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Thursday, November 19, 2015
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
LOCAL WEATHER
LEE COUNTY | STATE’S ATTORNEY CASE
Winter blowing into area
‘Humiliating ... but appropriate’
Holiday parade at mercy of snow, ice BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
The Sauk Valley could be hit with some heavy snowfall in a 12-hour period this weekend. “We’re definitely going to get a taste of winter that should start with some spotty rain Friday night that will turn to snow by midnight,” said Dave Samuhel, a meteorologist for Accuweather.com. The snowfall should end by lunchtime Saturday, but not before dumping 3 to 6 inches on the area. Grab the heavier coats, too – temperatures are expected to plummet to a low of 8 degrees Saturday. The high winds that have prevailed most of the week are expected to continue, with gusts of up to 30 mph Saturday. Drifting could be kept in check, however, because the snow will be of the wet variety. The track of the weather pattern is a wild card at this point. Accuweather said there are indications that the storm could strengthen considerably when it hits the Great Lakes region.
Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com
Lee County State’s Attorney Anna Sacco-Miller wipes away tears as she reads a statement Wednesday morning at the Lee County Courthouse. Sacco-Miller will not seek re-election next year, and is taking 30-day a leave of absence in the wake of her arrest Sunday morning for drunken driving. Click on this story at saukvalley.com to see video of her news conference.
WINTER CONTINUED ON A3
Sacco-Miller will not seek re-election, will get treatment BY ANGEL SIERRA AND KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ asierra@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5695
DIXON – Lee County State’s Attorney Anna Sacco-Miller, charged Sunday with misdemeanor DUI after she fell asleep at the wheel and struck a parked car, will not seek re-election in 2016, and plans to enter an inpatient treatment center, she said in a news conference Wednesday morning. She also is taking a 30-day leave of absence “to seek appropriate counseling and assistance,” and has not decided whether to resign, she said. This is
her first arrest for anything, she said. “The process was humiliating, but was appropriate. The law enforcement staff were professional and thorough, and gave me no special treatment, which is exactly how it should be. Many people have kindly reminded me that even elected officials are human and make mistakes. But I hold myself to a higher standard, and I think the community deserves that. “Right now, all I can do is ensure that the state’s attorney’s office continues its professionalism and especially ensure that this embarrassing mistake never … ever … happens again.”
Saturday’s forecast
Sacco-Miller, 48, is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, DUI with a blood-alcohol content greater than .08, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, all misdemeanors. She was arrested after hitting a car at 7:02 a.m. Sunday in the 500 block of East Fellows Street. She had been out the night before with friends; her blood alcohol content was .10, she said. The legal maximum when driving is .08 in most cases. “I’m pained and embarrassed in how I’ve let down the citizens of Lee County,” she said, her voice breaking.
Snow: 3 to 6 inches between midnight and noon Saturday Bitter cold: High of 30 degrees, low of 8 degrees Gusty winds: Up to 30 mph
So ... what if it does snow?
HUMILIATING CONTINUED ON A4
More inside DUIs by numbers in Sauk Valley, A4
Overview of DUI process in Illinois, A5
How many drinks make a drunken driver? A5
If the parade should be canceled, there’s a variety of indoor events going on over the weekend: a comedic play at Sauk Valley Community College, holiday craft fairs, and lots of local bands playing shows, to name a few. Check our listings on A9-11 and make a backup plan.
STERLING | SUICIDE AWARENESS
Survivor set to take the stage Local group members eager to hear, share artist’s message BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
STERLING – You might think Jen Tuder would be most anxious in the moments before the curtain is drawn for her one-woman show, “Suicide Punchline.” But it’s actually once the show is over, and she’s about to meet the crowd – most of whom have lost loved ones to suicide – when she’s the most nervous. And excited, too. “Half of the show is the conversation we have afterward,” Jen said. “The show is the way to open the conversation.”
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She’s hoping that after 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Sterling High School’s Centennial Auditorium, she’ll have a lot to talk about – with a lot of people. She will, of course, welcome conversations about those others have lost. “One of the things it does, and what’s important about the show, is letting people know they don’t have to be alone with this,” she said. “Suicide can create a stigma for survivors and alienate them.” And those fellow survivors already will have learned a lot of about the hills and valleys Jen has navigated since her father, Dave Tuder, took his life on Jan. 28, 1997.
INDEX
SURVIVOR CONTINUED ON A7
ABBY ................... A8 BUSINESS ........... A7 COMICS ...............B7
Local group meets monthly Touched by Suicide ... Survivors Gather meets at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month at CGH Medical Center’s Classroom 2. Refreshments are provided. The group is always looking for new members, and is looking for a newsletter editor. Call Kim Newburgh-Brabender, 815-535-3402, for more information.
CROSSWORD....B12 LIFESTYLE ........... A8 LOTTERY ............. A2
Image and design submitted by Megan Engeseth
Jen Tuder will perform “Suicide Punchline,” a free show geared toward suicide awareness, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Centennial Auditorium at Sterling High School, 1608 Fourth Avenue. Saturday happens to be National Suicide Survivors Day, and Jen’s favorite part of the show is after it’s over, and she’s able to meet fellow survivors from the audience.
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
Today’s weather High 43. Low 26. More on A3.
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