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Ogle County recycling event is Sept. 20
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department will host a residential electronics recycling and document shredding event from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 20, at 909 Pines Road in Oregon.
This event is for Ogle County residents only and a free permit is required in advance of the event for electronic recycling. To obtain a free permit, call 815-7324020 or email solidwaste@oglecountyil. gov and provide your name, address, phone number and email address by 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. No permit is required for the document shredding, just bring a driver’s license or another ID that shows you are an Ogle County resident.
Accepted items include all TVs and computer monitors, computers, computer hardware and cables, laptops, tablets, cellphones, printers, FAX machines, scanners, shredders (no tubs), copiers, video gaming equipment, DVD/VCRs, cable/satellite boxes, stereo equipment, radios, digital clocks, cameras, calculators, phone systems, holiday light strands, extension cords, rechargeable batteries, printer ink cartridges, CD/ DVDs, and CFL bulbs. Microwave ovens are accepted for $5 per unit. Cash or check accepted.
Large toner cartridges are no longer accepted at the residential electronic recycling events. They can be taken back to office supply stores, or they can be recycled through the business recycling program for a nominal fee.
Limit seven large or bulky items per permit and one permit per county household per month. Business or institutional electronic materials are not accepted at these events. Business or institutional electronics are accepted by the OCSWMD via a separate program. Call the number above for more information and pricing for business electronic recycling, and to
make an appointment for drop off of the materials to be recycled.
In addition, secure, on-site document shredding will be conducted by Illinois Valley Document Destruction from 9 a.m. to noon. There is a limit of three boxes per vehicle. No business or institutional material accepted. There is no cost to residents for paper shredding, because the OCSWMD will cover the cost of the Illinois Valley Document Destruction truck and staff.
Also, in conjunction with this event, OCSWMD is again hosting a food drive.
All donations will be distributed by OCSWMD to local food pantries across Ogle County. Items accepted include non-expired canned goods and jars of food, boxed food items, as well as household essentials such as sealed toothpaste, soap, cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, paper towels and toilet paper.
For more information about this recycling event, call the OCSWMD at the number above, visit oglecountyil.gov or go to Facebook to see the Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department page.
On Friday, Aug. 29, the Rochelle Area Community Foundation held a golf outing at Fairways Golf Course in Rochelle. The event featured golfers from local businesses and community organizations and nonprofit partners and sponsors with booths at each hole. See story on page 3.
Photo by Jeff Helfrich
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The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department will host a residential electronics recycling and document shredding event on from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 20, at 909 Pines Road in Oregon.
RACF holds golf outing in Rochelle:
‘It’s about
celebrating the
Community foundation marked 20 years, $1.3M in giving locally
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
Golfers from local businesses and nonprofits teed off Friday, Aug. 29, at Fairways Golf Course in Rochelle for the Rochelle Area Community Foundation’s annual outing, a day of friendly competition and community support.
RACF offers an opportunity for individuals, families and businesses to leave a legacy for future generations and is a public, charitable organization designed to attract gifts that will be shared with Rochelle-area nonprofit organizations for the benefit of the community. It supports the areas of Chana, Creston, Esmond, Kings, Lindenwood, Rochelle and Steward.
RACF Board President and Rochelle City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh kicked off the event with a speech ahead of the shotgun start.
“What makes RACF so unique is that every single dollar raised stays right here in the Rochelle area,” Fiegenschuh said. “When you support RACF, you’re investing in your neighbors, friends and the future of this community.
“None of this work would be possible without the dedication of our board of directors, who give their time, talents and leadership generously,” he said. “Today is not only about enjoying a great round of golf, it’s about celebrating the differences we can make when we come together to support local needs.”
RACF Executive Director Emily Anaya thanked the outing’s patrons and sponsors for their support of the foundation. Sponsors included Burlington Junction Railway, Rochelle Municipal Utilities, Maplehurst Farms, Holcomb Bank, the Jacobs Family Fund, Hormel Rochelle, Operose Advisors, Americold, Stillman Bank, Fairways Golf Course, Jeff Perry Autos, Luna, the Hamilton Collection and the Village of Progress.
The Hamilton Collection, a world-renowned car collection with a large social media following, brought three supercars to be featured at the outing and has worked with RACF on events in the past.
differences we can make’
“Today has gone great,” Anaya said. “We’re seeing great representation from our nonprofit partners. They’re scattered throughout the course today and we’re very happy to have them. We’ve had great showmanship from our sponsors. Everyone is coming together. What we are as a community foundation is represented today.”
Anaya said the day acts as a catalyst for networking and allows the organizations RACF supports to get the word out about their services. The event acts as more of an awareness raiser for RACF and its causes than it does a fundraiser, she said.
Anaya thanked RACF’s board members for their help with organizing the outing, along with Fairways Golf Course and Luna staff.
“It really shows we’re a tight-knit community and we’re here to help each other and support each other,” Anaya said.
The Hamilton Collection, a world-renowned car collection with a large social media following, brought three supercars to be featured at the outing and has worked with RACF on events in the past.
Jeff Helfrich photos
RACF Board President and Rochelle City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh (right) kicked off the event with a speech ahead of the shotgun start. RACF Executive Director Emily Anaya is shown at left.
Ogle County GOP dinner sets new records
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
The Ogle County Republican Party’s annual Lowden Day Dinner, held at the River’s Edge Experience in Oregon, was a resounding success, shattering fundraising and attendance records.
The event, honoring former Illinois Gov. Frank O. Lowden (1917-1921), drew the largest crowd in over two decades and raised unprecedented funds for the organization.
“This was a historic night for our party,” said Michael Koolidge, chairman of the Ogle County Republican Party since 2022 and master of ceremonies. “We were thrilled to feature Pastor Corey Brooks, ‘The Rooftop Pastor,’ whose powerful message inspired everyone in attendance. What a great way to gear up for this upcoming election season. We had more attendees and raised more total funds than at any other Lowden Day Dinner in decades.”
The evening featured two comedians: local talent Lisa Janes, whose family has historical ties to Lowden, and Chicago-based conservative comedian Jayson Cross, whose witty tales of Windy City life had the audience in stitches.
Pastor Corey Brooks, the keynote speaker, captivated attendees with stories of his 437-day total rooftop vigil in Chicago’s harsh winters to fund Project H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Obtain Des-
Chesney; state Rep. Brad Fritts; County Board members Joe Simms, Aaron Mudge and Brian Daws; and Oregon school board member Gary Schrimpsher.
Several 2026 statewide election candidates, including two U.S. Senate hopefuls, were also present, with petitions available for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress, Secretary of State, Comptroller and other offices.
The event was sponsored by Darin LaHood for Congress, Don Tracy for U.S. Senate and Bryan Drew for Illinois Comptroller.
tiny). His organization’s Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center, built through donations, is transforming lives in underserved communities by training former gang members and others in skilled trades.
Brooks also announced his next bold initiative: a coast-to-coast walk across the U.S., starting Sept. 1. Covering 54 cities and an estimated 6 million steps, Brooks will advocate for those trapped in cycles of violence and poverty.
“I’m walking for every young man who doesn’t believe he’ll see his 21st birthday, for every mother praying her son makes it home, and for every forgotten neighborhood,” Brooks said. “We can’t wait anymore.”
The dinner, catered by Ralfie’s BBQ & Catering of Rochelle, featured chicken kebabs, pork chop loins, salads, rolls, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese, with GOP-themed cookies from Dee’s Dough Jo.
A silent auction offered unique items, including Kennay Farms Distilling products, Trump Triumphant signs, a necklace, and Crossroads Blues Society concert tickets. The live auction’s highlight was a decorative case with Kennay Farms’ first Double Oaked Bourbon, complete with glasses and a decanter.
Notable attendees included House Minority Leader Tony McCombie; state Sens. Li Arellano Jr. and Andrew
The annual “Ogle GOP Republican of the Year” award was given to George Wilhelmsen, and “Ogle GOP Volunteer of the Year” was presented to Kaleb Kennay.
To cap off the night, the Ogle County Republican Party presented Pastor Brooks with a $1,000 donation to support Project H.O.O.D.’s transformative work, collected from a portion of the proceeds raised that evening.
Follow Brooks’ Walk Across America and support his mission at projecthood.org/walkacrossamerica.
The Ogle County Republican Central Committee, established in 1989, is dedicated to electing principled Republicans to public office. Learn more at oglecountygop.org or follow on Facebook at facebook.com/OgleCountyRepublicans.
