Serving the Polo Area Since 1857
POLO Spelling Bee
Tri-County Press June 8, 2017 Volume 159, Number 26 - $1.00
Co-Op a Success
Oregon’s City Wide Garage Sales are June 9-10. A9
A Polo student competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. A10
A co-op between the Forrestville and Polo school districts has success on the track. B2
Council awards bids for sewer, water upgrades By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com After resolving one alderman’s objections, the Polo City Council voted unanimously Monday evening to award sewer and water work to the low bidder, Fischer Excavating, Freeport. Alderman Randy Schoon said the concerns he had raised at the May 15 meeting
about Fischer’s work have been laid to rest by research and a conversation with Wayne Fischer, the company’s co-owner. “We received no negative reports about Fischer,” Schoon said. He said Wayne Fischer assured him that his crew would do high quality work for the city. “My concern here is that….we all walk away happy and don’t have to redo
something,” Schoon said. Schoon said May 15 that he had heard of other municipalities, most recently Dixon, that have had issues with Fischer’s work. He told engineer Matt Hansen of Willett, Hofmann & Associates, Dixon, that he should check into it further. Hansen presented the council with references from officials in five communities — Wenona,
Savanna, Rockford, Stockton, and Winnebago County — who were satisfied with work Fischer has done for them on recent projects. The council accepted Fischer’s bid of $932,722 to replace sewer and water mains on Maple Avenue and Oregon Street, install new water services on Oregon Street, and rehabilitate the lift station on South Congress Avenue.
The sewer mains and lift station rehab will be paid for with U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant and loan money, while city funds will be used to pay for the water mains which will cost approximately $227,617. The council also accepted a bid from Michaels Pipeline Service, Brownsville, Wisconsin, for $629,856 to reline 11,527 feet of sewer mains on Division
Avenue (Ill. 26) and in the downtown. That will also be paid for with the Rural Development grant and loan money. Action on both bids was tabled May 15. The council also accepted a bid from Porter Brothers Asphalt & Sealing, Inc., Rock Falls, for $83,908 to seal coat various streets. Porter’s was the lower of two bids.
Teen charged for Casey’s robbery
Mark Knie, president of the board of directors of the Granny Rose Animal Shelter, stands in the agility area of the shelter’s K-9 Enrichment Center in March of 2016, prior to its opening. The longtime business owner and champion of pets died May 30 after a long illness. Photo by Earleen Hinton
Area loses businessman, pet advocate By Ashley Cady acady@saukvalley.com Sauk Valley dogs and cats lost their best friend last week. Longtime business owner Mark Knie, 63, Polo, died May 30 after a long illness, said his wife, Laura. Knie was the second generation to operate Knie Appliance and TV Inc., which was founded in Polo in 1946, and also has a location in Sterling. He retired a few years go, and his brother David now runs the family business. Mark also was president of the Granny Rose Animal Shelter board, on which he served for more than 30 years.
“Everyone is still rather in shock,” said Judy Lohse, 66, of Franklin Grove, the shelter manager. “It was always very important to him that there be a safe place for animals to stay before they could find a new home,” Lohse said, adding that most of Knie’s own pets were adopted from the shelter. “He’s always been very big into educating the public in responsible pet care.” Knie also spearheaded the drive to fund and build the $1 million Granny Rose K-9 Enrichment Center, the creation of which had been a dream of his for many years. The 13,500-square-
foot center, which opened last year, is a showplace sanctioned by American Kennel Club and offers space to train all breeds of dog, with classes from obedience to dog psychology. Saturday’s ninth annual Show ‘N Show Off Day at the center in Dixon was dedicated to his memory, and donations can be made to the shelter in his name. Longtime shelter volunteer Rudy Rutherford, 55, Dixon, worked with Knie for eight years. “Gosh, you couldn’t get a better guy,” Rutherford said, adding that Knie was easy to work with and had a big heart. Tammy Merdian, 52,
Polo, a Polo Chamber of Commerce board member, knew Knie for more than 30 years and worked with the appliance store through the Scholl Insurance Agency. His volunteer work was priceless, she said, and everyone loved the commercials he used to do for the store. Although he spent most of his time at the Sterling location, Polo is a closeknit community where everyone acts like family, and he will be greatly missed, Merdian said. His loss “is going to be hard to overcome.” Polo Family Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Porchfest the first Encore! event By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com Porchfest this Saturday is just one of several upcoming community events aimed at developing Mt. Morris into a cultural arts destination. Encore! Mt. Morris, formed a little more than a year ago to promote arts in the community, is sponsoring the first of its kind event on Saturday, June 10. Encore! members Jeff Bold and Molly Baker said
the event will feature almost 20 different bands who will play on about 20 different porches throughout the village from 1 to 5 p.m. Residents have volunteered their porches to be used as bandstands for an afternoon of free entertainment for the public. “Basically we have a porch for each band,” Bold said. “They go on individual porches for about an hour each with time allowed in between for the listeners to get to the next session.”
