A LOOK BACK AT 2006

SVN file photo A prison guard stands outside the front entrance of the Dixon Correctional Facility on May 11, after inmate John Spires took a prison psychologist hostage. Spires held guards at bay for 25 hours before the standoff ended.

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Inmate takes prison psychologist hostage In 2006, the safety of the Dixon Correctional Center was called into question by prison guards, citizens and local politicians after the May 11 attack on a prison psychologist by inmate John Spires. Spires, 51, convicted 20 years ago of raping four young girls, managed to force the psychologist into a closet, where he held her hostage for 25 hours, and sexually assaulted her. The prison went on complete lockdown for weeks afterward, and since the incident, Spires has been moved to the maximum security facility in Tamms. Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the prison workers' union, have said the attack was the product of poor staffing levels. They contend prisons across the state are insufficiently staffed, which the Illinois Department of Corrections denies. In November, Spires pleaded not guilty to charges of forcible detention, armed violence, aggravated kidnapping and two counts of aggravated sexual assault. His attorney is considering an insanity defense, and Spires is undergoing psychological evaluations. A hearing to check the status of the evaluations and of DNA testing done in the case is scheduled for Feb. 18. Wal-Mart Distribution Center opens For five years, economic development leaders and city officials in Sterling and Rock Falls worked, worried, sweated and prayed that they would be able to pull this one off. On April 12, their prayers were answered when the Wal-Mart Distribution Center opened - and provided 700 local jobs. It is the 38th distribution center in the country and the fourth of its kind in Illinois. From the 1-million-square-foot warehouse, food is shipped to stores within a 250-mile radius. Developers herald the facility as a magnet for attracting other development to the area, and although it has proven to be a huge splash for the region in terms of new job opportunities, it also highlights the dearth of quality employment - about 8,000 people applied for those 700 initial jobs. Now up and running eight months, the center employs 750 people, runs about 500 trucks in and out of the facility every day and is responsible for dozens of other local jobs in shipping and truck maintenance. "Opening up this facility will provide our region an opportunity to rebuild and reinvent itself after all the closings and downsizing of a number of manufacturing operations over the last five years," Dave Barajas Jr., executive director of the Greater Sterling Development Corp., said when the warehouse opened. Lawrence Hardware closes its doors This was the final year of operation for a century-old manufacturer: On Oct. 6, Lawrence Hardware shut down after a hard-fought battle against the inevitable. The former industry innovator was an anchor in the community for 130 years. Starting out as a hardware store in 1876, Lawrence Brothers became an early manufacturer of barbed wire, and carved a niche for itself by making farm-related items such as barn door hangers, rail, pulleys and nails. By 1940, the company founded by John and Edwin Lawrence was a full-line hardware factory. It was largely profitable through the 20th century, but slipped into bankruptcy in 2001, when it was bought by Howard Industries and renamed Lawrence Hardware. At one time, Lawrence employed as many as 250 people in two locations in Sterling and Rock Falls. Two men killed in Rock Falls Rock Falls police opened two homicide investigations in 2006 - the two most serious incidents of violence in a year that saw several stabbings and at least one other shooting in Sterling and Rock Falls. Ryne Thomas, 21, of Rock Falls, was shot to death Aug. 16 as he and a friend walked across the street at 11th Avenue and West 7th Street in Rock Falls. In September, two Sterling men were charged with Thomas' death after being apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. Hearings for the two, Nathaniel R. Galvan, 23, and Paul A. Bash, 20, are scheduled for Wednesday. Douglas Keefer, 46, also of Rock Falls, the owner of Twin City Seamless Gutter and Siding, was found dead the morning of Nov. 28, after neighbors noticed him lying motionless in his backyard. An autopsy confirmed he'd died of a blow or blows to the head. Police are still investigating, and no one has been arrested. Lee County judge steps down Lee County Circuit Judge David Fritts resigned in March, shortly after a criminal investigation into possible judicial misconduct was launched. Nearly a year later, no charges have been filed. According to legal sources, the investigation revolves around whether Fritts improperly gave legal advice to Lee County jail inmates. To avoid a conflict of interest with