Photos provided by Ogle GOP
The Ogle County Republican Party’s annual Lowden Day Dinner, held at the River’s Edge Experience in Oregon, was a resounding success, shattering fundraising and attendance records. The event, honoring former Illinois Gov. Frank O. Lowden (1917-1921), drew the largest crowd in over two decades and raised unprecedented funds for the organization.
The Ogle GOP Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Kaleb Kennay.
The Ogle GOP Republican of the Year award was given to George Wilhelmsen.
RPD acquires armored vehicle through grant program
Starts own ERT
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
The Rochelle Police Department recently acquired an armored vehicle and started its own emergency response team, RPD Chief Pete Pavia said Aug. 25.
RPD took delivery of the vehicle at the beginning of summer and acquired it through the federal Law Enforcement Support Office program, which allows law enforcement agencies to receive excess Department of Defense property at little to no cost to ensure that they have access to necessary resources to perform their duties effectively.
“When I took over as chief, one of the things I wanted was for RPD to have its own ERT, or SWAT team,” Pavia said. “That’s what we’ve done. We now have our own in-house SWAT team. The city council and city manager have supported it and everyone has the armor and supplies they need for it. One thing SWAT teams need is an armored vehicle. Through the LESO program, we applied for it and it’s grant funded. We kept applying and when one became available, they gave it to us. This one came from a sheriff’s office in Iowa that got another vehicle.”
Pavia said the armored vehicle originally cost the federal government $900,000. The city’s expense for it has included bringing it to town, decal work and insurance, a total of just under $8,000. The vehicle can be returned to the LESO program if the city and RPD choose they don’t want or need it anymore.
City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said that any time the city can get an asset for minimal expense, it should consider it. He’s excited about the benefits of the city having its own SWAT team for safety in the community, even if it’s never needed.
“I think it’s great for the community,” Fiegenschuh said. “Any time we can bring those dollars into our community is a good thing, because they’re going to go somewhere. It’s important to have the training for our officers.
You hope you never have that situation, but if you do it’s good to have everybody ready and trained for it.”
Pavia said the armored vehicle has not been used for an official call since it was acquired, but could be used in instances such as barricaded subjects or hostage situations when the SWAT team is used. The vehicle would allow first responders to safely drive up to a home or structure in a barricaded subject situation.
Before recently establishing its own SWAT team, RPD relied on the Ogle County Emergency Response Team for its needs in that area and had three officers of its own on that unit.
“To start our own just took equipment and training,” Pavia said. “Officers want to be on a SWAT team. We’re the biggest city in Ogle County and we need to be able to take care of things
like that ourselves. That’s why we have our own drug team now and SWAT team and handle everything in house. We’ll work with the Ogle County ERT if they need it, and vice versa. But we wanted to have our own.”
RPD’s SWAT team trains eight hours each month, and each involved officer has done 40 hours of basic SWAT training school. There are two commanders of the team that lead the training that have advanced certification, Pavia said.
Training is done on a different topic each month. RPD currently has 10 officers on its SWAT team and Pavia said the plan is to continue to grow that number.
“It’s just a matter of the expense and equipment with things like ballistic vests and shields,” Pavia said. “It’s a big expense. I’d like to get to the point where every single officer on the
department is ERT certified. Just because if you roll up on a scene that requires ERT experience, they’ll be ready. Then we could even split two teams up for on-call purposes.”
Pavia said the armored vehicle will also be available to neighboring communities for mutual aid if it its needed, and can also be used for community outreach, such as parades and the National Night Out event.
The emphasis behind RPD having its own armored vehicle and SWAT team was to make response times to potential situations as quick as possible, Pavia said.
“The last couple trainings our team has done have been with a call out so we can tell how long it takes,” Pavia said. “It’s something I hope we never have to use. But if we need it, I’ll be glad we have it.”
The last couple trainings our team has done have been with a call out so we can tell how long it takes. It’s something I hope we never have to use. But if we need it, I’ll be glad we have it.”
Pete Pavia, Rochelle Police Department chief
Jeff Helfrich
The Rochelle Police Department recently acquired an armored vehicle and started its own emergency response team, RPD Chief Pete Pavia said. Aug. 25.
• RACF
Continued from page 3
So far in 2025, RACF has reached $1.3 million in giving back to the community over its lifespan and celebrated its 20th anniversary. It has also opened a new endowment fund and has seen a “great” amount of donations. 2025 also saw the final year of From the Heart, a Rochelle-area fundraising group that raised money for RACF and eight other nonprofits that ceased operations.
Anaya said RACF already is plan -
ning a gala for next May to help recover lost funds and support itself, eight partner nonprofits and 40 additional organizations in the area.
“We’re doing great and we have great supporters. Rochelle is a very giving community, along with the area around it,” Anaya said. “Today is about everyone coming together, showing who we are, thriving and growing our community where we work, live, worship and where our kids go to school. We all do what we need to do to make sure everyone is served in the way they need to be served.”
Jeff Helfrich
Rochelle Area Community Foundation Executive Director Emily Anaya speaks at the RACF Golf Outing on Aug. 29.
At its Aug. 11 meeting, the Rochelle City Council approved the annexation of 5 acres at 13800 Gurler Road, which is contiguous to the Rochelle Municipal Airport. The land is owned by the city and includes an auto body shop for semi trucks and large fleet vehicles known as Large Car Rebuilders.
City annexes Large Car Rebuilders property near airport
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
The Rochelle City Council on Aug. 11 approved the annexation of 5 acres at 13800 Gurler Road, which is contiguous to the Rochelle Municipal Airport. The landhas owned by the city and includes an auto body shop for semi trucks and large fleet vehicles known as Large Car Rebuilders.
The city bought the property from Large Car Rebuilders over a year ago, using 95% federal funds, and currently leases the property back to the business. The annexation was done to ensure that city-owned land is within city limits, City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh and City Community Development Director Michelle Pease said Aug. 25.
The property now is zoned as A (Airport). The property was bought by the city up front, and 95% of it was reimbursed by FAA funds. The property will be absorbed into the Rochelle Municipal Airport and will be required to be converted to some kind of aeronautical use in the future.
“Right now, the man who operates the facility, whom we bought it from, is
leasing it back from us for $5,000 or $6,000 a month,” Fiegenschuh said.
“When that lease terminates, the city can decide if it wants to re-lease it to him if he wants or find other tenants.
“It was really hard to turn down because it’s guaranteed lease revenue now for five years and it was 95% funded by a federal grant. It made economic sense to move forward with that,” he said.
Revenue from the Rochelle Municipal Airport has increased in recent years, and those funds have been used to continue operating the airport and to fund capital projects, Fiegenschuh said. Rochelle Railroad revenues were previously used to fund capital projects at the airport.
The airport does have a tax levy to pay debt service on the city’s community hangar. Outside of that, revenue is lease-based, with tenants such as Chicagoland Skydiving Center, Large Car Rebuilders and hangar rentals.
“Chicagoland Skydiving Center is our biggest tenant,” Fiegenschuh said. “Fuel sales and rent are the main
Jeff Helfrich
• ANNEXATION
Continued from page 8
sources of income out there. Any time we can have another facility we can rent out and have consistent revenue coming in, that just guarantees we have revenue to operate the facility.”
Fiegenschuh said he’s enjoyed seeing the airport’s revenues increase, and it has become a hub of community activity, such as serving as a venue for events.
“I love having the airport because it gets used,” Fiegenschuh said. “We’re very blessed to have it. I know a lot of people stop here in planes and fuel up and go to the Flight Deck Bar & Grill for lunch.
“It’s a big asset for the community, along with Chicagoland Skydiving Center. They’ve had national skydiving events that bring people into our community. It serves as an attraction and a good venue for events,” he said.
Ogle County Sheriff’s
Labor Day enforcement results
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office successfully conducted an impaired driving enforcement effort over Labor Day weekend, resulting in seven arrests for driving under the influence.
Additionally, three seat belt citations were issued; other citations and arrests included 69 speeding citations, 13 driving while license suspended or revoked, 23 citations for no insurance, eight citations for no driver’s license, four citations for unlawful transportation of alcohol, five citations for unlawful use of an electronic communication device and five citations for unlawful possession
of cannabis.
“Through the Labor Day safety campaign, we helped to make our roads safer and spread the word about the risks of impaired driving – ‘It’s Not a Game,’” Sheriff Brian VanVickle said in a news release.
The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with other law enforcement agencies and highway safety partners across the state for the Illinois Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Drive High Get a DUI” campaign. This effort was part of the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Drive High Get a DUI” and “Click It or Ticket” initiatives, funded by federal highway safety funds through the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Jeff Helfrich
The Rochelle Municipal Airport.
