Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS November 3, 2016 Volume 50, Number 3 - $1.00
Regional Loss
Fall Back
Oboe Concert
The Lady Hawks fall to Dakota in the volleyball regional final. B2
Turn your clocks back one hour to Standard Time at 2 a.m. Sunday.
Matt Guschl and friends will perform at Trinity Lutheran Church on Nov. 6. A2
Investigators say fatal house fire is suspicious By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said Monday that the fire that claimed the lives of a Byron mother and her young son has been ruled suspicious. Margaret “Maggie” Meyer, 31, and her son Amos Meyer, 3, died as a result of the fire which was reported the morning of Oct. 19. “The cause of the fire and their two deaths are being investigated
by the Byron Police Department, Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police and Illinois State Fire Marshal,” VanVickle said in a statement released Monday evening. “Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, it is suspicious in nature.” Investigators have determined the fire started on the night of Oct. 18, according to the press release. The fire at 2020 N. Silverthorn Drive was reported around 6:40 a.m. on Oct. 19, apparently by
Meyer’s ex-husband and the boy’s father, Duane C. Meyer, who was reportedly there to pick up the youngster. When Byron firefighters arrived, Meyer and a Byron police officer were performing CPR on Amos, who had apparently been in an upstairs bedroom. The child and his father were taken to Rockford Memorial Hospital, where Amos was pronounced dead. Firefighters also could hear
smoke alarms going off and encountered heavy smoke when they arrived. Maggie Meyer was found dead on the couch on the first floor. Byron Fire Chief Galen Bennett said at the scene that firefighters encountered very little fire, but a great deal of smoke when they arrived. VanVickle said Tuesday morning that Amos died from smoke inhalation, but the cause of Margaret’s death has not yet been
determined, pending test results. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who may know something about the fire or saw anything suspicious in the Byron area on the night of Oct. 18, to contact the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office at 815-732-2136. Callers can also contact OgleLee Crime Stoppers at 888-2284488. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Voters to decide local referenda By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com While national and state races on the Nov. 8 ballot may be hotly contested, all candidates for Ogle County posts are running unopposed. After voting for President, U.S. Senator, and State Comptroller, voters in the county will just have to decide on various referenda. Residents of the Forreston Fire Protection District have two referenda before them. The fire district board is asking voters to hike the taxes by a maximum of 10 cents, from 30 cents to 40 cents, per $100 of equalized assessed valuation (EAV) in both the fire service and the ambulance service. That means the annual real estate taxes on a $100,000 house would increase by approximately $33 for each levy or a total of $66 if both are approved. This is the first time the fire service has asked for an increase in its 68-year history. Pirate Lance Mennen, his daughter Isabella, and dog Joey are all ready for trick or treaters Monday evening at the When the district was Mt. Morris Evangelical Free Church’s annual Trunk or Treat. Photo by Vinde Wells formed on Nov. 7, 1947, the
Ahoy, Matey!
tax rate was set at 30 cents per $100 EAV. The fire district took over the ambulance service in March of 1976 and the present tax rate of 30 cents per $100 EAV was set then. Currently the fire service taxes at 25.3 cents per $100 EAV and the ambulance at 24.7 cents. Fire officials say the increases are necessary to pay salaries of EMTs and for future purchases of both fire and ambulance equipment. Polo School District voters are being asked to change how they elect their school board members. A referendum on the ballot will ask if school board members should be elected at large and without restriction as to where they live. Currently no more than three members of the board can reside in the same congressional township. Back in 2007, the same question was on the ballot and was narrowly defeated 241-204. Superintendent Chris Rademacher is hoping for a Turn to A3
Heroin took young man to life of crime Editor’s note: This is the second of a four-part series on the growing use of heroin in Ogle county and how it is affecting governmental agencies, addicts, family members and the political process. By Andy Colbert acolbert@ oglecountynews.com What does heroin make a user do? For James (not his real name), it was robbing a business at gunpoint, albeit with a toy gun. “I didn’t want to do it, but had to,” James said. “By the time I made it back home, I had the dry heaves. I couldn’t believe this is what my life had become. I’m not that type of person, but needed money for heroin.” James’ indecision about robbing the business made him easy to catch. There were pace marks in snow in front of the store as he pondered whether or not to commit the crime. Police simply tracked his
path from the store to his home and arrested him. On the surface, the goodlooking 27-year-old is polite, intelligent, and hard working. Why the need to sink into the darkness of drug addiction and risk losing it all? That certainly wasn’t his plan when he began dabbling in pot and alcohol in eighth grade. His descent into addiction continued after his mother had a debilitating accident. It wasn’t the accident that affected him most, but the fact she had a steady supply of powerful pain medications. James did not use heroin is high school, but was well on the path to it, stealing his mom’s pain pills, continuing to drink, and experimenting with cocaine. “Still, I played sports, though I failed a drug test as a sophomore, had friends, was on the homecoming court and graduated,” he
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said. In 2010, he used heroin for the first time with a few of his friends, but eventually stopped. In 2012, he went back to heroin, but with the intention of only using it once. Instead taking it orally, like he had done previously, this time is was to be by injection. “Taking it by injection is so much more powerful,” James said. “That is why I only planned to do it once. But, the withdrawal sickness of much worse when you inject.” That one time of injection heroin led to increased usage and a habit that was out of control. Other heroin users also speak of getting hooked on the drug after just one use. “I was losing jobs, wrecking vehicles, and had trouble functioning,” James said. “Relationships were being affected. I was a mess.” James knew he was in the
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4
grip of a situation he couldn’t control. Though he wanted to stop the craziness in his life, the only solutions he had were either use heroin or commit suicide. “I thought about suicide everyday,” he said. Being thrown in jail was not enough for James to stop using. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders and the only relief he felt came from using drugs. “Heroin was the only answer I had to what life throws at you,” he said. “I felt that I couldn’t live up to other people’s expectations and had relationship issues.” James found help at a treatment center, but was soon back on drugs. Desperate for sobriety, James then began attending a faith-based 12-step program. “I knew something was working for those people in recovery, but I couldn’t come clean,” James said. “I Turn to A3
Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4 Reading Matters, A9 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Playground Progress Brent Suter, park maintenance supervisor for the Oregon Park District, and Tyler Hagemann, horticulture maintenance supervisor, shovel cement for a footing for a playground feature on Oct. 28. The new playground, which is expected to be ready for kids in a couple of weeks, is being constructed behind the Oregon Elementary School where Project Play was located. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A3 Zoning, B3
Deaths, B4 Marcelene Taylor Bentley, Neil E. Holland, Maxine Kriebel, Jerry D. Macklin
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com