Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press September 1, 2016 Volume 158, Number 50 - $1.00
Shutout Victory
Touring the US
New Greenhouse
The Polo Marcos started out the season with a shutout win over River Ridge Aug. 26. B1
Two bicyclists from different parts of the world meet up in Oregon. B2
A new greenhouse will teach OHS students how to grow off the grid. A10
Rain stops just in time for Farm Heritage Festival By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com The rain stopped just in time Saturday morning for the 10th annual Farm Heritage Festival at East Jordan United Methodist Church, southwest of Polo. Organizer Steve Venhuizen, Polo, admitted he was getting a little concerned when heavy rain overnight continued into the morning. “The clouds parted for us,” he said with a chuckle. “It was kind of nip and tuck.” The heavy rain overnight made for a muddy field as exhibitors brought in their old tractors and equipment of yesteryear for the demonstrations. However, Venhuizen said, that didn’t stop anyone — exhibitors or spectators — from coming. “It was went very well and was well-attended. I was very pleased,” he said. “We served 500 meals.” The event begins with a hearty breakfast served by the church women. They also prepare lunch. The crowd of young and not-so-young, farmers and
Mark Zeigler, Polo, shows Maddox Killian, Dixon, and his father Travis how to place an ear of corn in a hand-cranked sheller at the Farm Heritage Festival at East Jordan United Methodist Church. Photo by Vinde Wells
city dwellers watched as wheat was threshed, then moved on to see corn being chopped for silage, and then to the corn shelling operation. Jacob Person, Rock Falls, and Harold Goeking, Polo, were manning the threshing machine. Neither is a member of the East Jordan congregation but both participate in the festival each year. “I really enjoy this,” Person said. “I’m glad they are keeping this tradition going so people can come and see how the old machinery works.” Across the yard, Rich Huggins, Lanark, and Leonard Long, Sterling, were visiting next to Huggins’ 1960 Minneapolis Moline M5 tractor, one of several on display. Huggins said he repainted the tractor in 2005 and has kept it in good mechanical repair. “I use it for baling hay and stuff,” he said. Al Laidig, Dixon, brought his full set of John Deere engines — a 6 horsepower, 3 horsepower and 1.5 horsepower.
“This is the three sizes John Deere made,” he explained. “They work but they wouldn’t start this morning — it was too damp.” Meanwhile, youngsters could touch farm animals at the petting zoo, or try out the hand corn sheller and rope maker. Andy Hinrichs, rural Oregon, brought his antique tools as well as a hit and miss engine that powered a pump supplying water to a duck pond. The pond — actually a livestock tank — was full of plastic ducks, small and large. “The kids have really liked this,” Hinrichs said with a grin. Each duck had a number that corresponded to a prize for youngsters to select from a nearby bucket. Venhuizen said the pond was one of the new features this year to help celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary. Organizers also handed out commemorative wooden nickels to those who attended. “We tried to make it extra special,” Venhuizen said.
Special Delivery: EMTs help deliver a baby boy By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
The arrival of tiny Miles Henry Huenefeld three weeks ago was a major milestone for three Forreston EMTs. He is the first baby ever delivered by the Forreston ambulance crew. Miles was born in the wee hours of the morning Aug. 10, more than three weeks early. His mother, Valerie Huenefeld, 29, Forreston, said he weighed just 4 pounds 4.5 ounces when he made his appearance at home on the bathroom floor. EMTs Ed Booth and Al Laidig, Dixon, left, and Dennis Dimmig, Sterling, visit over Laidig’s set of John Cameron Reuter were on Deere engines Aug. 27 at the Farm Heritage Festival at East Jordan United Methodist call, but at home, when they Church. Photo by Vinde Wells
received a 911 call at 3:15 a.m. of a woman in labor at only 36 weeks of pregnancy. Although he wasn’t on call, EMT Jason Ludke went along to assist. “At first, I thought it might be a false alarm,” he said. However, little Miles had already decided the time was right. He was born five minutes after the ambulance arrived. “We arrived on the scene, and we could see there was going to be no transporting,” Booth said. Valerie’s mother Mary Huenefeld said Reuter had just put on his second glove when Miles was born at 3:33 a.m. Valerie woke her parents at 3:01 a.m. and told them, “I think I’m having the baby.”
Mary said that by the time they got downstairs, Valerie had already called 911 and the baby was crowning. Valerie’s doctor had planned to induce labor on Aug. 12, but by that time she and her new son were already home from their hospital stay. “He came on his own,” joked his grandpa Henry. Miles and his mother and grandparents came to the Forreston Fire Station Aug. 26 to meet with Booth, Reuter, and Ludke and to place a stork decal on the ambulance. Booth said helping bring a new life into the world was a life-changer for him. “I’ve been on [the Turn to A3
Drug court offers second chance for local resident By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Nathan Stinnett is quick to say that without Ogle County Drug Court his future would not be bright. “I’d probably be dead or out of money until I was dead,” said the 33-year-old Davis Junction resident. Instead, Stinnett took the opportunity offered by the Ogle County court system and successfully kicked his long-standing abuse of prescription painkillers. Stinnett now volunteers his
“I’d probably be dead or out of money until I was dead,” — Nathan Stinnett Davis Junction time to help others headed down that path. “Drug Court is a second chance at life,” he said. “If you want it you take it, if you don’t you won’t.” The decision to get into the program and stay the course was clear to him. “It was so easy for me because I wanted to be clean,” Stinnett said.“I had
In This Week’s Edition...
tried to get clean by myself, but it just doesn’t happen.” A June graduate of the 18-month program, he mentors Drug Court participants and volunteers at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for residents of Focus House, a countyowned youth shelter-care Ogle County Drug Court graduate Nathan Stinnett, Davis Junction, second from left, is now volunteering to help others gain success in the program. Members of the Drug facility operated by the Turn to B3 Court team pictured, from left to right are: Judge John B. Roe, Drug Court Coordinator
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
Brooke Plachno, and State’s Attorney Eric Morrow. Photo by Vinde Wells
Marriage Licenses, A4 Property Transfers, B3 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4
Sports, B1, B2 State’s Attorney, B5 Weather, A8
Deaths, B5 Norman H. Collins, Stirling K. DeArvil, Mary Fletcher, Marvella R. Kober
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com