Serving the Forreston area since 1865
FORRESTON Journal April 19, 2018 Volume 155, Number 52 - $1.00
Forreston-Polo Wins
Benefit Run
Plant Sale
Track & Field co-op wins with 157 points at Byron relay. B1
The Infinity Run is Saturday, April 28 for Maggie and Amos Meyer. B1
The Forreston FFA and plant science classes will be hosting a plant sale starting May 3. A2
Solar company offers to power wastewater plant
Fun At The Chocolate Walk
By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecountynews.com
A solar company wants to build a solar array near a water treatment plant, but the village says more details are needed before they consider it. During the April 16 Forreston Village Board meeting, Village President Mark Metzger said that Brian Bingaman, representing Microgrid Energy, a solar company with offices in St. Louis, Denver, and Chicago, approached the village with an offer to build a solar array near the wastewater treatment plant, 407 N. Locust St. Bingaman said the electricity generated from the array will be sent back to power the water treatment plant. “We’ve got to see a proposal of what’s all involved, but the way it looks, is there’s no cost involved on Brenda Rosenbalm, Forreston, checks over the variety of complimentary — and chocolate-flavored — lip balms our end,” said Metzger. offered at the Oregon Soap Shoppe April 12 at Oregon’s second annual Chocolate Walk. Photo by Vinde Wells Metzger said more information is
needed on what Microgrid gets out of the arrangement, and how they make their money. “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is,” said trustee Ken Toms. Metzger said that if the proposal looks reasonable as more information comes in, it is something the village should definitely consider. He said the area might be landlocked if the array goes in, but that shouldn’t be a detriment. “We’ll probably have that area landlocked, because there will be solar arrays on it - which I think, to be honest with you, we’re ok with, because it’s kind of a green space right now that we’re not using, and I don’t really anticipate us having to expand,” said Metzger. Metzger also reminded the board that a second public hearing about Forreston’s Tax Increment Finance district will be held on Monday, May 7 at 6 p.m. at Forreston Village Hall, 102 S. Walnut Ave., prior to the village board meeting.
OCSWMD trades trash for trees By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com Ogle County citizens practiced “out with the old, in the new” on Saturday as they dropped off junk electronics and picked up fresh trees for planting. The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department held a special Earth Day recycling event at their Oregon headquarters, 909 Pines Rd., from 8 a.m. until noon. The recycling end of the event was familiar. Similar to The recycling events are operated by a limited staff of Ogle County Solid Waste Management the last Friday of every month, Department staff and volunteers. Here, Volunteers John Hitchcock (left) and Nate Saathoff people could drive up and unload (right) sort through various pieces of electronics, disposing them in appropriate bins. Photo unwanted, broken, or just plain by Zach Arbogast obsolete electronic equipment
Items are collected onto pallets, tightly wrapped, and — once there is enough to fill a semi-truck with a 20,000 pound minimum load — hauled away by Dynamic Recycling, of Onalaska, Wisconsin. Once their electronics were disposed of, recyclers left with a lighter vehicle and a free green reusable canvas shopping bag, to help reduce paper and plastic waste. Additional bags were available for purchase, one for $1 or six for $5. Something different, however, was the giveaway of free bur, swamp White, and northern red oak trees.
A total of 500 trees were available between the three varieties, but by 11:30 a.m., less than 20 trees remained. The OCSWMD originally advertised a limit of five trees per person, but in the interest of getting the trees out there, that limit was increased to 10 this year. To the credit of the volunteers hauling electronics, an already cold day was paired with winds that threatened repeatedly to brute-force the carts right over. “This is a nasty day today, but we’re keeping things under control,” said Paul Cooney, Solid Waste Management Specialist. Turn to A3
Mongan gets another plea chance By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com An Oregon man charged in the boating death of a Rockford woman two years ago got an extension of a plea offer in Ogle County Court Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors offered Marc Mongan, 47, another chance to take the plea deal they offered two weeks ago and extended the deadline for accepting it until 5 p.m. Thursday. Mongan has been charged with seven felonies, including drunk driving, in the death of Megan Wells, 31, on June 24, 2016, on the Rock River three miles north of Oregon when the johnboat he was operating struck her as it went over the back of the pontoon boat she was riding in, throwing her overboard. He has been charged with one count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class 2 felony; three counts of reckless homicide, all class 3 felonies; and three counts of reckless conduct, all Class 4 felonies. Judge John Redington
recessed Tuesday’s hearing to meet in his chambers with Mongan and his attorneys, David Tess and Russell Crull, and special prosecutors David Neal and Brooke Shupe, both from the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor’s office. Neal said the state is again making the plea offer previously made April 5 and extending the deadline for Mongan to accept it. Redington set another hearing for Thursday morning. Jury selection for Mongan’s trial is set to begin next Monday. During the hearing, both the prosecution and defense presented motions to exclude the other side’s expert witnesses. Shupe argued that defense witness Roger Barrette from Cooper Barrette Consulting, Woodstock, may not be qualified to testify as a boating crash reconstructionist even though he has expertise in vehicle crash reconstruction. She also argued that Barrette’s report about his conclusions after inspecting the pontoon boat are incomplete and should not be allowed in testimony. Barrette inspected both boats, which are in the custody of the
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Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Shupe said Barrette wrote in his report that he could not complete it because the lighting was poor in the garage where it was being stored and he had no ladder to get into it for a full inspection. “He wasn’t allowed to touch the boat,” Tess said. Redington said he will order the Conservation Police to allow Barrette full access to the boat, but he will need to provide any equipment to make a full inspection possible. “His report and therefore, his conclusion is incomplete,” Redington said. “I’m not going to let him testify unless he completes the report.” Redington said the report must be done in time for Thursday’s hearing. Crull filed a motion to bar the testimony of three Conservation Police officers who were on the scene of the crash and questioned their qualifications to be considered expert witnesses. Redington reserved a ruling on both state and defense motions to exclude the witnesses until the trial begins.
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B8 Entertainment, A6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Marc Mongan listens as he sits between his attorneys, Dave Tess (left) and Russell Crull during Tuesday’s hearing. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Oregon teen dies in accident By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Grief counselors were on hand at Oregon High School Sunday evening and Monday to offer comfort to students after the death of a classmate. Weslee Rice, 17, a junior at OHS, died early Saturday morning after he was struck by a semi-tractor while he was walking in the 2600 block of West Pines Road near his home
Oregon Police, B4 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4 School Menu, A3
about two miles west of Oregon. School Superintendent Tom Mahoney said counselors spent two hours Sunday evening and all day Monday at the school, available to students and staff members. “Anytime you lose a young life, it breaks your heart,” he said. “Myself, the staff and students, and the entire Oregon School District community are grieving the loss.” Rice participated in football and track at OHS.
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
According to Ogle County Sheriff’s Police, Rice was struck by a westbound semi-tractor driven by Dakota Snyder, 21, Mt. Morris, shortly after 1:30 a.m. Rice was airlifted to Mercyhealth Hospital (formerly Rockford Memorial), Rockford, where he died. Snyder, who police said was driving a truck owned by Bocker Trucking, Polo, has not been ticketed. He was transported to KSB Turn To A2
Deaths, B4 Weslee L. Rice