Ag News

AGRICULTURE

Help youth learn about agr iculture by helping w ith food stand

We all eat, but where exactly does the food come from? Youth throughout Ogle and Carroll counties discover the answer to that question through school, library and park district programs provided by Ag in the Classroom.

You can help spread the knowledge by assisting at the Ogle County Fair.

There will be a food stand benefiting Agriculture in the Classroom. Volunteers are needed to work in the food stand. Find a shift that works for you and sign up at https://go.illinois.edu/ foodstand.

You also can sign up or get any questions answered by contacting charbm@illinois.edu or 815-732-2191.

Volunteers must be 16 years old. Time slots are: • Aug. 3 - 3-6 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. • Aug. 4 - 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 2-5 p.m., and 5-8 p.m. • Aug. 5 - 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 2-5 p.m., and 5-8 p.m. • Aug. 6 - 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 2-5 p.m., and 5-8 p.m. • Aug. 7 - 11 a.m.-2 pm.

Agriculture in the Classroom is a program to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society. Students learn that thousands of farm products are in the world around them – on their plate, in the clothes they wear, in the medicine that makes them well and in earth-friendly fuels and plastics.

Ag in the Classroom is offered through the University of Illinois Extension-Ogle County in partnership with Ogle County Farm Bureau, Carroll County Farm Bureau, Ogle County Soil & Water and Carroll County Soil & Water.

For more information about the program, call the Ogle County Extension Office at 815-7322191.

Shaw Media file photo Ag in the Classroom teacher Melinda Charbonneau shows students at the Oregon Elementary School in Oregon how to make Oobleck.

Photo provided COUNTRY Financial, in cooperation with the Ogle County Farm Bureau, recently donated grain bin rescue augers to the Byron, Rochelle and Rural Dixon Fire Protection Districts. Pictured, left to right, in the back row are Josh Williams, COUNTRY Financial Rochelle, Phil Hasz, COUNTRY Financial Agency Manager, Chief Phil DeMik of the Byron Fire District, Chief Rob Hough of the Mt. Morris Fire Department and Nathan Dahlstrom of the Rural Dixon Fire Department. Front row are Josh Messenger, COUNTRY Financial Rochelle, Kerry Wickler, COUNTRY Financial Byron, Bill Dean and Larry Farley, COUNTRY Financial Dixon, and Ryan Reeverts and Josh Bolen of the Ogle County Farm Bureau Young Leaders committee.

Fire depar tments receive g rain bin rescue augers f rom Ogle Count y Farm Bureau Young L eaders

The Ogle County Farm Bureau Young Leaders, through financial support from COUNTRY Financial, recently donated grain bin rescue augers to three area fire departments serving Ogle and Lee Counties.

Augers were purchased by COUNTRY Financial and distributed to the Byron, Rochelle and Rural Dixon Fire Departments.

The augers are used in conjunction with grain bin rescue tubes in extracting individuals trapped in collapsed grain inside of grain bins. The rescue augers allow first responders to extricate grain more rapidly saving vital minutes in lifesaving situations.

“This effort is one that COUNTRY Financial has dedicated itself to over decades providing necessary equipment to local communities to assist them in emergency response situations. As someone who lost a family member in a grain bin accident I’m glad to see that this donation may save other families from that tragedy. We’re proud to be a part of this effort to support and serve the communities that we serve,” COUNTRY Financial Agency’s Phil Hasz said.

The three fire districts were chosen as they were the only ones serving Ogle County that did not currently have a rescue auger on-site.

“This was an activity our entire committee was committed to, to assist our first responders in saving lives on the farm. Each year we tragically lose farmers to grain bin entrapment accidents and hopefully by having this equipment available our local fire districts can prevent fatalities from occurring, said Ryan Reeverts, Ogle County Farm Bureau Young Leaders Chairman.

COUNTRY Financial is a group of U.S. insurance and financial services companies with customers in 19 states. The group of companies offers a range of insurance and financial products and services, including auto, home, life, farm, commercial insurance, retirement planning, investment management and trust services, with offices in communities across Illinois.

The Ogle County Farm Bureau Young Leaders are Farm Bureau members between the ages of 18 to 34 with an invested interest in agriculture and community service.

The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department (OCSWMD) will hold a residential electronic recycling event on Friday, July 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the County Annex Building at 909 Pines Road in Oregon.

A free permit is required in advance to attend this recycling event. Permits are limited and must be requested by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27. To obtain a permit call the OCSWMD at 815-732-4020 or email the department at solidwaste@oglecounty.org and provide your name, address and phone number.

P e r m i t s a r e l i m i t e d t o o n e p e r household per month and allow up to seven large items to be brought in for recycling. A full list of accepted items a n d o t h e r e v e n t i n f or m a t i o n i s included with the permit.

This event is for Ogle County residential electronics.

