FOR_12242015

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Serving the Forreston area since 1865

FORRESTON Journal December 24, 2015 Volume 153, Number 35 - $1.00

Tough Tournaments The Polo and Forreston girls had a tough time in holiday tournaments. B1

Dear Santa

Chicago Ride

Area school children wrote letters to Santa. Inside

The Ogle County Drill Team rode in the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade. A6

Forreston Police Department will have a new truck By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com The Forreston Village Board will amend the budget to allow for the purchase of a new police vehicle. The board unanimously

approved the purchase of a 2016 Dodge pick-up from Kunes Country for $22,794. “This needs to be done,” said village president Michael Harn. “The truck price is cheaper then cars.” Harn said the bid is a state contract for the Dodge

truck. The board also priced vehicles from other manufactures. Purchasing the 2016 truck was recommended by police Chief Mike Boomgarden. “I would agree with that,” said trustee Jeff Freeze. Once the village receives

the truck, some work will need to be completed to put the truck into service. This includes the lights, sirens, police logo, and a cage in the back seat for individuals who are arrested. Boomgarden said the truck will be painted black

and only needs basic equipment and the cost will be lower because the police equipment from the existing squad will be transferred to the truck. The costs to outfit the truck for police service are estimated to be less than

$4,500, said Harn. The existing squad car will be traded in when the purchase is completed. Money for the truck will be created in the budget by amending the capital development fund.

Part-time officer is charged with unlawful restraint Sauk Valley Media

Cemetery Improvement Members of the Forreston American Legion Riders stand behind the old stone buggy step at the entrance to the Hewitt Cemetery, Forreston, which now has a new concrete pad. The Riders, with the help of cement contractor Jim Lawson have been making improvements at the cemetery. Pictured left to right are: Jerry Griffin, Henry Huenefeld, Kathy Schemel, Lloyd Zimmerman, and Bret Schemel. Photo supplied

Million Constitution Challenge started By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A Byron man and his business partner are working to put two important American documents into the hands of as many citizens as possible. Ken Foss, Byron, and Jeff Johnson, Genoa, will launch the Million Constitution Challenge on Jan. 1 in an effort to get copies of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence to schools and military veterans, as well as other Americans. For each print that they sell from their website WeThePeoplePrints.com, the men plan to donate a print to a veteran, a veteran’s family “or anyone who risked their life defending these documents,” Johnson said. The price for one set of both documents is $99, either full size or three-quarters size of the originals. Anyone who buys a set during the Million Constitution Challenge gets a second set free. Foss explained that their hope is that purchasers will give the second set to a veteran, a veterans’ organization, a police station, or a school.

A part-time Polo police officer who also is a LaSalle County school superintendent was charged last week with unlawful restraint, a felony, and two counts of misdemeanor domestic battery after an incident Nov. 27. Formal charges were filed against Wade Winekauf, 56, on Dec. 17, after Ogle County State’s Attorney Eric Morrow completed his review of the police reports. Winekauf appeared in Ogle County Court last Thursday with his attorney Paul Whitcombe, Dixon, at a hearing about an order of protection granted to the victim in the case. Ogle County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Winekauf at his home in rural Grand Detour around 4:45 p.m. Nov. 27. He was transported to the Ogle County Jail where he posted $2,000 of his $20,000 bond the next day. Unlawful restraint is punishable by 1 to 3 years in prison.

Wade Winekauf

Winekauf is one of 11 part-time police officers on the Polo Police Department, and works only occasionally, Polo Police Chief Dennis Christen has said. Because the terms of his release prevent him from possessing firearms, Winekauf cannot serve on the force at this time, Christen said, adding that the sheriff’s department confiscated his guns. Winekauf also is superintendent of the Earlville School District in northern LaSalle County, and a former Polo High School teacher and football coach. Turn to A3

Tie votes delay gun range permit By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com

This photo shows a closeup of the U.S. Declaration of Independence offered in the Million Constitution Challenge. Photo by Vinde Wells

“We want to see to it that men and women who have served our country have the opportunity to own this document,” he said. Foss and Johnson began their association with the documents by chance. Back in 2011, the two began tearing into old, wooden crates left behind by former tenants at a warehouse they owned in Kingston. They knew that the crates held fragile printing materials, but they had no idea what kind of connection to U.S. history they were Ken Foss, who operators the McKendrie Street Cafe about to uncover. in Mt. Morris, shows the two sizes available of sets of They began pulling the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

Turn to A3 Photo by Vinde Wells

In This Week’s Edition...

Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6

Forreston Police, A2 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B6 Public Voice, A10 Property Transfers, B4

Two tie votes earlier this month prevented an Ogle County committee from making a recommendation to the county board about a special use permit for a handgun caliber range at the Byron Sportsman’s & Conservation Club. The Supervisor of Assessments and Planning & Zoning Committee ended up in a 4-4 tie Dec. 8 after motions, first to approve and then to deny, the controversial special use permit. Zoning Administrator Mike Reibel said Monday that the county’s Executive Committee directed the Supervisor of Assessments and Planning & Zoning Committee to reconsider the matter and present a recommendation for the county board to vote on at its Jan.19 meeting. Sportsman’s club president O.K. Welty filed the special

Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A2

use request on behalf on the club earlier this year, and it was considered by the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals at a lengthy hearing on Sept. 24. Several neighbors voiced their opposition at the hearing to the gun range due to safety concerns. More than 150 people, many of whom live nearby, signed a petition opposing the gun range, and it was also presented to the ZBA. The ZBA voted 3-2 to recommend that the county board approve the request. The ZBA found that the request met the six required standards for special use permits, if it is properly designed, built, and operated. However, they also added 14 conditions for approval, including Condition 14 that stipulated having a National Rifle Association certified range supervisor on duty whenever the facility is open. The matter then went to the Supervisor of Assessments and Planning & Zoning Turn to A3

Deaths, B5 Shirley A. Babb, Edward G. Brattrud, Christ J. Fillip Jr., David P. Short Sr.

Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com


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