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Library News
2 POLO TRI-COUNTY PRESS BE AT POLO TRI-COUNTY PRESS TRI-COUNTY PRESS TRI-COUNTY oglecountynews.com ShawLocal.com OFFICE 113-115 Peoria Ave. Dixon, IL 61021 Tri-County Press / ShawLocal.com • Friday, Dec 16, 2022 815-732-6166, ext. 2592 SUBSCRIPTIONS $39 in Ogle County, and $52 outside Ogle County. Single-copy price is $1 To subscribe, make a payment or discuss your delivery, call 815-732-6166, ext. 2518, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday or send an email to subscriptions@ oglecountynews.com. You also can subscribe online by going to oglecountynews.com and clicking on Subscribe. CLASSIFIED SALES classified@shawlocal.com HELP WANTED employment@shawlocal.com LEGAL NOTICES Children’s Programs “Tot Time” Tuesdays - 10 a.m. Ages 0 to 5 yrs, come join Ms. Melanie for a story read, various hands-on play, with a mix of music and art fun for the little ones. “Maker Monday” - 2nd & 3rd Mondays - Dec. 19, Grades 4th-12th or Ages 9 to 18, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. “baking a make” in the library kitchen area. Ongoing programs - “Reading Buddies”, Seniors to Smalls, Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m., Senior Center - buddying up to enjoy reading time together & “Homework Helpers” students helping sauklegals@shawlocal.com students with homework tutoring at the library OBITUARIES saukobits@shawlocal.com please reach out if either or both interest you!! For more information or to register call Deadline for obituaries is 815-946-2713, call or text 815-677-3586, email 2 p.m. Tuesday for Friday’s edition melaniew@pololibrary.org, go to the Polo Library SEND NEWS website or Facebook page to look for the Google news@oglecountynews.com form link.
Adult Programs -
December Book Clubs
Monday, Dec. 19, 1:30 p.m., Polo Library - “Delicious!” by Ruth Reichl.
Wednesday, Dec. 21, 5 p.m., Polo Library - book & movie discussion of “Wonder Boys” by Michael Chabon.
Yoga with Becka Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. - Call 815-946-2713 or email library@ pololibrary.org to register. Yoga will now be every 4th Wednesday of the month.
Genealogy Assistance - Are you interested in researching your ancestors but don’t know where to start? Do you have a start and need help with your research? Stop by the first Wednesday 5-7 p.m. or the third Saturday 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and let Donna help with your project. The Polo Library is
Pine Creek Chr istian Church offers caroling on Dec. 18 ... inside
POLO LIBRARY
now a FamilySearch Affiliate Library which allows access to more digital records when you’re researching at the library.
Online Catalog - Did you start a series and can’t find the next book? Are you wanting to watch a specific movie? If we don’t have what you’re looking for at Polo Library, visit our online catalog to search other libraries and have it delivered right to Polo Library for pick up! Visit pololibrary. org and click on “Books/Media” and “Your Account” to access the online catalog.
Special Procedures - Masks are optional for staff and visitors to the library. If you require an access service to fully participate in a program or have any questions about accessibility, please contact Marie Monaco at 815-946-2713.
Publisher Jennifer Heintzelman 815-632-2502 jheintzelman@shawmedia.com
General Manager Earleen Hinton 815-632-2591 ehinton@shawmedia.com
News Alexa Zoellner 815-632-2590 azoellner@shawmedia.com
Advertising Sales Jennifer Heintzelman 815-632-2502 jheintzelman@shawmedia.com
The Tri-County Press, Ogle County News and oglecountynews.com are a division of Shaw Media. Ogle County Newspapers also prints the Mt. Morris Times, Forreston Journal and Oregon Republican Reporter.
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PINE CREEK NEWS
By KAREN MERLAK
It may be gloomy outside, but our hearts are lightened during this Christmas season. The anticipation of Advent brings us closer to Jesus and closer to each other. When we know Jesus, we want to share His love. For this wonderful gift, we are truly thankful.
This morning in church, we were greeted by Judy Riffle. Pastor Suzanne Hall Stout shared her message for the third Sunday in Advent. Martha Johannsen and Sandra Ford shared a reading and lit the candles for Advent.
Next Sunday, we are hosting a special Christmas concert and caroling event. Please join us at 3 p.m. at our church for a concert by Joel Ross from the Rockford Symphony. We will also spend time singing our favorite Christmas carols and enjoying refreshments.
