Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS August 14, 2014 Volume 47, Number 24 - $1.00
Alumni Football
Serial Killer
Documentary
Oregon alumni will take on Winnebago Alumni Friday night during an alumni game. A12
Nicholas Sheley sentenced to life for 2008 Rock Falls murders. B3
Famous Ogle County resident John Deere will be the focus of a new documentary. A8
New downtown street lights to go up this month By Vinde Wells Editor Downtown Mt. Morris will soon be illuminated by brand new street lights. Planning Commission member Jerry Stauffer told the village board Tuesday that the almost $250,000 project to replace the aging street lights is moving faster than expected. In fact, Stauffer said he expects all of them will be installed before
the end of this month. “It won’t take long to install them,� he said. “They’ll go up fast. We’re in good shape with this project.� The new lights came in sooner than anticipated, Stauffer said, and installation of the poles and lights could begin as early as Friday. The board approved Stauffer’s proposal to hold a grand lighting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 29 at the band shell in the downtown. The village board agreed to
serve pork chop sandwiches at the event. Stauffer said Rick Nelson, Mt. Morris, has agreed to cook the pork chops. He said Lyle Grobe and the Rhythm Ramblers will provide music for the event. The supper will start at 6:30 p.m. with the band taking the stage at 7 p.m. As soon as it is dark enough, probably about 8:15 p.m., Stauffer said the switch will be turned on
to illuminate the new lights. Although, the event will be free, Stauffer said donations will be accepted to go toward the purchase of new Christmas lights for the downtown. He said current lights, some of which are 40 years old, will not fit on the new poles. He recommended that the board seek sealed bids to sell the old Christmas lights. In a related matter, the board approved seeking sealed bids for
IDNR gives nod to repair plan By Vinde Wells Editor The waiting is over and repairs to the Black Hawk statue can now begin. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has given its blessing to a plan to repair the damage the 103-year-old statue has suffered from weather and time. “It’s my understanding that the IDNR has approved the plan,� said Frank Rausa, Sterling, on Tuesday. “Now all that’s left to do is issuing contracts. We’re making progress.� Rausa is a member of the Friends of the Black Hawk Statue, the organization spear-heading restoration efforts and fundraising for the project. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) gave its approval to the plan last week. Approval from both agencies was needed for the work to move forward. The IDNR’s approval
was required because the statue, which overlooks the Rock River from a high bluff at Lowden State Park near Oregon, is under that agency’s jurisdiction. The IDNR received a $350,000 grant for the project from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Because the statue has landmark status, the IHPA also had to sign off. Black Hawk has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2009. Created by sculptor Lorado Taft in 1910 as a tribute to all Native Americans, the statue draws thousands of visitors each year. It was unveiled in 1911. Testing and evaluations done last fall and this spring by Thornton Tomasetti, Chicago, an architectural firm that provides engineering design, investigation, and analysis services to clients worldwide, showed that three areas of the statue greatly Black Hawk Statue has a different look after a cedar tree was cut need repairs. down and the bushes surrounding the statue were removed. Work to Turn to A2 restore the statue is planned to begin soon. Photo by Chris Johnson
the old light poles, with $100 as the minimum bid per pole. The high bidder will get as many poles as he or she wants, and the rest of the poles will go to other bidders according to how much they offered. In other business the board hired Gerald Bennett, Warren, as a parttime police officer to serve while full-time officer Bruce Wigtion recovers from surgery. Bennett is an officer for the Lanark Police Department.
Crash victim improves to serious condition By Vinde Wells Editor A Chicago woman critically injured in a motorcycle crash that claimed the lives of her husband and another man Aug. 3 is improving. Rosarita Gonzalez, 52, has been upgraded from critical to serious condition, said a spokesman for OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Rockford, on Tuesday. Gonzalez was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by Michael Gonzalez, 50, Chicago. The couple was riding with a group of at least 30 motorcycles on Ill. 64 less than a mile east of Mt. Morris. Ogle County Sheriff’s Police said the Gonzalez’s motorcycle was westbound, attempted to pass other westbound traffic, and pulled into the eastbound lane of travel where it collided nearly head-on with an eastbound motorcycle driven by Richard Zimmerman, 67, Lanark. Michael Gonzalez and Zimmerman were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Rosarita Gonzalez was airlifted to the hospital by Life Flight helicopter. A portion of the road was closed to traffic for two and one-half hours after the crash, which remains under investigation.
