ORR_02192015

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Serving Ogle County since 1851

OREGON Republican Reporter

February 19, 2015 Volume 165, Number 10 - $1.00

Headed to State

Award Winner

New Bathtub

Two OHS wrestlers and one bowler have advanced to their respective state finals. B1

The Oregon Park District has won another award. A10

A new bathtub was a highlight in Hugh Ray’s diary entry in 1900. A3

Farmers question board about length limits Commissioner says law should “go away” By Vinde Wells Editor Residents of the rural Ogle County voiced their concerns to the county board Tuesday over steppedup enforcement of laws governing the length of semis.

Brian Duncan, a Polo farmer and president of the Ogle County Farm Bureau, said farmers and truckers are concerned because of the recent increase in enforcement of a state law that limits semis to 55 feet in length on roads not designated as truck routes. Adrian Book, Leaf River, who farms and operates a trucking business, said many township and county roads have 80,000 weight limits — the maximum allowed

for trucks — but since they aren’t designated as truck routes, the law limits the bumper-to-bumper length of trucks to 55 feet. Most trucks are now 65 feet long, he said. “It can’t be met,” Book said. “There’s not a truck short enough.” Buffalo Township Road Commissioner Bill Clothier agreed. “It’s a law that’s never been enforced. It should go away,” he said.

Duncan said the length limit on state highways and county roads that are designated truck routes is 65 feet. To further complicate the issue, he said, federal law mandates that trucks be built longer to spread out the 80,000 pounds they are allowed to carry. Duncan said the limits need to be consistent. For example, he said Pines Road from Spectrum Meats west to Polo is not a truck route.

However, from Spectrum Meats east to Oregon, the road is designated as a truck route. Consequently, a semi-load of pigs headed from the Polo area to Spectrum Meats for slaughter must go either to Dixon or to Ill. 64 to get to Pines Road in Oregon, rather than just traveling through Polo and on east. Duncan offered two solutions to the problem. He asked the county board to support a bill in the state

legislature to change the length limit from 55 feet to 65 or abolish the law together. “Another way to solve this is to create more truck routes in Ogle County,” he said. Board chairman Kim Gouker said the board’s Agriculture Committee is working on the problem. He said the sheriff ’s department has so far issued nine warning tickets for length violations.

Byron board settles lawsuit Maximum of $200,000 to be paid to Fostiak By Vinde Wells Editor A three-year dispute between the Byron School Board and a former superintendent was settled early this month to the apparent satisfaction of both sides. The school board agreed Jan. 28 to pay Margaret Fostiak a maximum total of $200,000 to settle a lawsuit over the termination of her contract in the summer of 2011. Fostiak filed a lawsuit against the school board in January of 2013 for illegal terminations of her contract and sought monetary damages to compensate her for the loss. Ogle County Circuit Judge Bob Speck, Oregon, didn’t let the winter weather stop him from taking his dog Hooch for a walk at Oregon Park Robert T. Hanson issued West on Tuesday afternoon. Area residents are bracing for more chilly temperatures as forecasters predicted an order Feb. 5 dismissing below-zero wind chills for the rest of the week. Photo by Earleen Hinton Fostiak’s lawsuit without prejudice, which means she can refile in the future. According to a press release issued by the school board By Vinde Wells in January. the board appointed a state’s followed its usual procedure on Jan. 28, “The agreement Editor The term expires in attorney two years ago, every for appointing board represents considerably less November of 2016. board member was given the members to unexpired terms, A Monroe Center man Only one board member resumes of the candidates, which is having a committee was appointed to the Ogle voted against Fritz’s and he expected the same do the interviews and make County Board Tuesday to fill appointment. procedure would be followed. a recommendation to the full a vacancy in District 1. Lee Meyers, Byron, said he “I would have liked to have board. The board approved the didn’t like the way the process had the resumes of the six The Executive Committee appointment of Ricky E. was done. candidates before I vote,” he conducted the interviews, Fritz, 61, to fill the unexpired “I feel like we’re not being said. along with District 1 board By Vinde Wells term of Dick Petrizzo, 77, transparent again,” he said. Board chairman Kim members Zack Oltmanns, Editor Davis Junction, who resigned Meyers said that when Gouker said the board Davis Junction, and Nic Bolin, Holcomb. Ogle County Sheriff’s Meyers asked what made Department employees will Fritz stand out from the other be getting raises thanks to candidates. a new four-year contract Oltmanns said he is well- approved Tuesday by the connected with the voters and county board. citizens of the district, and as The board okayed the the owner of a business has collective bargaining budget experience. agreement with the Fraternal Board member Bobbie Order of Police (FOP) Colbert, Rochelle, disagreed following a closed session. with Meyers that the process Board chairman Kim was not transparent. Gouker, Byron, said the “We knew when the contract is retroactive to committee was meeting,” she Dec. 1, 2013 and covers said. “And we all could have 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. gone to the meeting.” The contract includes a Meyers said he didn’t base pay increase of 2 percent attend the interview meeting for 2014, 2.25 percent for Ogle County Circuit Judge Robert Hanson swears in Ricky Fritz, Monroe Center, as because he had expected to 2015, 2.9 percent for 2016, the new county board member for District 1 at the beginning of the board’s regular receive the resumes of the and 3 percent for 2017. meeting Tuesday night. Photo by Vinde Wells candidates. He said that amount of

Winter Walk

Fritz appointed to county board

than one year of Fostiak’s compensation package, and it ends her $10 million-plus claim against the taxpayers of the Byron School District. Board members called the settlement a ‘huge victory’ for the community.” “The Byron School District acknowledges no wrong-doing in settling this lawsuit,” School Board President Doug Floski said in the board’s statement. “No one likes to be involved in a lawsuit, but settling a $10 million-plus claim for a fraction of that amount is a huge victory for taxpayers. The board of education is satisfied with the outcome, and we’re pleased to put this matter to rest.” A press release from Fostiak’s attorney Mary Denise Cahill, Naperville, placed the value of the lost contract at more than $750,000, but said “Dr. Fostiak mitigated her damages significantly by obtaining employment in the private sector. The settlement payment of $200,000 is very fair under the circumstances.” In the statement, Fostiak thanked Hanson and Joel N. Shapiro, senior attorney for the Seventh Circuit Turn to A2

County okays police contract

In This Week’s Edition...

Church News, A5 Classifieds, B8-B12 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6

Oregon Police, B7 Library News, A9 Marriage License, A4 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B6

Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, A11, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B6

base pay varies with the position, but starting pay for a deputy is $41,000 annually. Another change in the contract is the establishment of a Health Care Planning Committee. “The most significant part of the negotiations is that we’ve created a new committee to address health care. Our health coverage is getting very expensive,” Gouker said. The committee, he said, will be comprised of management and employees. Management members are three county board members, Greg Sparrow, Rochelle, Pat Nordman, Oregon, and John O’Brien, Rochelle, and three department heads, Sheriff Brian VanVickle, Engineer Turn to A2

Deaths, B5 Ruth M. Deneau, Eileen F. DeWall, Catherine A. Keyes, Doris E. Silvius, Joe M. Twigg

Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com


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