Oregon_Republican_Reporter-03-29-2024

Plote trial ends

Jury finds Malta man guilty of killing Mt. Morris woman, unborn baby / 3

SPORTS

Spring swing

Oregon crushes Amboy in baseball, plus a roundup of action on the diamonds and fields / 11, 13

Winter Games awards

Village of Progress celebrates its athletes / 9

Earleen Hinton

Brooke Halverson and Kaylee Dodson, both 15, serve barbecue sandwiches as they volunteer at the Chana United Methodist Church’s concession stand during

Antique Show on March 24 at the Blackhawk

was Brooke’s birthday.

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Nominations sought for Athletic Hall of Fame

Hall is for Oregon and Mt. Morris athletics

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

OREGON – Oregon High School announces the launch of the Oregon CUSD Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Athletic Hall of Fame will honor the outstanding contributions of athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty/staff members, teams and contributing friends to Oregon School District athletics as well as Mt. Morris School District athletics program.

The school will host nominations and an induction ceremony annually.

OREGON LIBRARY

Solar Eclipse Viewers

On Monday, April 8, there will be a partial solar eclipse. In preparation, the Adler Planetarium in Chicago has provided public libraries in Illinois with a limited supply of safe solar viewers. While our supply lasts, free viewers will be available for Oregon Public Library cardholders. Maximum of four per family.

National Library Week – April 7-13

National Library Week is a time to celebrate our nation’s libraries and library workers and promote library use and support. The library provides an inclusive and supportive community where everyone belongs. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries of all types across the country. From picture books and large print to audiobooks and ebooks, library of things collection items, book clubs, storytimes, yoga, craft classes, lectures and more, the library is the place to be. Check out reading material from the Oregon Public Library this week and receive a scratch-off ticket (Oregon Public Library District cardholders only) for every three readable items checked out. Prizes for the lucky winners.

Illinois Library Presents Dr. Temple Grandin

7 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. Join us for a special event with Grandin, one of the world’s most accomplished and well-known adults with autism. Grandin has been at the forefront of research and activism for autism and neurodiversity for decades.  Her memoir “Emergence: Labeled Autistic”

Nomination forms are available on the district’s website, www.ocusd.net, under the About tab.

Individuals are invited to propose candidates for induction into the Oregon CUSD Athletic Hall of Fame.

Nominations are due by May 1.

The Oregon CUSD Athletic Hall of Fame committee will evaluate nominees based on criteria including regional, state and national recognition, exceptional accomplishments in respective sports and significant contributions to the community.

Nominations will be accepted in the following categories:

• Student or Coach: Up to five inductees annually

• Administrator/Faculty/Staff member: One inductee annually

• Team: Up to three teams inducted annually until 2029; thereafter, one team annually

• Contributing Friend: One inductee annually

“We are excited to launch the Oregon CUSD Athletic Hall of Fame nomination process and provide an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our athletes, coaches and supporters,” said Tom Mahoney, superintendent of Oregon District 220. “This initiative not only honors excellence in sports but also fosters a sense of pride within our community.”

Nominations, with supporting data, can be made via online nomination form or printed nomination forms mailed to the Activities Office, 1101 Jefferson St., Oregon, IL 61061.

was published in 1986 and she has continued to write about autism and neurodivergence over the decades. Her most recent book is “Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions.” Grandin’s research and understanding of animal behavior spearheaded a reform in the quality of life for agricultural animals worldwide. Register at https://bit.ly/ILP_TempleGrandin Story Time (18 months to 6 years)

10 a.m. Mondays. Stories, activities and fun. Go online or call to register.

Find A Character Ticket!

What is a Character Ticket? A Character Ticket represents an image of a character from that specific book. Character Tickets will be hidden in books in the children/youth book collection. After you check out a book and find a Character Ticket in the book, you may adopt that character doll and take it home. Open to Oregon Public Library cardholders only. May adopt only once.

Knit & Crochet is back on Mondays

The group will meet at 1 p.m. and is open to anyone. From beginner to expert, all skill levels are welcome. Bring any hand craft and work on it while socializing. Need help getting started with your knitting project? Stop in on a Monday. Registration is requested. Visit www.oregonpubliclibrary. com or call 815-732-2724.

Book Clubs

The 2WBC meets at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, to discuss “The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time” by Mark Haddon.

Cocktails & Crimes will meet at 2 p.m.

CORRECTIONS

Accuracy is important to the Oregon Republican Reporter. Please call errors to our attention by email at news@oglecountynews.com.

Sunday, April 21, at Courthouse Tavern.

The Afternoon Book Club meets at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, to discuss “Master Butchers Singing Club” by Louise Erdrich.

Books on Tap Book Club meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at Cork & Tap to discuss “The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride” by Joe Siple.

Is This Just Fantasy? Book Club will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, at the library to discuss “Grave Mercy” by Robin LaFevers.

Oregon Writers Group

The group meets at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month.

Yoga

9:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Functional Yin-Yasa. This class is a hybrid of yang (active yoga) with yin (passive yoga). We will use fundamental yoga postures combined with functional movements to build strength and warmth, followed by passive, long-held poses to help with flexibility and mobility of the joints and soft tissues. A yoga mat and blocks are useful props for this class. All levels are welcome. Oregon Library patrons only. Registration is required. This class fills quickly. Call 815-732-2724 or visit www.oregonpubliclibrary.com to register.

OPLD Dial-A-Story and Oregon Public Library StoryWalk at Oregon Park West Call 815-732-2724, follow the prompts and presto ... a story. Story is “A Place for Birds” by Melissa Stewart. At the StoryWalk is “Bunches and Bunches of Bunnies” by Louise Mathews.

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Jury finds Malta man guilty of strangling Mt. Morris woman, unborn baby in 2020

By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com

OREGON – An Ogle County jury found a Malta man guilty of murdering a Mt. Morris woman and her unborn baby and then setting her home on fire in an attempt to conceal the deaths.

Jurors deliberated for two hours March 22 before finding Matthew T. Plote, 36, of Malta, guilty of killing Melissa Lamesch, 27, on Nov. 25, 2020, just one day before Thanksgiving and two days before her full-term baby was to be born.

Plote was found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder, three counts of intentional homicide of an unborn child and one count each of residential arson, aggravated domestic battery and concealment of a homicidal death.

Plote, the baby’s biological father, showed no emotion as the verdict was read.

He was remanded to the Ogle County Correctional Center, where he has been held since his March 2022 arrest. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges. His next court date is a post-trial status hearing set for 3:30 p.m. April 25.

The six-person jury, composed of four women and two men, was sent to the jury room to begin their decision process at 5:08 p.m. after hearing from one defense witness and closing arguments from attorneys. Plote waived his right to a 12-person jury March 18, the first day of the trial.

Plote also chose not to take the stand during the five-day trial at the Ogle County Judicial Center.

In closing arguments, Assistant State’s Attorney Heather Kruse asked jurors to use their common sense and find Plote guilty. She said one of Lamesch’s sisters was on a telephone call with her when Plote arrived at the home.

That sister, Cassie Baal, testified earlier in the week that Lamesch said Plote was at her door and Melissa would call her back shortly, as soon as he left.

“Melissa never called her back when he left because she was dead,” said Kruse, adding Plote left by the home’s back door so no one could see him leave.

Kruse said Plote’s DNA linked him

to the violence done to Lamesch and she disputed his claim they had consensual sex.

“This was a violent sexual encounter,” Kruse said. “There was blunt force trauma to her head before her death. She fought back. He’s the one that strangled the life out of her. Nobody else had the motive to murder her.”

Defense attorney John Kopp told jurors in his closing comments that 469 days had passed between Lamesch’s death and Plote’s charges. He accused police of being “laser-focused” on his client and choosing not to question any of Lamesch’s other boyfriends.

Plote worked for the Carol Stream Fire District as a paramedic and also had been a volunteer with the Malta Fire Department.

Kopp said Plote chose to remain silent during portions of interviews with police because he was innocent of all the charges.

“He didn’t do anything. He is innocent,” Kopp said. “You can’t hold my client’s silence against him. This is a very emotional case. Your decision needs to be based on facts, not emotions.”

Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock told jurors there was no doubt Plote killed Lamesch and the baby.

“Follow the evidence. It leads to one person,” said Rock, describing a

defense theory that another “mystery” person committed the crime as “ridiculous.”

“Take his demeanor into account,” Rock told jurors.

During the trial, jurors watched a four-hour video recording with Plote from August 2021 in which two Ogle County detectives accused the Carol Stream paramedic of strangling Lamesch because he didn’t want the birth of his son to interfere with his “carefree Playboy lifestyle.”

Sister testifies about phone call

On March 21, Baal, Lamesch’s older sister, told jurors that she was on the phone with her sister when Plote appeared at the Lamesch family’s childhood home where Lamesch was staying in preparation for the birth of her son.

“She said she would make the conversation quick and would call me right back,” Baal said.

Baal, who lives in Normal, said she called Lamesch at 10:50 a.m. Nov. 25, 2020, and had been talking to her sister for 2 1/2 hours when Lamesch said “Matt is here.”

Baal said she and her sister messaged each other every day and also kept in touch on social media platforms as the due date for Lamesch’s baby neared.

“She was scared, but she was

excited,” Baal said under questioning by Assistant State’s Attorney Allison Huntley.

Baal said her sister didn’t tell her immediately who the baby’s father was, but she figured it out by following her sister’s hints and social media accounts.

Because of the pandemic, Baal said she didn’t physically visit Lamesch frequently, but they messaged daily and spoke by phone at least once a week.

“I called her and she picked up,” said Baal, breaking into tears and asking for some time to collect herself.

Forensics

Two forensic pathologists told jurors that Lamesch was strangled to death before firefighters recovered her from her burning home.

“Ms. Lamesch died of strangulation,” Dr. Mark Peters, a forensic pathologist for the Sauk Valley region, said of the Mt. Morris woman. “There was no soot in her lungs or airways.”

Peters conducted the first autopsy on Lamesch, 27, at the Ogle County Coroner’s office in Oregon two days after firefighters found her face down on her kitchen floor when they were called to her burning home at 206 S. Hannah Ave. on Nov. 25, 2020.

Earleen Hinton

Cassie Baal, sister of Melissa Lamesch, tearfully testifies March 21 at the Matthew Plote trial at the Ogle County Judicial Center in Oregon about the last time she spoke with her sister.

