Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO
Tri-County Press May 4, 2017 Volume 159, Number 21 - $1.00
Hawk Classic
Art Show
School Board Seat
The Polo-Forreston boys track team shows strong Friday at the annual Hawk Classic. B1
The Eagle’s Nest Art Group’s Spring Show opened April 29. A10
The Polo School Board is seeking applicants for a two-year vacancy. A2
National soil contest held at Grasslands By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com College students from around the nation delved into the dirt at the Nachusa Grasslands southeast of Oregon last week to take a close-up look at the soils there. More than 100 students from 24 colleges and universities as far away as California and as close as Wisconsin took part in the 2017 Collegiate Soils Contest, sponsored by the American Society of
Agronomy and hosted by Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. The students braved a steady drizzle, brisk wind, and temperatures barely above 40 degrees to analyze the soil layers in three pits dug especially for the national soil judging contest. Emily Fuger, representative of the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy, said each school sent a team of four plus alternates. To make it to the national Turn to B3
Polo Treasurer Kris Clothier takes the oath of office for her eighth term from Ogle County Judge Robert Hanson Monday at the city council meeting. Photo by Vinde Wells
Judge swears in city officials
A member of the Kansas State Soil Judging team works on identifying the samples he took from one of the soil pits on land owned by the Nachusa Grasslands. The judging competition was hosted by Northern Illinois University. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Police continue to investigate double homicide and arson By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Police are continuing to investigate a double homicide and arson in Byron last October. Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said Monday that detectives are actively investigating the Oct. 19 deaths of Margaret Meyer, 31, and her three-year-old son Amos. “They are working very hard on it and still going through the evidence,” he said. The deaths were ruled homicides in February, and the fire that destroyed their home at 2020 N. Silverthorn Ave. was determined to be an arson. VanVickle said more than one person are considered suspects. The fire was reported around 6:40 a.m. by Meyer’s ex-husband, Duane C. Meyer, 34, Stillman Valley, who told officials he was there to pick
up his son. When firefighters arrived, smoke alarms were sounding, the house was filled with heavy smoke, and Meyer and a Byron police officer were on the lawn performing CPR on Amos, who had been in an upstairs bedroom. Amos and his father were taken to Rockford Memorial Hospital, where the little boy was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed he died from smoke inhalation. Firefighters found Margaret dead on the couch on the first floor. Ogle County Coroner Lou Finch said in February that the cause of her death is undetermined. The sheriff’s department along with the Illinois State Police and Byron Police Department are involved in the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office at 815-732-2136 or Ogle Lee Crime Stoppers at 888-2284488.
In This Week’s Edition...
By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecountynews. com An Ogle County judge was on hand at Monday evening’s Polo City Council meeting to swear in two new and four returning city officials. Judge Robert Hanson administered the oath of office to mayor Doug Knapp, city clerk Sydney Bartelt, treasurer Kris Clothier, and aldermen Justin Grobe, Jim Busser, and Keith Chesnut. Clothier was elected to her eighth term April 4, Knapp
Water mains to be flushed The Polo Water Department will flush water mains on Tuesday, May 9 and Wednesday, May 10. All areas of the city may be affected by rusty water and low pressure on both days. to his second, and Bartelt is a newcomer to city hall. All three aldermen were elected to their first fouryear terms, although Busser and Grobe have been serving on the council. Busser was appointed to his post in Ward 2 almost three years ago, replacing Matt Mekeel, who moved
out of the ward. He was then elected to the unexpired twoyear term in April of 2015. Grobe was appointed to serve in Ward 1 late last summer, replacing David Ackeberg, who stepped down. In Ward 3, Chesnut replaces Cheryl Galor, who did not run for re-election.
Galor, however, will not be leaving city government. Knapp appointed her to the Park Board to replace Bartelt. The new council conducted the evening’s business in just 24 minutes, approving Knapp’s annual appointments to council committees, departments, and other boards and committees. Aldermen also approved the working budget and the rates for city services for the new fiscal year, which began May 1.
Zoning Board of Appeals denies special use permit for dog kennel PAZ, county board to hear request in May By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com A DeKalb County dog breeder failed Thursday to get the support of the Ogle County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to expand her kennel to Ogle County. After a five-hour hearing, the ZBA voted 3-2 to deny Christie Hardt’s request for a special use permit for a commercial dog kennel on property she and her husband Robert DeCosta own northeast of Kings. Several county residents spoke in opposition to the kennel, voicing concerns that it is a “puppy mill,”
Chamber Chatter, A9 Church News A5 Classifieds, B5-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
and 2,500 signed a petition against it. Hardt is the owner of B&C Kennels, Clare, located in DeKalb County west of Annie Glidden Road. She hopes to establish a second facility at 14189 E. Dutch Rd. on the east side of Ogle County. The site is zoned for agricultural use, and the request asks for a special use permit to allow dog breeding, import and sale of puppies, dog grooming, and dog obedience training at the kennel. Hardt told the ZBA that she wants to move the puppy sales from Clare to the new location. She said she sells an average of 100 pups a month, most of which come from A-1 Kennels, Morris Forreston Animal Control Officer Paul White asks a Chapel, Tennessee, which is question at the ZBA Hearing on April 27. Photo by Turn to A7 Earleen Hinton
Library News, A9 Marriage Licenses, A4 Polo Police, A2 Pine Creek News, A3 Public Voice, A7
Property Transfers, B4 Senior Center News, A8 Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com
Deaths, B4 Avis J. Donahue