Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal October 29, 2015 Volume 153, Number 27 - $1.00
Playoff Bound
Fall Back
Memorial Work
Forreston will take on Dakota in the first round of the IHSA 1A football playoffs. B1
Turn your clocks back one hour to Standard Time at 2 a.m. Sunday.
A revamped veteran’s memoria in Oregon will be dedicated on November 11. A12
Polo woman enters not guilty plea
Halloween hours set in village By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecountynews.com With the final days of October flying by it is time to think about the witches, wizards, princesses, and superheroes that will be walking through the streets of the village. Halloween falls on Saturday this year and Trick-or-Treating will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. in Forreston and 5 to 7 p.m. in German Valley. “Kids should have glow sticks and flashlights with them to ensure they can be seen by passing motorists,” said police chief Mike Boomgarden. “Kids are excited to go around town, but they should be supervised by an adult.” Boomgarden said kids might run into the street unexpectedly during the excitement of going door to door and drivers should go slow and watch out. “You need to keep your eyes open for kids,” said Boomgarden. With the Forreston Cardinals football team playing in Dakota Saturday afternoon, many fans will be traveling back into town during Trick-or-Treating hours. Boomgarden said drivers need to be aware that Trick-or-Treating is underway. “We will have patrols out in each community and we are available if anyone needs help,” said Boomgarden. Parents are encouraged to remind their children that they should only stop at homes with porch lights on. Parents should inspect all candy before allowing This home on Fourth Ave. in Forreston has been decorated for the Halloween the children to have any.
Kayla Bergstrom charged with embezzling money Sauk Valley Media A Polo woman pleaded not guilty last week to federal charges that she embezzled more than $59,000 from First State Bank. Kayla Bergstrom, 46, entered a not guilty plea Oct. 22 during her arraignment before the Judge Iain D. Johnston in federal court in Rockford. Federal authorities say Bergstrom embezzled the funds over four years, funneling the money through her account and her husband’s auto repair business. Bergstrom was indicted Oct. 20 in federal court in Rockford. She is free on her own recognizance and a status hearing has been set for Dec. 3. Bergstrom, a first vice president of the bank, handled all of its correspondent accounts, including one with U.S. Bank, the U.S. Attorney’s Northern District office said in a news release on Oct. 21. She had “the highest security level assigned” for the bank’s software program, with access to customer bank and general ledger accounts, and the ability to add new accounts, the release said. According to the indictment: From Feb. 23, 2010 to Feb. 3, 2014, Bergstrom embezzled money by creating cash advance tickets for the U.S. Bank correspondent account. She would credit the amounts of cash advance tickets to her personal account and the business account Bergy’s Automotive, which is owned by her husband, Mark Bergstrom. She concealed her embezzlement by changing bank account statements, “manually cutting and pasting false account balances on the statements,” the indictment said.
Season. Photo by Chris Johnson
Turn to A2
Man charged with stealing $1,000 from Grubsteakers An Indiana man has been arrested for taking cash from an Ogle County restaurant after it was heavily damaged during an April 9 tornado. Michael G. McDonald, 67 of Whiting, Indiana, was arrested Monday by the Rochelle Police Department on an Ogle County warrant
for theft, more than $500, a Class 3 felony. McDonald works in Rochelle. The arrest stems from a sheriff’s department investigation into theft of money from the former Grubsteakers Restaurant, 14698 E. Ill. 64.
The investigation revealed that during the April 9 tornado that struck Grubsteakers, McDonald was a patron inside the business and stole approximately $1,000 from the cash register. McDonald posted 10 percent of his $50,000 bond
and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 6. The well-known restaurant at the intersection of Ill. 251 and 64 was destroyed in the EF4 tornado that swept through Ogle County April 9 leaving a path of destruction. Grubsteakers owner Ava
Mirtoska ushered customers and employees to the safety of a storm cellar as the storm approached. Sheriff Brian VanVickle said he is not sure where McDonald rode out the storm, but he did not go into the storm cellar with the others.
Michael G. McDonald
Mixed views on proposed range By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Senior Night Marc Stamm, Forreston, hugs his son Braxton during the Polo senior night Oct. 23 before the varsity football game. Photo by Chris Johnson
In This Week’s Edition...
Two men aired opposing views last week about a request for a gun range at the Byron Sportsman’s & Conservation Club. O.K. Welty, Byron, who is the club’s president, told the county board Oct. 20 that safety will be the primary focus of the proposed gun range at the club at 1509 East Townline Rd. However, Craig Dimond, a neighbor of the club, wasn’t so sure. He said the design of the proposed gun range would not ensure that all bullets will remain inside and could pose a danger to homes and hikers in the area. “They want to expand to have hand guns and pistol
Business Brief, B6 Byron Police, B6 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 Entertainment, A6
This drawing shows the gun range proposed by the Byron Sportsman’s & Conservation Club on Townline Road southwest of Byron.
grip rifles, which have a range of one to two miles,” he said. Dimond said homes are located within 1,000 feet of the proposed range. The sportsman’s club has requested a special use permit that would allow a shooting range for hand gun caliber weapons on their property, which is zoned AG-1 (agricultural use).
Fines, B6 Marriage Licenses, A4 Outlook on Ag, A10 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B5
Zoning Administrator Mike Reibel said Tuesday that hand gun caliber weapons can include long guns of certain calibers. The club is surrounded by homes, farmland, and forest preserve land. At a lengthy hearing Sept. 24, the Ogle County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) voted 3-2 to recommend that the county board approve the
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather, A2
request. The ZBA vote came after members heard testimony on both sides of the issue. The county board is expected to vote on the request at its Nov. 17 meeting. The club currently has a trap shooting range that has restricted hours.
Deaths, B4 Glen M. Borneman, Lois Hagemann, Dr. Donald Hammerman
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Turn to A2