$4.1M Oregon fire station expansion project on schedule and on budget
Project will double the size of the current facility
By EARLEEN HINTON Shaw Local News Network correspondent
Construction of a $4.1 million renovation and expansion of the 40-year-old Oregon fire station is proceeding on schedule and on budget.
Workers began setting the forms to pour concrete last week after fill was brought in to shore up the ground under the new addition that will double the size of the current facility.
“We anticipated that we would be putting fill in. We knew that area had been filled previously with old concrete, so we wanted to be sure we had a solid base to work with, so that was all in the original plan,” Oregon Fire Chief Michael Knoup said. “It is my understanding that it was a lumber yard at one time.
“We’re on track and on budget.”
The existing station, 100 Washington St., is on the west bank of the Rock River next to the Route 64 bridge on the north side of the state highway.
In January, the Oregon City Council voted unanimously to approve a zoning variance and special-use permit for the fire district to expand the station despite it being located in the city’s River Front Commercial District.
About 100 people squeezed into the council’s chambers or watched from the hallway as commissioners went against a Jan. 21 recommendation by the Oregon Planning Commission not to endorse the request, opting to approve the measure by a 4-0 vote, with one recusal.
The fire station was built in 1985 and grandfathered into the River Front Commercial District when that district was formed in 2016. The variance and special-use permit were needed because the fire district is planning “significant changes” to the station that would make it “nonconforming” to the River Front district.
The council’s decision followed a presentation by Knoup detailing the planned expansion and how it will be funded.
The expansion is needed to accom-
modate larger emergency vehicles, consolidate all fire apparatuses and equipment under one roof, and provide more living quarters for full-time firefighters and paramedics.
Knoup said the expansion project will take 14-16 months to complete and will be done in three phases.
“We are looking to have the steel supports put up this month. The build-
ing shell should be up by the end of October,” Knoup said.
Fire district trustees decided that moving the fire station to a new location and rebuilding from scratch would be too costly for taxpayers, estimating that cost at $8 million to $10 million.
The proposed expansion is being funded through existing capital funds combined with bonds and grants with-
out any increase in the district’s property tax levy, Knoup said.
Consolidating all vehicles and apparatuses in one location will increase efficiency and decrease response times, which can make a difference in saving lives and property, Knoup said, noting that in 2024, the fire department rescued 26 people from the river. He also said calls for service increased from 400 in 1985 to 1,200 last year, with 80% of those being ambulance calls.
“The citizens of Oregon and its tourists are our priority,” Knoup said during the January meeting.
In the years since the existing station was built, the district has transitioned from an all-volunteer force to a combination of paid full-time and volunteer staff, employing nine full-time members working in three shifts, with three members per shift, Knoup said.
“I want to thank the public for their continued support. We are right on target,” Knoup said.
Earleen Hinton
Construction workers were busy Aug. 27 at the Oregon Fire Station expansion site. The current fire station can be seen in the background.
Image provided by the Oregon Fire Protection District
This drawing shows the planned expansion of the Oregon Fire Station.
Hardys win Rochelle Chamber Lawn of the Week
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
The Rochelle Chamber of Commerce recently presented its Lawn of the Week award for the week of Sept. 2 to Ken and Becky Hardy. They received a sign and a $25 Rochelle ACE Hardware gift card, presented by Rochelle Ace Hardware Manager Jesse Lopez.
The Chamber has partnered with Rochelle Ace Hardware to award gift cards to the winners.
The 2025 Lawn of the Week program will run through September. Nominate a neighbor/ yard each week by submitting a name and address by emailing rochellechamber@gmail.com.
“We are proud to recognize our residents who display community pride in Rochelle,” Chamber Executive Director Tricia Herrera said. “We love that this program gives us the chance to showcase the hard work and dedication they put into making our city look great.”
Photo provided by Rochelle Chamber of Commerce
The Rochelle Chamber of Commerce recently presented its Lawn of the Week award for the week of Sept. 2 to Ken and Becky Hardy.
Railroad crossing at 1st Avenue and Jack Dame Drive in Rochelle to close for work
The Union Pacific Railroad crossing on First Avenue/Jack Dame Drive between North 15th Street and Jack Dame Drive will be closed Monday, Sept. 8, through Monday, Sept. 15.
The closure of this crossing is necessary for the required improvements to the concrete curb medians and other supplementary safety measures of the quiet zone crossing.
Work is expected to be substantially completed by 4 p.m. Sept. 15 and is subject to weather.
Warning, detour and other temporary traffic control devices will be posted near the affected area. Drivers should use caution while traveling in this area and pay attention to the advanced warning signage, road closed signage and other temporary traffic control devices within or in advance of the work zone.
Rochelle Family Dental welcomes Dr. Shawn May
Rochelle Family Dental has welcomed Dr. Shawn May to its team.
This new chapter reflects the practice’s continued commitment to provide compassionate, high-quality dental care for families throughout the Rochelle community, according to a news release.
May brings a wealth of experience, advanced training and a genuine passion for helping patients feel confident about their smiles. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from both Lakeland University and Eastern Illinois University before completing his Doctor of Dental Surgery at Marquette University School of Dentistry.
Dedicated to continuing education and advanced clinical training, May has extensive expertise in Invisalign, dental implants, bone grafting, tooth extractions, removable prosthetics, dentures, crowns, bridges, and veneers, according to the release. His approach to dentistry
emphasizes individualized care.
Outside the office, May enjoys spending time with his wife and grandchildren.
Rochelle Family Dental invites both new and returning patients to schedule an appointment and meet Dr. May. Schedule your next appointment online or by contacting the office directly.
Rochelle Family Dental is located at 223 E. Illinois Route 38, Rochelle, and can be reached at 815-561-6058.
Illinois Route 72 work underway
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that construction on Illinois Route 72 in Ogle County began Sept. 2. The work zone is from Illinois Route 26 in Forreston to Mt. Morris Road just west of the village of Leaf River.
The $5.3 million project will mill and resurface the road. There will be daily lane closures, with traffic controlled by flaggers. All work is expected to be complete by early June 2026. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zone areas, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment.
RCHA annual meeting is Sept. 30
The annual meeting of the Rochelle Community Hospital Association will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Alfano’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant.
The RCHA was adopted in 1965 to engage the community to support the hospital in meeting the health care needs of the greater Rochelle area. Members of the association are required to pay a membership fee of $25 per year or $1,000 for a lifetime membership. You must be a member of the association to attend the annual meeting.
Each qualified member of the corporation shall have the right to attend any annual or special membership meeting of the corporation and to take part in the discussion of any subject that may be properly brought before any such meeting of the corporation.
Those interested in attending the annual meeting or needing more information should contact Kim Louis at 815-561-3107 or klouis@rcha.net.
– Shaw Local News Network
Ogle county
Dr. Shawn May
Kish College SkillsUSA team earns championship medals
LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
The Kishwaukee College SkillsUSA chapter recently earned several state and national title medals during the annual SkillsUSA Illinois State Leadership and Skills Conference.
The conference allows career and technical education students to showcase their abilities and training.
The Kishwaukee College chapter saw 11 students participate in April in Peoria, according to a news release. Students participated in nurse assisting, diesel equipment technology, power equipment technology and heavy equipment operation. The team was coached by Don Flink, assistant professor of diesel power technology.
“The team worked very hard to get to this point. I have never had a group of students work so hard and study so much for this competition. We are very proud of their accomplishments,” Flink said in a news release.
Lily Goode earned first place and the state title in power equipment
technology. Konnor Welker was awarded second, Tom Nowicki placed third and Dylan Erbstoesser won fourth in power equipment technology. Abel Huerta received first place
and the state title in nurse assisting.
Goode and Huerta qualified for the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Huerta earned seventh in nurse assisting. Goode was awarded ninth in power equipment technology.
SkillsUSA is a national organization that helps prepare students for careers in the trades.
COMMUNITY BOARD
Photos provided by Kishwaukee College
Kishwaukee College SkillsUSA team members Lily Goode (left) and Abel Huerta compete in the SkillsUSA Championships.
Rochelle Lions Club donates to Kings Elementary
The Rochelle Lions Club recently donated new office furniture and a commemorative plaque to Kings Elementary School in memory of Lion Jim Milligan. Milligan, a Kings school alumnus, was a devoted Lions member for 49 years. His calm demeanor and leadership will be greatly missed.