local law officials who have worked closely with Fritts, the investigation is being conducted by DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett; he has not yet made a "charging decision" in the case. Fritts resigned as chief judge of the 15th District Circuit Court on Jan. 4, and submitted his full resignation to the Illinois Supreme Court in a letter dated March 7. Former Lee County Assistant State's Attorney Ron Jacobson was appointed to replace Fritts in June. Major manufacturer building in Dixon In July, UPM Raflatac, a Finnish company, announced plans to build a $109 million labelstock factory on 62 acres at the junction of Interstate 88 and state Route 26, in the Dixon Industrial Park, that could employ at least 160 people in five years. The new factory will make products for customers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy. As of now, the foundation of the new building is nearly complete. The next step will be to erect steel frames, work that is scheduled for the first week of January. Construction should be finished by the first quarter of 2008, company officials said. Smoking debate comes to Sauk Valley This past year saw continued efforts to lobby for state and local governments to ban smoking in all indoor public places, and the Sauk Valley was not immune. The Whiteside County Healthier Communities Partnership - 50 community agencies that have worked on health and safety issues since 1996 - drafted an official resolution supporting a countywide smoking ban in September. In October, the Whiteside Board of Health passed its own resolution calling for prohibiting smoking in all indoor public places and outdoor assemblies. The Lee County Board of Health passed a similar resolution in November. Not everyone is behind the effort. In December, the Sauk Valley Area Licensed Beverage Association, a group of local bar and restaurant owners, presented the Whiteside County Board with a petition opposing a smoking ban that was signed by hundreds of area bar patrons. On Jan. 24, the partnership will hold a breakfast for county mayors and city administrators at which it will present its case for a smoking ban. It also is planning future times and locations for public forums on the topic. Amboy mayor resigns in disgrace The mayor of Amboy resigned in August, shortly before being indicted on felony charges he used his position to steal small amounts of cash from a donation box at the Historic Amboy Depot Museum. In a public apology, Leroy Stambaugh, 56, admitted taking the money to feed a gambling addiction. He's since sought treatment and asked forgiveness from the community. In December, he was admitted to Lee County's Second Chance Felony Diversion Program. If a panel of community members agrees, Stambaugh could be ordered to meet a set of conditions that, if successfully completed, could erase the felony from his criminal record. Thomson prison finally opens The 5-year-old Thomson Correctional Center opened for the first time in August, after Gov. Rod Blagojevich unveiled a state budget that included $7.7 million to partially open the maximum-security prison. It now holds about 125 inmates, about 7 percent of its 1,800-prisoner capacity. They are being guarded by 71 staff members, roughly 9 percent of the 750 jobs once promised to the area when the high-tech prison was built. The Illinois Department of Corrections would like to open the prison all the way, Warden Frank Shaw has said, but is waiting for state funding. Investment broker indicted on fraud charges Rock Falls investment broker Nevin Gillette, of Sterling, is accused by federal authorities of running a nine-year, $8 million Ponzi scheme involving 40 investors, most from the Sauk Valley. In November, Gillette pleaded not guilty to federal wire and mail fraud charges; he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or a fine equal to twice what the victims' lost or twice his gain, whichever is greater, on each charge. In October, a federal court in Madison, Wis., ordered Gillette to pay more than $370,500 to former investor Dorothy Nickel, formerly of Rock Falls, for mishandling her investments. He allegedly wired money he was supposed to invest for two other people to Wisconsin to pay that settlement; a subsequent audit of his books lead to the current charges, and more may be pending. His next court date is Jan. 29 in Rockford. Gillette ran Diversified Financial of Illinois Inc., Executive Marketing Services of Northern Illinois and Team Supreme, which ran fishing tournaments, out of an office in Rock Falls. In a Ponzi, or pyramid scheme, a broker solicits money from an investor, promising a high rate of return, then uses money from a second investor pay dividends to the first, and money from a third investor to pay dividends to the second, and so on. The scheme lasts until the broker no longer can raise enough money to pay off investors. Pastor guilty of embezzling from school In August, a Dixon pastor