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Serving the Polo Area Since 1857

POLO

Tri-County Press November 14, 2013 Volume 156, Number 8 - $1.00

Seasons Ended

Winter is Here

Feeding Birds

The Oregon volleyball and football teams lost their postseason matchups. B1

The IEMA and NWS encourages everyone to be ready for winter . B1

A winter bird feeding program will be held Nov. 20 at the extension office. A7

Woman killed in 1-car crash An New Mexico woman in town for a relative’s wedding died in a single vehicle crash near Polo Nov. 9. Melanie R. Wagner, 21, Albuquerque, N.M., was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Union Road near the intersection with Canada Road approximately two miles north of Polo. A press release issued Tuesday afternoon by Ogle County Sheriff Michael Harn said Wagner was a front seat passenger in a vehicle driven by her cousin Jason W. Wagner, 23, Polo. She was ejected from the vehicle. According to the press release, the vehicle was southbound in the 600 block of Union Road when the vehicle went out of control, left the roadway, and collided with an electric pole shortly after 10 p.m.

Honoring Veterans Above, students at Centennial Elementary School stand at attention while singing “The Star-Spangled Banner� Monday at the Veteran’s Day program. At right, preschoolers recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the annual event. Photos by Vinde Wells

Williams death ruled a homicide By Vinde Wells Editor

School currently fourth in contest Polo School District is currently in fourth place in the US Cellular Calling All Communities Program. The school is participating in the program in the hope of winning $25,000 for the school district. “We are voting for Centennial Elementary School as we will share the money as a district,� said organizer Sue Hillison. “In order to win the $25,000, Centennial School needs to be in the top-20 votegetting schools.�

Harn said alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. Jason was transported by Dixon City ambulance to KSB Hospital, Dixon, and later transferred to a Rockford hospital and then to a Peoria hospital for treatment of serious injuries. A rear seat passenger, Jay R. Wagner, 18, Albuquerque, N.M., Melanie’s brother, was transported by ambulance to KSB Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The three had been attending a wedding reception for Jason’s father, Greg Wagner, Polo, before the crash occurred. The Ogle County Coroner, Polo Fire Department and ambulance, Polo Police Department, and Dixon City ambulance assisted at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.

“You can only vote once. You do not have to be a US Cellular customer to vote. You do need to live in the United States, have an email address and be 18 or older,� Hillison said. To support Centennial Elementary School, go to uscellular.com. In the upper right-hand corner, click sign up. Enter your state, date of birth and email. A confirmation will be sent to your email.

Be sure to open your email from U.S. Cellular to complete the registration. Choose Centennial Elementary School Polo, IL (the zip code is 61064) to make your vote count. Voting runs through Monday, Nov. 25 at 11:59 pm. “Voting only takes a few minutes, but the benefits to our students would last a life time,� Hillison said. “Do not think because we are a small district that we have

no chance of winning; this is not true. We just need you to place your one vote and ask others to help also. Let’s work together to make Polo one of the top 20. We can make this happen with everyone’s help.� For more information call Hillison or Amy Merdian at Centennial Elementary School 815-946-3811, Aplington Middle School 815-946-2519, or Ellie Dyer at Polo High School 815-9463314.

A Winnebago County Coroner’s Jury ruled Nov. 8 that the death of an Oregon teen last summer was a homicide. Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock said Tuesday that he expects to file criminal charges in the death of Jonathan Williams, 18, within the next three weeks Williams died Aug. 11 at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Rockford, after being injured in a fight in the wee hours of Aug. 10 at

an underage drinking party at 804 Monroe St., Oregon. He would have been a senior at Oregon High School this year. Rock declined to say who will be charged or what the charges will be. “Being ruled a homicide doesn’t necessarily mean there’s going to be murder charges,� he said. “The Winnebago County Coroner’s report is something we’ll take into account when deciding what charges are appropriate.� He said he wants to go over the report from the inquest Turn to A3

Newman talks about his service By Chris Johnson Reporter

LTC Jerry Newman salutes the flag during a Veteran’s Day program at DLR Junior High Nov. 6. Photo by Chris Johnson

In This Week’s Edition...

Business Briefs, B5 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B12 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B3

Students at David Rahn Junior High were honored to have Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Newman at their school last week. Newman, a member of the Illinois National Guard since he enlisted in 1985, was the guest speaker during a Veteran’s Day program Nov. 6. “I originally joined to go to college, and I had my parents sign my enlistment forms when I was only 17,� he said. “A year later I went to basic training.� This idea of joining quickly changed when Newman began working with his fellow soldiers. “You form bonds when you are in the military and A dusting of wet snow fell across Ogle County Monday these bonds are greater than as evidenced by this Thanksgiving decoration in a yard

Marriage Licenses, A4 Pine Creek News, A3 Polo Police, A3 Property Transfers, B4 Sheriff’s Arrests, B5

Turn to A10 in Polo. Photo by Earleen Hinton

Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B3 Weather, A3 Zoning, B5

Deaths, B3 Margaret I. Van Buskirk, Melanie R. Wagner

0UBLISHED EVERY 4HURSDAY BY /GLE #OUNTY .EWSPAPERS A DIVISION OF 3HAW -EDIA s WWW OGLECOUNTYNEWS COM


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