Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal September 18, 2014 Volume 152, Number 21 - $1.00
Cards Win
Ready to Run
Unit of Honor
The Forreston football team shutout West Carroll 66-0 in conference action. B1
Registration is now open for the annual AOP 5K and fun run. B2
Habitat for Humanity will be recognized during Autumn on Parade Oct. 4-5. A8
$2.8 million will pay for upgrade By Chris Johnson Reporter Village officials have learned a $2.8 million loan for improvements to the wastewater treatment plant were approved. Village president Michael Harn received a letter notifying the village of the loan during Monday night’s board meeting. “We got our loan and we will need to approve it,� said Harn. “It will be on the next agenda to approve.� Village engineer Mick Gronewold, Fehr, Graham & Associates will attend the meeting Oct. 6 to explain the steps to approve the loan and proceed with the project. In July the board approved a $2.7 million plan for the upgrades and awarded the bid to Leander Construction, Canton, contingent on receiving the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) loan. Gronewold said when the village receives the notice of a loan commitment the bid can be awarded. Paperwork to complete the loan application may take another four to six weeks. Governor Pat Quinn today announced the $2.8 million loan for the village Sept. 11. The loan is a low-interest loan through the governor’s Illinois Clean Water Initiative. This investment will fund the upgrade and expansion of the existing wastewater treatment plant while creating
more than 100 jobs, according to press release from the Governor’s office. “Help is on the way for Forreston to improve their wastewater treatment system,� said Quinn. “That’s what our Clean Water Initiative is all about, helping make communities like Forreston even better places to live and work.� The loan will be used to upgrade and expand its existing wastewater treatment plant. The project will allow the village to maintain compliance with discharge limits and provide the capacity to treat all existing and future flows that reach the plant. This enables the village to comply with more stringent discharge limits, which will result in cleaner area waterways. The upgrades will include a new box screening and grit removal building, new equipment, repairs to existing tanks, and a new clarifier to increase the plant’s capacity. The payments on the loan will begin six months after the project is completed. According to the press release Forreston receives an additional benefit from the Governor’s Clean Water Initiative as these subsidized loans result in additional savings over the life of the loans. The wastewater project is expected to last through the fall of 2015. The village board will discuss the terms of the loan during the Oct. 6 board meeting.
Enrollment sees downward trend By Vinde Wells Editor Only two school districts in Ogle County are seeing an uptick in enrollment this year. For most districts, the downward trend that began a few years ago is continuing. The Forrestville Valley and Rochelle Township High School Districts, in opposite corners of the county, have slightly more students than last year. Forrestville Valley, a K-12 district, gained 24 students from last year to boost enrollment from 882 to 906, the first increase since 200708 when enrollment stood at 1,065. Rochelle High School gained 25 students for a current enrollment of 948 students in grade 9-12. Superintendent Richard Craven said the modest gain comes on the heels of three years of declining numbers. He anticipates another gain next year. “Because the current eighth grade is large, we expect to go up another 30
Homecoming Court Forreston High School Homecoming Court and candidates for King and Queen pictured in the back row, left to right are: Matt Carlson, junior attendant, Spencer Cruthis, senior candidate, Aidan Carr, senior candidate, Max Barkalow, senior candidate, Cameron Timm, sophomore attendant. Middle row: Alleigh Ratledge, junior attendant, Josie Pasch, senior candidate, Emily Mateika, senior candidate, Emily Edler, senior candidate, Tassie Krigbaum, sophomore attendant. Front row: Courtney Timm and Sam Barkalow, freshman attendants. Photo by Kathie Conerton
Tow Fund records are “sloppy� By Vinde Wells Editor The auditing firm conducting a forensic examination of Ogle County Sheriff Michael Harn’s Tow Fund is still trying to decipher the records. “There are frankly very sloppy records. Right now there are more questions than answers,� County Board Chairman Kim Gouker told the county board Tuesday. He said that while Sikich LLP, Naperville, has made “significant progress� with the examination, they still need more information. Gouker said he has a list of information needed that he plans to give to Harn.
Once Sikich examiners have the answers, they can complete their report, he said. Questions were raised late last year over how Harn had been handling money in the Tow Fund. He came under fire over expenditures from the fund, which included purchasing a new vehicle, flowers for Secretaries Day, a tent at the county fair, and $4,000 for the department’s Facebook page to be managed. Harn was defeated by Brian VanVickle, Rochelle, in his bid for re-election in the March Republican Primary. In May, the board approved engaging the forensic
services of Sikich to examine Tow Fund expenditures and revenues from the time it was implemented in 2011 to the present. The firm also does the county’s regular annual audits. The cost to undertake the forensic examination was $7,500. Last month the board approved spending up to $7,500 more to dig further into the financial records. Gouker told the board then that Sikich may not need all of the additional sum, or could, on the other hand, need more. In another matter, Gouker told the board that a field of 19 applicants has been
narrowed to two finalists for Ogle County Emergency Management Agency (OCEMA) Coordinator. He said the sheriff’s department is currently doing background checks on those two. At the August county board meeting, Gouker announced the resignation of Candace Humphrey, who held the post. Interviews were conducted by the Executive Committee, Gouker said, and he and vice chairman John Finfrock selected the finalists with input from Harn and VanVickle. OCEMA is part of the sheriff’s department.
Masons will celebrate anniversary
students next year,� Craven said. “Then enrollment will level off again. I think a good healthy number for us is By Vinde Wells 1,000 to 1,100 kids.� Editor While it’s difficult to pinpoint the cause of the One of Oregon’s most decline, Craven believes the active organizations will slowdown in the housing celebrate a major milestone market is a factor. this month. “Very few new houses Oregon Masonic Lodge are being built. It’s hard for 420 will mark its 150th people to sell homes,� he anniversary and rededicate its said. building at 117 1/2 S. Fourth The elementary districts St. on Saturday, Sept. 27. that feed into Rochelle “It’s remarkable for an Township High School organization to remain active District also have decreasing for this long,� said Mark enrollments. Shaulis, Worshipful Master Rochelle Elementary of the lodge. Superintendent Todd The milestone is especially Prusator said the number of significant because lodge students has declined over members are wrapping up an the last 10 years. This year is extensive renovation of the no exception — enrollment is second floor of their building, 1,572 compared to last year’s where lodge activities take 1,598. place. Creston Elementary has Shaulis said the project decreased from 116 students has included installing new last year to 111 this year. carpet throughout, converting At Eswood Elementary a storage area into a library, the student body went from completely redoing the tall 91 last year to 82 this year, and the enrollment for Kings Leonard Jones and Mark Shaulis look at the lodge Bible on display in the newly wooden staircase and entry area, remodeling the dining Elementary School went renovated library. Photo by Vinde Wells Turn to A4 Turn to A7
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Public Voice, B2 Property Transfers, B6
Sheriff’s Arrests, B6 Social News, A4 Sports, B1 State’s Attorney, B5
Deaths, B3 Joan Hagemann, George E. Schmidt, Carl L. Stoner
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