Pictured (from left) are Lions members
Kathy Cogswell, Marge Kuehl, Kevin Zilm, Rick Cogswell, Joe Male, Matt King and Kings School Superintendent Matt Lamb.
Photo provided by Rochelle Lions Club
Lawnmower blamed for rural Oregon fire
By EARLEEN HINTON Shaw Local News Network correspondent
A rural Oregon home was significantly damaged Aug. 20 after a fire started in an attached garage.
Oregon firefighters responded to the 500 block of Elizabeth Road about 4:40 p.m. and saw flames coming from the roof of the one-level, ranch home.
Oregon Fire Chief Michael Knoup said the fire started in the home’s attached garage.
“The owner stated he had just finished mowing and parked the mower in the garage about five minutes prior to discovering the mower on fire in the garage,” Knoup said.
A neighbor said she saw smoke coming from the garage and called 911.
The homeowner was able to reenter the home to retrieve his dog, she said.
injured in the fire,” Knoup said.
Knoup said the homeowner is being assisted with housing by the Red Cross.
“No firefighters or civilians were
“He was able to get the dog outside, but he still has a cat missing, but it was not found inside the house,” Knoup said Wednesday evening. “The fire was accidental in nature and started on the lawnmower in the garage. The house did sustain significant damage with the fire, extending up into the attic space.”
Four area fire departments – Mt. Morris, Franklin Grove, Lynn-ScottRock and Stillman Valley – assisted Oregon at the scene.
The home is located at the end of a cul-de-sac in a rural residential area east of South Daysville Road that is not served by city water and has no fire hydrants.
Now Available
Earleen Hinton
Oregon firefighters responded to a garage fire in the 500 block of Elizabeth Road on Aug. 20.
State Rep. Fritts concludes 3rd annual summer tour
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
State Rep. Brad Fritts, R-Dixon, has officially concluded his 2025 summer tour. This annual tour consisted of 52 stops, including town halls, Coffee & Conversation events, school visits, local business tours and more.
“Being a true voice for my constituents is my top priority as a state representative,” Fritts said in a news release. “My annual summer tour ensures that’s possible by allowing me to speak
directly with hundreds of constituents about their top issues and concerns as residents of our community. I look forward to bringing this feedback with me when we return to Springfield for veto session in October and for our 2026 spring legislative session.
“I want to thank every citizen who engaged with our democratic process and took time out of their day to come speak with me. I also want to thank the incredible businesses, restaurants and community spaces that graciously hosted these events.”
OBITUARIES
JAMES “JIM” ADAMS
Born: October 2, 1967
Died: August 31, 2025
James “Jim” Adams, age 57, of Lakemont, GA, passed away on Sunday, August 31, 2025, surrounded by his family.
Jim was born on October 2, 1967, to the late Jerry Adams and Jeannene Bain Adams. He was married to his devoted wife, Valerie Addicott.
Jim was a loving husband who cared deeply for his family. He was an engineer, an author, and a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. Known for his love of life and wealth of historical knowledge, Jim enjoyed sharing stories and experiences with those around him. He played a special role in raising his granddaughter and proudly supported her
swimming by serving as an official at her meets. Jim was also a loyal friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife, Valerie Addicott; his granddaughter, Lexi Gibson, whom he raised as a daughter; his brother, Craig (Judy) Adams; his sister, Lorri (Dave) Mayer; his nieces and nephews, Ally (Jeremy) Bagg, and their son Hayden (his great-nephew and “pizza buddy”); Jack (Hanna) Adams, and their son Wyndham; and Alexa Adams. He is also survived by his stepchildren, Jeremy (Shauna) vonKnoblauch and their son, Helmut, and stepdaughter Tiffani Hodge, grandchildren, Aiden, Shaylyn, and Ares; along with several cousins, aunts, uncles, and many friends. At this time, no services have been announced.
Hunter Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Jim Adams. Condolences may be shared at www.hunterfuneralhomega. com or may contact us at (706) 782-4243 for any further questions.
Brandon Clark file photo
State Rep. Brad Fritts, R-Dixon, talks politics with local residents during a Coffee & Conversations event at Mary’s Diner in Dixon.
Why are federal judges under attack?
To the Editor:
Since the inauguration, the president has waged a campaign to gain control of the legislative and judicial powers assigned by the Constitution to Congress and the Supreme Court. He appears to have succeeded in taking control of Congress’s legislative power, at least until the next election. His campaign now seems concentrated on efforts to take control of the judicial power of the federal courts.
This is a difficult undertaking for President Trump because the Constitution provides that federal court judges are appointed for life. They cannot be fired by the president. They can be impeached and removed but only for good cause – a process that requires concurrence by a supermajority of the Senate, a very formidable requirement that saved President Trump himself from removal by impeachment during his first term.
Faced with these steep obstacles, the president seems to have adopted a tactic
somewhat like a flanking maneuver in battle. Rather than arguing with the reasoning of the rulings he dislikes, the president has taken to personal attacks on the federal judges who have made the rulings, labeling them as “rogue” or “radical” or “leftist” judges whose sole purpose is to interfere with the president’s efforts to carry out his political agenda. Putting aside their simple nastiness, these attacks will not withstand serious analysis.
Federal judges are required to make their decisions by applying the Constitution and the duly enacted laws of the United States and in accordance with decisions of higher courts on the questions raised. The decisions that have prompted Mr. Trump’s virulent attacks have arisen in cases where President Trump’s actions appear, on their face, clearly to be in violation of the Constitution and duly enacted laws. The duty of a federal judge in such cases is clear – the Constitution and laws must prevail.
That is precisely the situation in at least three of the cases which have generated
the most press – the Venezuelan deportation case, the tariff case and the birthright citizenship case.
In each of these cases, the president’s actions have disregarded the requirements of the Constitution and laws duly enacted by Congress. In their decisions, the federal judges have painstakingly analyzed and carefully described why the president’s actions are unconstitutional and illegal. The ultimate questions in these cases – the legality of the deportations, the legality of the tariffs, and the meaning of birthright citizenship – have not yet been ruled upon by the Supreme Court and it is presently unclear when, if ever, that will happen.
But can it really be the case, as the attacks imply, that President Trump actually believes the duty of a federal judge should be to carry out the president’s political agenda rather than to faithfully apply the Constitution and laws? Or is the president simply venting because he has been unable to get his way?
The answer, I fear, is more than a little
ominous. It seems increasingly likely that the purpose of these attacks is to discredit the federal courts in the eyes of the public as a preliminary step before directing his administration to completely disregard federal court decisions that he does not like. Exactly what would happen if the administration were to adopt such a policy is unclear, but it would undoubtedly create a constitutional crisis that the president could attempt to exploit for the purpose of transferring to the president the judicial power assigned to the federal courts by the Constitution.
It needs to be said again and again that the genius of our Constitution is the division of government power between Congress, the president and the Supreme Court. The founders warned that our Constitutional Republic depended on this separation of powers and would not survive if these powers were concentrated in one branch of government. We may be watching that process unfold.
Alan Cooper Rochelle
The Senate is headed for a Constitutional crisis
The founders of our republic made a fateful decision on July 16, 1787, when they decided that the Senate would represent the states, instead of the people. We can trace later events that drove America toward the Civil War back to that choice – one that, as we’ll see, now heightens the bitter politics of our own time, and is driving us toward a Constitutional crisis.
Joseph P. Ellis, in his book “The Quartet,” reveals that George Washington, James Madison and many others at the Constitutional Convention opposed state-based representation in the Senate. They believed that a Congress with both chambers elected according to population would be indispensable. “Nothing else would,” as Mr. Ellis put it, “permit the Congress to speak for the American people as a whole.”
But each state had an equal vote at the convention, and those with small populations were determined to keep the power they had enjoyed in the past. The back-and-forth between the two sides produced a House of Representatives that directly represented
the people. But it created, on the other hand, the Senate as we know it, with two Senators from each state, regardless of its population.
Washington and Madison took this as a “devastating defeat,” says Ellis. They foresaw the disunity that would come from this decision. The years leading up to the Civil War confirmed their fears.
H.W. Brands, in his book “The Zealot and the Emancipator,” tells how Abraham Lincoln used a simple example to illustrate the effect of giving two votes to each state. He explained that it granted equal power to the slave-holding state of South Carolina and the free state of Maine. The problem was that Maine had twice as many voters as South Carolina did.
“Thus,” he said, “each white man in South Carolina is more than the
double of any man in Maine.”
Unequal Senate representation gave slave holders excessive power in the White House as well as in the Senate, because Senate representation partly determines the makeup of the Presidential Electoral College. Ten of the first 12 presidents owned slaves, eight of them while in office, according to the online statistics portal, Statista, at statista.com.
