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Eastland advances to 1A title game
STERLING SCHOOLS SURVEYING THE FUTURE LOCAL, A9
SPORTS, B1
WEEKEND ENTERPRISE | LOCAL SCHOOLS & TECHNOLOGY
A key to the cyber castle? Schools say they’re prepared to block inappropriate access by students BY ANGEL SIERRA asierra@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5695 @_angelsierra
Illustration by Alex T. Paschal apaschal@saukvalley.com
An online privacy tool typically used by hackers, digital thieves, and residents of oppressed governments no longer is limited to guerrilla or political groups thousands of miles away. Now students of all ages can access prohibited websites at
school, unlocking school firewalls with just a few taps on a smartphone. Local schools say they’re ready for that eventuality. Online chatter and how-to manuals have surfaced, pointing to increased use of VPNs (virtual private networks) in schools nationwide, at a time when administrators and other school officials are clamping down on security.
VPNs install in minutes, and for a nominal fee – or sometimes at no cost – give kids unrestricted access to the Internet, and ways to hide that fact. They have been around for decades in private and business applications, but with the rise of smartphone app markets, using them never has been easier.
THE PEOPLE’S VOICE | TOM MEAD, AMBOY
KEY CONTINUED ON A4
DIXON
It’ll be a matter of when, not if City set to buy building for Dixon One, making concept a reality BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
Tom Mead works on his rural Amboy farm to restore a John Deere tractor that his late father, Ed, repowered in the 1960s or 1970s. “That’s probably all of the motivation. That’s the whole thing,” Tom said with a glimmer in his eyes. “I started out just wanting to save a piece of him … of history … something that was such a big part of my life growing up.”
Mead in the Midwest Fifth-generation farmer tracking down, restoring tractors his dad repowered
T
christopher HEIMERMAN
om Mead lost his dad 15 years ago. But he keeps looking for him. More impressively, he keeps finding him. From 1963 to 1973, Ed Mead earned a reputation as the grandfather of repowering John Deere tractors. Tom, 67, estimates his pappy doubled the horsepower of about 100 machines, now scattered all over the Midwest and farther, even into Canada. But four of them are in Tom’s workshop, two fully restored in John Deere green, looking more glorious than ever.
Heimerman is the Night News Editor at Sauk Valley Media. He can be reached at cheimerman@ saukvalley. com or 800-798-4085, ext. 5523.
Video onlne
Click on this story at saukvalley.com to take a peek inside Tom Mead’s workshop, and look at the tractors that are his restoration projects. Tom’s daughter, Jackie Thompson, and her husband, Dave, are the sixth generation of the family to run the 2,000-acre, 165-year-old farm 3 miles west of Amboy. “The farm runs better now than ever before,” said Tom, who still tries to get on a com-
bine once a season or so, in case he’s needed in a pinch. The Thompsons’ farming prowess has allowed Tom to travel, focus on family, and recover pieces of his legendary dad. He could flip each machine for at least $30,000, but that’s not what this is about. It’s about preserving history, and keeping his father alive. “That’s probably all of the motivation. That’s the whole thing,” Tom said, a glimmer in his eyes. PEOPLE’S VOICE CONTINUED ON A5
DIXON – Before Friday, city leaders spoke of Dixon One in strictly conceptual terms. Now, the public has its first concrete indication that the mission to unify city marketing entities will be realized. The City Council will vote Monday to buy the soon-toMayor Li be former Kenzley Arellano Jr. Title building at 87 S. Hennepin Ave. for $245,000. The purchase signifies the city’s long-term investment in Dixon One, Mayor Li Arellano Jr. said. The building, which will be vacated next month when the title company moves to 224 W. River St., has ample office space and meeting rooms for the three entities involved: Dixon Tourism, Main Street and possibly the Dixon Chamber of Commerce, he said. If the council approves the purchase, Dixon One isn’t a matter of “if” but “when,” Arellano said. “I think, at this point, with this vote, the council kind of confirms its commitment to the idea,” Arellano said. “The question becomes not ‘Do we implement this?’ but ‘How?’” At the Nov. 2 meeting, council members discussed forming a task force to assess the best way for all parties involved to enact Dixon One. DIXON ONE CONTINUED ON A3
Sunny
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 11 40 Pages
Today: 56/36 For the forecast, see Page A10
Business
The video-game phenomenon known as e-sports is just getting started. See Page C1
Community Communities across the region honored military veterans this week with special events. SVM photographers share their images. See Page C12
Index Business........... C1
Lottery .............. A2
Classified .......... B8
Markets .......... A10
Comics ........... A12
Obituaries ......... A4
Community ..... C12
Opinion............. A6
Crossword Saturday ......... B13
Scoreboard ...... B4
Crossword Sunday ............. C8
Sports .............. B1
Dave Ramsey ... C1
Travel .............. C10
Dear Abby ........ C9
Weather.......... A10
Events ............ C11
Wheels ........... B14
Scrapbook ....... C3 Support groups ..C11