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The history of alcohol in the Hub City
The story of Rochelle cannot be told without a mention of the taverns and Cherry Avenue. The 1919 Rochelle newspaper described Lane (Rochelle) thusly, “Lane was always noted for the activity, enterprise, and public spirit of its citizens. It was a fast town in the early days, a wicked town perhaps, as some of its jealous neighbors said, but it was always an emphatically business town.”
From the beginning, alcohol was a major part of the business of the town.
One of the earliest entrepreneurs was an elderly woman, “of considerable local celebrity,” known as Peggy. Peggy lived in an old shanty south of the railroad. She was renowned for two things: stealing wood and making whiskey. Both of these activities were looked upon with disfavor by some in the community.
Peggy had a hard life. One time, her home burned to the ground, taking not only all of her earthly possessions but also her supply of whiskey. Another time, she was arrested for stealing wood from the railroad. As the paper said, “Peggy made considerable business for the lawyers and created considerable excitement.” The town became less than excited about Peggy’s presence, and it was not long before she moved to other locales.
“About the first building erected in Lane for business purposes was a shanty with a railroad car roof. It was opened in 1853 by Johnson Brothers with a stock costing $40. The groceries were of the variety that came in kegs and barrels.”
According to the local press, “When Vicksburg surrendered, there was a celebration in Lane of the first magnitude. Saloons were common by that time and many men became drunk who had never before become so.”
Early stories of Lane demonstrate how available whiskey was: “It was not hid to keep it from the officers of the law, but to prevent indiscriminate use by whoever happened to see it. It didn’t cost much, but nobody had much to buy it with. Many grocers kept a keg in the rear, with a cup tied to the keg by a string, and regular customers, when they had completed
COMMUNITY VOICES
Tom
McDermott
their buying, were free to help themselves to a mouthful. Some of them had very large mouths and, unless they were very careful, took too much. Yet a drunken man was a rare sight.”
In 1853, Horace Coon built a hotel next to the route of the railroad. The Lane Hotel was later to become known as The Delos Hotel. As travelers were few in the early 1850s, Horace referred to his business as a saloon. The saloon featured a very primitive lavatory located near the office desk. One morning, a guest complained to Mr. Coon about the condition of the towel in the lavatory. Mr. Coon said, “What! Why, six or eight men have used it and made no complaint,” at the same time pushing a small tumbler full of whiskey toward the complainant, who swallowed the whiskey at a gulp and went to his breakfast, and the whole incident was closed.
In the early days, liquor was unregulated. Who could produce, who could sell – all was left to the discretion of those who wished to be in the business.
By 1873, public displays of drunkenness were all too common. The community began to move in two directions: the status quo and prohibition. The Aug. 9, 1873, Rochelle Register expressed concern, “There were not less than 50 drunken men in our city at one time on Sunday last, and in all probability the liquor to make those 50 drunken men was bought in Rochelle. Along in the afternoon, one or two improvised fights occurred, and the thing got quite jolly. Any man who does not consider last Sunday’s proceedings a disgrace to any civilized community is unfit for the rights of an American citizen. They were an outrage pure and simple, upon public decency. There is no decent man but has the right to complain. It was really unsafe for a respectable lady to be seen on our
public streets after noon last Sunday.”
Two weeks later, the Rochelle Register once again featured a letter describing the pitfalls of drunkenness. The writer asked the question of the day, “The authorities have made it legal to make men drunk, why not make it legal to make them sober?”
The headwind of prohibition began to gain force in Rochelle. The Presbyterian Church featured a nationally recognized speaker in 1879, Susan B. Anthony. Famous for her stance on women’s suffrage and prohibition, Ms. Anthony would be honored in 1979 by having her image placed on the $1 coin. The path was long and slow, but in 1920, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was passed, prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. Prohibition was the law of the land.
The new law forced what was public to be slightly more discreet. Liquor sales did not stop in Rochelle; they simply went underground. A Rochelle man was arrested, fined $500, and sentenced to the penitentiary for selling and possessing intoxicating liquor in February of 1925; this was not the first time he had been so charged. Federal agents raided the Rose Garden Café in 1930 and found two cases of bonded whiskey and a gallon of alcohol. The owner was arrested and taken to Chicago for trial and sentencing.
Prohibition was repealed in 1933, and the city was once again faced with several decisions to make. In May of 1933, the Rochelle City Council granted 17 licenses to sell beer in the community. The council charged a $25 license fee annually to each establishment selling alcohol. By 1936, the council approved dancing in taverns. Dancing required a new license with an additional cost of $100 annually. It seems no matter the cost, the demand is there. From the days when “It didn’t cost much, but nobody had much to buy it with,” we seem to be in a time where it doesn’t matter what it costs; people will buy.
• Tom McDermott is a Flagg Township Museum historian and Rochelle City Council member.
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Photo by Jeff Helfrich
Rochelle Fire Department marks 50 years of providing ambulance service
Longtime RFD members reflect on improvements, expansion, difficult calls
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
In a town of nearly 10,000, Rochelle Fire Department paramedics often see former patients they’ve helped in the past in chance encounters around the community.
“I tell the new firefighter/EMTs that they need to keep a journal on the peo ple they’ve helped,” Fire Chief Dave Sawlsville (RFD 1980-present) said. “Because you have an impact. You can’t go to the post office or the store without seeing someone from a past call. You leave an impact on your community. You made somebody’s really bad day a little bit better. That’s huge.”
Sept. 1 marked 50 years of RFD pro viding ambulance service to the Rochelle area. Before that, ambulance service was offered by three funeral homes in the community. In 1974, there was a move ment locally toward a full-time ambu lance in Rochelle. When Don Horner, owner of Unger-Horner Funeral Home, came to the city and offered to provide a full-time ambulance for $16,000, the city council decided RFD could take on the responsibility for a lesser cost.
On July 16, 1975, the city council approved RFD taking over ambulance service, and the changeover took place in September of that year. Rick Kasmar, Loren Edwards and Dennis Hooley were the personnel on the first RFD ambulance call. The city’s first ambulance arrived on Sept. 7, 1975, and Flagg Township later bought a second ambulance for the city, and the city then bought a third ambulance for transfers.
From September through the end of 1975, RFD ran 104 ambulance calls. In 1976, the department ran 400-500 calls. From Sept. 1, 1975, to Aug. 28, 2025, RFD has run 65,138 total ambulance calls. The department now averages over 3,000 calls per year.
“I wonder where the time went,” retired RFD firefighter/EMT Arlen “Buzz” Harms (1972-2002) said. “I want
to give credit to the funeral homes for the work they did before 1975. Unger-Horner and Cluts Funeral Home both did a fantastic job with what was available at the time. And then RFD took it over. A good group of people has worked here over the years. The level of care improved over the years. I feel like what we did with what we had in the beginning was good.”
Ambulance calls by RFD have increased every year since 1975, except for two years, once during COVID-19, and the year when RFD stopped handling non-emergency transfers for Rochelle Community Hospital. Sawlsville said EMS calls are “easily 80-90%” of RFD’s operations.
RFD has always operated three ambulances. The State of Illinois has three ascending levels of EMT certifica-
tions: basic, intermediate and paramedic. RFD started out employing EMT basics on the ambulances before personnel’s qualifications advanced to intermediate and all paramedics today. In 1975, RFD EMTs could offer trained CPR, oxygen, glucose, splinting and spine stabilization. RFD paramedics now can administer 38 different kinds of drugs and have access to high-tech monitors and defibrillators.
“From 1975 to now, the care for patients in the ambulance is night and day,” Sawlsville said. “There was a day when most adults would die of heart attacks. That isn’t the case now. We started carrying defibrillators, which increased our save rate considerably. We added Narcan and the use of it went up greatly. We added IVs for glucose for diabetic patients after using oral glu -
cose before.
“And these improvements are still happening. We have monitors and can transfer the readings to the ER, and they can see what they’re dealing with before it. We have good teamwork with RCH and the other hospitals that offer a higher level of care. We tie first responders, the local hospital and advanced care all together and working and talking together. Patients’ outcomes have gotten a lot better.”
Due to rising call numbers in recent years, RFD recently underwent an expansion that included the hiring of six new firefighters. The newest three firefighters will be funded by a $919,368 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant the
Jeff Helfrich
Former Rochelle Fire Chief Tom McDermott (RFD 1978-2009), current RFD Chief Dave Sawlsville (1980-present) and retired RFD Firefighter/EMT Arlen “Buzz” Harms (RFD 1972-2002) are pictured at the fire department.
Stillman Valley gardener hopes to break her own pumpkin record: ‘You learn something every year’
‘Patches’
pushing 1,700 pounds as Illinois Giant Pumpkin Association competition approaches
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
When her daughter went away to college and her family sold its horses, Theresa Miller found herself looking for a hobby.
The Stillman Valley woman went into a Farm & Fleet 17 years ago and bought a packet of Atlantic Giant Pumpkin seeds. Her first pumpkin was 89 pounds. And then she grew one that was 400 pounds. And then 1,000, and then 1,600 pounds. Last year, her entry into the Illinois Giant Pumpkin Association Weigh-off in Minooka weighed 1,871 pounds.
Miller currently has three giant pumpkins growing in advance of the competition on Sept. 27: Patches, Dimples and Roxanne. She believes Patches, the largest of the three, is currently nearing 1,700 pounds and hopes to see more growth.
“I really hope I can at least try to break my number last year, if I can get Patches to grow a little bit more,” Miller said. “We haven’t had a great pumpkin growing season. I’m lucky to have what I have this year. You can lose them at any time if they split. It’s not at the weight I want it to be, but I’m fortunate to have what I have.
“The high heat was a problem this year. I pollinate them by hand to make sure the seed is good. I use my own seeds. I sell the seeds to other people. I have sold quite a few.”
Miller will pick her pumpkins Sept. 26, a night that has become a yearly event where people from the community come out to watch them be picked and loaded to head to Minooka. She estimates she spends about five hours each day tending to the pumpkins. Their growth process takes place from April to September.
Work on the pumpkins includes running fans to keep them dry, setting mouse traps, shading them on hot summer days, covering them and using heat
lamps on cold nights, fertilizing and tending to the soil, and catching flies.
The plants that surround the giant pumpkins by about 10 feet on each side provide nutrients to them.
Miller enjoys coming over to check on her pumpkins each day and watching them grow. They can grow up to 60 pounds in a day in good growing conditions. Miller found more time for the work after retiring earlier this year.
“It’s nice to come over here and see what you’ve created,” Miller said. “They become your babies. It’s something to do. It’s quiet here and it’s my time. But by this time of year, you can get fed up with it. You work so hard all summer long and give up a lot of time. We have three more weeks, but that seems like an eternity. You just want to get them to the scale. Because anything can happen.
“My hope for the next three weeks is
that Patches just keeps gaining,” she said. “She’s looking good. If I can just keep her growing, even if it’s 10 pounds a day.”
Miller has gotten to know other giant pumpkin growers around the state and region over the years. She’s involved in Facebook groups on the topic. Last year, her pumpkin entry, Ms. Impressive, was carved by the Food Network after the competition. This year, her pumpkins will be put on display at Klehm Arboretum
Growing giant pumpkins was not a hobby Miller thought she would have.
