Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
October 31, 2013 Volume 163, Number 46- $1.00
Hawks in Playoffs
Soy Pod
Playathon
The Hawks football team will travel to Wilmington in first round playoff action. B1
The Soy Pod statue will be installed Nov. 2. A2
The Oregon High School band will be playing music for 24 hours this Friday. A2
Two new buildings part of county budget Sheriff’s admin. $4M, highway department $1M By Vinde Wells Editor Two new buildings are part of Ogle County’s proposed $39.1 million budget for next year. The Long Range Capital Expense plan includes a
new sheriff’s administration building for an estimated $4.1 million and a highway department equipment storage building for $1 million. The county board got a look at the 2014 budget Monday night at a special meeting. The new fiscal year begins Dec. 1. County board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, told board members and department heads to look over
the 30-page document and contact him with questions or revisions. He said the board will likely vote on the final version of the budget when it meets on Nov. 19. Sheriff Michael Harn said that the new administration building will replace the two-story brick structure that now houses the sheriff’s department at 103 Jefferson St., Oregon. A leaky roof, old wiring,
and an inefficient heating and cooling system are just a few of the problems that plague the century-old building. The new one-story building will be located east of present structure. Plans call for the old building to be demolished once the new one is completed. The area where the current building sits will then be freed up for parking or future expansion. “The plan gives the county
options in years to come. If they want to expand, they can expand to the west,� Harn said. He said Tuesday that two preliminary drawings for the new building were submitted by Saavedra Gelhausen Architects, Rockford, this summer, and changes are being made to one of the options. The architects are currently working on final plans so that the project can be let for bids,
hopefully early next year. Offices for the coroner and his staff were added to the plan, Harn said. The coroner’s office is presently on the third floor of the Ogle County Courthouse. Harn said once the plan is completed by the architects and approved by the county board, bids for the building’s construction will be sought. He said he hopes construction will begin in the Turn to A8
AC coming to
Oregon schools School board approves $7.5M life safety bonds By Vinde Wells Editor By the beginning of the next school year, students in Oregon will attend classes in air-conditioned buildings. The Oregon School Board approved spending up to $7.5 million on Health & Life Safety projects Oct. 21 that will include installing geothermal systems to heat and cool Oregon High School and Oregon Elementary School. The board approved hiring Chevron Energy Solutions, Chicago, to oversee the projects, which will also include improving security at all the district’s buildings and repairing a water main. Superintendent Tom Mahoney said that the majority of the work — an estimated $7.1 million — will be for the new heating and cooling system. He said a new heating system is necessary because the current systems at the high school and in the Jefferson and Etnyre Wings of the elementary school are badly outdated. The boiler at the high school was installed in 1936, he said, and the one at Jefferson is also several years old. “The equipment is past
Howlin’ Time at Contest The Oregon Park District hosted its Howl’oween canine costume contest Monday. Above, Issac Brooks tosses a ball to his dog Sandy while his dad Brion Brooks yawns while waiting for the judges’ decision. At right,Camery Peterson and Molly dressed as Raggedy Ann, Joanne Pennock and Holly dressed as a mouse, and Lori Spratt and Josie as Little Red Riding Hood walk past the judges. Turn to A10 for more photos and contest results. Photos by Earleen Hinton
its useful life and has a high probability of failure,� he said. Etnyre, which already has air-conditioning, has an electric heating and cooling system that was installed in the 1970s and is inefficient, he said. “We believe that going geothermal is not only more environmentally sound but will also provide the high school and Jefferson Wing with cooling,� Mahoney said. Estimates show that operating the new system, even with cooling included, will cost less than what the district is now spending, he said. The work will begin after school is out this year and will be completed by the time classes start next fall, Mahoney said. The junior high in Mt. Morris cannot be included as part of a Health & Life Safety project, Mahoney said, because its heating system, installed in the early 2000s, is too new and still works. “The Health & Life Safety process only allows for replacement of equipment that has functioned for the duration of its useful life or has a catastrophic failure,� he said. However, he said district officials are considering options for air-conditioning at the junior high and plan to install a cooling system in time for the beginning of the Turn to A2
Help with ACA available locally By Chris Johnson Reporter Navigating the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can be confusing and difficult. Brian Kennedy, a marketplace insurance counselor at the Ogle County Health Department, and Linda Johnson, the director of health education at the Ogle County Health Department, are available to assist area residents with learning about health insurance. The ACA is also nicknamed “Obamacare.� The government mandated all Americans must have
ACA medical insurance if they don’t already have medical insurance. The deadline to sign up for ACA is March 31. After this date, residents can be penalized. Not everyone needs to sign up for the insurance. If insurance is offered through an individual’s workplace, they will not be eligible for healthcare through ACA. “If you are on Medicare or Medicaid you do not need to do anything,� he said. “The ACA also expanded who is eligible for these programs.� The ACA requires
In This Week’s Edition...
everyone to be insured for at least nine months each year. “There is a fine of $95 or one percent of your income whichever is greater if you do not have insurance,� Kennedy said. No individual or family can be denied health insurance based on pre-existing conditions. “I am here to give a quick overview of the ACA and Illinois Marketplace,� said Kennedy during a workshop at the Rock River Center Oct. 25. “There is a website set up to compare plans and sign up.� The website www.
Births, A4 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B14 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
healthcare.gov, has been the subject of numerous crashes and has been in the national news over the past weeks. The site, when working, Kennedy said, has all the health care plans listed and can be compared before selecting one. In Illinois the marketplace website is getcoveredillinois. gov. A state website aid.illinois. gov can assist with learning if an individual is eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. Medicare and Medicaid is now available for anyone who meets the financial Turn to A14
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B4 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Linda Johnson, Ogle County Health Department Director Health Education, left, talks to Samantha Slagle, DeKalb, about the Health Insurance Marketplace website. Photo by Chris Johnson
Deaths, B3 Allen A. Barry, Donna B. Cline, Kathryn L. Weaver
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