LOCAL NEWS – THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7th 2019
Jim Leach
The DeKalb school board has recommended a decrease in the tax rate for their 2019 tax levy. According to the Daily Chronicle, the board made the announcement at its Tuesday night meeting. The district will set a 7-percent tax rate, which will go up for a vote after a public hearing December 3. This would mean that taxpayers would see about a 6-dollar decrease in their taxes. The decrease is because of 2.2 million dollars in bond abatements, and state funding is expected to increase about 10-percent for fiscal year 2020.
Police arrested a Cortland man after they say he attacked two women on Monday. According to the Daily Chronicle, 25 year old Kameron Farmer is facing battery charges after police say he choked a family member and threw two people to the ground. If convicted of aggravated battery, he could face up to 7 years in prison. The Chronicle reports that court records state that Farmer choked the woman because he thought she was being too loud, and left a small cut on her throat. He then pushed another family member when she attempted to break up the fight between the other woman.
A new live music venue has opened in DeKalb. According to the Daily Chronicle, Stage Left by Hometown Sports Bar & Grill opened the space, which is connected the bar, on October 18. The venue will showcase blues music and is modeled after live music bars in Chicago and Nashville. Stage Left will also offer comedy shows and other live entertainment. It can also be rented for private events, and holds up to 200 people. The owners received 150-thousand dollars in tax increment financing, which helped pay for the renovations. It ended up being about 27-percent of the total renovation cost. Chicago-based Irish singer Stevie Craig was the first official act during Stage Left’s soft opening.
DeKalb police have arrested two drivers after a two-car crash sent a teen to the hospital late Tuesday night. According to the Daily Chronicle, the accident happened at Route 23 and Perry Road, a few miles south of DeKalb. A car driven by 18 year old Julio Caballero of Rochelle hit a car driven by 28 year old Brett Jackson of DeKalb. The drivers were not hurt, but a juvenile in Jackson’s car sustained minor injuries. Police noted that Caballero had a warrant for narcotics possession, while Jackson was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a revoked FOID card. Both men were taken to the DeKalb County jail.