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Tri-County Press December 17, 2015 Volume 158, Number 13 - $1.00
Tournament Action
Holiday Tips
Lighting Contest
Marcos top Cardinals 62-45 at the Forreston Holiday Tournament Tuesday. B1
Remember the environment during the holidays by recycling. A6
Judging for the Chamber’s Christmas Lighting Contest will be done on Dec. 19. A3
County jail is over capacity By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The Ogle County Board got an update Tuesday evening on what a jail needs assessment has determined. Jeff Goodale, Director of Justice at HOK, a Chicago architectural and planning firm, told the board that the jail is frequently over capacity because the number of arrests is trending upward. “Overall [the need for] beds are going up,” he said. Currently the county needs space for at least 143 prisoners, he said, and the capacity is just 108. The average daily population at the jail ranges from the low 90s to 123. Goodale said the outdated design of the jail, built in the late 1960s, makes it difficult for corrections officers to manage the inmates, especially when they are overcrowded. Currently the jail staff is “spread thin,” he said. In October, the county board approved spending a maximum of $10,000 for Goodale to do the jail needs assessment. Goodale said Tuesday that he hopes to finish the study in February, and by then will
have narrowed down possible sites and the cost. His study will takes current as well as future needs into account. “We’re looking 50 years out,” he said. With an eye to 2065, Goodale said he is starting at a 250-bed facility. He said the county needs to provide more space for female prisoners and prisoners with mental health needs. Goodale said he will also study the feasibility of allowing space to house juveniles in the county jail, instead of transporting them to a facility such as the Mary Davis Home in Galesburg. Over the life of the jail, Goodale said the greatest cost will be staffing it. He showed photos of a new jail with several screens in one area that monitor various sections of the facility allowing for centralized supervision of inmates. A modern design, he said, will be safer for inmates and jailers, and will require less maintenance. When determining where the jail should be located, Goodale said he will take several factors into consideration, including Turn to A3
Fill Them Up Above, Elizabeth Itnyre, right, helps Missy McBride fill up a Christmas food baskets Dec. 11 at Faith Discovery Church. Volunteers for the Polo Council of Churches helped pack the baskets for families and individuals in need Friday evening and delivered them Saturday morning. At right, John Crumley gets bottles of syrup from Chris Printz to help fill Christmas food baskets. Photos by Vinde Wells
Kids shopped with cops Dec. 5 Thirty-two children from the Forrestville Valley School District went Christmas shopping Dec. 5 for the Forreston Police Department’s annual Shop with a Cop at the Freeport Farm & Fleet. “Each child was paired up with law enforcement person or a friend or relative of law enforcement,” said Police Chief Mike Boomgarden. “We got lists from the parents containing sizes and essential needs, and then the shopping began starting with clothing and outerwear needs followed
Coat drive a way to thank HOPE
by a trip through the ‘fun stuff’ aisles.” Boomgarden expressed appreciation to store manager Greg Genandt, Forreston, and the staff at the store. “A good time was had by all, and Freeport Farm & Fleet should be commended because they make us feel so welcome,” he said. “They have employees that come in on their days off just to help and they work one on one with the kids to find just that right article of clothing or pair Forreston Police Chief Mike Boomgarden completes his of boots.” round of shopping with Dani Merriman. Photo supplied
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A Byron sixth grader has organized a coat drive and fundraiser to repay a domestic violence shelter that helped her. Victoria Kuzlik hopes to collect at least 500 coats and other winter gear, as well as $4,500 for HOPE of Ogle County, a domestic violence shelter with office in Oregon and Rochelle. “My dad and I were victims
of domestic violence,” said 11-year-old Victoria. “One place [HOPE] helped us out a lot, and I just wanted to give back.” She said they also received help from the YWCA in Sterling. Victoria’s father, Bob Kuzlik, said her daughter came to him with the idea of a coat drive recently after thinking about the outgrown coats no longer in use at their home. Turn to A2
Force behind Star Wars fans engagement, wedding By Chris Johnson cxjohnson@oglecounty news.com When science fiction movies are discussed, two franchises come to mind — Star Trek and Star Wars. For a couple with Stillman Valley roots, a passion for Star Wars was the force behind their initial meeting and eventual marriage. Tom and Cathy (Tomczak) Schaefer met during the annual Chicago Comicon, a convention for comic book, TV, and movie buffs, in 2007 after mutual friends had invited them to a dinner.
It was not until a few months later that Tom learned that Cathy was interested in getting to know him. They went out on a date and have been inseparable ever since. Once they were talking about marriage, Tom decided on a unique proposal that brought their “fandoms” to center stage. Tom worked with his friend Mike Bollow to have actor John Barrowman assist with the proposal during Fantasticon in Milwaukee. Barrowman played Captain Jack Harkness in the “Doctor Who” series and the
In This Week’s Edition...
spinoff series “Torchwood.” The couple are also fans of the “Doctor Who” and “Torchwood” series. During a panel Barrowman was holding Oct. 25, 2014, he invited Cathy on stage and talked to her for a while before asking Tom to join them on stage. Tom, who was wearing a Mayor of Star Wars Town suit, got down on one knee and proposed. Cathy, who was wearing a Star Wars dress, accepted. A year later the couple was married Oct. 9, 2015 in Petaluma, California during a small ceremony.
Chamber Chatter, A8 Church Bells, A5 Classifieds, B7-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B6
The couple walked down the aisle after getting married to the ceremonial theme from the end of a “New Hope.” “We joked about walking down the aisle to the Imperial March,” said Tom. A reception was held at Rancho Obi Wan, which is a privately owned Star Wars Museum in Petaluma, California. It is run by Steve Sansweet who has the world’s largest Star Wars collection. Sansweet was the officiant at the ceremony.
Marriage Licenses, A4 Library News, A8 Pine Creek News, A3 Public Voice, A8 Property Transfers, B3
Tom and Cathy Schaefer pose, with a Darth Vader gesture, in front of Darth Vader masks and other Star Wars memorabilia at Rancho Obi Wan in Petaluma, Turn to A4 California. Photo provided
Sheriff’s Arrests, B6 Social News, A4 Sports, B1-B2 State’s Attorney, B3 Weather, A3
Deaths, B5 Clara M. Brown, Arnold H. Collman, Frances L. Murray, Rogene E. Taylor
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com