Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal December 14, 2017 Volume 155, Number 34 - $1.00
Lady Cards Win
Recall Notice
Last Call
Lady Cards defense proves to be too much for Lady Marcos Friday night. B1
Fire extinguishers are recalled due to possible malfunction. B3
Dec. 15 is the deadline to donate to Earth Angels for gifts for kids. A6
Polo woman dies in crash on icy road By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Frosty Fun The youngsters in this house on Garfield Street in Leaf River wasted no time in making good use of the “packing” snow, perfect for making a snowman, that fell Monday afternoon. The fast-moving storm left only one to three inches but that was enough to make streets and roads treacherous across Ogle County. Photo by Vinde Wells
A 26-year-old Polo woman died Monday afternoon after a twovehicle crash on an icy highway. Lee County Coroner Jesse Partington said Sarah Johnson, who was 29 weeks pregnant, died from blunt force trauma. Her unborn baby also died. Johnson was a front seat passenger in a car driven by her husband, Daryl, 27. Their 3-year-old daughter Kylia was also a passenger in the car. According to a press release from Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle, the car was traveling north on Ill. 26 approximately three miles south of Polo near the intersection with Edgewood Road when it went out of control on the snow-covered roadway. It entered the southbound lane when it was struck on the passenger side by a pick-up truck driven by Dan Ditzler, 29, of Polo. The crash occurred at 3:45 p.m. The Johnsons were extricated from their car
and transported to KSB Hospital, Dixon, where Sarah was later pronounced dead. Her husband and daughter suffered serious injuries and have been transferred to a Rockford hospital. Ditzler and his three passengers, a 7-monthold girl, a 2-year-old girl, and 5-year-old boy, were transported to KSB for minor injuries. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Polo Fire Department, Polo Police Department, Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Transportation, Dixon Rural Fire Department, and CGH Ambulance. The crash remains under investigation. The fast-moving snowstorm Monday afternoon dropped between one and three inches of wet snow across the county and caused road conditions to deteriorate quickly, which led to numerous accidents. “Between 3:15 and 6:15 we had 19 accidents,” VanVickle said. Ten of those were crashes that resulted in three injuries, and the other nine were vehicles that slid into the ditch, he said.
Neighbors pay tribute to father, son killed in explosion By Rachel Rodgers rrodgers@saukvalley.com A brigade of tractors stretched down a Lee County road on Saturday, providing a powerful tribute to two farmers who were laid to rest on a brisk late fall afternoon. Massive and unyielding, the 51 tractors parked in a row across from Prairie Repose Cemetery in Amboy were waiting to usher in their fallen brothers with flags billowing sharply in the wind. It was a way for Rory and Ryan Miller’s extended farm family to honor the father and son who died Dec. 5 in an explosion after striking a natural gas pipeline when they were laying tile on a field northeast of the intersection of Ill. 38 and Nachusa Road. “They were part of the fabric that makes up our Lee County community, and there’s a hole left now,” said Lee County farmer Katie Pratt, who helped organize the showing of solidarity honoring the men and supporting their family. If it was harvest season, those tractors would be put to work on Miller’s fields helping to bring in the crop – but the farming community answers the call unquestioningly when one of
their own is in need. “It’s been a surreal week, and there’s a strong feeling of wanting to help, wanting to do something to show support for the family,” Pratt said. “People just want to do something to make it better, and this is a way we can show up.” Farming was a shared passion between Rory, 59, of Amboy, and Ryan, 30, of Oregon, as well as working together as CPAs during tax season for Wipfli Inc. in Dixon, Rory for about 35 years and Ryan for three years. Funeral services for the two were held on Saturday morning at New Life Lutheran Church in Sterling. Among the outpouring of prayers and condolences during the week, a group of farmers wanted to give a testament to the Millers while respecting the family’s privacy during the burial. Pratt spread the word with a Facebook post asking farmers to join in the tribute, and it was shared more than 500 times. “It was the simplest way to show our support but also the one that would have the most impact,” she said. Rory and his wife, Kathy, Tractors line up across the street from Prairie Repose Cemetery in Amboy on Saturday in honor of Rory and Ryan Turn to A7
In This Week’s Edition...
Miller, who were laid to rest that day. The father and son farmers died in an explosion last week when their tractor hit a natural gas pipeline in rural Lee County. Photo by Alex T. Paschal, Sauk Valley Media
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B8 Entertainment, A6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A4 Property Transfers, B3 School Menus, A2
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2
Deaths, A4 & B4 Elmer P. Canik, Glenn W. Chamberlin, LaVerne K. Janicke, Marilyn J. Ludwig
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com