Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS August 17, 2017 Volume 50, Number 44 - $1.00
Fall Previews
Teaming Up
Jamboree Friday
OHS cross country and football teams are gearing up for the 2017 season. B2
OHS soccer kids and Special Olympians team up. A8
Harlem River Noise will perform at the Jamboree on Aug. 18. A8
New prosecutor appointed in fatal accident
Straw Art in Village Campus filled with a variety of artworks By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com An artful evening swept across the Mt. Morris Historic Campus last Friday evening with sculptures made of straw, historic paintings used by Watt Publishing, and a musical jamboree in the band shell. What other place can you see a ballerina, King Kong, a flying pig, and the Starship Enterprise all together? The historic campus of Mt. Morris, apparently, because they were all together for the second annual U.S. National Straw Sculpting Competition. Nine enormous sculptures towered over the public, who could vote on their favorite piece. Voting lasts until Aug. 26, and the last day to view the sculptures is Aug. 27. Three of the artists - Fran Volz, Dan Ingebrigtson, and Jim Malkowski - were onhand at the opening, and said they were having a great time. “I just love this town,” Turn to A2
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The father of a Rockford woman killed last year in a boating crash near Oregon voiced his approval Tuesday of a judge’s decision to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case against an Oregon man who was operating one of the boats. Ogle County Associate Judge John Redington granted a motion from state’s attorney Eric Morrow to appoint the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor’s office to prosecute the charges against Marc Mongan, 47, and possibly take the case back to a grand jury. “It’s a great step today. We’re very pleased,” said David Swaziek, Loves Park, holding a photo of his daughter Megan Wells. “We’ve been fighting David Swaziek, the father very hard for justice for of Megan (Swaziek) Wells, Megan. I think she’s smiling listens in court with family today.” and friends during the Swaziek and his wife Robin hearing for Marc Mongan. have sharply criticized Morrow Photo by Earleen Hinton for his handling of the case. Mongan is presently charged with six misdemeanors in the death Wells, 31, who died on June 24, 2016 after the johnboat he was operating struck her when it went over the back of the pontoon boat she was riding in, throwing her overboard. The collision occurred just around 8:40 p.m. on the Rock River three miles north of Oregon. To allow the special prosecutor time to review the case and charges, Redington also granted Morrow’s motion to push back Mongan’s trial, which was set to begin Aug. 21. Mongan’s attorney David Tess, Rochelle, objected. “We are set to go to trial. We have been set to go to trial for Seth Gittleson and Danica Rogers weren’t monkeying around in this competition. some time,” he said. “It’s on like ‘Straw’nkey Kong” was a popular sight at the Mt. Morris Straw Sculpting Tess said he sees no need for a special prosecutor. contest. Photo by Zach Arbogast Redington previously had denied motions filed by the Swazieks’ attorney Cynthia Koroll to investigate Morrow and replace him with another prosecutor in the case. Turn to A10
Mud rules at club’s annual event By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com Ryan Dillavou’s 1996 Subaru station wagon had around 162,000 miles on it when he drove it up to the start line of the Daily Driver Class at the Rock River
Riders Motorcycle Club’s annual Mud Bog on Sunday. After Dillavou’s first attempt to drive through 300 feet of mud, he could add just about 30 feet more, clearly not a winning run in the popular class, but enough to make Dillavou smile. “I entered it just to be
different,” the 18-year-old said as he compared notes with Jeff Dillavou whose 1991 Jeep went just about as far before stalling. “You never see a Subaru in the mud bogs.” The Dillavous, both of Leaf River, were just two competitors who took part in the club’s mud bog on the club grounds, located east of Polo on Pines Road, across from the entrance to White Pines State Park. Competitor’s whose vehicles stalled out or got stuck in the bog, were pulled out by a pulley system powered by a large Ford farm tractor operated club member Lance LeFevre, of Mt. Morris. The Daily Driver Class followed the Class 4 competitors whose muscled-
up trucks flew through the man-made course tossing chunks of mud into the air to the crowd’s delight. Kyle Shambaugh, age 27, of Morrison, won the Class 4 event when he drove his 1991 Ford with 640 cubic inches of power under the hood, through the course in 4 seconds and change. Shambaugh started competing in mud bog races when he was 15. “I’ve been racing every year…heavily,” he said smiling. This year’s events at the RRMC site has been dedicated to the late Bruce Knipple, an original club member who helped expand the club’s site through the years. He received his 50year award in 2004 and
No action after closed session for county bd. By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com
The Ogle County Board ended its meeting Tuesday with a closed session to discuss pending litigation against the City of Oregon concerning the location of the new county jail. Board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, said the board discussed the status of proposed negotiations with the city during the closed session but took no action afterward. The board plans to build a new jail on the property it has owned for the last 10 years in the 100 block of South Sixth Street. The board has been considering legal action against the city since the council rejected its request to close the block to allow the new jail to be connected to the existing judicial Turn to B1 center across the street. The city council rejected the county’s request on June 27, even though a majority voted for it. Three of the five city council members voted to grant the county’s request to vacate the street. However, according to state statute, a super majority of four votes was required for the measure to pass. Mayor Ken Williams and commissioners Terry Schuster and Kurt Wilson voted yes, but commissioners Jim Barnes and Tom Izer voted no. The county board decided July 18 to send a formal offer to the city council for negotiations to revisit its June 27 decision. At the same meeting, the county board engaged Montana & Welch, Palos Heights, a law firm specializing in local Above left, Ryan Dillavou, age 18, Leaf River, (front) races Dillon Hensley, age 20, Forreston, to the finish line in the government law. mens “run the bog” race at the Rock River Riders Motorcycle Club’s mud bog on Sunday. At right, Dillavou’s 1996 Subaru station wagon gets stuck just feet into the mud bog. Photos by Earleen Hinton
In This Week’s Edition...
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B6-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Marriage Licenses, A4
Library News, A3 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5
Turn to A10
Deaths, B4 Graeme “Ben” Kaufman
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com