Latest news with #SaukValleyCommunityCollege
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sauk Valley Community College to host blood drive June 30
May 30—DIXON — Sauk Valley Community College is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a community blood drive Monday, June 30. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Dillon Mall on the college's Dixon campus at 173 state Route 2. The drive, sponsored by the SVCC Student Activities and Student Government Association, invites students, faculty, staff and the community to help save lives through blood donation. Donors are encouraged to bring a photo ID, eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating. The donation process typically takes about an hour, and all donors will receive a $15 e-gift card. Although walk-ins are welcome, organizers recommend scheduling an appointment in advance as spots tend to fill quickly. Appointments can be made by visiting or by calling 815-835-6432. To streamline the process, participants can save time by using RapidPass, which allows donors to complete pre-donation reading and health history questions online. For more information, visit
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bivins chosen as Dixon's newest police chief
May 27—DIXON — Ryan Bivins will serve as Dixon's next police chief. Bivins will officially assume his new role during his swearing-in ceremony Monday, June 2, 2025. Bivins' selection was announced Tuesday, May 27, and follows the retirement of former chief Steve Howell on May 9. "It is with great pride and confidence that our committee recommends the appointment of Sgt. Ryan Bivins as the next Chief of Police," said Jon Mandrell, chairman of the selection committee who is vice president of Academics and Student Services at Sauk Valley Community College and a former police officer with a master's degree in law enforcement administration. "His distinguished record of service, integrity, professionalism, and compassion make him exceptionally well-suited to lead the department into the future." Bivins joined the Dixon Police Department in 2009, according to a news release. He has served in numerous roles, including patrol officer, detective, patrol sergeant, street crimes sergeant, detective sergeant, and hostage negotiator. He leads the department's Crisis Prevention Team, and was instrumental in launching the Police Chaplain Program, Peer Support Program, and First Responder Resiliency Program. He is a U.S. Army veteran, having served 10 years, including a combat tour in Afghanistan where he was promoted to captain and awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He holds a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice. The selection process was comprehensive, transparent, and designed to ensure the best outcome for the department and the community, according to Dixon City Manager Danny Langloss. He said two internal candidates — Bivins, who is a sergeant, and Sgt. Aaron Simonton — participated in the process. Langloss said both men are outstanding leaders and demonstrated that they are fully capable of leading the department. "We must first acknowledge how impressed our committee was with the exceptional talent within the Dixon Police Department," Mandrell said. "The candidates demonstrated remarkable professionalism, leadership, and a clear vision for the department. It was truly inspiring and empowering to witness their deep love and pride for the City of Dixon." Each candidate spent a month preparing a detailed management action plan, which included a full staffing and departmental structure analysis aligned with their vision. Day 1 of the in-process included formal presentations of these plans followed by a question-and-answer session. Day 2 involved extensive leadership interviews that evaluated philosophy, decision-making, competencies, and scenario-based responses. Alongside Mandrell and Langloss, the committee also included: * Dixon Public Schools Superintendent Margo Empen * Dixon Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Executive Director Amanda Wike * Chief People Officer for the City of Dixon Dennell Pluymert * Sauk Valley Police Academy Director Jason LaMendola * Dixon City Council Members Mike Venier and Mary Oros * Interim Police Chief Doug Lehman * Dixon Police Sgt. Chris Scott "We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Jon Mandrell for his time, vision, and outstanding leadership throughout this process," Langloss said. "He brought deep expertise, a calm and thoughtful presence, and a genuine passion for serving our community. This was an extremely difficult decision, and Dr. Mandrell's leadership ensured that the process was thorough, fair, and mission-focused." Chief Bivins wishes to recognize his wife, Jordan Bivins, and their four children — Carson, Brady, Bailey, and Marley — for being his unwavering support system. "They are my rock," Bivins said. "Their love, encouragement, and strength make everything I do possible." Bivins is a mission-driven servant leader whose philosophy, "Serving Beyond the Badge," is reflected in both his leadership and deep community relationships, Langloss said. Bivins' vision for the future of the department includes: * Expanded youth engagement and outreach * Community policing and trust-building * Root-cause crime strategies that promote rehabilitation and safety * Comprehensive addiction and mental health support * Nation-leading officer wellness and resiliency programs * Transparency and shared purpose with the community
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Future uncertain for Sauk Valley Community College's TRIO program
May 15—DIXON — A program supporting some of the Sauk Valley's most vulnerable college students for more than 25 years is facing uncertainty amid looming federal funding cuts. Sauk Valley Community College's (SVCC) TRIO Student Support Services is a nationwide federally funded initiative serving first-generation college students, individuals from low-income backgrounds and students with documented disabilities. TRIO provides more than 200 SVCC students with individual academic advising, tutoring, textbook and technology lending, financial literacy and skills workshops, assistance with transferring to four-year universities and more. SVCC's TRIO Project Director Stephanie Jacobs said the program is funded through competitive grants from the United States Department of Education, which schools must reapply for every five years. In its Fiscal Year 2026 budget, the Trump administration is proposing eliminating funding for all TRIO programs, calling them "a relic of the past." The President's budget proposal outlines recommended spending and priorities for the next fiscal year, but Congress controls the actual process. Lawmakers use the proposal as a guide to create their own budget and pass 12 appropriations bills, which must be approved by both chambers and signed by the President to fund the government. If the proposed TRIO cuts are part of the final bill, SVCC stands to lose $1.5 million over the next five years to support those students. SVCC's Vice President of Academics and Student Services Jon Madrell said that loss would be devastating. "You'd have to re-strategize everything on your own dollars, and that's tough to come by right now," Mandrell said. "To absorb those resources would be daunting. I don't know that we would be able to put as much on the table as we do now." To be eligible for the program, students must meet one of three criteria: * Be a first-generation college student, meaning neither of their parents has a Bachelor's degree. * Meet income guidelines based on federal standards, determined