Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS September 8, 2016 Volume 49, Number 28 - $1.00
Sixth Place The Lady Hawks finished in sixth place at the volleyball invitational Sept. 2. B1
Color Run
New Judge
Clayton Lindsey has been appointed as a 15th Circuit Judge. A2
Pinecrest is sponsoring a 5K color run in Mt. morris on Oct. 8. A4
Possible changes on 911 Board raise concerns
Yard sale draws crowd of buyers
Fire departments may not have a seat on the board
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Business was brisk Saturday morning at the Loaves & Fish Food Pantry yard sale, and organizers were pleased. “We’ve done extremely well this year. We’ve already made all over $2,000,” said Lynne Wilburn, who along with Jan Francis co-chair the annual two-day event held at the Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren. Shoppers were browsing through tables of treasures ranging from clothing to games to dishes and cookware to furniture, and more. Nancy Miner, Elgin, had her arms full of kitchen equipment. “I guess I’d better stop,” she said with a laugh. Miner and her husband Blain were out to eat at a local restaurant when they saw the signs for the yard sale. “We came right over,” she
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Donna Jean Wallgren and Patsy Unger, both of Mt. Morris, discuss a cat planter offered at the yard sale Sept. 3 at the Mt. Morris Church of the Brethren to benefit Loaves & Fish Food Pantry. The planter went home with Unger. Photo by Vinde Wells
said. Across the room, Donna Jean Wallgren and Patsy Unger talked over the possibilities for a white ceramic cat planter Unger had found. “I want this for my 4-H kids,” explained Unger, who judges the annual Cat Show at the Ogle County Fair.
Items for the sale were donated by the community. Wilburn said that besides donated items, they also received some cash donations. “One said ‘you helped me when I needed it and now I want to help,’” she said. “It’s wonderful when people give back.”
The proceeds from the sale benefit the food pantry, which is located at the Church of the Brethren and serves the Mt. Morris and the surrounding area. For more information about the food pantry or to contribute or volunteer call Wilburn at 815-734-4593 or Jan Francis at 815-734-6561.
Tour Ogle County on bicycle ride By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@ oglecountynews.com Bicycling has been increasing in popularity throughout Ogle County and the upcoming Tour of Scenic Ogle County (TOSOC) will showcase the area while benefitting the Village of Progress.
“We are excited about this ride,” said Village of Progress Executive Director Brion Brooks. “We have close to 100 riders registered so far and would like to se 250 by the day of the event.” The Tour of Scenic Ogle County, called TOSOC on all event brochures and bison signs scattered around Oregon, will be held on
Saturday, Sept. 24. The bison riding a bicycle, seen on the signs, was created as the mascot for the ride because two of the rides will go past Nachusa Grasslands and the bison herd there. “The reason for this ride is to be a nice fundraiser for our attendance grant program,” said Brooks. “The
grant helps provide funding to those with disabilities who are on the state waiting list.” Brooks said currently 27,000 people are on that waiting list and the grant program helps local people who are on the list. Riders have the choice to sign up for a 10-mile family Turn to A3
A possible change in the size of the Ogle County 911 Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) has raised the concerns of fire department officials across the county. The concern apparently stems from a suggestion made by county board chairman Kim Gouker to reduce the number of board members from nine to five, possibly eliminating the posts currently held by fire department and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) representatives. That concern was further bolstered in July when the county board approved applicants to fill two of four open positions on the 911 Board, but did not consider the other two, who were for the fire department/EMS posts. The fire chiefs of all 11 Ogle County fire departments signed a letter dated July 26 and addressed to Gouker and the county board. The letter was not part of the county board’s packet at its Aug. 16 meeting but was presented to each board member prior to the meeting. The letter read in part, “In May the count board posted requests for applications to the 911 ETSB. The four
open positions were two fire/EMS, the citizen at large, and the sheriff’s office representative. Applications were submitted in a timely fashion for all four positions. Only the citizen at large and the sheriff’s office representative were presented to the board for appointment. It appears that if a resolution to reduce the size of the ETSB comes about, all the Richard Mott reductions will come from the fire/EMS positions on the ETSB.” The letter went on to recommend that the 911 Kim Gouker ETSB remain at nine members and that the county board reappoints Richard Mott, Lindenwood, and Corey Tveit, Stillman Valley, the only two applicants for the fire/EMS positions. Gouker declined to comment Sept. 3 on the situation, except to say that further discussions will be held. However, at the Aug. 16 county board meeting, Gouker said that the concerns stem from a discussion he had with Sheriff Brian VanVickle a year ago. Changing the size of the 911 ETSB takes the approval of the county board. Turn to A8
Popular restaurant reopens 17 months after tornado By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Seventeen months after it was destroyed by a tornado, a wellknown Ogle County restaurant is ready to re-open this week in a brand new building. Ava Mirtoska, owner of Grubsteakers, on the northeast corner of Ill. 64 and 251, said Monday that she expects to be back in business bright and early Wednesday morning for the breakfast crowd. “I am so excited. I can’t wait,” she said Monday, in between running last-minute errands. “I’m happy to be back where I belong.” Hours on opening day will be 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Grubsteakers was in the direct path of the EF4 tornado last April 9 that tore through Lee, Ogle, and DeKalb Counties. Mirtoska was recognized by the Ogle County Board two weeks after the storm for her actions that night when she saw the storm approaching and, with just minutes to spare, ushered her customers and employees into a storm cellar. About a dozen people rode out the storm safely with only minor scrapes and were rescued from the cellar a couple of hours later by firefighters.
After months of planning and getting the necessary permits, construction began on the new restaurant last December. The community pitched in with several fundraisers were held to help with rebuilding costs. The new restaurant’s floor plan resembles the one its customers grew to love, along with expanded seatiing areas, bar area, and larger bathrooms. The April 9 tornado first touched down in Lee County west of Ashton about supper time, and then cut a northeasterly path through Ogle County to the small DeKalb County village of Fairdale where two women were killed and most of the homes were devastated. The restaurant, several vehicles in its parking lot, and several nearby homes were smashed by the twister before it moved on toward Fairdale, destroying farm buildings and homes along the way. Aerial surveys done the morning after the twister showed that Grubsteakers was one of approximately 180 structures damaged or destroyed by the storms. At least 30 homes were destroyed in Ogle County, most of them in a rural subdivision west of Rochelle.
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
Grubsteakers owner, Ava Mirtoska, stands in the middle of one of the restaurant’s new dining areas. The restaurant is slated to open to the public on Sept. 7. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B4
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A3
Deaths, B5 Linda G. Jenkins, Bernita E. Kuhn, Christina M. Lee-Grogan, Helen L. Myers, Kyle J. Pusheck, Judith A. Turek, Daunene Vaessen, Ruby M. Wakenight
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com