IRONS WHILE IT’S HOT PREP GOLF PREVIEW, B1
SPECIAL SECTION, INSIDE
TELEGRAPH Tuesday, August 4, 2015
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
DIXON
Paint store owner bristles at bid Councilman: Numbers in lowest bid for bridge-painting job don’t add up BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
DIXON – Mitch Tucker knows paint, and he’s skeptical of the lowest bid for the Galena Avenue Bridge rail-painting project.
STERLING
BP&T Company out of Mount Vernon estimated it can do the project for $75,800, which, compared to the other bidders, looks like a clearance sale price on the paint job. It’s less than half the cost bid by Rock Fallsbased Kuhlemier Painting, which came in second lowest at $198,000.
Councilman Tucker, also the owner of Dixon Paint Company, says the discrepancy looks more like a concern than a bargain, and that there are details in BP&T’s bid that don’t add up. PAINT CONTINUED ON A4
‘‘ ’’ I’m still going to have my concerns. I hope I’m wrong. I hope this guy can come in and do it for that price. That would blow my mind. Mitch Tucker, Dixon councilman
FAIR TO SAY THEY’RE READY IN CARROLL COUNTY
Council seat up for grabs
Hibbard gets OK to fix up property
Alderman moves from 4th Ward, creates vacancy
Fifth Avenue site his latest rescue mission
BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – The council approved a petition Monday from contractor and property owner Scott Hibbard to grant special-use designation for a building renovation project at 201 Fifth Ave. The designation was needed so Hibbard could expand the residential use on the first floor of the property, which straddles residential and commercial areas. Hibbard plans to completely gut the structure and convert it into eight rental units. He said the expansion was necessary because of the renovation costs. “This is an expensive project, and to pay for itself, we need maximum use – two stories of rentals,” Hibbard said. Hibbard has restored several other distressed properties in and near the downtown, including the Moses Royer home at 401 E. Second St. The Fifth Avenue structure will have a modern farmhouse design that the contractor believes will complement the architecture of the Royer home. City Building and Zoning Superintendent Amanda Schmidt said she had no qualms about granting the special designation. “This was already rental property, but it has been very rundown for many years,” Schmidt said. “He does good work, and goes far above city code.” STERLING CONTINUED ON A5
Next meeting The Sterling City Council next meets at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17 at City Hall, 212 Third Ave., on the first floor in the Council Chambers. Go to sterling-il.gov or call City Hall at 815-632-6621 for an agenda or more information.
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TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 164 ISSUE 67
MORRISON
Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Damon Miller, 12, of Milledgeville helps fill the dunk tank Monday afternoon in preparation for the Carroll County Fair at the fairgrounds at Schell Park in Milledgeville. The fair gets underway with judging at 8 this morning. Jim Barnes of Williamston, Michigan, uses a chainsaw to carve a pig out of a piece of wood. Turn to A8 for the annual gala’s complete schedule. Or visit carrollcountyfair.info, where you can even download the fair’s guide in its entirety.
INDEX
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ...............B4
MORRISON – One of the city’s eight aldermen has moved outside his ward, creating a vacancy on the City Council. Fourth Ward Alderman Scott Connelly has sold his house and resigned from the council, City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen said. Mayor Everett Pannier received his emailed resignation Monday. The city will review procedures for filling the vacancy at the Aug. 10 council meeting, Dykhuizen said. Connelly is an instructor at the Morrison Institute of Technology. He was first elected to the council in 2007, but was one of four members who decided not to run again in 2011. Connelly’s absence from city government, however, was short-lived. In 2012, former Mayor Roger Drey appointed him to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of attorney Ron Kallemeyn. Kallemeyn made an unsuccessful run for Whiteside County state’s attorney that spring. Connelly was re-elected in April; his term expires in 2019. MORRISON CONTINUED ON A5
Council inquiries Email a statement of interest and qualifications to Mayor Everett Pannier at mayor@morrisonil.org, or to City Clerk Melanie Schroeder at cityclerk@ morrisonil.org to express an interest in filling the aldermanic vacancy in Morrison’s 4th Ward. Correspondence can also be sent to: City of Morrison, 200 W. Main St., Morrison, IL, 61270. Call the mayor at 815772-7657 with questions about the position.
CROSSWORD......B9 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
NATION/WORLD .. A9 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
Today’s weather High 83. Low 58. More on A3.
Plea: not guilty
Man says he didn’t hire fellow inmate, A2.
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