Orr 2017 06 22

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Serving Ogle County since 1851

OREGON Republican Reporter

June 22, 2017 Volume 167, Number 29 - $1.00

KB Tough Run

LFR Festival

Last Wish

A memorial trail hike will be part of the annual KB Tough Run on Saturday. A6

Make plans now to participate in the Let Freedom Ring Festival. A6, A8

A man’s dying wish was granted through the help of a local hospice. A9

County board nixes permit for dog kennel By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Reactions were mixed Tuesday evening to the Ogle County Board’s unanimous denial of a special use permit for a dog kennel northeast of Kings.

Several members of the audience of more than 50 people applauded the 21-0 decision to turn down a special use request from Christie Hardt, owner of B&C Kennel, Clare, and her husband Robert DeCosta. However, Hardt’s attorney Diane Elliott, DeKalb,

expressed her client’s disappointment and said the board’s decision may result in legal action. Hardt and DeCosta had requested the special use permit to operate a commercial dog kennel on property they own at 14189 E. Dutch Rd. in White Rock

Township. The site is zoned for agricultural use, and the request asked for a special use permit to allow dog breeding, import and sale of puppies, dog grooming, and dog obedience training at the kennel. After the vote, Elliott said

the request should have been granted because it met the county’s criteria for a special use. “B&C Kennel is very disappointed in the county board’s decision,” Elliott said. “This is a land use issue, not a moral issue or even a political issue. B&C

Turn to A7

Oltmanns charged with sex assault

River Fest hampered by rain Officials say event was still a success

By Kathleen Schultz Shaw Media

By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecountynews.com When organizers envisioned a summer festival promoting Oregon along the water, they didn’t mean rain water. Late afternoon storms prompted an early end to Oregon’s inaugural Rockin’ River Fest on Saturday, but Mother Nature cooperated most of the day allowing most events to be held. “Considering the negative forecast for several days in advance, we’re very pleased,” Oregon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Dickson said on Monday. “We don’t have definite numbers yet but it was very well-attended. The kids had a great time in the kids area. We saw people having a good time.” After temperatures climbed into the high 80s by mid-afternoon, at least two heavy rain storms caused

Kennel’s application met all of the stated criteria. The county board has disregarded that this is a land use issue and allowed a vocal minority to sway their personal opinions.” She said she would meet with Hardt and DeCosta to

Rockin’ River Fest organizer Debbie Dickson wipes rainwater off some of the bags tourney boards as coorganizers Donna Mann, right, and Carrie Head, center, help put items away after rain caused the inaugural festival to close early on Saturday night. Photo by Earleen Hinton

festival officials to shut down the event about 4 hours early, nixing a scheduled performance by The Party Doctors, the last band scheduled to play at the River’s Edge Stage Area from 8-11 p.m. and prompting the closure of the Riverside Chill Zone

(beer garden). Soggy organizers were breaking the festival grounds down by 7:30 p.m. As a light rain continued to fall, the sun reappeared briefly to create a rainbow to the east of the festival grounds that were located on the west

side of the Rock River, below the Oregon dam on property owned by the Oregon Fire Protection District. Dickson said she was surprised and pleased that festival events drew people from a wide area. Turn to B1

A Mt. Morris teen is free on $5,000 bond after being arrested in Dodge County, Wisconsin, on charges he molested two boys ages 8 and 10, and took suggestive photos of Seth D. them. Oltmanns Seth D. Oltmanns, who turns 19 on July 2, was charged June 6 with three counts of firstdegree sexual assault of a child younger than 13 and seven counts of possession of child pornography, The Daily Citizen of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin reported. He was arrested Dec. 19, and posted bond Monday in Turn to A3

Plenty of cars, stories at Lions Club Car Show Nova done in tribute to cousin By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com Mary Mudge couldn’t help but smile as she leaned over the shiny driver’s door to peer into the interior of the bright red 1966 Chevy Nova. On the center console read a metal plague that said: “In loving memory of Brad Spickler, March 1957 - May 2015...Your Dream Lives on”. “I think it is really neat that they kept his car in the family,” said Mudge, an

Oregon resident who was also a classmate of Brad’s. “He was an engine guy so you can understand why the engine is ‘way over the top’.” The dream of finishing out the shell of the Nova came alive after Brad’s sudden death in 2015 when his cousin, Rick Spickler, of Byron, bought the car and completed it with the memory of his cousin in mind. “Brad had the shell of the car and the engine was on a stand in the garage when he passed,” said Brad’s sister, Charlene Ruthe, also of Oregon. “Rick put it all together. It is a great tribute.” Those types of stories

could be found scattered about the Oregon Lions Club’s Car Show, held on a beautiful sunny day at Oregon Park East. The day began with an allyou-eat pancake and sausage breakfast by the Lions Club followed by their popular pork chop sandwiches and

bratwursts. “We ended up with 125 cars which is about average,” said Doug Aken, co-chair of the event. “There were a lot of people who came to the show on Father’s Day and to have breakfast or lunch and walk around and look at all the cars.”

John and Becky Kehoe drove their history-themed 1930 Model A Ford to Oregon from Mendota to be in the show. The black Ford had a bootlegger theme filled with props one might need to run whiskey illegally during Prohibition, including a

pistol tied to the steering wheel. “We have so many things at home that we change it them out for shows,” said John, age 65. “If we see something from the 1930s we stop and pick it up.” The couple has owned the Turn to A8

A plaque inside the Nova says: In loving memory of Brad Mary Mudge, Oregon, smiles as she looks into the interior of Rick Spickler’s 1966 Chevy Nova that once belonged to his Spickler, March 1957 - May 2015...Your Dream Lives on. late cousin, Brad, who was also Mudge’s classmate. The car is dedicated in Brad’s memory. Photo by Earleen Hinton

In This Week’s Edition...

Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3

Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B5 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B3

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

Deaths, B4 Lance E. Barnes, Justin E. Clubb, Carroll E. Haijenga, William & Kathrine Incontro, Mark E. Knie, William C. Woodke

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


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