Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS March 2, 2017 Volume 50, Number 20 - $1.00
Carnival at Coliseum
State Champs!
New Coach
Ogle County 4H Clubs host the Penny Carnival for kids this Saturday in Oregon. A7
Byron’s Lady Tigers repeat as Class 2A basketball champs. B1
Nick Schneiderman is ready to take on the big three in the BNC football conference. A10
DLR speller finishes second at Regional Bee By Christopher Heimerman cheimerman@sauk valley.com If only sixth-grader Rebekah Zeigler didn’t know what she knew, earning her third straight trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Feb. 23 wouldn’t have been so grueling. The Aplington middleschooler was all too familiar with Lydia Cermak, the eighth-grader from David L. Rahn Junior High in Mt. Morris, whom she had to outlast two years ago. Worse yet was knowing the unknown was lurking: any moment, emcee Tom Wadsworth could have run out of the 1,500 words the competitors are privy to in advance of the Lee-Ogle Whiteside Regional Spelling Bee, held at Dixon High School. Aplington Middle School student Rebekah Zeigler (right) of Polo reacts to winning the 2017 Lee-Ogle-Whiteside That happened last year, Regional Spelling Bee on Thursday afternoon in Dixon. Zeigler beat out Lydia Cermak (left) of David L. Rahn Junior and he was forced to go off High in a spelling slugfest that lasted 43 rounds. Photo by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com the list.
“I was very, very close, within a few rounds of losing all the words on the spelling list,” Wadsworth said. “I didn’t think we’d trip up either of these girls. They were so good.” “It was awful wondering,” Rebekah said. “I was so nervous. I kept moving and getting water. It was just awful.” Meanwhile, Lydia confidently stepped up the mic each round and rattled off each spelling as she scribbled it on her right thigh with her right hand. While other competitors routinely asked for words’ definitions and language origins – and rightfully so – Lydia declined virtually every round. Sure, she and Rebekah exchange nods and smiles – especially when Rebekah was given the word Borzoi, with which she won in 2015 – but Lydia’s confidence was unnerving. Turn to A2
Students perform Abe Lincoln plays By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
his teens through his twenties – detailing the several jobs he held and lost after moving to Illinois. Slightly less than four score The early years wrapped and seven years ago, our up with Lincoln’s election third graders brought forth into the general assembly, at this Oregon Elementary becoming a lawyer, and School a new production, proposing to Mary Todd. conceived in history and Brady’s class performed dedicated to the Lincoln’s later years: life of Abraham his wedding to Mary, Lincoln. presidential election, Or, simply put, the Emancipation the combined Turn to A2 to Proclamation, third grade classes view photos Gettysburg Address, of Ms. Laura and his eventual from the Volkening and assassination. Mrs. Nicole Brady Lincoln plays. This was the first performed the Abe year the Abe Lincoln Lincoln Play 2017 Play was performed on Feb. 24. by two classes, and it featured Volkening’s class five Lincolns: Owen Wynn, performed Lincoln’s early RJ Keene, Keaton Salsbury, years, beginning with his and Jackson Messenger for birth in 1809, followed by the early years, and Ivan the death of his brother Hernandez for the later years. Tommy in 1812 and mother Furthermore, there was no Nancy in 1818. official script. Audiences also got a peek Turn to A2 at his life in school, as well as
Photos inside
Questions asked at jail meeting By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Many questions centered on the proposed location of Ogle County’s new jail last Thursday evening at a meeting held in Polo. Almost 50 people attended second of seven meetings planned in various communities to inform the public about project. County board member
Don Griffin, Oregon, who also chairs the Long Range Planning Committee, told the audience that his committee considered at least two other sites before recommending the new jail is built in the 100 block of South Sixth Street in Oregon, across the street from the judicial center. Besides the Sixth Street property, which the county has owned since 2006,
Dabbling Day Above, Leaf River Soaring Eagles 4-H member Micah Wehler works on his extension cord Saturday morning during Day of Dabbling. At right, Kaedi Calloway, a member of Blackhawk Crossing 4-H, left, and her friend Kendra Ehrler, Oregon, work on a scrapbook page Saturday. The Ogle County 4-H clubs held the annual event for all area youth – not just 4-H members – ages 5 to 15, letting them try their hand at different workshops. Photos by Chris Johnson
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In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Library News, A3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1-B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Deaths, B4 Dennis Albrecht, Dana Garman Stables, Donald A. Vaughan
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com