Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal February 13, 2014 Volume 151, Number 42 - $1.00
Sectional Bound
What’s Cookin’
Bake Sale
Five Polo-Forreston wrestlers qualified for the Feb. 14-15 Byron Sectional. B1
Teams of four and encouraged to sign up for a cooking fundraiser. A8
The annual Valentine’s Day Bake Sale will be held in Forreston on Feb. 14. A6
Forreston man injured in snowmobile accident By Vinde Wells Editor A Forreston man was critically injured Sunday afternoon when his snowmobile collided with a pick-up truck approximately
three miles north of Forreston. Adam C. Brown, 22, was airlifted to Rockford Memorial Hospital where he was listed in critical condition Monday. Robert Frazier, Acting
Regional Commander for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police, said Brown was riding on a snowmobile route near the roadway at 10608 N. Hollywood Rd. when he
went up over a large pile of snow at a high rate of speed and struck the pick-up truck, which was driven by Billy G. Deen, 67, Forreston. The crash occurred at 3:15 p.m. Deen was driving up the driveway to his home.
Frazier said the height of the snow pile obscured visibility. Deen was transported by ambulance to FHN Memorial Hospital, Freeport, for nonlife-threatening injuries.
The crash remains under investigation. The Conservation Police were assisted at the scene by the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department, and the Forreston Fire Department and ambulance.
Board accepts resignation Taylor steps down as school superintendent By Vinde Wells Editor
Unauthorized withdrawals and redirection of payments are apparently at least part of the reasons why the Forrestville Valley School Board first suspended superintendent Lowell Taylor and later accepted his resignation. Although board members remain tight-lipped about Taylor’s departure, a resignation agreement between Taylor, 45, and the school board sheds some light on why the longtime administrator stepped down Feb. 4 after months of special board meetings and closed sessions. Apparently, Taylor diverted funds intended for a tax-sheltered annuity and an IRA for his children’s education, both provided to him by the district, for his immediate use without the board’s knowledge or permission. The board approved Taylor’s resignation and the agreement at a special meeting Feb. 4. Ogle County Newspapers filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the resignation agreement and received it Feb. 5. The agreement, which makes Taylor’s resignation effective June 15, states the terms of the agreement do not release Taylor from “any liability he may have for federal or state taxes, Medicare taxes, penalties, and interest.� “It is expressly understood,� the agreement reads, “that the employee’s (Taylor’s) withdrawals of deferred compensation, and redirection of payments intended for the employee’s tax sheltered annuity and educational IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts), all without the actioned approval of the board, may have resulted in the underreporting of the employee’s income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Illinois Department of Revenue.� “It is agreed that the issues presented by deferred compensation and payments intended for the employee’s tax sheltered annuities and educational IRAs will
Lowell Taylor during May 2013 graduation.
be deemed resolved as a result and on the date of this agreement, and such withdrawals and payments will be deemed as income to the employee as of the date of this agreement and reported by the board to the Internal Revenue Service and the Illinois Department of Revenue,� the agreement goes on to say. “The employee agrees to indemnify and hold the board harmless for any federal or state income tax, Medicare tax, penalties, and interest which may be due from the employee thereon.� Board president Robert Ebbesmeyer declined to comment Feb. 6 on whether or not the IRS is investigating the matter. He also declined to say how much money was involved, how long the unauthorized withdrawals and redirection of payments had been going on, or how and when they were discovered. “We worked to make this fair to both sides,� Ebbesmeyer said. After the Feb. 4 meeting, Ebbesmeyer told the crowd who attended that he would not likely comment further. “There are a lot of legal ramifications,� he said then. The terms of the agreement prohibit the board from discussing the details. Ebbesmeyer said the board will pay Taylor for 60 days of accumulated vacation, running from Jan. 8 through April 4. Taylor will then be on unpaid leave from April 5 through June 15 when the resignation takes effect. According to the terms of Taylor’s original contract, which approved by the school board in December of 2000, in addition to his salary, retirement contributions, and insurance, the district provided Taylor with other benefits, including Turn to A2
In This Week’s Edition...
Lights Out For Dance Team Members of the Forreston High School dance team performed in the dark with glow sticks during halftime of the Feb. 6 game. Photos by Earleen Hinton
Spellers compete during the bee Anna Snider will represent school in Dixon
The annual spelling bee was held at Forreston Junior High on Friday, Jan. 31. Students, parents, and staff watched as the qualifiers from the Language Arts classes of Mrs. Darlene Griseta, Ms. Amy Busch, and Mrs. Beth Lawson competed for the title of top speller. Thirty-two students from sixth, seventh and eighth grades took part in the competition. Anna Snider, eighth grade daughter of Matt and Stephanie Snider, Forreston, spelled the words “evince� and “hermitage� to earn
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
the championship plaque for the third year in a row. Christian Groenewold, eighth grade son of Guy and Dawn Groenewold, Forreston, earned the runner-up spot after correctly spelling “lambasted� but misspelling “bulbous�. Anna will compete in the Regional Spelling Bee which will be held at Dixon High School on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. Christian, as runner-up in the school bee, will be an alternate for the Regional Bee. Congratulations to all of the students who competed in the bee and good luck to Anna and Christian as they represent Forreston Jr/Sr Anna Snider, left, and Christian Groenewold were the High School in the Regional top two spellers at the junior high spelling bee. Bee in Dixon.
Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, A12, B1-B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A2
Deaths, B3 Raymond H. Doyle, Michael P. Dvorak, Margaret E. Gearhart, Virginia P.Heberg, Francis E. Vock
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