Slave holders also dominated the Supreme Court of the time. It declared, in its infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857, that African-Americans had no rights and that the federal government couldn’t outlaw slavery in the territories. Seven of the nine justices on that court were, according to the National Museum of African History and Culture at nmaahc.si.edu, appointed by pro-slavery presidents.
“Dred Scott, like kerosene tossed into a simmering fire, played a significant role in igniting the Civil War,” says the article. Northern anger and frustration over the South’s excessive power propelled the anti-slavery candidate, Abraham Lincoln, to the presidency in a four-way race. The bonds holding the Union together unraveled, and the Civil War was on.
State-based Senate representation continues to distort our politics today. This time, the inequalities appear in the disproportionate power that states with small populations, largely rural and conservative, enjoy. The Federal Register estimates the voting population of Wyoming to be 454,500 citizens, while California is home to over 30 million voters. This means that a voter in Wyoming has 67 times as much power in the Senate as a Californian does, dwarfing the inequality of Abraham Lincoln’s day.
of that time.
The bias against large states will worsen in the future, as people continue to move away from rural areas and into urban ones. The Guardian, at theguardian.com on March 12, 2021, reported on research by political scientist David Birdsell showing that, based on present trends, 70% of the people will live in 15 states by 2040. They will, however, be represented by only 30 out of 100 Senators.
The inequalities extend into the presidency for the same reason as in Abraham Lincoln’s day. Republican candidates have, since 2000, lost the popular vote in five of the last seven elections. They nevertheless will, by the end of President Trump’s current term, have occupied the White House for more than half of that time, because of the connection between the Senate and the Electoral College.
The consequences also reach, again, as in Abraham Lincoln’s day, into today’s deeply conservative Supreme Court. Six of its nine justices were nominated by Republican presidents and confirmed by Republican Senates.
Defenders of state-based representation claim that it unifies the country. Their reasoning reminds me of George Orwell’s novel, “Animal Farm.” A guiding principle was that everyone was equal, but some were more equal than others.
Today’s Senate doesn’t unite our polarized nation. It pulls us apart, as it did in Abraham Lincoln’s time. The disparities will continue to grow and, as the people become ever more frustrated, we’ll someday reach a Constitutional crisis.
The outcome will then determine if we’ll have a government that truly is, as President Lincoln said, “of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Stephen Wolf of the Daily Kos on Feb. 15, 2023, revealed the result of this kind of disparity. Republicans have represented a minority of Americans in every session of the Senate since 1998, but they have nevertheless controlled the Senate for more than half
• Lowell Harp is a retired school psychologist who served school districts in Ogle County. For previous columns, follow him on Facebook.
Lowell Harp
VIEWS
OPINIONS
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Every year this campfire ignites a bonfire of memories
Lonny Cain PAPERWORK
Campfires are all about reflection.
There’s the glow from the faces that are framed against the night. All are united, held together within the casting heat and circle of light.
There also are inner reflections. Between shared smiles, a loud laugh now and then, and favorite songs mixed with fireside chatter, those faces return to the flickering flames, pulled into moments of introspection. Reflecting on whatever. It’s personal.
Once a year, I sit around such a campfire. It caps a long day in the sun full of friends and family, good food and loud fun, including volleyball. I’ve been doing this since 1978, when my parents said I could invite coworkers to a muchneeded two-day party at their home in the country.
We call it the Lost Weekend, which has been locked into the Labor Day holiday since that first year. The Saturday night rolls into a Sunday morning country breakfast and more volleyball for those who had pitched a tent.
On
Some of the regulars I see this one time a year. A lot of traditions develop from such an annual gathering. Our campfire still ends in a sing-along with Frank Sinatra crooning into the starry night and nearby cornfield the life-guiding lyrics of “My Way.”
Yeah, lots of traditions and memories, with the campfire bumping the top of those lists. But there has been a slow but steady shift from those early days.
The raucous volleyball matches always mix young and old. I worry about my bones being too old for my ball-hog ways. So I’ve become an observer who truly misses the earlier days.
Even the campfire is a bit tougher now. Too many of those glowing faces are now ghosts – gaps in the circle but not forgotten. They charge our memories of previous years and stories retold. They are toasted with raised glasses around the fire.
After 47 years, such losses were inevitable. Still, it’s hard to adapt. The tide of time pushes and pulls and has washed over our Lost Weekend. The biggest change came when my parents died.
Mom and Dad had no idea what they said “yes” to so many years ago. But they soon learned. Everyone who came
Mom and Dad had no idea what they said “yes” to so many years ago. But they soon learned. Everyone who came to the Lost Weekend became part of their “family.”
to the Lost Weekend became part of their “family.”
My sister has packed a lot of our memories into four large albums jammed with photos and thank-you notes, and copies of the goofy invites I sent out every year.
I watched three sons grow up on our homemade volleyball courts. The youngest came from the hospital straight to the Lost Weekend, two days after he was born. This past holiday weekend, I watched him standing tall at the net, dominating.
Mom let us know about the work involved in setup and cleanup each year. Then we faced the annual question: Should we do it again next year? Of course. How could we not? We asked the same question after my parents died. Got the same answer.
But it’s not the same Lost Weekend
that began so long ago, when it took a week for my muscles to recover. Now the ache is internal. Without my parents, it’s been hard to resume my enthusiasm. And the loss of others deepens the rut, including the recent death of my niece, who continued hosting the party with her husband.
I search for reasons to be there each year … until I get there. The regulars begin to trickle in, some new faces show up, and I see there is still a Lost Weekend “family.” I need to see that, and they probably do also.
It all sinks in, the reason for being there, to continue. I see it clearly in the faces glowing around the campfire. Then I turn to the fire and relive that first year and the stack of years after and all the faces that have come and gone … and those still coming.
Will we do this again next year? I mull the thought only to invite the reply: Of course we will. How could we not?
• Lonny Cain, retired managing editor of The Times in Ottawa, also was a reporter for The Herald-News in Joliet in the 1970s. His PaperWork email is lonnyjcain@gmail.com. Or mail the NewsTribune, 426 Second St., La Salle IL 61301.
maps, numbers and when we care about which populations’
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about maps lately.
Some of this has come through in writing, with recent columns about gerrymandering and redistricting proposals. That topic – which voters live where and how they’re grouped – leaks into other government concerns.
You’ve likely seen an Illinois map reflecting the recent presidential election with 14 counties shaded blue and the other 88 in red. Land doesn’t vote, of course, people do, and it’s much harder to convey in a two-dimensional graphic the vast population discrepancies between a place like Cook County (with more than 5 million people) and Hardin County (about 3,500). Then there’s the land area rankings, with tiny Putnam County occupying just 160 square miles and the comparatively massive McLean, exceeding 1,180 – more than seven times larger.
These thoughts echoed while reading “Paid to Stay,” Thursday’s in-depth report from Capitol News Illinois, ProPublica and the Saluki Local Reporting Lab regarding federal farm subsidies in areas forever transformed through recent Mississippi River flooding.
I encourage everyone to read the entire analysis at tinyurl.com/FederalFarmTrap, but in the context of maps, I kept thinking about tiny Alexander County, about 250 square miles at the state’s southwestern edge. The population has dropped below 5,000 – a quarter of my suburban community in
about 27 times more space.
The report is full of huge numbers: “only about 200 of their 1,200 acres still couldgrow a crop,” or “farmers in Alexander County claimed more than $7 million in crop insurance,” and “the county still taxed Williams’ land on Dogtooth Bend like it was prime ground – nearly $40,000 a year.”
But it was the smaller digits that really resonated: Farming accounts for $1 in every $7 in the Alexander County economy. The school district enrolls about 300, fewer than the middle school I can see from my front porch.
Obviously, “compared to cities, rural counties have fewer residents spread across more land” isn’t exactly a revelation, but the way we think and talk about government’s influence over many aspects of daily life often is colored by how and where people live.
The Associated Press reported at
problems
least 50 people were shot and eight killed in Chicago over Labor Day weekend. But the AP didn’t give state or nationwide totals. It did present the city’s 2024 homicide rate as a per capita figure – it’s down 25% compared to 2020 – but the raw numbers aren’t doing enough on their own.
Government agencies have failed Southern Illinois farmers in many devastating ways, as the report lays bare, but the effects on those individuals don’t seem to grab corresponding headlines.