On Saturday morning, our women’s breakfast group met at the home of Sheryl and Lyle Hopkins. Sheryl prepared a delicious breakfast and everyone shared in the fellowship. After breakfast, we shared and passed out gifts in a gift exchange.
It was a great time to join in the fun with Pastor Suzanne, Martha Johannsen, Marge Hammes, Elizabeth Eliott, Judy Riffle, Sandra Ford, Sheryl Hopkins and me. We are thankful for the friendship that has grown over the years.
In the evening, I attended the PEO Chapter DW Christmas Open House at the home of Tom and Carol Suits. Our social committee prepared several delicious appetizers for the holiday party.
Maggie Henning and I joined the group for the second half of the evening. Joining the group from Pine Creek were John and Lisa Coffman, Richard and Beverly Coffman and Judy Nettz. It was so nice to catch up with our sisters.
On Tuesday night, our PEO Chapter DW held its regular meeting at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, hosted by Beth Wiegmann. Linda Poole shared her program for the evening and Beth wowed everyone with her special holiday dessert.
Joining our group from the Pine Creek area were Lisa Coffman, Beverly Coffman and Maggie Henning. Our group was small but lively. We always enjoy being together and working for women’s education.
Our hearts are saddened by the loss of two friends. Curly Haggeman passed away earlier this week. He loved to laugh and joke with those around him and was so helpful in our church kitchen. He will be missed.
One of my high school classmates, Michelle Goeking, also passed away suddenly this week. We were looking forward to hearing Michelle play and sing at our church. I have long admired her immense musical talent. I am so glad for every conversation we shared.
We had a small group in church this morning. We were missing our young children and their families. Suzanne had requested my help for the children’s messages. Using the Chrismons as inspiration, I have been choosing a couple to talk about with the children.
This week we were all children as I showed the fish ornament and paired it with a heart for love. I recalled learning to fish as a child and using bait to attract the aquatic creatures. Jesus told his disciples to be fishers of men, using love, like bait, to attract more people to Jesus.
When I told Suzanne about my idea, we shared some giggles. I am so glad we get to smile and laugh together with our church family. There is real joy in sharing stories of Jesus and God’s message of love.
I hope you can join us next Sunday for our regular morning worship and for our special concert and caroling in the afternoon. You and your family are always welcome to join us in person or online on Facebook live. Come share the hope, peace, love and joy of Jesus. • Karen Merlak lives in Polo and is a member of the Pine Creek Christian Church.
Pine Creek Christian Church has held “Parking Lot Caroling” for the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the troupe is moving inside.
Joel Ross of the Rockford Symphony will begin with a mini-concert followed by a Christmas Singalong.
“It will be wonderful to put all our voices together this year,” said Sheryl Hopkins, church member.
The event will be at Pine Creek Christian Church, 8110 W. Penn Corner Road, Polo, on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m.
“Come join us for music and singing followed by fellowship and refreshments. We invite everyone to join us for the ‘Concert and Caroling,’” Hopkins said.
By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com
A woman was rescued from the Rock River in a dramatic effort by fire crews after an alert homeowner saw her in the river – above the Oregon dam – and immediately called for help.
A homeowner in the 500 block of North Fourth Street reported the woman in the river at 5:11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, Oregon Fire Chief Mike Knoup said in a news release.
“Oregon police advised that she was in the middle of the west channel,” Knoup said. “Due to the low head d a m , c r e w s w e r e i m m e d i a t e l y deployed with swift water suits into the river, but due to her being a few hundred feet away from the shore, crews could not get to her while she floated down the river.”
The Oregon dam is classified as a “low head dam” making it difficult to see when on the river at water level.
Knoup said one of the fire department’s boats was put in the river above the dam from Kiwanis Park, located behind Conover Square, on the west bank of the river.
“Boat 5382 was deployed into the river with two swift water technicians. The crew was able to make contact with the victim less than 200 feet about the dam,” Knoup said.
The 32-year-old Oregon woman was rescued from the river, brought to the shore, and then transported to KSB hospital. She remained in stable condition during transport, Knoup said, noting he believed she was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit.
He said the air temperature at the time of the rescue was 34 degrees. “I d o n ’ t t h i n k t h e w a t e r w a s m u ch warmer than that,” said Knoup on Tuesday noting that rescuers were working in the dark before the sun had risen. “Our swift water training really made a difference in this rescue.”