Matthew Plote

No black bear on my doorstep looking for an apple

Linda and I are kept informed of what is happening in the area where John Burroughs spent a large portion of his life. This is the area of the Hudson River where Burroughs lived, farmed and wrote stories. Paul keeps us in the loop of what is going on. He belongs to an organization about Burroughs.

This week it was an email of what the weather was doing and how it had changed. Very similar to what was going on here with unusually warm weather, only with Paul it had taken the bears out of hibernation.

Paul said the bears were coming up the “trail cam” looking for an apple as a handout. This is in the area of the Catskill Mountains and it sounded to me as if the bears were rather friendly.

I told Paul that I was enjoying the

POLO HISTORY

Betty Obendorf

warm weather sitting out on my patio and I was glad not to look up and see a black bear wandering up for an apple. I do keep a lookout for skunks and I keep my garage door shut since in Eagle Point we had a skunk that decided to take up housekeeping in the garage. It was not easy getting rid of it.

Paul went on to say that cold weather had again arrived and the bears had gone back into hibernation. They are as confused as everything else is when the weather does not go as it should.

My son, Steve, was arriving this weekend to help clean out a flowerbed

that is now in the snow. I guess we will not be working in the snow. Instead, he will be going to church with me and I always love the music on Palm Sunday.

Paul sent us an article on Elizabeth Burroughs Kelley, who was the granddaughter of John Burroughs. She was born in 1903 and died in 1999. Elizabeth was lucky to spend her childhood at Riverby with her grandfather. She had many experiences to draw from as a writer, storyteller, educator and painter. She loved writing about her grandfather and his experiences.

We are lucky to have Paul keep us up to date on what is happening with John Burroughs and the area where he spent most of his life. People are still interested in how he lived.

Earlier this week I got a phone call from a gas man who was standing in

front of the museum. He needed to get into the law office to check the gas pipes. It did not take me long to get to the museum, find the keys for the law office and wait for him to do his job. After checking the gas in the museum and doing a check on the water, he was finished.

At that point he decided to take a quick tour of the museum and was very surprised at what he saw. I always enjoy showing what the Polo Historical Society has put together and the work that has been tackled by all of us. We have a great group of people and we are proud of what we have even if we do not have any black bears looking for an apple.

• Betty Obendorf is a retired teacher and volunteer for the Polo Historical Society.

A Pine Creek recollection: recipes for wild asparagus, dandelion greens

(The following story was written by Jane Shoemaker and appeared in her book “Pine Creek Recollections – a Storytelling Book” in 2001. I will be sharing selections of her book in my column for a few weeks – Otto Dick.)

By JANE SHOEMAKER

Spring was always fun. The snowy, cold, blowy, frigid, blizzard winter days disappear into April’s balmy, sunny, showery days. Spring had come to the Pine Creek farm! Too long the larder has been low on food that had lasted through the winter. Too long meals had become a little boring with the same old fare. Spring had sprung!

The woods and creek would supply luscious little tidbits waiting to be picked, cleaned and enjoyed. The wild asparagus, dandelion greens, cattail shoots, watercress, morel mushrooms and the little wild strawberries just waiting to be found.

Recipe books are so fancy nowadays. Back then, when I first can remember 1906 or so, we just gave each other our recipes. Below are a few samples of those old recipes, written in long hand and pressed in some

LOCAL NEWS BRIEF

First Fridays is April 5 at Oregon VFW

OREGON – The First Fridays Open Mic monthly show is April 5 at the Oregon VFW.

old cookbook that we never used. Everyone cooked then, with a flare. You were considered a good cook if there were many requests for your latest dish.

Ada’s wild asparagus

Take a walk by the road or along the railroad track and pick all the wild asparagus you can find. It will hide in the grass, but look closely and you will

spot it. Wash and sort it to the thickness of stem. Throw away tough pieces. Cut in 2-inch lengths and cook in a very small amount of water until tender, but crispy. Add a dab of butter, salt and pepper. If there is any left over (ha, ha) cream it the next day and serve it over toast.

Dandelion greens

Dandelions are everywhere! To cook greens, go out into the fresh air on a balmy spring day. Take along a large dishpan. Using a sharp knife, cut all new dandelion leaves you can find. Fill a dishpan. Take to pump and wash greens at least three times to remove sand and dirt. With just the water clinging to the leaves, stuff into a large pot, put on the lid and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. If you like your greens crisp, cook only about seven minutes. If you like them well done, cook for 15 minutes. Drain and add a dab of butter and salt and pepper. (I always liked mine better with a little oil and vinegar added rather than the butter.)

• Otto Dick is a retired teacher and has researched Ogle County history for several years.

The show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is free. A jar is available for donations.

“Performers can sign up for time slots on a first-come, first-served basis, so it’s

best to arrive by 6 p.m. or earlier,” said Lowell Harp, one of the event’s organizers.

Those with questions should call Jerry Tice at 815-449-2660.

The VFW is located at 1310 W. Washington St. in Oregon. There is ample parking and a restaurant and bar in the building.

A fish fry runs from 4 to 8 p.m.

Photo from “Pine Creek Recollections – a Storytelling Book” provided by Otto Dick This photo shows Spring Creek near the Shoemaker Farm as it flows into White Pines Park.

Oregon Woman’s Club hosts Antique Show

Photos by Earleen Hinton

TOP LEFT: Unique items were for sale at the Oregon Woman’s Club’s Antique Show on March 23 and 24 at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon. TOP RIGHT: People look at items for sale at the Oregon Woman’s Club’s Antique Show. ABOVE: Brooke Halverson (center) and Kaylee Dodson, both 15, volunteer at the Chana United Methodist Church’s concession stand Sunday at the Oregon Woman’s Club’s Antique Show. March 24 was Brooke’s birthday. LEFT: People look at items for sale at the Oregon Woman’s Club’s Antique Show. MIDDLE LEFT: Swan Hachmeister (left) and Greg Hachmeister of Hack’s Auction & Realty Service appraise an antique at the Oregon Woman’s Club’s Antique Show on March 24. Hack’s provided appraisals at the show for $5 each. The company is based in Pecatonica.

Continued from page 3

Peters testified he also found abrasions on Lamesch’s face and scalp, an abrasion in her vaginal wall and bruises on her legs and thighs. He said all of those injuries also occurred before she died.

There were no elevated levels of carbon monoxide found in Lamesch’s blood and her “full-term male fetus” had no abnormalities, Peters said, noting local law enforcement officials and investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s office also were in attendance when the autopsy was conducted.

Under cross examination Peters said he didn’t completely clean all the soot off Lamesch’s body before doing the autopsy. On March 19, firefighters testified Lamesch’s body was found with soot and debris on it.

“There was some cleaning done,” Peters said. “I didn’t sponge her down.”

Peters said Lamesch’s toxicology report showed only diphphenhydramine, an antihistamine commonly known as Benadryl, in her system.

Dr. Amanda Youmans, a forensic pathologist from Peoria, performed a second autopsy on Lamesch on Dec. 8, 2020, and also concluded that she had been strangled.

Youmans said she was in private practice and had been contracted by the state’s attorney’s office.

“I am paid for my time, not my testimony,” she said under questioning by Huntley.

Youmans said the second autopsy was done at the Peoria County coroner’s office with officers from the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police and the State Fire Marshal’s office in attendance.

She said Lamesch’s neck, face, eyes and larynx all showed signs of strangulation and hemorrhages in the muscles in her neck were caused by pressure being applied to that area.

“She showed no evidence that she was alive at the time of the fire,” Youmans said. “She was deceased prior to the fire. The child appeared to be a full-term healthy male.”

Jurors were shown autopsy photos of Lamesch’s injuries along with a photo of the baby wrapped in a blue blanket.

Youmans said when she cleaned soot and debris from Lamesch’s body she discovered more injuries that she said were consistent with “blunt force.” Those injuries, Youmans said, were found on Lamesch’s forehead, head and temple and were consistent with “multiple blows to her head.”

She said there was significant petechial hemorrhaging found on Lamesch. She said strangulation can cause blood vessels to rupture when blood flow is restricted or stopped.

“This is the most petechial hemorrhaging I’ve ever seen in a strangulation,” Youmans said. “Her cause of death was strangulation.”

Youmans said it would have taken several minutes for the baby to die from asphyxiation – lack of oxygen – after his mother’s death.

Youmans said the hemorrhaging was not caused by coughing or being in labor.

She also said there were minimal thermal wounds on the body as well as bruising on her legs, which indicated pressure also being applied there before she died. And she said a vaginal abrasion was “consistent with sexual assault” and not typical of consensual sex.

When asked by the defense during cross examination if Lamesch could have died from a pulmonary embolism, Youmans replied, “No.”

“She had no blood clots in her lungs,” Youmans said.

Mt. Morris firefighters testified they were called to the Lamesch home about 4:30 p.m. and forced their way into the home, where they found Lamesch laying

Dr. Amanda Youmans, a forensic pathologist, explains to the jury her findings after completing an autopsy on Melissa Lamesch. Youmans testified for the prosecution March 20 during the jury trial for Matthew Plote at the Ogle County Judicial Center in Oregon.

on the kitchen floor, not breathing and covered with soot and debris.

When she was dragged from the burning home and placed into an ambulance, there was no electrical activity in her heart and she was pronounced dead at 4:54 p.m., firefighters said.

First interview

In a Nov. 25, 2020 interview, Plote said he had been at Lamesch’s home that day because he had decided he wanted to be involved with the baby especially since his parents, who also lived in Malta, were interested in being part of the baby’s life.

He said he and Lamesch had an “off and on” relationship and she told him in April 2020 that she was pregnant. Plote said he asked her about having an abortion and she said no.

He claimed they had “hooked up” a few times before he went to her home in Mt. Morris about 1 p.m. Nov. 25.

He said Lamesch had wanted him to be involved with the baby, but he initially “wasn’t on board” but went to her home to “work things out.”

He said he stayed “about an hour” and they talked at the kitchen table before moving to the couch to have what he described as consensual sex. He said he then left the home by walking out the front door.

Second interview

Lt. Brian Ketter, chief investigator for the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, testified he and two other law enforcement officers interviewed Plote nine months after the deaths on Aug. 28, 2021, after analysis of collected evidence and completed autopsy reports had been received.

Plote answered few questions and exercised his right to remain silent. He showed little emotion as he sat in the corner of the interview room with Ketter and detective Chad Gallick. Mt. Morris Police Chief Jason White also participated in a portion of that interview.

Ketter and Gallick accused Plote of having other girlfriends and claimed he didn’t want them finding out he had been cheating on them if they learned about Lamesch and her pregnancy.

