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WARRIORS’ LATE LEAD SLIPS AWAY

GIRLS BASKETBALL, B1

Go ahead, butter up that beef FOOD, A9-10

TELEGRAPH

Wednesday, January 4, 2017 n SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851

DIXON | CITY COUNCIL

Nothing new under the sun for now City learns it would take a few years to clear the way for a solar farm on airport land ​BY RACHEL RODGERS rrodgers@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5529 @rj_rodgers

DIXON – It could be another 2 or 3 years before a solar farm comes to the Dixon Municipal Airport.

The City Council reviewed the findings of an airport feasibility study in October that gave recommendations on how to make the facility a more sustainable operation, including generating more revenue by leasing a portion of land to a company to develop a

solar farm. City Manager Cole O’Donnell said that after contacting energy companies that might be interested in the land, he found it could take a couple of years of cutting through red tape before the project could happen.

The city will need to draft a new airport layout plan with the Federal Aviation Administration that would declare the acreage as excess land before a longterm lease can be made for a solar farm. SOLAR FARM continued on A44

STERLING SCHOOL BOARD

ROCK FALLS

Candidates ’Tis the season could lose no more spot on ballot Electoral board must decide whether incumbents filled out petition properly BY CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN cheimerman@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5523 CHeimerman_SVM

MORRISON – A three-member electoral board must decide whether two members of the Sterling school board can remain on the April 4 election ballot. Former board member Gonzalo Reyes, who also served as vice president, filed an objection Dec. 28 challenging the petitions filed by Terry McGuire and Marc A. Geil, who are both seeking another 4-year term. BALLOT continued on A54

LEE COUNTY

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Lee County Health Department administrator Cathy Ferguson listens to her Whiteside County counterpart, Beth Fiorini, speak Tuesday during a PRISM of Lee County meeting in Dixon. PRISM is a collaborative community service provider working to provide help and treatment for addiction and mental health issues.

Photos by Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com

ABOVE: The stockings aren’t hung by the chimney with care any more, and neither are the Christmas decorations in Rock Falls. City workers were out and about Tuesday afternoon, removing wreaths, lights and other ornaments that decked the halls. Here, Don Cassidy of the city’s Electric Department uses a bucket truck to remove a wreath from a light pole downtown. But fear not, fans of the festive holiday, things will start getting merry again before you know it. After all, there are only 354 days until Christmas. RIGHT: Stephen Pleskovitch of the Coloma Park District takes down a string of Christmas lights Tuesday afternoon at John W. Bowman Family Park along the Rock River in Rock Falls.

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TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 166 ISSUE 172

INDEX

Calls for help are increasing

Crisis prevention team formed to find reason behind the rise BY ASHLEY CADY acady@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5521 @ashleycady_svm

DIXON – The irony of the most wonderful time of the year correlating with an uptick in suicide-related reports is not one that’s lost on mental health professionals. Sometimes, though, the reasons aren’t as obvious, nor are the symptoms. CALLS continued on A44 ABBY.................... A7 BUSINESS............ A5 COMICS................ A8

CROSSWORD.......B9 LIFESTYLE............ A7 LOTTERY.............. A2

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

Today’s weather High 18. Low 7. More on A3.

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Need work? Check out your classifieds, B5.


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