Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
Sectional Bound The Hawks Cross Country Team will run at Oregon Park West Saturday morning. B1
Pumpkin Crop
Comprehensive Plan
Halloween will be filled with pumpkins in Illinois. A9
The Oregon Park District is working to update its comprehensive master plan. A7
Mother and son are killed in fire
Village awards efforts 47th Village of Progress Banquet was held on Oct. 19 By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com Awards for distinguished service, recognition of efforts, great food, and cookies fresh from the soon-to-open bakery highlighted the 47th annual Village of Progress banquet last week. More than 300 people attended the event, emceed by Tom Wadsworth for the 17th year in a row, on Oct. 19 at St. Mary’s Community Center, Oregon.. For a sweet dessert treat, every place at the tables included a shortbread cookie decorated with The Village Bakery’s logo and slogan “Baking a difference.” The bakery, at the corner of Third and Washington in downtown Oregon, is VOP’s most recent enterprise and is slated to open before the end of this year. Before awards were given
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
Sandra Braddock grasps the Robert Moehle Personal Achievement Award Oct. 19 at the Village of Progress 47th Annual Banquet.
out, Jackie Fransen was recognized as the manager for the new Village Bakery. Fransen has 20 years of experience in food service and has served for 10 years as head of food service at Oregon Living and Rehabilitation Center. She’s also ran her own bakery. The first award given was the John Herrmann Personal Achievement Award, named for Herrmann’s 30 years of service - 24 as village board member, and a foundation board member until his death, which went to consumer Sharon Good. Good spent nine years working at VOP. In 1999, she moved on to work at a local grocery store washing dishes until 2011. She then moved to Springfield to do janitorial duties Stillman Valley’s Will Glendenning wins the Peter for a local Hardee’s. In June 2015, she returned Cacciatore Memorial Scholarship Award at the Village of Progress 47th Annual Banquet Oct. 19. Sauk Valley
Turn to A6 Media photos by Philip Marruffo
New chief has years of experience Mike Knoup appointed September 30 By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com Oregon has brought a new fire chief on board, and he brings 30 years of experience and a firefighter’s bloodline with him. Mike Knoup was appointed Fire Chief on Sept. 30, taking the place of former chief Al Green, who resigned. Knoup is not lacking for experience; he has around 30 years experience as a firefighter, EMT, and paramedic. He’s served several communities besides Oregon, including Pecatonica, German Township, and Springfield, Ohio. He first wound up in Oregon through his employment with ATS Medical Services in Loves Park, and has become very familiar with the department over his three years serving as EMT and firefighter. Knoup and his wife, Tammy, have three daughters: Tasha, Danielle,
October 27, 2016 Volume 166, Number 46 - $1.00
The fire that claimed the lives of a Byron mother and her preschool son last week remains under investigation. Byron Fire Chief Galen Bennett said that he has not yet been notified of the cause of the Oct. 19 fire in the house at 2020 N. Silverthorn Drive, where Maggie Meyer, 31, and her 3-year-old son Amos lived. “As far as I know they’re still investigating,” he said Tuesday morning. Bennett said the investigation is being handled by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department. The fire was reported around 6:40 a.m., apparently by Meyer’s ex-husband and the boy’s father, Duane C. Meyer, who was there to pick up the youngster. When firefighters arrived, Meyer and a Byron police officer were performing CPR on Amos, who was reportedly in an upstairs bedroom when the fire broke out. The child and his father were taken to Rockford Memorial Hospital, where Amos was pronounced dead. Firefighters also could hear smoke alarms going off and encountered heavy smoke when they arrived. Maggie Meyer was found dead on the couch on the first floor. At the scene last week, Bennett said firefighters
Heroin abuse is on the rise
Editor’s note: This is the first of a 4-part series on the growing use of heroin in Ogle County and how it is affecting governmental agencies, addicts, family members and the political process. By Andy Colbert acolbert@oglecounty news.com
Oregon Fire Chief Michael Knoup stands in front of one of the district’s trucks. Photo by Earleen Hinton
and Lindsey. The oldest of the three, Tammy has two children Knoup’s grandsons - and Danielle lives in Florida attending nursing school. The youngest, Lindsey, helps her parents tend to their businesses; Knoup owns the convenience store Mike’s One-Stop and a Subway restaurant, both in Pecatonica. Previously, Knoup spent many years working as an engineer for Dean Foods, Rockford. A promotion to
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plant engineer led to he and his family moving to Springfield, Ohio. A further promotion to project engineer brought the family back to Illinois. When it comes to being a firefighter, Knoup says it’s a family thing; his father, grandfather, and great grandfather before him all served on the fire teams in their communities. “What can I say? It’s in our blood,” said Knoup. Knoup still serves as deputy fire chief for
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B5
Pecatonica, along with his fire chief and paramedic responsibilities in Oregon. According to Knoup, he operates on a busy threeday schedule: first, 24 hours as Oregon paramedic, then a day dedicated to doing his fire chief duties, and a third day in Pecatonica’s fire station - after which, the schedule repeats. In his free time, Knoup is an outdoorsman; he loves to camp, hunt, hike, and explore the wilderness. However, Turn to A2
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B3
encountered very little fire, but a great deal of smoke when they arrived. “There was very little flame, but there was smoke throughout the house,” he said. “The smoke was heavy in the upstairs and in the basement.” The state fire marshal’s investigator said the fire appears to have started near the couch. Meyer did not smoke, and no space heater or electronics such as a computer or cellphone were found near the origin of the fire. An autopsy was performed on Maggie on Oct. 19 in Ogle County, and Amos’ was done Oct. 20 in Winnebago County. Ogle County Coroner Lou Finch said Tuesday that no cause of Maggie’s death has yet been determined, and said the fire remains under investigation. Winnebago County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Hintz referred all questions to Ogle County detectives. Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle and Lt. Brian Ketter, investigation commander for the sheriff’s department, did not return phone calls on Tuesday. Maggie Meyer grew up in Mt. Morris, graduated from Oregon High School, and was a teacher at the Chana Education Center. Complete obituaries appear on B4. Kathleen Schultz from Sauk Valley Media contributed to this story.
The perception of a heroin junkie has changed. The image of society castoffs with needles sticking out of an arm in a back alley is gone. In its place are everyday citizens trying to support an insidious habit. “The stigma of heroin usage has changed,” Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said. “It’s every walk of life and has become a much more serious issue in this county. Besides the crime aspect, it is tearing families apart.” Brooke Plachno has noticed the same thing from her position as Adult Probation Supervisor for the Ogle County Drug Court.
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
Three overdoses resulting in death h a v e occurred s i n c e March. “It has g r a b b e d Sheriff Brian VanVickle people f r o m all ages, sexes and socioeconomics,” Plachno said. Why has heroin usage transitioned from big cities to rural areas? “It’s become less expensive than prescription drugs and more accessible,” VanVickle said. Heroin is also more powerful than other drugs. It is 2-4 times more potent than morphine and much faster. “It’s frightening how easy it is to get,” Plachno said. “When people can’t get their prescription refills or pills on the street, they go to heroin. We’re not seeing meth or cocaine like we used to.” “Most of the heroin is Turn to A3
Deaths, B4 Rev. William D. Brooks, David W. Churney, Avis Hays, Amos Patrick Meyer, Margaret A. Meyer
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