“Your child was going to be interfering with your lifestyle. Your world was about to change dramatically,” Ketter said, referring to Lamesch’s Nov. 27, 2020, labor inducement date. “You took care of that problem, but you created a much bigger one for yourself.”

Ketter accused Plote of leaving his cellphone at his home when he drove to Mt. Morris in an attempt to hide his whereabouts from police. Near the end of the recording, Ketter said cameras had captured images with time stamps of Plote’s car as he traveled to Mt. Morris that day.

The detectives accused Plote of strangling Lamesch because he didn’t want to financially support the baby.

Ketter said Plote’s parents only found out about the pregnancy because Lamesch had told them. He told police he had never met Lamesch’s parents or other members of her family.

Ketter, Gallick and White asked Plote numerous times over the four-hour video recording if he accidentally killed Lamesch. Many times they asked “what happened” and “why did you strangle her” and he chose not to respond.

At one point Plote said, “You asked that already.”

Plote said that he did not “hate” Lamesch and “never wanted to hurt her.” He did not elaborate on those statements when questioned again by the officers. He also remained silent when they asked him if he killed Lamesch.

When shown the autopsy photos of Lamesch and the baby, Plote appeared not to react and again remained silent.

“Something happened in that house that set you off in a fit of rage,” Ketter said. “You choked her. You beat her. To cover up what you did that day was to start a fire in the house. You thought that fire would hide everything. But there wasn’t enough fire damage. She was dead before you lit that fire to cover up what you did to her.”

“We are going to have to speculate because you won’t talk to us,” Ketter said. “You went there to kill them. You didn’t go there to talk about money. You went there to kill her and you lit the fire to cover it up.”

Gallick asked Plote how many times he called to ask about the investigation in the nine months since the deaths.

“Zero,” Plote replied.

“I told you my door is open. Why didn’t you reach out to me?” Gallick asked. “Melissa’s family calls every week, sometimes twice a week.”

Both Ketter and Gallick tried to use Plote’s career as a paramedic and firefighter in an attempt to solicit a response during the interrogation. And they appealed to him to provide more answers to give the Lamesch family “closure.”

“What changed you from a person working in a profession to saving lives to killing?” Ketter asked. “Why Matt?”

“You are a grown man. Stop acting like you are 14 and let’s talk about this,” Gallick said.

Defense attorney Liam Dixon questioned Ketter’s investigation technique and accused officers of focusing just on Plote and not on any of Lamesch’s other acquaintances.

“In fact, you were only looking at Matt,” Dixon said to Ketter.

Dixon said despite the interrogation tactics, Plote used his right to remain silent because he was not guilty.

“He told you she was still alive when he left,” Dixon said. “You had nothing that showed he had a history of domestic violence.”

“Correct,” Ketter replied.

Dixon said Plote told investigators in the interrogation that he did not “drive anywhere with the intention of killing anyone.”

“Do you have any shred of evidence that anyone else was involved in the murder of Ms. Lamesch,” Dixon asked.

“No,” Ketter replied.

“And you weren’t looking,” Dixon replied back.

On March 21, two firefighters/paramedics from the Carol Stream Fire District testified they were on a shift with Plote on Nov. 28, 2020, and he never mentioned the fire or the deaths.

Under cross examination, they said Plote was a “reserved” person and they never discussed personal matters and did not socialize after shifts.

See GUILTY, page 10

Earleen Hinton

Ogle County had highest voter turnout in area for primary

By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com

Voter turnout in the area varied in the March 19 primary election with about 20,000 ballots combined cast across Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties.

“It’s just slightly higher than a normal primary [election],” Lee County Clerk and Recorder Nancy Petersen said of the county’s 22.7% voter turnout.

It’s a good number but much lower than general elections, she said.

Of the 90,528 registered voters in

the three-county region, 19,449 ballots were cast, according to the counties’ reporting websites.

Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties all use Liberty Systems LLC to report election results.

Lee County has 21,396 registered voters and 4,857 ballots were cast. The percentage of voters is down from 25.53% for the 2022 primary election.

The majority of Lee County ballots – 3,427 – were filled out at polling places. Another 692 were cast early and 738 people voted by mail.

Counting the ballots went extremely well, Petersen said. They

finished counting about 10 p.m. March 19, she said.

Of Whiteside County’s 36,804 registered voters, only 5,385 – or 14.6% –voted in the primary. That’s down from the 17.92% of registered voters who took part in the 2022 primary.

Only 356 people voted early in Whiteside County. 3,989 cast ballots at polling places and 1,040 voted by mail.

“It was higher than I expected,” Whiteside County Clerk Dana Nelson said of the turnout.

Still, the low turnout percentage is disappointing, Nelson said.

“But to be fair, the presidential race

had pretty much already been called before the election and there were only two races on the Republican ballot and no races on the Democratic ballot,” she said.

Ogle County had the highest turnout with 9,207 – or 28.5% – of the 32,328 registered voters casting ballots, up from a 25.5% voter turnout in the 2022 primary election.

7,407 ballots were submitted at polling places, 869 people voted early and 931 voted by mail.

Ogle County Clerk Laura Cook was out of the office March 20 and unavailable for comment.

Polo’s downtown park to get wall mural this spring

By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com

POLO – A mural soon will be added to Louise A. Quick Park.

On March 18, Polo City Council members voted unanimously to hire Nick Gjonola, of Midwest Murals, for just under $15,000 to paint an about 1,200-squarefoot mural on the brick wall at Louise A. Quick Park.

“It’s in trend to do murals on the sides of buildings and this seemed the perfect place to put one,” Mayor Doug Knapp said. “More than anything, it’ll be historical.”

Louise A. Quick Park is located at 102 W. Mason St. in downtown Polo. It is the location of some of the Movies in the Park and Polo Area Community Theatre events.

“It’ll beautify Louise Quick Park and it’s right downtown where everybody sees it,” Knapp said.

The $15,000 for the mural was donated by the William and Beverly Burkardt Family Foundation, he said.

“They’ve done lots of stuff for the city,” Knapp said. “They’re really generous with their donations. We really appreciate them.”

Work is expected to start April 15 and be completed by May 15, weather permitting, according to the contract with Gjonola.

The mural’s design contains historic images, including portraits of President Abraham Lincoln and Zenas Aplington, the founder of Polo, on a background of a map of Buffalo Township. There is a steam locomotive and train station and pine trees with the words “Gateway to the Pines.”

Polo Women’s Club promotes awareness during Child Abuse Prevention Month

POLO – Child Abuse Prevention

Month has been observed each April since its first presidential proclamation in 1983 and millions of Americans have participated in public awareness that all children deserve to grow up in happy and healthy environments.

GFWC Illinois Polo Women’s Club partners with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois to spread the message that everyone can help promote great childhoods in their community. Blue and silver pinwheels are nationally recognized symbols of child abuse prevention and symbolize hope.

The Polo Women’s Club brings public awareness by annually planting

blue and silver pinwheel gardens at the Paul Grahling Park, Centennial Grade School, Applington Middle School and the Polo Community High School each April.

This year, pinwheels will be planted at noon Monday, April 1, with Mayor Doug Knapp reading a proclamation from the city of Polo recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

As a reminder, club members said, the pinwheel should compel people to report suspected abuse by calling 1-800-252-2873.

Resources to call for help include Prevent Child Abuse Illinois at 1-800252-2873, HOPE of Ogle County Domestic Abuse Agency at 815-562-8890 or Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center at 815-284-1891.

Earleen Hinton

Louise A. Quick Park is located in downtown Polo on the northwest corner of Franklin and Mason streets. This photo taken on Monday, March 25, shows the wall where a new mural is planned. On March 18, Polo City Council members voted unanimously to hire Nick Gjonola, of Midwest Murals, for just under $15,000 to paint an about 1,200-square-foot mural on the brick wall at the park.

Longtime Sterling felon gets probation in meth-dealing case

By KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@shawmedia.com

DIXON – A 41-year-old Sterling man who has a 26-year history of drugs, theft and other felony convictions in five – and now six – counties was sentenced to three years of probation in Lee County for dealing meth in a case that originally also had him indicted on a narcotics racketeering charge.

Shannon R. Davis, who was paroled from prison Feb. 2, was indicted May 12, 2023, by a statewide grand jury on the racketeering charge and four counts of dealing less than 5 grams of meth in both Lee and Whiteside counties.

Narcotics racketeering is punishable by four to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The meth charges each carried a prison sentence of three to seven years.

OGLE COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTS

Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle reports the following activity:

March 19

Margot Jacobson, 26, of Davis Junction, and Gerald Tyszko, 46, of Davis Junction, were arrested for retail theft at 6:20 p.m. March 19 after an investigation. Deputies had responded to a report of retail theft of alcohol at Benny’s Corner Market in Davis Junction about 6:53 p.m. March 18. Jacobson and Tyszko were taken to the Ogle County jail and released on notices to appear with future court dates.

Timothy J. Gallagher, 48, of Dixon, was arrested for driving while license revoked after a traffic stop on South Lowell Park Road at the intersection of Henry Road about 6:30 p.m. Gallagher also was cited

OREGON POLICE

March 10

Bryant L. McNeal, 20, of Carpentersville, was issued a citation at 12:35 p.m. for operating a vehicle with a tinted windshield. The violation occurred in the 200 block of East Washington Street.

March 11

David C. Choice, 29, of Rockford, was arrested at 1:06 p.m. for driving while license suspended. Choice also was issued a citation for disobeying a stop sign. Choice was transported to the Ogle County jail where he was processed and released with a notice to appear. The violations occurred in the 500 block of

Davis pleaded guilty March 15 to one of the meth charges. The rest were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Davis also was fined $3,340.

It was at least his 10th felony sentencing hearing in at least 17 cases since 1998, with half of those in Whiteside County, where two more case are pending.

Assistant Attorney General Gregg Gansmann prosecuted the case. He declined to comment and referred all questions – including about the statewide indictment, why the AG’s office was prosecuting and why Davis was given probation – to the attorney general’s press office, which also declined to comment.

Lee County Public Defender Robert Thompson represented Davis, who was imprisoned for possession of meth at the time of the indictment.

In Whiteside County, Davis was charged Feb. 9, 2023, with possession of fewer than 5 grams of meth and May 15, 2022, with obstructing justice, which is punishable by one to three years in prison.

Davis was freed Feb. 6 under the Pretrial Fairness Act and has an April 17 hearing in both cases.