It’s not just maps – although Cairo is far from Chicago – but a vast distance in who and what we consider important.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
Scott T. Holland
STATE
Elections board refuses to give DOJ voter data
states that DOJ has asked to turn over entire voter registration databases, including sensitive personal information such as dates of birth, driver’s license or state ID numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
By PETER HANCOCK phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Elections said this week it will not hand over to the Trump administration a copy of the state’s complete, unredacted voter registration database, citing state laws that require the agency to protect voters’ sensitive personal information.
In a letter Tuesday to the Voting Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, ISBE general counsel Marni Malowitz said releasing the data would expose Illinois voters to unnecessary risks.
Illinois is reportedly one of several
DOJ has said it wants the information in order to enforce federal requirements that states maintain accurate and up-todate voter registration lists. But state elections officials have said they are precluded under state law from releasing sensitive information contained in the registration files.
In August, state officials sent DOJ a copy of the same type of data file it shares with political committees and other government agencies. That file includes voters’ names, addresses and their age at the time they registered, but not their date of birth, driver’s license, state ID or Social Security number. But DOJ wrote back Aug. 14 saying that was not good enough. It demanded the state turn over its entire database, with “all fields,
including the registrant’s full name, date of birth, residential address, his or her state driver’s license number or the last four digits of the registrant’s social security number as required under the Help America Vote Act to register individuals for federal elections.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the elections board had not indicated whether it had received a response from the Justice Department to its latest letter.
DOJ has said it wants the information to determine whether Illinois is complying with requirements under the 1993 National Voter Registration Act and the 2003 Help America Vote Act to keep the voter registration lists accurate and up to date. That includes occasionally purging from the voter rolls the names of people who have died or moved.
But DOJ also has asked Illinois to identify the number of registered voters who have been removed from the rolls for other reasons, such as not being U.S. citizens, being adjudicated incompetent
or for felony convictions.
David Becker, a former DOJ attorney in the voting section of the Civil Rights Division who now directs the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research, said during a media briefing Wednesday that the federal agency has only limited authority to enforce the list maintenance requirements of those laws.
He also said the department has no legal authority to demand voters’ sensitive personal information and it would have little use for the information even if it could have access to it.
“The DOJ could not possibly, even if they had it, conduct better list maintenance than the states are currently doing,” he said. “The most valuable asset that [states] have is their DMV database, which the federal government does not have access to. So even if they had a legal authority to gain this data, it wouldn’t do them any good, and they don’t have the legal authority to get this data.”
Illinois’ tourism push includes millions for NASCAR events
By BEN SZALINSKI bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com
NASCAR will not be returning to Chicago streets next summer as the racing series takes its road act to likely sunnier weather in San Diego following two rainplagued races out of its three years in Chicago.
But while the race leaves town for at least one year, the state’s fiscal 2026 budget still contains several millions of dollars for NASCAR. State records obtained by Capitol News Illinois show the state has spent almost $7 million hosting or sponsoring the sport since 2022.
That includes sponsorship of the Enjoy Illinois 300 scheduled for Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison just across the river from St. Louis. The state-sponsored race is the second playoff race on the Cup Series schedule. It’s one of four NASCAR races scheduled to take place in Illinois this year.
Enjoy Illinois, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s tourism marketing campaign, has been the title sponsor of the race since NASCAR returned to the Metro East track in 2022.
“The event generates significant eco-
$15 million over recent years to broaden the types of events Illinois holds, pointing to Rockford becoming the host city of an IRONMAN triathlon and the 2026 American Hockey League all-star game.
The state has spent about $2.2 million since 2022 to sponsor the Metro East NASCAR race, including $795,000 for this year’s race, according to state records obtained through an open records request.
nomic impact through attendee spending on hotels, restaurants, retail, and at other local businesses,” DCEO spokesperson Jordan Troy said in an email. “With the race now part of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the national exposure has grown even more in turn amplifying our brand visibility to attract new and returning visitors to explore all that Illinois has to offer.”
The state’s sponsorship of this weekend’s race is not its largest NASCAR line item, however.
By the numbers
Enjoy Illinois’ marketing efforts extend beyond the state, with TV ads and billboards promoting Illinois tourism across the nation and world. The state previously launched a $30 million post-pandemic advertising campaign with actress Jane Lynch proclaiming the state as the “middle of everything.”
Enjoy Illinois has a $44 million marketing budget in fiscal 2026.
The department also has directed
State lawmakers separately allocate funding for grants administered by DCEO from various state funds. That’s how funding was provided for the Chicago Street Race, which was in Grant Park for three years beginning in 2023. State records show NASCAR received a $2 million grant from DCEO in 2023 to build and tear down the track and another $2.5 million for the 2024 race.
The Chicago Street Race marked the first time NASCAR built a track through city streets, which is a more common form of racing for Formula 1 and IndyCar. Grant performance records show NASCAR used the funding to pay a variety of companies, including union laborers, to build and tear down the track and move equipment to and from Grant Park.
Ben Szalinski – Capitol News Illinois
Grant Park in Chicago hosted three NASCAR Cup Series races that were partially funded by grants from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
OGLE COUNTY MARRIAGE LICENSES: AUGUST 2025
Here is the list of Ogle County couples who applied for marriage licenses in August.
Aug. 1: Douglas Hamilton, Decorah, Iowa, and Beyna Kraus, Waseca, Minnesota.
Aug. 1: Maverik Good, Mt. Morris, and Brianna Williams, Mt. Morris.
Aug. 6: Aleksei Stranberg, Dixon, and Kadence Kage, Dixon.
Aug. 18: McCoy Ziel, Stillman Valley, and Jayda Gosch, Stillman Valley.
Aug. 1: Zachary Laipple, Chicago, and Natalie Baack, Chicago.
Aug. 8: David Holden of Rochelle and Ziaoying Peng of Rochelle.
Aug. 5: Zachary Horst of Polo and Ryan Starkey of Polo.
Aug. 4: Austin Sulser of Malta and Amanda Ratigan of Malta.
Aug 12: Joshua Anderson of Oregon and Kaitlyn Horstman of Oregon.
Aug. 13: James Beardin of Sycamore and Janice Shallcross of Sycamore.
Aug. 8: Joshua Thompson of Rockford and Madilyn Lantz of Rockford.
Aug. 7: Garrett McDonald of Freeport and Katerina Miller of Freeport.
Aug. 8: David Groh of Elmhurst and Katie Dorn of Elmhurst.
Aug. 11: John Simone of Lake Forest and Frances Schmidt of Lake Forest.
Aug. 13: Philip Garnhart of Dixon and Tiana Tichler of Dixon.
Aug. 12: Jorge Sanchez Galvan of Hanover Park and Juan Carlos Bautista Martinez of Hanover Park.
Aug. 19: Christopher Ruch of Oregon and Kylee Alderks of Oregon.
Aug. 20: James Bean of Ashton and Rebecca Berkeley of Ashton.
Aug. 15: Carson Sweeney of Sycamore and Natalie Schmit of Sycamore.
Aug. 13: Bradley Nordman of Oregon and Loreydi Lopez Ramirez of Oregon.
Aug. 14: Justin Frobish of Mt. Morris and Kori Ann Gruden of Mt. Morris.
Aug. 14: Ryan Andree of Romeoville and
Samantha Zea of Romeoville.
Aug. 15: Benjamin Sacco of Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and Kathryn Brooks of Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts.
Aug. 15: Troy Richards of Rock Falls and Shauntae Hernandez of Rock Falls.
Aug. 15: Marcus Brown of Rockford and Stephanie Reed of Rockford.
Aug. 25: Sebastien Maes of Chicago and Sonia Chavez Cisneros of Joliet.
Aug. 28: Maxwell Tickman of San Francisco and Nicolette Chamberlain-Simon of San Francisco.
Aug. 18: Donovan Corona of Rochelle and Kyleigh-Ann McPherson of Rochelle.
Aug. 18: Adrian Jaimes of Elgin and Maribel Salas of Elgin.
Aug. 25: Trey Lodico of Rochelle and Abigail Tilton of Rochelle.
Aug. 25: Trace Cady of Sycamore and Abigail Shows of Sycamore.
Aug. 20: Ross Dray of Loves Park and McKenna Bennett of Belvidere.
Aug. 28: Brandon Correa of Rockford and Madison Fowler of Rockford.
Aug. 29: Brian Clark of Stillman Valley and Ashley Clark of Stillman Valley.
Aug. 25: Austin Stewart of Rochelle and Jade Fair of Franklin Grove.
Aug. 22: Josiah Ramos of Byron and Jully Pacheco of Byron.
