Mt. Morris Times

MT. MORRIS TIMES VOLUME 53 NO. 34 • SERVING THE MT. MORRIS AREA SINCE 1967

Friday, October 23, 2020 • $1.00

COVID-19 & SCHOOLS

EARLY SNOW

Temporary Closure Polo’s Centennial Grade School closes due to COVID-19. / 3

LOCAL NEWS

New City Hall Polo’s offer to buy a building for a new city hall is accepted. / 9

Man Killed A Leaf River man dies in a two-vehicle accident near Oregon on Oct. 13. / 20

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

Large, wet snow flakes fell across portions of Ogle County on Monday afternoon. Here, snow can be seen on playground equipment in Mt. Morris. The inch-or-so accumulation melted within an hour. More photos on page 24.

One Section • 24 Pages

INDEX Ag News....................17 Betty’s Column......... 7 Business News.........15 Colbert Column........ 7

Classifieds......... 22-24 Library News...... 18-19 Otto’s Column........... 6 Oregon Police..........20

DEATH Published every Friday

by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media

Kenneth E. Miller, Page 20

Property Transfers...21 Polo Police................21 Sports........................16 Sheriff Activity........20

SPECIAL FUNDRAISER POLO TRI-COUNTY PRESS The Polo Council of Churches will once again POLO TRI-COUNTY PRESS Donations sponsor the Christmas Basket program, providing COUNTY PRESS food for persons in need for Christmas.

Tri-County Press / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

TRI-COUNTY BEAT

2

oglecountynews.com OFFICE 113-115 Peoria Ave. Dixon, IL 61021 (815) 732-6166 ext. 2592 Fax: (815) 284-2078 SUBSCRIPTIONS $39 in Ogle County, and $52 outside Ogle County.

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You also can subscribe online by going to oglecountynews.com and clicking on Subscribe.

CLASSIFIED SALES 815-284-2222 OBITUARIES 815-732-6166, ext. 2591 ehinton@oglecountynews.com Deadline for obituaries is 2 p.m. Tuesday for Friday’s edition SEND NEWS news@oglecountynews.com General Manager Earleen Hinton 815-732-6166, ext. 2591 ehinton@oglecountynews.com Editor Jeff Helfrich 815-732-6166, ext. 2590 jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com Advertising Sales Lori Walker 815-625-3600, Ext. 2555 lwalker@oglecountynews.com The Tri-County Press, Ogle County News and oglecountynews.com are a division of Shaw Media.

Ogle County Newspapers also prints the Mt. Morris Times, Forreston Journal, and

Oregon Republican Reporter.

The TRI-COUNTY PRESS (USPS No. 638-530) is published weekly by B.F. Shaw Printing Co., Shaw Media.

Periodical postage paid at Polo, Illinois.

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Copyright 2020

needed for Christmas Baskets

Sign-up sheets to receive a basket are available at the Lifeline Pantry, 113 N Green Ave. The deadline for sign-up will be Monday, Nov. 30 with pickup or delivery Saturday, Dec. 12 from 10-11 a.m. at Faith Discovery Church, 801 W Oregon Street in Polo. Baskets include a 4 lb ham, 1 lb sau-

sage, soup, applesauce, box potatoes, peanut butter, jelly, loaf of bread, canned fruit and vegetables, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, pancake mix and syrup.

Monetary donations may be made to Polo Council of Churches at First State Bank Polo or by contacting local participating churches For more information call Jan Martin at 815-4402561.

BRIEFS Petitions for library board available Nominating petitions for four board positions at Polo Public Library District are available at the library.

Current board members are Dan Baker, Donna Baumann, Josh Faivre, Marie Monaco, Sarah Rowland, Julie Sanders, and Susan Zook.

Four of the seven positions will be open for election to four-year terms. The election will be held on April 6, 2021.

Library board members must be, on the date of the election, a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years old, a registered voter, a resident of the State of Illinois and must have resided in the library district (Buffalo Township) at least one year at the time he or she files nomination papers.

To be considered for election, candidates must file a petition with 13 signatures of qualified voters who live within the library district.

The candidates must complete a statement of candidacy, a statement of economic interests, and may complete an optional notarized loyalty oath.

All necessary forms are included in the candidate’s election packet available at the library.

The filing period is Dec. 14 through Dec. 21. Packets returned after Dec. 21 will not be considered for candidacy.

Packets may be obtained and filed during library hours: Monday – Thursday form 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This information is provided as a public service. For further information call Ellen Finfrock, Library Director, at 815-946-2713.

Petitions available for 2021 election Citizens of Polo can now pick up petitions for the April 6, 2021 consolidated election at the Polo City Hall, 115 S. Franklin Ave.

Filing dates for candidates for the consolidated election are from Dec. 14 through Dec. 21, 2020.

Offices to be elected are: mayor, city clerk, city treasurer, alderman for ward I, ward II and ward III. All are for a four-year term and alderman ward II is for a two-year term.

Petitions may be picked up at City Hall, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call Sydney Bartelt, Polo city clerk at 815-9463514.

City of Polo Water Department to flush mains in November The Polo Public Works Department will be flushing water mains throughout the city on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

All areas of the City may have rusty water and low pressure on both days.

PINE CREEK NEWS

BY KAREN MERLAK The brisk winds are doing their part to bring down the colorful leaves. With the passing of each day, we know we are closer to winter’s chill. No matter our circumstances, God’s world keeps on moving. We are thankful for a powerful Creator.

This morning in church, we were greeted by Judy Riffle. Pastor Charlotte Hoppe brought the message of the morning. Old and new friends continue to join our services. It is comforting to see everyone each week.

This past Wednesday, Charlotte led a midweek moment of devotional time.

Our regular service and her midweek service are both available to the public on Facebook. Please like our page and watch for updates on upcoming services.

This past Friday night, my son Matt and I had dinner together over Zoom. As we settled into the call, we talked about everything from his daily job duties to when he might get to come home again.

Even with many miles between us, it felt like we were together for a while.

On Saturday, my aunt, Bobbi Deen, hosted a bake sale at her barn. Our family missed her treats at the annual Autumn on Parade festival. She hopes to have another sale soon. Not only did

I find some delicious treats, we had the chance to visit for a few moments.

This afternoon, an unexpected phone call from Deb Ohlwine was the friend connection we both needed. We chatted about families, work, and other relevant topics. Now, more than ever, these connections have become so important.

This past week, I had the opportunity to interview one of our local teachers for an assignment.

With all of the changes in education, it is great to still hear their passion and concern for the students they teach.

These times are difficult for teachers, parents, and students, alike.

This has been a tough week at work.

We lost a friend and coworker to a fatal motorcycle accident. Rodney always had a great story or joke to tell everyone. He had been in the service and was a pastor before joining our team.

On Saturday morning, a large part of our team gathered at his memorial service. Our team spent a little time with his wife. She told us about his last day and how perfect it had been. The faith they shared was incredible. They were true witnesses of His love.

Rodney shared his faith at work, but not in the ways one would expect. Most days, he could be seen moving back and forth from coworkers’s cubicles. He had

to visit people for his work, but he also checked in with those around him.

He loved telling jokes and stories, really elaborate ones. This communication made us all feel very comfortable around him. When his coworkers opened up, he listened. He would offer a few words of comfort before going back to his desk.

As we started the week, going to meetings and talking about Rodney, the same sentiment could be heard at every level.

He was such a great guy. His love of God shone through in the way he treated the people around him.

It wasn’t the grand gestures, but the little ways he reached out to others that made the biggest impact. Rodney was an example of how to love family and friends, how to enjoy each day as it came, and how to love God. He will be missed.

Today is our day to be an example.

Each day, we have an opportunity to make a big impact on someone’s life by making a small gesture. Now is the time to listen, love, and show kindness to those around us.

I hope to see you next week at our church or on Facebook Live. Watch our church page for more updates on services and a midweek devotion. Our church family welcomes you and your family.

EDUCATION NEWS

SPECIAL EVENT IN POLO

Donations needed for coat drive

BY JEFF HELFRICH ​​​​​​​jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com Polo’s Centennial Elementary School will temporarily cease in-person instruction for two weeks beginning Tuesday until Nov. 4 due to three confirmed positive cases at the school.

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media school officials said Monday.

Students who attend Polo Commu- Centennial Grade School in Polo will be closed temporarily due to COVID-19. nity High School and Aplington MidMandrell said it has been the dis- year,” OCHD Public Administrator dle School won’t be affected by the shutdown unless they were notified, trict’s goal to provide in-person educa- Kyle Auman said. “The district has tion for as long as possible during the been doing a great job attempting to the press release said.

“The district has taken this step pandemic, and she believes the shut- isolate individual situations to keep students and staff safe. We believe that in consultation with local health offi- down will help it achieve that goal. a two-week adaptive pause to in-perThe school will be conducting cials in order to respond to increasson learning is necessary to ensure additional cleaning and disinfecting ing COVID-19 cases and quarantines,” that we control virus spread within Superintendent Kelly Mandrell said. during the shutdown. The district the schools.”

“Our hope was to avoid a temporary and the OCHD are asking families to The school is the second Ogle Counshutdown, but on Monday afternoon limit interaction outside the home and ty school to opt for a temporary clowe received new data from the Ogle monitor students’ symptoms closely. sure. Byron’s Mary Morgan Elemen“OCHD has been working closely County Health Department that inditary School announced its closure on cated it would be in the best interest with the Polo Community School DisOct. 5 and is slated to return to in-pertrict since school has resumed this for us to go remote.” son instruction on Tuesday.

FARMLAND AUCTION: 400± ACRES � 4 TRACTS

The GFWC IL Polo Women’s Club is partnering with Crossroads Community Church in Polo for a community coat drive.

Please donate new or clean “like new” condition coats, gloves, hats, mittens and scarves.

All sizes are requested. Please drop off donations at 103 E. Oregon St. in Polo (water tower directly in backyard).

The distribution date will be Saturday, Nov. 14 at Crossroads Community Church campus in Polo from 9 a.m. until noon.

Community members are asked to wear masks and social distance for the safety of everyone.

“Thank you for your participation and generosity at this time of economic hardship for many members of our community,” a press release from the women’s club said.

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OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Polo school closes due to COVID-19

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Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

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COVID-19 UPDATE

Positive cases in Ogle County increase to 1,092 141 new positive cases in the past week

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com The Ogle County Health Department reported 35 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, Oct. 20, totaling 1,092.

Fifty two cases were reported Monday and over the weekend. 141 new cases have come in the past week. Ages and locations of the individuals that test positive are not being released to protect their privacy.

Recoveries of documented cases stand at 884, with 15 new ones reported Tuesday.

On Oct. 16 a male in his 70s passed away due to COVID-19, Ogle County’s seventh death. The county reported its sixth death on Sept.

15, a female in her 70s. The OCHD reported its fifth death in the county on July 10 and its fourth on June 1.

The Illinois Department of Public Health site said Tuesday that there

are 550 cases in the 61068 zip code that includes Rochelle, Creston and White Rock.

Stillman Valley has 54 cases in it according to the IDPH site. Byron has 154 cases and Davis Junction has 62 cases.

Zip codes for Oregon and Mt. Morris have 84 and 47 cases, respectively.

Polo has 41 cases, Leaf River, 19, and Forreston, 17.

Regional Update The Carroll County Health Department announced Monday that a person in their 90s, was the ninth COVID-related death in that county.

The Whiteside County Health Department on Tuesday announced 26 new cases of COVID-19. The new cases involve six people in their 50s, six in their 30s, four in their 20s, three under the age of 20, two in their 40s, one in their 70s and one over 80.

Another death was reported on Tuesday, an individual in their 90s.

In the past 28 days, Whiteside County has had 503 new cases, with

328 of those coming in the past 14 days. The last two weeks in Whiteside County have seen 41 new cases among those 80 or older, 59 new cases among those in their 50s, and 56 new cases among those in their 40s. For the week of Oct. 12-18, every age group in Whiteside County saw more new cases than in the previous week.

Lee County had 20 new cases on Monday, of which two were inmates at Dixon Correctional Center. The remaining 18 cases included four people in their 20s, two in their 30s, one in their 40s, four in their 50s, five in their 60s and two in their 80s.

Lee County had 14 additional recoveries Monday.

Carroll County added 12 new cases between Saturday and Monday, involving one child, two people in their 20s, three in their 30s, two in their 40s, two in their 50s, one in their 60s and one in their 80s.

Whiteside County has had 1,233 cases and 21 deaths. Lee County has had 607 cases. Carroll County has had 365 cases.

Sterling has had 5,298 tests and 407 cases. Rock Falls has had 2,818 tests and 257 cases. Dixon has had 6,739 tests and 399 cases. Rochelle has had 4,552 tests and 536 cases.

The North region (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties) has seen eight days of positivity increases and four days of hospital admission increases. The region’s positivity rate remained flat at 11.1%, still the highest rate of any of the state’s 11 regions. Currently, 39% of medical/surgical beds and 48% of ICU beds are available.