Accepted items include all types of TVs and computer monitors, computers and all computer hardware and cables, laptops, tablets, cellphones, video game equipment, printers, FAX machines, copiers, scanners, VCR/ DVD players, cable and satellite boxes, all remote controls (please remove batteries), radios, stereo equipment, phones, digital clocks, calculators, holiday light strands, computer power backups, rechargeable batteries and printer ink cartridges.

Microwave ovens are accepted for a $5 fee per unit.

Remove items from packaging prior to arrival at the event. Materials such as boxes, Styrofoam and plastic packaging are not accepted.

Other items commonly brought to these events but are not accepted include smoke detectors, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, toasters, medical devices, dismantled and harvested electronics, lamps, power tools, fans, heaters, dehumidifiers, crock pots, small appliances, flashlights, alkaline batteries, large fluorescent bulbs, motors, and sump pumps.

Call the number above for possible recycling options for these items.

A full list of accepted items and further instructions will be included with issuance of the permit.

Call the OCSWMD at the number above, visit www.oglecounty.org, or go to Facebook at Ogle County Solid Waste Management for more information.

Ear;leen Hinton/Shaw Media Workers were busy April 29 unloading electronics during the residential electronic recycling event in Oregon. The next event is July 29.

NEWS BRIEFS

Lowden Dinner set for Thursday, Aug. 4, in Rochelle

The Ogle County Republican Central Committee will hold its annual Governor Frank O. Lowden Dinner on Thursday, Aug. 4, at 6 p.m. at Salt 251 in Rochelle.

The keynote speaker is State Representative Dan Brady, candidate for Illinois Secretary of State. Others attending will be State Representative Tom Demmer, candidate for Illinois State Treasurer, State Representative Tony McCombie and State Representative Andrew Chesney.

For ticket information, contact Stacy Flanagan 815-970-4801 or email: stacyflanagan81@hotmail.com.

Amboy woman charged with stealing cash from Woodhaven Lakes in Sublette

An Amboy woman is free on her own recognizance after being charged with stealing what is thought to be about $50,000 in cash from the Woodhaven Association at Woodhaven Lakes, a private campground in Sublette.

Donna Unrath, 54, the association’s now former finance manager, is accused of stealing cash over the course of about seven years, from April 2015 to November, by moving items around to make it look like some things were funded when they were not, Lee County State’s Attorney Charley Boonstra said.

In another echo of the Rita Crundwell case, the theft was discovered when Unrath went on vacation, and someone else took over her duties, Boonstra said.

A forensic audit is underway to determine the exact amount of the theft, he said.

Unrath was charged April with theft of more than $10,000 but less than $100,000, which carries a possible three to seven years in prison, plus restitution.

She has a pretrial hearing Aug. 25 in Lee County Court, and is represented by Dixon attorney Paul Whitcombe.

Bank announces winners

In celebration of its 140th anniversary, Stillman Bank officials held an anniversary giveaway in which they gave away three beef quarters and three pork halves. The bank had a total of six winners throughout its six locations.

The winners of the beef quarters were Scott McNeilly of Monroe Center, Jared Ludwig of Mt. Morris, and Justin Slabaugh of Rockford.

The winners of the pork halves were Melva Lundstrom of Leaf River, Richard Hansen of Cherry Valley, and Sharon Karrick of Rochelle. Jared Ludwig

COUNT Y NEWS

Ogle state’s attorneys past, present apply for judgeship

By KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@shawmedia.com

Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock and the man he replaced are among six attorneys seeking to replace 15th Judicial Circuit Associate Judge Clayton L. Lindsey, who resigned May 31 to run for circuit judge.

In addition to Rock, 55, of Byron, former Ogle state’s attorney Eric D. Morrow, 46, of Oregon, whom Rock defeated in 2020, Kathleen A.L. Isley, Allison M. Huntley, Anthony W. Peska and Ann E. Switzer applied.

Rock was in private practice from 2000 to 2010, was first assistant to the Ogle state’s attorney from 2010 to 2 0 1 3 a n d w a s a p p o i n t e d O g l e ’s interim state’s attorney in 2013-14, when Ben Roe became a judge.

He was defeated by Morrow in his bid to retain the job, then became c h i e f o f s t a f f o f t h e W i n n e b a g o County state’s attorney office before winning the 2020 race.

In addition to five years as state’s attorney, Morrow was in private practice with Smith & Morrow from 2002 to 2014, and before that was an assistant Ogle County state’s attorney from 2000 to 2002. He returned to private practice with the firm after losing the election.

Isley, 44, of Rochelle, was licensed to practice law in 2005 and began her legal career in Ogle County, where she has worked since.

She has been the Ogle County chief public defender since the fulltime Public Defender Office was established on Dec. 1, 2020.

Before joining the county, Isley owned and ran her own law office; her work there included several years as a contract public defender for the county.

Huntley, 33, of Byron, is an assistant state’s attorney in Ogle County, hired in December 2020. Before that,

Mike Rock Eric Morrow