and former principal of Faith Christian School in Grand Detour was sentenced to four years in prison for embezzling more than $91,000 from the small private school. Mark H. Glenn, 46, admitting taking the money in electronic withdrawals from a school bank account between July 2005 and February 2006. No motive was made public. At his sentencing, Glenn said he was "deeply sorry for the hurt, pain and disappointment that my behavior has caused." Faith Christian has moved past the painful event, hiring Linda Foster, a 16-year teacher and five-year administrator at the school, as the new principal and adding new layers of financial oversight to the school's administration. Teacher charged with soliciting a child P.E. teacher Charles Christopher, 28, was arrested in October for allegedly using a Challand Middle School computer to solicit sex from what he thought were 13- and 11-year-old girls 16 times between April and September. The "girls" actually were undercover police officers in Burlington, Iowa, conducting a child predator sting. Christopher, who Sterling police say confessed to the conversations, pleaded not guilty in November to 16 counts of indecent solicitation. Christopher, also the Sterling High School wrestling coach, was fired this month for immoral behavior and unprofessionalism. His trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 23; if convicted, he faces two to 15 years in prison. He is free on $100,000 bond. Sterling mayor calling it quits Longtime Sterling Mayor Ted Aggen has decided not to run for a fourth term in April, citing health reasons. "I'd rather walk out of here than have to be wheeled out of here on a gurney," Aggen said at the Dec. 18 council meeting. The 76-year-old underwent quadruple bypass surgery in December 2004 and didn't return to council chambers until August 2005. He was first elected in 1995, and will leave office after 12 years as mayor. Third Ward Alderwoman Amy Viering is running unopposed for the seat. Viering, who filled in for Aggen while he was recovering from his heart surgery, would be the first woman elected mayor in the history of Sterling. Country Market opens in Rock Falls After three years without a full-service grocery store, Country Market opened Oct. 11 in the old Eagle Store, at 928 First Ave. in Rock Falls. Rock Island-based Country Market invested $1.1 million in renovating the building, adding new freezers, coolers, 1,500 feet of shelving, new copper wiring and a new floor. It's the second site for the company, which hopes eventually to expand into a chain of grocery stores. Eagle Country Market closed In October 2003, after the chain went out of business. The Rock Falls store was generating $8.2 million in food sales a year at the time. Businessman Jack Wahl, 70, dies Jack Wahl, CEO of Wahl Clipper and co-founder of Mallard Manufacturing, died Jan. 9; he was 79. Four days later, nearly 600 people attended his funeral at St. Mary Church in Sterling. Wahl, son of founder Leo Wahl, worked at the family business for more than 50 years. He became manager of engineering in 1954 after serving in the Navy. In 1956, he was named vice-president and joined the board of directors. He was named CEO of the company, which makes and sells grooming appliances worldwide, in 1977, a position he held for 21 years. Wahl founded Mallard Manufacturing Corp. on Locust Street with his brother, Warren, in case the family's other venture, the nearby Wahl Clipper, went out of business. It celebrated its 45th anniversary in August. Mallard makes gravity flow conveyors, which move pallets from one part of a facility to another. Costco, Ford, Toyota and Anheuser Busch use Mallard products. He also generously contributed to local Catholic education, among other things, establishing scholarship funds underprivileged students at Newman Central Catholic High School. National Manufacturing's "Joe D." dies Joe D. Bittorf, the third generation to run National Manufacturing, died April 3 of a heart attack; he was 72. From 1976 to 1992, under Bittorf's superintendency, National's annual profits nearly quadrupled, from $35.3 million to $133.6 million. Bittorf started working at the hardware factory when he 14, packing hinges, then went on to shipping and planting. In 1958, shortly after coming to work at National, he established the company's first plating lab to do chemical analysis. By 1973, he was the plant superintendent; he retired in 1994 the senior vice president. Bittorf, who attended St. Mary Grade School and was a 1952 graduate of Newman Central Catholic High School, took out a life insurance policy naming St. Mary Parish and Newman as beneficiaries. Each school received about $431,000. Lee, Ogle elect new sheriffs Lee and Ogle counties voted in new top guns this year. John Varga of Harmon was elected in Lee County, while Greg Beitel of Oregon is the new Ogle County sheriff. Both men replaced longtime sheriffs: Tim Bivins was Lee County sheriff for 20 years; Mel