The North region (Region 1) is under additional COVID-19 mitigation measures from the IDPH as

See COVID-19 UPDATE, Page 5

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COVID-19 UPDATE

well as demanding action from local health departments and officials.

“Following public health recommendations will bring our numbers down and save our economy and let more of our kids go to school,” Pritzker said.

The governor also said the state is entering a resurgence of the virus, and it’s a grave concern going into the holiday season when people might drop their guard.

BY RACHEL RODGERS & JEFF HELFRICH Shaw Media Gov. JB Pritzker has extended mitigation restrictions for Region 1 until Nov. 14 and warned that the state is now in a new wave of the virus.

Region 1, which includes Ogle, Winnebago, Stephenson, Carroll, Lee, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, and Whiteside counties, has been under stricter mitigation restrictions since Oct. 3 following a steady rise in COVID19 cases.

Restrictions include prohibiting indoor service at restaurants and bars and limiting gatherings to 25 people or 25% of room capacity. The restrictions do not apply to schools.

Those measures were reissued and extended through Nov. 14 through the governor’s executive order Friday following two weeks of positivity rates continuing to increase in the region.

Region 1 has reached a rolling average positivity rate of 11.1%.

County rates include 11% in Whiteside County, 10.5% in Lee County, 7.9% in Ogle County, 8% in DeKalb County and 10.4% in Winnebago County.

“Every region of this state has started to move in the wrong direction,” Pritzker said during a Monday news conference. “Cases, positivity rates, hospitalizations and deaths are rising statewide.”

Region 5 in southern Illinois will join Region 1 under enhanced mit-

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

The Ogle County Health Department in Rochelle was the site for an Illinois Department of Public Health Mobile Testing Unit drive-thru for COVID-19 on Oct. 17-18. Tests were offered at no cost. igations beginning Thursday after the region’s positivity rate stayed above 8% for three consecutive days.

Regions 7 and 8 are nearing meeting the criteria for tighter restrictions.

Pritzker said he realizes the mitigations are problematic for small businesses and local economies, but the “virus does not seem to want to take this in account” and bars and restaurants are areas where they’re seeing spread.

• COVID-19 UPDATE Continued from Page 4 of Oct. 3. If Region 1 continues to report positivity rates above 8%, further mitigation efforts

He pointed to the Business Interruption Grants Program through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as an option for businesses to get some economic relief.

Pritzker and IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike emphasized the importance of following health guidelines to curb the spread of the virus, including wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, limiting gatherings and getting tested, as

may be taken. To return to the standard Phase 4 restrictions, the region will need to maintain an average positivity rate of less than or equal to 6.5% over a 14-day period.

The region’s counties that are reporting the highest positivity rates are Boone (14.2%) and

Ogle County Health Department Public administrator Kyle Auman said last week that he believed more mitigation restrictions would be coming from the state.

The region was given 14 days by the state to get three days of a rolling 7-day positivity average below 6.5 percent. That seems like it will be out of reach, resulting in more mitigations.

“It’s only gone up since,” Auman said. “It will be in the 10s or 11s like it has been.”

Ogle County is the second-lowest positivity rate in the region at 7.9 percent, but Auman said cases are still “creeping up” and he doesn’t see that slowing down “any time soon.”

Auman said Ogle County and the state are seeing higher numbers than it did when cases peaked in April.

“When things peaked then, we still didn’t see the double digit numbers

See MORE MITIGATIONS, Page 6

Winnebago (12.3%). DeKalb County’s positivity rate saw a big decrease from to 8.8% to 8.0%, while Whiteside County’s increased from 10.4% to 11.0%.

On Tuesday, Illinois announced 3,714 new cases and 41 additional deaths.

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OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Pritzker extends mitigation restrictions for Region 1

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Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

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LOCAL HISTORY

Blue Star Memorial sign missing from Illinois 2 Editor’s note: Otto Dick, Oregon has researched the people, places and events important in the Oregon area’s history for the Ogle County Historical Society. The following is one of a series of the articles he has written.

BY OTTO DICK On Nov. 4, 1970, Illinois Route 2 was designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway.

The Blue Star Memorial Program honors servicemen and women. This program started with the planting of 8,000 Dogwood trees by the New Jersey Council of Garden Clubs in 1944 as a living memorial to veterans of World War II. In 1945, the National Council of State Garden Clubs adopted the program.

A large metal Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker was placed at appropriate locations across the United States. This program was expanded to include all men and women who had served our country.

Later this program was expanded to locations such as national cemeteries, parks, veteran’s facilities and gardens.

A Blue Star Historical Marker was placed in a picnic area along Illinois 2 in Ogle County just west of Meridian Road (Winnebago County Line).

A sign on Rt. 2 indicates a historic marker is located at this roadside picnic area. The web shows this wonderful memorial sign with Rock River in the background. This sign is missing.

I was informed that this sign and the Banditti Sign located in another picnic area were missing. These road signs were probably melted down and sold as brass metal.

It’s obviously a shame that these are destroyed by someone who wants to make a few dollars. If you drop by this site you will notice the

• MORE MITIGATIONS? Continued from Page 5 each day,” Auman said. “It’s been this way going on 2-3 weeks. This is the worst it’s been.”

Many bars and restaurants in Ogle County chose to defy the latest round of mitigations and stay open for indoor dining and drinking.

As a result, Auman said the OCHD has issued 37 notices of noncompliance to Ogle County businesses.

ABOVE: On May 17, 2014 the Rock River Garden Club and the Dixon Veteran Memorial Commission erected a Blue Star Historical Marker at the Veterans Memorial Park, 668 Veterans Parkway, in Dixon. BELOW: The post is all that remains where the Blue Star Memorial Highway sign used to be on Illinois 2 north of Byron in a picnic area in Ogle County just west of Meridian Road (Winnebago County Line). Photos by Otto Dick post that this plaque was mounted on remains.

On May 17, 2014 the Rock River Garden Club and the Dixon Veteran Memorial Commission erected a Blue Star Historical Marker at the Veterans Memorial Park, 668 Veterans Parkway, in Dixon.

This Veterans Parkway is a wonderful memorial to the men and women who served. I encourage you to visit the Dixon Memorial Park and view the Blue Star Memorial Plaque.

Another Blue Star memorial sign was stolen just months after it was installed in Harbor City on the Pacific Coast Highway.

“It took 14 years for the San Pedro Garden Club to get approval to install a Blue Star Memorial Highway sign on Pacific Coast Highway in Harbor City. Now in less than three months, its gone. One of the people who helped install the plaque drove by on Sunday and as he always did looked for the sign, he said. ‘No more sign’, only the pole was left.”

I intend to talk to Representative Demmer and hopefully he can convince the State Highway Department to reinstall our Rt. 2 Blue Star plaque.

The price of a new plaque is $1,465.

No closure orders have been issued yet. Auman is unsure if any will be, and said that depends on how businesses respond and what his inspector returns to those businesses.

Complaints of noncompliance haven’t leveled off, either, he said.

“Complaints have been pretty consistent,” Auman said. “We receive quite a few every day.”

Auman said last week that hospitals could be apart of additional mitigations.

They could go back to only allowing essential procedures.

The recent increase in cases has him concerned for the state of area medical facilities.

As of Oct. 15, area hospitals were 34 percent availability for med surge beds and 40 percent for ICU beds.

“Rockford helps support several surrounding counties,” Auman said, “Even outside of our region, we’ll lose those hospital resources as things get worse. We’ll have to find where we’ll send patients. It’s

a drain on resources and we’re not even into flu season yet.”

Auman also said it’s been a strain on his department to work on COVID-19 responsibilities while trying to tackle usual responsibilities, such as flu season.

“It’s a huge burden,” Auman said.

“It’s been eight months. And now we’re seeing less and less compliance and people don’t want to work with us. We can’t do this on our own.

We need the public’s help.”

LOCAL HISTORY

BY BETTY OBENDORF Curator, Polo Historical Society

T

he first Christmas catalog arrived last week and this week a little box of fruitcake slices came in the mail. These are indications of the holiday season approaching and many of us are wondering if there will even be any Christmas gatherings.

The latest medical information is telling us to forget Thanksgiving and the Mayo Clinic stated emphatically that there should not be any “Trick or Treating.”

Life has become very bewildering as we seem to be caught up in the clutches of the virus.

This week I made my way to the Subway for a container of soup and I felt guilty for doing so.

I even looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching or would try to stop me.

Was it Roosevelt who said, “We have nothing to fear but fear its self?” Perhaps he was absolutely correct.

I had gone first to the museum to take some things there and do a bit of work. Michel of the Ogle County Historical Society came over with beautiful pictures the Pine Crest Cheese Factory had given away as promotional gifts many years ago. She gave them to Linda for our museum.

They were in wonderful condition so someone had taken very good care of them all these years.

How many of you remember the cheese factory in Pine Creek?

What kind of cheese did they make? To me there is nothing better for a snack than crisp apple slices, a good chunk of cheese, and Ritz crackers.

Also this week I had a nice phone call from Roy Hayes in regard to the train accident. He filled me in on a few more details. The train had come from Waterloo, Iowa to Freeport and then on south down the Illinois Central Railroad. It was headed for New Orleans and then it was going to Argentina.

Somehow in my mind I had it going in the other direction. It had two flat cars with two new tractors on each flat car.

Roy attempted to buy one of the damaged tractors but he said the men payed no attention to his wishes. The tractors were taken back to the factory in Iowa. I had a nice visit with him.

Then people also wondered where was Miss Anna Parmelee’s little white house? It was on 309 North Congress only it is no longer white with a picket fence and is surrounded with foliage. It is a very old house built in 1859. That puts it back in the time frame of Aplington House and the Dr. William Burns home.

Now let us look again at the picture of Anna’s house. I dated the photo between 1888 and 1901 because in the photo we had Mrs. Cowden. She was the minister’s wife and her husband was pastor of the Presbyterian Church between 1888 and 1901 according to the history of the church. She was seated on the porch with Anna’s Aunt Tienie.

Standing on one side of the house was Minnie Burns. She was a teacher in Polo for many years and the daughter of Dr. Burns and his wife Harriet. Minnie died in 1917.

On the other side of the picture were two women standing and one seated in a chair. One of the women standing was Harriet King who had been head of the history department at Northern University. She was a teacher with Anna at DeKalb and originally came from Oak Park.

Anna was standing in the picture beside her and when the picture was taken both Anna and Harriet were still teaching at DeKalb. Anna did not retire until in the twenties.

Seated in the chair in front of Anna was Mrs. Burbank. Now who was Mrs. Burbank? It was time to find out about her. Linda sent me the information on Mary Beadle Burbank who was married to Horace Burbank.

According to the 1880 census they were living on Congress and they were neighbors of the Parmelee family. That is probably why she was in the picture.

Horace, when he came to Polo, had been in the grocery business. When they arrived here he decided to take up the nursery business. After a while he went back to his original trade of harness making. Horace was born 1821 and died in 1904. Mary was born in 1832 and died in 1919.

I hope I have straightened out the people in the picture.

SPORTS COLUMN

Cross country runners had to dodge snowflakes

BY ANDY COLBERT Opinion

J

ust walked into my house after watching the BNC jayvee cross-county meet amongst some of the biggest snowflakes I’ve ever seen.

It was a beautiful thing and credit to Oregon athletic director Mike Lawton for not cancelling it.

It certainly would have been easy enough to do, seeing how the BNC varsity was already contested on Friday and Saturday at Genoa-Kingston.

But, that’s not how Mike rolls. Like his father Rich Lawton, a long-time Dixon coach, Mike believes in challenging young people to do their best no matter what the conditions.

Don’t get me wrong. He is not reckless in his approach. Rather, he is a breath of fresh air when it has become so common to call off sports because it is too hot, cold, wet, snowy, windy, etc.

It’s more beneficial for kids to compete in inclement conditions instead of giving them an easy way out by not contesting an event.

I was hoping to get the scoop from Mike on the status of winter sports, but no decision has been made by the IHSA yet.

The IHSA did have a board meeting that same afternoon, only to announce it was continuing to work with the IDPH on final recommendations.

More will be revealed next week.

Hard to imagine this, but basketball players may be wearing masks, if games are allowed to be played.

Volleyball doesn’t have the same close contact as in-your-face, hand-checking, man-to-man basketball, but will it come into similar scrutiny because of being indoors?

Wrestlers have to be the most scared of the bunch on whether or not they get to compete.

For a sport that catches flak for skin disease outbreaks, Covid is a whole different animal.

Well at least bowling should be safe, right?

Don’t be so sure. Didn’t bowling alleys get shut down at the height of the Covid crisis?

But, how much is safe enough? What steps do you take and where do you stop?

The IHSA is in a tenuous situation, caught between a draconian governor and coaches, parents and kids that want to play.

Throw in a lawsuit-driven mentality pervading our country and an additional burden is placed on schools in making decisions on what should

be allowed.

Getting back to the IHSA board meeting, they decided to allow spring and summer athletes to simultaneously play on their high school and club sport team. There is no such accommodation for winter sports.