According to Illinois Department of Corrections and county court records, Davis was sentenced:

• June 7, 2023, in Stephenson County to two years for possession of fewer than 5 grams of meth;

• Nov. 30, 2018, in Rock Island County to four years, to be served concurrently, on three counts of theft worth less than $300 with a previous conviction;

• Oct. 21, 2016, in Ogle County to one year for theft worth less than $300 with a previous conviction;

• May 7, 2014, in Whiteside County to three years and six months, to be served concurrently, for aggravated battery of a merchant and theft worth less than $300 with a previous conviction; Sept. 9, 2009, to eight years for two counts of burglary; Nov. 28, 2007, to three years and six months for three counts of burglary and four years on three counts of theft worth less than $30 with a previous conviction; and May 7, 2007, to 2½ years of probation for retail theft;

• In 2003 in Kane County to a year and a half for possession of a controlled substance and a year for obstructing justice;

• Finally, in Whiteside County in 1998 to six years for dealing a controlled substance and manufacturing cocaine.

for operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Gallagher was taken to the Ogle County jail and released on a notice to appear with a future court date.

March 21

Matthew Bearrows, 42, of Rochelle, was arrested for domestic battery after deputies responded to Rochelle Community Hospital in reference to a domestic issue about 2:48 p.m. Bearrows was taken to the Ogle County jail and held pending a court appearance.

Nickole M. Butler, 40, of Byron, was arrested for aggravated driving while license revoked after a traffic stop in the 500 block of South First Avenue in Forreston about 3:20 p.m. She was taken to the Ogle County jail, processed,

released and given a future court date.

March 23

Terry Wallace, 74, of Mt. Morris, was arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop at West Mud Creek Road and North Indian Heights Drive at 4:02 p.m. He was taken to the Ogle County jail, processed and released with a return court date.

Joseph Mikeworth, 47, of Mendon, was arrested for driving without a valid license after a traffic stop at Hill Street and Illinois Route 2 at 6:23 p.m. Mikeworth also was cited for suspended registration. Mikeworth was released on a notice to appear. The Oregon Police Department assisted.

William W. Clark, 44, of Rochelle, was

arrested for no driver’s license, Lindsay A. Horton, 39, of Dixon, was arrested for an outstanding Ogle County warrant and Joel M. Moore, 36, of Nelson, was arrested for an outstanding Whiteside County warrant after a traffic stop on Illinois Route 72 near Adeline Road about 10:23 p.m. Moore also was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia. Clark was released on a notice to appear. Moore and Horton were taken to the Ogle County jail.

Charges are accusations and all people are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.

Jefferson Street.

March 12

At 7:51 a.m., police investigated a two-vehicle traffic crash in the 200 block of South Ninth Street involving a 2010 Jeep driven by Charles A. Westcott Jr., 62, of Mt. Morris, and a 2010 Ford driven by Cooper D. Alderks, 18, of Chana. No citations were issued.

March 13

Roberta R. Martino, 58, of Oregon, was issued a citation at 7 a.m. for speeding 52 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 700 block of North Fourth Street.

David J. Schulz, 48, of Yorkville, was issued a citation at 9:27 a.m. for speeding 58 mph in a 40-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 100 block of West Washington Street.

Jeremiah J. Martin, 35, of Oregon, was arrested at 10:08 a.m. on an outstanding Ogle County warrant for failure to appear. Martin was transported to the Ogle County jail where he was left in the custody of the corrections officers. At 12:30 p.m., police issued a civil citation for possession of cannabis not more than 10 grams to a 14-year-old male of Mt. Morris. The violation

occurred within the Oregon Junior High School, 210 S. 10th St.

Kaila R. Whitbeck, 24, of Davenport, Iowa, was issued a citation at 7:38 p.m. for speeding 62 mph in a 40-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 200 block of East Washington Street.

March 14

Jennifer K. Perrine, 47, of Chana, was arrested at 10:40 a.m. for driving while license suspended. Perrine was transported to the Ogle County jail where she was processed and released.

See OREGON POLICE, page 16

Shannon R. Davis

Winter Games award ceremony for Village of Progress athletes

Photos by Alex T. Paschal

TOP LEFT: Village of Progress athletes take the stage March 21 during the Winter Games award ceremony in Oregon. TOP RIGHT: Longest throw in football bronze medal winner Chloe smiles after leaving the podium March 21. ABOVE: Rockford Ice Hogs and Chicago Blackhawks hockey player Mike Hardman awards Tim with the bronze medal in the most shots made in basketball event. LEFT: Hope smiles after being awarded the silver medal in the most shots made in basketball event. MIDDLE LEFT: Mathew (middle) celebrates his gold medal MVP award March 21. Jim and Jessica were the bronze and silver medal winners.

Tickets on sale for Merry Martha Club Quilt Raffle

LEAF RIVER – The 2024 Merry Martha Club Quilt Raffle is underway. The quilt pattern this year is Simply Serene, designed by Diana Beaubien for Pleasant Valley Creations.

The quilt is 65 inches by 75 inches. The featured fabric is called Homespun, a lightweight fabric of fine cotton yarns produced by using traditional colonial fabric techniques of hand dying, warping, weaving and washing.

It was constructed by club member Donna Immel of Leaf River and quilted by April Lantz of Simply Sewn 4 Ewe of Byron.

Club members donated time and fabric for the annual fundraiser and look forward to having the quilt go to a lucky member of the community.

Raffle tickets cost $1 each or six for $5.

Tickets can be bought at the Oregon Women’s Club’s 72nd annual Antique Show and Vintage Market on March 23 and 24 at Blackhawk Center in Oregon or by calling the Bertolet Memorial Library at 815-738-2742.

The raffle drawing will be held about 4 p.m. Sunday, June 2, at the Bertolet Building after the Leaf River Daze Parade.

The winner does not need to be present.

All money raised from the raffle goes to local community organizations such as the Leaf River Fire Department, Soaring Eagles 4H Club, Leaf River Fireworks, Bertolet Memorial Library Kids Reading Program and the Leaf River Mentoring Program.

The Merry Martha Club is a local community service organization that was started in February 1917 by homemakers of the rural Leaf River community. It continues to this day with the same spirit of giving as in 1917.

• GUILTY

Continued from page 6

DNA

Earlier in the week, a forensic scientist with the Illinois State Police Forensic Lab in Rockford, testified that Plote’s DNA was found in fingernail scrapings taken from Lamesch’s right and left hands. He also said semen found in Lamesch’s vagina also fit Plote’s profile as did cheek swabs taken from the dead baby.

Michael Poel, an investigator with the State Fire Marshal’s office, ruled the fire as incendiary and testified it had been intentionally started.

Poel said he believed the fire began in the wooden cabinets above the exhaust hood of the stove and ruled out the stove or microwave as the source of the fire. He said most of the damage to the home was “charring to the ceiling” in the kitchen area of the home.

On March 22, Plote’s defense team of Dixon and Kopp called their own fire expert and the defense’s only witness, John Knapp, who was critical of Poel’s report claiming it was not as “extensive” or “thorough” as it should have been.

Knapp, a part owner of Fire Tech Inc., based in East Peoria, said he had been contracted by the defense team to analyze reports in connection with the case.

He said he would not have determined the fire as incendiary in nature and it was possible the fire started with a small appliance.

Under cross examination by Rock, Knapp admitted he had never testified in a homicide case and had not seen a second autopsy report performed on Lamesch.

“You didn’t place any weight to the fact there was a murdered woman lying on the floor,” Rock said. “Are you disputing Mr. Poel as an expert?”

“No,” Knapp replied.

Poel said he had ruled out any electrical or mechanical malfunctions and based on a “totality of circumstances” concluded the fire likely started from “ordinary combustible” items in the cabinets above the stove that could easily burn.

Rock said the insurance company that had a policy on the home had conducted their own report on the fire and had ruled out all the appliances.

“State Farm checked all the appliances and they were clean,” Rock said.

Lamesch was a 2011 graduate of Oregon High School and an emergency medical technician at Trace Ambulance Service in Tinley Park.

Gus Lamesch, her father, said she moved back into the family home to live with him on Oct. 11, 2020, because she was scheduled to have her labor induced Nov. 27.

Earleen Hinton

Lorna VanBrocklin (left) and Sharon Nordman sit by the quilt that is being raffled off by the Merry Martha Club at the Oregon Woman’s Club’s Antique Show on Sunday, March 24, at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon. Tickets cost $1 each or six for $5. The winning ticket will be drawn June 2. Proceeds from the sale of tickets will benefit organizations in Leaf River.

score 10 runs in inning en route to 5-inning win

By DAN WUSSOW dwussow@shawmedia.com

OREGON – A 10-run second inning. A strong all-around defensive effort.

Oregon had all the answers against Amboy on March 21 in a 12-1, five-inning nonconference win.

The Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and didn’t let up.

“I think our starting pitcher, Bryce Becker, came out, he dealed all day,” Oregon junior right fielder Logan Weems said. “The defense was backing him up. It was a great overall ballgame.”

“Honestly, I feel like our defense is probably one of the best in the conference, so I wasn’t really nervous. I just threw strikes,” Becker said. “And I knew they’d back me up.”

Weems followed with a two-run double, junior center fielder Gavin Morrow ripped an RBI single and junior left fielder Avery Lewis crushed an RBI double.

Messenger drew a walk and Lewis stole third and scored the 10th run on an errant pickoff attempt while sophomore third baseman Nole Campos was up to bat. After a pitching change, Messenger stole home on another errant pickoff attempt for an 11-0 lead.

“We feed off each other a lot,” Weems said. “Once we get two or three hits, it’s like everybody improves 10 times more than they already are and everybody’s coming down and hits the ball well.”

In the bottom of the third inning, junior shortstop Jack Washburn blasted a triple deep into right field and scored on an error during the same play for a 12-0 lead.

Amboy senior pitcher Landon Montavon induced a groundout to end the first inning, but the game quickly slipped away.

Oregon’s Becker worked a 1-2-3

Sophomore catcher Keaton Salsbury led off with a single on a 2-2 count to start the first-inning rally, then stole second and third base while Weems was up to bat. Weems grounded out to score Salsbury for the first run.

inning in the top of the second. Then the offensive explosion happened.

Sophomore second baseman Jackson Messenger ignited the 10-run inning with a two-run single and later scored on a botched play at first base.

“When we’re able to get the hits going, our team, we just get excited and we’re able to score a lot of runs,” Becker said. “The last game we played, too, we got hyped in the first inning and we blew them out.”