Messer held the job in Ogle County for 16 years. Varga ran unopposed in the November general election, after winning a three-way Republican primary in March in which he defeated Mike Koppien of Amboy and David Nicklaus of Dixon. Varga had been the chief deputy for six years, and before that, chief bailiff. In a rare contested race in Ogle County, Republican Beitel easily defeated Democrat Mike Arians, a former mayor of Oregon. Beitel won in every precinct in the county. Like Varga, Beitel had to survive a three-candidate primary; he defeated Clayton Merrill of Mount Morris and Ed Suits of Oregon. Beitel has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, including more than 20 with the Ogle County Sheriff's Department. He was chief deputy for four years. Wind farms blow into the area This year saw much progress in the way of wind farm development, particularly in Lee County. Sublette-based FPC Services Inc. is building the GSG Energy wind farm, with 15 windmills in Sublette and 12 in Brooklyn Township, and 15 more in Compton and Mendota in LaSalle County. The 390-foot-tall turbines have three blades that are 284 feet in diameter and will generate enough electricity to power 24,000 homes. Ground was broken in August, and the farm should be operational by early 2007. In April, Chicago-based Big Sky Wind asked Lee County to rezone 121 parcels in East Grove and May townships from agricultural to a designation that would allow it to build 85 windmills. It already had planned to bring in 50 to the Ohio area. Big Sky has several more steps to complete before construction can begin, but the schedule calls for building to start in 2007. And, after six months of research, it was determined recently that parts of Carroll County are capable of supporting energy-producing wind turbines. The data came from a meteorological tower erected to gather information about wind speeds in the area. Rock Falls needs a new sewer plant Rock Falls' 78-year-old sewer plant is failing - it can't seem to filter enough ammonia from the wastewater to meet Environmental Protection Agency standards - so city officials plan to build a new one on a 40-acre site on U.S. Route 30 about a half-mile west of town. The cost could range from $15 million to $20 million; the city already paid $1 million for the land. To help pay for the project, the city's 3,500 sewer customers' sewer replacement fee is rising from $11 a month to at least $21, although it could go as high as $30 to $35 a month, city officials have said. If the city raises the fee to at least $27 a month, it becomes easier to get grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, City Administrator Richard Downey said. Construction will begin as soon as 2008, and could take two years to complete. Officials won't know the actual cost until the design is finished this coming year. Sterling schools face budget woes With budget deficits looming, Sterling School District officials asked the community to help fashion solutions to the impending crisis. Superintendent Wil Booker and the board launched the Citizens' Advisory Committee, hoping at least 50 people would volunteer their time to discuss the financial situation. Thirty people signed on, but by the end of the seven-month process, only six to 14 members hung on. Attendance at two open houses held to solicit opinions also was lackluster. CAC members did have other data to fall back on. A survey conducted for the district by Northern Illinois University showed that 60 percent of Sterling voters would support a tax hike of 35 to 50 cents a year for every $100 of a homes equalized assessed value. In the end, members voted 8-6 to recommend an April referendum seeking a 30-cent hike, which, if passed, will bring in $432,500 and keep the school district in the black one more year, if programs are kept at the status quo. It would take a $1 increase to keep the district out of the red long-term, projections say. The group also suggested the school district make some sacrifices, such as salary freezes and other concessions. They also recommended the board hire a cheaper replacement for Booker when he retires at the end of the 2008 school year and sell Wallace Educational Center. Over the last three years, the district has cut more than $4.7 million from the budget by eliminating middle school sports, cutting in half each building's budget, cutting extracurricular activities, spending $90,000 less on administrators' salaries, cutting back the music program, eliminating assistant principals at the elementary schools and cutting teaching positions. Rock Falls school funding referendum failed Sterling schools weren't alone in dealing with financial woes. Rock Falls Elementary District 13's referendum, which would have raised $300,000 in new revenue, failed at the polls in November. After cutting art and music at the middle school, eliminating one of the district's bus routes and cutting a library aide position, among other