Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
July 30, 2015 Volume 165, Number 33 - $1.00
Vintage Base Ball
Colored Wings
The Band Plays On
The Oregon Ganymedes will play in a World Tournament next month. B1
Butterflies were the stars at Elkhorn Creek near Forreston. B2
The Mt. Morris Kable Band will continue after a long-time director puts down his baton. A2
It’s fair time! 162nd Ogle event is underway Rodeo, demolition derby, carnival are all part of the fun By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews.com Preparations for opening day of the Ogle County Fair had fair officials, volunteers, and participants working long hours early this week. The 162nd fair opened Wednesday and runs through Sunday at the fairgrounds on Lime
Kiln Road, just north of Ill. 64 a mile west of Oregon. Plenty of help and a favorable weather forecast had fair board president Harlan Holm feeling good Tuesday morning. “Preparations are going quite well. Things are coming together,” he said. “We’ve had a good turnout of new volunteers. They’ve been showing up here at the fairgrounds and asking what they can do to help.” With a forecast of temperatures in the 80s and only slight chances of rain, it appeared that Mother Nature would do her part as well.
“Weather-wise we are looking pretty good, too,” Holm said. “It’s supposed to be in the mid to high 80s and rain is slightly possible on Wednesday and Sunday. We can handle that.” He said the carnival arrived Monday afternoon and workers set up rides late into the night. The grounds shows were also getting ready for their performances on Tuesday. “I think they’re going to put on real good shows,” Holm said. Volunteers were also working Tuesday to get the livestock barns ready for 4-H and open show
exhibitors, who were slated to arrive Wednesday afternoon. Tickets to the fair can be purchased at the gate for $8 per person which includes unlimited carnival rides, grounds shows, and most entertainment events. Tickets to the grand stand shows are $10 each. Ample free parking is available in a large field south of the fairgrounds. The 2015 Ogle County Fair Queen Pageant was slated to open the fair Wednesday evening. The pageant was set to begin at 5:30 p.m. with the Little Miss and
Mister Ogle County Fair contests, followed by the Young Miss and Junior Miss contests, and capped off with the coronation of the new queen. The grandstand shows will be traditional, Holm said. The Riverbend Antique Tractor Pull was scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. The Illini State Truck and Tractor Pulls will offer two shows on Thursday, one at 1 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m. The Big Hat Rodeo begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, and the Demo Turn to A3
County officials look at building new county jail By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com After years of discussing the need for a new jail, Ogle County officials are taking the first step in the process of building one. County board member Don Griffin, Oregon, told the board July 21 that the Long Range & Strategic Planning Committee, which he chairs, is looking at various companies to do a feasibility study for the project. The committee decided July 14 to spend no more than $40,000 on the study without county board approval. Last November as part of Chelsea Eden, a Carefree 4-H member, discusses her painting Saturday afternoon during the judging of the 2015 fair projects. Photo by Chris Johnson
Kids excited to show at the fair By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Passionate and excited children anxiously awaited their turn to talk to fair judges Saturday afternoon at the Ogle County Fairgrounds. No one was more excited then five-year-old Elizabeth Kennedy, a Cloverbud with the By-Y-Badgers 4-H club in Byron. “I love to paint,” she said as she showed her project to everyone that walked by. “It is easy to do but it is fun.” When asked about the project she made for the fair, Kennedy did not hesitate to describe her painting. “I painted on the board,” she said. “Their are rubber bands on the board that gave me this look.” This was the first year for Kennedy at the fair and she even wanted to tell people about her sister’s project, which was basic sewing skills. After waiting for her turn to talk to the judges, Kennedy walked over to the
judge with her head held high and a huge smile on her face. Every 4-Her entering a project in the county fair had similar stories of their passion for their projects. From the youngest Cloverbuds to the seasoned veterans, projects were brought before the judges by the 4-Hers. Chelsea Eden has been exhibiting for years and decided to try something different this year. “The painting is oil,” Eden said. “I like how this painting allowed me to get out of my shell and do something different.” In previous years, Eden has entered paintings but had always used different mediums to create the art. When talking to the fair judges, the 4-Hers had the opportunity to learn tips and techniques on how to get better in the future. Jerry Young, a carpenter with a shop in Leaf River, was one of the judges. He listened to By-YBadgers member Ryan
In This Week’s Edition...
City considering $5.5 million for system upgrades By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com
Elizabeth Kennedy, age 5, a member of the By-Y-Badgers 4-H Club, shows off her painting she is entering in the fair. Photo by Chris Johnson
Reeverts talk about a cutting board, before asking basic questions about the project. Questions included, what would you do different next time, what tools did you use, why did you select this type of wood, and what did you learn while making this project? These questions would be asked of everyone Young judged that day. He did not say any technique was
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6
right or wrong on the project, but did make suggestions on how the 4-Hers could improve their carpentry skills for future projects. Sitting on the ground next to Young was a TV stand made by a 4-Her from Blackhawk Crossing, Taylor Sheely, 12. The project was waiting to be judged but had a Turn to A3
Library News, A8 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B5
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1 State’s Attorney, B3
the 2015 budget, the board approved a five-year plan that included spending $25 million for a new jail in 2018. Various sites have been discussed for the new jail, most recently near the new public safety complex on First Street in Oregon. The present jail, which is attached to the courthouse, was built in 1969. Mark Goldman and Robert Aguirre from the National Institute of Corrections inspected the jail in 2009 and recommended building a new one. Lack of space and poor ventilation were two of the problems they listed in their report.
Oregon residents could see an 84 percent increase in water rates if a water supply project plan is approved as written. The city received notification from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) June 25 that a preliminary plan for $5.5 million in upgrades to the city’s water system was received. Water rates would only go up if a project is approved by the city council. “We are deciding what the scope of the project will be,” said water and wastewater manager Dave Kent. “This is the whole project, but we are looking to see what we need to do.” Kent said the project was originally filed last August and the city just received word of the preliminary loan approval from the IEPA. “We just heard the funding is available for the project,” said Kent. “The letter authorizes funding. We
need to plan for the next few months.” The letter from the IEPA stated they “concur with the applicant’s finding that the proposed project is technically appropriate and cost effective.” City officials are looking at water system improvements including replacement of well buildings 2, 3, and 4, water main replacement and looping, and ground level storage tanks painting. The project description states the water mains throughout the city are undersized and aging. There is also a need to loop the dead end water mains. A map of the project shows water main replacement could be completed in various areas of the city. Mains on Third Street that could be replaced are from Illinois to Monroe, Washington to Madison, and Webster to south of Armstrong. Also slated for replacement is the main on Monroe Street from Depot west across Ill. 64 and along Oregon Trail Turn to A2
Deaths, B6 Sara D. Haugen, Mary R. Martin, Melody Martinez, Donald L. Woodin
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com