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ON THE COVER
Former DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott speaks May 27, 2021, during a ceremony opening the expansion of the DeKalb County Jail in Sycamore. Scott died Feb. 23.
See story, page 6.
Mark Busch file photo
WLBK cuts morning show, staff
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Citing ongoing financial challenges, management at the WLBK FM 98.9/ AM 1360 radio station in DeKalb has pulled the plug on its morning show staff, the station announced in a social media post Feb. 25.
The decision came last week when the station saw the departure of some of its team members. Morning show staples TD Ryan,
who through his role has organized community service drives for decades including Freezin’ For Food and Let’s Talk Turkey, and newsman Dan Lynch were not on air last week.
“We deeply appreciate their contributions and understand the personal impact this decision has on them,” the station said in a statement on its Facebook page.
“This move was not made lightly but was driven by ongoing financial challenges.”
The station’s management at WLBK
WSQR included plans in its announcement to continue DeKalb County-centric broadcasts.
“While our traditional morning show is ending, we remain committed to our listeners and to the DeKalb community,” the station said in a statement. “We are transitioning to a music-centered morning show that still provides daily sports, weather and local news.”
Attempts to reach WLBK for comment were unsuccessful.
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
DeKalb library to host election forums March 9
DeKALB – Voters will get a chance to learn more about candidates for DeKalb city and township races on March 9 ahead of the April 1 Consolidated Election.
The DeKalb Public Library will partner with the DeKalb Election Group to host four election forums for voters to ask candidates questions.
Doors open at 1:15 p.m. for voters to submit questions in advance and get to know candidates. Index cards will be provided. The forums will take place in the library’s lower-level Yusunas Meeting Room, 309 Oak St. Attendees can submit questions in the races for DeKalb City Clerk, DeKalb mayor, DeKalb School District 428 board and DeKalb Township Supervisor. Participants can record the forums. The moderator will be WNIJ journalist
Susan Stephens.
All the candidates were invited and most have agreed to participate, according to a news release.
The mayoral forum begins at 1:45 p.m., followed by DeKalb City Clerk at 2:30 p.m., school board at 2:50 p.m. and Township Supervisor at 3:45 p.m.
Early voting begins in DeKalb County on March 17.
For information, email samanthah@dkpl. org or at call 815-756-9568, ext. 1701.
Extension to offer informational session on field trials for farmers
SYCAMORE – The University of Illinois Extension will host an informational session for farmers to learn about the extension’s Phosphorus and Potassium Omission Trials.
The program will be held at 10 a.m. March 11 at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, 1350
W. Prairie Drive, Sycamore.
Attendees can learn about the study, field trial participation requirements and what researchers look for in participants. The trials are being conducted by the University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences Soils Lab in partnership with KSI Laboratories.
The session will be led by researcher Andrew Margenot, Ph.D.
The goal of the trials is to provide soil test values for phosphorus and potassium updates. The updates will help optimize crop nutrition and enhance farming practices across Illinois. The project is partially funded by the Nutrient Research and Education Council.
Registration is required by March 7. To register, visit go.illinois.edu/PPOT.
For information, call 815-758-8194 or email cahandel@illinois.edu. – Shaw Local News Network
is important to The MidWeek. Please call errors to our attention by phone at 815-526-4411 or email at readit@midweeknews.com.
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
Community storytelling workshop set for March 13 in DeKalb DeKALB – The DeKalb County History Center and Ellwood House Museum will hold a “Community Storytelling Workshop” as part of the Arts in Action initiative.
The workshop will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. March 13 at Jubilee Artisans, 128 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb.
Attendees can explore storytelling principles and receive tips on crafting and performing stories. The workshop will be led by former professor and storyteller Ada Cheng, Ph.D.
No registration is required.
“Do you want to tell stories to connect with people emotionally and to create intimate communities with others? Do you want to speak your truths out loud unapologetically and with a firm commitment to your lived experiences?” Cheng said in a news release.
The history center and museum recently were awarded a Healing Illinois grant to fund the Arts in Action initiative. The goal is to tell the story of the area’s history more accurately and inclusively. The grant
will go toward funding initiative programs through June.
For information, visit dekalbcountyhistory.org, renegadeadacheng.com or createchange.today.
DeKalb Park District receives $13K for forestry initiatives
DeKALB – The DeKalb Park District has netted $13,120 in state grant money to help with local forestry initiatives including tree mapping and developing an urban management plan.
The grant was awarded through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ 2024-26 Urban Community Forestry Grant program. IDR funds are funneled through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Chicago Region Tree Initiative at the Morton Arboretum.
Among the initiatives that the 50/50 matching grant program will allow the park district to explore include partnering with the Great Lakes Urban Forestry to update its GIS Tree inventory and developing a comprehensive Urban Forestry Management Plan.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant, which will allow us to take a data-driven approach to tree management in our parks,” Mat Emken, superintendent of parks and development at the DeKalb Park District, said in a news release. “With the support of Great Lakes Urban Forestry, we can better assess our tree population, plan for future growth, and ensure a resilient and thriving urban forest for generations to come.”