Aug. 27: Kyle Crawford of Dixon and Haylee Barber of Dixon.
Aug. 25: Trevor Sabin of Rochelle and Kristen Stover of Rochelle.
Aug. 26: Victor De La Cruz Moreno of Freeport and Wendy Carcamo Silva of Freeport.
Aug. 29: Brendan Radecky of Tinley Park and Amanda Anderson of Genoa.
Aug. 27: Jared Brooks of Dixon and Anastasia Dewey of Dixon.
Aug. 27: Talon Richardson of Mt. Morris and Brianna Snyder of Mt. Morris.
Aug. 29: Andrew Rucker of Forreston and Katlyn Palmer of Byron.
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SPORTS
BOYS GOLF
Rochelle golfers off to fast start
Hubs seeking first conference, regional championships in program history
By RUSS HODGES rhodges@shawmedia.com
Glen Mehrings has worked with hundreds of high school players over his three decades as head coach of the Rochelle Hub boys golf team. In what is his 31st and final season coaching at Rochelle, Mehrings’ 2025 squad may be the best he’s ever had.
The Hubs are off to a blazing start, posting a 6-0 record in match play and finishing first in the Rocket Invitational at Deer Valley, where Rochelle took home the title behind a division-best 75 from senior Ian Metzger. Two years after failing to win a conference match, the Hubs are a serious threat to claim the Interstate 8 crown this year, which would mark the first boys golf conference title in program history.
“We have five players shooting in the 70s and that doesn’t happen often here‚” said Mehrings, whose team scored 303 during the L-P Invitational at Senica’s Oak Ridge on Aug. 28. “It’s great that we’re hitting our stride early on and we have to keep our goals lofty because we can only get better as the year goes on... Any good team needs to have four, five or six guys who love golf. Our top guys have been the core of our varsity group over the last few years and they love golf. What stands out about our six varsity guys is that they all have talent and they’re all willing to face the honesty of their shortcomings.”
Rochelle made significant strides last season, going 11-3 and landing two golfers on the All-Interstate 8 team. One of those was Metzger, a four-year varsity starter and former Interstate 8 champion who has qualified for IHSA sectionals over each of the last three seasons. The two-time defending club champion at Fairways Golf Course in Rochelle, Metzger has made even par or better in every head-to-head match so far.
“We have five guys who can show up and if one of those guys doesn’t play
well, then someone else can step up and help out,” Metzger said. “We were pretty solid last year, but if guys didn’t show up and play well, then we were going to struggle. This year, everyone has improved and we’re really starting to see it... Everyone looks forward to coming out and playing.”
Rochelle’s No. 1 player over each of the past three years, Metzger has been
the team’s leader on the links. But the Hubs feature five more upperclassmen in their varsity lineup, three of whom earned honors during the Rockford Junior Series over the summer. Junior Alex Dyer, an All-Interstate 8 honoree last year and a two-time IHSA sectional qualifier, is one of those players giving the Hubs a boost this season.
“We have a lot of players who’ve
made improvements over the summer,” Dyer said. “Coach Mehrings is very laid back and he’s been able to help us get out of some holes and keep the team together. With it being coach Mehrings’ last year, we want to give him a really good year to go out on... All of us are at the top of our game right now and I
Russ Hodges
Rochelle’s Ian Metzger hits a tee shot on the second hole at Fairways Golf Course. Metzger is a former Interstate 8 champion and a three-time IHSA sectional qualifier.
think this is the year we can make it to a sectional. Our team is good enough to make a run.”
Metzger and Dyer have consistently fired low scores for the Hubs, but a major key to the team’s early success this season has been the rise of returning juniors like Connor Lewis and Johnny Chadwick, who each played on the Rockford Junior Series during the summer. Chadwick, who nearly advanced to sectionals as an individual last season but lost in a playoff, shot an even-par 36 in Rochelle’s Interstate 8 victory over Morris before scratching a 1-under-par 35 during the team’s nonconference win against Mendota.
“It’s amazing how all of our top guys can bounce back from big numbers,” Mehrings said. “Some of our guys are playing 36 holes a day and that’s how you get better... Ian knows he can birdie every hole, but he doesn’t try to birdie every hole and his mental maturity is one of the best of any player I’ve coached in 31 years, maybe even the best. He knows exactly what he can bite off and what exactly he should go for. That’s hard for an 18-year-old to do. Ian may make a physical mistake, but he won’t make mental mistakes.”
Lewis, who won the A Flight of this year’s club championship, has made huge improvements as well, carding back-to-back 38s against Morris and Mendota. Currently 2-0 in the Interstate 8 with three conference matches remaining, Rochelle opened its Interstate 8 slate with a narrow 151-154 victory over Sycamore on Aug. 20, when three players shot in the 30s, including Metzger, who turned in a team-best 34.
“Coach [Dave] Cartwright and I talked last year about how we needed athletic kids who could make the commitment,” Mehrings said. “We saw that from Johnny and Connor right away. They needed time, and they needed to hit some bumps in the road so they could become stronger mentally. Both of them are so smart in the classroom and they have so much support from their families that we knew they could overcome those bumps. They’ve both done that through hard work and they’re both such athletic players.”
Rochelle’s first true test came at the L-P Invitational on Aug. 28, when Interstate 8 rival Ottawa finished first with a 299, outpacing the Hubs by four strokes. The Pirates handed Rochelle its only conference loss in match play last season, beating the Hubs by 19 strokes.
“Ottawa beat us by 30 at the LaSalle-Peru tournament last year,” Mehrings said. “We closed that gap to four shots... Our top five players are right there. I’m super convinced that we’ll have a chance at the regional and hopefully at the sectional. We’ve closed the gap and the next four to six weeks will be tough, but I believe our guys will be ready and they aren’t afraid.”
Rochelle last qualified as a team for sectionals in 2009, but the Hubs have never advanced all the way to the state championship meet. For Mehrings, who’s also retiring from teaching after 33 years, capping off his coaching career at the state meet would be the ultimate send-off.
Juniors including Owen Carmichael, a third-year varsity starter, and Trenton Cunningham round out the talented lineup for the Hubs, who are seeking their first IHSA regional title in program history in addition to their first conference championship.
“It’d be great to win the conference and a regional,” Mehrings said. “Those are both within our distance... It’ll be tough, but it would be special for our guys because they’ve put the time in and it’d be hard for us to find five or six guys who’ve played more golf over the summer than our top six players.” Continued from page 25
Russ Hodges
Rochelle’s Alex Dyer tees off on the first hole at Fairways Golf Course. Dyer returns after earning All-Interstate 8 honors as a sophomore in 2024.
Earleen Hinton
Rochelle’s Axel Alsop hits out of a sand trap during a Wednesday, Sept. 3, match with Oregon at Silver Ridge Golf Course.
Rochelle volleyball plays Oregon
Rochelle volleyball played Oregon on Sept. 2 at Oregon. Rochelle varsity won 25-11, 25-10. The sophomores won 25-19, 25-7 and the freshmen won 25-19, 25-20.
Photos provided by Marcy DeLille
TOP LEFT: Rochelle’s Meredith Bruns sets the ball during a match with Oregon on Sept. 2. TOP RIGHT: Rochelle’s Audyn Kemp (5) and Briel Metzger (6) go up for a block during a match with Oregon on Sept. 2. ABOVE: Rochelle’s Jaydin Dickey (2) serves the ball during a match with Oregon on Sept. 2. LEFT: Rochelle’s Meredith Bruns (7) plays the ball at the net during the Hubs’ match with Oregon on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Rochelle middle school volleyball plays Sterling
Photos provided by Robin Rethwill
TOP LEFT: Rochelle’s Emily Mendez passes the ball during an eighth-grade middle school match with Sterling. TOP RIGHT: Rochelle’s Jaelyn Gonzales serves the ball during an eighth-grade middle school match with Sterling. ABOVE: Rochelle’s Chole Fox passes the ball during an eighth-grade middle school match with Sterling. LEFT: Rochelle’s Deyonna Wallace serves the ball during a middle school eighth-grade match against Sterling.
CLASSIFIED
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OGLE COUNTY, IL LINOIS
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MAR JEAN A MILLER, Deceased NO. 2025-PR-49 CL AIM NOTICE
Notice is given of the death of MAR JEAN A MILLER, of Leaf River, Illinois. Letters of Office were issued on August 11, 2025, to BRADLEY A MILLER AND DANIEL C MILLER, whose address is 1043 Parkview Dr., Rochelle, IL 61068, and whose attorneys are Fearer, Nye & Chadwick, 420 4th Avenue, PO Box 117, Rochelle, IL 61068
Claims against the Estate may be filed in the office of the Circuit Clerk of the Court at Ogle County Courthouse, Oregon, IL 61061, or with the representative, or both, no later than March 3, 2026, and any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it hasbeen filed.
