Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS June 22, 2017 Volume 50, Number 36 - $1.00
UTVs in Town?
LFR Festival
At the Band Shell
The village board considers a request that could expand trails for UTV riders. A3
Make plans now to participate in the Let Freedom Ring Festival. A6, A8
Harmans will take the stage June 23 and the youth choir performs June 28. A2
County board nixes permit for dog kennel By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Reactions were mixed Tuesday evening to the Ogle County Board’s unanimous denial of a special use permit for a dog kennel northeast of Kings.
Several members of the audience of more than 50 people applauded the 21-0 decision to turn down a special use request from Christie Hardt, owner of B&C Kennel, Clare, and her husband Robert DeCosta. However, Hardt’s attorney Diane Elliott, DeKalb,
expressed her client’s disappointment and said the board’s decision may result in legal action. Hardt and DeCosta had requested the special use permit to operate a commercial dog kennel on property they own at 14189 E. Dutch Rd. in White Rock
Township. The site is zoned for agricultural use, and the request asked for a special use permit to allow dog breeding, import and sale of puppies, dog grooming, and dog obedience training at the kennel. After the vote, Elliott said
the request should have been granted because it met the county’s criteria for a special use. “B&C Kennel is very disappointed in the county board’s decision,” Elliott said. “This is a land use issue, not a moral issue or even a political issue. B&C
Kennel’s application met all of the stated criteria. The county board has disregarded that this is a land use issue and allowed a vocal minority to sway their personal opinions.” She said she would meet with Hardt and DeCosta to Turn to A7
River Fest hampered by rain Officials say event was still a success By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com
Farmers Market Mary Gardner, Mt. Morris, looks over the plants for sale June 16 the Mt. Morris Community Farmers Market. The market is open every Friday night from 4 to 7 p.m. at the corner of Ill. 64 and Wesley Avenue. Photo by Vinde Wells
Man arrested for sexual assault By Kathleen Schultz Shaw Media A Mt. Morris teen is free on $5,000 bond after being arrested in Dodge County, Wisconsin, on charges he molested two boys ages 8 and 10, and took suggestive photos of them. Seth D. Oltmanns, who turns 19 on July 2, was charged June 6 with three
counts of firstdegree sexual assault of a child younger than 13 and seven counts of possession Seth D. of child Oltmanns pornography, The Daily Citizen of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin reported. He was arrested Dec. 19, and posted bond Monday in
Dodge County Circuit Court in Juneau. He faces up to 355 years in prison and a $700,000 fine. According to the criminal complaint: The Oregon High School graduate was staying at a relative’s house in Lomira in July and August, where he was watching the boys. Turn to A2
When organizers envisioned a summer festival promoting Oregon along the water, they didn’t mean rain water. Late afternoon storms prompted an early end to Oregon’s inaugural Rockin’ River Fest on Saturday, but Mother Nature cooperated most of the day allowing most events to be held. “Considering the negative forecast for several days in advance, we’re very pleased,” Oregon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Dickson said on Monday. “We don’t have definite numbers yet but it was very well-attended. The kids had a great time in the kids area. We saw people having a good time.” After temperatures climbed into the high 80s by mid-afternoon, at least two heavy rain storms caused festival officials to shut down the event about 4 hours early, nixing a scheduled performance by
Andrew Montgomery looks up to see how much further he has to climb at Lowden Saturday morning during the Rock River Adventure Triathlon. Photo by Chris Johnson
The Party Doctors, the last band scheduled to play at the River’s Edge Stage Area from 8-11 p.m. and prompting the closure of the Riverside Chill Zone (beer garden). Soggy organizers were breaking the festival grounds down by 7:30 p.m. As a light rain continued to fall, the sun reappeared briefly to create a rainbow to the east of the
festival grounds that were located on the west side of the Rock River, below the Oregon dam on property owned by the Oregon Fire Protection District. Dickson said she was surprised and pleased that festival events drew people from a wide area. Turn to B1
Plenty of cars, stories at Lions Club Car Show Nova done in tribute to cousin By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com Mary Mudge couldn’t help but smile as she leaned over the shiny driver’s door to peer into the interior of the bright red 1966 Chevy Nova. On the center console read
a metal plague that said: “In loving memory of Brad Spickler, March 1957 - May 2015...Your Dream Lives on”. “I think it is really neat that they kept his car in the family,” said Mudge, an Oregon resident who was also a classmate of Brad’s. “He was an engine guy so you can understand why the engine is ‘way over the top’.” The dream of finishing
A plaque inside the Nova says: In loving memory of Brad Spickler, March 1957 - May 2015...Your Dream Lives on.
In This Week’s Edition...
The black Ford had a at home that we change it out the shell of the Nova have breakfast or lunch and came alive after Brad’s walk around and look at all bootlegger theme filled with them out for shows,” said props one might need to John, age 65. “If we see sudden death in 2015 when the cars.” John and Becky Kehoe run whiskey illegally during something from the 1930s his cousin, Rick Spickler, of Byron, bought the car drove their history-themed Prohibition, including a we stop and pick it up.” The couple has owned the and completed it with the 1930 Model A Ford to pistol tied to the steering memory of his cousin in Oregon from Mendota to be wheel. Turn to A8 in the show. “We have so many things mind. “Brad had the shell of the car and the engine was on an stand in the garage when he passed,” said Brad’s sister, Charlene Ruthe, also of Oregon. “Rick put it all together. It is a great tribute.” Those types of stories could be found scattered about the Oregon Lions Club’s Car Show, held on a beautiful sunny day at Oregon Park East. The day began with an allyou-eat pancake and sausage breakfast by the Lions Club followed by their popular pork chop sandwiches and bratwursts. “We ended up with 125 cars which is about average,” said Doug Aken, co-chair of the event. “There were a lot Mary Mudge, Oregon, smiles as she looks into the interior of Rick Spickler’s 1966 Chevy of people who came to the Nova that once belonged to his late cousin, Brad, who was also Mudge’s classmate. The show on Father’s Day and to car is dedicated in Brad’s memory. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B3
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Deaths, B4 Lance E. Barnes, Justin E. Clubb, Carroll E. Haijenga, William & Kathrine Incontro, Mark E. Knie, William C. Woodke
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com