Hawks

Alex

Oregon’s Logan Weems ropes a two-run double against Amboy on March 21 in Oregon.

Upsets, tantalizing close finishes all part of madness in March

While we wait for the weather to warm up for spring sports, let’s review the NCAA basketball tournament or “March Madness” as they call it, although the IHSA claims to be the original coiner of the term March Madness.

Anyway, it is madness with all the upsets and tantalizing close finishes. The game that received the highest TV ratings was unheralded Oakland (not California) beating perennial power Kentucky.

What makes this tournament fun is watching all the underdogs make a name for themselves. Before Oakland beat Kentucky, nobody outside of Rochester, Michigan (where the school is located), knew who they were. They drew us in again with an overtime loss in the second round to North Carolina State.

Unknowns such as Oakland 3-point specialist Jake Gohlke, who proclaimed to the viewing audience after the Kentucky win, “We are not Cinderellas,” suddenly become household names. Gohlke will be forgotten by next season when the tournament rolls around, but for one weekend, he was in the limelight as much as Caitlin Clark of Iowa.

Great to see the women’s version of March Madness continue to make a meteoric rise in popularity with Clark

Andy Colbert GUEST VIEW

being the face of all of college basketball. No one on the men’s side comes close to her in name recognition or fanfare.

Not only that, but some consider her a bigger star than anyone in the NBA. If you doubt that, check out the environment in any of the arenas, home and away, she played in. Allegedly, there is a female pop star that carries the same cache, but I’ll take Caitlin.

I do have a couple of complaints about the tournament, especially on the mens’ side. It is mind-numbing enduring all the replay checks the officials do in the final couple of minutes of a game, be it possessions, flagrant fouls or clock time.

If there is such a need for this, why isn’t it being done the full 40 minutes? Then again, games would take forever to finish, moreso with all the TV timeouts.

While channel-surfing four games that were on simultaneously, each one had a commercial rolling when I

clicked there. The product was much more enjoyable to view in the old days before money dictated everything.

While watching a few games (because I’m too cheap to pay for cable) at my neighbor Mark Wolber’s house, he said players should be given a technical for falling on the court and acting like they are hurt. I wholeheartedly agree. Stop acting like crybabies. Get up and be a man.

Of course, that sentiment could be the curmudgeon in both of us.

For those who want to see some real hardcore athletes, the NCAA wrestling finals also were on this past weekend. Those guys are absolutely tough as nails when it comes to competing.

Unfortunately, wrestling always has played second fiddle to basketball. It’s gotten so bad that the sport had to petition to continue as an Olympic sport while break dancing makes its debut at the Paris Games this summer.

The last Olympics I attended as a spectator was Montreal in 1976. I considered going to Paris, but travel has become such a hassle nowadays beside the exorbitant costs for airfare to Europe and lodging there.

Life was easier 48 years ago when my friend Doyle Lang and I piled into his late-model Ford LTD and drove to

Montreal, camping every place we went.

A lasting memory for me was being in the stadium for the decathlon and seeing Bruce Jenner claim a gold medal and set a world record in the process. With his rugged build, good looks and extreme athletic prowess, he was the picture of manliness.

There was another side to humanity that intrigued me. Our seats were close to the shot put ring and the women’s finals were going on. It was eastern European females dominating the event and from my close-up vantage point, they all looked like men with facial hair and muscular torsos.

This was before the crackdown on steroid use and drug enhancement. The poor American girls didn’t have a chance, but they will probably end up living longer because their bodies weren’t subject to such abuse.

At the shot put ring in Montreal, it was somewhat shocking to see women having characteristics of a male, but nowhere near the surprise I felt decades later when Jenner changed his gender, going from Bruce to Caitlyn.

• Andy Colbert has covered high school sports in Ogle County for more than 31 years.

Baseball

Forreston 6, Johnsburg 4: At USA Stadium Complex in Memphis, Tennessee, the Cardinals took a 4-3 lead after three innings and hung on for a nonconference win against the Skyhawks on Monday.

Daniel Koehl and Patrick Wichman led Forreston with two hits apiece.

Kendall Erdmann pitched three innings for the Cardinals, allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out three with no walks.

Polo 9, Pearl City 3: The Marcos took a 6-0 lead after three innings and cruised to an NUIC crossover win over the Wolves.

Nolan Hahn went 4 for 5 with two RBIs, Dawson Foster went 3 for 4 with one RBI and Scott Robertson and Carter Merdian chipped in two hits each for Polo. Jeffrey Donaldson added two RBIs for the Marcos and Foster scored a team-high three runs.

Hahn pitched four innings for the win, allowing one unearned run on four hits and striking out six with one walk.

Oregon 11, Indian Creek 0 (6 inn.): The Hawks took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and scored three runs each in the fifth and sixth to claim the 10-runrule win over the Timberwolves.

Oregon managed only four hits but got on base frequently with 14 walks.

Logan Weems went 2 for 2 with two RBIs and two walks. Kade Girton and Gavin Morrow chipped in two RBIs apiece for the Hawks.

Jack Washburn pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing four hits and striking out 11 with no walks.

Warren/Stockton 8, Forreston 7: The Cardinals dropped a close NUIC crossover game against the Warhawks.

Alec Schoonhoven and Ayden Book led Forreston with two RBIs each. Schoonhoven paced the Cardinals with two hits.

Schoonhoven also pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out four with two walks.

Galena 11, Polo 0: At Polo, the Marcos trailed 7-0 after three innings and

never recovered against the Pirates.

Gus Mumford had the only hit for Polo.

Softball

Polo 11, Pearl City 8: At Pearl City, the Lady Marcos scored five runs in the first inning and held off a Wolves rally for an NUIC crossover win.

Karlea Frey hammered a two-run home run, totaled four RBIs and reached base in 4-of-5 plate appearances. Cheyenna Wilkins and Sydnei Rahn had three hits each for Polo. Izabella Witkowski added two hits and three RBIs.

Frey pitched 51/3 innings for the win, allowing four runs (one unearned) on eight hits and striking out three with one walk.

Galena 9, Polo 7: Polo committed five errors in a close NUIC crossover loss to the Pirates.

Sydnei Rahn led Polo with two hits.

Camrynn Jones tossed 11 strikeouts.

Oregon 16, Plano 1 (4 inn.): The Hawks piled up 11 first-inning runs en route to a 15-run-rule win over the Reapers.

Ella Dannhorn and Gracen Pitts each had three hits. Kaelin Shaffer and Abree Barker each added two hits for Oregon. Emma Schlichtmann had a

strong outing in the circle for the Hawks.

Forreston 15, Warren/Stockton 11: At Forreston, the Cardinals took a 6-5 lead with a four-run third inning, then pulled away for good with a seven-run fifth inning.

Jenna Greenfield led Forreston’s 21-hit attack with four hits. Ella Ingram, Ayla Kiper, Aubrey Sanders, Maddie Chesnek and McKenna Rummel added three hits apiece. Ingram had four RBIs, Bailey Sterling had three RBIs and Chesnek chipped in two RBIs for the Cardinals.

Oregon 10, Indian Creek 0: At Shabbona, Gracen Pitts hit a two-run home run in the first inning to help the Hawks past the Timberwolves.

Madi Shaffer had three hits and Sarah Stevens added two hits for Oregon.

Emma Schlichtmann and Alexi Czochara combined for the shutout. Schlichtmann earned eight strikeouts in four innings and Czochara struck out three in one inning.

Soccer

Oregon 8, Winnebago 2: At Winnebago, Deborah Schmid and Anna Stender scored three goals each as the Hawks improved to 4-0 on the season.

Teagan Champley and Arianna Hammer scored one goal each and Schmid, Champley, Mya Engelkes and Kenna Wubbena chipped in two assists each for Oregon.

Mili Zavala recorded five saves for the Hawks.

Oregon 11, South Beloit 0: At South Beloit, Deborah Schmid scored four goals and assisted on three to lead the Hawks past the Sobos.

Kenna Wubbena, Mya Engelkes, Arianna Hammer, Addison Rufer, Aniyah Sarver and Emily Watters added one goal each for Oregon. Wubbena also had two assists.

Alex T. Paschal

Oregon’s Bryce Becker fires a pitch against Amboy on March 21. Oregon won 12-1.

Riding,nothopping

• OREGON

Continued from page 11

The Clippers scored their only run in the top of the fourth. Montavon drew a leadoff walk, left fielder Caleb Shugars was hit by a pitch and junior center fielder Eddie Jones reached on an error in consecutive at-bats. Designated hitter Austin Shugars drove in Montavon with a sacrifice fly.

Weems finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Lewis went 2 for 2 with a walk and an RBI.

Becker pitched three hitless, shutout innings for the win and struck out two with four walks.

Chase Montavon had the only hit for Amboy.

Carson Barlow tossed three strikeouts in a row and allowed two hits and one unearned run in 21/3 innings on the mound for the Clippers.

“I think ultimately for us, we talked about the fact that our mental approach to the game wasn’t really there,” Amboy coach Chris Tidmore said. “I guess it’s one of those days where we were a little short staffed today with some illnesses and we just didn’t play to the best of our potential today and made some mental mistakes and that killed us.”

Thank you for caring for our community!

There is no greater reward than being entrusted with the care of others. Each year, we pause on National Doctors’ Day to celebrate and appreciate the many contributions and accomplishments of our doctors, and to thank them for encircling our patients with high-quality, compassionate care. Your long hours and unwavering commitment to continuing education, technical excellence, teaching and mentoring the next generation, donating your time in the community, and stepping up to care for the sick and injured does not go unnoticed.

Since 1909, the doctors and healthcare workers at CGH Medical Center have dedicated their careers to keeping our communities healthy, and with your continued support, we will continue to be your trusted healthcare provider now and in the future.

THANK YOU to our doctors, for all that you do for CGH and the communities we serve!

Earleen Hinton

This Easter Bunny is riding a tricycle in a yard in Mt. Morris on March 24.

Alex T. Paschal Oregon’s Jack Washburn scoops the ball at shortstop against Amboy on March 21.

Farm Bureau praises county board’s passage of pro-agriculture resolution

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

Ogle County Farm Bureau leaders are calling the Ogle County Board an “Ally in Agriculture” after the board’s adoption of a pro-agriculture resolution they say demonstrates local elected officials’ support for farmers.

