Governor weighing Route 2 pledge tied to tax vote
Governor James Thompson may meet with Dixon Democrat Myron Olson and Freeport Republican Harlan Rigney over Ill Route 2 before a final six cent gas tax hike. Olson said a meeting could come today or Wednesday, with a vote likely Thursday or Friday. The lawmakers pressed Route 2 four lane conversion and repairs on Route 20 westbound as conditions to support the tax. Olson also noted House Speaker Michael Madigan's resistance to new taxes, while predicting a likely summit and a Republican leaning consensus on a broader income tax package including permanent higher rates, property tax relief, and larger education funding.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dixon
Myron Olson
Freeport
Harlan Rigney
James Thompson
Olson
Thompson
Rigney
Sterling
Winnebago County
Michael Madigan
Illinois Senate
Madigan
Illinois farmers fear heat and sparse rainfall this summer
Illinois farmers report drought like conditions with heat and little rain. Rain fell briefly in Dixon, but forecast calls for clearing skies and 60s tonight, 80s midweek. Soil moisture remains critically low across most counties, stressing corn and soybeans while oats yellow and harvest advances in southern Illinois.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Illinois
Dixon
National Weather Service
NWS
Rockford
Jim Morrison
Lee County Cooperative Extension Office
Ilinois
John Unger
Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service
Unger
Morrison
Bush to push constitutional amendment to defend flag
President Bush announced he will seek a constitutional amendment to counter a Supreme Court ruling that protected flag burning as free speech. He urged protection of the flag as a national symbol while pledging to uphold protest rights and begin talks with Congress. He dismissed simple legislation as inadequate for addressing the desecration issue.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
UPI
Bush
Supreme Court
White House
United States Congress
Congress
High Court
Civi Rights
Petunia festival drives Page Park pillar painting effort
Volunteers from AFSCME Local 817 plan to paint graffiti from Page Park pillars in time for the Petunia Festival. President Jack Burnell said 15 gallons of paint will be bought and about 90 minutes are needed per pillar. Local officials and festival leaders praised the community cleanup drive.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Page Park
Afscme
Burnell
Dixon
Jeff Kuhn
Petunia
Kuhn
Mike Verner
Park District Board of Commissioners
Park District
Ninth Annual Raft Race Adds Inner Tube Class At Petunia Festival
The ninth annual raft race at the Petunia Festival showcases ingenuity with handmade, crewed rafts racing from two Rock River start points to Stone Bridge in Page Park. A new inner tube class was added by race chairman Rich Frueh, though no entries have appeared yet. Open, inner tube, and business class races offer cash prizes from 75 to 250 dollars, with a five dollar per-person entry fee and ten dollars per raft for business class.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Rock River
Stone Bridge
Page Park
Rich Frueh
Frueh
Dixon Chamber of Commerce
Also Mentioned on This Page
Jerry
Bruce Forster
Telegraph
Raynors
Frank Greenawall
Raynor
Greenawalt
Jerry Paw
Matt Armstrong
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