“People call me the pumpkin lady now,” Miller said. “I enjoy it, and my husband, Keith, enjoys watching me do it. It’s just something to do. You learn something every year. I mess up every year, as a gardener always does. The growers all know each other and help each other. You’re always making mis-
takes and doubting yourself. It’s been interesting to get into the pumpkin growing community.”
Miller’s pumpkins tend to name themselves each year. Patches’ name came about after she found red cloth patches around it. Dimples is named after an irregularity it has. Roxanne has rocks in her patch. They take on personalities and draw interest, Miller said.
“I get a lot of people that ask me around town how the pumpkins are doing,” Miller said. “A lot of people are really interested in them. We invite a crowd out when we pick them, and I think people enjoy watching them being lifted off the ground, and hopefully make it to the contest safely. When we’re on our way to Minooka, people honk their horns at us and want to take pictures. It’s exciting to see people get a kick out of it.”
Jeff Helfrich
Stillman Valley’s Theresa Miller has three giant pumpkins growing in advance of a competition on Sept. 27: Patches, Dimples and Roxanne. She believes Patches, the largest of the three, is currently nearing 1,700 pounds and hopes to see more growth.
Continued from page 3
department recently received. Amid the expansion, RFD also established a new model that established the rank of captain, with the department seeking to have more safety during fire incidents and leadership during busier EMS operations. Each shift now includes a captain, a lieutenant and four firefighters.
“Your typical firefighter would always rather go on a fire call than an ambulance call,” Sawlsville said. “Not every EMS call is life or death, but you can bring compassion to that call and make that person’s day a whole lot better. Sometimes it’s an elderly person who had a seizure, and you get them to the hospital, and we do something like finish cutting their grass. Or someone is on their way back from the grocery store and has a medical issue, and we take them to the hospital, and one of us puts their groceries away. That’s just as important as anything we do.”
Former Rochelle Fire Chief and current Flagg Township Museum historian Tom McDermott (RFD 1978-2009) said EMS calls can be both difficult and gratifying for RFD personnel.
“One of the proudest things is seeing people in the supermarket and thinking about the fact that they might not be there if not for the ambulance service,” McDermott said. “And it can be sad too if you see someone who lost someone in an accident, but they survived. It gives you a sense of pride. Within a year, there won’t be a firefighter here who hasn’t saved somebody’s life. It’s a small town. You’ll see grandkids and kids of people that you kept alive for an extra two months or two years.”
RFD also responds about three times per day to lift assists, where patients are just helped to their feet or into bed with no hospital transport or charge. Sawlsville said that service is offered due to a proven better quality of life for people who live in their homes versus care facilities.
On calls that involve death, RFD personnel still provide a service.
“Sometimes it isn’t life or death, it’s just death,” McDermott said. “You get there and the patient is gone and has been gone. You still have someone to help. We’ve all seen calls that ran an hour just because of the paramedics staying with the family and helping them through what to do until someone else can get there to be with them. People need the compassion. You still put the time and effort into making sure that person can grasp what is going on
and that they’ll be all right.”
RFD personnel have seen healthcare and diseases change, rise and fall. Sawlsville, McDermott and Harms recall working when it wasn’t uncommon to see EMS personnel not wearing gloves. They saw HIV and AIDS come into focus, along with hepatitis and COVID-19. Mental health calls are the newest focus shift for EMS personnel, Sawlsville said.
In the future, the RFD chief expects EMS call numbers to continue to rise, with fewer people having family doctors and more people using ambulances and emergency rooms, which is a newer phenomenon. He expects education and training requirements for EMS personnel to continue to increase.
“The first EMT basic textbook was about 200 pages,” Sawlsville said. “The paramedic textbook is over 2,000 pages. Your EMT basic class was a semester of college. Now it’s over a year because of technology, information and expectations. I assume that will continue to evolve. You have to do 100 hours of continuing education every year as a paramedic to keep up with new changes. Illinois saw a big drop in eligible paramedics after COVID-19 and that has bounced back well. Staff isn’t as hard to find as it was. But the next thing is coming. We’ve seen a huge spike in mental health calls. That will likely be the next thing. We’re trying to adapt and react to that as best we can.”
For RFD paramedics, 50 years of helping the community and making saves also comes with 50 years of seeing sadness, injury and death. In the role of chief, McDermott and Sawlsville have been in the position of lending a listening ear to those paramedics after they
digest that and move on quickly, and sometimes you hit one call that leaves a scab and every time you see something close to that, you’re ripping that scab back off. A lot of the chief’s job is trying to save their EMTs when they come back from trying to save someone. So they can go out the next day and save someone else.”
Despite carrying those scars and stories with them for 50 years, RFD paramedics have heard the call to duty and gone out that door.
“There are times you’re beat when you’re going out the door,” McDermott said. “But firefighters/EMTs will never admit they’re beat. They’ll throw everything they can at the wall to help someone. And then when you pull them aside later, they’ll say they knew they were doomed when they started. They do not like failed rescues.
come back from hard calls.
“When your firefighters/EMTs go out on the job, they’re going to see people die,” McDermott said. “Every one of those leaves a little bit of a scar. You see some pretty horrendous stuff. It’s a grind. You’re trained to save everyone you can. And honest to God, you’re not going to save everybody. Some people
“They don’t like getting there and having nothing to do. That’s why we push working with the family. You might have failed on the initial call, but if you can spend an hour with the kids or the spouse, making it easier for them, then you come back and know you did something. There isn’t a person who’s worked on that ambulance who doesn’t carry some of the scars with them through life. It’s a small town.”
Photo provided by Tom McDermott
The first Rochelle Fire Department ambulance, put into service in 1975.
Area nonprofits adjust to From the Heart’s closure; RACF to host gala in 2026
‘It’s $90,000 potentially not going back into this community’
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
Area nonprofits are working to fill the fundraising gap left by local nonprofit From the Heart after it ceased operations in February after 18 years and $1.116 million in giving in the greater Rochelle area.
From the Heart raised money for nine area nonprofits: the Rochelle Area Community Foundation, HOPE of Ogle County, Rochelle Christian Food Pantry, Pegasus Special Riders, Hub City Senior Center, Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center, CASA, Community Action Network and Foundation for Focus House. It raised $90,000 at its 2025 gala and presented checks for $10,000 to each of its nonprofits in its final year.
Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center Executive Director Jessica Cash was involved with From the Heart for 16 years and said the funds weren’t the only benefit. The gala also highlighted the work the nine nonprofits did and helped Shining Star, based in Dixon, to make connections in Rochelle and Ogle County.
Shining Star CAC works with families and children in Ogle and Lee counties who have been victims of child abuse. The work is done alongside law enforcement, prosecutors, DCFS and medical providers when there’s been allegations of severe physical or sexual abuse or kids who have experienced violent crimes, domestic violence or child deaths in the home.
Children come to Shining Star’s location to be interviewed rather than going to a police station or hospital, which can be less child-friendly or more intimidating. The organization also offers counseling, trauma therapy, group services and court advocacy.
“When I would accept our check every year, I would always make a point to mention how they were unrestricted funds and how beneficial that is,” Cash said. “We could use that money for whatever we needed. One year we used
the funds to replace a critical camera in one of our interview rooms.
“A lot of the grants we receive are restricted to specific uses. That will need to be made up. We’re looking at other community grants. We may be losing some federal funding next July. Between that and the From the Heart funds, we really need to be looking around to raise funds.”
Shining Star also used From the Heart funds to support families’ needs, such as clothes, shoes, and sports registration and equipment for kids. Cash called From the Heart “a great network of people to work with” and said her organization is working to continue fostering connections in Ogle County. Shining Star has a small office in Oregon.
Amid constant uncertainty with the future of grant funding, Cash said having donors and fundraisers is always helpful to continue supporting children in the area. From the Heart allowed its nine nonprofits to combine efforts.
“It was a way for all nine agencies to have a fundraiser at one time,” Cash said. “And now we have to have an extra
fundraiser each. Now it is nine asks of the community versus one big ask. That can make things more difficult.”
RACF Executive Director Emily Anaya said the From the Heart funds helped her organization to hold programs and have a bigger reach. RACF provides support to area nonprofits through a competitive grant process yearly. It also works with donors from every walk of life, from small donations to big donations and everything in between. RACF was part of From the Heart since its inception.
In an effort to help fill the void left by From the Heart, RACF will convert its yearly grant presentation event – Granting Futures – into a gala in 2026. The RACF Granting Futures Gala will be held May 2, 2026, at Storybook Gardens. The event will be Kentucky Derby themed and will include grant presentations, a plated dinner by Flight Deck Bar & Grill, silent and live auctions, and music and dancing.
“From the Heart is a fantastic idea,” Anaya said. “In a sense, it did what RACF does, just a little bit differently. It supports nonprofits. That’s why I feel
it’s on RACF to pick that up and make up that money. That is a lot of money to make up. It’s $90,000 potentially not going back into this community. How is that going to work? I think you’re going to see that impact, especially on those smaller nonprofits. My board and I are solution-based. We’re going to be proactive. That’s where our gala we’re planning came in.”
Funds raised at the Granting Futures Gala will go toward the RACF Endowment Fund, its largest unrestricted fund where most donor dollars go. Anaya hopes those funds will grow and benefit area nonprofits to fill the gap From the Heart left.
Anaya, RACF’s board and volunteers will be putting on the event, which she called “a big undertaking.”
“We don’t want our nonprofits to scramble year to year,” Anaya said. “We want them to know that there’s enough money, and we want to hand that out.
“We know we’re not going to be From the Heart. We want to continue the tradition and legacy. And I think this community really wants to do it,” she said.
Jeff Helfrich
The Rochelle Area Community Foundation provides support to area nonprofits through a competitive grant process yearly. It also works with donors from every walk of life, from small donations to big donations and everything in between.
COMMUNITY MATTERS
Hilliker
Ogle County K-9 unit demonstrates its skills
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit on Sept. 2 demonstrated K-9 Gator and K-9 Saint’s abilities to the Creston Village Board of Trustees.
The K-9 handlers, Deputies Kyle White and Ali VanVickle, thanked the board for a recent donation it made to the sheriff’s office, which was allocated to the K-9 fund, supported solely by donations and self-funding.
The K-9 unit will be making another demonstration at 11:15 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Booster Park in Creston during Creston Booster Days. The demonstration on Sept. 2 was also made to raise awareness of the program’s Ogle County K-9 Fund Bark and Whine Ball that will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at River’s Edge Experience, 103 S. First St. in Oregon.
The event will include live music by The Vodka Boys, food catered by Ralfie’s BBQ, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. Tickets are still available and can be bought at the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, Merlin’s Greenhouse & Flowers and Cork & Tap.
White is K-9 Gator’s handler and VanVickle handles K-9 Saint. Expenses for the K-9 program include food, veterinary bills, training, equipment and future K-9 acquisitions. The program recently bought a third K-9 for a new handler.
The initial cost for a K-9 and its training is about $14,000 to $16,000. Most of the dogs come from Europe. Along with food and vet bills, expenses also include training, which is required for 16 hours a month. VanVickle and
White estimate they do another 20 hours of training on top of that, combined, per month. K-9s cost about $5,000 to $6,000 per year to maintain.
