Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS August 24, 2017 Volume 50, Number 45- $1.00
Farm Tours
VW Buses Roll
At the Band Shell
Four local farms will welcome guests on Saturday for a look at their operations. A2
Volkswagen buses roll through White Pines State Park. A10
Two Trick Rodeo takes the stage Friday night at the Mt. Morris Jamboree. A2
Homeowner holds burglar at gunpoint
Straw Art Jamie ReVelle, Oregon, and her two-year-old daughter Josanna get a look Friday evening at a saber-toothed tiger sculpted from straw. The tiger is part of the National Straw Sculpting Competition on display on the downtown campus in Mt. Morris until Aug. 27. Photo by Vinde Wells
A Rockford man was arrested for residential burglary last week after a Creston resident held him at gunpoint until police arrived. Elijah T. Greer, 25, Rockford, was charged with residential burglary, a Class 1 felony, and is being held at the Ogle County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond. Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said when the homeowner came home for lunch on Aug. 15, he opened the garage door and found Greer inside holding some of his belongings. “He has a concealed carry permit so he held him at gunpoint until we got there,” VanVickle said. He declined to release the homeowner’s name. Greer was arraigned in
Elijah T. Greer
Ogle County Court on Aug. 18, and a preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 30. According to a press release from VanVickle, initial reports indicated the potential of additional suspects, but that was unfounded. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Hillcrest Police Department, Rochelle Police Department, Illinois State Police, and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police.
Chamber’s volunteer award took fancy footwork By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Getting Oregon’s Volunteer of the Year to the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner last week involved some fancy footwork. Longtime Ogle County Fair Association President Harlan Holm received the award Aug. 17, and his 17-year-old daughter Halley was recognized for her volunteer efforts — and that’s where the plot thickened. Chamber board members always try to ensure the awards come as a surprise to the recipients. “It was kind of a double-switch,” Holm said with a chuckle. “I thought I was going because my daughter was being recognized. They told me she was going to be recognized but didn’t know about it. They told her I was getting an award. She was supposed to be sure I was there, and I was supposed to make sure she was there.” “It was a surprise, and it was very much appreciated,” he said. Chamber executive director Debbie Dickson praised Holm’s volunteer spirit, not only for his years of work at the fair but also for helping launch this year’s first-ever Rockin’ River Fest. She described him as the “ultimate can-do guy.” “Of all the attributes this individual humbly displays, the quality to bring out the best in others shines brightest,” Dickson said. “Regardless of the situation, aggravation or Turn to A8
Harlan Holm reacts as his daughter Halley applauds after her dad was named the Oregon Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Oregon schools celebrate with two ribbon cuttings By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com
Business leaders, school staff, and Community Foundation of Northern Illinois members cut the ribbon at the new OHS Welding Lab. Pictured, left to right, are: Pat O’Brien, President of E. D. Etnyre & Co.; Ed Smith, President of F.N. Smith Corp.: John Bates, President of CFNIL; Andrew Nelson, OHS Principal; Dan Dineen, Community Investment Director for CFNIL; and Bryan Wills, Oregon School Board President. Photo by Zach Arbogast.
In This Week’s Edition...
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Friday was a celebratory day for Oregon schools as ribbon cuttings happened just a block away from one another, commemorating strides advancing education quality. Oregon Elementary teachers Dawn Merrill and Delaney Huels, first grade and kindergarten, respectively, installed flexible seating options for their students, while Oregon High School showed off its new
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4
welding lab. The Merrill’s and Huels’ classrooms used to contain standard seating, but now children have their pick between wobbling stools, compact cushions, ball chairs, bean bags, pink balance balls, and even a bath tub (filled with pillows, not water.) The teachers held a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. with three of the donors, Ron Bry, Kent Lawrence, and Kathy Lawrence, as well as superintendent Tom Mahoney, school board president Bryan Wills, and Oregon Education
Sheriff’s Arrests, B4 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Association president Glen Majewski. “The kids have had a few days to experience it, and many are still working out their favorite seats, but the response has been tremendous,” said Huels. Merill and Huels launched a campaign in June on The Local Crowd, a crowdfunding hub focused on economic development in rural communities. Their target was $3,000, but they far exceeded that goal with a final total of $3,856. Turn to A8
Death, B5 Joseph D. Deuth