Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal March 22, 2018 Volume 155, Number 48 - $1.00
Ready to Run
Easter Hams!!
Carnival Winners
The Forreston - Polo track teams are getting ready for the 2018 season. B2
It’s time for the annual Lions Easter Ham Sale! A2
The winning 4-H Clubs are announced for this year’s Penny Carnival. A8
Beck wins big in treasurer’s primary race Colson loses bid for county board seat in District 7 By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
The ballot booths at the Forreston Township polling place were almost full for Tuesday’s primary election Tuesday. Overall the voter turnout was light. Photo by Vinde Wells
Voter turnout higher than expected By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com Less than a third of Ogle County rocked the vote on Tuesday, but the results still beat some expectations and created a few surprises. With the last precinct reporting sometime near 10:15 p.m., 27.55 percent of registered voters in Ogle
County showed up to decide primary candidates for state and county-wide seats. “Honestly, with the way voter turnout drops for what people think are ‘smaller’ elections, I was expecting somewhere near 18 or 19 percent, so I was pleasantly surprised,” said Ogle County Clerk Laura Cook. “Overall, I am happy with our voter turnout.” Results did not start pouring
onto the Ogle County website until around 9:45 p.m. Cook said that the tabulator was taking a long time to process voting results, along with some new staff in her office. “The team handled everything really well, given the circumstances we were under,” said Cook. Cook also expressed appreciation for election judges all over the county.
“There’s a big shortage of election judges - I’m sure in other counties as well - but they did a tremendous job,” said Cook. Cook also brought attention to the amount of Democratic ballots punched, in a regularly Republican county. “There was a surge in Democratic tickets,” said Cook. “I was surprised at how many we were getting.”
An “ecstatic” Linda Beck had something to celebrate Tuesday — a landslide victory over opponent Patrick Wiesner in a bid for the Republican Party nomination for Ogle County Treasurer. Beck carried all 52 precincts in the county for a total of 3,928 votes to Wiesner’s 1,646. “I’m ecstatic. I’m just overwhelmed,” she said of her victory. “This has been a great experience. I’m so honored that the voters put their trust in me.” Beck, 56, of Oregon, who has served as chief deputy treasurer for the last 12 years under retiring treasurer John Coffman, said she attributed her win to getting out and meeting the voters. “I think they got to know me and what I’m all about,” she said. “That means something to them.” Wiesner, 41, also of Oregon and a former city council member, could not be reached for comment. No Democrats filed for the seat. County Clerk Laura J. Cook, of Oregon, and Sheriff Brian E. VanVickle, of Rochelle, both Republicans faced no opposition for the party nod. Cook received 5,065 votes, VanVickle earned 5,173. No Democrats filed for
Linda Beck
either seat, making Cook and VanVickle almost certain winners in the Nov. 6 General Election. In county board races, most candidates had smooth sailing for their parties’ nominations. Two seats are open in each of the county’s eight districts, and all are four-year terms. Only two districts saw a candidate go down in defeat. In District 7, which includes Maryland, Mt. Morris, and Forreston Townships, Republican incumbent Ron Colson, of Mt. Morris, lost out in his bid for the party nod. He received 375 votes to 454 for newcomer Dean Fox, of German Valley, and 494 for newcomer Stanley G. Asp, of Mt. Morris, who are both also Republicans. In District 4, which includes Flagg Township Precincts 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11, incumbents John (Skip) Kenney got 333 votes and Bruce W. McKinney 380, defeating a challenge by newcomer Anthony Rowley who received 229. All three are Rochelle Republicans.
IDOT okays closing Sixth Street for new county jail By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Now that the Illinois Department of Transportation is on board, construction plans for the new Ogle County Jail were expected to move forward at the March 21 county board meeting. County board chairman Kim Gouker said IDOT recently gave its approval to closing the 100 block of South Sixth Street, which will allow the new jail to be connected to the existing judicial center via a large sally port across what is now the street. “We’re moving forward in the design process,” Gouker said Monday afternoon. Because of the Primary Election March 20, the county board gave up its regular meeting slot of the third Tuesday of the month and moved to the third Wednesday instead.
On the agenda is an agreement with Willett, Hofmann & Associates, Dixon, for surveying and design services to relocate utilities (sewer and water mains) now under the street at a fee not to exceed $44,700. “We decided to hire the city’s engineer because they are familiar with where the utilities are located,” Gouker said. Surveying is scheduled to begin March 21. Both the county board and the Oregon City Council approved an intergovernmental agency agreement in December that transferred jurisdiction over the 100 block of South Sixth Street in Oregon from the city to the county. IDOT’s approval was needed for the plan to move forward. Preliminary plans call for the breaking ground for the new 180-bed jail, with an estimated price tag of $28 million, in the fall of this year.
In This Week’s Edition...
Under the terms of the intergovernmental agreement, the county will pay for the cost of relocating the utilities, as well as for street improvements near the courthouse, judicial center, and new jail. The total cost for those projects is estimated at $600,000. In other business, the board was expected to vote on a special use permit to allow a solar farm on 260 acres of farmland south of Forreston along Ill. 26. The property is owned by Rod Wubbena and Joan Wubbena and would be leased by Elkhorn Solar LLC. The project has met with opposition from neighbors. The Zoning Board of Appeals and the Regional Planning Commission both voted to recommend that the county board deny the request. Surveying was scheduled to begin Wednesday on the site where the new Ogle County Jail
However, the Planning & will be built. IDOT recently okayed closing the 100 block of South Sixth Street, which will Zoning Committee voted to allow the new jail to be connected to the existing judicial center via a large sally port across recommend approval. what is now the street. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B5
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2
Deaths, B4 Sherwood J. Drumheller, Allen H. Genandt, Christa M. Heitter, Russell H. Mount, Margaret R. Myers, Lois M. Tremble, Judith K. Wakenight
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com