http://www.saukvalley.comThe latest news from the saukvalley.com websiteen-usDIXON – Dixon Public Schools, like most area school districts, faced something this winter it hasn't in a while: It used its 5 emergency days.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/dateline-dixon-district-to-add-emergency-days-for-next-year/ajy4qkc/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/dateline-dixon-district-to-add-emergency-days-for-next-year/ajy4qkc/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:24:00 GMTROCK FALLS – The city continued to pave the way for future development by changing zoning in portions of the downtown for mixed-used development.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/rock-falls-reclassifies-more-downtown-zoning/a7we864/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/rock-falls-reclassifies-more-downtown-zoning/a7we864/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:24:00 GMTTwo Whiteside County women were arrested Tuesday on charges of delivering drugs, according to a news release from the Sterling Police Department.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/women-jailed-on-drug-charges/abr41it/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/women-jailed-on-drug-charges/abr41it/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:24:00 GMTRock Falls police will meet with the Whiteside County State's Attorney's office on Thursday to decide whether charges will be filed after an anonymous poster allegedly made threats to "shoot up" Rock Falls High School on a Facebook page last week.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/will-facebook-poster-be-charged/a7x8lvd/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/will-facebook-poster-be-charged/a7x8lvd/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:24:00 GMTFor the fourth time in 6 years, voters in Whiteside County are telling school officials to look elsewhere for money to fix their districts' aging buildings and infrastructure.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/voters-again-reject-school-sales-tax/ar3z8xe/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/voters-again-reject-school-sales-tax/ar3z8xe/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:22:00 GMTOREGON – Mike Rock, appointed last year as Ogle County's state's attorney, failed to get the voters' stamp of approval Tuesday. In the Republican primary, Oregon attorney Eric Morrow beat Rock, getting 4,925 votes to Rock's 4,448. "The people of Ogle County have spoken," Rock said in a telephone interview. "I'm make sure to work with Eric to have a smooth transition."http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/incumbent-loses-in-gop-primary/alvtknm/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/incumbent-loses-in-gop-primary/alvtknm/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:22:00 GMTThe tea party sends shivers down the spines of some relatively moderate Republicans. Probably not Rep. Adam Kinzinger's. On Tuesday, Kinzinger sailed past his tea party opponent, David Hale, in the Republican primary for the 16th Congressional District, which includes Lee County.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/kinzinger-pounds-tea-party-rival/a3267xb/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/kinzinger-pounds-tea-party-rival/a3267xb/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:22:00 GMTSenger wins Republican nomination for Congresshttp://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/19/senger-wins-republican-nomination-for-congress/ahk43ss/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/19/senger-wins-republican-nomination-for-congress/ahk43ss/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:22:00 GMTDIXON – Silence filled the room as John Simonton stood on a chair to address the crowd of about 75 people gathered at The Crystal Cork Wine Shoppe. It was just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, and Simonton, an officer with the Dixon Police Department and a retired Illinois State Police lieutenant, had just been announced as the winner in the Lee County Republican Party primary election, beating incumbent Sheriff John Varga 57 to 43 percent.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/19/simonton-takes-varga-in-lee-county-sheriff-race/abzjzx3/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/19/simonton-takes-varga-in-lee-county-sheriff-race/abzjzx3/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:19:00 GMTOREGON – A Rochelle police officer took a big step toward becoming the next Ogle County sheriff Tuesday. Brian VanVickle, a 37-year-old Rochelle K-9 officer, won a close three-way race in the Republican Party primary. The Democratic Party has no candidate yet. The general election is Nov. 4.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/19/rochelle-vote-swings-primary-to-vanvickle/aqfnujh/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/19/rochelle-vote-swings-primary-to-vanvickle/aqfnujh/Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:19:00 GMThttp://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/general-primary-election-results/ai4nn99/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/general-primary-election-results/ai4nn99/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:59:00 GMTAMBOY – Kennedi Smothers' first 3 months have been hard on her and her parents. She was born on Dec. 31 at KSB Hospital in Dixon. Her parents, Kelsey and Justin Smothers, both of Amboy, were expecting a Valentine's Day baby.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/12/more-challenges-for-amboy-family-and-premature-baby/a74z5a1/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/12/more-challenges-for-amboy-family-and-premature-baby/a74z5a1/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMTWhen Rock Falls Mayor Bill Wescott gave his State of the City address this month, he introduced the possibility of doubling the local half-cent sales tax.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/13/all-in-on-try-for-half-cent-sales-tax-hike/a2nenk6/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/13/all-in-on-try-for-half-cent-sales-tax-hike/a2nenk6/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMTStudents at the St. Mary's School in Sterling were allowed to wear St. Patrick's Day celebratory clothes Monday in exchange for a food item or monetary donation. The fundraiser was organized by Home and School Association head Bernadette Hammes and saw bags of food and $65 donated to St. Vincent DePaul Society.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/st-marys-students-get-into-spirit-of-giving/adleuvh/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/st-marys-students-get-into-spirit-of-giving/adleuvh/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMTLee County’s population is less than two-thirds Whiteside County’s, but Lee County has had nearly 5 times as many in-person early and absentee votes cast for today’s Democratic and Republican primaries.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/election-2014-the-hottest-races-are-in-ogle-lee/a7aufg5/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/election-2014-the-hottest-races-are-in-ogle-lee/a7aufg5/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMTSTERLING – The City Council approved an ordinance Monday updating several building codes that govern construction, alteration and maintenance of structures within the city limits.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/sterling-updates-building-codes/arcy9i9/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/sterling-updates-building-codes/arcy9i9/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMTA Lee County man is said to have made threats against others the night he is accused of killing a man. A judge previously ruled that evidence inadmissible. On Monday, he changed his mind. Matthew W. Welling, 33, accused of killing Delmar Daniels in his Amboy home on July 18, 2012, is charged with first-degree murder.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/lee-county-judge-evidence-of-threats-allowed/ayvrxr6/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/lee-county-judge-evidence-of-threats-allowed/ayvrxr6/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMTDIXON – Jeff Kuhn is urging residents to let the city know which streets need to be repaired. Once the city has a list of streets to consider, Kuhn said, he'll drive the streets with a city engineer to prioritize the streets and find the "best bang for the buck."http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/dixon-solicits-public-opinion-on-street-repairs/ag11izh/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/17/dixon-solicits-public-opinion-on-street-repairs/ag11izh/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMTAMBOY – Alderwoman Deanne Hoy on Monday accused Mayor Tom Nauman of striking her twice in the arm during a confrontation outside a local restaurant earlier this month.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/amboy-alderwoman-mayor-struck-me-in-arm/ajw3qz/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/amboy-alderwoman-mayor-struck-me-in-arm/ajw3qz/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMTFirefighters from eight departments battled a fire at Whiskey's River Smokehouse on Sunday night in Oregon.http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/fire-consumes-whiskeys-river-on-sunday/aeniqi3/http://www.saukvalley.com/2014/03/18/fire-consumes-whiskeys-river-on-sunday/aeniqi3/Tue, 18 Mar 2014 06:15:00 GMT