“Given the unique challenges of this school year, it remains important for our Board to be flexible and creative in seeking participation opportunities for students,” said IHSA Board Vice-President Robert Nolting, the Principal at Andrew High School in Tinley Park. “From my perspective, I am less worried about teams competing for conference or postseason titles this year. The goal is to get kids back being active to benefit their mental and physical well-being.

These (independent team) by-laws aim to preserve competitive equity, but for this school year, we feel the right decision is to provide an accommodation that maximizes participation.”

That’s a unique statement. What it basically means is that the IHSA is more interested in kids playing as much as they can, be it club sports or IHSA-sanctioned events and long-standing traditions of conference and post-season titles will not mean as much.

OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

COVID-19 virus has made life very bewildering

7

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

8

COUNTY NEWS

New Ogle County Jail is nearing completion No opening date yet, but open houses to be held next month

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com Construction on the new Ogle County Jail is wrapping up and Sheriff Brian VanVickle plans to host an open house in “mid-late November” at the new facility.

Detail work on the outside and interior along with landscaping are currently being completed. Furniture will arrive next month. There is no set date for the jail to open, VanVickle said. Training for staff must be done first.

“Sometime around the new year,” VanVickle said. “It depends on staffing and getting them trained and comfortable.”

VanVickle said the process has been going smooth due to the contractor, Gilbane Construction, having a history of work on detention centers. No major changes were made to plans in the process and the project is under budget, VanVickle said.

When Gilbane was in talks to build the jail, it looked at operations of the current jail and mirrored a lot of them in the new facility.

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

A roofer works on the front side of the new Ogle County Jail, called the Ogle County Judicial Center Annex, on Tuesday morning.

The old facility was built in the 1960s and has had its share of issues for inmates and staff.

“It was not meant to hold that many people,” VanVickle said.

“It’s not ideal for the staff. There’s nowhere to eat lunch. They sit on

milk crates and eat. It will be great for them.”

For inmates, there will be no more infrastructure issues like ventilation and sewer problems. There are also more amenities in the new facility.

“There’s an outdoor recreation area,” VanVickle said. “There will be fresh air. We will use those to provide a better place for them to be.

It can change behavior in the jail.

We can take care of issues in the cell blocks.”

ELECTION 2020

Early voting continues for Ogle County voters Mail-in ballot dropbox now available

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com Early voting will be taking place at the Ogle County Clerk’s Office at the Ogle County Courthouse at 105 S. 5th St in Oregon Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. until Nov. 2. A Saturday session will be available on Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. until noon at the same location.

As of last week, early voters stood at 1,439.

“There was a total of 3,063 at the last presidential election,” Ogle County Clerk Laura Cook said.

“We’re almost at half. I think we’ll surpass it.”

A secure drop box location has been installed at the courthouse as well for vote-by-mail ballots that voters don’t want to put in the mail. It is under video surveillance and can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We’re excited to have it up there,” Cook said. “We think a lot will use it. People were calling left and right in recent weeks and now we get calls thanking us for doing it. People don’t want to even go into the courthouse. It’s safe and secure for them.”

Cook said her office has mailed out over 7,000 mail-in ballots.

Mail-in ballots can also be dropped off in the county clerk’s office during business hours.

Early voting is being offered at the Ogle County Courthouse in Oregon. Voters can also drop off their mail ballots in a new drop box (pictured in the background) that is located by the west doors of the courthouse.

Earleen Hinton/ Shaw Media

POLO CITY COUNCIL

‘We’ve been looking for quite a long time’: Mayor Doug Knapp

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com City officials in Polo are one step closer to having a new home.

The city’s $229,000 offer on a building that is slated to become the new city hall and police department has been accepted. The transaction could close within the next two weeks, Mayor Doug Knapp said Tuesday.

The building, located at 610 S. Division Ave. in Polo is the former site of the CedarStone banquet hall, which was operated by White Pines Resort. That business declared bankruptcy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“City Hall has been in pretty bad shape for quite a long time,” Knapp said. “The back wall is bulging out and about ready to fall in. The roof

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

The Polo City Council is purchasing this building at 610 S. Division Street. It was formerly owned by White Pines Resort before the company declared bankruptcy and closed the wedding and banquet facility. is in bad shape. It’s too small for our needs. We’re talking about taking the police over there with us, too.

We’ve been looking for quite a long time.”

Explore Savanna’s CASTLE

Knapp said there is not a planned move-in date at this time for the new building, as renovations, estimated at a cost of $50,000, still need to be planned and done.

The purchase contract has a closing date of Oct. 29 and Knapp said hasn’t come across any delays yet.

That possibility was talked about at the special meeting on Oct. 9 where the offer was approved. If there are no liens on the building, closing will be able to go forward.

Despite some municipalities seeing decreases in expected revenues due to COVID-19, Knapp said finances weren’t a concern with the purchase.

“We did have money in reserves and it’s something we needed to do,” Knapp said.

During the Oct. 9 special meeting, Alderman Randy Schoon raised the concern of the impact of taking city hall out of the downtown. Knapp said that would have been ideal but after looking for years, the opportunity to move it elsewhere downtown never presented itself.

“It would’ve been nice, but it didn’t seem possible,” Knapp said.

“Now we don’t have to build one.

I’d bet it cost like $800,000 to build a new building like the one we just bought. It has a full basement we can use for records and storage.”

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OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Polo’s offer on new city hall building is accepted

9

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

10 To the Electors of the State of Illinois: The Illinois Constitution establishes a structure for government and laws. There are three ways to initiate change to the Illinois Constitution: (1) a constitutional convention may propose changes to any part; (2) the General Assembly may propose changes to any part; or (3) a petition initiative may propose amendments limited to structural and procedural subjects contained in the Legislative Article.

The people of Illinois must approve any changes to the Constitution before they become effective. The purpose of this document is to inform you of proposed changes to the Illinois Constitution and provide you with a brief explanation and a summary of the arguments in favor of and in opposition to the proposed amendment.

Proposed changes in the existing constitutional amendment are indicated by underscoring all new matter and by crossing with a line all matter which is to be deleted.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 3 OF ARTICLE IX OF THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION ARTICLE IX – REVENUE SECTION 3. LIMITATIONS ON INCOME TAXATION (a) The General Assembly shall provide by law for the rate or rates of any tax on or measured by income imposed by the State. A tax on or measured by income shall be at a non-graduated rate. At any one time there may be no more than one such tax imposed by the State for State purposes on individuals and one such tax so imposed on corporations. In any such tax imposed upon corporations the highest rate shall not exceed the highest rate imposed on individuals by more than a ratio of 8 to 5. (b) Laws imposing taxes on or measured by income may adopt by reference provisions of the laws and regulations of the United States, as they then exist or thereafter may be changed, for the purpose of arriving at the amount of income upon which the tax is imposed.

EXPLANATION The proposed amendment grants the State authority to impose higher income tax rates on higher income levels, which is how the federal government and a majority of other states do it. The amendment would remove the portion of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution that is sometimes referred to as the "flat tax," that requires all taxes on income to be at the same rate. The amendment does not itself change tax rates. It gives the State the ability to impose higher tax rates on those with higher income levels and lower tax rates on those with middle or lower income levels. You are asked to decide whether the proposed amendment should become a part of the Illinois Constitution.

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT Illinois' current tax system unfairly benefits millionaires and billionaires and this amendment will set things right for middle-class and working people. Currently, it is unfair that billionaires pay the same tax rate as regular people.

Voting "yes" on the amendment means that the State will enact a new tax structure where only those making above $250,000 a year will see their taxes go up. This amendment is simply upgrading Illinois' old tax system to a graduated system which is how the federal government and the majority of other states do it.

This Amendment Would Make Illinois' Tax System Fair.

Approval of this amendment would enact a fair system that allows the state to tax wealthy people at higher rates and lower income people at lower rates, replacing Illinois' current unfair tax system, in which wealthy people pay the exact same tax rate as lower and middle income people.

Illinois' current tax system unfairly benefits millionaires and billionaires, and approval of this amendment will set things right for the middle class and working people.

This amendment will help small business owners by creating a stable economic environment for their businesses to thrive.

While others try to mislead you, under the current tax system in Illinois, policymakers already have the authority to set any tax rate and to change tax rates at their will. The current system forces policymakers to charge the same tax rate to everyone, regardless of how much money they make. If this amendment passes, the State will have the ability to tax higher income earners at a different rate.

In fact, upon passage of this Amendment, a new tax structure will go into effect where 97% of taxpayers will pay the same or less, while only those making more than $250,000 a year will see a tax increase. This amendment does not tax retirement income.

The Federal Government and Most States Use the Graduated Tax System Proposed in this Amendment, Not the Unfair System Currently Used in Illinois.

Illinois is among a minority of states that do not utilize graduated tax rates because the Illinois Constitution requires a "flat tax" that penalizes middle-class and working people and benefits higher income individuals.

A majority of states and the federal government already use the kind of graduated income tax system proposed in this amendment to ensure that wealthy people pay their fair share of taxes.

Nearby states including Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin are among the majority of states that have graduated tax systems.

Illinois' Current Income Tax System Relies on Taxes from Middle and Lower Income Earners, While a Graduated System Would Lower that Burden and Fund Critical Programs such as Education and Human Services.

While some states have fair tax rates in which the highest income earners pay the highest tax rate, Illinois' "flat tax" rate continues to rely unfairly on taxes from middle and lower income earners.

Under Illinois' "flat tax" structure, a nurse making $50,000 per year pays the same tax rate as an executive making $4 million per year. A graduated tax rate would have the executive pay more.

Because of the way our current tax system is set up, the bottom fifth of Illinois taxpayers (those making below $21,800) contribute 14.4% of their income to state and local taxes, compared to 7.4% for the top 1 percent of Illinois taxpayers.

If this Amendment passes, the State has already enacted a new graduated tax structure where 97% of taxpayers will pay the same or less.

Under the new tax structure, only the top 3% of Illinois income earners would pay more in income taxes. Everyone who makes $250,000 or less a year would pay the same or less.

Over 95% of small businesses earn $250,000 or less a year in profits, and their owners will not see a tax increase under the new tax structure.

This change will generate additional revenue each year that can help address Illinois' budget deficit and fund critical programs, including the State's education system, public safety, and social services like mental health and substance abuse treatment and domestic violence shelters.

After the COVID-19 Pandemic, We Need to Do All We Can to Help the Economy and Middle-Class and Working People.

Working people and essential workers like nurses, first responders, and grocery store clerks should not pay the same tax rate as the wealthy. Nurses making $50,000 a year should not pay the same tax rate as an executive making $4,000,000 a year.

Having wealthy people pay more would reduce the burden on working families. This is money that middle and lower income people need for housing, groceries, medicine, and essentials.

When the wealthiest people pay more, middle and lower income earners can pay less while the State funds critical services that our essential workers rely on.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT 1) The Amendment gives the Legislature power to increase taxes on any group of taxpayers with no limits and no accountability and without any requirement to use the additional revenue to fund essential needs such as healthcare, education, or public safety.

2) Taxes and spending are out of control. The Legislature should not be allowed to keep raising taxes until they get their spending under control.

3) In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the worst possible time for a massive tax increase.

The Amendment gives the Legislature power to increase taxes on any group of taxpayers with no limits and no accountability and without any requirement to use the additional revenue to fund essential needs such as healthcare, education, or public safety.

The proposed amendment would give the Legislature unlimited new authority to increase income tax rates on any group of taxpayers at will, including low-income and middle-income families and small business owners. There would be no limit on the number of tax brackets that could be created and no limit on how high tax rates could be increased on individual taxpayers. In addition, this proposed change will pave the way for a tax on retirement income.

Nothing in the amendment requires the Legislature to do anything to control spending. Nor does it require funds to be spent on essential needs such as healthcare, education, or public safety. It would simply give the Legislature a blank check to spend billions of dollars however they want, with no accountability.

Taxes and spending are out of control. The Legislature should not be allowed to keep raising taxes until they get their spending under control.

Illinois already has some of the highest property taxes and sales taxes in the nation. And the Legislature has increased Illinois income tax rates twice in the past decade to try to deal with the out-ofcontrol spending in Springfield.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, our state had a huge and growing multi-billion-dollar budget deficit, and the unfunded pension liability skyrocketed to over $137 billion. That's because the Legislature has continued to increase state spending instead of eliminating government waste, corruption, and abuse.

Because they refuse to control spending or pass major reforms, the Legislature will just continue to raise taxes on everyone in Illinois, and middle-class families will be their next target.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the worst possible time for a massive tax increase.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused layoffs, unemployment, bankruptcies, and closures. As small businesses and local employers struggle to rebuild, this is the worst possible time to impose huge new tax increases. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, many residents and businesses were leaving the state because of the high tax burden. If the Amendment passes, it would be the last straw for thousands of small businesses, causing more jobs to leave the state, and making Illinois lose out on investments to rebuild our economy. This would mean fewer jobs and less opportunity for Illinois families.

OGLE COUNTY BOARD

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com Terry McGoldrick was asked at a recent Byron City Council meeting if Exelon’s plan to close the Byron Nuclear Plant in September 2021 was serious.

