Orr 2017 03 02

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Serving Ogle County since 1851

OREGON Republican Reporter

March 2, 2017 Volume 167, Number 12 - $1.00

Carnival at Coliseum

State Champs!

New Coach

Ogle County 4H Clubs host the Penny Carnival for kids this Saturday in Oregon. A7

Byron’s Lady Tigers repeat as Class 2A basketball champs. B1

Nick Schneiderman is ready to take on the big three in the BNC football conference. A10

DLR and Aplington spellers battle for 43 rounds Polo girl earns her third win; Ogle County students claim top 3 spots By Christopher Heimerman cheimerman@saukvalley. com If only Polo sixth-grader Rebekah Zeigler didn’t know what she knew, earning her third straight trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Feb. 23 wouldn’t have been so grueling. The Aplington middleschooler was all too familiar with Lydia Cermak, the eighth-grader from David L. Rahn Junior High in Mt. Morris, whom she had to outlast two years ago. Worse yet was knowing the unknown was lurking: any moment, emcee Tom Wadsworth could have run out of the 1,500 words the competitors are privy to in advance of the Lee-Ogle Whiteside Regional Spelling Bee, held at Dixon High School.

That happened last year, and he was forced to go off the list. “I was very, very close, within a few rounds of losing all the words on the spelling list,” Wadsworth said. “I didn’t think we’d trip up either of these girls. They were so good.” “It was awful wondering,” Rebekah said. “I was so nervous. I kept moving and getting water. It was just awful.” Meanwhile, Lydia confidently stepped up the mic each round and rattled off each spelling as she scribbled it on her right thigh with her right hand. While other competitors routinely asked for words’ definitions and language origins – and rightfully so – Lydia declined virtually Aplington Middle School student Rebekah Zeigler (right) of Polo reacts to winning the 2017 Lee-Ogle-Whiteside Regional Spelling Bee on Thursday afternoon in Dixon. Zeigler beat out Lydia Cermak (left) of David L. Rahn Junior every round. Turn to A2 High in a spelling slugfest that lasted 43 rounds. Photo by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

Questions asked at jail meeting By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Many questions centered on the proposed location of Ogle County’s new jail last Thursday evening at a meeting held in Polo. Almost 50 people attended second of seven meetings planned in various communities to inform the public about project. County board member

Don Griffin, Oregon, who also chairs the Long Range Planning Committee, told the audience that his committee considered at least two other sites before recommending the new jail is built in the 100 block of South Sixth Street in Oregon, across the street from the judicial center. Besides the Sixth Street property, which the county has owned since 2006, Turn to A8

Residents weigh in on county jail By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com The Oregon Plan Commission established a date for a public hearing about vacating South Sixth Street, but last week’s meeting turned into somewhat of an impromptu public hearing. When it met Feb. 21 the commission declared a public hearing for Thursday, March 23 at 6 p.m. at the Oregon Coliseum. The hearing will be for the public to weigh in on the vacating of South Sixth Street from Washington to Jefferson to build the new county jail. After the declaration, however, the public didn’t waste time weighing in. An

Hands On Fun Above, Blackhawk Crossing 4-H member Eli Lotz works with Stan Eden, Oregon, on a Day of Dabbling project to wire an extension cord. At right, Kaedi Calloway, a member of Blackhawk Crossing 4-H works on a scrapbook page Saturday. The Ogle County 4-H clubs held the annual event for all area youth – not just 4-H members – ages 5 to 15, letting them try their hand at different workshops. Photos by Chris Johnson

In This Week’s Edition...

TIF approved Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Library News, A2

Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4

Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1-B2 State’s Attorney, B5

audience of around 25 people attended the plan commission meeting, and they had a few outspoken representatives. “We have petitioned, we’ve circulated, we’ve talked, and it has fallen it deaf ears,” said Anne Jones, a lifelong resident of Oregon. “Capitalize on the history we have here, and think hard on the potential we have here that can be built on.” Jones says the jail cannot be made a “focal point” of the city, and that it will tear out the heart of Oregon. Bryan Zobek, who lives half a block from where the jail will be built, had a different direction he wanted the committee to consider: an economic impact study. Turn to A3 The Oregon City Council approved a TIF district Tuesday night to assist the city with economic development. Turn to A2 to read about the district.

Deaths, B4 Dennis Albrecht, Dana Garman Stables, Donald A. Vaughan

Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com


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