K-9s Saint and Gator are dual-purpose dogs. They can track and find narcotics, as well as track missing people such as a child, an elderly person or a crime suspect. They can search build-
ings, and they are apprehension dogs and are trained to bite when situations call for it. They also can find evidence, such as items that suspects have thrown in a chase situation.
The Sept. 2 demonstration in Creston included commands and bites by K-9s Gator and Saint.
“Due to an increase in calls, we’re
using the dogs for one good call a shift,” VanVickle said. “That has included things like tracking a domestic violence victim because they were scared of the offender, and tracking two people who were intoxicated and injured. There are all kinds of things these dogs can do that we can’t even think about doing.”
Rochelle woman sentenced to probation for injuring nurse
By EARLEEN HINTON Shaw Local News Network correspondent
A Rochelle woman was sentenced to 30 months probation on Wednesday, Sept. 3, for injuring a nurse who was attempting to restrain her during an October 2024 incident.
Priscilla Withrow, 33, was sentenced through a plea agreement after entering a guilty plea to aggravated battery – a Class 3 felony.
Withrow, who appeared in court with
her attorney, Ogle County Assistant Public Defender Eric Morrow, was charged in December 2024 for injuring the nurse on Oct. 15, 2024.
Ogle County Assistant State’s Attorney Melissa Voss told the court that Withrow tried to bite a nurse at the Rochelle Hospital when medical staff were trying to restrain her.
“While they were trying to hold the defendant [Withrow], she bit a nurse on the hand or arm and broke the skin,” Voss told Associate Judge Anthony Peska.
Voss said Withrow’s criminal history included possession of a controlled substance, criminal trespass and theft.
“Is there anything you’d like to say?” Peska asked Withrow.
“No, your honor,” Withrow replied.
In addition to basic conditions of probation, Withrow must not consume or possess alcohol or be present in an establishment where the primary purpose is the sale or consumption of alcohol.
Withrow was also ordered to submit to random drug testing and breathalyzer
tests as ordered by the probation department. And she must cooperate with and satisfactorily complete any mental health and substance abuse treatments as ordered.
Peska also ordered Withrow to pay $825 in fees and costs, starting Oct. 27, with monthly payments of $75.
An additional 2024 aggravated battery charge was dismissed as part of Withrow’s plea agreement.
“Stay out of trouble,” Peska told Withrow.
Jeff Helfrich
Ogle County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Saint, Deputy Kyle White (center) and Deputy Ali VanVickle put on a demonstration for the Creston Village Board on Sept. 2.
Kunes Auto Group closes Oregon location
City of Oregon estimates business was its largest sales tax generator
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
Kunes Auto Group has closed its Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram location at 601 Gale St. in Oregon after more than 10 years, effective Sept. 1. Closed signs were put up at the dealership Sept. 4.
“Customers are being welcomed at our nearby dealerships, where all service and warranty needs will continue to be supported,” according to a news release announcing the closing. “All Oregon employees were offered opportunities at other Kunes locations, and many have chosen to continue with the company. We are grateful to the Oregon community for their loyalty and look forward to continuing to serve the region through our nearby stores.”
Oregon City Manager Darin DeHaan
Signs informing the public about the closure of the Kunes’ auto dealership in Oregon, 601 Gale St., were placed on showroom windows on Thursday, Sept. 4. Employees were notified on Friday, Aug. 29. Customers are being directed to Kunes’ dealerships in Sterling and Sycamore.
said Tuesday that he was aware of the closure, and the city had concerns about the effects. The Kunes dealership is estimated to be the city’s largest sales tax generator.
“We estimate $50,000 to $70,000 worth of sales tax was coming in from that business per year,” DeHaan said. “Sales tax revenue goes into our general fund and helps to fund pretty much everything at the city, from employee pay
and benefits to programs we run to office supplies. The other impacts are having a local dealership like that for sales and service for residents, and to bring people in, and a piece of real estate like that sitting empty.”
DeHaan said the city hopes to see another car dealership come in to fill the 601 Gale St. space, which he called “a great building and location.” Oregon does not have another car dealership of
Kunes’ size in town.
“We’ll put our heads together on how we can help to get it taken over by another business,” DeHaan said. “We’ve already talked about how the building could possibly be marketed for other uses if that comes to pass. Having something like that dealership here is a big deal for the city. People could get their cars serviced locally, and it brought in people from out of town. Having a car dealership is a huge economic and quality-of-life benefit.”
Kunes Auto Group bought the Oregon location in 2015. It was previously owned by Pete Harkness Auto Group and Brian Bemis Auto Mall shortly before that.
Kunes Auto Group is based in Delavan, Wisconsin. Its website lists Illinois locations of Sycamore, Sterling, Morrison, Belvidere, Woodstock, Beloit, Quincy and Macomb; Wisconsin locations in Delavan, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Milwaukee, Madison, Platteville and Stoughton; and Quad-City locations in Davenport, East Moline and Galesburg.
Earleen Hinton
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.
Rail safety improvements approved for Ogle County
The Illinois Commerce Commission approved funds Sept. 4 to install automatic warning devices and highway approach improvements at the Blackwood Road highway-rail crossing near Davis Junction, in Ogle County.
The total estimated cost of the signal design and construction is $564,833; the Grade Crossing Protection Fund will be used to pay 95% of the signal’s costs, not to exceed $536,620. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad will pay the remaining 5% of the design and installation costs, along with all future maintenance costs related to the signals and circuitry. The total estimated cost for the highway
OBITUARY
RICHARD SCHUTTE
Richard Schutte, age 96, passed away on Monday, September 8, 2025, at the Serenity Hospice Home. Funeral arrangements are pending at the Unger Horner Funeral Home, 400 N 6th St, Rochelle, IL 61068. Guest book at www.UngerHorner.com.
approach rehabilitation design and construction is $96,220 – 100% of which will be covered by the GCPF. The Scott Township Road District will be responsible for any future highway approach maintenance.
All required signal work is to be completed within 18 months of the ICC’s order. More information on Stipulated Agreement 2367 can be found in Docket T25-0070.
2nd installment of Ogle County property taxes due Sept. 12
Ogle County collector Tiffany O’Brien is reminding property owners that the second installment of their property tax bill is due Friday, Sept. 12.
Payment methods include cash, check (payable to Ogle County Collector) or credit card. In-person payments can be made at the Treasurer’s Office located in the old courthouse at 105 S. Fifth St. in Oregon or at any bank in Ogle County.
Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The mailing address is Ogle County Collector, P.O. Box 40, Oregon, IL 61061. Mailed payments must be postmarked by the due date to be considered timely. Late payments will incur a fee of 1.5% per month or part of a month after the due date.
O’Brien’s office is also offering the option of online payments. Visit oglecountyil.gov and select the treasurer’s department. Choose the “Online Tax Payments” link, and click the “Pay Now” button. Fill in the information as prompted. Be sure to receive a payment confirmation for your records. This service carries a fee; review the convenience fees before making a payment.
– Shaw Local News Network
Hands-on discovery awaits at NIU STEM Fest
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
STEM Fest 2025 is Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This free family festival takes place in the heart of Northern Illinois University’s DeKalb campus, in MLK Commons, the Holmes Student Center, Founders Memorial Library and Swen Parson Hall.
It features more than 100 exhibits, speakers and demonstrations designed to engage guests of all ages in the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Details at go.niu.edu/ stemfest.
This year, NIU’s Founders Memorial Library houses several exhibitions.
One of these is the BookLab, on the fourth floor of Founders Library. This collaboration between the NIU Libraries and the NIU Department of English is a hands-on space dedicated to exploring the history, technology and future of books. It houses a remarkable, working replica Common Press – the same type of printing press developed by Gutenberg in the mid-1400s and used through the era of Benjamin Franklin.
STEM Fest visitors will get to see the Common Press, explore the historical lead type and learn how the press works. They’ll also experience hands-on printing-related activities.
“The BookLab is an exploration of the past, present and future of writing,” says Professor Nicole Clifton of the NIU Department of English, one of the BookLab organizers. “How did writing happen before computers or phones? Even though the printing press is different from our current digital technology, you can see how typesetting from several hundred years ago still influences our digital books and word processing today, and even the words we use to talk about fonts and manuscript design.”
After experiencing the BookLab on the library’s fourth floor, visitors can head to the lower level to explore the modern technologies on display in the 71 North Partnership Studio, which is part of NIU’s Office of Innovation.
There, visitors will see demonstrations of virtual reality technologies developed by NIU students, experience educational video games, and learn how methods ranging from VR to comic strips can be used to communicate complex ideas clearly.
NIU assistant director for innovation ecosystem development Federico Bassetti is eager to welcome visitors
on Sept. 20.
“We’re hosting a range of different hands-on activities that show how technologies from writing to video games to virtual reality technology help people communicate,” he said in a news release.
“Students from our NIU Innovation Club, Burmese Student Group, Indie Game Developers and other student organizations will share their interests
and expertise.”
So far, the activities planned for 71 North include:
• The Burmese Student Group will teach STEM Fest visitors to write Burmese characters.
• NIU alumnus J.A. Allen (Ed.D. in instructional technology) will demonstrate how his cartoon-based learning model helps to communicate complex
ideas clearly.
• Visitors can try out “air drawing” technology to see how their hand motions in the air get picked up as writing or drawing on a video screen.
• Visitors can experience an educational web game applying math concepts to problem-solving and critical thinking.
• NIU Huskieverse students will demonstrate different applications of virtual reality simulations they’ve developed as class projects.
Founders Memorial Library is only one of the many spaces on central campus that will welcome community members from across the region on Sept. 20. Other highlights include the weather balloon launch on MLK Commons, the chance to drive robots built by high school and college students, and building electrical circuits.
Meta, STEM Fest’s premiere sponsor, will again bring the “Be Pro Be Proud” mobile workshop. It features virtual reality simulations of a range of skilled trades, such as welding, plumbing and robotics.
Visit the STEM Fest website (go.niu. edu/stemfest) for a full list of exhibitors and stage schedules. New exhibits are being added regularly.
Photos provided by Northern Illinois University
STEM Fest visitors use the BookBeetle printing press to make their own prints.
The 71 North Partnership Studio offers space to showcase the educational potential of VR and video game technologies.
Flagg Township Museum hosts ‘Cut the Square’
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
Relive those high school days when “cutting the square” was the way to cruise the loop and check out the people and the cars.
Remember those days when you got in your car and “cut the square” with your friends up, down and around Lincoln Highway, Seventh Street, Illinois Route 38, and Lincoln Avenue? Relive those days of bobby socks or bell bottoms on Friday, Sept. 12, from 4 to 8 p.m., starting at the Flagg Township Museum in Rochelle.
Hub City Motor Club will have cars on display at the museum as part of the event and will also be cruising around town, checking out who’s out and about, “cutting the square.”
At the museum, be sure to check out the food trucks and the music by DJ Kelly Millburn, courtesy of the city of Rochelle. Grab that poodle skirt and bop around the parking lot, or take your photo with Rochelle native and actor Joan Allen – our cardboard cutout – play a game of checkers, try a Hula Hoop or check out the Truman Kester camera collection, “Connecting Through a Lens,” in the Cabinet of Curiosities in the museum.
