Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
April 23, 2015 Volume 165, Number 19 - $1.00
Free Trees
Pink Surprise
Groundbreaking
A tornado victim took advantage of free trees at the Recycling Fair in Rochelle. B2
A woman was surprised when a pink firetruck came to town. A2
The groundbreaking for the 11th Habitat Home will be held in Mt. Morris on Sunday. A7
Grubsteakers owner is recognized for heroics Customers led to storm cellar as tornado came
Five aides riffed
during the EF4 tornado that destroyed the restaurant. “We lost a landmark this month in Grubsteakers,” said Gouker. “It has been there as far back as I can remember. Ava runs Grubsteakers and Grubsteakers is Ava.” Gouker said he talked to several people who were at the restaurant when the tornado struck around 7 p.m. “They said without Ava we would have had some fatalities,” he said. “She made sure they got into the cellar.” Looking back on that day, Mirtoska said she would do everything the same. “I am glad everybody is safe,” Mirtoska said. “It is good they call me hero, but I feel like I would do it
anytime it happens. I hope it never happens again.” She said the restaurant is run for the customers and they were her first thought when the storm hit. “For a minute, I was By Chris Johnson not believing this was Reporter happening,” said Mirtoska. “I am seeing the craziness out The owner of an Ogle there. Everyone was saying By Vinde Wells County landmark now has a tornado warning. I was going Editor day named after her. like, it’s just a storm.” Ava Mirtoska, owner But something clicked In a second round of of Grubsteakers, learned with Mirtoska when she layoffs in as many months, Tuesday night that May 7 was looking out the window the Oregon School Board will be Ava Mirtoska Day in watching the storm roll in. honorably dismissed five Ogle County. “I was looking out through teacher’s aides Monday due Ogle County Board the window and seeing to budget concerns. Chairman Kim Gouker read something coming really fast Through reduction in force a proclamation declaring and really dark,” she said. (RIF), the board dismissed Mirtoska a hero for her “It was still too far to see if Ava Mirtoska, owner of Grubsteakers, looks at the Special Education aides actions in getting customers proclamation with Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Ginger Greenfield as well and employees safely Turn to A9 Gouker Tuesday night. Photo by Chris Johnson as instructional aides Brandi into a storm cellar April 9 Herbig, Justyn Laxner, Amy Smith, and Penni Welte, all non-certified staff members. Laxner works at David L. Rahn Junior High, while By Vinde Wells also animals, both domestic and cleaning up debris. Park District workers with He hopes that once the two the others are employed at Editor and wild. Mark Herman, clean-up on April 14. young owls are old enough Oregon Elementary School. Two baby great horned Superintendent of Education “Skare Park took a direct and strong enough they can “The reductions are a The EF4 tornado that tore owls were rescued from at the Byron Forest Preserve, hit from the tornado April be released back at Skare result of declining revenues through Ogle County two Skare Park west of Rochelle said a maintenance crew 9,” he said. “Our crew was Park. changes in IEP weeks ago displaced and five days after the storm by a from the forest preserve went cutting up an oak tree that Since the tornado, Ogle and [Individualized Education injured not only people, but crew cutting up downed trees to the park to help Rochelle had fallen and the baby owls County Animal Control has were in a hole in the tree.” been seeking to reunite pets Program] students needing a one-on-one aide,” said The parents could not be with their families. Tom located and were apparently “We’ve been doing a Superintendent Mahoney. lost in the storm, he said. really good job,” said Karla An IEP is a written The babies, too young Christensen, Animal Control educational plan designed to fly or find food for Registration Officer. themselves, were very weak So far, she said a parrot, to meet a student’s learning and lethargic. a dog, and a cat have been needs. Before an IEP is written for Herman captured the returned to their owners, a child with a disability, the young owls and called and a stray kitten has been school must first determine Northern Illinois Raptor adopted. whether the child qualifies for Rehab and Education, Owners are still being Loves Park, who sent a sought for three dogs — a Special Education services. To qualify, the child’s representative to pick them chihuahua, a dachshund, and disability must have an up. a bichon frise. adverse effect on the child’s A little food and water A home is also needed for educational progress. perked the youngsters up, he a stray cat picked up near Decreasing revenues said. A female great horned Grubsteakers Restaurant, and declining enrollment owl at Raptor Rehab has which was demolished by prompted the board to RIF taken them under her wing, the April 9 twister. so to speak, and is even The parrot may not three teachers last month and feeding them. have been a storm victim, to eliminate five teaching positions at Oregon “She’s doing beak-to-beak Christensen said. feeding,” he said. “This owl It was rescued April High School. Two positions currently can’t be released because 13 when it flew onto the Two apparently orphaned baby great horned owls were found at Skare Park in a hole she has a broken wing, but shoulder of a utility company held by teachers who are retiring at the end of this in an oak tree downed by the April 9 tornado. The youngsters were rescued April 14 she has fostered several Turn to A9 Turn to A2 by a clean up crew. Photo compliments of the Byron Forest Preserve orphaned owls.”
Superintendent blames decline in revenues
Animals also affected by EF4 tornado
Grandfather’s mitt is found in field Student finds sheriff’s keepsake By Vinde Wells Editor Students volunteering to clean up debris last week from the recent EF4 tornado found a valued family keepsake blown into a field. Zach Metzger, one of several students from the Chana Education Center, spotted an old baseball mitt in the middle of the field April 15. The glove, it turned out, belonged to Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle and was thought to be lost forever when the April 9 tornado destroyed his home
west of Rochelle. “It was my grandpa’s high school glove, “ VanVickle said. “My grandma gave it to me when he died. We kept it on a shelf in our entry way. I remember as a little kid playing ball with him, and that’s the glove he used. I was glad to get it back.” VanVickle, his wife Marla, and their two children were all away from home when the tornado smashed their home and more than 30 others in the early evening. The family’s dog later climbed out of the rubble. The field where the glove was found is along Ill. 64 about six miles northeast of VanVickle’s home. Metzger and other students, Courtney Byerhof,
In This Week’s Edition...
Riley Lee, Shane Wilson, Wyatt Doubler, Jesse Beck, Devin Phillips, and Noah Young, gave their time to help local farmers clean up debris from their fields. The mitt isn’t the only item missing that’s been found in the days since the storm. VanVickle said his passport was found in Monroe Center, his son’s sports jersey — still on the hanger — turned up in McHenry County, and several more items showed up farther north. “It seems like most of the stuff ended up in Genoa City, Wis., Twin Lakes, Wis., and Harvard,” he said. The sign for Grubsteakers, a restaurant at the intersection of Ill. 64 and 251, also was found in Harvard.
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Twelve people took refuge in a storm cellar at Grubsteakers and suffered only minor injuries while the tornado destroyed the restaurant and several houses to the east of it. Receipts from the restaurant were found in rural Woodstock. What was left of VanVickle’s home and many of his neighbors’ houses was removed within days with the help of friends, family, volunteers, and clean-up crews. A week after the storm, construction was underway. “We started building our new house on Thursday [April 16],” VanVickle said Monday. “Everyone has been amazing.”
Library News, A8 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A9 Property Transfers, B5
Zach Metzger and Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle show a baseball mitt that belonged to VanVickle’s grandfather. Metzger, who was helping cleaning up debris from an EF4 tornado that swept through Ogle County April 9, found the mitt in a field about six miles northeast of VanVickle’s home. Photo supplied
Sheriff’s Arrests, B4 Social News, A4 Sports, B1-B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Zoning, B5
Deaths, B6 Aida Blough, Patricia L. Leopold, Stanley C. Ludwig, Wayne L. Moring, Patricia Unger
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com