“Our farming community would like to thank members of the Ogle County Board for showing their support by adopting this resolution,” said Keith Poole, Ogle County Farm Bureau president. “Agriculture is a major economic driver in our county and this resolution shows our elected officials have our backs when making important decisions affecting our farms and livelihoods.”

There are more than 1,000 farms in Ogle County providing more than 5,000 jobs, representing 22% of the county labor force, according to a news release from the Ogle County Farm Bureau. Just under three-quarters of the county’s land mass is dedicated to agriculture production, according to the release.

Ogle County Board members adopted the resolution at the Feb. 20 meeting upon recommendation from the Ogle County Board Ag Committee, which is chaired by Lyle Hopkins.

“It is important in a predominantly

Recycle latex paint, aerosol products and shred documents April 13

bining of latex paint. Bulked latex paint cannot be recycled in this program.

rural county like ours to have the support of our local elected leaders to promote a vibrant and viable agricultural environment. Over 96% of Illinois farms are family owned and Ogle County is no exception. This resolution signifies the county’s commitment to support those farm families,” said Ryan Reeverts, county board and County Farm Bureau member.

Local elected officials across the state are showing their support of their agricultural communities through the adoption of pro-agriculture resolutions. County board members/commissioners work with their local Farm Bureau to better understand the role agriculture plays in their local economy, such as providing jobs and generating property tax revenue that is used to fund services for all citizens. The result is a strong working relationship between county officials and the agriculture community.

“Agriculture is the state’s largest industry and passage of these pro-agriculture resolutions show that our elected officials understand that agriculture goes far beyond providing food and fuel,” Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan of Polo said. “When county boards pass these resolutions, they are showing their commitment to work with farm leaders so they can confidently be champions of agriculture.”

OREGON – The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department is hosting a Latex Paint/Aerosol Can Recycling and Document Shredding Event on Saturday, April 13, at 909 Pines Road in Oregon.

This event is for Ogle County residents only and identification is required. No permits are required for this recycling event.

Latex paint will be collected for recycling from 8 a.m. until noon. The first 10 containers of latex paint per vehicle will cost $1 per quart-sized container, $2 per gallon-sized container and $10 per 5-gallon pail. The OCSWMD will subsidize the remaining cost to recycle the latex paint.

Any additional containers of latex paint will be charged the full price to recycle, which is $3 per quart, $6 per gallon and $20 per 5-gallon pail. Cash, credit card or checks payable to “EarthPaint.org” will be accepted for payment.

Oil-based paints, stains and varnishes and spray cans also will be accepted. Residents will have to cover the full cost for recycling oilbased paints, stains and varnishes. Costs to recycle are $6 per quartsized container, $10 per gallon-sized container and $25 per 5-gallon pail. Cash, credit card or checks payable to “EarthPaint.org” will be accepted for payment.

No business or contractor paints will be accepted. No bulking or com -

OBITUARY

BETTY L. STONER

Born: March 28, 1923 in Polo, IL Died: March 17, 2024 in Polo, IL

Polo - Betty L. Stoner, 100, of Polo, passed away Sunday, March 17, 2024, at Polo Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. Betty was born, March 28, 1923, in Polo, Illinois, the daughter of Leon and Gussie (Drenner) Roberts. On June 7, 1941, in Polo, she was united in marriage to Carl Stoner. Together they celebrated over 73 years of marriage. Betty dearly loved her family and being on the farm with all her animals. She was blessed to have owned the best dog in the world, Heidi. She loved looking out her kitchen window at all the beautiful flowers

EarthPaint.org is a nonprofit business in the Chicago area that works with adults with special needs and disabilities to sort and recycle unwanted latex paint into new paint or other products.

Aerosol cans, small 14- to 16-ounce propane cylinders and small butane cylinders also will be accepted by Flatcan Recycling. There is no cost for up to 10 containers.

For additional items, aerosol cans will be $1 each and propane and butane cylinders will be $4 each for recycling.

Most aerosol spray products will be accepted for recycling.

Flatcan Recycling also will accept alkaline batteries for recycling for $4 per pound and one child car seat at no charge. Additional child car seats will be $10 per seat.

In addition, secure, on-site document shredding will be conducted by Freeport Recycling’s Shred-Beast truck from 9 a.m. to noon.

There is a limit of three boxes per vehicle. No business or institutional material will be accepted.

There is no cost to residents for paper shredding because the OCSWMD will cover the cost of the Shred-Beast truck and staff.

For more information, call the OCSWMD at 815-732-4020, email solidwaste@oglecountyil.gov, or visit www.oglecountyil.gov or the Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department on Facebook.

and the many colorful birds that would come to visit. Betty was a member of the Sauk Valley Seventh-Day Adventist Church where she played the piano for many years. She loved Jesus and her church. She was known locally for her organ paying. She played for the roller rink and also at the American Legion for many events.

Survivors include daughters Susan (Charley) Haisch of Polo and Carolyn Ballard of Salem, IL; son Jeffrey (Vicky) Stoner of Colorado Springs; 3 Grandchildren, 4 Great Grandchildren, 4 Great-Great Grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Carl; infant son; brother George Roberts . A private service was held at Fairmount Cemetery in Polo officiated by Pastor Don Lewis of the Sauk Valley SDA Church. Betty was laid to rest next to her husband. Polo Family Funeral Home handled the service. Please visit www.polofamilyfuneralhome.com to send condolences.

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

Photo provided by Ron Kern Ogle County Farm Bureau President Keith Poole presents the pro-agriculture designation to John Finfrock, Ogle County Board chairman, after the passage of the pro-agriculture resolution in February. Also pictured are Lyle Hopkins, County Board Ag Committee chair, and Ryan Reeverts, County Board and County Farm Bureau director.

Continued from page 8

The violation occurred in the 800 block of West Washington Street.

March 16

Gregory G. Lambros, 48, of Skokie, was issued a citation at 6:50 a.m. for speeding 44 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 600 block of North Fourth Street.

Dennis M. Henning, 61, of Beloit, Wisconsin, was issued a citation at 7:31 a.m. for speeding 44 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 600 block of North Fourth Street.

Manuel Guzman Jr., 29, of Oregon, was issued a citation at 3:13 p.m. for operating a vehicle with an expired registration. The violation occurred in the 300 block of South 10th Street.

Gary D. Routier, 39, of Byron, was issued a citation at 5:11 p.m. for operating a vehicle in violation of the tinted front side windows law. The violation occurred in the 600 block of North Fourth Street.

March 18

Ashley N. Borgen, 28, of Mt. Morris, was arrested at 3:40 p.m. on an outstanding Ogle County warrant for failure to appear on a traffic offense. Borgen was transported to the Ogle County jail

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

March 22-28

Warranty deeds

James D. Johnson to Larry D. Mason Jr. and Kira R. McConkey, 113 Southview Drive, Rochelle, $157,500.

Marilyn Alderks to Gregory and Awilda Lamphere, 1210 Sunnymeade Drive, Rochelle, $205,000.

Zechariah Cyril and Kalynn R. Norris to Jesus Duran Jr., 5371 S. Sunnydale Lane, Rochelle, $289,000.

Contry Homes Group LLC to Kevin Cooney, 207 Autumnwood Lane, Davis Junction, $258,765.

Contry Homes Group LLC to Seth Birkholz, 205 Autumnwood Lane, Davis Junction, $239,390.

Haywell LLC Westwood to Brad and Sheri Kowitzke, 6551 S. Westwood Drive, Rochelle, $375,000.

Nathaniel F. Paigen to Jeannine A.

where she was left in the custody of the corrections officers.

March 19

William J. Ewing, 29, of Moreno Valley, California, was issued citations at 6:44 a.m. for speeding 46 mph in a 30-mph zone and improper use of registration. The violations occurred in the 700 block of North Fourth Street.

Deborah S. Fowler, 70, of Oregon, was issued a citation at 1:51 p.m. for operating an uninsured motor vehicle. The violation occurred in the 700 block of North Fourth Street.

Kayla M. Slepski, 34, of Mt. Morris, was arrested at 2:56 p.m. for driving while license suspended. Slepski was transported to the Ogle County jail where she was processed and released. The violation occurred in the 300 block of West Washington Street.

Chelsea J. Palmer, 38, of Oregon, was issued a citation at 3:23 p.m. for passing a school bus while loading or unloading. The violation occurred in the 100 block of North Second Street.

March 20

Chad E. Veitch, 32, of Oregon, was arrested at 7:59 p.m. for driving while license suspended and for an outstanding Lee County warrant for contempt of court. Veitch also was issued citations for operating a motor vehicle with an

expired registration and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Veitch was transported to the Ogle County jail where he was left in the custody of the corrections officers. The violations occurred in the 100 block of South Fourth Street.

March 22

Ariel Dominguez-Bella, 48, of Rockford, was issued citations at 7 a.m. for speeding 49 mph in a 30-mph zone and operating a vehicle when registration is suspended for non-insurance. The violations occurred in the 700 block of North Fourth Street.

Melissa A. Gallentine, 46, of Sterling, was issued a citation at 10:11 a.m. for speeding 46 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 600 block of North Fourth Street.

March 23

James E. Fagerman, 45, of Sterling, was issued a citation at 8:19 a.m. for speeding 49 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 600 block of North Fourth Street.

Yesenia A. Navarro, 19, of Sterling, was issued a citation at 8:47 a.m. for speeding 64 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 700 block of North Fourth Street.

Nancy S. Williams, 65, of Chicago, was issued a citation at 12:38 p.m. for

speeding 47 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 600 block of North Fourth Street.

Mary A. Sjurset, 55, of Oregon, was issued citations at 12:38 p.m. for operating a motor vehicle when registration is suspended for non-insurance and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. The violations occurred in the 200 block of East Washington Street.

Jerry G. Oleson, 45, of Oregon, was issued a citation at 1:31 p.m. for speeding 48 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 600 block of North Fourth Street.

Madison L. Watwood, 22, of Elgin, was issued a citation at 2:16 p.m. for operating an uninsured motor vehicle. The violation occurred in the 400 block of West Washington Street.

March 24

Juan Rodriguez, 65, of Northlake, was issued a citation at 4:49 p.m. for speeding 50 mph in a 30-mph zone. The violation occurred in the 800 block of West Washington Street.

Twenty-four verbal warnings and seven parking citations were issued March 11-24.

Charges are accusations and all people are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.

Catalano, 702 S. Fourth St., Oregon, $140,000.

Estate of the late Frances A. Stark to Michael and Stacey Gilmartin, 403 N. Birch Lane, Dixon, $185,000.

