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GOING FOR GOLD AT DEJARNATT
DIXON, A3
WRESTLING, B1
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Monday, December 16, 2013
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
OGLE COUNTY| SPENDING IN THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
‘It’s never been done’ Board chairman wants funds more closely monitored BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529
OREGON – Since late 2011, the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department has used, at the sheriff’s discretion, a fund not reported in the county’s budget to pay a wide range of expenses. Similar to other county funds, the Administrative Tow Fund has been reviewed – and not found to be inappropriate – by the county’s auditors, Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker said.
Online extra Visit saukvalley.com to view receipts of all payments made from the Administrative Tow Fund since its creation in October 2011.
During an interview with Sauk Valley Media last week, Gouker, Ogle County Sheriff Michael Harn and Bob Coine, identified as the sheriff’s consultant for public relations, defended the fund’s purpose, uses and location off the budget. They also said the fund is used to offset a reduced budget for the Sheriff’s Department.
The tow fund, which was established by a county ordinance on Oct. 19, 2011, allows the county to collect a $350 administrative fee to tow vehicles, like those involved with a DUI arrest. According to the ordinance, money from the fund can “be used at the discretion of the sheriff, and may be used for law enforcement-related
activities including the purchase or maintenance of police vehicles, equipment, or training.” The tow fund Ogle County is reviewed by Sheriff the auditors, Michael Harn Gouker said, but doesn’t appear on the county’s budget, similar to the Sheriff’s Department’s commissary fund. NEVER CONTINUED ON A4
LOCAL BUSINESS
DIXON SCHOOLS
Union shares its final offer Proposals from both sides of negotiation go public Wednesday BY MATT MENCARINI mmencarini@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 529
DIXON – For nearly 18 months, contract offers between the Dixon School District and the Dixon Educational Support Personnel Association have been private. This week, they’ll go public. The school district declared an impasse Dec. 4, and both sides submitted their final offers to the state Educational Labor Relations Board last week. Those offers will be made public and posted Wednesday to the labor board’s website. After the final Mindy offers are made Donoho public, the two sides can continue to negotiate with the help of the federal mediator whom they had been using before the impasse was declared. OFFER CONTINUED ON A5
Online extra Read the latest contract proposal from the Dixon Educational Support Personnel Association on saukvalley.com.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Mary Williams (left) and Joan Rhodes, both from Dixon, shop Roxie’s in Dixon on Saturday. Roxie’s is one of many local businesses that participated in Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30 and has since seen an increase in sales.
Shop Small gives big boon Local businesses enjoy vamp in sales during, since Nov. 30 event BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 570
Website fix keys spike in health insurance exchange enrollment BY DAVID GIULIANI dgiuliani@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 525
On the Web
While the founders of Sauk Valley Shop Small know it can be difficult to quantify their ongoing goal of boosting awareness of small local businesses, some numbers are coming in to confirm that the Small Business Saturday event held Nov. 30 was a big success. Janna Groharing, a co-founder and executive director of Sterling Main Street, said 21 of 40 participating businesses have responded to a follow-up survey that compared sales and foot traffic from this year’s and last year’s events. “We had an excellent response,” Groharing said. “Sales were up, foot traffic was up, and so is community
Whiteside, Lee par for state’s course
Visit saukvalleyshopsmall.org for more information about the organization.
awareness of shopping local.” The survey showed that 67 percent of the respondents reported increased sales, while 30 percent said sales were about the same as during last November’s Small Business Saturday. The poll, done through SurveyMonkey, showed that more than 70 percent of the respondents saw increased foot traffic from last year. Even more exciting, many of the small retailers say, is that the momen- Maureen Broers, of Dixon, looks at coasttum from that single day appears to ers at Bushel Basket Candle Co. in Sterbe carrying over into December. ling Saturday. Owner Jackie Payne says Nov. 30 was one of her biggest days in sales since the store opened in 2001. SHOP CONTINUED ON A10
Among Illinois counties, Whiteside and Lee are about in the middle of the pack in percentage of of uninsured people. In Whiteside County, nearly 5,900 people under 65 are uninsured, about 12.4 percent. On A2 In Lee County, See where the percentvarious coun- age is slightly ties rank, in less at 11.5 perterms of the cent, which reppercentage resents about of uninsured 3,100 people. residents as At 18.8 percent, of 2011. Cook County has the greatest percentage of uninsured people. In southern Illinois, Monroe County’s rate of 8.2 percent is the lowest. PAR CONTINUED ON A2
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TODAY’S EDITION: 24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 163 ISSUE 160
INDEX
COMICS ............... A9 CROSSWORD....B12 DEAR ABBY ......... A8
LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2 NATION/WORLD A11
OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6 SPORTS ...............B1
Today’s weather High 22. Low 17. More on A3.
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B7.
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