Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS April 21, 2016 Volume 49, Number 8 - $1.00
Hawks Compete
Medal Received
Summer Concerts
The Hawks have been busy competing in track and field events. B1
A Polo man is posthumously awarded a Congressional medal. A9
The full schedule of the summer Friday night concerts in Mt. Morris has been released. A2
Board members want more info about new jail By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, said Tuesday that the first decision about building a new county jail could come as early as next month. Gouker and Long Range Planning Committee Chair-
man Don Griffin fielded questions from board members about the cost of the project and when more information will be available. The questions came on the heels of a presentation by Jeff Goodale, Director of Justice at HOK, a Chicago architectural and planning firm, hired last fall to do a jail needs assessment at a
cost not to exceed $10,000. Goodale recommended a jail with 200 beds for adults and 32 beds for juveniles to meet current and future needs. After the meeting, he estimated the cost of the project at roughly $28 million. Goodale also recommended building the jail on one level for maximum efficien-
cy and said five to 10 acres of land would be needed. Board member Bill Welty, Chana, asked for a schedule for making decisions about the proposed new facility. “I haven’t seen steps being brought out saying we’re going to do A, B, C, or D,” he said. Griffin said the next step is to decide where the jail will
be built. However, Gouker disagreed. “First we need to decide if we are going ahead with it and how many beds,” he said. He said the board may be asked to decide that next month. Welty asked if board members will be given an outline of the proposed plan for the
facility in time to study it before being expected to vote on it. “How are we going to finance it?” he asked. Board member Rich Gronewold, Forreston, asked how much the new jail will cost. Gouker said the board will first be asked to decide Turn to A2
Comprehensive plan raises few questions By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Few questions were raised Tuesday night about the proposed updates to the city’s comprehensive plan during a town hall meeting. Konstantine Savoy, a project manager with Teska Associates, briefly went over the highlights of the updates made to the 2003 plan and had maps showing the potential for the city. Following the presentation questions were allowed from any of the 22 people who attended the meeting. One rural Oregon couple asked if the plan addressed the expansion of the bike paths along the river. They said bicyclists and walkers use the narrow River Road from Lowden State Park to Oregon, and they believe it is dangerous. “That is a part of the plan to expand the riverfront
Library Birthday Above, Mt. Morris Public Library Director Mary Cheatwood serves punch to Kathy and Bill Clark April 16 at an open house to celebrate the library’s 85th birthday. At right, Bob Coddington visits with Mt. Morris Public Library staff member Cindy Belleque at the event. Photos by Vinde Wells
greenspace and trails,” said Savoy. The couple said residents they talked to with property along the river would be willing to give up the rightof-way along the road, but not along the river. Another question was to have Savoy clarify the affordable housing option locations in the plan. The plan has a variety of multi-family housing, and Savoy said most are in the downtown and the riverfront area. One resident wanted to know where the numbers for the household incomes came from. Savoy said they were the 2010 census data. Surveys were sent to residents in Oregon which were to be used as part of the comprehensive plan update. Results of the surveys and the preliminary comprehensive plan are available on the city website at www.cityoforegon.org.
Hydrants to be flushed The Mt. Morris Water Department will flush hydrants during the week of April 25-29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents may experience low water pressure and rusty water while the hydrants are being flushed. For rusty water, let the faucet run until the water clears up. For other problems call the water department at 815-7344820 or the village hall at 815-734-6425.
New hardware store is open for business in Oregon By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com A hardware store is officially fully up and running in Oregon following months of construction. Corporate representatives, store owner Tom Felker, and members of the Oregon Chamber of Commerce were at the business April 15 for the official ribbon cutting to mark the start of the grand opening weekend. “We appreciate the community response to this store,” said Felker. “It has been a long road and it feels great to have the support. The project was a huge investment for the company.” Felker built an addition to his pharmacy at 201 N. Fourth St. which allowed him to open an Ace Hardware in the same building. The new store is still adding services for customers. “The Bemis Building was purchased and will be used for pallet goods, U-Haul rental, and
glass cutting,” Felker said. “We will also offer small engine repairs.” For the previous month the store was open to allow employees to ensure everything was ready for the grand opening. “I am pleased with how the store turned out,” said Felker. Inside the store Gary Scott, Mt. Morris, was hired as the hardware manager. During the grand opening he was taking customers through the aisles to help with their purchases. “The store turned out nice and we have a lot of products on the shelves,” said Scott. “The employees are here to help customers.” Scott will be in charge of the glass cutting and screen cutting services. Customers can stop in the main store to inquire about the services that will be in the Bemis building. Oregon had been without a hardware store since Jeff Basler closed the Pines Road store in 2014.
In This Week’s Edition...
Birth, A4 Business Briefs, B5 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6
Hardware manager Gary Scott, Mt. Morris, looks up information for a customer April 15 during the grand opening of the Oregon Ace Hardware. Photo by Chris Johnson
Fines, B4 Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Pine Creek News, A3 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Death, B4 John A. Harris