Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
May 7, 2015 Volume 165, Number 21 - $1.00
Lady Hawks Second Getting Ready The Lady Hawks take second at the county meet, boys finish in fourth. B1
Fundraiser Armed Forces Day and a Memorial Fundraiser will be held at Barnacopia May 16. A6
Area schools schedule commencement exercises. A8
Statue repairs get go-ahead IDNR approves contracts for Black Hawk By Vinde Wells Editor After months and months of paperwork and waiting, the work can finally begin on the restoration of Oregon’s best-known icon. A damaged truck and the foundation remains at the Grubsteakers restaurant following an April 9 tornado. Homes “The work on Black Hawk east of the popular restaurant, seen in the background, were also demolished. Photo by Earleen Hinton can begin. We’re happy at long last,” Frank Rausa, Sterling, said Tuesday morning. “The state issued the contracts last week.” Rausa and his wife Cherron head up the Friends of the Black Hawk Statue, a group formed six years ago to raise funds to repair the areas of the statue that are By Vinde Wells about the general public,” he deteriorating due to time and Editor said. weather. The tornado, a half-mile Chris Young, a spokesman Ogle County’s emergency wide at times, stayed on for the Illinois Department of crews drew praise from the ground for an estimated Natural Resources (IDNR), a state official for their 39 miles, according to the said May 1 that agency response last month when National Weather Service. officials had signed all an EF4 tornado destroyed It first touched down contracts. an estimated 40 homes in a field just west of Because the 50-foot and damaged nearly 180 Franklin Grove and moved concrete landmark is located structures. in a northeasterly direction, at Lowden State Park, it is Ogle County Emergency Management Agency (OCEMA) “Ogle County first damaging Crest Foods under IDNR jurisdiction. Director Tom Richter makes a point Monday during responders are very outside of Ashton before “Work can begin when the an evaluation of the county’s response to the April 9 professional and dedicated moving into Ogle County tornado. Photo by Chris Johnson to public safety,” said Brian just after 6:30 p.m. The response was Brackemyer, coordinator Grubsteakers Restaurant Region 2 officials held an evaluation Monday to evaluated on 10 points, each for Illinois Emergency at the intersection of Ill. 64 Management Agency and 251 and nearby farms determine how well the of which included several (IEMA) Region 2, which and homes were destroyed Ogle County Emergency target items. Those attending Agency were encouraged to weigh includes 17 counties in by the twister as it continued Management and other in with their assessments of An Mt. Morris man died northwest Illinois. on its path to Fairdale, a tiny (OCEMA) agencies handled the rescue what was done well and what Tuesday afternoon after he Region 2 is headquartered village on Ill. 72 just over the and recovery operations after needs to be improved. was ejected from his sport in Dixon, and Brackemyer DeKalb County line. Each target item was graded utility vehicle in a rollwas on the scene April 9 after Two women died there in the storm. Representatives of Ogle P for performance without over crash southeast of Mt. the tornado swept through their homes, and many of the County police and fire challenges, the highest Morris. two subdivisions west of 50 homes and structures in departments, as well as rating; S for performance Eric J. Pepper, 37, was Rochelle, where most of the village were flattened. the destroyed homes were The tornado also damaged county officials were invited with some challenges; M pronounced dead at the scene located. structures in Boone and to the evaluation, held at for performance with major of the one-vehicle crash on Rochelle Township High challenges; and U for unable Camp Road approximately “Everyone was very McHenry Counties. Turn to A7 a quarter-mile west of Ridge professional and concerned Brackemyer and other School. Road. Ogle County Sheriff’s Police said Pepper was driving the SUV west on Both cooking teams and Camp Road when it went tasters were enthusiastic out of control and entered about the third annual What’s Cookin’ held May 2 at Barnacopia. “Nineteen cooking teams came to the barn with so much excitement and left with so much joy and A Polo man was killed anticipation of coming back May 2 when the motorcycle for the 2016 event which is he was driving failed to being planned for April 16, negotiate a curve. 2016,” said event organizer Douglas A. Weidman, Diane Palmer. 44, Polo, was pronounced More than 300 people dead at the scene following turned out to try the many the 9:05 p.m. accident that food dishes prepared by the occurred at the intersection teams who participated. of North Union and West Sean Considine, Byron, Canada roads, north of Polo. this year’s spokesperson Ogle County Sheriff’s for the event, was on hand Jane Millar and Bette Kuhn serve up the Wannabe Cowgirls beans to Barb Giese during Deputies determined that sharing his specialty dish. the Rock River Center’s What’s Cookin’ event on May 2. Photo by Earleen Hinton Wiedman was driving his Ogle County Sheriff Brian 1994 Yamaha south on Union “Teams from Dixon, for the Rock River Center, has grown to be a great VanVickle, Ogle County Road when he failed to Sterling, Mt. Morris, Oregon, Oregon, which provides function for all of Ogle State’s Attorney Eric Morrow negotiate a curve in the road. Forreston — you name it — transportation and other County,” Palmer said. and Ogle County Circuit The motorcycle skidded they were there.” resources to all county Teams and sponsors can Clerk Kim Stahl were part of the roadway for Many sponsors also came residents. register for next year by on Considine’s team. approximately 60 feet before “What’s Cookin’ started going to the What’s Cooking “This team has already forward this year to help, she in 2014 as a conversation website at www.whats- it left the roadway on the talked about coming back said. west side of Union Road. The event is a fundraiser around a kitchen table and cookin.org. next year,” said Palmer.
Official praises Ogle’s response to EF4 tornado
vendors are ready,” Young said in an email. Young also said that the $350,000 received by the IDNR from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will also be forthcoming. “The grant is good through May of 2016,” he said in the email message. Through the efforts of the Friends of the Black Hawk Statue, experts came up with a plan to restore the portions of the statue that are crumbling and falling off. The folded arms of the statue, especially the elbows and underneath the arms; the middle of the robe; and the vertical fold in the robe from armpit to toe are the critical areas. The statue was encased in plastic mesh for the winter to protect it from further damage from cold, ice, and snow. Designed by Chicago sculptor Lorado Taft in 1910 and dedicated in 1911, Black Hawk was named to the state’s list of Most Endangered Historic Places April 22 by Landmarks Illinois. The agency released a Turn to A2
Mt. Morris man dies in accident
RRC’s What’s Cookin’ draws 300 tasters
the north ditch where it sideswiped a utility pole. The vehicle then rolled over at least three times and struck a second utility pole, breaking it off, before coming to rest in the ditch. The crash occurred at 5:14 p.m. The accident remains under investigation. The Mt. Morris Fire Department and ambulance and the Ogle County Coroner’s Office assisted at the scene.
Polo motorcyclist is killed in wreck
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5 Library News, A8
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, A7 Public Voice, A9 Property Transfers, B5 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Sheriff’s Column Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3 Zoning Certificates, B4
The motorcycle continued off the roadway for approximately 190 feet before striking and snapping a utility pole on the west side of union road where the motorcycle and driver came to a rest. Police said speed was a factor in the accident. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Polo Police department, Ogle County Coroner’s Office, and the Polo Fire and ambulance services. The accident remains under investigation, pending the results of laboratory tests. An autopsy was conducted at the Ogle County Morgue.
Deaths, B6 Nolan Deets Jr., Lea A. Spengler, Robert J.M. Tudor
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