Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal September 1, 2016 Volume 154, Number 19 - $1.00
Shutout Victory
Touring the US
New Greenhouse
The Cardinals started out the season with a shutout win over River Ridge Aug. 26. B1
Two bicyclists from different parts of the world meet up in Oregon. B2
A new greenhouse will teach OHS students how to grow off the grid. A10
Special Delivery Forreston EMTs help deliver baby By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The arrival of tiny Miles Henry Huenefeld three weeks ago was a major milestone for three Forreston EMTs. He is the first baby ever delivered by the Forreston ambulance crew. Miles was born in the wee hours of the morning Aug. 10, more than three weeks early. His mother, Valerie Huenefeld, 29, Forreston, said he weighed just 4 pounds 4.5 ounces when he made his appearance at home on the bathroom floor. EMTs Ed Booth and Cameron Reuter were on call, but at home, when they received a 911 call at 3:15 a.m. of a woman in labor at only 36 weeks of pregnancy. Although he wasn’t on call, EMT Jason Ludke went along to assist. “At first, I thought it might be a false alarm,” he said. However, little Miles had already decided the time was right. He was born five minutes after the ambulance arrived.
“We arrived on the scene, and we could see there was going to be no transporting,” Booth said. Valerie’s mother Mary Huenefeld said Reuter had just put on his second glove when Miles was born at 3:33 a.m. Valerie woke her parents at 3:01 a.m. and told them, “I think I’m having the baby.” Mary said that by the time they got downstairs, Valerie had already called 911 and the baby was crowning. Valerie’s doctor had planned to induce labor on Aug. 12, but by that time she and her new son were already home from their hospital stay. “He came on his own,” joked his grandpa Henry. Miles and his mother and grandparents came to the Forreston Fire Station Aug. 26 to meet with Booth, Reuter, and Ludke and to place a stork decal on the ambulance. Booth said helping bring a new life into the world was a life-changer for him. “I’ve been on [the ambulance service] for 34 years and this is my first delivery,” he said. “I got to assist in one of life’s
Forreston EMTs line up for a photo with tiny Miles Henry Huenefeld and his family Aug. 26. Left to right are grandpa Henry Huenefeld, Ed Booth, Cameron Reuter holding Miles, mother Valerie Huenefeld, Jason Ludke, and grandma Mary Huenefeld. Photo by Vinde Wells
Rain stops just in time for festival By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Polo, were manning the threshing machine. Neither is a member of the East Jordan The rain stopped just congregation but both in time Saturday morning participate in the festival for the 10th annual Farm each year. Heritage Festival at East “I really enjoy this,” Jordan United Methodist Person said. “I’m glad they Church, southwest of Polo. are keeping this tradition Organizer Steve going so people can Venhuizen, Polo, admitted come and see how the old he was getting a little machinery works.” concerned when heavy rain Across the yard, overnight continued into Rich Huggins, Lanark, the morning. and Leonard Long, “The clouds parted for Sterling, were visiting Turn to A2 us,” he said with a chuckle. next to Huggins’ 1960 “It was kind of nip and Minneapolis Moline M5 tuck.” tractor, one of several on The heavy rain overnight display. made for a muddy field as Huggins said he exhibitors brought in their repainted the tractor in old tractors and equipment 2005 and has kept it in of yesteryear for the good mechanical repair. demonstrations. “I use it for baling hay However, Venhuizen and stuff,” he said. said, that didn’t stop Al Laidig, Dixon, anyone — exhibitors or brought his full set of spectators — from coming. John Deere engines — a 6 “It was went very well horsepower, 3 horsepower and was well-attended. I and 1.5 horsepower. was very pleased,” he said. “This is the three sizes “We served 500 meals.” John Deere made,” he The event begins with a explained. “They work hearty breakfast served by but they wouldn’t start the church women. They this morning — it was too also prepare lunch. damp.” The crowd of young and Meanwhile, youngsters not-so-young, farmers and could touch farm animals city dwellers watched as at the petting zoo, or try wheat was threshed, then out the hand corn sheller moved on to see corn being and rope maker. chopped for silage, and Andy Hinrichs, rural then to the corn shelling Oregon, brought his antique tools as well as a Monty Cotter and Dan Cederholm cook up the hot dogs and operation. Jacob Person, Rock hit and miss engine that hamburgers Aug. 27 for the Forreston Community Picnic at Falls, and Harold Goeking, powered a pump supplying Faith Lutheran Church. Photo by Vinde Wells
Picnic
Mark Zeigler, Polo, shows Maddox Killian, Dixon, and his father Travis how to place an ear of corn in a handcranked sheller at the Farm Heritage Festival at East Jordan United Methodist Church. Photo by Vinde Wells
water to a duck pond. The pond — actually a livestock tank — was full of plastic ducks, small and large. “The kids have really liked this,” Hinrichs said with a grin. Each duck had a number that corresponded to a prize for youngsters to select from a nearby bucket.
Venhuizen said the pond was one of the new features this year to help celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary. Organizers also handed out commemorative wooden nickels to those who attended. “We tried to make it extra special,” Venhuizen said.
Drug court offers second chance for local resident By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Nathan Stinnett is quick to say that without Ogle County Drug Court his future would not be bright. “I’d probably be dead or out of money until I was dead,” said the 33-year-old Davis Junction resident. Instead, Stinnett took the opportunity offered by the Ogle County court system and successfully kicked his long-standing abuse of prescription painkillers. Stinnett now volunteers his
“I’d probably be dead or out of money until I was dead,” — Nathan Stinnett Davis Junction time to help others headed down that path. “Drug Court is a second chance at life,” he said. “If you want it you take it, if you don’t you won’t.” The decision to get into the program and stay the course was clear to him. “It was so easy for me because I wanted to be clean,” Stinnett said.“I had
In This Week’s Edition...
tried to get clean by myself, but it just doesn’t happen.” A June graduate of the 18-month program, he mentors Drug Court participants and volunteers at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for residents of Focus House, a countyowned youth shelter-care Ogle County Drug Court graduate Nathan Stinnett, Davis Junction, second from left, is now volunteering to help others gain success in the program. Members of the Drug facility operated by the Turn to B3 Court team pictured, from left to right are: Judge John B. Roe, Drug Court Coordinator
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
Brooke Plachno, and State’s Attorney Eric Morrow. Photo by Vinde Wells
Marriage Licenses, A4 Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4
Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather, A8
Deaths, B5 Norman H. Collins, Stirling K. DeArvil, Mary Fletcher, Marvella R. Kober
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