Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
Musical Talent Oregon High School’s Ben Baldwin has been selected to the All-State Concert...again. A2
December 11, 2014 Volume 164, Number 52 - $1.00
1000th Point
Missing Files
Oregon’s Emy Wright is honored after reaching a milestone. B1
Sheriff’s department files relating to the Ogle County Tow Fund are missing A8
Statue wrapped for the winter By Vinde Wells Editor
Oregon’s most wellknown landmark is finally all wrapped up and ready for whatever Old Man Winter has to offer. Looking almost like a giant Christmas present minus the bow, the Black Hawk Statue is completely covered with dark green plastic mesh that will protect it from snow and ice until repairs can begin in the spring. Project conservator Dr. Andrzej Dajnowski and his crew first built scaffold
Man is charged after fleeing
completely around the 50foot concrete landmark in late November, then put a wooden roof over the top, and finally enclosed it all with the protective mesh late last week. Created by sculptor Lorado Taft in 1910 as a tribute to all Native Americans, the statue draws thousands of visitors each year. It was unveiled and dedicated in 1911. Dajnowski is heading up a team that will return in the spring to repair the damage done to the statue by time and weather. Turn to A3
By Vinde Wells Editor
The Black Hawk statue now has a protective wrap surrounding it. Restoration efforts to repair the statue will be completed next year on the 103-year-old concrete sculpture. The wrap was put place over the statue and scaffolding (seen at left) to protect it from more damage this winter. Photos by Chris Johnson
Burned out building is finally torn down By Vinde Wells Editor After a wait just short of nine months, the remains of an Oregon restaurant have finally been demolished. Whiskey’s River Smokehouse, 123 N. Second St., was torn down and filled
in Dec. 2 by excavator Jason Benesh. “I think everyone is pretty happy with it,” Oregon Police Chief Darin DeHaan said Tuesday. He said because the dirt used to fill in what was the building’s basement will likely settle over the winter,
the city has asked owner Kevin Wedel to relevel it and seed it in the spring. DeHaan said he does not know what Wedel’s plans are for the property. The building, situated near the Oregon Fire Station, burned on March 16. For several months,
DeHaan and other city officials fielded complaints from citizens questioning why the building had not been torn down. The main cause of the delay was that insurance adjustors could not agree on the amount Wedel should receive for his claim.
DeHaan said the Wedel’s insurance paid the entire cost of the demolition. “There was no cost to the city at all,” he said. The exact cause of the fire was never determined, but it was ruled accidental by investigators from the Office Turn to A3
Rainy weather dampens restaurant auction By Vinde Wells Editor A steady, chilly drizzle dampened the profits Monday afternoon for an Oregon restaurant’s going out of business auction. Andy Riegel, owner
of Jackass BBQ, 501 W. Washington St., called the monetary results of the auction “pretty bad” and blamed it on the rainy weather. He said the kitchen equipment brought especially low prices.
Last month Riegel announced his plans to close for economic reasons. He said he hopes to find a bar interested in having him provide food for its patrons. Plans will be updated on his Facebook page, he said. The building where Jackass
BBQ was located is owned by Ogle County, and Riegel had a lease until June of 2015 with an option to extend it for another year. Riegel was already leasing the building when the county bought the property in 2013 from John Spoor for
Potential bidders check out some of the items for sale at the Jackass barbecue auction in Oregon on Monday. The county owns the building that the restaurant was located in at the corner of S. Fifth Street and Ill. 64. Photo by Earleen Hinton
In This Week’s Edition...
Business Brief, B4 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B9-B14 Entertainment, A11 Fines, B7
Library News, A3 Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B4 Public Voice, A9 Property Transfers, B4
$150,000. According to the terms of his lease, Riegel was to pay the amount of the real estate taxes on the property as his rent. The annual real estate tax bill was approximately $3,100. Riegel has not yet paid the second installment of real estate taxes and said he hopes the proceeds of the auction will be enough to cover it. County treasurer John Coffman said the amount owed is approximately $1,800 including the interest and late fees. The second installment was due on Sept. 5. County board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, said as a government body, county officials could have had the property taken off the real estate tax rolls, but decided to let it remain to allow other government bodies, such as the City of Oregon and Oregon School District, to
A 20-year-old Polo man was charged with reckless driving Monday evening after he fled from a routine traffic stop in Polo earlier in the day and ended up in a Dixon shopping mall. The man was taken to the Ogle County Jail after he was released from KSB Hospital, Dixon, at 8:21 p.m. Polo Police Chief Dennis Christen said Tuesday morning. After being taken into custody at 3:11 p.m. by Lee County deputies at Tractor Supply, 1810 S. Galena Ave., the man was transported to the hospital for a suicide evaluation, Christen said. The situation began early Monday afternoon when Christen attempted to stop the car the man was driving for speeding and reckless driving. Instead of stopping, Christen said the man drove out of town. Christen said he lost sight of the car due to the fog and excessive speed, but a motorist reported seeing the car south of town. According to a police report released by Christen, the car was clocked doing 68 mph in a 35 mph zone in Polo and also passed one car on the right at an intersection and another on the left with traffic approaching head-on. The report said the man was apparently upset and had made suicidal threats. He was believed to be in possession of one or more knives. The man posted Facebook messages indicating he was disappointed that the Polo Police would not give pursuit because he was trying to get them to chase him so that he could crash his car into a pole. The man returned to Polo and continued to drive recklessly at high speeds and Turn to A3
Deadline is near for candidates
The deadline is nearing for candidates wanting to be the mayor of Oregon or serve as a city commissioner. Candidate petitions for mayor and 4 commissioner seats for the April 7, 2015 election need to be turned in between Monday, Dec. 15 and Monday, Dec. 22. Petitions can still be picked up at Oregon City Hall, 115 N. Third Street, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact city hall at 815-732Turn to A3 6321.
Sheriff’s Arrests, B4 Social News, A4 Sports, A12, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Zoning, B7
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Deaths, B3 Charles E. Diehl, Nadine M. Ross