FEARER, NYE & CHADWICK, Attorneys for BRADLEY A MILLER AND DANIEL C. MILLER, Executor of the Estate of MAR JEAN A MILLER, deceased
August 31, Sept. 7, 14, 2025
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OGLE COUNTY, IL LINOIS
Notice is given of the death of RENEE J FELTS. Letters of Office were issued to TANYA M. HARROLLE, 1256 Glacier Dr., Byron, IL 61010, as Represen tative, whose attorneys are WARD, MURRAY, PACE & JOHNSON, P.C., 202 E 5th Street, Sterling, Illinois 61081.
Claims against the estate may be filed in the office of the Clerk of Court, Ogle County Courthouse, 106 S 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061, or with the Representative, or both, on or before March 6, 2026, and any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Repres entative and to the attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed. Dated: August 21, 2025
Tanya M. Harrolle, Representative Ryan M. Olson ARDC 6333161 WARD, MURRAY, PACE & JOHNSON, P.C. Attorneys for Estate 202 E. 5th Street P.O. Box 400 Sterling, IL 61081 P: 815.625.8200 olson@wmpj.com
August 29, Sept. 5, 12, 2025
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OGLE COUNTY, IL LINOIS
Estate of:
JOYCE I. GATZ, Deceased
No. 2025 PR 50 CL AIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of JOYCE I. GATZ. Letters of Office were issued to JANETTE S FOLKERS, 2535 South Wilson Mill Road, Polo, IL 61064, as Represen tative, whose attorneys are WARD, MURRAY, PACE & JOHNSON, P.C., 202 E 5th Street, Sterling, Illinois 61081. Claims against the estate may be filed in the office of the Clerk of Court, Ogle County Courthouse, 106 S 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061, or with the Representative, or both, on or before March 13, 2026, and any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Repres entative and to the attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed.
Dated: August 27, 2025
Janette S. Folkers, Representative Ryan M. Olson ARDC 6333161 WARD, MURRAY, PACE & JOHNSON, P.C. Attorneys for Estate 202 E. 5th Street P.O. Box 400 Sterling, IL 61081 P: 815.625.8200 olson@wmpj.com
Sept. 5, 12, 19, 2025
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 15th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OGLE COUNTY, IL LINOIS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF:
BERNADINE T. MACK, deceased NO. 2025-PR-51 CL AIM NOTICE NOTICE IS GIVEN of the death of BERNADINE T. MACK of Oregon, Illinois. Letters of office were issued on August 18, 2025, to STILLMAN BANCCORP N.A , 8492 E. State Street, Rockford, IL 61108, whose attorney is David A Smith, of Smith Law Group, P.C. at 129 South Fourth Street, P. O. Box 10, Oregon, Illinois, 61061-0010.
CLAIMS against the estate may be filed in the office of the Clerk of the Court at Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, Illinois, 61061, or with the representative, or both, within 6 months from the first publication of this Notice, or within three months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing or delivery is required by Section 18-3 of the Illinois Probat e Act, 1975, as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed with in that period is barred Copies of claims filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the estate legal representative and to the attorney within 10 days after the claim has been filed.
Joseph McCoy, Senior Trust Officer
Stillman BancCorp N.A., Independent Executor
August 29, Sept. 5, 12, 2025
must be mailed or delivered to the estate legal representative and to the attorney within 10 days after the claim has been filed.
Joseph McCoy, Senior Trust Officer Stillman BancCorp N.A., Independent Executor
August 29, Sept. 5, 12, 2025
STATE OF IL LINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 15TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
OGLE COUNTY
PROBATE
DIVISION IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: Roger E Cunz Deceased CASE NO 2025-PR-59 CL AIM NOTICE
NOTICE is given of the death of ROGER E CUNZ, who died on May 29, 2025. Letters of Office were issued on July 25, 2025, to Roger E Cunz, Jr, 80 Riveside Road, Rockford, IL, 61114, who is the legal representative of the estate
The attorney for the estate is Michael J. Smith, of Barrick, Switzer, Long, Balsley & Van Evera, LLP, 6833 Stalter Drive, Rockford, Illinois 61108.
Claims against the Estate may be filed on or before March 5, 2026, that date being at least six (6) months from the date of first publication, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing or delivery is required by Section 18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 1975 as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred.
Claims against the Estate may be filed in the Office of the Ogle County Circuit Clerk, Probate Division at the Ogle County Courthouse, 106 5th Street, Oregon, Illinois, 61061, or with the Estate legal representative, or both.
amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the Estate may be filed in the Office of the Ogle County Circuit Clerk, Probate Division at the Ogle County Courthouse, 106 5th Street, Oregon, Illinois, 61061, or with the Estate legal representative, or both.
Copies of claims filed with the Circuit Clerk's Office, Probate Division, must be mailed or delivered to the Estate legal representative and to his attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed.
Dated:
/s/Roger E Cunz, Jr, Executor Michael J. Smith BARRICK, SWITZER, LONG, BALSLEY & VAN EVERA, LLP 6833 Stalter Drive Rockford, IL 61108 (815)962-6611 service.msmith@ bslbv.com
September 5, 12, 19, 2025
As sumed Name Publication Notice
Public Notice is hereby given that on August 26, 2025, a certificate was filed in the Ogle County Clerk's Office setting forth the names and postoffice address of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as: BK Exteriors loca ted at 7926 S Pine St Grand Detour, IL 61021
Dated August 26, 2025.
Laura J. Cook
Laura J. Cook Ogle County Clerk
September 5, 12, 19, 2025
Publication Notice
Public Notice is hereby given that on August 25, 2025, a certificate was filed in the Ogle County Clerk's Office setting forth the names and post office address of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as: Cleary Exteriors Pressure Washing 389 Red Fox Dr Davis Junction, IL 61020
Dated: August 25, 2025.
s/Laura J. Cook
Laura J. Cook, Ogle County Clerk Sept. 5, 12, 19, 2025
Publication Notice
Public Notice is hereby given that on August 13, 2025, a certificate was filed in the Ogle County Clerk's Office setting forth the names and post office address of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as:
Truck '61 11282 N. Leaf River Rd., P.O. Box 4 Leaf River, IL 61047
Dated: August 13, 2025.
s/Laura J. Cook
Laura J. Cook, Ogle County Clerk Aug. 29, Sep. 5, 12, 2025
Notice of pub lic hear ing on the Pol o Communi ty Unit S ch ool Distri ct #222
Tentative Bud get for July 1, 2025Jun e 30, 2026.
for July 1, 2025Jun e 30, 2026.
NOTICE IS HEREBY G IVEN by the Board of Education of the Polo Community Unit School District #222 in the Counties of Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside, State of Illinois, that the tentative budget for the said school district for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025, will be on file and conveniently available for public inspection at Aplington Middle SchoolDistrict Office- 610 East Mason, Polo, Illinois, 61064 between the hours of 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
The Budget is also available online at poloschools.net beginning on August 14, 2025.
Notice is further hereby given that a public hearing on said budget will be held at 6:00 pm on September 17, 2025 at Centennial Elementary School, 308 S. Pleasan t, Polo, IL 61064, to provide an opportunity for public comment regarding the proposed budget.
The purpose of this public hearing is to inform residents about the district's estimated expenditures and revenue for the upcoming school year prior to the budget vote
Sept. 5, 2025
Notice The Polo Community School District will be holding a Public Hearing on September 17, 2025 at 6:05pm at Centennial Elementary School 308 S. Pleasan t Avenue. This Public Hearing is to continue to offer ELearning Days in lieu of Emergency Days.
Sept. 5, 2025
Copies of claims filed with the Circuit Clerk's Office, Probate Division, must be mailed or delivered to the Estate legal representative and to his attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed.
Dated:
/s/Roger E Cunz, Jr, Executor Michael J. Smith
BARRICK,
NOTICE IS HEREBY G IVEN by the Board of Education of the Polo Community Unit School District #222 in the Counties of Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside, State of Illinois, that the tentative budget for the said school district for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025, will be on file and conveniently available for public inspection at Aplington Middle SchoolDistrict Office- 610 East Mason, Polo, Illinois, 61064 between the hours of 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
The Budget is also available online at poloschools.net beginning on August 14, 2025.