Oregon Police Chief Joe Brooks said the incident was classified as a “ m e d i c a l a s s i s t ” w i t h t h e w o m a n somehow entering the river above the dam.
“She was in the water for about 45 minutes,” he said noting that his officer could see her swimming. “Everyone did a great job working together.”
Knoup agreed.
“The patient was successfully saved due to a quick 911 call made by a citizen who heard the victim call for help, fantastic work by our dispatch, quick actions by fire and EMS personnel and the help of the Oregon Police Department and the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office.”
Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Oregon fire crews rescued a woman from the Rock River after she entered the water above the Oregon dam about 5 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. She was within 200 feet from the dam when she was rescued, officials said.
Deput y testifies he feared for his life at end of chase
Judge rules probable cause exists to continue attempted murder charge
By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com
An Ogle County Sheriff’s deputy testified Dec. 7 that he thought he was “going to die” when an Ohio man fleei n g a S t e p h e n so n C o u nt y d e p u t y veered his car in an attempt to avoid being apprehended.
Patrol Sgt. Michael Halfman testified during a preliminary hearing for Brian K. Taylor, 49, of Massillon, Ohio, who has been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of aggravated battery to a police officer, one count of aggravated assault of a police officer, two counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, one count of unlawful display of a license plate and one count of Class A speeding 35-plus mph over the speed limit.
Judge John Redington ruled probable cause existed to continue the case. Taylor has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Halfman testified he had been dispatched at 12:15 p.m. to assist with a high speed chase that had originated in Stephenson County.
He said he had parked his squad car at the intersection of Freeport and Milledgeville roads and was ready to deploy “stop sticks” to flatten Taylor’s tires when he saw Taylor and the Stephenson County squad coming at a “high rate of speed” in the southbound lane.
He said Taylor’s Mazda swerved into the northbound lane and then directly at him causing him to “shuffle” to try to avoid from being hit as the Mazda veered into the ditch.
“I thought he was going to hit me. I thought I was going to die,” Halfman said.
Earlier in the preliminary hearing, Stephenson County Deputy Anthony Miller testified he started pursuing Taylor about 11:59 a.m. in Dakota, Illinois, on Route 75, after clocking him at 70 mph in a 55 mph zone.
“It took me a while to catch up with him,” Miller said, noting he had turned on his sirens and lights. “He did not pull over.”
Miller said he pursued Taylor to U.S. Route 20 when he realized he was fleeing. He testified that Taylor made “abrupt turns” and went through a ditch and over a median while “appearing to smile” before entering Freeport. He said Taylor disobeyed stop signs and traffic signals during the pursuit with speeds reaching 110 mph when going west on Route 20.
The chase then went south into Ogle County on Illinois Route 26 and eventually Freeport Road.
“I had the siren on the entire time,” Miller said.
As the vehicles reached the intersection of Freeport and Milledgeville roads, Miller said he could clearly see Halfman and his parked squad in the northbound lane.
“I clearly saw the sergeant standing t h e r e , ” s a i d M i l l e r , r e f e r r i n g t o Halfman. He said the Mazda veered toward Halfman and then the ditch before entering the ditch and then exiting the ditch, eventually striking his squad car.
He said the Mazda came to a rest in the ditch and Taylor was apprehended.
Redington set Taylor’s next court date for Dec. 14 at 1 p.m.
Taylor was represented in court by Public Defender Michael O’Brien and remains in custody with bail set at $500,000.
Only prosecution witnesses testify at preliminary hearings.
Brian K. Taylor
FORRESTON – Forreston received a $242,103.22 water infrastructure loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, half of which will be forgiven.
The village plans to replace all meters within the distribution system with radio read meters and to purchase a data collection device and software, according to a Nov. 1 news release from the IEPA.
“The current water meters are outdated and losing their recording capabilities and accuracy,” the project description reads. “Replacing the water meters will allow the village to read this amount of water used more accuracy and efficiently and detect leaks.”
The IEPA issued more than $70 million in water infrastructure loans to 13 local governments and sanitary districts for the first quarter of fiscal 2023, which runs July to September 2022.
The IEPA State Revolving Fund program provides low-interest loans which fund wastewater, stormwater and drinking water projects. Eleven of the loans qualified for Disadvantaged Community Principal Forgiveness.
