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LOCAL SQUADS KICK OFF PRACTICES

Officials optimistic about 24-hour bingo hall

PREP FOOTBALL, B1

DEKALB COUNTY, A3

TELEGRAPH

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851

DIXON

Businesses’ tax abatements OK’d Official: Commitment to three companies was years in the making BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM

DIXON – When it comes to incentives, it’s not about getting a business to say “yes” to the community, said John

Thompson, president of Lee County Industrial Development Association. “It’s giving them a reason not to say ‘no,’” he said. That’s why the City Council has made good on commitments Thompson said were

years in the making. On Aug. 3, city leaders unanimously approved three 50-percent property tax abatements. Two companies – SGS Refrigeration and Sewer Equipment Co. of America – revitalized vacant buildings into new busi-

ness coming out of the economic recession. Their reward comes in 6-year abatements worth about $31,000 combined, using today’s tax figures. But the third – UPM Raflatac – is set to see the biggest return on its investment. After creat-

DIZZYING DEAL FOR ST. ANDREW CARNIVAL IN STERLING

ing 103 new jobs and building a $100 million facility, UPM’s 4-year abatement is estimated to be worth $311,000 – or $77,671 per year, using today’s tax numbers. ABATEMENTS CONTINUED ON A4

ROCK FALLS

Clinic severs ties with shelter Cites concerns with animal care, inability to meet with board BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier

Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com

Wilson Family Shows crew sets up rides at the St. Andrew Back to School Carnival on Monday at Northland Mall in Sterling. The carnival will run from 4-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Organizer John Sheppard expects about 24 rides in all, and thrill-seekers can ride each one, for all 33 total hours of the carnival’s operation, for $50 by buying a Megaband in advance at St. Andrew Catholic School, 701 11th Ave., Rock Falls. The Megabands will be $60 if bought at the fair. “That’s $1.51 an hour,” Sheppard said. “You can’t go to day care for that. Mom can drop the kids off, go shop, or do whatever she needs to do.” If attendees choose to go the regular armband route, they’re $20, and one is needed for each of the following sessions: 4-9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, noon-5 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Regular armbands will not be accepted from 9-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, when there will be a charge for each ride. But the Megabands will be honored.

MORRISON

City OKs $12.9M bid for wastewater plant Bids will soon be solicited for pumping station, piping BY CHRISTI WARREN cwarren@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5521 @SeaWarren

MORRISON – At long last, the new Morrison wastewater treatment plant is officially a go. The City Council approved a $12.9 million bid Monday night from Canton-based Leander Construction. When bids were first solicited in June,

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the project was estimated to cost the city about $15 million. Mayor Everett Pannier said he was pleasantly surprised at the lower-thanexpected cost, and hopes construction will begin this fall – that is, if the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency comes through with a loan in time. Now that a bid has been accepted, the city must apply for the loan. Pannier said that he hopes the process will

INDEX

ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ............... A8

To attend The City Council will next meet at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 in the Whiteside County Board Room, 400 N. Cherry St. Visit morrisonil.org for agendas and more information. be completed, and a loan approved, by Oct. 1, before the weather turns. If not, construction will have to be put on hold.

CROSSWORD......B9 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2

WASTEWATER CONTINUED ON A2

NATION/WORLD .. A9 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6

ROCK FALLS – A local veterinary clinic has decided to discontinue its business relationship with Happy Tails Humane Society, citing concerns with animal care at the shelter. Advanced Animal Health Center isn’t the only veterinary clinic used by Happy Tails, but it was used about 60 percent of the time, according to shelter manager Donald Czyzyk. The clinic said its decision to stop treating the shelter’s animals was made Thursday. “We made the decision to sever ties with Happy Tails because of Donald Czyzyk concerns about Happy Tails their business manager says management and shelter is a much the care of the healthier animal animals,” said environment Barb Bees, busisince his arrival ness manager at the clinic. Bees said she and veterinarian Laurainne Haenni had asked for a meeting with the shelter’s three-member board of directors, and the request was denied. “We feel we made every attempt to convey our concerns with the animals, and with so much going on, we felt we weren’t being heard,” Bees said. SHELTER CONTINUED ON A4

‘‘ ’’ Ethically, I just couldn’t condone what they were doing anymore. It was physically making me sick. Laurainne Haenni, veterinarian with Advanced Animal Health Center

Today’s weather High 82. Low 57. More on A3.

Need work? Check out your classifieds, B5.

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