Serving Ogle County since 1851

OREGON Republican Reporter

January 30, 2014 Volume 164, Number 7 - $1.00

Tenth Place

Antique Market

Crimes Decreasing

The Oregon Hawk bowlers finished in 10th place at the tough Boylan Sectional. B1

Antiques and collectibles will be up for sale Feb. 1 in Mt. Morris. A7

Oregon has seen a decline in the overall crime rates since 2011. A7

Sub zero temps blanket Oregon Schools were closed for 2 days By Vinde Wells Editor Sub zero temperatures coupled with strong winds resulted in the closure of all school districts in Ogle County on Monday. Also closed were all Ogle County governmental offices and the Rock River Center in Oregon and Polo Senior Center. The school closures continued into Tuesday when the mercury plummeted to -18 with wind chills estimated in the -40 range. School children across the county have been out of school for five days this Oregon city street department worker Gary Greenwood was busy Sunday afternoon moving snow from parking areas month, mainly due to frigid in the downtown. About five inches of snow fell across Ogle County over the weekend. Photo by Earleen Hinton temperatures. Ogle County Sheriff’s Police had their hands full Monday morning with dozens

Moving Snow

Minor injuries after plane crash By Vinde Wells Editor A Texas man trying to deliver a newly repaired single-engine airplane to Janesville, Wis., suffered only minor injuries when the 1984 Cessna crashed Jan. 25 in a farm field east of Forreston.

Pilot Fred H. Rose, 75, Spring Branch, Texas, was transported by Forreston ambulance to FHN Memorial Hospital, Freeport, for treatment of minor injuries. “He had a bump on the head,� said Ogle County Sheriff Michael Harn. Rose flew out of Texas around 6 a.m. that morning

bound for Janesville, Harn said. The plane, which is registered to Gelbach Aviation, Janesville, had a new engine installed in Texas, the sheriff said. Rose refueled in Joplin, Mo., around 10:45 a.m. and told authorities that the engine locked up south of Forreston.

“He was gliding around looking for a place to land,� Harn said. “He thought it was a mechanical failure.� Rose was able to put the plane down in the snow in a field along Ill. 72 just west of Cherry Road, four miles east of Forreston. The crash occurred around 2:15 p.m. Deputies on the scene said an undetermined fluid was leaking from the plane. The Forreston Fire Department assisted at the scene. Harn said Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash.

of vehicles in the ditches and abandoned on roadways during Sunday night’s near blizzard conditions. Sheriff Michael Harn estimated that 70 vehicles were left behind when their occupants got stuck on drifting roads in white-out conditions Sunday evening into Monday morning. “A lot of cars were abandoned on the road,� Harn said. “They [drivers] couldn’t tell where they were and they were able to get a ride and left the car behind. The north-south roads were the worst — the wind was straight out of the west.� Deputies closed Ill. 26 at Montague Road north of Forreston periodically for at least four hours Monday while tow trucks pulled 17 cars out of deep drifts, Harn said. Several more cars were stranded on Ill. 251 where the Turn to A2

Maxson’s restaurant may have new owner By Vinde Wells Editor A landmark restaurant that closed last fall may soon be reopening with new owners. An agenda for the Ogle County Liquor Commission lists “Maxson Manor - new owners� under New Business at its Jan. 30 meeting. Frank and Nancy Semmerling, Riverwoods, are in the process of

buying Maxson’s Riverside Restaurant, 1469 N. Ill. 2. The well-known restaurant closed its doors Oct. 31 after more than 60 years in business. The restaurant includes the Pride of Oregon Riverboat, a paddle-wheeler built in Palatka, Fla. in the late 1980s. County board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, who Turn to A2

Teams awarded an All Star treatment at OHS By Chris Johnson Reporter

A single engine plane owned by a Janesville, Wis., firm crashed Saturday in a field four miles east of Forreston. The pilot Fred H. Rose, 75, Spring Branch, Texas, suffered minor injuries. Photo by Vinde Wells

Demand for propane is high By Vinde Wells Editor A propane supply emergency was declared Monday in the state of Illinois. According to a press release, Gov. Pat Quinn declared the emergency in the wake of distribution problems around the state. Damp fall weather and recent cold temperatures are being

blamed. With demand for propane surging, its price is skyrocketing — and less of it is available for local customers. In recent days, the pergallon price for propane has nearly doubled to more than $3.60 in Ogle County and the surrounding area. With cold temperatures continuing, experts expect the trend to continue.

In This Week’s Edition...

Mike Faivre, president of Burkardt’s LP Gas, Polo, said last week that his company usually gets its propane from pipelines in Tampico and Rockford, but now companies are allocated only so much because of limited supplies. During the winter, he said, his company typically gets three to five semi-truck loads a day. Now, its lucky to just get one. Turn to A3

Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B12 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4

Members of the Village of Progress All Stars and Ogle County All Stars soaked in the energy Jan. 24 when the two teams met on the court. The Oregon High School students and faculty welcomed the two teams to their school for the annual basketball game. Both teams went back and forth in the scoring with students cheering every play. When a player missed a shot, their opponents would sometimes hand them the ball so they could try the shot again. The game offered a chance to showcase both teams’ skills in front of an audience that was supportive and cheering them for all participants. “This is my favorite day of the year,� said OHS principal Andrew Nelson. “I absolutely love this day because everyone is supportive.� Nelson said the game has been played for four years and is a highlight of the

Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B6

VOP All Star John Miller puts up a jump shot Friday morning. Photo by Chris Johnson

school year. For the students, it is a chance to get to know the athletes of the Village of Progress and Ogle County Educational Coop. “This is a fun experience for everyone,� said OHS senior Josh Drew. “The best

Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4

part is knowing how much fun the athletes are having out there.� Drew volunteered as a referee for the game and could not wait to get out on the court. Turn to A2

Deaths, B3

Richard H. Bourdage, Wayne H. Brantner, Margaret Lois Cline, Elinor Merdian, Glenn O. Mueller

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