Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal
February 22, 2018 Volume 155, Number 44 - $1.00
Cardinals Defeated
Turtle Talk
Ballot Issues
A 54-40 defeat at the hands of Prophetstown ends the season for Forreston. B1
NIU’s Callie Klatt Golba will give a talk about Blanding’s turtles. A7
Democratic ballots are still not available for early voting. A8
Former BP station applies for liquor license By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com After several years of inactivity, a closed gas station may be reopening in the near future. During the Forreston Village Board meeting Monday evening, the board agenda included the granting of a
liquor license to Forreston Gas & Food, Inc., which used to operate as a BP gas station at 209 N. Walnut Ave. (Ill. 26) The item was tabled until the next meeting, due to inability to contact license applicant Hemendra Shah. Shah did not specify what type of liquor license was being applied for, and did not list a local contact.
“Our own ordinance requires a local contact, just in case something happens, so we can reach out to them,” said Village President Mark Metzger. Metzger said he hopes the station is up and running full time by late spring to early summer, but could not be certain at this time. The BP station closed in December of 2012, after ComEd
shut off the electricity due to an unpaid bill. The village shut off the water shortly thereafter, and it has remained closed since. During public comment, building inspector Casper Manheim, of Oregon, came to introduce himself to the village board, expressing interest in working with the village as development potentially increases.
“Our hopes are, with two new resources of income, that we will end up needing his services,” said Metzger. “In the future, we have somebody who is local who can do the job.” Metzger also reminded the board that March 5 will be the meeting when the board will vote on ordinances establishing a Tax Increment Finance District that encompasses Dave and
Shirley Vietmeier’s 17-acres annexed into the village, the corporate boundaries east of Ill. 26/Walnut Avenue, as well as vacant lots on the southeast part of the village. The Forreston Village Board meets again on Monday, March 5 at 7 p.m. at the Forreston Village Hall, 102 S. Walnut Ave. The meeting is open to the public.
Ogle 911 dispatcher is Telecommunicator of the Year By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com An Ogle County dispatcher was recently recognized as the Illinois Telecommunicator of the Year, thanks to her calm approach and quick thinking to helping a young girl Jennifer Hoffman,of Mt. Morris, a telecommunicator for the Ogle County Sheriff ’s Department, was recognized by the Illinois Sheriff ’s Association as Telecommunicator of the Year during the winter training conference Feb. 3-6, specifically nominated for her efforts in assisting 5-year-old Jaylee Armstrong, of Adeline. Armstrong’s mother, Christina O’Brien, fell unconscious last June 28, and it was young Armstrong who made the 911 call to Hoffman, who was on duty. Hoffman talked Armstrong through the situation, asking her the color of her house and helping her find the home’s address on a piece of mail. Responders arrived to O’Brien conscious again, and Armstrong feeding her baby brother, Brantley. Hoffman and Armstrong were both honored as 911 Heroes on Aug. 1 during
Oregon’s National Night Out. “The greatest thing about that entire event, in my opinion, was how many people immediately started training their kids on what specifically to do if they ever needed to call 911,” said Hoffman. For Hoffman, though, the recognition clearly hasn’t ended. “I was shocked when the sheriff told me,” said Hoffman. “I was honored he would think enough of me to nominate me.” Hoffman doesn’t soak up the recognition and accolades, though. She remains humble, and gives credit to her coworkers. “I’ve been recognized twice for the situation with Jaylee, but honestly, it’s everybody in my room and our center that does a fantastic job every single day,” said Hoffman. “They save lives every day. I’m really proud to work here, and proud of our team.” Sheriff Brian VanVickle doubled down on the respect for the team, and said he’s proud of any chance for recognition of the staff. “All of our employees do an outstanding job for the citizens in the community, and when you’re able to take an event like what [Hoffman] responded
Ogle County Telecommunicator Jennifer Hoffman, of Mt. Morris, operates the console in the county’s 911 center. She was recently named Illinois Telecommunicator of the Year for her quick thinking while getting needed information from a 5-yearold caller whose mother was unconscious. Photo by Zach Arbogast
to, and put that on paper, and show recognition, that’s important,” said VanVickle. “It’s what they do day in and day out, and we’re lucky to be able to recognize [Hoffman].” Hoffman, who has been a dispatcher for the past five
years, spent the 16 years prior as a paramedic, starting in Mt. Morris and ending at OSF St. Anthony, Rockford. “I started thinking longterm about my body; how much wear and tear we see as paramedics, and how badly
Youth from Ogle County and beyond got a lesson early this week in surviving an undead infestation. The staff at Oregon’s Lorado Taft Field Campus at Lowden State Park likely never put “zombie survivalist” on their resumes when joining the team, but on Monday, they put their knowledge together and taught kids from all over the area how to survive should the zombies take over some day. For the staff at the Taft Campus, the nearly eighthour retreat was right in their wheelhouse, being a thematic extension of the outdoor education they regularly offer to the community.
No humans - living or otherwise - were harmed during the camp. Despite what ideas the theme might bring, the day was not a campy, violent game, but an educational experience. “The Oregon Park District wanted to find new ways to get kids excited to come and learn from our outdoor education program, and so we tied our lessons in with ‘how to survive a zombie apocalypse,’” said Bethany Kautz, a campus staff member from Bartlet. The day started at 8:30 a.m. After the 28 campers arrived, they were briefed on park rules and conduct, before jumping into games of hangman, and the “Taft Gameshow,” where campers needed to answer questions related to outdoor Turn To A2
In This Week’s Edition...
8-year-old daughter Madeleine and 5-year-old son, Henry, will grow up with a family precedent of saving lives. Saving lives isn’t always as rosy as the situation was with Armstrong, though. Turn to A3
County bd. OKs interfund loans
Taft campus trains zombie survivalists By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
I still wanted to be healthy and active for my family and grandkids in the future,” she said. “I started helping with dispatch, and eventually could make the full move to this job.” Her husband, Nikolas, is a paramedic in Rockford, so her
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Reyna Jibben, left, 11, and Delaney Bruce, 10, both of Dixon, get the fire going with their teammates during the survival training. The teams had to learn how to survive a zombie apocalypse by being tested through a series of exercises such as building a shelter and starting a fire. Photo by Alex T. Paschal, Sauk Valley Media
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B6 School Menus, A3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B5
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B6
Ogle County will keep its bills paid by making interfund loans if needed in the next few months. The county board approved a cash flow agreement Tuesday evening that authorizes county treasurer John Coffman to make loans up to $3 million to the General Fund from the Solid Waste Fund or the Long Range Capital Improvement Fund. Finance Committee Chairman Greg Sparrow, of Rochelle, said the loans will be made only if necessary and must be paid back before the fiscal year ends on Nov. 30. The money may be needed, he said, to tide over the General
Fund until real estate tax payments are received in June and September. Coffman said that last year the board approved $3 million in same inter fund loans, and only $1 million was actually borrowed. Because of budget tightening, including a hiring freeze, Sparrow said he hopes this will be the last time the loans are needed. “We hope to work out of this,” he said. “It’s still better than borrowing from the bank.” The current budget has General Fund appropriations of $14.2 million. Revenues in the Solid Waste Fund or the Long Range Capital Improvement Fund include the host fees paid by garbage collection companies to dump refuse in landfills in the county.
Deaths, B4 Margaret B. Foster, Kelly L. Graham, Gene Hoak, Thomas E. Joworski
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