STERLING – As part of our coverage of the misappropriation of millions of taxpayer dollars in Dixon, I and other reporters were working on a larger story last week.

We were interviewing leaders in many of our area cities, townships, county boards, schools and park districts to ask the question: Could it happen here? We wanted to find out what practices were in place to prevent fraud from happening in other communities.

As part of the story, I sat down last week with Sterling City Manager Scott Shumard, Finance Director Cindy Von Holten and the city's management intern, Hadley Skeffington-Vos.

During the conversation, I asked Shumard what his initial reaction was to the news from Dixon.

His reaction was honest: He told me that things finally made sense.

Shumard had been comparing annual financial reports for a few years. Out of more than 30 cities he compared, just two had a negative fund balance in the general fund, he said.

Although I went into the conversation hoping to get material for our larger story, I walked away with another great story. The city manager of a major city in our coverage area had said that he noticed red flags that stood out in the financial reports he had examined.

Further, he said he spoke to someone in Dixon city government about those red flags, though he hasn't said who he told.

I filed the story and it appeared in our newspaper on Monday. Later that day, I discovered my story had been picked up by the Boston Herald. The paper ran the story online and included an AP video of Rita Crundwell.

Shumard's observations had made it all the way to the East Cost.

The next day, Quad Cities television station KWQC picked up on the story. They ran their own version with Shumard's observations on what he saw.

I've since found out Shumard has been asked to speak more about his observations to other media.

It's been interesting to see how other news organizations have picked up on this story and others we've reported at SVM.

On a story this big, every note of interest takes off.

Sauk Valley Media reporter Kiran Sood covers government and happenings in Sterling and Rock Falls. She can be reached at ksood@saukvalley.com or at 800-798-4085, ext. 529.

STERLING – A member of the Sterling Kiwanis Club called me not too long ago to ask me if I would speak to his group.

He had been reading my Monday column, Twin Cities Talk, and wanted to know a little bit more about it. He was curious about how I develop ideas for the column and what it's like to report on Sterling and Rock Falls.

I was excited for the opportunity, and got to address the group Tuesday morning at CGH's Ryberg Auditorium.

To begin with, I spoke briefly about how the idea for the column developed and its main purpose. I gave some examples of how I've used it and what I hope to accomplish.

Afterward, there were some great questions about how we at Sauk Valley Media determine coverage, and a discussion on the future of print media.

I was asked if my goal with Twin Cities Talk, aimed at both Sterling and Rock Falls issues, was to bring unity to the community.

It was a good question. It is one of my goals. As I said during the presentation, only a bridge separates the two communities.

Similarly, by alternating my "office hours" between the Twin Cities, I want people to know I am the reporter for both towns and don't favor one over the other.

As for the future of print media, I told the group that there always will be a need for skilled writers to gather and present the news to readers. As a local newspaper, I believe we provide a valuable source of information on what's happening in our communities.

I'm really glad I was invited to speak. I always like talking about the column and my passion for the cities of Sterling and Rock Falls and their potential for future development. It really is an exciting time for residents in the area.

To the members of the club, thank you for the chance to get to know some of you better, and thanks for reading.


Sauk Valley Media reporter Kiran Sood covers government and happenings in Sterling and Rock Falls. She can be reached at ksood@saukvalley.com or at 800-798-4085, ext. 529.