The mission of the Flagg Township Historical Society and Museum is to stimulate interest in Flagg Township history through education, research, collection and preservation of information for the benefit of the public of today and in the future.
Shaw Local News Network file photo
The Flagg Township Museum will host “Cut the Square” from 4 to 8 p.m. Sept. 12.
Ogle County 4-H Fair General Projects winners
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
Ogle County 4-H Fair General Projects winners were recently named. Winners are as follows:
Aerospace - Top of Class Model Rocketry Exhibit: Eralynn Wiltfang. Grand Champion Aerospace Exhibit: Eralynn Wiltfang.
Animal Science – Top of Class Beef Study Exhibit (three or more years) Luke Gehrke. Top of Class Cat Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Lauren Hickman. Top of Class Dog Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Kenzie Hongsermeier. Top of Class Dog Study Exhibit (three or more years): Anne Kennedy. Top of Class Guinea Pig Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Chloe Felda. Top of Class Horse & Pony Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Kenzie Hongsermeier. Top of Class Horse & Pony Study Exhibit (three or more years): Sawyer Stockton. Top of Llama/ Alpaca Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Elizabeth Kennedy. Top of Class Poultry Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Kaden Lingbeck. Top of Class Poultry Study Exhibit (three or more years): Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Rabbit Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Aubrey Kusnierz. Top of Class Rabbit Study Exhibit (three or more years): Landyn Day. Top of Class Sheep Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Nolan Adams. Top of Class Small Pets Study Exhibit (1-2 years): Leo Koziol. Grand Champion Animal Science Exhibit: Anne Kennedy. Reserve Grand Champion Animal Science Exhibit: Lauren Hickman.
Babysitting – Top of Class Babysitting Display: Briannah West. Grand Champion Babysitting Exhibit: Briannah West. Reserve Grand Champion Babysitting Exhibit: Tylar Groth. Civic Engagement – Top of Class Civic Engagement I Exhibit: Hayden Capes.
Club Projects – Top of Class Community Service: Service Learning Club Exhibit: My Hometown is Cool. Computer Science – Top of Class Advanced Visual Programming Exhibit: David Wehler. Grand Champion Computer Science Exhibit: David Wehler. Consumer Education – Top of Class My Financial Future – Advanced Exhibit: Anna Marquardt.
Creative Writing – Top of Class Creative Writing Exhibit: Adelaide Zimmerman. Top of Class Poetry Exhibit: Adelaide Zimmerman. Grand Champion
Creative Writing Exhibit: Adelaide Zimmerman. Reserve Grand Champion Cre-
Harbaugh. Top of Class Floriculture B Exhibit: Ellie Schier. Top of Class Floriculture C Exhibit: Lauren Hickman. Top of Class Floriculture D Exhibit: Emily Harbaugh. Top of Class Floriculture Display: Shelby Harbaugh. Grand Champion Horticulture: Floriculture Exhibit: Shelby Harbaugh. Reserve Grand Champion Horticulture: Floriculture Exhibit: Ellie Schier.
Horticulture: Vegetable, Herbs, & Fruits – Top of Class Herb Container Display Exhibit: Zack Newkirk. Top of Class Vegetable/Fruit Display Exhibit: Harper Bruns. Top of Class Vegetable Plates Exhibit: Keandria Marceau. Top of Class Fruit Plates Exhibit: Tessa Bruns. Top of Class Most Unusual or Odd Shaped Vegetable or Fruit Exhibit: Alyse Rogers. Top of Class Decorated Vegetable or Fruit Exhibit: Alyse Rogers. Grand Champion Horticulture: Vegetables, Herbs & Fruits Exhibit: Harper Bruns. Reserve Grand Champion Horticulture: Vegetables, Herbs & Fruits Exhibit: Zack Newkirk.
Intercultural – Top of Class Passport to the World Exhibit: Kodi Hubbard. Grand Champion Intercultural Exhibit: Kodi Hubbard.
Interior Design – Top of Class Interior Design Innovation Exhibit: Lauren Hickman. Grand Champion Interior Design Exhibit: Lauren Hickman.
Nature: Natural Resources & Outdoor Adventures – Top of Class Outdoor Adventures 1-3 Exhibit: Anna Herring. Grand Champion Nature: Natural Resources & Outdoor Adventures Exhibit: Anna Herring.
ative Writing Exhibit: David Wehler. Crops – Top of Class Soybeans Exhibit: Nolan Adams. Top of Class Corn Exhibit: Cooper Alderks. Top of Class Small Grains Exhibit: Cooper Alderks. Grand Champion Crops Exhibit: Cooper Alderks. Reserve Grand Champion Crops Exhibit: Nolan Adams. Electricity – Top of Class Electricity I Exhibit: Julia Herring. Grand Champion Electricity Exhibit: Julia Herring. Reserve Grand Champion Electricity Exhibit: Declan Franks.
Entomology – Top of Class Entomology I Exhibit: Nicolette Koziol. Grand Champion Entomology Exhibit: Nicolette Koziol.
Exploratory – Top of Class Collectables Exhibit: Anna Marquardt. Grand Champion Exploratory Exhibit: Anna Marquardt. Reserve Grand Champion
Exploratory Exhibit: Harmony Coy. Family Heritage – Champion Family Heritage Exhibit: Stellina Lombardozzi. Reserve Champion Family Heritage Exhibit: Addison Yordy.
Geology – Top of Class Geology Pebble Pups II Exhibit: Colton Gehrke. Grand Champion Geology Exhibit: Colton Gehrke. Reserve Grand Champion Geology Exhibit: Luke Rasmussen.
Health – Top of Class Everyday Food and Fitness Exhibit: Lydia Sherburne. Top of Class Sports Nutrition: Ready, Set, Go Exhibit: Lydia Sherburne. Top of Class Health Innovation Class Exhibit: Lydia Sherburne. Grand Champion Health Exhibit: Lydia Sherburne. Reserve Grand Champion Health Exhibit: Lydia Sherburne.
Horticulture: Floriculture – Top of Class Floriculture A Exhibit: Shelby
Nature: Fishing & Wildlife: Top of Class Sportsfishing I Exhibit: Luke Gehrke. Top of Class Wildlife Level I Exhibit: Jack Nicoloff. Top of Class Wildlife Level II Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Top of Class Wildlife Level III Exhibit: Anne Kennedy. Grand Champion Nature: Fishing & Wildlife Exhibit: Anne Kennedy. Reserve Grand Champion Nature: Fishing & Wildlife Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy.
Photography - Top of Class Photography 1 Exhibit: Isaiah Braffett. Top of Class Photography 2 Exhibit:Haven Marks. Top of Class Photo Editing Exhibit: Alayna Doane. Grand Champion Photography Exhibit: Haven Marks. Reserve Grand Champion Photography Exhibit: Isaiah Braffett.
Plant & Soils - Top of Class Plants & Soils I Exhibit: Hunter Kremske. Grand
Photo provided by Ogle County Extension
Anne Kennedy is shown with her Champion Leather project.
Property to be officially acquired from landfill
By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com
The Creston Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved an agreement with the Rochelle Landfill, under which the village will acquire 111.3 acres of land to be designated as farmland and leased out.
The village has been in negotiations for 31/2 years on the land deal, which stems from an agreement that Creston, the Rochelle Landfill and City of Rochelle came to back in 2021 that would result in the closing of the Rochelle Landfill by or on Dec. 31, 2040.
Village Attorney Dave Tess said the land deal will become official within 30 days of the approval by the village and
landfill. The land will be changed as part of the deal, including the removal and addition of a road for clearer farming, removal of trees and fencing, and the potential removal of the berm. The landfill has been giving the village farm lease revenue during the negotiations. Creston has additional farmland in the area that it leases out.
Tess said the land deal will see no purchase amount for the village, but the lengthy negotiation will cost the village around $20,000 in attorney’s fees.
“This is a culmination of three years of trying to get this done and get as much ground as we can and just get it put into a position where we can farm it and let our farmer do the work,” Tess said.
Street lights
The board unanimously approved the purchase of eight new streetlights for the Creston Commons subdivision, which has been the site of new home construction recently. Each of the
streetlights costs $1,192. There are 19 streetlights in the subdivision area, and six are currently out.
The village has an agreement with Rochelle Municipal Utilities to take care of its streetlights, but parts are no longer sold for the 20-year-old streetlights in the subdivision. RMU will purchase the streetlights for the village and install them. The new units are LED models and the same ones the City of Rochelle has been installing. Other infrastructure work in the growing subdivision has and will include sidewalks, signage and parks.
Storm sewer
Village Engineer Kevin Bunge said during the meeting that Creston’s ongoing storm sewer project has seen all pipes installed in the ground and structures nearly completed. Cleanup and ground restoration work will take place next.
Back in June, the board approved a $290,734.80 bid for Martin & Company
Excavating to do the work to improve drainage in Creston.
Engineering
During his engineering update, Bunge said ongoing work includes preparing for a sidewalk replacement project at Village Hall and on South Grove Street. The village is also preparing for a water main project to attempt to alleviate rust issues in Creston’s water. Bunge is also seeking an electrical contractor to move forward with a project that would see a mixer installed in the village’s water tower to help with rust issues as well.
Fireworks
The board unanimously approved a contribution of $3,500 toward the Creston Booster Days fireworks this year. The festival will take place Sept. 13-14 at Booster Park in Creston and will include rides, games, bingo, tractor pulls, bands, a parade, a kitchen, a beer garden, a pancake breakfast, an auction, fireworks and a 50/50 raffle.
Champion Plants & Soils Exhibit: Hunter Kremske.
Shooting Sports – Top of Class Shooting Sports: Archery Display Exhibit: Emma Zimmerman. Grand Champion Shooting Sports Exhibit: Emma Zimmerman.
Theatre Arts – Top of Class Theatre Arts I Exhibit: Sophia Stein. Top of Class Theatre Arts III Exhibit: Joshua Snow. Grand Champion Theatre Arts Exhibit: Sophia Stein. Reserve Grand Champion Theatre Arts Exhibit: Isaiah Braffett.
Tractor – Top of Class Tractor A Exhibit: Jase Truckenbrod. Top of Class Tractor D Exhibit: Cora Herring. Grand Champion Tractor Exhibit: Cora Herring. Reserve Grand Champion Tractor Exhibit: Jase Truckenbrod.
Veterinary Science – Top of Class Veterinary Science 1 Exhibit: Lauen Hickman. Top of Class Veterinary Science 2 Exhibit: Addison Yordy. Grand Champion Veterinary Science Exhibit: Lauren Hickman. Reserve Grand Champion Veterinary Science Exhibit: Bella Hammond.
