Serving the Mt. Morris area since 1967
MT.Times MORRIS
June 22, 2018 Volume 51, Number 36 - $1.00
2018 Torch Run
Ready to Golf ?
Flash Flood
Law enforcement run through Oregon for the 2018 Torch Run for Special Olympics. B2
It’s time to register now for the John Herrmann Playday to help VOP. B3
Heavy rains flooded some streets in Rochelle, much to the delight of some residents. B3
Mongan gets probation for 2016 boating fatality Family of Megan Wells was hoping “for more” By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com The parents of the Rockford woman killed in a boating crash nearly two years ago were less than satisfied with the sentence handed down Tuesday to the Oregon man responsible for her death.
“We were certainly hoping for more,” said David Swaziek, of Loves Park, the father of Megan Wells, 31, who died on June 24, 2016 when a johnboat operated by Marc Mongan, 47, struck her as it went over the back of the pontoon boat she was riding in, throwing her overboard. She died from blunt force trauma. Ogle County Judge John Redington sentenced Mongan to 30 months probation and, along with other conditions, banned him from consuming alcohol or operating a motorized watercraft
during his probation. He also ordered Mongan to pay $9,837 in restitution to Wells’ family. Mongan pleaded guilty April 19 to reckless conduct causing great bodily harm, a Class 4 felony. According to the charge, Mongan was operating his boat “at a faster than reasonable speed” when the crash occurred and failed to “give way” to the pontoon boat. He had been charged with seven felonies, including drunk driving, in Wells’ death on the
Rock River three miles north of Oregon. The other six charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. “Is 30 months probation enough for a taking a life?” said Swaziek after the hearing. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around that. We’re fighting as hard as we can for justice for Megan. I think we fell a little short today.” Swaziek vowed to keep fighting. “We aren’t done yet. We’ll be Turn to A8
Dave Swaziek, the father of Megan Wells, wipes away a tear as he reads his victim’s impact statement at the sentencing hearing on Tuesday. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Two solar farms get the nod from county board By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Let Freedom Ring queen candidate Megan Buttens, far right, mans the LFR booth June 15 on the downtown campus with the help LFR Committee member Tiffany West, far left, Royalty Coordinator Tanya Koper-Bowers, and Samantha Bowers. Photo by Vinde Wells
Coronation marks the start of LFR The coronation of the 2018 Let Freedom Ring royalty on Wednesday, June 27 will mark the start of Mt. Morris annual 4th of July celebration. Megan Buttens, the only candidate, will be crowned queen of the festival at 6:30 p.m. at the Reckmeyer Band Shell in downtown Mt. Morris.
Buttens, the daughter of Sherry Buttens, will be a junior at Oregon High School this fall. She is active in cross-country, basketball, soccer, FFA, and 4-H. She has a twin brother, Eddie. The coronation will be preceded by the Little Miss and Mister Fire Cracker
contest at 6 p.m. Following Buttens’ crowning, the Kable Concert Band will perform its Wednesday night concert, featuring a performance by Let Freedom Sing, at 7:30 p.m. The Let Freedom Ring Festival will be held July 4-8.
Solar farms may be the wave of the future in Ogle County. Two of them got the nod from the county board Tuesday evening. No discussion was held before the board voted to approve special use permits to allow solar projects near Mt. Morris and Davis Junction. SunVest Solar, Inc., Geneva, is leasing the land for both farms. One will be located on approximately 66 acres owned by Wilma Hongsermeier on Mt. Morris Road just north of the Mt. Morris wastewater treatment plant. The board approved the special use for the property, which is zoned for industrial use, by an 18-3 vote. The other project, on 118 acres zoned for agricultural use and owned by Rachel Davis, of Forreston, is located in the 6500 block of North Junction Road. It passed by a vote of 14-7. Three board members Garrett Williams, of Rochelle, Dorothy
Bowers, of Byron, and Martin Typer, of Stillman Valley, did not attend the meeting. Board member Zach Oltmanns, of Davis Junction, voted no to both solar farms. He said he is concerned that the solar farms may interfere with underground tiles and impede drainage. “I think it’s important to protect our ag land,” he said. “I’m concerned about drainage issues.” Zoning Committee chairman Dan Janes, of Stillman Valley, voted no for the Davis Junction project, but yes for the one at Mt. Morris. The location made the difference, he said. “The one north of Davis Junction is in a drainage area, and it’s near a housing development,” he said. “The one at Mt. Morris affects only a couple of neighbors.” He said the solar farm at Davis Junction is also near electrical high lines and the landfill. The county board approved its first special use for a solar farm on March 20 when it granted a request from Turn to A3
Coffman retires as treasurer and Beck takes over By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Longtime Ogle County Treasurer John Coffman will retire from his office at the end of this month, a few months short of the end of his current term. The county board accepted Coffman’s resignation effective June 30 on Tuesday evening and appointed Chief Deputy Treasurer Linda Beck to fill the remaining five months of his term. Beck is the Republican candidate for county treasurer in the Nov. 6 General Election. So far, she is running unopposed. Coffman said his primary reason for stepping down early
is timing. “It’s good timing for the office to do a transition now rather than at the end of the fiscal year,” he said. “Linda’s been here and she’s ready to start.” Beck has served as chief deputy clerk for 12 years. Now that the first installment of real estate taxes have been collected, Coffman said, the workload in the office will slow down temporarily, making it a good time to make the change. It also allows Beck to have an active role in the budget process for the new fiscal year, which begins Dec. 1. Coffman’s term ends Nov. 30. He said he also wants to spend more time working
In This Week’s Edition...
on his family’s farm east of Polo, especially during the fall harvest. Coffman has served the citizens of Ogle County for the last 26 years, first as a county board member from 1992 to 2000, and then as treasurer. “I’ve very much enjoyed being treasurer,” he said. “It’s very rewarding to work with the board and the public. I’ve enjoyed helping the public get answers to their questions.” Coffman said he has also enjoyed working with other county treasurers across the state. The Illinois County Treasurers Association chose him as County Treasurer of the Year in 2015, and also named him 2011 County Treasurer
Church News, A5 College News, A4 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6
of the Year for Zone IV, which includes the counties in northern Illinois. During his time in office, Coffman was part of updating technology and implementing the transition to a new tax program, along with the supervisor of assessments and county clerk. He said he leaves office with some concerns over the county’s finances. Deficit spending in recent years has forced the county board to borrow from other funds to meet expenses in the General Fund. “It has eaten up the reserves,” Coffman said. “It’s not a crisis. I don’t think it’s anything the Ogle County Chief Deputy Treasurer Linda Beck will take county can’t work itself out of, over the duties of retiring Treasurer John Coffman when he steps down June 30. Beck is running for the post in the but it is a concern of mine.”
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Pine Creek News, A3 Public Voice, A8
November General Election. Photo by Vinde Wells
Sheriff’s Arrests, B5 Social News, A4 State’s Attorney, B6 Zoning, B5
Published every Friday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
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