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The porches are welldistributed throughout from Main Street to Brayton Road and Mulberry Avenue to Ogle Avenue, he said, with the intention of getting participants familiar with their neighbors and to meet new people. “We hope people will park their cars and walk from one porch to the next if possible,” Baker said. “Biking in between is also encouraged.” A list of porches and bands and a schedule and map can be found at EncorePorchfest.
Business Brief, A4 Church News, A5 Classifieds, B6-B10 Entertainment, A6 Fines, B4
info. Porchfest will be topped off with a free concert featuring Grass Attack at 7 p.m. at the downtown band shell. Encore! Mt. Morris, established in April of 2016, is a cultural initiative of the Mt. Morris Economic Development Corp., with the goal of developing the village into a unique, thriving rural and cultural arts destination in northwest Illinois.
Marriage Licenses, A4 Oregon Police, B3 Public Voice, A7 Property Transfers, B4
Turn to A2
Chief Kurt Cavanaugh A Polo teen was said. charged last week The two individuals with armed robbery — wearing bandanas in connection with and hoodies, and one of a robbery at Casey’s whom was brandishing General Store, Polo. a handgun – took an Polo police arrested Ricky J. Rippy, 18, Ricky J. undisclosed amount of around 8:30 a.m. May 31 Rippy cash from Casey’s and fled on foot. at his home in the 500 No one was injured. block of East Buffalo Street Rippy is being held in the and charged him with armed robbery, a Class X felony Ogle County Jail in lieu of carrying a sentence of 6 to 30 $25,000 bond. He appeared in court June 2. years in prison. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Rippy is accused of being one of the two masked white Department, Ogle County males who robbed Casey’s State’s Attorney’s office, and employees at gunpoint in the Illinois State Police assisted in early morning hours of May the investigation. Anyone with information 21. “Charges are pending is asked to call Polo police at against a second individual, 815-946-3912 or Ogle County and the incident is still under Crime Stoppers at 888-228investigation,” Polo Police 4488.
Former alderman sentenced last week By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
He was accused of theft between $500 and $10,000 and forging documents while he was employed by Birkey’s. A former Polo alderman According to information was sentenced to two years presented at Wednesday’s special probation hearing, Ackeberg May 31 for theft sold customers from the company he equipment for prices worked for. greater than actually David Ackeberg, agreed upon and then 39, pleaded guilty falsified documents in Ogle County to support that to Court to theft from Birkey’s officials Birkey’s Farm Store, on seven different David Polo, where he was a deals made between Ackeberg salesman. October of 2012 and A count of forgery was February of 2014. dropped as part of a plea The inflated prices were agreement. used to calculate his sales According to the terms of commissions. the agreement, Judge Clayton Ackeberg was represented Lindsey sentenced Ackeberg in court by Rochelle attorney to 24 months “second chance” Russ Crull. probation, which means that The case was prosecuted if he meets all the conditions by Sandra Talbott from the and successfully completes it, Illinois Attorney General’s a conviction will not go on his office because Ackeberg was record. a city official at the time of Lindsey also ordered the offenses, and the Illinois Ackeberg to perform 30 hours State Police handled the public service work and to pay investigation. Birkey’s $7,700 in restitution He served on the Polo City and $600 in probation fees. Council in Ward 2 from 2007 A hearing was set for May to 2009 and in Ward 1 from 29, 2019 to review the status 2013 until Aug. 1, 2016 when of the probation. he resigned citing personal Ackeberg was indicted by reasons. an Ogle County Grand Jury A Class 3 felony carries on July 27, 2016 for theft and a possible sentence of 2 to forgery. 5 years in state prison.
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B2 State’s Attorney, B4
Deaths, B5 Carroll Gene Coffman, Kathrine M. & William L. Incontro Sr., Mark Knie, Robert S. Law, R. Dean Macklin, Betty J. Reagan
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com