Visual Arts – Top of Class Chalk/ Carbon/Pigment Division A: Canvas: Allissa Martin. Top of Class Chalk/ Carbon/Pigment Division B: Paper: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Chalk/ Carbon/Pigment Division C: Glass, Wood, Metal, Textiles: Immanuel Arellano. Top of Class Chalk/Carbon/Pigment–Non-Original Exhibit: Anna Marquardt. Grand Champion Chalk/ Carbon/Pigment Exhibit: Anna Marquardt. Reserve Grand Champion Chalk/Carbon/Pigment Exhibit: Allissa Martin. Top of Class Clay Exhibit: Kailee Miller. Top of Class Clay–Non-Original Exhibit: Briannah West. Grand Champion Clay Exhibit: Kailee Miller. Reserve Grand Champion Clay Exhibit: Allissa Martin. Top of Class Computer Generated Art Exhibit: Allissa Martin. Top of Class Computer Generated Art – Graphic Design Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Grand Champion Computer Generated Art Exhibit: Allissa Martin. Reserve Grand Champion Computer Generated Art Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Top of Class Fiber Exhibit: Adelaide Zimmerman. Grand Champion Fiber Exhibit: Adelaide Zimmerman. Reserve Grand Champion Fiber Exhibit: Kinsley Ryia. Top of Class Glass Exhibit: Kaitlyn Adams. Top of
Class Plastic Block Art Exhibit: Kasen Bocker: Grand Champion Glass/Plastic Exhibit: Kaitlyn Adams. Reserve Grand Champion Glass/Plastic Exhibit: Addison Yordy. Champion Heritage Arts Exhibit: Brooke Hammond. Reserve Champion Heritage Arts Exhibit: Adelaide Zimmerman. Champion Leather Exhibit: Anne Kennedy. Reserve Champion Leather Exhibit: Emily Harbaugh. Top of Class Metal Exhibit: Isaiah Akins. Grand Champion Metal Exhibit: Isaiah Akins. Reserve Grand Champion Metal Exhibit: Carson Conderman. Top of Class Nature Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Grand Champion Nature Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Reserve Grand Champion Nature Exhibit: Bethany Akins. Top of Class Paper 3D Art Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Top of Class Paper–Non-Original Exhibit: Anna Marquardt. Grand Champion Paper Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Reserve Grand Champion Paper Exhibit: Bethany Akins. Top of Class Scrapbooking, Beginning Level Exhibit: Nolan Adams. Top of Class Scrapbooking, Advanced Level Exhibit: Kaitlyn Adams. Grand Champion Scrapbooking Exhibit: Kaitlyn Adams. Reserve Grand Champion Scrapbooking Exhibit: Nolan Adams.
Top of Class Three-Dimensional Design/Mixed Media Exhibit: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Three-Dimensional Design/Mixed Media Exhibit –Diorama: Lauren Hickman. Champion Three-Dimensional Design/Mixed Media Exhibit: Anna Marquardt. Reserve Champion Three-Dimensional Design/Mixed Media Exhibit: Lauren Hickman. Top of Class Wood Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Grand Champion Wood Exhibit: Elizabeth Kennedy. Reserve Grand Champion Wood Exhibit: Lyla Rittmeyer.
Weather – Top of Class Weather & Climate Science I Exhibit: Shelby Harbaugh. Grand Champion Weather & Climate Science Exhibit: Shelby Harbaugh. Reserve Grand Champion Weather & Climate Science Exhibit: Josie Hammond.
Welding – Grand Champion Welding Exhibit: Kate Costello. Reserve Grand Champion Welding Exhibit: Owen Smardo.
Woodworking – Top of Class Woodworking I Exhibit: James Runte. Top of Class Woodworking II Exhibit: Dawson Mickley. Top of Class Woodworking IV Exhibit: Ella Beran. Grand Champion Woodworking Exhibit: Ella Beran. Reserve Grand Champion Woodworking Exhibit: Elijah Lotz.
• Care provided by the entire hospice team: physician, nurse, social worker, certified nursing assistant, chaplain, dietitian, pharmacist, and volunteers.
• Care is individualized and based on the patient’s and family’s goals of comfort and quality of life.
• Supplies, equipment and medications.
• Service where the patient resides.
• Specialize in pain & symptom management.
• Spiritual enrichment and bereavement counseling.
• Ancillary Therapies: Music, Physical/ Occupational, Speech, Massage, Pet, etc.
• Ability to provide education to caregivers and family members.
• On-call nurse available 24/7.
• Assistance with advance directives and community support.
• Provide Education to those we care for
• Volunteers providing special attention and stimulation.
Ogle County 4-H Fair Poultry Show winners
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK
contact@shawmedia.com
Ogle County 4-H Fair Poultry Show winners were recently named. Winners are as follows: Champion Junior Showmanship: Kodi Hubbard. Champion Intermediate Showmanship: Jenna Heller. Champion Senior Showmanship: Kailee Miller. Large Fowl Classes – Top of Class American Hen: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class American Cock: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class American Pullet: Kaden Lingbeck. Top of Call American Cockerel: Kailee Miller. Grand Champion American: Kodi Hubbard. Reserve Grand Champion American: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class Asiatic Hen: Jenna Heller. Top of Class Asiatic Cock: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Asiatic Pullet: Jenna Heller. Top of Class Asiatic Cockerel: Luke Rasmussen. Grand Champion Asiatic: Luke Rasmussen. Reserve Grand Champion Asiatic: Jenna Heller. Top of Class English Hen: Kate Costello. Top of Class English Pullet: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class English Cockerel:
Kodi Hubbard. Grand Champion English: Kate Costello. Reserve Grand Champion English: Kaden Lingbeck. Top of Class Mediterranean Hen: Kate Costello. Top of Class Mediterranean Pullet: Kaden Lingbeck. Grand Champion Mediterranean: Kaden Lingbeck. Reserve Grand Champion Mediterranean: Kailee Miller. Top of Class Continental Cock: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Continental Pullet: Kailee Miller. Top of Class Continental Cockerel: Luke Rasmussen. Grand Champion Continental: Kailee Miller. Reserve Grand Champion Continental: Luke Rasmussen. Top of Class Other Standard Breeds Hen: Isaac Williams. Top of Class Other Standard Breeds Pullet: Kailee Miller. Top of Class Other Standard Breeds Cockerel: Isaac Williams. Grand Champion Other Standard Breeds: Kailee Miller. Reserve Grand Champion Other Standard Breeds: Isaac Williams.
Bantam Classes – Top of Class All Other Bantam Cock: Isaac Williams.
Photo provided by Ogle County Extension
Kaden Lingbeck conferences with the judge during the 4-H Poultry Show.
Members of the Amboy High School Class of 2014 present a check to Courtney Walz, Kishwaukee College director of development, in support of the Kishwaukee College Foundation’s Mathew J. Rood Diesel Power Technology Scholarship.
Amboy Class of ’14 supports Kish Foundation Scholarship
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
The Amboy High School Class of 2014 recently supported the Kishwaukee College Foundation’s Mathew J. Rood Diesel Power Technology Scholarship after collecting donations at its class reunion.
Classmates took up a collection in memory of their classmate, Mathew Rood, to support the scholarship in his name. The scholarship was established by Matt’s father, Pete Rood, to honor his son’s memory and help future students. Pete Rood said the class’s gift moved him.
“It just shows there are still good young people out there,” he said.
The Mathew J. Rood DPT Scholarship is one of 115 scholarship funds at Kishwaukee College, which holds $10.2 million in assets. Last year, these funds provided $585,671 in scholarships to support students paying for their education. Through donor generosity, the Foundation’s funds support scholarships, programs and the Kish campus community.
To start or contribute to a fund, contact Kishwaukee College Foundation staff at foundation@kish.edu or 815-8259803, or visit kish.edu/foundation.
Photo provided by Kishwaukee College
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.
Sangamon County courts toss bill-reading suit
I’m coming a bit late to this (national current events having overtaken everything), but a lawsuit filed by House and Senate Republicans was recently tossed out by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Jack Davis II. The suit sought to strike down a new law backed by trial lawyers (Senate Bill 328). The Republicans say they will appeal.
The Republican lawsuit claimed that the majority Democrats had violated the Illinois Constitution’s “three readings rule.” The titles of bills are required to be read aloud on three separate session days in each chamber. In the state’s early days, the entire bills had to be read aloud apparently because so many legislators were illiterate.
Often, however, bills that have already passed one chamber are gutted and replaced with amendments by different legislation, usually after the bills have been moved in the second chamber to Third Reading. The final bills can then be passed by both chambers in a single day without committee hearings because their titles had already been read three times in each body. And as long as both legislative leaders certify that the bills complied with procedural requirements, known as the “Enrolled Bill Doctrine,” the legislation is considered constitutionally passed.
“This special interest proposal was passed by the Democratic Majority using a shady process that clearly violates the substance and spirit of the Illinois Constitution,” Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran said when he and others filed the suit in June.
The Republicans noted in their lawsuit that even though the Illinois Supreme Court had shot down other lawsuits attempting to kill legislation based on alleged violations of the Enrolled Bill Doctrine, justices on the state’s top court had sternly warned the legislature in 1992 that their judicial patience was wearing thin: “[T]he General Assembly has shown remarkably poor self-discipline in policing itself,” the court said at the time. “Indeed, both parties agree that ignoring the three-readings requirement has become a procedural regularity.”
But Judge Davis countered that the Supreme Court has since addressed three readings challenges “on several occasions and has, without exception, followed the enrolled bill rule.” All appel-
late courts have also done the same, he wrote. Davis said he was therefore bound by precedent.
The judge also ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue because the legislation, allowing out of state businesses to now be sued for “exposure to a substance defined as toxic,” can “never affect plaintiffs.”
Earlier last month, Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Adam Giganti used the exact same enrolled bill doctrine history cited by Judge Davis to throw out a lawsuit filed by several members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus against the new state budget.
Judge Giganti also ruled that because people involved in actually implementing the budget were not included as defendants in the lawsuit – including the governor, the comptroller, the treasurer and the Illinois Department of Revenue Director – then that required dismissal as well under Section 2-615 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Aside from the obvious press pops that the lawsuits have already attracted and will continue to receive, the object here is to eventually get these lawsuits in front of the Illinois Supreme Court to see if they can persuade the justices to finally follow through on their 33-year-old warning.
A 2003 Supreme Court ruling refer-
enced its own 1992 “remarkably poor self-discipline in policing itself” comment in a new case involving a similar constitutional challenge. However, the top court noted that the record of alleged violations had not been “sufficiently developed to support or contradict this claim” of a violation.
“Nevertheless,” the opinion continued, “because this court is ever mindful of its duty to enforce the constitution of this state, we take the opportunity to urge the legislature to follow the three-readings rule. While separation of powers concerns militate in favor of the enrolled-bill doctrine, our responsibility to ensure obedience to the constitution remains an equally important concern.”
So, as I told my blog readers when the Republican lawsuit was filed, “the Republicans are likely hoping that if they keep bringing these cases to the court’s attention, the Supremes will eventually decide that the record has been ‘sufficiently developed’ to support their claim.”
But it’s highly doubtful, to say the least, that the 5-2 Democratic majority will accede to the Republicans’ wishes even then.
Headline numbers an invitation to explore methodology and spin
Numbers tell a story, but rarely without help.
The latest eye-catching figure was $1.6 million per day – the estimated cost to taxpayers for a National Guard deployment in Chicago.
Perhaps you first encountered that number on social media, stated as fact, or balanced against how else such a sum could be spent to improve the city. Maybe you moved along – that’s mostly what I do – but this data point provided an excellent opportunity to dig past what friends posted in search of source material.
