Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS December 18, 2014 Volume 47, Number 42 - $1.00
Tournament Action
Dear Santa
4-H Achievements
The annual holiday tournaments are in full swing in Polo and Forreston. B1, B2
Area children send their Christmas lists to St. Nick. Special Section
4-Hers were honored for their achievements and hard work during the 2014 year. A7
50-year plan was passed Tuesday
Fire Department Practice
By Vinde Wells Editor
Flames shoot high in the sky Dec. 13 as Mt. Morris firefighters hone their skills during a practice drill. Firefighters burned the house in the 8,000 block of Canada Road at the request of the owner and used the experience to gain knowledge and expertise in putting out fires. Photo courtesy of the Mt. Morris Fire Department
Man wants conviction overturned By Vinde Wells Editor A former Oregon man found guilty of a 2003 murder is seeking to have his conviction overturned. David A. Klein, 34, has been unsuccessful so far in the appeal process, but has a status hearing Jan. 30 before Ogle County Judge Robert Hanson on a petition for post conviction relief. Ogle County Assistant State’s Attorney Bob Schuman said Tuesday that the petition says Klein’s constitutional rights were violated. He said the process has several steps. In the first step, a review by a judge, the petition was
denied by now-retired Judge Stephen Pemberton on June 19, 2012. However, Klein filed a motion to reconsider the petition. Former state’s attorney Mike Rock filed a motion for the reconsideration to be dismissed. An earlier appeal of Klein’s conviction was denied by the appellate court. An Ogle County jury found Klein guilty of first degree murder on Feb. 18, 2005 for the killing Joseph Mirro, 25, South Elgin, on July 29, 2003. He was sentenced April 14, 2005 to 30 years in state prison. He is currently being held in the Hill Correctional Center, Galesburg.
David A. Klein
His co-defendant Mickeal Pinion, now 40, was found guilty of first degree murder in September of 2004. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison and is currently incarcerated at the Menard Correctional Center. The two were found guilty
of killing Mirro at a cabin where they were living at 6276 S. Lost Nation Rd. southeast of Oregon, and then burying his body on a nearby island in the Rock River. Mirro had been shot with a rifle, struck with a baseball bat, and then drowned before being buried in a shallow gave. Mirro’s Dodge Neon was found early July 30, 2003 sitting on top of five-foot gravel pile in a parking lot at Lowden Miller State Forest approximately four and onehalf miles from where his body was found. Then-sheriff Mel Messer said at the time that the investigation revealed the murder was drug-related.
Two Ogle County Board members voiced their concern Tuesday that a 50-year plan for buying property is just too far into the future. “I don’t think we need to plan that far ahead,” said board member Lee Meyers, Byron. “We always have eminent domain.” Board member Skip Kenney, Rochelle, agreed. He called the 50-year plan “arrogant,” pointing out that very few of the 24 county board members will be “around” in 50 years. Nonetheless, the board approved the plan that was first discussed Nov. 18, by a vote of 20-4. Besides Meyers and Kenney, board members Bill Welty, Chana, and Pat Saunders, Polo, voted against it. Voting yes were Ashley Sims, Rochelle, and Zach Oltmanns, Stillman Valley, who drew up the plan, as well as Kim Gouker, Byron, Dorothy Bowers, Byron, Jerry Brooks, Oregon, Ron Colson, Mt. Morris, Don Griffin, Oregon, Rich Gronewold, Forreston, Marcia Heuer, Oregon, Lyle Hopkins, Polo, Dan Janes, Stillman Valley, Nic Bolin, Holcomb, Bruce McKinney, Rochelle, Pat Nordman, Oregon, John O’Brien, Rochelle, Dick Petrizzo, Davis Junction, Greg Sparrow, Rochelle,
Dog rescued from the Rock River By Vinde Wells Editor
A spunky Gordon setter is one lucky dog after his impromptu late-night romp through the streets of Oregon left him fighting for his life in the icy Rock River. Except for a slight limp, Jerry, a seven-year-old, seemed none the worse five days later for his nearly-fatal adventure. His owner Sharon Lauer credited the quick action of two good Samaritans who work at Maxson’s Riverside Restaurant with saving her beloved pet’s life. “It’s my Christmas miracle,” she said, with tears welling up in her eyes, as she stroked Jerry’s head. “I’m just so grateful for what they did.” The adventure began late Dec. 9 when Lauer let her three dogs, Jerry, Charlie, a seven-year-old black Labrador retriever mix, and Dexter, a 13-year-old Lab, out in her fenced-in backyard at the corner of Third and Madison Streets near McDonald’s around 10 p.m. Students in Justine Davis’ music class at Oregon Elementary School paid a surprise visit to the Ogle County She heard Jerry howling Newspapers office Monday morning to sing Christmas carols. The class caroled at several downtown businesses. and went to investigate.
Christmas Carolers Photo by Vinde Wells
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B8-B12 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Mt. Morris Police, A3 Oregon Police, B7 Public Voice, A8
and Marty Typer, Stillman Valley. The 50-year plan includes a map that shows various properties in Oregon near the courthouse and judicial center marked as possible future acquisitions. Underlining his point, Meyers said brought up the five houses the county board bought in the 100 block of South Sixth Street in Oregon in 2006. The houses, across the street from the judicial center, were purchased in 2006 for $561,000. They were then razed, and the property remains empty. Meyers said he believes that it would have been financially more prudent to leave the houses in private ownership and on the tax rolls. He said the lost real estate taxes amounts to an estimated $15,000 per year. Griffin, who heads up the county’s Long Range Planning Committee said the plan can be changed by any board at any time to fit the county’s needs. Oltmanns said he and Sims worked on the plan for about a year, consulting with DeKalb County officials. “It gives us a picture of where we’re going and how we’re going to get there,” he said. Sims also defended the value of the plan. “The goal is to try and centralize county government,” she said.
Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B7 Social News, A4 Sports, A13, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3
“Charlie had dug under the chain link fence and was out, and Jerry was caught under the fence,” she said. As she scrambled to get the dogs back in the house, Jerry, who is microchipped, got free and joined Charlie outside the yard. The pair took off south on Third Street. Dexter, fortunately, stayed put. Lauer alerted the Oregon police and got in her car with the hope of rounding up her truants. However, they were nowhere to be found. “I spent about an hour driving around looking for them, but you can’t see black dogs in the dark,” she said. Sad and worried, Lauer returned home. “I know it sounds silly, but I left the gate open and the porch light on all night just in case they came back,” she said. But, come morning there was still no dogs, and Lauer again searched for them unsuccessfully. Finally, sometime before 9 a.m. she got a call at work from Ogle County 911 supervisor Heather Butler Turn to A2
Deaths, B4 James A. Daws, Keith A. Dearborn, A. Albert Frey, Margaret L. McConaughy
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com