by FAFSA eligibility * Have a documented disability According to SVCC's Vice President of Advancement Lori Cortez, 84% of SVCC students qualify as low-income and 90% are first-generation college students. Without TRIO's support, she said qualifying students statistically do not make it past their first semester of college. "Our TRIO program has retention and graduation rates at triple the national community college norm for those students," Cortez said. "So, when you take a look at our trio program and how effective it is compared to students at any other college or university, you'll see that what we're doing here, it actually works, and not just here at Sauk, but TRIO programs nationally." The SVCC administration has been reaching out to state politicians to fight for the program. Congressman Eric Sorensen provided Shaw Local with the following comments regarding the TRIO program. "TRIO programs open the doors of opportunity for students who might not otherwise see college as an option—especially in rural communities like Dixon. As a member of the TRIO Caucus, I am focused on improving higher education access for low-income, first-generation, and disabled students," Sorensen said. "Our district has one of the highest TRIO participation rates in the country and cutting that program would mean eliminating critical support systems that help students stay on track, graduate, and reach their full potential. I strongly oppose any attempt to pull the rug out from under these students. We should be investing in their futures not turning our backs on them." For more information on the TRIO program or to apply, students can visit the TRIO office on campus or visit
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SVCC professor helps students glow up into rad tech careers
May 8—A Dixon professor has spent over two decades helping students produce clear images of their futures. Dianna Brevitt is Sauk Valley Community College's radiology program director, its Outstanding Faculty Award winner, and is being nominated for the 2025 Illinois Community College Trustees Association Outstanding Full-time Faculty Award. She started her career at SVCC in 2003 as a radiologic technology professor. "Professor Brevitt embodies everything that Sauk Valley Community College stands for — scholarship, excellence, quality and genuine care," Jon Mandrell of SVCC said. "Her dedication has made a lasting difference in the lives of her students and colleagues alike. Not only has she been pivotal to the success of the rad tech program, but she was also a key driver in the creation of the sonography program. We are proud to have her at SVCC." Brevitt has dedicated herself to the field of radiography for the past 25 years, covering a range of areas, including the emergency department, fluoroscopy, pediatrics and portable radiography. She earned her associate's degree in radiologic technology from SVCC before going on to finish her master's degree in elementary education in 2005 at Rockford University. "I also worked at KSB Hospital for 15 years doing X-rays and helping Sauk students as one of their advisers," Brevitt said. "A few years went by, and I decided I wanted to teach. I thought I would be teaching middle school, science, math or English. Then, right when I was about to graduate, the job came open out here and it was a nice fit." SVCC's rad tech program is a two-year associate of applied science program that prepares students for a career as a radiologic technologist through classroom instruction, simulation testing and hands-on clinical experience at various health facilities. First-year students complete two eight-hour clinical days per week on-site, while second-year students spend three clinical days, including potential evening and weekend shifts for trauma patient exposure. "When you start in the program, we have you at the college for about six weeks, and we make sure you know how to do this list of X-ray exams," Brevitt said. "You'll get to practice with a partner and then we test you, and if you pass all the tests, we send you to the clinical site where you're doing those on real patients." After completing the program, graduates must take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists certification exam. This national board registry test evaluates the knowledge and skills needed to work as a registered radiologic technologist. "We've had a 93% first-time pass rate for the last five years," Brevitt said. "It was always 100%, but then COVID hit and we dipped down, but we're building it back up. We're definitely above the national average." Brevitt has watched the program, which first received institutional accreditation in March 1972, technologically evolve over the years, moving from film to digital imaging. However, it is her students' evolution that truly captivates her. "You see them come in, you watch them develop, and then they're usually hired at one of our clinical sites that I still visit," Brevitt said. "One of my students from 2005 works at the Mayo Clinic doing research, and he also does some publications." Brevitt enjoys working in her garden, biking, running, kayaking and playing with her four grandchildren when she is not in the classroom. For more information on SVCC's Rad Tech program, contact Mandy Aldridge, Health Professions academic adviser, at
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rep. Sorensen urges passage of suicide prevention act honoring Chadwick man
Apr. 13—DIXON — U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Rockford, is urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation honoring a Thomson prison corrections officer who died by suicide in March 2023. "I rise today to honor the life of Blake Schwartz, a constituent of mine from Chadwick, Illinois, who lost his life to suicide two years ago, leaving behind a loving wife and a daughter that he never had a chance to meet," Sorensen said Tuesday in his address to House leadership. "Blake spent the last three years of his life as a corrections officer at the Thomson Correctional Center. I don't think most of us understand how hard these law enforcement officers work, and for Blake, he did not have the resources when he was struggling, and he did not survive." Schwartz died March 24, 2023, at age 26, according to his obituary. He attended Sauk Valley Community College and earned a degree in criminal justice. If established, the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act (H.R. 9929) would create a grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice to fund mental health screenings and referrals for officers in federal, state and local facilities nationwide. "The Blake Schwartz Suicide Prevention Act will provide officers across the country the resources they need to live," Sorensen said. "When Michelle came to my office and asked if I would champion this bill in the honor of the love of her life, with tears welling up then as they are now, I said, 'Yes.' So. today I call on House Republicans to stop their delay and bring this bill to a vote in the name of our hero from Chadwick, Illinois." H.R. 9929 was first introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, an Iowa Republican, on Oct. 4 to provide funding to the Bureau of Prisons, states and localities to carry out mental health screenings and provide referrals to mental health care providers for certain corrections officers. The bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. The Thomson prison, located in Carroll County, is a low-security federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp. It houses about 2,000 inmates, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' website.