Enter the Chicago Sun-Times, which headlined that number in a Friday report, but began to introduce useful context: The dollar amount is an estimate, based on expenses from past actual deployments as well as on a guess of 3,000 troops, another guess.
The source is the National Priorities Project, which the paper identified first as a nonpartisan federal budget research organization. I’m often guilty of seeing the word “federal” and making that a synonym for “government,” but in this case, it just describes the scope of NPP’s work, so it was helpful to see it also identified as falling under the “progressive” Institute for Policy Studies, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization.
And to the credit of both the Project and the newspaper, there’s no obfuscation: In addition to guessing at the deploy-
ment size, the $530 per diem expense also is an estimate. That’s the rate the Project used when trying to calculate the cost of a 2020 deployment in Washington, D.C. So, on top of inflation, it’s also important to factor in the pay rate of the actual members clued into duty and if the feds pay for their housing during deployment.
It takes an awful lot of screen taps to get to that information from your average Instagram story slide, and that’s only if there’s a link in the first place. (And, not for nothing, at least in my feeds, it’s fewer clicks to find someone appalled by the baseline number as well as someone else asserting “this is exactly what I voted for in November.”)
Of more concern than the potential expense is the likelihood that if such a deployment occurs, we’ll probably never have a good handle on the actual cost,
which severely limits an assessment of potential benefits.
And it’s not just hot-button political issues that raise questions: Capitol News Illinois recently analyzed Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity numbers showing the NASCAR “Chicago Street Race had a $128 million economic impact in 2024, according to state contracts,” which is the kind of story that helps persuade lawmakers to keep allocating tourism dollars, but also requires educated guesswork.
Research always bests reactivity: You’ll never go wrong moving past spin to track down original information.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state governmentissuesforShawLocalNews Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
Rich Miller VIEWS
Scott T. Holland
Erosion from wind and water robs nation’s farms of billions of tons of soil
COMMUNITY VOICES
Henry Tideman
During early European and American exploration of the American and Canadian prairies (semi-arid), this region was thought unsuitable for European-style agriculture.
The beginning of the 20th century’s return of unusually wet weather seemingly confirmed previously held opinion that “formerly” semiarid areas could support large-scale agriculture. During the decades previous to 1932, farmers conducted extensive deep plowing of virgin prairie-flowering topsoil; this cut and exposed roots of native prairie plants that normally trapped soil and moisture, even during periods of drought and high winds, and laid the soil bare.
Rapid mechanization of farm equipment, especially small gasoline tractors, and widespread use of combine-harvesters contributed to farmers’ decisions to convert arid grassland to cultivated crop-land.
But in 1930, drought returned. During the 1930s, unanchored soil turned to dust, which prevailing winds blew away in huge clouds that sometimes blackened the sky. These choking billows of dust (occasionally with visibility less than 3 feet), named “black blizzards” or “black rollers”, traveled cross-country, reaching as far as the East Coast and striking such cities as New York City and Washington, D.C.
Dust was noticed in Western Europe (in the Northern Hemisphere predominant wind is west to east). Animals and people died of “dust pneumonia.” Dust was pervasive; ceilings of houses collapsed from the weight of dust in attics. Farmers were reluctant to leave because everything they had was invested in their farms.
Some did leave, taking with them what they could: their lives. Between 1930 and 1940, about 3.5 million people moved out of the Plains states. Dust storms of intensity lasted from about
1932-40. One estimate of the mass of topsoil removed was 1.2 billion tons (1,200 times the mass of the world’s largest warship, Gerald R. Ford).
On May 1, 2023, multiple crashes occurred on Interstate 55 near the Sangamon/Montgomery County line due to blowing dust, reducing visibility to near zero. Illinois State Police reported 72 vehicles involved. There were seven fatalities and 37 people were injured. Dust originated from freshly tilled and planted farm fields. Apparently, no-till practice was not used.
On May 16, 2025, a dust storm developed in central Illinois near Bloomington and Champaign and raced northeastward into the Chicago metropolitan area. The storm was caused by strong winds that picked up dust as they swept across dry farmland, which quickly amassed into an expansive dust plume. Visibility dropped to near zero.
Researchers believe that the corn and soybean rotation that dominates Midwestern farming is at least partially to blame – replacing the grasses that gave the Prairie State its nickname with crop rotations that don’t hold the soil in place, and a steady stream of fertilizers and pesticides doesn’t help.
(Capitol News Illinois, Sept. 5, 2025)
Erosion from wind and water annually robs our nation’s farms of billions of tons of soil. U.S. farms are currently losing twice as much topsoil to erosion per year as the Great Plains lost in a typical year at the height of the 1930s Dust Bowl.
When soil is left bare and becomes damaged and depleted – dry, compacted, and low in organic matter, then wind and water can more easily displace it. Results can be catastrophic, as the Great Plains region of the central U.S. discovered in the 1930s. But even small changes year after year can gradually cause big problems.
Erosion remains a serious long-term threat, as wind and water continue to carry off soil faster than it can be regenerated. Soil loss continues at a rate that threatens farm legacies. These erosion rates are one of the reasons why, from
Continued from page 20
1982 to 2015, the area of prime farmland as defined by the National Resource Conservation Service shrank by 25.8 million acres – that’s roughly the size of the state of Ohio. Cumulative average soil loss on U.S. cropland by 2100 could range anywhere from about 2.5 inches to over 5 inches.
Healthy soils not only make farms more climate-resilient, but they can also help keep costs for farmers and taxpayers down in multiple ways. The need for costly nitrogen fertilizer is reduced, both because healthy soil is richer in nutrients to begin with and because improved water retention means less fertilizer lost to runoff. Less fertilizer runoff means less water pollution, which reduces cleanup costs for public water supplies and recreation areas downstream from farm areas.
Less runoff means a reduction in algae blooms that annually turn huge areas of waterways like the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay into “dead zones,” seriously damaging fisheries.
• Henry Tideman is a resident of Oregon.
Continued from page 17
Top of Class All Other Bantam Cockerel: Kaden Lingbeck. Grand Champion All Other Bantam: Kaden Lingbeck. Reserve Grand Champion All Other Bantam: Isaac Williams. Top of Class Feather Legged Bantam Hen: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class Feather Legged Bantam Cock: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class Feather Legged Bantam Pullet: Kailee Miller. Top of Class Feather Legged Bantam Cockerel: Kailee Miller. Grand Champion Feather Legged Bantam: Kodi Hubbard. Reserve Grand Champion Feather Legged Bantam: Kailee Miller.
Egg Production & Meat Pen Classes – Top of Class Production/ Commercial/Hybrid Female: Kaden Lingbeck. Grand Champion Production Pen: Kaden Lingbeck. Reserve Grand Champion Production Pen: Jenna Heller. Top of Class Roaster Market Pen of Three: Jaxon Miller. Grand Champion Meat Pen: Jaxon Miller. Reserve Grand Champion Meat Pen: Julia Herring. Duck Classes – Top of Class Heavy
Weight Old Hen: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Heavy Weight Old Drake: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Heavy Weight Young Hen: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Heavy Weight Young Drake: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Medium Weight Old Hen: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Medium Weight Old Drake: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Medium Weight Young Hen: Kailee Miller. Top of Class Medium Weight Young Drake: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class Light Weight Old Hen: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Light Weight Old Drake: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Light Weight Young Hen: Isaac Williams. Top of Class Light Weight Young Drake: Jaxson Miller. Top of Class Bantam Ducks Old Hen: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class Bantam Ducks Old Drake: Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class Bantam Ducks Young Drake: Kodi Hubbard. Grand Champion Duck: Jaxson Miller. Reserve Grand Champion Duck: Kodi Hubbard. Geese Classes – Top of Class Heavy Weight Young Hen: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Medium Weight Young Hen: Anna Marquardt. Top of Class Light Weight Young Hen: Anna Marquardt.
Grand Champion Goose: Anna Marquardt. Reserve Grand Champion Goose: Anna Marquardt. Turkey Classes – Top of Class Turkey Old Tom: Bella Hammond. Top of Class Turkey Young Hen: Alana Smith. Top of Class Turkey Young Tom: Alana Smith. Grand Champion Turkey: Bella Hammond. Reserve Grand Champion Turkey: Alana Smith. Champion Hatched Pen: Wesley Eckerstrom. Champion Backyard Bird: Delaney Byers. Reserve Champion Backyard Bird: Jenna Heller. Champion Costume Class: Alana Smith. Reserve Champion Costume Class: Julia Herring. Top of Class Brown Chicken Eggs: Wesley Eckerstrom. Top of Class All Other Eggs: Luke Rasmussen. Grand Champion Egg Exhibit: Luke Rasmussen. Reserve Grand Champion Egg Exhibit: Wesley Rasmussen. Top of Class Decorated Eggs (Youth ages 8-11 by Sept. 1, 2024): Kodi Hubbard. Top of Class Decorated Eggs (Youth ages 12-14 by Sept. 1, 2024): Shelby Harbaugh. Grand Champion Decorated Egg Exhibit: Kodi Hubbard. Reserve Grand Champion Decorated Egg Exhibit: Shelby Harbaugh. Best of Show: Kate Costello.
• Mtr Properties LLC to Matthew Emory Mayner, 217 Deer Paint Drive, Dixon, $0.
• Richard D Williams, Deceased By Heir, and Marilyn J Williams, Deceased By Heir, to David Adams and Audrey E Adams, 7601 E. McGregor Road, Byron, $0.
• Kimberly A Himes to Timothy K Oudekerk, 1856 E. Town Line Road, Leaf River, $0.
Deeds in trust
• Joylene K Roberts to Joylene K Roberts, trustee, and Joylene K Roberts Lv Tr, 1917 N Brookville Road, Polo, and one parcel in Buffalo Township, 14-22-100-006, $0.
Trustees deeds
• Alan L Wetzel, trustee, Alan L Wetzel Tr, Anne L Wetzel, trustee, and Anne L Wetzel Tr to Austin D Luepkes, 611 N. Allison Circle, Byron, and 410 N. Mineral St., Byron, $280,000.
• Dennis C Harms, trustee, and Harms Tr2002 to Captains Cabin Inc. and
Captain’s Cabin Inc., four parcels in Marion Township: 10-01-381-008, 10-01-381-009, 10-01-381-014 and 10-01-381-015, $30,000.
• Brett Johnson, trustee, and Dbj Tr693 to Insko Properties LLC, 217 E. Third. St., Byron, $305,000.
• Patrick C O’Brien, trustee, Doreen O’Brien, trustee, and Patrick C & Doreen O’Brien Irrev Tr to Frank Criscione, 420 N. Chestnut St., Byron, $111,000.
• David L Standley, trustee, Elizabeth A Standley, trustee, and David L & Elizabeth A Standley Tr to Andrew Reiter and Doria Reiter, 325 N. Lafayette St., Byron, $0.
• Beverly J Coffman, trustee, and Coffman Tr101 to Beverly J Coffman, trustee, Coffman Residuary Tr101 and Beverly J Coffman Tr, 8178 W. Pines Road, Polo, 2303 S. Lowell Park Road, Polo, and 8178 W. Pines Road, Polo, $0.
