Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal April 30, 2015 Volume 153, Number 1 - $1.00
Track Results
Landscaping
Open House
The girls track team finished fifth in Byron and second in Milledgeville. B1
Tips and help are available to keep lawns and gardens healthy. A10
An informational open house will be held at the Byron Generating Station on Sunday. A6
County officials praise response Tornado struck county April 9 By Vinde Wells Editor
Ogle County Emergency Management Agency (OCEMA) Director Tom Richter discusses the tornado response during the April 21 Ogle County Board meeting. Photo by Chris Johnson
Black Hawk placed on Most Endangered list By Vinde Wells Editor The Black Hawk Statue has been named to the state’s list of Most Endangered Historic Places. The well-known 50-foot concrete statue, nestled on a high bluff overlooking the Rock River at Lowden State Park, Oregon, was second on the list announced by Landmarks Illinois April 22 at a press conference in Springfield last week. Eleven other sites were also listed. “Designed by noted Chicago sculptor Lorado Taft, generations of Illinoisans have visited Black Hawk during family vacations and school field trips since its dedication in 1911,” the press release read. “Despite several repairs and patches over the decades, the now 104-year old statue is in desperate need of full conservation – its concrete body in some places is so deteriorated that if not addressed immediately there is a risk that the damage will quickly accelerate and the majority of its original details will be lost.” The release gave credit to a committee formed to raise fund and develop a plan for restoring the statue. “Friends of the Black Hawk Statue Committee have galvanized financial and pro-bono support for Black Hawk’s $825,000 restoration price tag,” it read. “However, the bleak outlook for next year’s
IDNR budget, along with bureaucratic procedures that have slowed the contracting process and elevated the budget, have already delayed the scheduled restoration by nearly a year. A successful restoration of this treasured Illinois monument will likely require pressure from financial contributors, local officials, and the public.” Headed up by Frank and Cherron Rausa, Sterling, the Friends of the Black Hawk Statue have raised nearly $750,000 through donations, grants, and fundraisers. The largest contribution is a $350,000 grant received by the IDNR from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. However, Rausa said recently that the grant may be in jeopardy due to budget cuts proposed by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. Through the efforts of the Friends of the Black Hawk Statue, experts came up with a plan to restore the portions of the statue that are crumbling and falling off due to the ravages of time and weather. The folded arms of the statue, especially the elbows and underneath the arms; the middle of the robe; and the vertical fold in the robe from armpit to toe are the critical areas. The statue was encased in plastic mesh for the winter to protect it from further damage from cold, ice, and snow. Checks for the restoration
In This Week’s Edition...
Ogle County officials voiced their approval last week of how relief and recovery operations have gone in the wake of the April 9 tornado. “We’re in a very good place with recovery efforts,” Ogle County Emergency Management Agency (OCEMA) Director Tom Richter told the county board April 21. An EF4 tornado with winds of 200 mph cut a path of destruction through the eastern half of the county between 6:30 and 7 p.m. The tornado, which first touched down in Lee County west of Ashton, destroyed an estimated 30 homes county-wide, most of them in two subdivisions
west of Flagg Center. In all, nearly 180 structures were damaged or destroyed. The twister then took a northeasterly path through Ogle County, demolishing farm building, homes, and Grubsteakers Restaurant at the intersection of Ill. 251 and 64. It moved on to the small DeKalb County village of Fairdale where two women were killed and most homes were devastated. Richter said the Red Cross would be doing a needs assessment of all the Ogle County residents affected by the tornado. He said the Red Cross has been working with the Rochelle Area Community Foundation to coordinate relief efforts and donations. He praised the cooperation between agencies throughout the recovery operations. “I can’t say enough about the seamless effort we had,”
Richter said. A review of the operations will be held May 4, he said. Sheriff Brian Van Vickle told the county board that his department returned to normal operations on March 17. “We were able to help DeKalb County and will again over the weekend,” he said. VanVickle praised the response the county received from other emergency agencies when the tornado struck. He said he called the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) on his way to the scene and in less than two hours had 30 officers “from all over” there. He also thanked the Illinois State Police for their assistance. “Every trooper in District 1 was at our beck and call,” VanVickle said.
VanVickle was also a storm victim. He and his family lost their home west of Rochelle. County board chairman Kim Gouker gave credit to relief agencies who immediately sent workers to the scene. County board member John “Skip” Kenney, whose home was damaged by the tornado, said he appreciated the “level of professionalism” of the police and other emergency agencies. He said keeping the media out of the devastated area was a good decision. “As one who lived through it, thank you very much,” he said. The National Weather Service (NWS) determined the wedge-shaped tornado was a half-mile wide at times and was on the ground an estimated 39 miles. It also caused damage in Boone and McHenry Counties.
Early storm warnings save lives By Vinde Wells Editor The importance of heeding storm warnings has been especially apparent in the aftermath EF4 tornado that churned through Ogle County three weeks ago. Although the storm damaged or destroyed nearly 180 structures, including devastated 30 homes, residents in the storm’s path suffered only minor injuries. Tom Richter, director of the Ogle County Emergency Management Agency (OCEMA), attributed that to ample advance warnings and that people took shelter when the storm approached. “People took the warnings seriously and took shelter. I think that’s why we had no casualties in Ogle County,”
he said. Heeding storm warnings is especially crucial for anyone who lives in a mobile home or may be camping or picnicking at a park. Richter said emergency agencies advise residents to leave mobile homes during a tornado. “We tell people not to stay in mobile home, even if they are tied down,” he said. “They are lightweight construction and just don’t hold up well.” He advised all residents, but especially those who live in mobile homes, to have an emergency plan made well in advance of dangerous weather. “Have a plan and heed the warnings,” he reiterated. Mobile home residents are advised to leave as quickly
as possible before a tornado strikes and go to a nearby building with a basement. If no shelter is immediately available, they should find the lowest-lying area nearby and lie down in it, covering their head with their hands. Covering themselves, especially their heads, with a mattress, blanket or a helmet is also recommended. Richter stressed the importance of monitoring the weather online, on TV, or on a weather radio. “Don’t depend on the sirens,” he said. “They are sounded only as a last resort.” Grant Afflerbaugh, site superintendent at Lowden and Castle Rock State Parks near Oregon, said a warning siren is located at the Lowden, but not at Castle
Rock. The shower building at Lowden offers protection from tornadoes. “We advise campers to go into the shower building which is a cement block structure,” he said. At Castle Rock, he said, the staff drives through the park to alert hikers and picnickers of approaching storms. The staff at White Pines State Park also monitors the weather closely and warns campers and other guests, according to site superintendent Elmer Stauffer. Where to take shelter depends on where a visitor is in the park, he said. Like at Lowden, campers Turn to A3
Blood Drive Forreston High School students Caleb Reining and Mikayla Dirksen were among those who donated blood at the National Honor Society blood drive on April 24. NHS students helped with registration and other duties during the drive as part of the community service aspect of the organization. Fifty-four units of blood were collected. Photo by Kathie Conerton
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B6 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B1-B2 Sports Column, A9 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather A3
Deaths, B5 Audrey D. Burkholder, Michael C. Hawn, Anita L. Martin
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com