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3-pointers deliver a win for Dixon
SVM ATHLETES OFSPORTS, THE WEEK B3
GIRLS BASKETBALL, B1
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Tuesday, December 15, 2015
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
LEE COUNTY | STATE’S ATTORNEY CASE
No word yet on resignation Chairman: Board should hear from Sacco-Miller soon after treatment BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5535 @KathleenSchul10
DIXON – The Lee County Board has received no word yet on whether State’s Attorney Anna Sacco-Miller intends to resign or serve out her term, which ends Dec. 1. On Nov. 18, 3 days after being charged with driving under the
influence of alcohol, SaccoMiller announced in a news conference that she would not seek re-election, and that she was taking a 30-day leave of absence “to seek appropriate counseling and assistance.” She had not at the time decided whether to resign. She entered a treatment facility sometime in the first week of December, and her leave
Anna Sacco-Miller
Rick Ketchum
will not end until she is out of rehab, board Chairman Rick Ketchum said Monday. He has not spoken to SaccoMiller since she began treat-
ment, but expects to hear from her very soon after her treatment ends, by the first or second week of January, Ketchum said. Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Klahn of Sterling, who is handling her duties in the interim, has filed to run for the office, as has Michael Downey of Nachusa and William Brozovich of Dixon. All are Republicans, as is Sacco-Miller. The primary is March 8 and the general election is Nov. 1. The winner will be sworn in Dec. 1, the day her term expires.
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. Police say she fell asleep at the wheel and struck a parked car. She was arrested at 7:02 a.m. Nov. 15 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 at the news conference. RESIGNATION CONTINUED ON A5
STERLING CITY COUNCIL
ROCK FALLS
New thrift store buys straight off the shelf
Officials: Cuts aren’t the answer Residents would feel the pain of reductions, department heads say BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
LEFT: Ed Schmitt takes apart a shelving unit Monday at the recently closed Sunbeam Bakery Outlet in Rock Falls. Schmitt and other volunteers from St. Andrew Catholic Grade School were moving the shelves to a new thrift store the school plans to open at 1100 First Ave. in Rock Falls, where Focus Services once operated. Ed’s wife, Wanda, one of the volunteers who’s helping with the project, said work is still being done on the store, and that a firm opening date hasn’t been nailed down, but that everyone’s eager to see it open – “the sooner the better.” Money from the store would go to help the church and the school, and maybe even build a parish hall. Wanda said they’ve been looking to open a thrift store for a little while, and things finally came together when the location on First Avenue became available. She said everyone’s been more than helpful already, and they’ve even been getting pointers from one of their thrift store peers, the CLS Thrift Store, which is located down the road at 607 First Ave. The store isn’t taking donations of merchandise until it gets closer to the opening date, but donations of clothing racks, stores fixtures and hangers are needed. People can call Wanda Schmitt at 815-438-2051 or St. Andrew Catholic Church at 815-625-4508 to drop off a donation. ABOVE: Ken Schaeffer rolls out a cart full of shelving.
STERLING – The city’s fire chief said that if Sterling tries to cut its way to a balanced budget, there will be “grave consequences,” and he wasn’t alone in his grim assessment. Other officials weighed in during a marathon meeting that lasted more than 3.5 hours Monday night. Their consensus? You can’t move forward by going backward, and backward would be trying to dig out of a deficit by slicing city services – services that could include fire protection and snow removal. CUTS CONTINUED ON A5
STERLING SCHOOLS
Tax abatement is still coming But taxpayers will have to wait, thanks to state budget standoff BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 @CHeimerman_SVM
Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com
STERLING – Sterling schools Superintendent Tad Everett is sticking to the county’s campaign promise of $1 million in tax abatement. But the state budget impasse is forcing the district to delay taxpayers’ savings. Whiteside County voters approved a 1 percent sales tax Tad in November 2014. The bargainEverett ing chip? Sterling schools would use a portion of the proceeds – $1.56 million this school year, including $132,492 received Nov. 2 – to pay health life safety bonds. ABATEMENT CONTINUED ON A5
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INDEX
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ......... A10 COMICS ............... A8
CROSSWORD....B10 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 POLICE ................ A2
Today’s weather High 46. Low 41. More on A3.
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