Daniel O. and Sandra Bocker to Cheryl L. and Thomas S. Wiencek Jr., 3542 N. Main St, Polo, $245,000.

The late Cheryl R. Christians by heirs to Christopher and Claire Stercay, 310 E. Center St., Mt. Morris, $115,000.

Ethan B. and Melanie L. Koch to Jimmy D. and Jodica L. Cargill, 4263 S. Knoll Road, Rochelle, $353,000.

The late Allen Knickrehm by heir to Randal L. and Karen L. Tucker, 8102 S. Pine St., Grand Detour, $151,000.

Hub Shuttle Inc. to Newman Family Trust 1, Jeffrey L. and Kelly L. Newman, trustee, 1012 N. Seventh St., Rochelle, $155,000.

Doane Holdings Inc. to David Rivera, one parcel in Pine Rock Township, $75,000.

Gen3 Land and Cattle Co. Inc. to Daniel P. Tegeler, one parcel in Woosung Township, $122,000.

Christopher M. and Traci D. Mueller to 5R Holdings LLC, 115 S. Fourth St., Oregon, $80,383.

The late Gregory E. Ebens by heir to Mark K. and Matthew K. Myers, 1904 S. Main St., Oregon, $130,000.

Quit claim deed

Doug Frank to Tanner and Nicole Atchison, 8482 E. Valley View Drive, Byron, $0.

Trustees deeds

KJS Trust 3539, Joyce A. Long, trustee, to Jeffrey A. Long, 3687 S. Ridge Road, Oregon, $50,000.

Alfred and Lorena Yagoda Lopez Declaration Trust, Alfred and Lorena

Yagoda Lopez, trustees, to Melissa Yocum Swanson, 7616 N. River Road, Byron, $126,000.

Executors deeds

The late Donald P. Werner by executor to Paul D. Holden, 305 N. Wesley Ave., Mt. Morris, $33,000.

The late James David Young, also James D., by executor to David and Laura Sawlsville, 9504 E. Fowler Road, Rochelle, $387,400.

Sheriff’s deed

Ogle County sheriff and Donna K. Pearse to US Bank, 511 E. Colden St., Polo, $0.

Deed in Trust

Toni L. Yount, also Norden, to Daniel and Kristen White Family Trust, Daniel R. and Kristen M. White, trustees, one parcel on Etnyre Ave., Oregon, $10,000.

Source: Ogle County Recorder’s Office

Online Buyer Premium charged Live Simulcast bidding day of sale and prebidding available ahead of auction.

Note - We will only be taking tractors, farm implements, trucks, trailers, vehicles, plus running riding mowers, ATV's, golf carts, small farm items & good tires NO hayrack items, used lumber or household items WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE! Gates will be open between 7:30 am & 5:00 pm March 27 thru April 3 WITH Exceptions of Saturday, March 30 open only until noon & CLOSED Easter Sunday. Viewing is April 4 & 5 between 9:00 am & 4:30 pm All items below have been consigned, Public Auction Service and employees assume that all items will be there on sale day in the condition described. However, if not, we assume no responsibility. Partial listing, as usual, lots more listed by sale day!!! Stop in the office to get your permit to ride your ATV, etc during the sale.

A large selection of equipment, vehicle s, trailer s and miscellaneous. Brief list below. So muc h more!

'04 Cat Challenger MT835 w/1000 PTO * AC 8030 FWA, 12,145 hrs * IH 460 G, NF, good * JD 3020 D, fenders * JD 544 end loader, new eng * JD 350 skidloader w/1950 hrs * Gehl 4400 skidloader w/gas eng * Ford Major * Gehl 2500 skidloader * Case SV300 skidloader, 1700 hrs, aux hyd, 84” bucket * '02 Rogator 854 sprayer, 90' boom * Tillage & Planting * Equipment, Combines, Forage, & Harvest Equipment * Augers, Elevators, Sprayers, Spreaders * Rotary Mowers * Misc Equipment * Vehicles & Trailers * Garden Tractors, Golf Carts, 4 Wheelers * Lots of Miscellaneous.

Auctioneers: Polo, IL 61064

Lenny Bryson (IL#440.0000158) 815-946-4120 * Mark Ebert (IL#440.0000341)

Cal Kaufman * Brent Schmidgall * Adam Johnson * Hank Holm * Brian Bradley

Clerks: Public Auction Service:

SELLER:

LOCATION

•

•

•

Attorney

Note:

Lunch by Polo Lions Club and Ogle County Beef Assoc serving ribeyes ROCK FALLS

Lyle (IL#440.0000185) & Sheryl & John Hopkins 815-946-2660 * 815-441-1251 * 815-994-1836

Terms - Cash, good check or credit card - Master Card, Visa, American Express and Discover (with a 3% convenience fee) All items must be settled for day of sale. Number system will be used, have drivers license Not responsible for accidents or merchandise after sold [Insurance on all items covered by seller till sold, then become responsibility of new property owner] Sales Tax will be charged on all appropriate items. PPE requirements are recommended!

www.proauctionsllc.com

815-626-8790

N&L No. IL-006320-1

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE 15TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OGLE COUNTY - OREGON, ILLINOIS LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff, -vsBETTY CHAPMAN; UNKNOWN OWNERS-TENANTS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendant(s)

RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE

Case No. 23 FC 49 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above-entitled cause on November 03, 2023, the Ogle County Sheriff will, on May 03, 2024, at the hour of 10:00 AM, at the Ogle County Sheriff's Office, 202 S. 1st Street, Oregon, IL 61061, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described property:

COMMONLY KNOWN AS:

206 Pine Ave., Chana, Illinois 61015 PERMANENT INDEX NO.: 7-15-303-004

The improvement on the property consists of a Single unit dwelling. Sale terms: cash in hand.

The Judgment amount was $75,175.54.

The property will NOT be open for inspection

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAG OR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN EVICTION ORDER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

For information: Contact Brendan McClelland, Esq. of Noonan & Lieberman, Ltd, Plaintiff's Attorney, 33 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60602. 312-605-3500 ext 3327.

March 29, 2024 April 5, 12, 2024 940897

N&L No. IL-006320-1

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE 15TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

OGLE COUNTY - OREGON, ILLINOIS LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff, -vsBETTY CHAPMAN; UNKNOWN OWNERS-TENANTS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendant(s)

RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE

Case No. 23 FC 49

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above-entitled cause on November 03, 2023, the Ogle County Sheriff will, on May 03, 2024, at the hour of 10:00 AM, at the Ogle County Sheriff's Office, 202 S. 1st Street, Oregon, IL 61061, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described property:

LEGAL DESCRIPTION:

The Southerly 1/2 of Lots 7 and 8 in Block 2 in the Village of Chana, situated in Ogle County, Illinois.

COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 206 Pine Ave., Chana, Illinois 61015

PERMANENT INDEX NO.: 7-15-303-004

The improvement on the property consists of a Single unit dwelling. Sale terms: cash in hand.

The Judgment amount was $75,175.54.

The property will NOT be open for inspection IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAG OR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN EVICTION ORDER, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

For information: Contact Brendan McClelland, Esq. of Noonan & Lieberman, Ltd, Plaintiff's Attorney, 33 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60602. 312-605-3500 ext 3327. 8190-940897

March 29, 2024 April 5, 12, 2024 940897

Court to require proof of the validity of the Will as provided under Section 6-21 of the Probate Act (755 ILCS 5/6-21).

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE TWENTY-THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT DEKALB COUNTY, ILLINOIS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF Maria Krpan Deceased Case No 2024PR000015 INDEPENDENT ADMINISTRATION PUBLICATION NOTICE TO:

[x] Creditors and Claimants

[X] Unknown Heirs and Legatees*

1. Notice is given of the death of Maria Krpan, who died on October 27, 2023 a resident of DeKalb, Illinois.

2. The Representative for the estate and his/her address is: Martin T. Krpan 1501 Daniel Ct. Sycamore, IL 60178

3. The attorney for the estate and his/her address is: Kelly J. Robar, Esq P.O. Box 415 Sycamore, IL 60178

4. Claims against the estate may be filed on or before September 16, 2024. **Claims against the estate may be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court, 133 W. State St., Sycamore, IL 60178, or with the Representative, or both. Any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed. * * *

5 On February 26, 2024, an Order Admitting the Will to Probate and/or Appointing the Representative was entered.

6. Within 42 days after the effective date of the original Order Admitting the Will to Probate, you may file a petition with the Court to require proof of the validity of the Will as provided under Section 6-21 of the Probate Act (755 ILCS 5/6-21).

7. Within 6 months after the effective date of the original Order Admitting the Will to Probate, you may file a petition with the

7. Within 6 months after the effective date of the original Order Admitting the Will to Probate, you may file a petition with the Court to contest the validity of the Will as provided under Section 8-1 of the Probate Act (755 ILS 5/8-1).

8. The estate will be administered without Court supervision unless an interested party terminate s independent supervision administration by filing a petition to terminate under Section 28-4 of the Probate Act (755 ILCS 5/28-4).

March 15, 22, 29, 2024

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OGLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS ESTATE OF HAROLD W. MCMICHAEL Deceased

No. 2024PR11 CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of HAROLD W MCMICHAEL. Letters of Office were issued to CARRIE I. MCMICHAEL as Independent Representative on February 29, 2024, whose attorneys are SAUK VALLEY LAW GROUP, LLC, 100 West 1st Street, Suite B, Rock Falls, Illinois 61071.

Claims against the estate may be filed in the office of the Clerk of Court, Ogle County Courthouse, 106 S 5th Street, Oregon, Illinois, or with the Representative, or both, on or before September 12, 2024, and any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Repres entatives and to the attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed. E-filing is now mandatory for documents in civil cases with limited exemptions To efile, you must first create an account with an e-filing service provider Visit https://efile illinoiscourts.gov/ service- providers. htm to learn more and to select a service provider If you need additional help or

cases with limited exemptions To efile, you must first create an account with an e-filing service provider Visit https://efile. illinoiscourts.gov/ service- providers. htm to learn more and to select a service provider If you need additional help or have trouble e-filing, visit http:// www.illinoiscourts. gov/FAQ/gethelp asp

Dated March 5, 2024

Carrie I McMichael, Independent Representative

Daniel C. Hawkins SAUK VALLEY LAW GROUP, LLC 100 West 1st Street, Suite B Rock Falls IL 61071 (815) 535-6769

March 15, 22, 29, 2024

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OGLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS IN RE THE ESTATE OF RICHARD A. KIMPEL, Deceased No. 2024 PR 15 CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given to creditors of the death of Richard L. Kimpel. Letters of Office were issued on March 13, 2024 to Georgia L. Van Unnik, as Independent Administrator, whose attorneys of record are shown below. The estate will be administered without court supervision, unless under Section 28-4 of the Probate Act (755 ILCS 5/28-4) any interested person terminate s independent administration at any time by mailing or delivering a petition to terminate to the clerk.

