Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO State Bound
Tri-County Press February 19, 2015 Volume 157, Number 22 - $1.00
HUD Funding
Emergency Plan
Polo wrestler Ethan Cain will compete at the IHSA state wrestling meet. B1
Emergency planning brochures have been mailed to residents living near the power plant. B3
Ogle County will receive $393,755 to help fund improvements to public housing. A7
Title search authorized on old hotel property Council talks about plans for demolition By Chris Johnson Reporter A title search will help pave the way for the demolition of a three-story brick building in downtown Polo. The old Polo Hotel at 208 E. Mason St. is deteriorating. City clerk Susie Corbitt said last month that an inspection found it to be in violation of the International Property Maintenance Code and deemed it, under the code, to be dangerous, unsafe, unsanitary, and unfit for human occupancy. “We have a wall falling down,” said alderman Randy Schoon Monday night. “Something needs to be done,” said alderman David Ackeberg. “I would be [upset] if I were a neighbor.” The building is listed as being owned by B&L Partnership, which is comprised of Leo Hathaway and Brad Bartnick, but alderman Troy Boothe said no one is officially claiming ownership of the property. “We did the notices and with a go ahead we will run a title search,” city attorney Tom Suits said.
Last month the city looked to get bids from two companies for the demolition. An email from Civil Construction, Freeport, asked if the city would inspect for asbestos and abate it, get utilities shut off to the property, remove the furniture and appliances from the property, and wanted to know about how to finish the property after demolition. Corbitt said many excavating companies have inquired about doing the demolition including local companies. Schoon said it sounds like the bigger companies wanted the city to do most of the preparation. “Why not let someone local do the demolition?” he said. Both of the larger companies, Civil and Fischer Construction, also of Freeport, asked about asbestos and Civil had asked if court proceedings had begun on the property. Suits told the council that a title search would reveal the owners and any lien holders on the property in order to start court proceedings. An overview of how a court proceeding on the property would go was presented by Suits. Turn to A2
The old Polo Hotel at 208 E. Mason St. is deteriorating, and the city council is discussing options to demolish the structure. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Farmers concerned over regulation Semi length is shorter on non truck routes By Vinde Wells Editor
County approves police contract By Vinde Wells Editor Ogle County Sheriff ’s Department employees will be getting raises thanks to a new four-year contract approved Tuesday by the county board. The board okayed the collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) following a closed session. Board chairman Kim Gouker, Byron, said the contract is retroactive to Dec. 1, 2013 and covers 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. The contract includes a base pay increase of 2 percent for 2014, 2.25 percent for 2015, 2.9 percent for 2016, and 3 percent for 2017. He said that amount of base pay varies with the position, but starting pay for a deputy is $41,000 annually. Another change in the contract is the establishment of a Health Care Planning Committee. “The most significant part of the negotiations is that we’ve created a new committee to address health care. Our health coverage is getting very expensive,” Gouker said. The committee, he said, will be comprised of management and employees.
Residents of the rural Ogle County voiced their concerns to the county board Tuesday over stepped-up enforcement of laws governing the length of semis. Brian Duncan, a Polo Management members farmer and president of the are three county board members, Greg Sparrow, Rochelle, Pat Nordman, Oregon, and John O’Brien, Rochelle, and three By Vinde Wells department heads, Sheriff Editor Brian VanVickle, Engineer Curtis Cook, and Zoning Three people were injured Administrator Mike Reibel. in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday The employee members afternoon approximately four will include four union miles north of Mt. Morris. members, three from the Ogle County Sheriff Brian FOP and one from the VanVickle said late Tuesday Teamsters, and two non- afternoon that a crash report union employees, one was not yet available with chosen by the FOP and full details of the incident the other chosen by the that occurred just before Teamsters. 12:30 p.m. at the intersection Sheriff ’s, Corrections, of Mt. Morris and Townline and Probation Department Roads. employees are part of the According to initial FOP. Circuit clerk and Health reports, a sports utility Department employees are vehicle driven by Lisa in the Teamsters Union. Brubaker, 50, Oregon, was Changing employees’ southbound on Mt. Morris health coverage will take Road when it was struck a three-fourths vote of by car driven by Kieundrea the Health Care Planning Fortner, 26, Freeport, which Committee, Gouker said. was eastbound on Townline Rejecting the proposed Road. changes will take a threeTraffic at the intersection fourths vote of the county is controlled by stop signs board. on Townline Road. Vehicles The county needs to bring on Mt. Morris Road are not its health coverage into line, required to stop. Gouker said. Fortner and two occupants “The county is facing of her car, including a small possible penalties from child, were transported to the “Obamacare” plan Freeport Memorial Hospital [Affordable Care Act] in by Leaf River and Forreston 2018,” he said. “I’d rather ambulances. use the money for things Brubaker and a third we need here than send it to passenger in the Fortner car Washington.” were not injured.
Ogle County Farm Bureau, said the farmers and truckers are concerned because of the recent increase in enforcement of a state law that limits semis to 55 feet in length on roads not designated as truck routes. Adrian Book, Leaf River, who farms and operates a trucking business, said many township and county roads have 80,000 weight limits — the maximum allowed for trucks — but since they aren’t designated at truck routes, the law limits the
bumper to bumper length of trucks to 55 feet. Most trucks are now 65 feet long, he said. “It can’t be met,” Book said. “There’s not a truck short enough.” Buffalo Township Road Commissioner Bill Clothier agreed. “It’s a law that’s never been enforced. It should go away,” he said. Duncan said the length limit on state highways and county roads that are designated truck routes is 65
feet. To further complicate the issue, he said, federal law mandates that trucks be built longer to spread out the 80,000 pounds they are allowed to carry. Duncan said the limits need to be consistent. For example, he said Pines Road from Spectrum Meats west to Polo is not a truck route. However, from Spectrum Meats east to Oregon, the road is designated as a truck route. Turn to A2
Three hurt in crash north of Mt. Morris
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B8-B12 College News, A4 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6
Ogle County Sheriff Deputies and rescue workers from the Mt. Morris Fire Department, Leaf River Fire Department, and Forreston Fire Department responded to an accident at Townline Road and Mt. Morris Road on Tuesday. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Polo Farm Toy Show is March 7 The 30th annual Polo Farm Toy Show, sponsored by the Polo Lions Club, will be on Saturday, March 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Polo High School, 100 Union Ave., Polo. Approximately 100
Marriage License, A4 Oregon Police, B7 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B6
dealers will be attending the event with a wide variety of items. A 50-50 drawing will be held. The Polo Boosters will serve lunch in the school cafeteria.
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, A11, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B6
Admission is $2 for adults and children under 12 are admitted free. The school is handicapped accessible. For dealer information call Dave and Irene Short at 815-946-3730.
Deaths, B5 Ruth M. Deneau, Eileen F. DeWall, Catherine A. Keyes, Doris E. Silvius, Joe M. Twigg
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com