The president of IBEW Local 15 immediately knew how to answer.

“It is extremely serious,” McGoldrick said. “And it will close if we don’t get something done. I want everyone to know people are working and engaged to get this resolved.

We’re looking at a long-term settlement and agreement.”

McGoldrick joined State Rep. Tom Demmer Tuesday night for a presentation to the Ogle County Board on what is being done to prevent the closure of the plant.

Demmer said he’s been working with local, state and union groups on methods to keep both Byron and the Dresden Nuclear Plant (Morris) open.

“There’s a discussion in the governor’s office and I’m having conversations about what we can do as a house,” Demmer said. “And there’s

work at a local level of how to save it and how big a hole it would leave.

It’s not a quick decision to save the plants. I think there have been positive developments and conversations. We have good local engagement, but we’re not quite done.”

Exelon said in its closure plan press release that circumstances could change to keep the plants open. Demmer has put together state representatives from both sides of the aisle that hope to put together a bipartisan deal to do just that.

“Today, I also talked with a group of 13 organized labor groups that formed a climate labor group,” Demmer said. “There’s a number of recommendations they have, one is to keep all the nuclear plants open for power and economic impacts.”

The Byron Station Response Committee, consisting of local governing bodies and leaders, was established last month in response to the closure plan and SaveByron.com was established and has information on the possible economic impact of a closure.

Demmer has been inviting colleagues and interested parties to

tour the plants in hopes it will convince them to help. He was asked by one county board member at the meeting how much money it would take to get Exelon to keep the plant open.

“It’s a lot more complicated than a dollar amount,” Demmer said.

“Exelon wants to sell that power for as much as it can. It wants a more predictable way to sell power at auction. It’s more than a subsidy.

How can we recognize the unique role nuclear power plays at those auctions?”

Demmer said not every type of power should be considered the same and nuclear power should be recognized for its reliability, especially during extreme temperatures.

His priority to find a solution to keep the plant open long-term. That will involve Exelon belong able to sell its power at a competitive rate, which Demmer says it can’t now.

There are different strategies in play in Springfield, Demmer said.

One involved credits for power created with zero emissions. Another involves surcharges for those that release carbon into the atmosphere,

which Byron doesn’t.

“Each group is bringing a different perspective to address it,” Demmer said. “I think it’s probably a combination of strategies. We will have updates in the future and will let you know how to help.”

At the end of the meeting, the board passed a resolution in support of keeping Exelon and the Byron plant open in the community that will be forwarded to state senators, representatives and the governor.

Better Place Forests The county board also approved a special use permit for Better Place Forests at the meeting.

The business plans to purchase just over 50 acres of forest along the eastern banks of the Rock River for a conservation memorial forest where customers can purchase a tree dedication for the exclusive right to rest cremains there.

The county zoning board of appeals unanimously recommended the permit at its most recent meeting.

FORM OF BALLOT Proposed Amendment to the 1970 Illinois Constitution The proposed amendment grants the State authority to impose higher income tax rates on higher income levels, which is how the federal government and a majority of other states do it. The amendment would remove the portion of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution that is sometimes referred to as the "flat tax," that requires all taxes on income to be at the same rate.

The amendment does not itself change tax rates. It gives the State the ability to impose higher tax rates on those with higher income levels and lower income tax rates on those with middle or lower income levels. You are asked to decide whether the proposed amendment should become a part of the Illinois Constitution.

Due to COVID-19, all 2020 General Election voters are encouraged to cast a ballot prior to Election Day, either by mail or during early voting. Voting by mail is an easy option for voters and you can request a vote by mail ballot through email, mail, or in person. An application is available from your local election authority or at: https://elections.il.gov/electionoperations/VotingByMail.aspx. To register to vote or check your registration status, visit: https://ova.elections.il.gov.

CAPITOL BUILDING SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE I, Jesse White, Secretary of the State of Illinois, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Proposed Amendment, the Explanation of the Proposed Amendment, Arguments in Favor of the Amendment and Arguments Against the Amendment and a true copy of the Form of Ballot for this call as the regularly scheduled general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as set forth in compliance with the Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and affix the Great Seal of the State of Illinois, Done in the City of Springfield, this first day of June, 2020.

This voter information material is available in written format in English, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Spanish, and Braille.

It is also available in audio format in English. For more information, visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com or write the Secretary of State’s office at 111 East Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62756.

OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Demmer addresses Ogle board about Byron plant

11

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

SPECIAL EVENTS

Farmers markets available near Polo area this fall

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

12

Are you still looking for something to do as the fall weather rolls in? Well, look no further than the Polo area.

Farmer’s markets in and around Polo that will sell through October are: • Polo Farmer’s Market, 3 to 6 p.m.

Thursdays at the City Lot south of Shell Station on Division Ave. • Forreston Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to noon Fridays, at the Subway parking lot at Routes 26 and 72.

• The Dogwood Inn Flea-Farm-

Marvin and Reet Birkholz

Couple to celebrate 70 years of marriage Nov. 4 Marvin and Reet Birkholz will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on Nov. 4.

They have three children Jerry, Darrell, and Roger.

Their family would like to honor them with a card shower due to COVID-19 and health reasons.

Please help celebrate by sending a card to: 2080 W. Navaho Drive, Apt. 217, Freeport, IL 61032.

er’s Market, at the intersection of Illinois 64 and Illinois 26, 3 to 6 p.m.

Fridays inside the banquet area. The market also will be held on Fridays in November.

A Winter Flea/Farmer Market at Dogwood Inn will also be held on Saturdays beginning Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Anyone interested in becoming a vendor, can contact Bernice Ratledge 815-946-2499.

MARRIAGE LICENSES Ogle County clerk Laura Cook has issued the following licenses.

George Willis Andrews IV and Danielle Marie Simpson, both of Davis Junction.

Oct. 9 Ryan Callan and Cassandra Kay Wilson, both of Morrison.

Forrest Allan Hlad and Maegan Christine Goodwin, both of Rock Falls.

Oct. 13 Isaac Paisley Laws Parisi and Rebecca Anne Wiegand, both of Polo.

Jeremy Scott Harms and Tiffany Marie Vodicka, both of Compton.

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BY JEFF HELFRICH ​​​​​​​jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com A piece of Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center history has returned home after nearly a 60-year absence.

Sarah Strong-Norton, a granddaughter of Walter Strong who built the castle as a family home, returned a tapestry last week that originally was displayed the home in the early 1960s.

Strong-Norton now lives in Seattle and recently downsized her home and thought it’d be nice to return it. Stronghold Executive Director Danny Pierce has built relationships with the Strong family, who planned to hold a family reunion on the grounds this summer but had to delay it due to COVID-19.

Pierce is unsure of what will be done with the tapestry, but he’s happy to have it.

“It’s very inspirational,” Pierce said. “I’ve been here four years. No doubt the past of Stronghold is its future. We value the same things that they did. It’s a reconnection and strengthening of the fabric of Stronghold.”

Michael Krabbenhoeft/Shaw Media

Sarah Strong-Norton (left) and her husband Nile Norton hold up a tapestry that the pair brought from Seattle with them to return to the Stronghold Castle. The Norton’s are moving and can no longer display the piece and wanted to return it to the castle.

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OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Tapestry returns home to Stronghold Castle

13

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

14

YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Mike McNett Memorial Shelter now at Bald Hill The Byron Forest Preserve District has recently completed the Mike McNett Memorial Picnic Shelter at their Bald Hill Prairie Preserve located at 5502 N. Silver Creek Road in Mt. Morris.

The shelter was made possible by the funds provided by the Mike McNett Memorial Fund and the McNett family.

Pictured are Todd Tucker, Executive Director, Byron Forest Preserve District, Molly McNett, Judy McNett and Dan Libman.

Mike McNett grew up just south of the Bald Hill Prairie Preserve and spent a great deal of his youth at the scenic site.

He passed away in July 2018 at the age 80.

He graduated from Mt. Morris High School in 1955 and spent his career as a teacher, counselor and coach in Oregon schools retiring in 1992. The new McNett Shelter is located a short distance west of the Bald Hill Prairie Preserve parking area and offers spectacular views of the preserve. The site is open for drop-in use year round from dawn until dusk. For more information regarding the 380-acre Bald Hill Prairie Preserve or any of the other eight Byron Forest Preserve District preserves, call 815 234-8535 extension 200.

AT LEFT: The Byron Forest Preserve District announced last week that it has recently completed the Mike McNett Memorial Picnic Shelter at their Bald Hill Prairie Preserve located at 5502 N. Silver Creek Road in Mt. Morris. Pictured here are Todd Tucker, executive director, Byron Forest Preserve District; Molly McNett; Judy McNett; and Dan Libman.

ABOVE: McNett, who passed away on July 5, 2018, is pictured here with his dog.

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BUSINESS

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com Cherie Slack has run a barbershop in three Ogle County towns during the past 35 years. This month, she’ll be retiring and will hand over the keys to a new owner. Short Cut Barbershop came to Oregon in 2011. Before that, it was in Mt. Morris for 23 years and in Leaf River for three. “It’s already bittersweet,� Slack said. “I’ve been cutting some of these people for over 30 years. You become friends. Everyone is already teary-eyed.�

Slack’s retirement comes on her own terms. She’ll still have a chair in the shop to help out the new owner, Erin Dietrich, when she needs it. She plans to spend her other time doing some hiking and traveling. COVID-19 did play a part in Slack’s decision. She was extremely busy after being closed for 11 weeks during the shutdown. Now, it’s slow, due to some people still not wanting to come out. “We’re down 25 percent,� Slack said. “Most shops are. A lot of cli-

Alex T. Paschal/Shaw Media

Cherie Slack, left, and Erin Dietrich display the new sign for the downtown Oregon shop. ents are still not coming out, especially the elderly. In Erin’s situation, maybe it’s good. She’s starting out slow and she can take her time and get to know people.�

Slack has been fond of many clients over her years in business.

Her favorite was Kenny Miller, who would always come into the shop for coffee. She returned the favor by bringing him coffee at his home up

until he passed away. The barbershop business has changed its fair share over the years, Slack said. “Barbershops are a thing of the past, but they’re making a resurgence,� Slack said. “People are into the straight razor shaving. I quit it years ago, but it’s hot again.�

Dietrich plans to rename the business the Patriot Barber Shop when

she takes the keys. She’ll be having a grand opening on Nov. 3. The Patriot Barber Shop name is inspired by Dietrich’s military service in the Army. She served active duty from 1999-2004 and was in Kosovo and Afghanistan. She plans to have photos on the wall of those who have served so their stories can be told. “I was kind of inspired through other veterans,� Dietrich said. “I wanted a safe space for people to talk about service. What better time for a patriotic theme?�

Dietrich and Slack have been friends since Dietrich was a child.

Dietrich decided to attend barber college recently after Slack mentioned the idea of taking over while one of Dietrich’s sons was getting his haircut. Opening a business amid the pandemic does concern Dietrich, but she’s optimistic. “I feel like it’s the right thing to do,� Dietrich said. “It’s probably not the best time, but I have to do it. I have concerns, but it won’t stop me. I can’t afford to. I have to bet on myself.�

OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Short Cut Barber Shop in Oregon changing owners

15

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

16

SPORTS

Runners dodge deer during cross country meet Lady Hawks finish in fifth place at BNC meet in Kingston

BY BRIAN WEIDMAN bweidman@saukvalley.com

Between chasing Indians and dodging deer, it was an interesting, but productive day for the Dixon and Rock Falls girls cross country teams at the Big Northern Conference championship held Oct. 17 at Walcamp Outdoor Ministries in Kingston.

The Duchesses had five of the top 12 finishers to amass 44 points and take second place, while the Rockets were next with 103 points. They were all looking up at Winnebago, the defending Class 1A state champs who had seven of the first nine runners, including the first four, on its way to a mere 17 points.

The event was split into three races, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Taylor Hills finished 15th for Dixon with a time of 19:23.34, and had a close encounter with nature just before the homestretch. A deer missed her by about a foot.

“I saw two deer out of the woods to my right, and I thought they were done because they passed me,” Hills said. “Right as I was starting to speed up for my finish, there was another Alex T. Paschal/Shaw Media one that came out of nowhere. I had A deer leaps on the course behind Dixon’s Paige Stees and other runners during the girl’s Big Northern Cross Country Meet in Kingston. to stop in my tracks for a second because I didn’t know if it was coming in front of me or behind me. It was a little scary.”

Rock Falls’ Bryahna Ganther was another runner who had an unexpected obstacle in her way. She was 16th in 19:53.98.

“There was a deer that ran out in front of me that scared the crap out of me,” Ganther said. “I feel like that helped me a little bit because it got my mind off of everything. At the beginning, I was back a little bit, but I knew that in the middle, I was going to kick again, like I usually do.”

Oregon was fifth among nine teams with 146 points. Leading the way for the Hawks was Leah Watters, 21st in 20:23.52.