things, which saved $400,000, the district asked for more money, but 74 percent of voters rejected the request. The district also took out a $600,000 loan for its working cash fund that it will repay over the next three years. The cuts and the loan helped the district project a $820,000 surplus in its $7.3 million budget this year. Montmorency Community School District also is projected to run a $331,000 budget deficit this fiscal year because of declining property value of farm land its district and bonuses given to six retiring teachers, a quarter of its staff. Mr. Lincoln took his place in Dixon, Sterling In July, a life-sized statue of Abraham Lincoln, created by Rock Falls sculptor Don Morris, was placed in Propheter Park in Sterling. The statue of a beardless Lincoln holding a law book was commissioned by the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society to commemorate his 1856 visit to Sterling. Also in July, a life-sized plaster bust of Lincoln, done in 1860 by Leonard W. Volk, was placed in the lobby of the old Lee County Courthouse in Dixon. The bust was given to the county by Anna Borchers, whose parents, Ruth Leydig Merrick and Edwin Wilmer Merrick, had it in their law office for many years. Demeter, er, Agriculture makes her debut In November, a controversial statue made its debut in front of the Ogle County Judicial Center. "Agriculture - Mother of Civilization" shows a young woman "sowing" farms and villages over the landscape. The statue, done by David Seagraves of Elizabeth, originally was titled "Demeter over Illinois," but some county residents objected to placing what they called a pagan symbol in front of a public building. Exhumation of murdered teen turns up no clues Ogle County officials announced in February that "no evidence of any value" was found during the exhumation and examination of the body of an Oregon teen murdered almost 60 years ago. Mary Jane Reed and her companion Stanley Skridla, were shot to death on June 25, 1948. Their bodies were found along separate country roads near Oregon. The murders have never been solved. In 2004, Reed's only surviving sibling, Warren Reed of Rock Falls, and former Oregon Mayor Mike Arians, succeeded in getting a court order to have the girl's body exhumed in the hope of finding clues as to the murder or murderers. In a cooperative effort by the Ogle County Sheriff's Department, the Illinois State Police and the Ogle County Coroner's office, Reed's body was exhumed from her Daysville Cemetery grave on Aug. 23, 2005. Samples were sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab. Despite the lack of evidence turned up by the exhumation, an Ogle County Sheriff's Department investigation, headed by Capt. Rich Wilkinson, was said to have developed some new leads. According to information provided by then-Sheriff Mel Messer, two people, now dead, have been identified as persons of interest. Dixon police, firefighters moved into new home The Dixon police and fire departments found a new home in 2006. Construction on the $7.6 million Dixon Public Safety Building began in July 2005; the open house was Dec. 2. The 45,000-square-foot facility, on Hennepin Avenue between Second and Third streets, now houses both departments. The Dixon Fire Department moved from its cramped facilities in the City Hall, which was built in 1906. The Police Department moved from its facilities in the Lee County Jail building. The new building provides both departments with more room and greater security. Because of the additional space, the fire department was able to buy a 750-gallon pumper truck and its snorkel truck, which could not fit into the old facility, now can be parked in the new building. The Public Safety Building was built on land donated by former Dixon fire and police commissioner Paul Potts and his wife, Betty. It blends in architecturally with the neighborhood - the exterior blocks were selected to match those of the Dixon Public Library, which is just across the street. ABA basketball came to the Sauk Valley Professional hoops debuted in the Sauk Valley this year as Tom McGinn of Rock Falls brought the American Basketball Association to town in the form of the Sauk Valley Rollers. Although it is minor league, the ABA is the first modern professional sports team in the area. The Rollers, formerly of Hammond, Ind., fell on hard times financially before McGinn bought the team and relocated them mid-season. Playing without an established home court this season, the Rollers began their local career by beating the Twin City Ballers Thursday at Milledgeville High School in front of a crowd of more than 300 fans. The Rollers have roots in northern Illinois in the form of their coach, Tony Battle, a former Northern Illinois and University of Illinois standout. Battle is a native of Aurora. The Rollers are the second basketball team owned by McGinn, who earlier this season launched the expansion franchise, Quad Cities RiverHawks.