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POLO
Tri-County Press December 14, 2017 Volume 159, Number 33- $1.00
Early Lead Fizzles
Recall Notice
Last Call
Lady Marcos take early lead but fall to Lady Cardinals Friday night. B1
Fire extinguishers are recalled due to possible malfunction. B3
Dec. 15 is the deadline to donate to Earth Angels for gifts for kids. A6
Polo woman dies in crash on icy highway By Vinde Wells vwells@oglecounty news.com
The Polo Community Choir sings “That First Cry.” The program at Faith United Methodist Church, “We’re Glad You Came,” gave a chance for visitors to worship and celebrate together with Christmas approaching. More pictures appear on A3. Photo by Zach Arbogast.
Church Christmas cantata sings “We’re Glad You Came” By Zach Arbogast zarbogast@oglecounty news.com Faith United Methodist Church put on its yearly community choir program Sunday afternoon, this year performing “We’re Glad You Came,” a creation by Joel Lindsey and Jeff Bumgardner with arrangements from David Wise and David Shipps. Directed by Jean Frey, the onehour program featured 11 songs, not
counting a prelude from Marla Buskohl, Cheryl Goeking, and Julie McGuire, a performance from the Bell Choir, and a processional and recessional. Solos were sung by Robin Jefford, Dave Sowinski, and Randy Hayes, and narration between musical numbers was provided by Beverly Wiemken. The choir consisted of: Sopranos — Jan Bates, Robin Jefford, Diana Maginnis, Rev. Leslie Lake, Barbara Sims, and Beth Weigmann. Altos — Sandy Burris, Marla
Buskohl, Carol Brown, Kathryn LeBaron, Kate O’Connor, Tena Terry, and Beverly Wiemken. Tenors — Randy Hayes, Bob Lake, and Karen Scholl. Basses — Phil Frey, Ron Hammer, Rev. Brian LeBaron, Mark Maginnis, David Poole, and Dave Sowinski. Bell Choir — Jan Bates, Nona Forster, Jean Frey, Randy Hayes, Robin Jefford, Diana Maginnis, Randy Ocken, Nancy Ocken, and Karen Scholl.
A 26-year-old Polo woman died Monday afternoon after a twovehicle crash on an icy highway. Lee County Coroner Jesse Partington said Sarah Johnson, who was 29 weeks pregnant, died from blunt force trauma. Her unborn baby also died. Johnson was a front seat passenger in a car driven by her husband, Daryl, 27. Their 3-year-old daughter Kylia was also a passenger in the car. According to a press release from Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle, the car was traveling north on Ill. 26 approximately three miles south of Polo near the intersection with Edgewood Road when it went out of control on the snow-covered roadway. It entered the southbound lane when it was struck on the passenger side by a pick-up truck driven by Dan Ditzler, 29, of Polo. The crash occurred at 3:45 p.m. The Johnsons were extricated from their car
and transported to KSB Hospital, Dixon, where Sarah was later pronounced dead. Her husband and daughter suffered serious injuries and have been transferred to a Rockford hospital. Ditzler and his three passengers, a 7-monthold girl, a 2-year-old girl, and 5-year-old boy, were transported to KSB for minor injuries. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Polo Fire Department, Polo Police Department, Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Transportation, Dixon Rural Fire Department, and CGH Ambulance. The crash remains under investigation. The fast-moving snowstorm Monday afternoon dropped between one and three inches of wet snow across the county and caused road conditions to deteriorate quickly, which led to numerous accidents. “Between 3:15 and 6:15 we had 19 accidents,” VanVickle said. Ten of those were crashes that resulted in three injuries, and the other nine were vehicles that slid into the ditch, he said.
Neighbors pay tribute to father, son killed in explosion By Rachel Rodgers rrodgers@saukvalley.com A brigade of tractors stretched down a Lee County road on Saturday, providing a powerful tribute to two farmers who were laid to rest on a brisk late fall afternoon. Massive and unyielding, the 51 tractors parked in a row across from Prairie Repose Cemetery in Amboy were waiting to usher in their fallen brothers with flags billowing sharply in the wind. It was a way for Rory and Ryan Miller’s extended farm family to honor the father and son who died Dec. 5 in an explosion after striking a natural gas pipeline when they were laying tile on a field northeast of the intersection of Ill. 38 and Nachusa Road. “They were part of the fabric that makes up our Lee County community, and there’s a hole left now,” said Lee County farmer Katie Pratt, who helped organize the showing of solidarity honoring the men and supporting their family. If it was harvest season, those tractors would be put to work on Miller’s fields helping to bring in the crop – but the farming community answers the call unquestioningly when one of
their own is in need. “It’s been a surreal week, and there’s a strong feeling of wanting to help, wanting to do something to show support for the family,” Pratt said. “People just want to do something to make it better, and this is a way we can show up.” Farming was a shared passion between Rory, 59, of Amboy, and Ryan, 30, of Oregon, as well as working together as CPAs during tax season for Wipfli Inc. in Dixon, Rory for about 35 years and Ryan for three years. Funeral services for the two were held on Saturday morning at New Life Lutheran Church in Sterling. Among the outpouring of prayers and condolences during the week, a group of farmers wanted to give a testament to the Millers while respecting the family’s privacy during the burial. Pratt spread the word with a Facebook post asking farmers to join in the tribute, and it was shared more than 500 times. “It was the simplest way to show our support but also the one that would have the most impact,” she said. Rory and his wife, Kathy, Tractors line up across the street from Prairie Repose Cemetery in Amboy on Saturday in honor of Rory and Ryan
Miller, who were laid to rest that day. The father and son farmers died in an explosion last week when their tractor
Turn to A7 hit a natural gas pipeline in rural Lee County. Photo by Alex T. Paschal, Sauk Valley Media
In This Week’s Edition...
Church News, A5 Classifieds, B5-B8 Entertainment, A6 Marriage Licenses, A4
Pine Creek News, A3 Polo Police, A8 Public Voice, A4 Property Transfers, B3
Sheriff’s Arrests, B3 Social News, A4 Sports, B1, B2
Deaths, A4 & B4 Elmer P. Canik, Glenn W. Chamberlin, LaVerne K. Janicke, Marilyn J. Ludwig
Published every Thursday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media • www.oglecountynews.com