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MORRISON EDGES OUT AMBOY 41-39

Committee: City isn’t getting a bang for its bucks

GIRLS BASKETBALL, B1

ROCK FALLS, A3

TELEGRAPH

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851

EDUCATION

ELECTION 2016 | SAUK VALLEY

At the starting line Test fails the test

Local races begin to take shape after filing deadline BY BRENDEN WEST bwest@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @BWest_SVM

Plan on some new faces in local and statewide politics. In Lee County, three people have filed for Anna Sacco-Miller’s seat as State’s Attorney, Lee County Board Chairman Rick Ketchum is not running after nearly 16 years on the board, and Whiteside County will have itself a new Circuit Clerk. Statewide, Rep. Cheri Bustos has made her reelection bid official. The deadline to file for county, state and federal elected offices closed on Monday. The focus, now,

will turn to who is vying for what seat for the March 15 primary election. To be eligible for the primary, candidates for all races needed to file with a party by 5 p.m. After the March primary, the field will be winnowed down per party based on how many seats are available in respective races. Those candidates will square off in the 2016 General Election on Nov. 8. Some races – such as local county board elections – have multiple seats up for election, allowing parties to nominate multiple candidates. Others, like the U.S. Senate, have one seat, allowing for one

candidate per party. Here is a roundup of local races.

Lee County State’s Attorney It will be a three-man Republican primary race for Lee County State’s Attorney. Following her Nov. 15 DUI arrest, incumbent Sacco-Miller announced she would take a leave of absence in November and would not seek reelection. Monday’s filing announcement corroborates that statement, and made official the candidacy of her assistant-turnedInterim State’s Attorney, Matthew Klahn, who filed his paperwork. ELECTION CONTINUED ON A5

SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR DIXON DRIVERS

Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

ABOVE: A car travels along Seventh Street on Monday afternoon in Dixon. The road had been closed since June 15, when a flash flood collapsed a culvert and carved a car-sized hole in the road. Since that time, residents have eagerly awaited the road’s reopening, which came 1 day earlier than its target date of Thanksgiving. RIGHT: Workers from the street department continue to repair the culvert Monday afternoon along Monroe Avenue, near the site of the Seventh Street collapse.

Local educators weigh in on state exam’s value – or, rather, lack of it BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM

The state is on the hook for $160 million over 4 years to administer a test that some local officials are putting “zero” stock into. It’s the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test, better known as PARCC, which students in third grade through high school were required to take in the spring. Preliminary results released in September paint a bleak picture – for those who are bothering to look at it. “I’m not criticizing PARCC, but I put no value in it – zero value in it,” said Tad Everett, superintendent of the Sterling Public School District. “We have kids who have gotten a 30 on their ACT tests, who did not meet standards on PARCC assessment. Are you kidding me?” Everett said the state average is about Tad Margo 13 percent in Everett Empen the PARCC’s math portion. The results showed that a small percentage of students – across the board – exceeded expectations in English language arts/ Ron Dan literacy and McCord Arickx math. They also showed that Inside zero percent of See where Sterling, Dixon, high school stuRock Falls and Newman dents exceeded found their niche in a ranking expectations in of local high schools: A9 math. The results released are preliminary because some districts took it online while others, which didn’t have the means, took it with paper and pencil. Tests completed with Braille, Spanish or ALS forms also trickled in. It made for a hornets’ nest state officials hope is just about sorted out about half a year later. The state’s school district had until Monday to finish the cleanup on their end. Once compiled, results will be shared with the districts but embargoed from the public for a few days. TEST CONTINUED ON A2

STERLING SCHOOLS

District needs your help putting its thoughts in order Feedback survey graduates to the next phase

Tad Everett, superintendent of Sterling Public Schools, goes over the community feedback survey that entered its second phase at 7 p.m. Monday in his office at the district office. About 1,500 people participated in the first phase.

BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM

Christopher Heimerman/cheimerman@saukvalley.com

$1.00

TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 164 ISSUE 150

INDEX

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

STERLING – The people have spoken – 1,509 of them, to be exact. During phase 1 of the Sterling Public School District’s Community Feedback Survey, 1,509 people shared 5,281 thoughts on what they like about the district, what they don’t like, and what they wish was being made available to them. That was the “Share” phase. At 7 p.m.

CROSSWORD....B10 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2

OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2

Monday, the “Stars” phase began. Even if you didn’t take part in phase 1, you’re encouraged to help prioritize the responses. The phase will run through Dec. 9, and you need not be associated in any way with the district to weigh in. To boil it down, phase 2’s interface is social media-based. For each page, participants get 16 stars to assign to nine “strands” put together by Thoughtexchange, the company the district hired to conduct the survey. FEEDBACK CONTINUED ON A5

Today’s weather High 39. Low 31. More on A3.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PAPER, CALL 815-284-2224

Need work? Check out your classifieds, B5.


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