Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
November 17, 2016 Volume 166, Number 49 - $1.00
Season Preview
Polo Theater
Elkhorn Creek
The Lady Hawks are ready to begin the 20162017 basketball season. B1
“It’s A Wonderful Life” will be performed on Dec. 2, 3 in Polo. A6
The Audubon Society will host a field trip Saturday to learn about biodiversity. A6
Former sheriff
prohibited from possessing guns Michael Harn pleads not guilty to theft charges By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Former Ogle County Sheriff Michael Harn pleaded not guilty in Ogle County Court Nov. 10 to charges that he used county funds for his own use while he was in office. Carroll County Judge Val Gunnarsson, who is presiding over the case, set Harn’s bond at $10,000 on his own recognizance.
Under the bond conditions, Harn is prohibited from possessing firearms. Gunnarsson set Harn’s next court appearance for Dec. 19. Harn, 54, was charged Oct. 12 with two counts of felony theft. According to court documents, he is accused of buying numerous items with county funds, including electronic equipment, boat equipment, radio-controlled toys, party tents, coolers, weapons, hunting guns, Harley-Davidson clothing and accessories, adult novelty items, and outdoor fountains. Turn to A8
Board opposes railroad plan By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Following the lead of other affected counties, the Ogle County Board came out in opposition Tuesday to the proposed Great Lakes Basin Railroad. The board approved a resolution, by a vote of 23 to 1, that says members believe “the purported gains in efficiency from the proposed rail line would be far outweighed by the negative environmental impact.” The decision was applauded by a large group of people in the audience who are opposed to the rail line. Board member Ron Colson, Mt. Morris, cast the only negative vote.
“We really don’t know what we’re dealing with,” Colson said. “There’s already been two plans; there could be four or five.” “I can’t really see any benefit to our county of this railroad,” said board member Bill Welty, Chana. The rail system would be funded by private investors led by Frank Patton, Crete, a former software developer. If approved by the Surface Transportation Board of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the rail line will extend from Milton, Wisconsin, to La Porte, Indiana, passing through Scott, White Rock, Lynnville, Dement, and Flagg Townships on the east side of Ogle County. Tom Smith, Kings, who Turn to A3
County Board votes for Sixth St. jail plan By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com South Sixth Street in Oregon is the preferred location for the proposed Ogle County Jail. The Ogle County Board approved a resolution Tuesday evening for the concept design of the new jail located in the 100 block of South Sixth Street across the street from the judicial center. Jeff Goodale, Director of Justice at HOK, a Chicago architectural and planning firm, presented a design which was fine-tuned from the one he bought to the board last month. HOK was hired a year ago to do a jail needs assessment.
Like last month’s the drawing shows South Sixth Street closed to traffic with a sally port across what is now the street connecting the new detention center to the judicial center. Oregon Mayor Ken Williams said Tuesday that the city council has not yet discussed whether or not to close South Sixth Street between Washington and Jefferson Streets. However, he has received a formal request from Ogle County Board Chairman Kim Gouker asking the city to vacate the street. “We’re doing an engineering study,” Williams said. “Once we have the results of the study, it will go to the Planning Commission and then to the city council.”
In This Week’s Edition...
Navy veteran Anthony Hendricks is reflected in the Fallen Soldiers Memorial as he salutes the flag Friday morning during a Veterans Day Service in Oregon. Hendricks, CM1(SCW) was a Petty Office First Class and served in Iraq in 2006. Photo by Chris Johnson
Veterans remembered Friday By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com Remember – one word that can evoke a variety of emotions and memories. For American Legion Commander John Tuttle, that word held extra meaning Friday morning. “Veterans share a common bond and we call each other brothers because it is important,” he said. “We do not want to forget our veterans.” Tuttle read a brief list of some of the veterans from Ogle County who have died this year. Those veterans came home. Others were not as fortunate. “Some veterans never come home,” said Tuttle. An empty chair with a POW-MIA flag with the name of Army Sgt. 1st Class Alan Boyer, and Remembrance Table was
set up for the service. “We vow to leave no one behind, but in the chaos of war it happens,” said Tuttle. “We never stopped looking.” Boyer was an Army Green Beret who was lost in 1968 while serving in Vietnam near Laos. “His mother went to meetings in Rockford, and Dorothy always said Alan would come home,” said Tuttle. “She never saw her son return home.” Dorothy never wanted to be known as a Gold Star Mother, he said. She died in 2013. “In March they found Alan and he was interned in Arlington,” said Tuttle. Tuttle, along with a veterans from around the country, traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to attend the emotional June 22 service. Turn to A2
American Legion Commander John Tuttle, right, delivers a passionate speech Friday morning during the Oregon Veterans Day service. Also pictured is Oregon Mayor Ken Williams. Photo by Chris Johnson
Warm up Candlelight Walk Nov. 26 Local manufacturing company made fire stands for Candy Cane Lane y Earleen Hinton B ehinton@oglecounty news.com Visitors to this year’s Candlelight Walk will want to give a nod to the employees of an Oregon manufacturing company while they warm up by one of the brand new fire stands on Candy Cane Lane. Workers from E.D. Etnyre & Co, located on S. Daysville Road, designed and then created the metal fire stands last week, just in time for the annual Nov. 26 event in Oregon. “The Oregon Chamber of Commerce and The Candlelight Walk Committee are so excited and extremely grateful for this generous contribution from the E. D. Etnyre crew,” said Debbie Dickson, executive director of the Oregon Chamber of Turn to A7
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Library News, A6
Here are some of the E.D. Etnyre employees who worked on the fire stands for Candlelight Walk. Pictured left to right, are: Kathy Taylor, Sarah Cahill, Shawn Schwartzrock, Nate Linboom, Joshua Hawkins, Doug Heilemeier, Kurt Vail, and Jesse Mazanec. Employees Al Jensen, Bryan Geiger, and Byron Hogan were not present when the photo was taken. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4 Weather, A3
Deaths, B4 George D. Chester, Rosa Ditto, Theodore (Ted) M. Gapinski
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com