The other counting scores for the Hawks came from Faith Marquardt (23rd, 20:25.24), Katlyn Ramirez (27th, 20:44.75), Jennica Ciesiel (37th, 22:19.43) and Ellen Hodson (38th, 22:20.37).

Matt Hussung Rounding out the Oregon lineup were Ava Wight (42nd, 22:44.93) and TOP LEFT: Leah Watters, Faith Marquardt, and Katlyn Ramirez run at the Big Northern Conference Meet on Saturday. TOP RIGHT: Katelyn Bowers (49th, 23:13.65).

Oregon’s Ryan Hussung runs alongside a Rockford Lutheran runner at the conference meet. Hussung finished in 15th place.

COUNTY BOARD

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com Tuesday’s Ogle County Board Meeting didn’t exactly “Zoom” along for one county board member.

The meeting was held via a Zoom conference call, but ran into a number of technical difficulties for board members and the public who were

not attending the meeting in person.

Board member Lyle Hopkins of Polo said the meeting took place in the county chambers as a usual one would, but that the number of people who could attend was limited.

Recent meetings have been conducted over the phone.

Hopkins was one of the board members who opted to participate

from home and became frustrated midway through the meeting.

“If we’re going to have meetings like this, we need to have a better sound system,” Hopkins said. “What kind of a meeting is this where people can’t hear? Goodnight.”

Those listening via phone were largely unable to hear Chairman John Finfrock’s comments through-

out the night, as well as others who were using the microphone system in person.

“I didn’t hear more than 20 percent of it,” Hopkins said when contacted after the meeting. “That was the lousiest meeting I’ve ever heard and I’ve done Zoom meetings before.

What the hell kind of government do we have?”

AGRICULTURE

Milder weather has helped 2020 harvest so far

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@oglecountynews.com One thing Polo farmer Brian Duncan doesn’t miss about last year’s harvest? Mud. The fear of getting stuck in it.

Getting it in the machine. Tracking it onto roads.

This fall, Duncan and other Ogle County farmers have seen dryer and milder weather for the harvest season compared to last year, which was wetter and drawn-out.

“We’re wrapping up soybean harvest and we’ve got a good start on corn,” Duncan said. “It’s been tremendous weather, nice and dry.

Yields have been variable. Winds have impacted yields in the Polo area. If you were hit hard by the wind, your yield is down. I would say it’s been an average crop for us.”

Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager said beans are “mostly wrapped up” in the county and that corn is 40-50 percent picked. He says both crops have dried down well.

On top of issues from the Aug. 10 severe wind storm, a late summer dry spell and early spring water problems have made for “variable” and “below-average” yields, Kern said.

“One guy said he did 240-280 bushels per acre,” Kern said. “It depends on soil and where rain hit.”

The picking of downed corn has been slow, but Kern said for some it hasn’t been as bad as it seemed.

Duncan was impacted by those winds. He’s had to combine his corn in different directions to pick it up.

Both men agree that early November could be when harvest gets wrapped up. Several chances of rain in the forecast coming up makes Kern nervous, but not Duncan.

“I’d like to be done by the second week in November,” Duncan said.

“There’s a long way to go. We’re so dry, I wouldn’t complain about

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

ABOVE: A farmer picks corn in a field southeast of Polo. BELOW: Grain wagons wait to transport the corn in a field east of Polo. rain. It could give us a chance to fix some things we’ve been putting off.

It wouldn’t hurt.

We started on Oct. 1 and have been plugging away.”

Kern said he’s seen limited fall tillage in county fields so far that would help farmers get a jump on next year. He thinks that will come, after farmers get more crops into their bins.

One factor that has farmers feeling positive are higher commodity prices heading into harvest.

“Prices are rallying,” Duncan said. “I feel like the market has figured out last year wasn’t as good as we hoped and the same this year.

We’ll see how it holds up. It’s unusual for prices to rally going into harvest.”

Even though he’s glad to not be tracking mud onto roads this fall, Duncan still advised county residents to keep their eyes open for harvesters with work still to be done.

“Everybody be patient with machinery on roads and be safe,” Duncan said. “Spring is a sprint. Fall is a marathon.”

OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Technical difficulties loom large at Ogle meeting

17

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

18

POLO LIBRARY Library Hours Polo Library is open 10 a.m. -7 p.m.

Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, and closed Sunday.

The library building will be open for patrons to come in, browse, and check out items. We will continue to have Curbside Delivery available if you prefer to not enter the building or are unable to wear a mask. You can place an order by calling 815-946-2713, emailing library@ pololibrary.org, or through your PrairieCat/Encore account.

Masks are required for patrons to come into the library. We have disposable masks available to purchase for $1 if you don’t have a mask or if you forgot yours at home.

Public Computer Use We have two computers available for patron use that are over 6 feet away from each other and cleaned between uses. There is a one hour time limit for the use of either computer. If you’d like to make sure there is a computer available, please call 815-946-2713 to reserve

a computer. You can also fax, copy and print as needed.

Returned Books We ask that you continue to return items, as you are done with them, through the book drop that will continue to be open 24/7. After items are returned, they will still appear on your account while they are quarantined, then they will be checked back in and backdated to when they were returned.

This means that you may receive courtesy notifications (phone calls, texts or emails) close to the due date of your item(s), or even a first overdue notice before your item(s) are checked back into our system even if you have already returned your items.

We are a fine-free library, so you do not need to worry about accruing fines during the quarantine period. However, materials that are not returned will result in a replacement bill. This bill is generated after materials are 21 days overdue. As long as the materials are returned with no damage you will not be charged the replacement fee. If you

have any questions or concerns, please call 815-946-2713.

Free Library Card Any person of student age (4-18 years old) living in the Polo School District qualifies for a free Polo Library card, whether you attend Polo Schools, private school, or are homeschooled.

Family cards, which parents can use too, are only $20 a year if you live outside of Buffalo Township and have a student living in your household. As always, if you live in Buffalo Township, you are able to get a Polo Library card for free.

Stop by the library today to sign up for a card or, if you’ve lost your card, pick up a new card. Call 815-946-2713 or email library@pololibrary.org with questions.

Virtual Storytime - Saturdays 10:30 a.m. - Facebook.com/pololibrary Every Saturday morning head over to Polo Library’s Facebook page to watch Ms. Melanie read a children’s story.

They air each Saturday at 10:30am, but you can watch them any time! Stop by the Library to pick up a bag with a fun

craft to go along with the book that was read. If you have a book you’d like to hear read for Saturday Storytime, email Ms. Melanie at melaniew@pololibrary. org Pinterest Party at Home Stop by the Library, or email library@ pololibrary.org, for instructions to make this month’s craft, a Toilet Paper Pumpkin.

A Note on Donations Due to the need to quarantine items before they can be checked in and put back in their place, we regretfully do not have the space to receive donated items at this time.

Online Resources Download Axis 360, OMNI/Overdrive, Libby, and Biblioboard for books and audiobooks. Links to these resources are available at pololibrary.org Wi-Fi Access Wi-Fi is available outside of the library building by joining the Polo Public Library Guest Access network, you do not need a password.

OREGON LIBRARY Open for Browsing Come in to pick out your own books. We ask that you sanitize when you come in and remember to wear your mask. To best provide a safe environment we are limiting the number of patrons in the library at a time. Curbside pick up will continue indefinitely.

The building is open regular hours. You can put holds on items in our library through our catalog or by calling the library at 815-732-2724. Please call for any questions or material requests.

Zoom story time Once a month we will have a Zoom Story Time at 10 a.m. Thursdays. Register at least a week before in order to receive your craft kit and the Zoom link.

The dates are: Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.

Monster Mash, 3:30 p.m. Oct. 29 The Universal monster movies of the 1930’s and 40’s are some of the most influential and beautiful moves ever made. We’ll see how children celebrated Halloween a century ago. Registration required for this ZOOM event, call 815732-2724.

Halloween at the Library, 3 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31 Ages 12 and under only.

Visit the “Halloween patch” on the Library lawn and pick out a unique “pumpkin” filled with treats. Social distancing and masks are required and there is a limited supply. In case of inclement weather the “pumpkins” will be distributed from the elevator entrance of the Library. Call the Library at 815-732-2724 for more information.

Election Day All non-registered voters between ages of 3-17 may have a voice at our Unofficial voting box. Stop by the Library between October 19-28 and pick up an unofficial ballot for the presidential election. Bring back the completed ballot on Oct. 30, 31 or Nov. 2 and place it in our unofficial ballot box located in the elevator lobby during library hours.

We will tally the votes on Nov. 3 and post the results on the 4th. The Library will be closed on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Book Clubs The Afternoon Book Club meets Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig.

The 2WBC meets Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. to discuss The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

Books on Tap Book Club meets on

Thursday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. at Cork n Tap to discuss The Guest List by Lucy Foley.

National Novel Writing Month 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 November kicks off National Novel Writing Month. Every November, aspiring authors of all ages devote themselves to one audacious goal - to write a novel by Nov. 31. We will talk about the origins of Nanowrimo,how to stay motivated, how to cross the 50,000 word threshold and what to do afterwards.

There will also be a question and answer period, as well as some writing prompts and time to work on projects. Come enjoy some camaraderie with fellow writers on Zoom. For more info contact the Library at 815-732-2724.

Yoga with Jennifer Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m.- only 5 spots available.

Registration required 815-732-2724 Book Sale The Grab Bag Book Sale continues.

This is an ongoing sale and the bags are in the library labeled by genre. You can purchase a bag for $5. There are approximately 8-10 books in each bag. Call the Library at 815-732-2724 if you have any

questions.

StoryWalk The Oregon Public Library StoryWalk at Oregon Park West is now open. Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting begins on the path at the main parking lot.

New Releases Christmas Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke (Mystery) Murder At The PTA by Lee Hollis (Mystery) Battle Ground by Jim Butcher (Science Fiction) Disloyal: The True Story Of The Former Personal Attorney To President Donald J. Trump by Michael Cohen (Non-Fiction 973.933 COH) Jack by Marilynne Robinson (Fiction) The Return by Nicholas Sparks (Fiction) The Brightest Star by Fern Michaels (Fiction) The Gift Of Family by Mary Monroe (Fiction) One More For Christmas by Sarah Morgan (Fiction) Missionaries by Phil Klay (Fiction) Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman (Fiction) An Irish Country Welcome by Patrick Taylor (Fiction)

BERTOLET LIBRARY library meeting room. Masks will be required…and bring a friend. No registration is necessary.

Family Story Time We have time slots available for you to sign your family up for a private Story Time session. These sessions will be

20-30 minutes long. Each week will include a story and an art project. Registration is required by 5 p.m. the Wednesday before to reserve your time slot each week.

Let’s Stick Together Join us in a virtual puzzle with LetsS-

tickTogether.com. Our current puzzle can be found at facebook.com/l.php. Fill in a little or a lot.

New Releases Adult Fiction: Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green, Dear Child by Romy Hausmann.

FORRESTON LIBRARY Library Board Positions Nominating petitions are now available for anyone interested in running for the Forreston Public Library Board. There will be three positions open and they are each 6 year terms. Call the library at 815-938-2624 or stop in for more information.

Snow Removal We are currently accepting quotes for snow removal services of the library sidewalks and parking lot for the upcoming winter. Deadline to apply is Nov. 1. Contact Julie at 815-938-2624 for more information.

Second Downtown Trick or Treat 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 31 When making your rounds be sure to stop by the library to pick up a Take and Make craft project and a special treat.

We can’t wait to see your costumes.

Services by Appointment Browsing by appointment is available.

Please call or message the library to schedule a time to come in to browse and check out materials. Also, anyone needing to send a fax, make copies, or use a computer may call the library and schedule an appointment to come in.

Everyone over the age of 2 must wear a

mask. We may be reached by phone at 815-938-2624, email at forrestonpubliclibrary@gmail.com or through Facebook messenger. We’re looking forward to seeing you.

Curbside Pickup We will continue to offer curbside pickup. Pick up times will be scheduled when you place a request. Interlibrary loans have resumed so you may also request items from other libraries. Due to quarantine policies, delivery may take longer than usual. Please call, Facebook message, or email us to request materials or if you have any questions.

Read for a Lifetime All high school students are encouraged to sign up for “Read for a Lifetime”, a state initiative designed to encourage a life-long interest in reading. Every year 25 books, including contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and some classics are chosen for the program.

Students who read at least 4 of the books by April 15 receive a certificate of recognition from the state and a chance to win a gift card. Students must register by Nov. 15 to participate.

Please call or message the library to sign up or for more information.

MT. MORRIS LIBRARY Open Trustee Positions We have two Trustee positions expiring. If you are interested in being in the Spring elections, packets are available for pickup from Village Hall.

Halloween Grab-N-Go We will be passing out treat bags from 3-5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. Come show us your costume. We will use gloves and masks while passing out bags of treats. First come, first served and while supplies last.

To-Go Craft Kits Kids Craft (ages 3-9): Travel Calming Jar. Available through Oct. 31 (while supplies last). We will provide everything except warm water.

Tween/Teen Craft (ages 10–18) available now and while supplies last.

