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BYRON PULLS OFF CLOSE VICTORY GIRLS SWIMMING, B1
FOOD, A9-11
TELEGRAPH
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
TWIN CITIES | VIDEO GAMBLING
Cities want the home advantage Local leaders say there’s little they can do to keep a tighter rein on video gambling BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
STERLING – As video gambling continues to grow in cities throughout Illinois, local officials are becoming increasingly uncomfortable about where it stops. What they are discovering, however, is that all of the power in curtailing its
growth lies with home-rule municipalities. Some residents also are losing their patience, hoping the gambling business would reach a saturation point by now, and the action would level off naturally. Shirley Sharp of Sterling voiced her concerns at Monday’s City Council meeting. “Other cities are doing things to elimi-
nate some of this gambling,” Sharp said. “Why can’t we do something to keep more of this out of Sterling? Mayor Skip Lee and Alderwoman Retha Elston just returned from an Illinois Municipal League meeting, where the proliferation of gambling was a hot topic. Lee said many city officials expressed their frustration with a state gambling law full of loop-
holes that has produced unintended consequences. “We hear you, and we haven’t forgotten the issue,” Lee told Sharp. “Our ability to do anything is pretty limited because in nonhome-rule cities, we have to follow the letter of the law or we open ourselves up to litigation.” GAMBLING CONTINUED ON A5
CARROLL COUNTY
DIXON
Our feather (and fur and scales) who art in heaven
Craig Lang/clang@saukvalley.com
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., talks to the media outside Thomson prison Tuesday. The lawmaker said he wanted to see firsthand the progress at the prison, and said it remains on target to receive more federal prisoners by the end of 2017.
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Joe Morris, 5, displays his leopard gecko, Slinky, during Tuesday’s blessing of the pets at St. Mary School in Dixon. The Rev. Bernard Sehr of St. Patrick Church performed the blessing on dogs, cats, birds, fish and, yep, even a gecko. The blessing of pets and animals is often celebrated Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, in honor of Assisi’s love for all creatures. LEFT: Goldie, a chicken owned by Grace Bray, 8, was blessed during Tuesday’s event.
Senator visits facility to check on progress
RIGHT: Parker Hanrahan, 7, balances her puppy, Rizzo, on her shoulder during the blessing of the pets.
BY PHILLIP HARTMAN phartman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5525 @phartman19
ROCK FALLS
The means justify the decisions Mayor committed to not overspending to meet city’s amphitheater goal BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
ROCK FALLS – Mayor Bill Wescott still plans to have the amphitheater built along the riverfront before next summer’s sesquicentennial celebration, but it could require some tough choices.
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 166 ISSUE 110
The City Council Tuesday approved a change to the nearly completed firstphase work at the RB&W green space project, and approved the low bid on the second phase that is to include the entertainment venue. The change with Martin and Co. Excavating of Oregon for the work near the hotel was requested by City Engi-
INDEX
ABBY ................... A8 COMICS ...............B6 CROSSWORD....B10
Thomson on target to get more prisoners
neer Brian Frickenstein. “The change order, not to exceed $140,000, is to install additional riprap near the state Route 40 bridge,” Frickenstein said. The city wants to do all of the riprap at the same time to ensure it looks the same.
FOOD ..............A9-11 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
THOMSON – The Thomson prison remains on target to receive more federal prisoners by the end of 2017, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Tuesday during a visit to the facility. Durbin toured the site and met with Warden Donald Hudson before speaking with the media. “I wanted to see for myself what was happening here,” he said. The visit is part of a series of stops the Democrat and his staff are making in Illinois during the Senate’s break before the Nov. 8 election, said John Normoyle, his press secretary. About $14 million was invested in the prison, which started as a state facility and sat empty from 2001 to 2006. Federal officials paid $165 million for the facility in 2012, but faced several obstacles to using the site. “There’s been mold. They’ve added new levels of computers and power sources,” Durbin said.
DECISIONS CONTINUED ON A5
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
THOMSON CONTINUED ON A5
Today’s weather High 78. Low 62. More on A3.
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