Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS February 25, 2016 Volume 48, Number 52 - $1.00
Hawks Win Again
Headed to State
Donations Sought
The Hawks win big over Stillman Valley in their final regular season game. B1
One BNC team is headed to the Class 2A state finals. B1
OHS Student Council students are seeking donations for foster kids, A10
Board votes to spend $11K on development By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Oregon Elementary School students watch while Gavin Morrow portrays Abraham Lincoln Feb. 23 during a classroom play presented by Nicole Holmes’ students. Photo by Chris Johnson
“Lincoln” at OES Students in Nicole Holmes’ third grade class at Oregon Elementary School presented a play about Abraham Lincoln on Feb. 23. Students had to learn their lines which included several short songs and lines from famous speeches. Gavin Morrow even learned the opening lines of the Gettysburg Address to recite during the play. Six performances were presented throughout the day for all the students at the school. Each of these performances was held in Holmes’ classroom. This is the second time Holmes’ students have Third grader Chase Karper talks about the animals Abraham Lincoln had while performed a play about growing up. Classmates had animal heads on to act out the parts of the animals Lincoln. Lincoln had. Photo by Chris Johnson
The Mt. Morris Village Board approved spending $11,100 Tuesday on two projects relating to economic development. The board gave the thumbs up to hiring Blackhawk Hills Regional Council to update the village’s Comprehensive Plan at a cost not to exceed $5,800. A regional planning commission, Blackhawk Hills Regional Council provides resources for communities, counties, and other organizations in northwest Illinois on issues such as community and economic development, land use, and natural resource conservation. It includes Ogle, Carroll, Lee, Whiteside, Stephenson and JoDaviess Counties. The board discussed an outline about what would be included in the updated plan. “When its done we will have all new books,” said Mt. Morris Plan Commission
member Jerry Stauffer. “It will be almost like a new Comprehensive Plan.” He said the current plan was created by MSA Professional Services, Galena, and adopted in 2007. It was updated once in 2009. Board member Phil Labash told Stauffer that only $3,000 is available in the Planning Commission’s current budget for the plan update, but said the remainder can be budgeted in the 2016-17 fiscal year which begins May 1. Labash also asked if MSA was considered to do the update. Stauffer said MSA’s cost was three times as much as Blackhawk Hills’. Board member Jeff Pennington voiced concern over the plan being available to the public because the outline proposed including information about the village water system. He said water system information should not be public because of possible terrorism. Turn to A3
Donkey basketball March 2 at DLR New rodeo stars will be born during the wild and crazy Dairyland Donkeyball Show on Wednesday, March 2 at the David L. Rahn Junior High School gymnasium. The doors open at 5 p.m. and games start at 6 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale now at the Mt. Morris Village Hall or by calling 815-973-4106. Tickets are $6 each and kindergarten and under get in free. Tickets will also be
available the night of the game but will cost $8. It’s basketball played on real, live donkeys and will be wilder than any rodeo and funnier than any circus. All local players will be riding, so come out and see them try to ride a donkey and play basketball at the same time. This show is sponsored by the Let Freedom Ring Festival Committee, and all proceeds will be used for the 2016 Festival Season.
New hardware store in Oregon open for business ACE connected to Snyder’s By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Despite a few last minute details, Oregon’s new hardware store is open. “We’re ready for business!” store manager Scott Fauster said Tuesday afternoon as crews did some final set-up at the Ace Hardware store connected to Oregon Snyder Pharmacy at 201 N. Fourth St. “We’re in operation except for some fine-tuning as far as pricing and displays,” he said. “We now have a full-service hardware store, a full-fledged liquor store, and a pharmacy and gift shop.” The hardware store features
a full line of Stihl tools, Fauster said. A grand opening is planned for April 15-17. Kathy Heather was a longtime employee of Basler’s Ace Hardware on Pines Road, which closed in October of 2014, and is now working the aisles in the new store, owned by Tom Felker. She said she’s glad to see her former customers coming in. “It’s good to see the old familiar faces again,” Heather said. “It’s good to be home again.” Felker started work last year on a 75x130 foot addition on the north side of his pharmacy. The pharmacy and gift store moved into the addition several weeks ago, while work continued on the older portion of the building to
In This Week’s Edition...
transform it into a state-ofthe-art Ace store. The liquor department was added in the new part of the store. Felker purchased a house at 206 N. Third St., northeast of the pharmacy, last year and tore it down to make room to expand his building and allow for more parking and a loading dock. He purchased the former Bemis Ford building and parking area across the street last fall to enhance the hardware business. Felker said Bemis property may be used for rental equipment associated with the Ace store, as well as pallet goods, such as mulch. Felker also owns a pharmacy and grocery store in Byron, as well as pharmacies in Polo, Dixon, Winnebago, Employee Patrick Keaty, left, and store manager Scott Fauster work in the paint and Poplar Grove. department Tuesday at Oregon’s new Ace Hardware. Photo by Vinde Wells
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
Oregon Library, A3 Oregon Police, B4 Public Voice, A4 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Sports, B1-B2 State’s Attorney, B3
Deaths, B4 Guy J. “Bill” Lomax James T. “Doc” O’Connor
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com