This month is a motivational keychain.

We provide everything except a pair of scissors.

Adult Craft (ages 19 and up): Pebble

Magnet. Available now (while supplies last).

We will provide everything. Call the library or email dawn. mtmorrislib@ gmail.com to reserve your kit then come pick it up curbside.

11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.; will last approximately 45 minutes and will include books, rhymes and a craft. Must sign up at least two weeks in

Virtual Storytime & To-Go Kits Storytime will start Oct. 28 at 11:15 a.m. via Facebook Live and will be every week. Weekly Storytime themed kits will be available. Call the library 815734-4927 or email dawn.mtmorrislib@ gmail.com to pick up your kit.

Family Storytime {In-person} In-person family storytime Friday, Oct. 23 and 30. This will be by appointment and for one family at a time. Fridays at

advance.

Masks will be required for ages 3 and up and you will be asked to use hand sanitizer upon entry to the library. Call the library 815-734-4927 or email dawn. mtmorrislib@gmail.com to register.

Browsing & Computer Use By Appointment We are open for browsing and computer use by appointment; call they library to schedule a time. Masks are required and you will be asked to use

hand sanitizer upon entering the library.

No unaccompanied children are allowed in the library at this time (please do not bring your children if you will be using the computer). Browsing is limited to 30 minutes and computer use to one hour.

Curbside Pickup, Interlibrary Loans, Library Cards Curbside Service and Interlibrary Loans are available during regular business hours. Mt. Morris Patrons can place holds through the catalog, by calling or emailing.

Library staff is quarantining all returned items for a period of time.

Recently returned materials may remain on your account longer than usual.

No overdue fines will be charged. New library cards: Patrons can call or email the library to renew or receive new library cards.

Contact the library at 815-734-4927 or mmlib@mtmorris-il.org

• Oregon Republican Reporter • Mt. Morris Times •Tri-County Press • Forreston Journal

Only $39 a year for subscribers living in Ogle County.

Call 815-732-6166, ext. 2518 to subscribe today!

19 OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Wednesday WhoDunIt There is a ‘Wednesday WhoDunIt’ book discussion group. Pick any mystery book to read and be ready to share your recommendation. We will meet outside, if weather permits; if not, the discussion will be held, socially-distanced, in the

FATAL CRASH

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

Driver of truck has been arrested for DUI

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

20

Leaf River man is killed in crash near Oregon

BY TIMOTHY EGGERT teggert@saukvalley.com A 37-year-old Leaf River man was killed around 8:35 p.m. on Oct. 13 after his car was struck by an oncoming Mt. Morris driver who has been charged with aggravated

OBITUARY KENNETH E. MILLER POLO - Kenneth E. Miller, 91, of Polo, passed away Friday, October 16, 2020 at CGH Medical Center in Sterling with his family by his side.

Kenneth was born March 8, 1929 in Leaf River, to his parents, Art and Ada Miller. He and his wife Alice were mar-

driving under the influence, according to the Oregon Police Department.

Andrew Long was traveling eastbound near the 1700 block of West Washington Street when his vehicle, a passenger sedan, was struck by a pickup truck heading westbound, driven by Scott L. Disher, according to a department news release.

Disher, 33, of Mt. Morris, crossed over the center line and into the path of Long, the release said.

Long was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained from the accident.

Disher was transported with minor injuries to KSB Hospital in Dixon, where he was treated and released.

He was ticketed for driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving while under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content greater than .08, improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to

avoid an accident.

Disher was also arrested, charged with and transported to the Ogle County Jail on one count of aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol, a Class 4 Felony.

The accident remains under investigation and the Ogle County State Attorney’s office may bring additional charges against Disher, the release said.

ried on Dec. 18, 1953 in Polo and celebrated nearly 67 years of marriage.

Kenneth farmed in Polo for over 65 years, until his retirement just two years ago. He enjoyed collecting toy machinery and all things farming. Ken was a loving husband, father and grandfather.

He is survived by his wife, Alice; daughters, Marilyn (Mike) Deal of North-

glenn, Colorado and Judy (Angelo) Rukel of Bartlett; daughter-in-law, Betty Miller; sisters, Betty Wells of Mt. Morris and Darlene Barnhart of Polo;seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and his faithful furry companion, Toby.

Ken is preceded in death by a son, Richard; sisters, Margaret Bolen, Helen Byers and Mae Leupkas; and brother

Everett in infancy.

A graveside service was held Wednesday, Oct. 21 at Fairmount Cemetery in Polo where the family asked anyone attending to please wear facial coverings.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Kenneth Miller Memorial.

of bond.

Oct. 17 Richard Gallagher, 36, of Oregon was arrested at 7:45 p.m. for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting/obstructing a peace officer.

He was arrested after deputies conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of West Mud Creek Road and North Rock Road. Gallagher was also issued a citation for an equipment violation.

Gallagher was transported to the Ogle County Jail where he was released to correctional staff and held in lieu of bond.

issued a citation at 4:33 a.m. for speeding, 44 mph in a 30 mph zone. This violation occurred in the 800 block of N. 4th Street.

At 11:36 a.m., police investigated a two-vehicle traffic crash in the parking lot for the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office located at 1302 Pines Road involving a 2008 Chevrolet driven by David E. Johnson, 82, of Byron, and a parked 2000 Ford owned by Roy R. Ennenga, Jr., 39, of Oregon. No citations were issued.

Gerald L. Otten, 62, of Oregon, was arrested at 2:28 p.m. on an outstanding Ogle County warrant for failure to

appear. Otten was transported to the Ogle County Jail.

OGLE COUNTY SHERIFF Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle reports the following police activity.

Oct. 12 Bobbi Heinze, 26, of German Valley was arrested at 11:39 p.m. for aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving while license suspended and improper use of registration after deputies initiated a traffic stop in the 12,000 block of North Illinois 26.

Heinze was transported to the Ogle County Jail where she was held in lieu

Oct. 16 Jermaine Hollins, 32, of Rockford was arrested at 10:05 a.m. for not having a valid driver’s license and on an active Ogle County warrant after deputies conducted a traffic stop at Illinois 251 and Lindenwood Road.

Hollins was transported to the Ogle County Jail where he was held in lieu of bond.

Lucinda Perez, 30, of Rockford was arrested at 3:04 a.m. for driving while under the influence of alcohol after deputies conducted a traffic stop on Illinois 251 at Illinois 72 on a Brown GMC Envoy for a traffic violation. Perez was transported to the Ogle County Jail and held in lieu of bond.

OREGON POLICE Oregon Police Chief Shawn Melville reports the following police activity.

Oct. 6 At 6:07 a.m., police responded to the intersection of Washington and 4th Streets for a two-vehicle traffic crash involving a 2020 Jeep driven by Stephanie K. Freeze, 45, of Mt. Morris and a 2014 Ford driven by William J. Holloway, 57, of Leaf River. Freeze was issued a citation for disobeying a traffic control device.

Paige M. Beauchem, 16, of Chana, was issued a citation at 3:09 p.m. for

speeding, 45 mph in a 30 mph zone.

This violation occurred in the 1000 block of Adams Street.

Oct. 7 Alyssa P. Wright, 22, of Aurora, was arrested at 9:33 p.m. on two DuPage County warrants, one for failure to appear for dangerous drugs, and one for driving while license suspended. Wright was transported to the Ogle County Jail.

Oct. 8 At 4:33 a.m., Oregon Police issued James R. Druien, 55, of Byron, was

Oct. 9 Amber L. Jordan, 36, of Oregon, was issued a city citation at 4:27 p.m. for violating the nuisance animal ordinance of allowing a dog to run at large. This violation occurred in the 700 block of Jefferson Street.

Joshua M. Deuth, 29, of Oregon, was issued a citation at 9:16 p.m. for failure to stop at a stop sign. This violation See OREGON POLICE, Page 21

21

PROPERTY TRANSFERS Oak Holdings LLC, 1352 Glacier Drive, Byron, $317,765.

• Byron Reserve LLC to Karen G. Edwards, 1112 Frosty Morning Drive, Davis Junction, $189,900.

• Delbert R. and Linda J. Windland to Steven M. Howell, one parcel in Monroe Township, $134,000.

• Royal Plaza Management LLC and Young Farms Management LLC to Circle G Farms & Feedlots Inc., one parcel in Monroe Township, $528,697.

• Sean M. and Rebecca A. Adams to Tyler H. and Grace L. Stubblefield, 924 N. Crest Court, Byron, $140,900.

• Matthew W. Funk to Christopher H. Hall, 108 E. Main St., Stillman Valley, $35,000.

• Bonnie L. McMahon to Blake A. Toliver, 1108 Carrie Ave., Rochelle, $154,000.

• Kathryn E. Thompson to Joseph E. Cagle and Jana K. Gruben, 522 N. 11th St., Rochelle, $50,000.

• Charles G. and Lori A. Pfoutz to Scott J. Rebekka N. Powell, 507 N. Thomas Ave., Polo, $145,000.

• Beverly June Garcia to Brian K. and Mary L. Hereford, 8168 S. Green St., Grand Detour, 334,750.

Police Chief Tim Rockwood released the following information.

Oct. 4 Bryce C.P. Chellis, 24, of Foley, Alabama, was cited for illegal squealing of tires. He was released on an I-Bond.

Oct. 5 Timothy Allen Shields, 56, of Evansville, Indiana, was cited for operation of an uninsured vehicle. He was released on an

I-bond.

Oct. 8 Jonathan S. Webb, 40, of Polo, was arrested on an outstanding Ogle County warrant. He was transported to the Ogle County Jail.

Oct. 12 Dolan R. Motes, 50, of Rock Falls, was cited for speeding 52 mph in a 35 mph speed zone. He was released on an

I-bond.

John R. Powell, 59, of Polo, was arrested for an outstanding Ogle County warrant. He was transported to the Ogle County Jail.

Oct. 16 Cody Arron Suter, 30, of Polo, was arrested on an outstanding Winnebago County warrant. He was transported to the Ogle County Jail.

Oct. 17 Stacey K. Bielema, 41, of Polo, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bielema was transported to the Ogle County Jail.

Frank Kowal, 46, of Polo, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to the Ogle County Jail.

• OREGON POLICE

6th Street.

issued a citation at 11:43 a.m. for speeding, 48 mph in a 30 mph zone. This violation occurred in the 200 block of N. Daysville Road.

Bonnie M. Schlatt, 41, of Oregon, was issued a citation at 1:22 p.m. for disobeying a stop sign. This violation occurred at the intersection of S. 10th and Webster Streets.

to run at large. This violation occurred in the 600 block of Monroe Street.

Warranty Deeds • Kathryn J. Ubben to Mount Morris Township, 501 N. Wesley St., Mt. Morris, $45,000.

• Brandon Michael and Nicole Ann Zammuto to William S. Hamilton, 310 E. Roosevelt Road, Stillman Valley, $90,000.

• Scott A. and Katie A. Mitchell to Alana McConnell, 801 N. Fieldcrest Drive, Byron, $170,000.

• Lee V. and Deborah A. Foster to Derek Wheeler, one parcel in Marion Township, $54,000.

• Michael and Susan Steffens to Neil and Rosemary Sanders, 311 Birch Lane, Dixon, $169,000.

• The late Michael W. Smyth by heirs to Carmen R. and Mary K. Carr, 508 S. Fourth Ave., Forreston, $65,000.

• Country Homes Group LLC to Shady

Quit Claim Deeds • James E. Winters to Margaret A. Archer, 10964 E. Lindenwood Road, Chana, $0.

• Jennifer and Daniel Foster to Micah and Jacqueline Foster, 422 N. Ninth St., Rochelle, $50,000.

• Cody W. Schwartz to Brittany N. Peterson, 305 W. Lincoln St., Mt. Morris, $0.

• Charlotte J. Herman, also Hermann, to Chris and Angela L. Stephenitch, 1200 Timer Trail Drive, Lost Nation, $5,000 Trustee’s Deeds • M & A Trust, David L. Book, trustee, to Michael J. and Aaron D. Book, 458 N.

Union Road, Polo, $0.

• Sexton Family Trust and Dawn R. Windland Revocable Trust, Dawn R. Windland and Debra R. and Timothy G. Sexton, trustees, to Steven M. Howell, one parcel in Monroe Township, $402,577.

• Louise Dorothy Howell Trust, Michael E. Howell, trustee, to Steven Howell, one parcel in Monroe Township, $0.

• Greenfield Family Trust, Gary L. and Lori A. Greenfield, trustees, to LKBL Properties LLC, 109 W, Front St., Mt. Morris, $30,000.

Deed in Trust • Realtax Developers LTD to First Mid Wealth Management Co. Land Trust 44190460, First Mid Wealth Management Co., trustee, 5965 N. Esther Drive, Byron, $17,896.

Source: Ogle County Recorder’s Office

POLO POLICE

Continued from Page 20 occurred at the intersection of Jefferson and 10th Streets.

Peter K. Brauchler, 25, Oregon, was issued a citation at 11:31 p.m. for failure to stop at a stop sign. This violation occurred at the intersection of River Road and E. Washington Street.