• Source: Ogle County Recorder’s Office
SPORTS
PREP FOOTBALL: ROCHELLE 28, KING 18
Dylan Manning’s clutch runs help Rochelle hold off King comeback
Hubs improve to 2-0 with 28-18 win
By MELVIN TATE
Shaw Local News Network correspondent
Coming off an impressive Week 1 victory over Geneseo, the Rochelle football team came to Chicago Saturday afternoon hoping to build upon it.
But after jumping out to a big early lead over King, the Hubs found themselves in a battle in the fourth quarter. However, clutch runs from junior running back/defensive back Dylan Manning led to the score that ultimately allowed Rochelle to hold off the pesky Jaguars 28-18 at Gately Stadium.
“That was a tough game, way different from last week,” said Manning, who ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and added a key two-point conversion late. “We struggled stopping the run.”
Rochelle (2-0) began the scoring on the game’s opening possession as a 40-yard completion from senior quarterback Van Gerber to Cohen Haedt set up Manning for a three-yard touchdown run. Tyler Gensler added two points on a run, giving the Hubs an 8-0 just two minutes into the contest.
Later in the quarter, following an interception by Manning of a Tremaine Ford II pass, Gerber (2-of-5, 52 yards) found Brode Metzger in the right corner of the end zone for a 12-yard score and a 14-0 Rochelle lead after 12 minutes. Gerber later left the game with an unspecified injury.
When Manning went in from a yard out with eight minutes left in the first half, it appeared the Hubs would cruise to victory. But King (0-2) refused to yield and embarked on a 65-yard scoring drive that ate up over six minutes.
A one-yard run by Jamar Lewis (21 rushes, 163 yards) got the Jaguars on the board with 1:52 left before halftime.
Haedt, in relief of Gerber, had Rochelle inside the red zone in the final seconds of the half. But he bobbled a snap, and the loose ball was scooped up by King’s Pharoah McThune, who rambled 80 yards to the house to cut Rochelle’s lead to 20-12 at halftime.
Receiving a huge energy boost from McThune’s score, the Jaguars began
the second half with another impressive 65-yard march. This one lasted over nine minutes and was capped by a 12-yard score by Lewis on 4th and 2 from the Rochelle 12. But the Hubs stopped Nathaniel Guy short of the goal line on the two-point attempt, leaving the score 20-18 at the 2:45 mark of the third quarter.
“King’s a well-coached team that executed at a high level today,” Rochelle coach Kyle Kissack said.
The Hubs, reeling from King’s surge, needed a strong response, and got it on the ensuing drive.
Beginning at its own 45, Rochelle went on a time-consuming drive of its own, eating up about eight minutes. Manning came up with two key conversions on fourth down to keep the drive alive.
The first, on fourth and one from the King 36, was a spectacular effort by Manning as he broke away from what looked like a loss in the backfield to scoot forward six yards.
“As soon as I knew I was going to get the ball, I knew I wasn’t going to go down before the sticks,” Manning said.
Then on fourth and two from the 22, he picked up 12 yards.
Manning’s heroics set up Haedt’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Andrist with 7:42 remaining in regulation.
“[Haedt] came in and struggled at the start, but he settled in and did great,” Manning said.
Manning added the two-point conversion to give Rochelle a 28-18 lead.
“Dylan’s as disciplined of a football player that we have,” Kissack said. “He’s dialed in on the things outside in terms of preparation. He played very well offensively and defensively.
King wasn’t done yet, however, and the Jaguars quickly marched into Rochelle territory. But Reece Harris intercepted a Ford pass at his 20 with around three minutes left to ice the win for the Hubs.
Roman Villalobos ran for 78 yards on 18 carries for Rochelle.
“There’s a lot of teachable moments for our program,” Kissack said. “Specifically, finding ways to work through adversity and be resilient through those tough situations. We’ve got to find ways to continue to get better daily.”
Melvin Tate for Shaw Local News Network
Rochelle junior Dylan Manning.
Rochelle scores 4 unanswered goals to top Sterling
By TY REYNOLDS Shaw Local News Network correspondent
STERLING – After a scoreless first half, it was a scoring explosion in the final 31 minutes for Sterling and Rochelle on Thursday night at Roscoe Eades Stadium.
The Golden Warriors took the lead less than 10 minutes into the second half, but the Hubs answered emphatically with four goals in the final 28 minutes for a 4-1 victory in their nonconference clash.
“First half, we were kind of sloppy, but we made it up in the second half with all those goals,” said Rochelle’s Yandel Mendez, who scored the last two. “I feel like we kept up the intensity, and at the end, it paid off. I’m really proud of my teammates for how we came out.”
The teams combined for only seven shots in the first half and only three on goal, but both offenses started to find their groove after the break.
Sterling (3-3) notched the first goal when Felipe Vasquez chased down a long pass from Mauricio Herrera and punched in a shot for a 1-0 lead with 31:16 to play.
It was a welcome sign for coach Chris Interone, who said he had a lot of players with tired legs due to playing their sixth game in six days.
“I knew my starting lineup needed to rest, so I made some changes and put in a different lineup with people in different positions,” Interone said. “The chemistry’s a bit off when you do that, but I was really happy that our style of play didn’t change, didn’t drop off, and that’s a credit to our players.”
Rochelle (5-1-1) answered less than four minutes later. Antonio Ruiz made a run up the left side, then found Saul Avila in front of the goal for a bicycle kick into the net to tie the game with 27:26 left.
Avila then returned the favor to Ruiz 10:10 later with a pass from the baseline left of the goal back to the center of the field; Ruiz ripped a 15-yard shot into the top right corner for a 2-1 lead.
“The whole mid[field] and everyone [was] playing well, the whole team coming together,” Avila said about the key to the offensive outburst. “We figured out how they were lining up and how to play against that. We’ve been playing with each other since we were
kids, so we know how each other play pretty well.”
The Warriors had a couple of golden opportunities to retake the lead between Rochelle’s first two goals, but one shot
banged off the crossbar with 22:52 to play, then another went just wide of the lower left corner with 20:31 remaining.
The Hubs made it 3-1 with a giveand-go play with 10:19 to go. Mendez
passed to Avila, who then chipped it over the defense back to Mendez for a shot into the middle of the net.
Mendez capped the scoring 20 seconds later, when he nabbed a steal in front of the Sterling goal and slipped it under keeper Antonio Santiago, who looked to have the shot stopped before it squirted past him into the lower left corner of the net.
“It was just adrenaline running through my whole body. I didn’t even have a second to think, it was just ‘Shoot!’” Mendez said. “I just pulled the trigger.”
Santiago made six saves, and Rochelle goalie Danny Garcia stopped four shots. The Hubs outshot Sterling 17-10, including 10-5 on frame, and had five corner kicks to the Warriors’ one.
“We knew Rochelle was going to come at us, just because last year we tied,” Interone said. “We definitely didn’t have the firepower going into this game that we wanted, but I think we fared pretty well with what we had.”
Photos by Alex T. Paschal
ABOVE: Sterling’s Mauricio Herrera and Rochelle’s Antonio Hueramo work for the ball Thursday at Sterling High School. BELOW: Rochelle’s Yandel Mendez heads the ball toward the goal against Sterling Thursday.
By ANDY COLBERT Shaw Local News Network correspondent
It was the Aurora Central Catholic boys and Winnebago girls dominating the 30-team Oregon Cross Country Open.
For Winnebago, which has more state titles than any other girls program in Illinois, it’s early evidence in the quest for a 14th IHSA championship.
“We have a good culture, good kids and I like where we’re at right now,” Winnebago coach Joe Erb said.
Cecilia Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic, a returning all-stater and younger sister of running star Patrick Hilby, took first at 19:01 on the 3-mile Park West course.
“Without being pushed, I felt smooth,” said Hilby, who won by 24 seconds. “I’ve got to be mentally tough. It’s going to be different running against 2A after being in 1A last year.”
Molly Webb, Morgan Capriola and Ella Carlson went 2-3-4 for Winnebago and Avery Dimke and Svea Glidden were ninth and 11th.
Team scores weren’t kept, but had they been, Winnebago would have had 29 points. Far behind in second would have been ACC with 123.
The top finish among local runners was Oregon freshman Anya Anaya, who was 14th with a 21:18 clocking. Backing her up were state hurdling medalist Jillian Hammer (22:25) in 29th and Madeline Rogers (22:32) in 33rd. The Hawks would have finished fifth in team standings.
Rock Falls got a 15th from Ashley Rodriguez (21:20). Kat Scott (21:56) and Brenna Burlack (22:26) added a 22nd and 31st for the Rockets.
“We’re thin, but have a core unit,” RF coach Mark Truesdell said.
Erie-Prophetstown junior Sarah Link was 19th in 21:44.
Newman is in a transition period this season, with Comet grad Tegan McKenna eventually taking over as coach from Pat Warkins.
“We have three girls and two boys out,” Warkins said. “Hopefully, we can have a full team next year with kids coming up from middle school.”
On the boys side, it was Ben Bohr, Jack Swiatek and John Reinbold of Aurora Central Catholic finishing 1-23. Giving chase was fourth-place finisher, Tim Starwalt of Byron.
“Tim really pushed us, but the last 200 meters, we broke off,” Reinbold said.
at 16:06.
“I thought Tim had a strong race, finishing the way he did,” Byron coach Mike McHale said. “He got up with ACC, which it what we wanted to do.”
Daniel Gonzalez of Oregon, known more being a middle-distance runner in track, was eighth with a time of 16:34.
“I’ve been doing a lot of track meets this summer,” Gonzalez said. “Running cross country gives me endurance for doing the 800 in track. I’d like to get down to 1:50 or 1:51.”
Rochelle got a 13th from sophomore Tyler Johnson (16:55) and 26th from senior Declan McGee (17:40).
“I like the way Tyler passed people on the final mile,” Oregon coach Dale Bergeson said.
The top runner for Rock Falls was senior Ian Finney, who ran 17:24 to place 23rd.
“He’s our team leader to a very young team, “Truesdell said. “We have numbers, though. Some of the kids I kept down to the jayvee meet to give them experience.”
Roscoe Davies of West Carroll was 13th at 16:55 and Nathan Punke of Erie-Prophetstown 29th at 17:40.
“Our 1-5 spread among the boys is close,” E-P coach Liz Green said. “It’s good to have Gus Schultz back from football after being on our state-qualifying team from 2023.”
In hypothetical scoring, ACC would have had 43 points, with Rockford Christian (100) and Winnebago (119) second and third.
“Those are two exceptional programs,” ACC coach Troy Kerber, in his 39th year of coaching cross country.
Counting the jayvee and junior high meet, approximately 750 runners competed at Oregon on Saturday.
The trio from ACC came in at 16:02, with the returning all-stater Starwalt
Earleen Hinton photos
Rochelle’s Declan McGee races Aurora Central’s A.J. Viveros to the finish line of the Oregon Cross Country Open on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Oregon Park West.
Rocehlle’s Tyler Johnson races East Dubuque’s Andrew Richardson to the finish line, finishing 13th at the Oregon Cross Country Open.
Net battle
The 30th annual Rochelle Lady Hub volleyball invite was held Saturday, Sept. 6. Rochelle took third.
Photos provided by Marcy DeLille
TOP LEFT: Rochelle’s Kyrie Cragin tips the ball during the 30th annual Lady Hub Invite on Saturday, Sept. 6.
