Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal August 11, 2016 Volume 154, Number 16 - $1.00
Hangar Dance
A classic 1940s era Hangar Dance will be held at the Ogle County Airport Aug. 13. A6
New License
School Begins
Security upgrades include a new Illinois driver’s license design. B3
With the school year approaching, motorists are reminded about safe driving. B4
The Depot will become Casey’s By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com A Casey’s General Store will be coming to Forreston later this year. Eileen Anderson and her husband Keith announced Monday that they have sold The Depot gas station to Casey’s. “We decided to sell the business to Casey’s,” said Eileen. “They have been looking at us and we decided it was the right time.” Their daughter Tracey has been managing the business.
“We want to thank the public for all their support,” said Tracey. “We have had great employees serving our customers.” The Depot, 314 E Main St., was built in 2006 with a railroad theme. It was a popular hangout after sporting events in the community. “Casey’s approached us in 2012 and we met with them over the years,” said Tracey. “Last November the decision was made to sell the business and not renew our ExxonTurn to A2
Residents file a lawsuit over zoning change By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Three rural Forreston residents have filed a lawsuit against Ogle County and their neighbors over a recent zoning decision. Walter Paul and his daughter and son-in-law Linette and Curtis DeHaven are suing the county as well as Mike and Colleen Stukenberg and STKE LLC, a company owned by the Steve and Kevin Moring. The county board approved a special use permit May 17 requested by Mike Stukenberg and the Morings to allow a Class 2 Motor Carrier Facility on property zoned for agricultural use. The property, at 11123 W. Ill. 72 just east of Forreston,
is owned by Stukenberg and being purchased by STKE LLC. Paul and other nearby property owners, including the DeHavens, objected because of environmental issues. The lawsuit, filed July 21 by Paul’s attorney Dan Fishburn, Freeport, asks the court to reverse the board’s decision and to issue a temporary and permanent injunction to stop the development of the property for the special use. A hearing is set for Sept. 22. The lawsuit states that the special use applicants failed to meet the standards set forth in the county zoning ordinance because a Class 2 Motor Carrier Facility Turn to A3
Work continues on courthouse By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Half of the courthouse steps have been replaced. Workers from Sjostrom & Sons, Rockford, replaced the deteriorating steps on the west side of the 125-year-old Ogle County Courthouse and just started the east side last week. “The entire project will cost $286,000,” said Ogle County Board Long Range Planning Chairman Don Griffin. “The steps are made of granite and will have a rough surface to prevent slipping.” Funds to pay for the project will come from the Long Range Planning Fund. The revenues in the fund come from host fees paid by garbage companies to dump in landfills in the county.
Work on the project began in May and the has taken longer than anticipated. “All construction projects take time, but you want to do a quality and make sure it is done right. The fitting of the granite steps took extra time,” said Griffin. “They need to fit exactly and each step takes a process to fit correctly. These steps are a custom job and not something off the shelf.” All that is left on the west side is to install the brass hand rails when they arrive. Currently a temporary rail is in place. Griffin said the east steps should go quicker. “The contractor knows what to expect now that the west side is complete,” he said. “The construction of the east steps are similar. They will pour concrete then put granite on top.”
In This Week’s Edition...
Car Show Detailing Darrell Burnett, Milton, Wisconsin, details the front bumper of his 1957 Ford Thunderbird Saturday morning during the Forreston Lion’s Club car show. Photo by Chris Johnson
Fair draws 18,000 to 19,000 people By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com A carnival, grandstand shows, and varied exhibits drew an estimated 18,000 to 19,000 people to the 163rd Ogle County Fair last week. “The fair went very well. Overall it was a good fair,” said fair board president Harlan Holm Monday. “We don’t have exact numbers yet but attendance was a little higher than last year.” The only glitch was a power outage Thursday afternoon when equipment at the ComEd substation in Mt. Morris failed, taking down electricity not only at the fairgrounds, but also to the entire village of Mt. Morris, part of Oregon, and the rural area in between. “We’re starting generators,” Holm said. “We’ll be fine.” With the temperature hovering near the 90-degree mark, generators were already powering large fans to keep the animals cool in the livestock barns. Power was restored by 5 p.m., just in time for food vendors to gear up for the suppertime crowd. A fast-moving storm late Thursday evening cooled things down for the final three days of the fair. Holm said the biggest crowd was Saturday under clear skies with low humidity and the mercury just under 80 degrees. “It was a perfect day for going to the fair,” Holm said. The big draws at the fair included the Big Hat Rodeo on Friday night and the Isaac Charbonneau, age 12, scoops up feed Thursday morning to make sure his ducks
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B19 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6
Turn to A3 were fed and watered at the Ogle County Fair. He is a member of the Leaf River Busy Beavers. Photo by Chris Johnson
Fines, B4 Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, A10 State’s Attorney, B3
Deaths, B4 Nancy A. Greenfield, Alan D. Jones, Pearl A. Myers
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com