Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
August 13, 2015 Volume 165, Number 35 - $1.00
Alumni Fun
Police Chase
Veteran’s Coin
A large crowd and a festive atmosphere helped propel Oregon alumni past Amboy. B1
An armed robbery suspect was arrested in Oregon after a chase. A2
A commemorative coin will help raise money for a new Veteran’s Memorial in Oregon. A8
Fire department’s ambulance is ready for duty By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The Oregon Fire Department’s ambulance is repaired, outfitted, licensed, and in service. “We are officially up and running as of Aug. 1,” said Fire Chief Al Greene. “We’ve completed the licensing to run the ambulance in the Oregon Fire District.”
The white ambulance has red lettering that proclaims it belongs to the Oregon Fire Department. The ambulance was donated to the district last summer by Jim and Betty Ferris after they closed the Oregon Ambulance Service, Inc., a privately-owned, not-for-profit corporation. Greene said the ambulance needed repairs and updates and
then had to be licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health, and approved by Medicare and Medicaid for billing purposes. The licnesing and approval is a length and complicated process, he said. For the first two weeks after the Oregon Ambulance Service, Inc. closed it doors in June of 2014, ambulance calls in the Oregon
Fire District were answered with mutual aid from neighboring fire departments. The fire district hired ATS Medical Services, Loves Park, on July 1, 2014 to handle the calls. Since then, ATS has provided an ambulance and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to man it as a full-time, around-theclock service.
Now that the fire department has its own ambulance, Greene said ATS will no longer provide an ambulance but will continue to provide the EMTs through a contract with the district. Voters approved a referendum in April to establish a tax-supported ambulance service through the fire district.
Six-year-old faces illnesses with a brave outlook By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Mt. Morris Fire Chief Rob Hough talks with Oregon Assistant Chief Randy Travis and firefighter Rich Rhoads in the early moments of responding to a garage fire at 606 Timberlane in Oregon. The fire was reported shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday night. Photos by Earleen Hinton
Firefighters battle blaze Tuesday night By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Firefighters from six departments were still on the scene late Tuesday night of a fire that destroyed a garage and damaged two homes on Oregon’s north side. Oregon Assistant Fire Chief Randy Travis said no one was injured in the fire that started in the garage at 606 Timberlane just before 10 p.m. “When I got here, the garage was fully engulfed,”
Travis said. “The flames were so intense that they spread to the house and then to the house on the other side of it.” Homeowner Ann Glaser said she smelled smoke. “But a lot of people in the neighborhood burn so I didn’t think too much about it at first,” she said. Her neighbor Robin Minnis rescued her dog from the house. Travis said the cause of the fire was undetermined, and he had called the state fire marshal to help with the investigation.
Firemen from Mt. Morris, Polo, Byron, Stillman Valley,
and Franklin Grove assisted Oregon at the scene.
Bond is modified for Peoria man Charges stem from May chase By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Bond conditions have been modified for a Peoria man who led Ogle County deputies on a high speed chase in early May. Daniel Swisher, 40, will now be allowed to drive for work purposes and may live with his wife and children. Ogle County Judge Robert Hanson granted a motion filed by Swisher’s attorney Paul Whitcombe, Dixon, on July 28 to modify the bond conditions. At a June 4 hearing, Hanson had set strict bond conditions
for Swisher’s release from jail that included no driving under any circumstances and required him to live with his parents. According to testimony presented in court, Swisher and his wife were divorcing. Ogle County State’s Attorney Eric Morrow said he did not object to the modified bond because Swisher is complying with other bond conditions that include adhering to a treatment plan outlined by his psychiatrist and taking his prescribed medications. Swisher has been undergoing treatment for bi-polar disorder for several years. Swisher’s case was continued Aug. 10 at a hearing before Judge John
In This Week’s Edition...
B. Roe, who set a pretrial conference for Oct. 14. An Ogle County Grand Jury indicted Swisher on seven charges on May 27. He is charged with four counts of aggravated fleeing to elude, all Class 4 felonies; two counts of resisting a peace officer, both Class 4 felonies; and possession of cannabis, a misdemeanor. Swisher pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. The charges stem from a high speed chase on May 6, Swisher’s 40th birthday, when he led Ogle County deputies from Castle Rock State Park through downtown Oregon, west on Ill. 64 to Kings and back to Oregon where he was finally stopped at the west end of the bridge over the Rock River.
Byron Police, B4 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Daniel Swisher
Police said Swisher’s speed reached as high as 104 mph at one point. He was driving a 2015 Porsche. Earlier that day, Swisher had been involved in a chase with Jo Daviess County Sheriff ’s deputies.
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Library, A9 Oregon Police, B3 Property Transfers, B4
A Mt. Morris first grader has a brave outlook despite two tough health conditions. Emmalyn Freeze, 6, the daughter of Matt and Stephanie Freeze, has already had two surgeries and is getting ready for another one in a few weeks. “She does it all with a smile,” said her mother Stephanie. “She’s a very resilient little girl.” Emmalyn suffers from severe chronic neutropenia, a rare blood disorder that leaves its victims susceptible to high fevers, mouth sores, and infections. It’s something she will have to deal with all her life. The disorder requires regular blood draws. “She just smiles and sticks out her arm,” Stephanie said. Testing started when Emmalyn was just 2, Stephanie said, because she frequently had infections, mouth sores, and fevers as high as 105 degrees. A hematologist in Madison, Wisconsin, diagnosed neutropenia, but at first thought the little girl would outgrow it. However, by the time she was 4 he determined the condition was chronic. Emmalyn gets a shot every other day, which helps somewhat — the mouth sores are gone and the fevers are lower. But she will need them for the rest of her life. She is part of a trial at the University of Wisconsin and gets the shots at no cost. Normally the cost is $3,000 for 10, Stephanie said. Emmalyn will also need a bone marrow biopsy annually to make sure no leukemia cells are present. As if that wasn’t enough, Emmalyn has also been diagnosed with Chiari malformation, a congenital condition affecting the brain and spinal cord. The condition gives her severe leg pain and headaches. Her brother, Colton, 8, also has Chiari malformation, which is genetic. He was diagnosed at age 5 and has undergone corrective surgery. Emmalyn has had surgery twice already for Chiri malformation and will
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
Emmalyn Freeze, 6, and her brother Colton, 8, both suffer from a genetic disorder. Photo supplied
undergo a third surgery this fall after the family returns from a Make A Wish trip to Hawaii. Stephanie said that although the family has insurance through All Kids, it doesn’t cover all the medical costs or travel. Besides the doctors in Madison, Emmalyn sees other specialists in Indianapolis, Indiana, regularly.
Benefit is Sept. 12 A dodgeball tournament will be held Saturday, Sept. 12 in the David L. Rahn Junior High gym in Mt. Morris to help Emmalyn Freeze,. The 11 a.m. benefit will help her family with the ongoing medical costs. Registration is limited to the first 16 teams to sign up. The deadline for registering is Tuesday, Sept. 1. The cost is $60 per six-person team. Each team may register seven players for $70 if a sub is desired. Register a team now to be put into a drawing for two free outfield tickets to a Chicago White Sox game. To qualify for this raffle the registration must be completed and received by Friday, Aug. 14. The drawing will take place on Saturday Aug. 15 at 5 p.m. and the winner will be notified by phone. For more information contact Cari Berg at dcberg1@frontier.com or 815-997-3118.
Deaths, B5 Mary Virginia Brattrud, Lawrence Martin, E. Dale Peters
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