Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
December 12, 2013 Volume 163, Number 52 - $1.00
Tournaments
4-H Awards
School Lockdown
The Polo Girls Tournament and Forreston Boys Tournament schedules are announced. B1-B2
Ogle County 4-H members were recognized Nov. 17. A7
Oregon Schools went on soft lockdown Dec. 4 after a suspicious person was reported. B5
Exelon Nuclear appeals tax assessment By Vinde Wells Editor Exelon Nuclear officials have filed a tax appeal asking that the assessment of the Byron Generating Station is cut in half. According to their appeal filed Nov. 12, Exelon contends the value of the generating station totals $252,937,302, just 49.6 percent of the $509,444,605 set by Ogle County Supervisor of Assessments Jim Harrison. The appeal is for the
generating station’s 2013 assessment, which affects taxes payable in 2014. The assessment is slightly higher than the $499 million set by Harrison last year. “I bumped it up based on the assessments of other nuclear plants and the likelihood that a license extension will be granted,� Harrison said Dec. 6. Exelon has applied for a 20year extension to its current licenses, which expire in 2025 and 2027. Exelon officials also
appealed last year’s assessment, but the Ogle County Board of Review (BOR) upheld the value set by Harrison. Exelon appealed the BOR decision to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, which has not yet made its ruling. The BOR will hear this year’s appeal in January. Exelon paid more than $32 million in real estate taxes this year to 11 taxing bodies, which include Ogle County, Rockvale Township, Byron School District, Oregon
School District, Oregon Park District, Byron Fire District, Rock Valley College, Byron Public Library District, Byron Museum District, Byron Forest Preserve District, and Kishwaukee Community College. The value of the Byron Generating Station has frequently been disputed throughout the history of the facility. A four-year agreement between the taxing bodies and Exelon for the plant’s assessment expired at the end
Crash is due to medical episode
By Vinde Wells Editor
An Oregon man died from a medical condition Dec. 6 after a one-vehicle crash in Mt. Morris. Mt. Morris Police said Erling H. Johnson, 85, apparently suffered a medical episode that caused the car he was driving to crash into a railroad crossing signal on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad on Ill. 64 at the east edge of Mt. Morris. Johnson was transported by Mt. Morris ambulance to Mt. Morris fire and ambulance crews responded to a one-vehicle accident on Ill. 64 KSB Hospital, Dixon, where Friday. The car struck a railroad control signal and came to rest on the inactive tracks Turn to A2 that cross the state highway on the village’s east side. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Police investigation two burglaries Oregon Police are seeking information from the public about two recent burglaries. A burglar or burglars made force entry into the Oregon Pizza Hut, 404 E. Washington St., in the early morning hours of Dec. 6 and took an undisclosed amount of money. Oregon Police Chief Darin
The following year, the affected taxing bodies formed the Ogle County Intergovernmental Agency Board to fight the tax appeals. The first multi-year agreement, approved in early 1998, set the assessments for 1997-2004 at $471 million and settled a decade of lawsuits and tax appeals. Construction of the Byron Generating Station began in 1975. The first reactor started producing electricity in 1985 and the second went on line in 1987.
Steder posts his $25,000 bond
By Vinde Wells Editor
By Vinde Wells Editor
of 2011. The agreement, approved in November of 2010, set the assessed value of the nuclear plant at $450 million for 2008, $460 million in 2009, $470 million in 2010, and $480 million in 2011. Besides setting the plant’s value, the agreement settled a lawsuit and numerous tax appeals filed between 2005 and 2008. Commonwealth Edison, which formerly owned the plant, filed its first tax in 1989 when the assessment was more than $1 billion.