Oct. 10 Richard W. Major, 53, of Oregon, was arrested at 2 p.m. for possession of a stolen debit card. Major was also issued a civil citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. Major was transported to the Ogle County Jail.

Oct. 11 At 8:00 p.m., police issued a 14-yearold male juvenile, of Oregon, a city citation for the offense of littering. This violation occurred in the 400 block of S.

Oct. 12 Robert A. Reitz, 56, of Forreston, was issued citations at 1:03 a.m. for disobeying a stop sign and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. These violations occurred at the intersection of S. 10th and Webster Streets.

Oct. 13 Lisa A. Smith, 36, of Oregon, was issued a citation at 9:06 a.m. for speeding, 52 mph in a 30 mph zone. This violation occurred in the 200 block of N. Daysville Road.

Alyssa A. Torres, 17, of Rockford, was issued a citation at 3:07 p.m. for speeding, 45 mph in a 30 mph zone. This violation occurred in the 1000 block of Adams Street.

Oct. 14 Larry C. Kuehne, 57, of Roscoe, was

Oct. 18 Jessica F. Garrison, 20, of Rochelle, was issued a citation at 8:03 a.m. for speeding, 54 mph in a 30 mph zone.

This violation occurred in the 700 block of N. 4th Street.

Carole L. Whitney 77, of Dixon, was issued a citation at 12:52 p.m. for speeding, 54 mph in a 35 mph zone. This violation occurred in the 1300 block of Pines Road.

Robert A. Milliman, 66, of Oregon, was issued a city citation at 5:10 p.m. for violating the ordinance of allowing a dog

Seven parking citation and seven verbal warnings were issued from Oct. 5 through Oct. 18.

Please note: Any arrests listed are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

General calls for service through dispatch Oct. 5 - Oct. 18 Checking a Subject / Vehicle.......... 9 Citizen Complaints.......................... 22 Citizen Assist / Civil Problem.........17 Assist EMS / Other Dept.................. 6 Disturbance / Domestic Battery......7 911 Hang-up / Open Line...................7 Lockout Vehicle / Building................7 Alarm Response..................................3 Ordinance Violations..........................5 Traffic Stops......................................18

OGLE COUNTY NEWS Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

Ogle County property transfers recorded week of Oct. 9-15.

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

CLASSIFIED

22

Classified advertising ART W. BETTNER, UNKNOWN OWNERS, UNKNOWN TENANTS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendants.

LEGAL NOTICES

101

LEGAL NOTICES

101

LEGAL NOTICES

101

ANNUAL TREASURER'S REPORT FOR THE VILLAGE OF FORRESTON FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 5/1/19-4/30/20 STATE OF ILLINOIS, COUNTY OF OGLE Office of Village Treasurer Forreston, Illinois The following is a statement by Fredric Schneiderman, Village Treasurer of Forreston in the County and State aforesaid, of the amount of public funds received and disbursed by him during the fiscal year ending on the 30th day of April, A.D. 2020, showing the amount of public funds on hand at the commencement of said fiscal year; the amount of public funds received, and from what sources received; the amount of public funds expended, and for what purposes expended, during said fiscal year ending as aforesaid.

The said Fredric Schneiderman, being duly sworn, doth depose and say, that the following statement by him subscribed is a correct statement of the amount of public funds on hand at the commencement of the fiscal year above stated, the amount of public funds received, and the sources from which received and the amount expended, and purposes for which expended, as set forth in said statement.

Fredric Schneiderman - Village Treasurer Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 8th day of October 2020.

Michelle Drayton - Village Clerk Revenue Summary: Property Tax - $233,098, Sales Tax - $182,527, Income Tax $156,723, Local Use Tax - $49,895, Replacement Tax $19,987, Gaming Tax - $14,442, Cannabis Tax - $237, License, Permits, Fees -$21,291, Motor Fuel Tax - $52,272, Fines $7,038, Charges for Services - $573,662, Interest - $9,726, Grants - $51,285 , Other Revenue - $23,750 TOTAL REVENUES = $1,395,633 Compensation Summary: Under $25,000: Cindy Bahr, Gary Buss, Monty Cotter, Alan Cruthis, Derek DeVries, Chris Fidecki, Jeff Freeze, Sonia Green, Justin Holden, Christine Klipping, Randi Kohlbauer, Mary Mazur, Wendell McClain, Mark Metzger, Vickye Norris, Glenn Runte, Hayden Rust, Fredric Schneiderman, Brad Schubert, Christopher Thiel, Kenneth Toms, Ken Vinnedge, Julie Voss, Courtney Warren, Valarie Woods. $25,000 to $49,999.99: Michelle Drayton, Michael Glick, Blake Klosa, Scott Timm. $50,000 and over: Michael Boomgarden and Mark Rust.

TOTAL PAYROLL=$380,138 Expenditure Summary: Area Tree Service - $7,950, BP - $4,961, Baker & Taylor $3,575, Bonnell Industries, Inc - $4,365, Carroll Service Co. $7,854, Civil Materials - $50,072, Clear20, Inc. - $3,620, ComEd - $50,035, Community Funding & Planning Services $12,675, Compass Minerals American, INC - $6,236, Core & Main - $3,657, Exxon Mobil -$7,197, FABA - $4,237, Federal Tax Payment - $79,236, Fehr, Graham Engineering & Environmental - $66,229, Forreston Car Care -$2,811, Forreston State Bank - $5,137, Forreston Township - $14,000, Frontier $5;070, Health Care Service Corporation - $59,299, Heavy Equipment Services, Inc. - $3,093, Huber Technology, Inc $2,690, IL Dept. of Internal Revenue -$14,745, IL Environmental Protection Agency - $171,103, Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust -$2,500, IL Municipal Retirement Fund $63,311, IML Risk Management Assoc. - $32,672, JML LLC $2,745, Jansen Electronics - $3,420, Koeller Forreston Hardware - $2,970, Josh's Saloon - $4,286, Loescher Heating & Air - $5,426, Ludwig, Nick - $3,000, McConnell Machine & Welding - $4,912, Moring Disposal - $4,382, National Wash Authority, LLC - $6,000, Nicam Construction LLC - $3,507, NICOR $3,604, Northern ILConcrete Lifting, Inc - $10,000, PDC Laboratories - $5,700, R & S Builders Supply - $10,623, Rust, Mark - $3,307, Sheely Aggregates - $3,235, Thayer Lighting $8,933, Twin Supplies, Ltd - $11,796, US Cellular - $2,730, USA Bluebook - $2,561, Utility Service Co. - $15,561, Utility, LLC - $2,500, Verizon Wireless - $2,701, Ward, Murray, Pace, & Johnson, PC - $10,043, WIPFI LLP - $9,300, Zac's Sealcoat - $3,200 186 vendors in amounts less than $2,500 - $87,358.

TOTAL EXPENDITURES = $942,991 October 23, 2020

SEARCH FOR LOCAL CARS

2. The court in which said action was brought is identified above.

3. The name of the title holder of record is Loran M. Marceau.

4. A legal descripNO. 20-CH-52 OTICES LEGAL NOTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 tion LEGALofNthe real101 esNOTICE OF tate sufficient to identify it with reaANNUALFORECLOSURE TREASURER'S REPORT VILLAGE OF ADELINE sonable certainty is as 2020 follows: TRACT Notice is given to 30, FISCAL YEAR ENDING APRIL I: Lot Ten (10) in REVENUE SUMMARY:Defendants, State Income LOTax 10,032.56; Municipal Six (6) the RAN Fuel Tax 3,072.67; M. BlockLocal Sales Tax 1,805.65; Motor Usein Tax MARCEAU, STEWOriginal of 3,111.04; Ogle County Collector 4,845.29; OgleTown County situated ARTInterest W. BETTNER, Cleanup Grant 175.00; 5,064.27; Forreston; Personal Property in the Township of UNKNOWN Tax 114.13; Local Share Cannabis OWNTax 13.91; Building Permits UNKNOWN Forreston, County 20.00. Total Revenue:ERS, $28,254.52.

TENANTS,Salaries/Benefits: and of OgleMike andDickinState COMPENSATION SUMMARY: NON-RECORD Illinois. 628.40; son 735.50; Karen Dickinson 588.40; KimofDickinson TRACT Brian II: Leake The CLAIMANTS of the 349.36; Dorene Mulder 367.75; Roger Branscomb South Luke 56 feet of followingKen described 349.36; Linda Meyer 492.75; Sheely 330.97; Sheely (11)IRS in real estate: 1,210.00; Lot 367.75; Nationwide Retirement US Eleven Treasury TRACT I: Lot Ten Block Six (6) in the 159.50; WIPFLI 585.00.

Total Compensation: 6,164.74.

Original Town of (10) in Block EXPENDITURES SUMMARY: IML Six Risk(6)Management AssociaForreston; situated the Nicor Original tion 5,843.49; ComEdin5,399.49; 468.40; Town Cleanup in the Township of Town735.00; of Forreston; 617.23; Snow Removal Equipment Repair 119.48; Forreston, Spraying County the Chemicals, Streets, Alleys, Parksituated 1,825.00;inFuel, of Ogle and107.88; State of For652.06; Special TownTownship Events 244.18; School Repairs of Illinois.

County of $16,234.23.

Miscellaneous 222.02.reston, Total Expenditures: 5. Common adOgleKim andDickinson, State of Adeline Respectfully Submitted: Village Treadress or descripIllinois. surer tion of the location TRACT TheClerk Attest: Karen Dickinson, AdelineII:Village real estate is as South 56 feet of ofOctober 13, 2020 Lot Eleven (11) in follows: 203 Fourth Six (6) in the Avenue, Forreston, OTICES 101 LEGAL NOTICES 101 Block LEGAL N LEGAL NOTICES 101 61030 Original Town of IL Forreston; situated 6. A. Name of IN THE CIRCUIT in the Township of Mortgagor: Loran COURT FOR THE Forreston, County M. Marceau of Ogle and State B. Name of MortFIFTEENTH gagee: Solutions of Illinois.

JUDICIAL The undersigned Bank CIRCUIT certifies that the C. Date of MortOGLE COUNTY, above entitled gage: September ILLINOIS mortgage foreclo- 3, 2003 sure action was D. Date of RecordSOLUTIONS filed on September ing: September 10, BANK, f/k/a 25, 2020, and is 2003 FORRESTON E. County where now pending.

STATE BANK, 1. The names of all Recorded: Ogle Plaintiff, Plaintiffs and the F. Recording DocVS. M. case number are ument IdentificaLORAN tion: #0316818 MARCEAU, STEW- identified above.

ART W. BETTNER, 2. The court in UNLESS you file UNKNOWN OWN- which said action your answer or ERS, UNKNOWN was brought is otherwise file your appearance in this TENANTS AND identified above.

3. The name of the case in the office NON-RECORD title holder of of the Circuit Clerk CLAIMANTS, record is Loran M. of this County on Defendants. or before NovemMarceau.

4. A legal descrip- ber 5, 2020, A NO. 20-CH-52 OR tion of the real es- JUDGMENT tate sufficient to DECREE BY DENOTICE OF identify it with rea- FAULT MAY BE FORECLOSURE sonable certainty is TAKEN AGAINST Notice is given to as follows: TRACT YOU FOR THE REDefendants, LO- I: Lot Ten (10) in LIEF ASKED IN RAN M. Block Six (6) in the THE COMPLAINT. MARCEAU, STEW- Original Town of This Notice preART W. BETTNER, Forreston; situated pared by: UNKNOWN OWN- in the Township of STEPHEN S. ERS, UNKNOWN Forreston, County SCHMELZLE TENANTS, and of Ogle and State Attorney for Plaintiff of Illinois.

NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS of the TRACT II: The 208 W. following described South 56 feet of Stephenson Street, Lot Eleven (11) in Suite 201 real estate: TRACT I: Lot Ten Block Six (6) in the Freeport, IL 61032 (10) in Block Six (6) Original Town of (815)235-1188 Oct. 16, 23, 30, in the Original Forreston; situated 2020 Town of Forreston; in the Township of situated in the Forreston, County STATE OF Township of For- of Ogle and State ILLINOIS IN THE reston, County of of Illinois.

Ogle and State of 5. Common ad- CIRCUIT COURT dress or descripOF THE 15TH Illinois.

JUDICIAL TRACT II: The tion of the location CIRCUIT South 56 feet of of real estate is as COUNTY OF Lot Eleven (11) in follows: 203 Fourth Block Six (6) in the Avenue, Forreston, OGLE Original Town of IL 61030 Forreston; situated 6. A. Name of IN THE MATTER

within ten days after it has been filed.

tative budget is available for viewing in the bulletin board on the Center St. side of the DATED: firehouse.

The September 28, budget will be dis2020 cussed and brought before the David L. Davitt EGAL OTICES 101 EGAL OTICES 101 L N L N Board for a vote of #6206402 Attorney for Estate final approval dur4023 Charles ing the regularly scheduled board Street on Rockford, IL 61108 meeting 16th, November (815) 229-5333 2020 at 7:00 PM ddavitt@rockriver CST at the Mt. law.com IN PROBATE Morris Firehouse at Case No: Oct. 9, 16, 23, the above address.

