Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS March 16, 2017 Volume 50, Number 22 - $1.00
Season Previews
Farm Focus
Science Siesta
The Hawk track and baseball teams are preparing for the spring season. B1
Find out where to get food from local producers. Inside
Girls are encouraged to sign up for an annual overnight science event in April. A7
OHS was a little shop of horrors By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
Firefighters from 10 area departments battled a fire Saturday night that destroyed a farmhouse on Townline Road east of Leaf River. Photo by Vinde Wells
Fire destroys home By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The cause has not yet been determined of a fire Saturday night that destroyed a farmhouse near Leaf River. Firefighters from 10 area departments battled the blaze at the home Richard Myers and his son Richard Myers Jr. at 722 E. Townline Rd., approximately two and onehalf miles east of Leaf River. Leaf River Fire Chief Steve Shelton said the fire was reported at 7:19 p.m. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find a portion of the house in flames. “The back was fully involved,” Shelton said. The owners were not at
home, he said. The grass in the yard around the house and the surrounding roadside was also burned. “One of the things we’re trying to determine is which happened first, the grass fire or the house fire,” Shelton said. He said the Illinois State Fire Marshal would be on the scene March 13 to assist with the investigation. The Mt. Morris, Oregon, Forreston, Polo, German Valley, Byron, Stillman Valley, Pecatonica, and Winn-Bur-Sew Fire Departments were called for mutual aid. “We needed several tenders to bring water to the scene,” Shelton said.
Volunteers are needed to serve on area boards By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Fewer and fewer people are stepping up to serve on local boards and committees, and an Ogle County Board member would like to reverse the situation. Board vice chairman John Finfrock, Mt. Morris, has pointed out to the county board for the last two months that several vacancies are going unfilled for weeks or even months because no one has applied. “I’m trying to increase public awareness and therefore interest,” Finfrock said. “It’s sometimes very tough to get people to apply for these positions.” The county board appoints the members of several county-wide boards such as the 911 Emergency Telephone System Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Regional Planning Commission, Board of Review, Civic Center Authority, Board of Health, Mental Health 708 Board, Farmland Assessment Review Board, Housing Authority, Soil & Water Conservation District Board, and Sheriff’s Merit Commission, and also local boards including several fire protection district boards, the Byron Museum District
Board, and the Lost Lake River Conservancy District Board. In recent years, people aren’t always coming forth to apply. “Boards are looking for help, and some aren’t getting a lot of it,” Finfrock said. Right now fire boards seem to have the most unfilled vacancies, he said. While some fire board are appointed by the county board, others are elected by voters within their districts. Having an elected, rather than appointed, board takes a referendum. Several years ago, the ninemember Ogle County Civic Center Authority Board went for a few years with no one applying for sometimes as many as five vacancies. That problem was resolved in 2015 when several Rochelle residents agreed to serve. Finfrock said most of the boards do not require a lot of time, and the application process is simple. Those interested must submit an application which is reviewed by the Ogle County State’s Attorney’s & Juvenile & Probation Committee. The county board announces vacancies and makes appointments on a monthly basis.
In This Week’s Edition...
Sunday afternoon wrapped up Oregon High School’s run of the Howard Ashman classic “Little Shop of Horrors.” The show ran from March 9 through March 12 and had a cast of 27. Connor Hopkins starred as Seymour, and Audrey was played by both Kelsey Handschuh and Alyssa Theisen. This was Hopkins’ and Handschuh’s last musical performance, before they graduate this year. Theisen, a junior, has one more year of productions to look forward to. The plant, Audrey II, was brought to life three seniors: Ellen Reckamp operated the plant itself while Alexander Cremeans voiced the speaking lines and Billy Paul sang its songs.
Seymour emotionally prepares himself to feed a dying Audrey to the Audrey II plant. Photo by Zach Arbogast.
After Sunday’s showing, Director Cole Davidson thanked every member of
his 55-large cast and crew. “This was such a great show, and wouldn’t have
been possible without everybody being at their best,” said Davidson.
Jail plan hits a roadblock By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The votes needed simply may not be there to close South Sixth Street in Oregon for the new Ogle County Jail. Two Oregon City Commissioners indicated March 9 that they will not vote in favor of closing the 100 block of South Sixth to allow the county board to build a jail connecting to the judicial center across the street. Closing the street takes a super majority — yes votes from four of the five council members. “We’re not against the new jail,” said Commissioner Jim Barnes. “We just don’t think it should be in downtown Oregon.” Commissioner Tom Izer had another reason. “I don’t want Sixth Street tore
“We’re not trying to ruin the neighborhood. We’re trying to do the best thing for all the citizens of Ogle County” — Kim Gouker Ogle County Board Chairman up,” he said. Izer, who is the Street Commissioner, said that street and maybe others will have to be torn up to move water and sewer mains and other buried utilities. The two were among more than 130 people who attended a three-hour meeting at the Oregon Coliseum to learn more about the county’s plan to
build a new jail a block away from where county jails have been located since 1841. Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker said locating the jail on the east side of the 100 block of South Sixth, which the county already owns, rather than at another location farther away will save both construction and maintenance costs. “We’re doing this because this is the best location,” he said. “We’re not trying to ruin the neighborhood. We’re trying to do the best thing for all the citizens of Ogle County.” County officials have requested that the city council close the block, but no decision has been made. City Commissioner Terry Schuster asked if the city council’s refusal to Turn to A8
Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker talks with Bob and Delores Massey, Oregon, March 7 after a meeting at the Mt. Morris Village Hall about the proposed new county jail. Photo by Vinde Wells
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6 Library News, A2
Pine Creek News, A3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4
Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather, A3 Zoning, B5
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Deaths, B4 Gail M. Grabins