“The Illinois EPA’s robust State Revolving Fund programs continue to serve as a valuable resource for c o m m u n i t i e s t o a d d r e s s o n g o i n g water infrastructure needs,” Director John J. Kim said in the news release. “Our programs provide a financial solution for funding infrastructure improvements while protecting Illinois’ water resources.”
IEPA’s SRF includes two loan programs: the Water Pollution Control Loan Program, which funds both wastewater and stormwater projects, and the Public Water Supply Loan Program for drinking water projects.
Both programs provide funding at a low interest rate of just 1.24 percent for fiscal 2023. The programs receive federal capitalization funding annually, which is combined with state matching funds, interest earnings, repayment money and the sale of bonds, to form the source of financing for these infrastructure projects.
The state matching funds for fiscal years 2020 to 2024 are being provided through Gov. JB Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, thus increasing the funding capacity of both loan programs.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Card shower planned for Doris Swedberg
Doris Swedberg will mark her 98th birthday on Dec. 29 with a card shower.
S h e t a u g h t English, drama and speech at Mt. Morris High School before retiring.
Anyone wishing to send her a birthday card can do so at: Allure of Pinecrest, 414 S. Wesley Ave., Mt Morris, IL 61054.
Labash: New owners busy analyzing, working to ‘do right’ by employees while stabilizing financials
By ALEXA ZOELLNER azoellner@shawmedia.com
As the final minutes of November approached, Pinecrest Community’s third-shift employees clocked out of their jobs at the Mt. Morris-based nonprofit. Once midnight came and went, they clocked back in as employees of Allure of Pinecrest.
Allure Healthcare Services’ purchase of Pinecrest Community was finalized Dec. 1. Pinecrest is a continuing care retirement campus with 129 years of history that today serves about 170 residents.
“There’s just a lot of things changing all at once,” Allure of Pinecrest A d m i n i s t r a t o r F e r o l L a b a s h s a i d Dec. 13, when asked how things have gone since the closing. “It’s going to take us a little time. The new ownership has had about a week. There’s a lot that they’re looking at, that they’re analyzing.”
Labash was Pinecrest Community’s CEO prior to the sale.
Allure, which is headquartered in Chicago, owns nine other nursing facilities, including ones in Sterling, Mount Carroll and Prophetstown. Its centers provide short-term stays for respite or rehabilitation, hospice care, dementia and memory care, 24-hour nursing care, various therapies and more, according to AllureHCS.com.
P in ec r est ’s b o ar d o f d ir e ct o rs sought a buyer because of a combination of increased costs, staff shortages and lost revenue, Labash said in a previous interview.
“Pinecrest has been losing $150,000 or more each month during the last two years, which has caused us to burn through cash at a rate that alerted the board and management to the need to act,” she told the Church of the Brethren Newsline.
Pinecrest Community was formed in 1893 as “Brethren Home” by the Church of the Brethren to care for seniors and orphans; the church was affiliated with Pinecrest before the sale, but no longer owned it. The sale ended that affiliation.
“The Church of the Brethren is grieving this loss, and we realize that there were factors and situations beyond the control of the Pinecrest board that really forced them to seek a buyer,” said Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, Church of the Brethren news service director. “I think the prayers of the church are with Pinecrest employees and residents as they go through this change.”
There are a few job positions that existed within Pinecrest Community that Allure didn’t hire on, Labash s a i d . O f t h e a b o u t 1 5 5 P i n e c r e s t employees, four were laid off; other employees whose positions changed were offered alternate work with Allure, she said.
“I’m really seeing a good effort from Allure management to keep our staff employed,” Labash said.
Allure’s vice president of operations met with Pinecrest certified nursing assistants Dec. 13 to “talk through a lot of their questions,” Labash said, adding that she thinks the meeting answered many questions staff members had. Similar meetings are planned with other departments, she said.
“All my interactions with the new ownership, they’re doing their best to really do right by our employees,” Labash said. “They’re trying to make sure they’re doing their best for our employees, while also turning the financial situation around.”
The wait for employees while higher-ups analyze various aspects of the company can be difficult because staff aren’t always privy to that part of things and finding answers takes time, she acknowledged.
Labash said she expects things to improve once some of the unknowns are sorted out and as people become more comfortable with the new owners.
“It’s just a process,” she said. “I think it’s just going to take a few months.”
Calls to reach a representative from Allure were not returned as of Tuesday night.
Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Pinecrest Community has been sold to Allure Healthcare Services. The facility is located on Brayton Street and McKendrie Avenue in Mt. Morris.