TOP RIGHT: Rochelle’s Jillian Bruns hits the ball during the tournament. ABOVE: Rochelle’s Briel Metzger passes the ball. LEFT: Rochelle’s Emori Mickley serves the ball during the Lady Hub Invite.
CLASSIFIED
GARAGE SALES
Place your Garage Sale ad online 24/7 at www.ShawLo ca l.com/ garage sale s Email: classified@ shawlocal.com or call 815-526-4645 MT. MO RRIS
SALES 111 W. FIRST ST
Thur s, Fr & Sat Sept 11 -13,
/IL/
LIVE PUBLIC AUCTION
or call 815-732- 6127 ext 3. Deliver cover letter and resumes before September 18, 2025, to 1213 Pines Road, Oregon, IL 61 061 or email.
AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING A COMBINED ANNUAL BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING SUCH SUMS OF MONE Y AS MAY BE DEEMED
NE CE SSARY TO DEF RAY ALL NECE SSARY E XPENSES AND LIAB IL ITIES OF THE OGLE-L EE FIRE PROTE CTION DIS TRICT, OGLE-LEE COUNTIE S, ILL INOIS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING MAY 1, 2025, AND ENDING APRIL 30, 2026, AND SPEC IF YING THE OB JECTS AND PU RP OSES FOR WHICH SUCH APPROPRI ATIONS ARE MADE, AND THE AMOUNT APPROPRIATED FOR EACH OBJECT OR PUR POSE
BE IT ORDAI NED by the Board of Trustees of the Ogle-Lee Fire Protection District.
SECTIO N 1. That the following sums of money in the total amount of ONE MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY AND NO/100 DOLL ARS ($1,400,580.00) or as much thereof as may be authorized by law, be and the same are hereby appropr iated for the corporate purposes of the Ogle-Lee Fi re Protecti on District as hereinafter spe cified for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2025, and ending April 30, 2026.
GENERAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATING EXPENSE
The foregoing appropriati on is hereby appropriated from the procee ds of a special ambulance service tax, in addition to all othe r fire prote cti on district taxes as provided by law.
TORT IMMUNITY INSURANCE FUND
Tort immunity – Liab ility $ 22,000.00
The foregoing appropriati on is hereby appropriated from the proceeds of special liability insurance tax, in addition to all other fire protection district taxes as provided by law.
ANNUAL REPORT AND AUDI T FUND
An nual report and audit
$12,000.00
The foregoing appropriati on is hereby appropriated from the proceeds of a special annual report and audit tax, in addition to all other fire protection district taxes as provided by law.
ANNUAL WORKERS COMPENSATION FUND
Workers compensation expense $23,000.00
The foregoing appropriati on is hereby appropriated from the procee ds of a special annual workers compensation tax, in addition to all other fire pr otection district taxes as provided by law.
SUMMARY
General Corporate Expend iture
Ambulance Service Expend iture
An nual
$1,400,580.00
That the foregoing shall constitute the annual budget for the Ogle-Lee Fire Protec tion District for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2025, and end ing April 30, 2026. As a pa rt of the annual budget, it is stat ed:
A. Sta tement of cash on hand at the beginn ing of the fis cal year:
B. Estimate of the cash expected to be received d uring the fiscal yea r from all sources:
C. Estimate of the expendi tures contemplated for the fiscal year:
D. Statemen t of the estimated cash expected to be on hand at the end of the fiscal year:
E. Estimate of the amount of taxes to be received by the Fire District:
$855,973.91
$1,093,494.39
$1,400,580.00
$548,883.30
$650,194.39
SECTIO N 2. That all unexpe nded balances of any item or it ems or any general appropri ation made in this ordinance be expended in making up any insufficiency in any item or items in the same general appropriation and for the same general purpose of any like appropriation made for this ordinance.
SECTIO N 3. That all unexpe nded balances from annual appropriations of previous years are hereby re-appropriated.
SECTIO N 4. That the validity of any item or secti on of this ordinance shall not affect the validity of the whole or any other part thereof.
SECTIO N 5. That all ordinances or parts of ordinances confl icting with any of the provisions of this ordinance be and the same are hereby repeal ed
SECTIO N 6. That this ordinance sh all take effect and be in ful l for ce from and after its passage, ap proval and publicati on as provided by law. PASSED: Augus t 12, 2025 APPROVED: August 12, 2025
/S/ Lance Noggle Lance Noggle
Pre sident of the Board of Trustees of the Ogle-Lee Fire Protection District, Ogle-Lee Counties, Illinois.
INVITATION F OR BIDS
Roche lle Municipal Utilities, Ogle County, Il linois will receive sealed bids for:
Centerpoint Substation Installation Con tract until 2:00 p.m. local time on October 2, 2025, at the City of Rochelle, 420 N 6th Street, Rochelle, IL 61068.
A pre- bid conference will be held via a virtual meeting at 11:00 a m. on September 11, 2025. Attendance is strongly encouraged. A Microsoft Team s invite will be sent to registered bidders.
The plans and specifications are on file with the City of Roche lle for viewing purposes only.
Copies of the documents may be acquired from BHMG Engineers, Inc , 9735 Landmark Parkway Suite 110A, St Louis, Missouri 63127, Consulting Engineers for the said Board Please email Amy Wooldridge, AWooldridge@bhmg.com with request. Bids shall be rece ived for the aforementioned items.
A certified check or bank draft on a responsible, solvent bank, or a satisfactory bid bond executed by the bidder and an acceptable surety company, payabl e to the City of Rochelle, John Bearrows, Mayor or Government Bonds or cas h in the amount of not less than five percent (5%) of bid, shall be submitted with each bid
The bid shall be marked to identify bid package contents, reference specification 2201 K003.
The successful bidder will be required to:
• Reg ister as a bidde r for this project
• Furni sh in du pl icate the following executed documents:
• Non-Collusion Affidavit
• Bid Form
• Bid Bond, Cer tified Check or Money Order
• An d any other documents as required by the specifications
No bid shall be withdrawn after the opening of bids without the consent of the Utility for a period of sixty (60) days after the scheduled time of closing bids
The said City of Rochelle reser ves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any informalities in bidding, and to determine and accept the bid most advantageous to the Utility.
Date: August 29, 2025
City of Roche lle, Illinois John Bea rrows, Mayor
September 10, 17, 24, 2025
/S/ Richard Kasmar
Richard Kasmar
Secret ary of the Board of Trustees of the Ogle-Lee Fire Protec tion District, Ogle-Lee Countie s, Illinois. (SEAL)
September 10, 2025
AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING A COMBINED ANNUAL BUDGET AND APPROPRIATING SUCH SUMS OF MONE Y AS MAY BE DEEMED
NECESS ARY TO DEFRAY ALL NECESS ARY EXPE NS ES AND L IABILITIES OF THE LYNNVIL LE-SCOTT-WHITE ROCK FIRE PROTE CTION DISTRICT, OGLE COUNTY, I LLINOIS, F OR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING MAY 1, 2025, AND ENDING APRIL 30, 2026, AND SPEC IF YING THE OB JECTS AND PU RP OSES FOR WHICH SUCH APPROPRI ATIONS ARE MADE, AND THE AMOUNT APPROPRIATED FOR EACH OBJECT OR PUR POSE
BE IT ORDAI NED by the Board of Trustees of the Lynnville-Scott-White Rock Fire Protec tion District. SECTIO N 1. That the fol lowing sums of money in the total amount of NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY- THREE THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRE D FIFTY-TWO AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($973,252.00) or as much thereof as may be authorized by law, be and the same are hereb y appropri ated for th e corporate purposes of the Lynnville-Scott-White Rock Fire Protec tion District as hereinafter specified for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2025, and ending April 30, 2026.
GENERAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATING EXPENSE District fees and other wages
for Trus
The foregoing appropriati on is hereby appropriated from the procee ds of a special ambulance service tax,in addition to all other fire protec tion district taxes as provided by law
TORT IMMUNITY INSURANCE FUND
Tort immunity – Liab ility$6,152.00
The foregoing appropriati on is hereby appropriated from the proceeds of special liability insurance tax, in addition to all other fire protec tion district taxes as provided by law.
ANNUAL REPORT AND AUDI T FUND
An nual report and audit -0-
The foregoing appropriati on is hereby appropriated from the procee ds of a special annual report and audit tax, in addition to all other fire protection district taxes as provided by law.
ANNUAL WORKERS COMPENSATION FUND
Workers compensation expense
$25,000.00
The foregoing appropriati on is hereby appropriated from the procee ds of a special annual workers compensation tax, in addition to all other fire pr otection district taxes as provided by law.
SUMMARY
General Corporate Expend iture
Ambulance Service Expend iture
$486,300.00
An nual Rep ort and Audit Fund -0Workers Compensation Fund
TOTAL EXPENDITURES $973,252.00
That the foregoing shall constitute the annual budget for the Lynnville-Scott-White Rock Fire Protec tion District for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2025, and ending April 30, 2026 . As a part of the annual budget, it is stated:
A. Sta tement of cash on hand at the beginn ing of the fis cal year:
$1,500,038.00
B. Estimate of the cash expected to be received during the fiscal year from all sources: $973,252.00
C. Estimate of the expendi tures contemplated for the fiscal year: $973,252.00
D. Statemen t of the estimated cash expected to be on hand at the end of the fisca l year:
E. Estimate of the amount of taxes to be rece ived by the Fire District:
$1,500,038.00
$639,000.00
SECTIO N 2. That all unexpe nded balances of any item or it ems or any general appropri ation made in this ordinance be expended in making up any insufficiency in any item or items in the same general appropriation and for the same general purpose of any like appropriat ion made for this ordinance.
SECTIO N 3. That all unexpe nded balances from annual appropriations of previous years are hereby re-appropriated.
SECTIO N 4. That the validity of any item or section of this ordinance shall not affect the validity of the whole or any other part thereof.
SECTIO N 5. That all ordinances or parts of ordinances confl icting with any of the provi sions of this ordinance be and the same are hereby repeal ed
SECTIO N 6. That this ordinance sh all take effect and be in ful l for ce from and after its passage, approval and publicati on as provided by law.
PASSED: Sep tember 3, 2025APPROVED: September 3, 2025
/S/ David Vola
David Vola
LEG AL NOTICES IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF OG LE, IL LINOIS IN RE THE ESTATE OF RICHARD H. KURZ, DECEASE D Case No 2025PR000052 CL AIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of Richard H. Kurz, of Rochelle, Illinois. Letters of Office were issued on the 20th day of August, 2025, to Foster, Buick, Conklin, Lundgren & Gottschalk, LLC, 2040 Aberdeen Court, Sycamore, Illinois 60178, wh ose attorneys are Foster, Buick, Conklin, Lundgren & Gottschalk, LLC, 2040 Aberdeen Court, Sycamore, Illinois 60178. Claims against the estate may be filed in the office of the Clerk of the Court at the Ogle County Courthouse, 106 South 5th Str eet, Oregon, Illinois, 61061, or wit h the representative, or both, no later than 4:30 p.m. on or before the 5th day of March, 202 6, an d any claim not filed wi thin 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 has been filed.