DeHaan said employees coming to work reported the burglary at 8:28 a.m. He declined to say how the burglar or burglars got into the building. The burglary likely occurred between 2 and 6 a.m. The public is encouraged to come forward with any information pertaining to the incident. “We canvassed the neighborhood but if someone driving by saw a suspicious
vehicle in the area or saw or heard something we would like to know about it,� DeHaan said. Police are also seeking information about burglaries Nov. 22 to three vehicles parked in the Oregon Elementary School lot during the Thanksgiving tournament hosted by the Oregon High School girls basketball team. DeHaan said three locked vehicles were broken into and
items were stolen. Some of the items were recovered at traffic pull-off locations on Ill. 2 north of Oregon, he said. “This kind of crime is rare in Oregon,� DeHaan said. He urged residents not to leave valuables unattended in their vehicles at any time. Anyone with information about either incident is urged to call the Oregon Police Department at 815-732-2803.
A Mt. Morris man accused of hate crimes and battery is out of jail after an Ogle County judge reduced his bond last week. Matthew Steder, 22, posted bond and was released after Judge Robert Hanson reduced his bond from $250,000 to $25,000 at a hearing Dec. 6. Steder is charged with three counts of hate crimes, Class 4 felonies, one count of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and three counts of battery in connection with an underage drinking party last August that resulted in the death of an Oregon teen. He has been held in the Whiteside County Jail since he turned himself in to Ogle County Sheriff’s Police on Nov. 28. The motion for a bond reduction was filed by Steder’s attorney David Tess, Rochelle. Hanson said he agreed that the original bond was set too high, but voiced concerns over Steder’s criminal past. “I’m concerned over his history at such a young age,� Hanson said. “I believe the bond at $250,000 is too high, but I believe it should be sufficiently high to ensure he
will appear in court.� Hanson reduced the bond and set several conditions Steder must adhere to, including no consumption of alcohol or any drugs other than prescribed by a doctor, no violations of the law, and he must continue to reside with his mother and stepfather in Mt. Morris. Tess said Steder has a good job that is being held for him. He said his client wants to return to work. Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Versluys objected to the bond reduction. He said Steder is accused of three crimes of violence against three different victims in the current case, and has a history of violent behavior and alcohol abuse. Steder is one of two men charged with hate crimes stemming from a drinking party in Oregon on Aug. 10 where a fight broke out that resulted in the death of 18-year-old Jonathan Williams. Justin Coltrain, 33, Mt. Morris, also appeared before Hanson on Dec. 6. He is charged with one count each of hate crime and battery. Ogle County State’s Attorney Michael Rock said Turn to A2
Centennial students surprised with $25,000 By Chris Johnson Reporter With company representatives from US Cellular hiding in the principal’s office, Sue Hillison nervously awaited the results of a contest Tuesday morning. Centennial Elementary was one of 4,000 schools competing for $25,000 in the US Cellular Calling All Communities Contest. The top 20 would receive $25,000. “I am pretty nervous,� Hillison told the students as they waited for the results. “We might actually not be in the top 20.� As Hillison was talking to
the students the US Cellular representatives were now waiting in the hallway to surprise the school. “Do not be upset if we are not in the top 20,� she said. “We are going to persevere and try again next year.� Hillison sat with the students and watched the clock. The clock ticked to 10:30 a.m. and a video announcing the results was played for the students and faculty. One school was announced then it appeared on the screen — Centennial Elementary School. Hillison jumped to her feet, almost in unison with the students, and raised her arms in celebration while shouting.
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She ran down the bleachers shouting and pumping her arms with excitement that the school won. The students were also shouting and were equally excited. Hillison turned around and that is when she saw US Cellular representatives with flowers and a large check for $25,000. She was offered a tissue because she was crying at this point and was asked to talk to the students. “You are what perseverance is,� she said. “We just got $25,000. I am proud of you.� Next year the school plans to win the contest again for
Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B7-B14 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Sue Hillison, center, reacts after seeing Centennial Elementary School’s name appear
Turn to A2 on a list of the US Cellular’s Calling all Community Contest winners. Photo by Chris Johnson
Oregon Police, B6 Library News, A3 Public Voice, A11 Property Transfers, B5
Sheriff’s Arrests, B4 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
Deaths, B3 Richard A. DeKoning, Alicia M. Gillick, Erling H. Johnson, Oscar O. Ohlsson Jr., Deloris A. Schroers, Delores A. Schroeder
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