State law permits motorcycles to travel in packs By Chris Johnson Reporter A recent double-fatality involving two motorcycles has raised questions for some area motorists on the legality of motorcycles riding in packs. The Illinois Motorcycle Operator Manual published by Jesse White, Secretary of State, outlines the laws for cyclists. On page 32 of the publication, it is recommended to divide a pack into smaller groups and suggests riders should be staggered in a zig zag formation, not side by side. Sergeant Michael Kuehl, Illinois State Police
(ISP) District 1 Interim Administrative Officer, confirmed there is no law against pack riding. “There are no laws restricting the number of motorcycles in a pack,� he wrote in an email about motorcycle safety. Motorcycle riders follow many of the same laws as other motorists on the roads. Drivers following a motorcycle should always be extra aware of motorcycles, but motorcycles also need to be aware of the automobiles and drive extra defensively, he wrote. There are signs around the county advising motorists to start seeing motorcycles, but all motorists need to pay
attention to everyone on the road, he added. Distracted driving has become a contributing cause to several accidents, according to Kuehl. “Motor vehicle crashes due to distracted driving are definitely on the rise,� he wrote. Cell phones are one of the major causes of distracted drivers and a law is on the books requiring cell phone use to be hands free. “The ISP aggressively enforces the new distracted driving laws,� Kuehl wrote. “I would add that hands-free cell phone use means just that... ‘hand-free’. Holding the phone in your hand with the speaker phone on does
not count and when a call is made.� A phone needs to be onetouch dialing. According to Kuehl, holding the phone and scrolling through contacts to find the number is unlawful. Also illegal is holding the phone and scrolling through a list of music, tuning into a streaming radio program or reading a map. The phone can not be in the driver’s hand, he wrote. Another piece of advice Kuehl had for motorists is to maintain space between vehicles. “Extra space should always be given, whether it is a motorcycle or not,� he wrote. “We see far too
many drivers who follow too closely. Following too closely is unlawful so if the driver rear-ends the vehicle in front of them because the front vehicle had to stop suddenly, it is likely the following vehicle will be issued a citation.� In Illinois motorcyclists are not required to wear a helmet, but the ISP recommends all riders wear protective body wear including helmets boots, gloves and reflective clothing. “Our motorcycle officers wear helmets and consider helmets to be an added safety measure,� Kuehl wrote. Motorcycle safety classes are also offered throughout northern Illinois. On
weekends courses can be spotted in parking lots where classes are being held. One interesting fact Kuehl provided is that there is no age limit for motorcycle passengers. This means any child can be a passenger on a motorcycle without a helmet. The laws for vehicles require child seats and booster seats. This is not required for a motorcycle passenger. Motorcyclists are also allowed to use hand signals when riding. “Hand signals are a perfectly legal way to signal on a motorcycle,� Kuehl wrote. “I see motorcycle drivers use them with some regularity.� Turn to A2
Oregon students head back to classrooms Aug. 14 It’s back to the books for Oregon students this week. The 2014-15 school year begins on Aug. 14 with a full day of classes. Parents are invited to celebrate the first day of school
with an event including music, videos, flags, networking with other parents, and light refreshments at the Blackhawk Center immediately after dropping off students at approximately 8:10 a.m.
In This Week’s Edition...
Students will join in after attendance is taken. The normal school day will run from 7:45 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. for junior high students, 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. for elementary students, and 8:12
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 College News, B2 Entertainment, A6 Library News, A3
a.m. to 3:12 p.m. for high school students. For the first time this year, the district has just one phone number to reach all schools. To call any school or department, first dial 815-732-
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Pine Creek News, A3 Public Voice, A11 Property Transfers, B6
5300. Callers will then be prompted to press a number for the desired building or department: 1 for the high school, 2 for the junior high, 3 for the elementary
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, A12 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather, A3
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school, 4 for transportation, 5 for the district office, 6 for athletics, 7 for food services, 8 for maintenance, and 9 for information technology. To reach an employee by directory press the star (*) key.
Deaths, B2 Jeremy K. Easley