Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS October 1, 2015 Volume 48, Number 31 - $1.00
Bowling Co-op Winnebago will join the Hawk bowlers in a co-op for the 2015-2016 season. B1
Make plans to attend the annual Wellness Fair at the Rock River Center Oct. 16. A6
Online pharmacy could open in six to nine months
45th for AOP could be a banner year By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews. com It could be a banner year for the Autumn on Parade this weekend, if Mother Nature decides to play along for the all-volunteer festival’s 45th anniversary. A “Flashback to the 1970s” is the theme for this year’s event, held Oct. 3-4 in Oregon. “We wanted to try and do something to celebrate the 45 years of Autumn on Parade. A lot of volunteers have helped make this festival a success since 1970 and we thought the 1970s theme might be fun,” said festival president Marseyne Snow. The ever-popular Farmers’
Wellness Fair
Local fire departments are recognized. A8, B5
By Kathleen Schultz Sauk Valley Media
Autumn on Parade volunteers Cliff Brooks and Timmy Breeden helped decorate Oregon’s street light poles with cornstalks on Sunday in preparation for the weekend festival. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Market and Craft Show, held Saturday and Sunday, and Harvest Time Parade, held on Sunday, should not disappoint with more than 165 booths taking part. “Starting last fall our sixperson committee has gone to many other craft shows trying to bring in quality homemade items to this years craft show” said Lisa Boehle, co-chairman of the Farmer’s Market and Craft Show.
Through cooperation with Ogle County and city officials, the booths will be located on the historic courthouse lawn and on surrounding city streets offering a variety of arts and crafts ranging from handmade wood items to homemade baked breads. On Sunday, the Harvest Time Parade, has more than 125 entries including 12 bands. “It’s going to be one of
the largest parades ever. We have 15 to 20 more entries than last year. Most of the favorites will be back, like the South Shore Drill Team and the Jesse White Tumblers. Besides that we have several high school marching bands and novelty entries like a rocket cycle, stilt walkers, and many other entries,” Snow said. A post parade show by the South Shore Drill Team will Turn to A3
TelePharm officials recently announced plans to open an online pharmacy in downtown Mt. Morris, in a portion of the building that houses the Main Street Bistro at 12 W. Main St. Economic Development Committee member Rob Urish told the village board about the plan on Sept. 22. It could take six to nine months to get up and running; the hope is to open this winter, TelePharm officials said. The company also has been reaching out to various other small towns that may be stranded in a “pharmacy desert.” It is in the talking stage with Ashton, in Lee County, and has progressed in Erie in Whiteside County to the point where they
are looking for a location, TelePharm’s Greg Janes said. Walnut in Bureau County has declined to get involved, but the company does have commitments from several other communities, including Sheffield, also in Bureau County, Cambridge in Henry County, and Waterman in DeKalb County, Janes said. A privately owned telepharmacy, which uses TelePharm software, recently opened in Lanark in Carroll County. The Iowa City, Iowa-based company, which launched in 2012, also planned to open a telepharmacy in Milledgeville, but pulled out of the deal. Neither company or village officials have publicly stated why plans fell through. Turn to A3
Heller, Camp Lowden to be honored at AOP parade By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Special honors will be given to an individual and an organization Oct. 4 during the Harvest Time Parade at Oregon’s annual Autumn on Parade festival. Retired Oregon Fire Chief Don Heller has been named the parade’s Guest of Honor, and Camp Lowden has been recognized as the Unit of Honor. Heller retired April 30 as fire chief after serving in the position for 14 years. In all, he was a volunteer fireman for 38 years. Until moving to Byron late last year, Heller was a lifelong Oregon resident. He joined the all-volunteer fire department in 1977, was
appointed a lieutenant three years later, then became a captain, and finally chief in 2001. Heller said he joined because he wanted to serve his community. “I enjoyed the camaraderie of all the guys I went through all these years with, and I wanted to give back to the community I live in,” Heller said. “Being there meant a lot to me. We get the call and it’s the worst day of their lives. It was great just to be able to help out your neighbors and see the look of gratitude on their faces when it was taken care of.” Camp Lowden, the favorite place of many current and former Boy Scouts, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Founded in 1940, the
Former Oregon Fire Chief Don Heller directs his crew during a 2012 fire.
complete service Boy Scout camp has 250 acres of wooded property surrounded by thousands of acres of state forest. The camp celebrated its 75th anniversary this summer with a large reunion of Boy Scouts, leaders, and officials.
Blackhawk Area Council Program Director Emily Rinaldi and Camp Lowden Director Bruce Small relax on the front porch of the office at the Boy Scout camp on Scout Road south of Oregon. Photo by Vinde Wells
The Blackhawk Area Council, which includes nine counties in northern Illinois and three in southwestern Wisconsin, was given the
chance in early 1940 to use 252 acres of woodland property owned by former Illinois Gov. Frank O. Lowden.
Summer and year-round camping has been held at the site ever since. Camp Lowden was dedicated on June 16, 1940.
Belvidere man killed in accident on way to campground By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews. com A Belvidere man died Sept. 25 after the sports utility vehicle he was driving struck a tree approximately seven miles south of Oregon, just north of Penn Corner Road. Thomas W. Ashley, 22, was pronounced dead at KSB Hospital, Dixon, where he was transported by Oregon ambulance. Ogle County Sheriff’s Police said Ashley was on his way to a campground near Grand Detour to attend an outing with a church group from his college. Camping gear and other items were strewn around the crash site and into the nearby soybean field. According to a press
release issued by Sheriff Brian VanVickle, Ashley was driving a Chevrolet Suburban southbound on Ill. 2 when he attempted to pass another southbound vehicle. Deputies determined that he lost control of the SUV when pulling back into the southbound lane after the pass and skidded into the west ditch where the vehicle struck a tree prior to coming to rest. The crash occurred at 6:07 p.m. The initial investigation indicated no signs of alcohol involvement, and that Ashley was wearing a seatbelt. The Oregon Fire Department, the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Conservation Police assisted Ogle County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Oregon Fire Department responded to a one-vehicle accident Friday night at the scene. on Ill. 2, just north of the intersection with Penn Corner Road. Thomas W. Ashley, 22, Belvidere, died as a result of The crash remains under the crash. Photo by Earleen Hinton investigation.
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, A7 Library News, A3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, A7 Pine Creek News, A3 Property Transfers, B5
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
Deaths, B4
Judith L. Bocker, Donna Clow, William R. Huskins, Dorothy E. Parkinson, Florence E. Terhune, Max W. Tieman, Robert Weegens
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com