Claims against the estate may be filed in the office of the Circuit Clerk of Ogle County, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, Illinois 61061, or with the representatives, or both, on or before September 22, 2024, or, if mailing or delivery of a notice from the representatives is required by Section 18-3 of the Probate Act (755 ILCS 5/18-3), the date stated in that notice. Any claim not filed on or before that date is barred A copy of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered by the claimant to the representatives and to the attor-

18-3 of the Probate Act (755 ILCS 5/18-3), the date stated in that notice. Any claim not filed on or before that date is barred

A copy of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered by the claimant to the representatives and to the attorneys within 10 days after it has been filed.

Atty William

H.T. Lee

Law Office of William Lee

229 1st Ave., Ste. 3 Rock Falls, Illinois 61071 (815) 716-8381

Email: will@leelaw815. com

STATE OF ILLINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 15th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF OGLE

months from the date of mailing or delivery of notice to creditors, if mailing or delivery is required by Section 18-3 of the Probate Act, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above is barred.

Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.

DIANA

K.

RIPPENTROP Independent Executor March 22, 29, April 5, 2024

March 22, 29, April 5, 2024 STATE OF ILLINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 15TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OGLE COUNTY - IN PROBATE IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JEFFERY ROSS CHEEVER, Deceased Case No

In the Matter of the Estate of: PATRICK M. DONALDSON, Deceased No. 2024-PR-16 CLAIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of PATRICK M DONALDSON of Rockford, Illinois. Letters of Office were issued on March 12, 2024 to DIANA K RIPPENTROP, as Independent Executor whose attorneys are WILLIAMS McCARTHY LLP, 120 W. State St., P.O Box 219, Rockford, IL 61105.

The estate will be administered without court supervision, unless under Section 28-4 of the Probate Act (755 ILCS 5/28-4) any interested person terminate s independent administration at any time by mailing or delivering a petition to terminate to the Clerk.

Claims against the estate may be filed in the office of the Clerk of the Court, Ogle County Courthouse, 106 S 5th Street, # 300, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the representative, or both, on or before September 23, 2024, or within 3 months from the date of mailing or delivery of notice to creditors, if mailing or delivery is required by Section 18-3 of the Probate Act, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above is barred.

Copies of a claim

2024-PR-8 NOTICE TO CREDITORS THAT THE ESTATE OF JEFERY ROSS CHEEVER HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO PROBATE Notice is given to creditors of the death of Jeffery Ross Cheever on January 9, 2024. Letters of Office were issued on February 20, 2024 to Joshua R Cheever of 2237 Wooded Ridge Trail, Cottage Grove, WI 53527 as Independent Administrator, whose attorney of record is Mark C Johnson, 321 W State Street, Suite 301, Rockford, Illinois 61101. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk of Ogle County located at 106 S. 5th Street, Suite 300, Oregon, IL 61061, or with the representatives, or both, on or before September 16, 2024, the date six months from the date of first publication on March 15, 2024, or, if mailing or delivery of a notice from the representatives is required by § 18-3 of the Probate Act of 1975, the date stated in that notice. Any claim not filed on or before that date is barred. Copies of the claim filed with the Clerk

CHEEVER, Deceased Case No 2024-PR-9

NOTICE TO CREDITORS THAT THE ESTATE OF BRENDA KAY CHEEVER HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO PROBATE

Notice is given to creditors of the death of Brenda Kay Cheever on January 18, 2024.

Letters of Office were issued on February 20, 2024 to Joshua R Cheever of 2237 Wooded Ridge Trail, Cottage Grove, WI 53527 as Independent Administrator, whose attorney of record is Mark C Johnson, 321 W State Street, Suite 301, Rockford, Illinois 61101.

September 16, 2024, the date six months from the date of first publication on March 15, 2024, or, if mailing or delivery of a notice from the representatives is required by § 18-3 of the Probate Act of 1975, the date stated in that notice. Any claim not filed on or before that date is barred. Copie s of the claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered by the claimant to the representative and the representative's attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed.

Joshua R. Cheever, Independent Administrator

Prepared By: Mark C. Johnson

ARDC No.

6211240 Attorney for Petitioner

321 W. State Street, Suite 301 Rockford, IL 61101

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING NOTICE

Notice is hereby given to the legal voters, residents of the Town of Mt Morris Township in the County of Ogle and the State of Illino8is, that the Annual Township Meeting of said Township will take place on Tuesday April 9th, 2024 being the second Tuesday of said month at the hour of 6:00 PM at the Township Office, 105 W Lincoln Street, Mt. Morris for the transaction of the miscellaneous business of the said Township; and after a Moderator having been elected, will proceed to hear and consider reports of Officers and decide such measures as may, in pursuance of law, come before the meeting; and especially to consider and decide the following agenda: Elect a Moderator Approve Minutes of the 2023 Annual Meeting

Assumed Name

Publication Notice

Public Notice is hereby given that on March 20, 2024, a certificate was filed in the Ogle County Clerk's Office setting forth the names and post-office address of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as:

RISING SUN

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE located at 107 S Franklin Ave Polo, IL 61064

Dated March 20, 2024.

Laura J. Cook

Laura J. Cook

Ogle County Clerk

March 29, April 5, 12, 2024

March 15, 22, 29, 2024 NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF AUDIT REPORT Notice is hereby given pursuant to the Public Funds Statement Publication Act of the availability of an audit report for the Polo Fire Protection District. The audit report: 1) Covers the time period from May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023; 2) The audit was conducted by Johnson CPA LLC, certified public accountants; 3) The audit report is available for inspection at the Polo Fire Protection District, 206 S Franklin St., Polo, IL 61064, by contacting Charles Clothier, Treasurer, Board of Trustees, at 815-440-1371 for an appointment between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

Dated: March 22, 2024

March 29, 2024

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

NOTICE IS HERE-

BY GIVEN To the legal voters, residents of the Township of OregonNashua in the County of Ogle and State of Illinois, that the Annual Town Meeting of said Town will take place on Tuesday, Apr il 9, 2024 being the second Tuesday of said month at the hour of 7:00 o'clock P.M at 107 North Etnyre Aveue Oregon-Nashua Township Building Oregon, IL for the transaction of the miscellaneous business of the said town; and after a Moderator having been elected, will proceed to hear and consider reports of officers, and decide on such measures as may, in pursuance of law, come before the meeting; and specially to consider and decide the following Call the meeting to order

Pledge to the flag Elect a Moderator

Approval of Agenda

Approval of:

Annual Town Meeting Minutes of April 12, 2023

Announce the next annual town meeting: April 9, 2024

By Motion from the floor set time of next annual meeting - 7:00 pm

By Motion set monthly meetings:

2nd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm except if it falls on a holiday then the Tuesday prior to the original date and the April Regular Meeting will be held on the Second Tuesday of April in conjunction with the Annual Town Meeting.

Read the Supervisor's Annual Reports and move to approve

to provide for the audit all the town funds to be done by the trustees and township residents Any other recommendations, resolutions and discussion by electors (Audit, real estate etc.).

Salesperson: DONNA MCDONALD

Annual

Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk of Ogle County located at 106 S. 5th Street, Suite 300, Oregon, IL 61061, or with the representatives, or both, on or before September 16, 2024, the date six months from the date of first publication on March 15, 2024, or, if mailing or delivery of a notice from the representatives is Street, Suite 300, Oregon, IL 61061, or with the representatives, or both, on or before

Move to provide for IMRF for the Township Clerk at the end of this term.

Allow for voters at the Annual Town Meeting to transfer funds from one or more funds to other or different funds, or to the general road and bridge fund or any fund raised by taxation or bonds for road and bridges

Move to provide for the audit all the town funds to be done by the

Dated: March 13, 2024 April 5, 2024

Acct #: 10120288

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ROAD DISTRICT BUDGET

Notice is hereby given that a Tentative Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the Oregon-Nashua Road District, Ogle County, Illinois, for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2024 and ending March 31, 2025, will be on file and conveniently available to public inspection at the Oregon-NashuaTownship Building, from and after 7:00 P.M on April 9, 2024

Notice is further given that a public hearing on said Budget and Appropriation Ordinance will be at at 7:00 P.M on May 8, 2024, at the Oregon-Nashua Township Building located at 107 Etnyre Avenue, and final action on this ordinance will be taken at the public hearing.

Ad

SHAW MEDIA

SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

REMITTANCE ADDRESS: PO BOX 498

STERLING IL 61081 (815)625−3600 Fax (815)284−2078

ORDER CONFIRMATION (CONTINUED)

Salesperson: DONNA MCDONALD

Acct #: 10120288

Dated this 13th day of March, 2024 Charlene Ruthe, Supervisor Cecilia Zimmerman Clerk March 29, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

TOWNSHIP BUDGET

Notice is hereby given that a Tentative Town Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the Oregon-Nashua Township, Ogle County, Illinois, for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2024 and ending March 31, 2025 will be on file and conveniently available to public inspection at the Oregon-Nashua Township Building, 107 Etnyre Avenue from and after 7:00 P.M on April 9, 2024

Notice is further given that a public hearing on said Budget and Appropriation Ordinance will be at

Printed at 03/26/24 12:44 by

MEGAN’S LIFE MATTERED

MEGAN (SWAZIEK) WELLS

PRECIOUS LIFE TAKEN ON 6/24/2016 IN A BOATING CRASH ON THE ROCK RIVER NEAR OREGON, IL.

ALWAYS LOVED!

NEVER FORGOTTEN!

FOREVER MISSED!

THE TRUTH ALWAYS COMES OUT IN THE END NO MATTER HOW LONG IT MAY TAKE!

FOR THOSE THAT TOLD THE TRUTH DURING THIS CASE IT BECOMES A PART OF YOUR PAST. BUT, FOR THOSE THAT WERE NOT TRUTHFULL, IT WILL FOREVER BE A PART OF YOUR FUTURE!

IT IS TIME FOR THE TRUTH TO BE “BROUGHT INTO THE LIGHT” SO MEGAN CAN TRULY “REST IN PEACE”.