Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS June 19, 2014 Volume 47, Number 16 - $1.00
Mix It Up
Field Day
At the Band Shell
The annual sidewalk painting event will be held Saturday at Oregon’s Mix Park. A8
A Mt. Morris couple invites guests to their berry farm June 21. A8
Illinois Rail will perform June 20 and the Kable Concert Band is featured June 25.
Oregon Ambulance Service goes out of business By Vinde Wells Editor The sudden closing of the privately-owned Oregon Ambulance Service, Inc., has local fire and city officials strategizing to provide service for residents of the Oregon Fire District. Oregon Fire Chief Don
Heller said he learned less than a week ago the ambulance service would shut down early Tuesday morning. He said Betty Ferris, who manages the service with her husband Jim, informed the fire protection district’s board of trustees at its June 11 meeting.
He said he immediately began contacting other area fire districts to enlist their assistance. The ambulance service, officially formed in 1971, is a not-for-profit corporation owned by stockholders. Heller said the fire district will rely on mutual aid from neighboring fire departments
to handle ambulance calls for the time being. “They all agreed to help,� Heller said Tuesday. “They’re going to help us out temporarily.� The district, which is bordered by 10 other fire districts, includes all of Oregon-Nashua Township and portions of Pine
Creek, Pine, Rock, White Rock, Rockvale, Marion, Grand Detour, and Taylor Townships. He said the district has been divided up in segments with each neighboring fire department covering the area closest to it. Mt. Morris and Byron have been designated to handle
By Chris Johnson Reporter Questions about whether the Ogle County Board could do anything about Sheriff Michael Harn accepting a second job were addressed Tuesday night. “I was asked about the sheriff,� said Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker, Byron. “The situation is this — as an elected official he has a term until Nov. 30. The only one he reports to is the voters and they spoke.� Gouker said he reviewed the situation with Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock. “Harn assured us he will do the job,� said Gouker. “We have no authority. We as a board can not change what has been appropriated for his department. We will monitor and make the best of it.� Gouker praised the work being done by employees of the sheriff’s department. “There are good people in the department,� he said. “Bad people are being arrested. The county is being taken care of. We will work with the sheriff.� Harn accepted a second full-time job May 21 as a maintenance supervisor at Forrestville Valley School District and started June 2. Gouker also addressed a letter by Connie Karper, Oregon, that was published in the June 12 editions of
Olivia Russell, 8, and Noelle Rodriguez, 4, both of Mt. Morris, ride the Sizzler at Polo’s Town & Country Days festival Friday afternoon. Photo by Chris Johnson
Man dies in 5-vehicle crash on I-39 A Pecatonica man was killed Monday afternoon in a five-vehicle crash when the sports utility vehicle he was a passenger in was struck by a semi approaching a construction zone on Interstate 39. David E. Jones, 74, was pronounced dead on the scene. He was a passenger in an SUV driven by his wife Sara J. Jones, 71, Pecatonica. Three other people were injured in the accident which involved three more vehicles. Illinois State Police ticketed the semi driver, Jay S. Taylor, 55, Judson, Ind., for failure to reduce speed after he started the fatal chain reaction accident at 3:06 p.m. State police said Taylor was southbound on I-39 at mile marker 112 about a mile north of Ill. 72 when his semi truck and trailer rear ended Jones’ vehicle, causing it to enter the west ditch. According to the ISP crash report, Taylor failed to reduce speed for slower moving traffic. At Ill. 72 southbound traffic enters a construction
zone. Sara Jones was extricated by the Monroe Center Fire Department and transported to OSF St. Anthony’s Medical Center, Rockford, by Lifeline Helicopter. She was listed in critical condition Tuesday morning, according to a hospital spokesman. Taylor was transported to Swedish American Hospital, Rockford, by New Milford ambulance. Following the initial contact Taylor’s truck struck an SUV driven by William D. Young, 47, Owatonna, Minn. The SUV came to rest in the center median. Taylor’s truck then continued southbound and struck a passenger car driven by Carol L. Silvestri, 64, Downers Grove. The car was pushed onto the left shoulder. Finally, Taylor swerved into the west ditch where he struck a passenger car driven by Bernard C. Klotz, 71, Fort Myers, Fla. Klotz’s passenger, Penny E. Klotz, 69, Fort Meyers, Fla., was transported to Rochelle Hospital by Lynn Scott Rock Ambulance.
In This Week’s Edition...
Turn to A3
Gouker addresses sheriff’s second job
Festival Fun
By Chris Johnson Reporter
calls within the City of Oregon. He said Ogle County 911 will dispatch the fire departments according to where the ambulance is needed. 911 Coordinator Sandra Beitel declined to comment
Bernard Klotz, Silvestri, Police District 1 were and Young were not assisted on the scene by transported to the hospital. the Illinois Department of The Illinois State Turn to A3
Ogle County Newspapers and in the Dixon Telegraph last week. “The board was attacked by a letter in a newspaper,� said Gouker. “We will not change. This board is doing what needs to be done and it is all we can do.� Board member Lee Meyers, Byron, claimed Karper had incorrect information in the letter. “Village president is a part time job,� he said. “Also his school job is not full time yet.� Forrestville Valley Interim Superintendent Jane Eichman said last month that Harn would be expected to work 40 hours a week at the school starting June 2. He will be paid $17 an hour. Harn didn’t respond to requests for comments on his job at the school. Eichman said she was assured by Harn that it wouldn’t be a problem to balance his time between being sheriff and the maintenance coordinator. In other sheriff’s discussions, board member Lyle Hopkins, Polo, said the Ogle County Fair Board will make space available for the sheriff’s department at this year’s county fair. “The sheriff paid for a tent from the tow fund at the fair,� said Hopkins. “We made provisions to have a spot at the fair.�
Community rallies to help family By Kimberly Watley Correspondent Out in the country, on Leaf River Road, a charred pile is all that remains of the Beltran home. The family of six wasn’t home June 7 when a heating lamp for chickens, what fire investigators suspect, sparked the blaze. The community has rallied around Steve and Jenny Beltran and their four children, who are staying in a bunkhouse in Pecatonica temporarily. Forrestville Valley School Superintendent, Sheri Smith organized “Rally of Love� as a way to provide a central location for donations. “Everyone was asking what they could do. It made sense to do something for them here. The beauty of
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Let Freedom Ring, A2
being in a small town is, people will step-up to help get them through this,� Smith said. School staff volunteered to accept donations, as well as brought in items. Coaches dropped off apparel and equipment for the children, Jeremy, 12, Julianna, 12, Matthew, 10 and Max, 3. Library aide Barbara Miller coordinated the volunteers, most of whom are school staff, and she said were quick to offer a hand. Jenny is a substitute teacher through the Lee-Ogle County Education Consortium, often in the school district. The children also attend school in the district. Smith created an online survey that lists all of the items received and still needed for the family. Much like a guest registry, it helps
Marriage Licenses, A4 Mt. Morris Police, A3 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B2
Steve Beltran holds the charred serenity coin that belonged to his late uncle. He found the coin while sorting through the burned remnants of his home on Leaf River Road. Photo supplied
limit duplicates. Pots and pans, dishes, clothing, toys, cash and gift cards were among the many items people brought to Forreston Junior-Senior High
Sheriff’s Arrests, B2 Social News, A4 Sports, A10 State’s Attorney, B3
School June 12. “If the school is open, people are welcome to continue bringing items after today,� Smith said. Turn to A7
Deaths, B3 Jennie M. Birkholz, Debra S. Ford, Ruth V. Nevenhoven, Willard G. Runte
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