Serving Ogle County since 1851
OREGON Republican Reporter
September 14, 2017 Volume 167, Number 40 - $1.00
Hawks Fall
West Nile
Fall Festival
The Hawks fall to North Boone in Big Northern Conference football action. B1
West Nile virus detected in mosquito pool in Mt. Morris. B3
Nachusa Grasslands will host Autumn on the Prairie on Saturday. A6
New prosecutor Strolling at the Farms... named in fatal boating case By Rachel Rodgers rrodgers@saukvalley.com
Joy and Don Groenhagen, Oregon, walk by the old dairy barn at the Irish Lady Farm on Oregon Trail Road during the Farm Stroll on Sunday. The barn is being converted into a wedding venue. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Unique farms welcomed 100+ visitors By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Raising rare Russian chickens and growing grapes are the focus at Irish Lady Farm on Oregon Trail Road west of Oregon, one of seven stops on Sunday’s first-ever Ogle County Farm Stroll. Owner Will Major, a retired attorney who now runs a detective agency in DuPage County, and his wife Pat Fennell, who still practices law also in DuPage County, bought the 50-acre farm 17 years ago with the intention of growing grapes for their own winery. They eventually scrapped the winery plan but continue to raise and sell concord, marechal foch, and villiard
grapes. Major’s real passion is raising Russian Orloff chickens, a critically endangered and ancient breed. He estimated his flock at 2,000 birds including roosters, laying hens, and young birds from newly hatched to nearly mature. Orloffs are a dual purpose breed, raised both for meat and the brown eggs they lay, Major said. Because of their flat combs and lack of wattles, Orloffs are especially winter-hardy. Major said he selectively mates his chickens to bring back purity to the breed. “They were crossed with other breeds over the years, and very few of them were A Russian Orloff junior takes a stroll across a cement pure Orloffs,” he said. “I pad at the Irish Lady Farm. Photo by Earleen Hinton cull the roosters to get 175-year-old brick home The couple has kept the the breed back to where it that Major and Fennell have original flavor of the house should be.” as much as possible, includrenovated. “I hatch all my own eggs During the renovations, ing keeping the old floors - I hatch them in my living they found a coin dated and woodwork, as well room,” he said with a grin. 1842 left in the wall by the as the kitchen cupboards, That living room is in the brick masons. Turn to A7
A special prosecutor was appointed Sept. 6 to take over a case and determine whether felony charges will be filed against an Oregon man facing six misdemeanor charges in a boat crash that killed a Rockford woman last year. Special prosecutor Dave Neal, from the Office of the Illinois State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor and a former Grundy County State’s Attorney, is now handling the case against Marc Mongan, 47. Megan Wells, 31, was killed June 24, 2016, when the johnboat Mongan was driving went over the back of the pontoon boat Wells was in, struck her, and threw her overboard. She died of blunt force trauma to the head and chest. Neal received the case file last week and asked Ogle County Associate Judge John Redington for a month to get up to speed and decide whether to bring new felony charges to a grand jury. Redington scheduled a status hearing for Oct. 4. Mongan’s attorney David Tess, of Rochelle, objected and said the defense was ready to proceed to trial, which was scheduled to begin Aug. 21. The case formerly was being prosecuted by Ogle County State’s Attorney Eric Morrow, who said last month that new evidence was discovered that could result in felony charges.
In December, a grand jury failed to indict Mongan on felony charges of operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol and aggravated reckless operation of a watercraft. Mongan was charged with misdemeanor operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol and reckless operation of a watercraft following the grand jury’s decision. Four more charges were filed July 21: one count of improper passing when approaching a boat, two counts of careless operation of a watercraft, and one more count of reckless operation of a watercraft. In May, Rockford attorney Cynthia Koroll, who represents Wells’ parents, David and Robin Swaziek, of Loves Park, asked that a special prosecutor be appointed to replace and investigate Morrow for obstruction of justice for failing to get a search warrant to have Mongan’s blood drawn. She also said conflicts of interest exist because Morrow and Mongan both are members of the Oregon Masons and Tebala Shriners. Redington denied her motions in June. Morrow denied any conflict of interest but filed a motion approved on Aug. 15 to have a special prosecutor take over in light of the new evidence and to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
Volunteers sweep trash from Rock River near Oregon By Earleen Hinton ehinton@oglecounty news.com Mother Nature provided the perfect climate for volunteers to “sweep” the Rock River of garbage on
Saturday morning in Oregon. Under sunny skies and mild temperatures, volunteers walked the banks of the river north and south of Oregon with some using their boats and canoes to pluck garbage from the river
and its shores. “We had about 35 volunteers today and I would say we had an above average amount of garbage,” said Mark Nehrkorn, president of the Rock River Sweep. “We had perfect weather and it is
always nice when we get the support of the Ogle County Sheriff and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to help.” Nehrkorn said Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle came to the event
with a boat which was then filled with garbage. IDNR Fisheries Technician Rick O’Neil and Castle Rock State Park Site Superintendent also helped collect garbage with a boat, Nehrkorn said. “We picked up a wooden
cabinet and a 55 gallon drum along with the usual items,” O’Neil said. Those “usual” items included beer cans, pieces of wood, and, of course, tires. “We had a lot of items we could recycle, which is good,” said Angela Mahoney, a Rock River Sweep board member. “I even found a piece of liver…uck. Someone found a kid’s little purple pedal car.” Volunteers picked up the garbage and placed it in bags for Oregon Park District employee Dominic Marchetti and Chase Prehn to pick up in the park district’s dump truck who then transported the bags to the organization’s base of operation behind Conover Square, by the Oregon dam, for other volunteers to sort through. “We had a good number of boaters turn out to help which was great because they can get to trash on the river that we can’t get to from the banks,” said Steve Rypkema, also a Rock River Sweep board member.
Above left, Oregon Park District employee Dominic Marchetti tosses a plastic chair onto a pile of trash collected by other volunteers during Saturday’s Rock River Sweep. Above right, volunteer Tom Lynch unloads several bags of trash he collected with this boat. Photos by Earleen Hinton
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B8 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4 Library News, A3
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B4 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3
Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
Turn to A2
Deaths, B4 Lola J. Duncan, Roger L. Etnyre, Dolores I. Lohmer
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com