2020 P 67 2020 October 23, 2020 Publication Notice CLAIM NOTICE Public Notice is hereby given that VOLUNTEERS 126 NOTICE is given of October 6, on the death of KENT 2020, a certificate M. CHIDLEY. LetCASA was filed in the ters of Office were 15th Judicial Ogle County issued September Circuit (Lee/ Clerk's office set22, 2020, to KEVIN Carroll/Ogle forth the ting M. CHIDLEY, who Counties) names and post is the legal repreis seeking volunoffice address of sentative of the Esteers in the Ogle all of the persons tate. The attorney owning, conduct- County area to adfor the estate is ing and transacting vocate for children David L. Davitt, business in the Ogle County the 4023 Charles court system inknown as: Street, Rockford, IL volved in abuse Patriot Barber 61108. and neglect cases.

Shop Your involvement 115 N. 4th St. Claims against the can impact a estate may be filed Oregon, IL 61061 child’s future. on or before April Dated October 6, Contact Trisha 2, 2021, that date 2020 Morrow, Execubeing at least six Laura J. Cook, tive Director (6) months from the Ogle County Clerk (815) 288-1901 Oct. 16, 23, 30, date of first publi2020 www.casaleecar cation, or within roll.com three (3) months Publication Notice from the date of Public Notice is BUSINESS mailing or delivery hereby given that 205 PROPERTY of Notice to credi- on September 28, tors, if mailing or 2020, a certificate delivery is required was filed in the Building for

by Section 18-3 of Ogle County lease: the Illinois Probate Clerk's office set- apx., 4200 sq. ft., Act, 1975, as ting forth the laydown area amended, names and post apx 2 acres, whichever date is office address of (2) 12'x 14' OHD later. Any claim not all of the persons shop area & filed by the requi- owning, conductoffice. site date stated ing and transacting 815-626-8790 above shall be the business barred. known as: Unique Boutique APARTMENTSClaims against the 7 East Center St. FURNISHED 305 estate may be filed Mt. Morris, IL in the Office of the 61054 Ogle County Cir- Dated September cuit Clerk--Probate 28, 2020 ROCK FALLS Division at the Laura J. Cook, Ogle, Oregon, IL Ogle County Clerk 61061, or with the Oct. 9, 16, 23, EFFICIENCIES! estate legal repre2020 -Inclusivesentative, or both.

Clean & Quiet PUBLIC NOTICE 815-626-8790* Copies of the claims filed with The 2020 – 2021 the Circuit Clerk's fiscal year budget Office--Probate Di- of the Mt. Morris ROCK FALLS vision, must be Fire Protection Dishas been mailed or delivered trict 1 & 2BR to the estate legal posted at the fireHampton Apts. representative and house, 15 E. Cen815-625-7043 to his/her attorney ter St. Mt. Morris, within ten days af- IL 61054. The tenter it has been tative budget is STERLING available for viewfiled. ing in the bulletin Sinnissippi board on the CenDATED: Townhomes ter St. side of the September 28, Spacious 2/3BR firehouse.

The 2020 budget will be dis- 2 story townhomes Central air, Good cussed and David L. Davitt brought before the location. Laundry #6206402 hookup.

Attorney for Estate Board for a vote of (815)626-1130. final approval dur-

STATE OF ILLINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 15TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF OGLE LEGAL NOTICES 101 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF KENT M. CHIDLEY, Deceased

AREA GARAGE SALES 624 DIXON GARAGE SALES 624 Dixon Antique Collector Estate Sale. 911 Highland Ave Oct. 22 4p-8p Oct. 23 & 24 8-6, Oct. 25 8-2 Antiques, Furniture, Tobacco Collectibles,& more.

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

785

Vectra On-line 1800, good condition, sells for $1,800 used, asking $600 OBO 815-517-3541

WANT TO BUY 795 Local Buyer Pays Cash 4 Gold, Silver, Coins, Estate Gold, Single Earrings, Antiques, etc. 24/7 779-245-2950

MISCELLANEOUS 796 FOR SALE

CLASSIC CARS 904 '02 TA Convertible, Very rare, Orange met. Primo Cond.

Approx. 15,000 Orig miles, Only serious investors. $56,000 FIRM 815-517-3541

TRUCKS

910

2006 Chevy Silverado 1500, 4x4, w/ myers plow, 148,000 miles, $6,700 815-441-0620 For sale. 2013 Chevy Silverado 1500. 33,689 miles.

Call/text Christopher @ 815 535 8037 for pics and more details. Asking price $15K O.B.O

Advertise Your Rentals in Ogle County Classifieds

Graco Ultra Hand Held Sprayer $250 815-973-1175

LIVESTOCK / SUPPLIES

840

DISABLED LIVESTOCK WANTED Top Prices Paid 815-871-2697 SCHAAP LIVESTOCK

Call

625-3600 or 284-2222

Send A Smile To Your Loved One With A

HAPPY AD

Happy 5th Birthday

Caroline

Love, Mom & Dad

Call 815-284-7653 or 815-626-7653

OGLE COUNTY NEWSPAPERS Oregon Republican Reporter Mt.Morris Times

Forreston Journal • Polo’s Tri-County Press The Exchange

LOOKING FOR QUALITY 23 NEWSPAPER CARRIERS Routes Available Now Dixon 4th Ave, Graham, Hubbell (Rt. 3102 - 58 customers) 1st-4th Ave, Palmyra St, Hill Dr (Rt. 3107 - 83 customers) Marclare, Apple, Brinton, Washington (Rt. 3081 - 90 customers)

Sterling and Rock Falls Several routes available! Call for more details.

Call for available Motor Routes!

est. 1851

CALL 815-625-3600 EXT. 5301 Telegraph • 113 S. Peoria Dixon, IL 61021

AUCTION

Tosettle settle the the Hedrick following items will will be offered at Public To HedrickEstate, Estate,thethe following items be offered at Auction located at 11852 W Canada Road, Polo, IL 61064.

Directions Public Auction located at 11852 W Canada Road, Polo, IL 61064.

North of Polo on IL 26(52) ½ mile to Fairmount Road, then East 1 mile Directions North of Polo on IL 26(52) ½ mile to Fairmount Road, to Union Road, then North 1 mile to Canada Road then East to sale site. then East _ mile to Union Road, then North 1 mile to Canada Road OR East of junction IL 26 & IL 64 for 1 mile, then South 1 mile to Canada then East to sale site. OR East of junction IL 26 & IL 64 for 1 mile, Road then east to sale site. Watch for Auction signs.

then South 1 mile to Canada Road then east to sale site. Watch for Auction signs.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

Personal Property 10:00 AM • Real Estate 12:00 NOON Saturday, October 31, 2020

REALAM ESTATE Personal Property 10:00 • RealonEstate noon This beautiful 2 story brick home is located 3.2 acres12:00 with several large shade trees surrounding it. A very nice quiet location. The Estate property has it’s own wellReal and (new) septic system. The downstairs This beautiful 2 story brick home is located 3.2 acres of the home has 5 rooms, a bathroom with on shower plus with a finished sun porch onshade the south side.

Upstairs has bedrooms, full bath plus several large trees surrounding it. A4 very nice quiet location. an enclosed north side. atticseptic has asystem. complete The property porch has it’sonown well andThe (new) Thefloor for with fireplace.

The house plenty of storage.

There has is a 5fullrooms, basement downstairs of the home a bathroom with shower plus settle thesunwith Hedrick the following items will has begas offered at Public isfinished equipped 100Estate, ampthe electric, gas heater, furnace with aTo porch on south side.water Upstairs 4 bedrooms, central foran theatenclosed first floorWporch only and waterside. softener.

Therehas is aa2 car full bathair plus onaRoad, north attic Auction located 11852 Canada Polo, ILThe61064.

Directions unattachedfloor garage plus 2 of large storageThere sheds. complete for plenty storage. is a full basement North of Polo on IL 26(52) ½ mile to Fairmount Road, then East 1with mile fireplace.

The is equipped with ampwith electric, gas water Terms onRoad, Realhouse Estate: 10% down day100 of Road sale the balance due to Union then North 1 mile to Canada then East to sale site. heater, gas furnace central air the first floor for onlytheand a is in 30 days.

Taxes willwith be prorated at for closing.

Attorney Estate OR Eastsoftener. of junction IL 26is &atheIL2 car 64 forunattached 1contact mile, then South 1numbers mile2tolarge Canada water There garage Kim Krahenbuhl.

To view home, any of theplus below.

AUCTION

storage sheds.

Road then east to sale site. Watch for Auction signs.

Terms on Real Estate - 10% down day of sale with the balance due in 30 days. Taxes will be prorated at closing. Attorney for the Estate is Kim Krahenbuhl.

To view theClerks: home,Public contact any ofService the Auctioneers: Polo, IL 61064 Auction numbers below.

Personal Property 10:00 AM • Real Estate 12:00 NOON Lenny Bryson (IL#440000158) 815-946-4120 Lyle & Sheryl Hopkins (IL#440000185) Household - Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator; Maytag washer Mark Ebert (IL#440000341) 815-946-2809 815-946-2660 or 800-848-9519 & elec dryer; sm kitchen table w/2 chairs; usual kitchenware, pots, SM-ST1825597 pans, dishware, sm appliances, etc; assorted silver serving pieces; This beautiful 2 story brick home is located on 3.2 acres with several various Ruby glassware; Blue glassware; lots of knick knacks, large shadeliving treesroom surrounding it. Awicker very nice quiet The vases ,etc; furniture incl couch & 2 location. end tables; property own well (new)unusual septic plank system.coffee The downstairs patio tablehas & 4it’s chairs; largeand hutch; table; 2 3ofpiece bedroom lots of bedding &with linens; armoire; the home has sets; 5 rooms, a bathroom shower plus various a finished chest of drawers; assorted mirrors; sewing machine in cabinet; sun porch on the south side.

Upstairs has 4 bedrooms, full bath plus luggage; turntable, speakers, record albums & cassettes; Baldwin an enclosed porch on north side.

The attic has a complete floor for organ; corner shelf.

Collectibles - Chickering piano (cracked sound board); with fireplace.

The house plenty of storage.

There is Grand a full basement kidney shapewith desk chair; drop leaf organwith is equipped 100& amp electric, gastable; water walnut heater, pump gas furnace cabinet converted to desk walnut 3 drawer chest; several trunks; central air for the first floor only and a water softener. There is a 2 car safe w/combination; metal multi drawer file; several trunks; few unattached 2 large storage sheds. older historygarage booksplus & Polo Cycles.

Terms on Personal Property - Cash, good check, Master Card, TermsDiscover on Realand Estate: 10% down daycredit of salecards. with the balance due Visa, American Express All items must be settled day will of sale.

Numberatsystem be used, have propin 30 days.forTaxes be prorated closing.will Attorney for the Estate is er ID. Not responsible for accidents or merchandise after sold.

ROBERT & THELMA HEDRICK TRUST SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020

REAL ESTATE

Kim Krahenbuhl. To view the home, contact any of the numbers below.

Robert & Thelma Hedrick Trust

ROBERT & THELMA HEDRICK TRUST

Auctioneers: Polo, IL 61064

Clerks: Public Auction Service

Lenny Bryson (IL#440000158) 815-946-4120 Lyle & Sheryl Hopkins (IL#440000185) Mark Ebert (IL#440000341) 815-946-2809 815-946-2660 or 800-848-9519

CLASSIFIED Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

s MOBILE HOMES 315 n FOR RENT e CHILD CARE 512 e d NO INDIVIDUAL, e unless licensed or f holding a permit as a - childcare facility, y may cause to be d published any n advertisement , soliciting a child care service.* M . A childcare facility t that is licensed or operating under a permit issued by the 0 Illinois Department of Children and Family Services may publish advertisements of the services for which it is specifically licensed or issued a permit. Sauk Valley Media strongly urges any parent or guardian to verify the validity of the license of any facility before placing a child in its care. *Family homes that care for no more than three (3) children under the age of twelve or which receive only children from a single household, for less than 24 hours per day, are exempt from licensure as day care homes. The three children to whom this exemption applies includes the family's natural or adopted children and any other persons under the age of 12 whether related or unrelated to the operator of the day care home. (DCFS Rule, Part 377.3 (c))

Ogle County Newspapers / oglecountynews.com • Friday, October 23, 2020

OGLE COUNTY NEWS

24 October Snow

ABOVE LEFT: Merla Brooks of Polo braved large, wet snow flakes as she walked her sister’s dog Roxie and her two dogs Wilson and Mindy in Polo on Monday afternoon. Snow fell across portions of Ogle County, but any accumulation melted within an hour. ABOVE RIGHT: Snow covers maple leaves on a tree in Forreston. LEFT: Snow streamed across Polo past this red barn along Illinois 26. BELOW: A dusting of snow rests on playground equipment in Forreston.

Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media