The park district said it is committed to environmental stewardship, enhancing green spaces and promoting sustainable urban forests for the DeKalb community.
DeKalb-area photograph program set for March 9 at the Glidden Homestead
DeKALB – The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center’s next Soup-er Sunday program will feature a presentation on DeKalb-area photographs by wildlife photographer Michael Day. The program will be held at noon March 9 at the homestead, 921 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb.
The program is free for homestead
members and $5 for nonmembers.
Day will discuss his hyperlocal photography project. The photographs document and share the beauty and various creatures found in Prairie Park and Northern Illinois University’s campus. Prints, calendars and cards will be available to buy.
Day worked as an NIU professor of English and first-year composition program director for 20 years. He currently is co-authoring a Japanese in Chicago 1900-1940 book. Day also is working on a hyperlocal wildlife photography project.
Proceeds from the program will go toward the homestead. A house tour and soup also will be provided.
The Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center is a nonprofit organization working to preserve the home and barn while providing educational opportunities to the public.
For information, call 815-756-7904, visit gliddenhomestead.org or email jessi@ gliddenhomestead.org.
– Shaw Local News Network
Nguyen likely secures place on ballot for DeKalb mayor race in April election
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – Linh Nguyen, a Northern Illinois University educator and a former League of Women Voters president, has likely secured her name on the ballot for April’s DeKalb mayoral race after last week’s primary election.
That’s according to unofficial results for ballots cast in the Feb. 25 primary election.
“I am deeply humbled and incredibly grateful for the support from the DeKalb community,” Nguyen said in a statement. “And I am so encouraged to see this powerful commitment to the idea that our democratic government is stronger when all voices are included.”
If unofficial results hold, Nguyen’s name will appear with three other challengers to be DeKalb’s next mayor: incumbent Cohen Barnes, 7th Ward Alderman John Walker and Kouame Sanan, who works in NIU’s IT department.
Nguyen’s fight for the ballot was fraught with legal challenges and disputes with the city of DeKalb’s Electoral Board, which booted her name from the ballot in November, ruling that she didn’t file her papers properly. Her campaign has disputed that claim, brought forward by DeKalb resident Albert William Vodden, but unsuccessfully fought the board’s ruling in court.
In December, Nguyen filed another round of candidacy papers, which saw her run as the sole write-in candidate in the Feb. 25 Democratic primary for DeKalb mayor.
It was the only primary race in the county.
DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder Tasha Sims said her office, which administered the election, had a successful day.
“It was certainly quieter, definitely as opposed to November,” Sims said. “We had absolutely no issues at all. I would say it was a very successful election. It was interesting to see how many
DeKalb resident
past president of The League of Women Voters of DeKalb County, is running for DeKalb mayor in 2025.
people cast ballots because I just had no idea how many people would participate.”
Unofficial results showed more than 365 voters cast ballots for the primary, and 72 ballots were cast on Election Day.
Officials previously said Nguyen needed 20 valid votes to make it onto the April 1 ballot.
The unofficial write-in results will be publicized Thursday, Sims said.
“We’ll have the breakdown of exactly how many were valid, how many were not valid,” Sims said. “But she does have over 20. I can confirm that.”
Sims said her office needs to handcount the ballots to verify the validity of each of them.
She said the clerk’s office mailed out 750 ballots to those who requested Democratic primary ballots on a permanent basis.
“We received 150 of those, so we do have 600 ballots outstanding,” Sims said. “Though, historically, we only expect a small amount of those to ultimately be received.”
The results from the primary election become official and certified March 11, officials said.
“We will have already begun early voting for the April consolidated election starting March 7,” Sims said.
Mark Busch file photo
Linh Nguyen, a
Former DeKalb police chief named city’s building inspector
By KELSEY RETTKE krettke@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – A former DeKalb police chief has a new gig in the city.
John Petragallo, who worked with the city’s police department for almost three decades and most recently as interim chief in 2020, was appointed chief building inspector Feb. 18 in DeKalb, according to city documents released ahead of the Feb. 24 City Council meeting. City staff introduced Petragallo in his new role on Feb. 24.
Petragallo previously served as DeKalb’s top cop after he was named interim police chief in May 2019 following the retirement of former Chief Gene
Lowery. Petragallo was a police officer since 1994 in DeKalb. He worked as a patrol officer and moved up the ranks to commander, deputy chief and then interim chief. He withdrew his name from the full-time chief contender list, citing a desire to retire and move on to other career opportunities in January 2020.
Petragallo remained in the role until June 2020, when he was replaced by interim Chief Bob Redel, who also now works in city administration. Redel is DeKalb’s assistant city manager and also oversees the city’s crime-free housing program.
Petragallo’s new city role isn’t the first time he’s worked in building safety. Petragallo previously worked as property maintenance inspector for the city of Yorkville’s Building Safety and Zoning Department.
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
Illinois agriculture organization to offer 4 ag scholarships
DeKALB – The Illinois Agri-Women will award four scholarships to female students who plan on studying agriculture. A $1,500 Helen Henert Agriculture Education Scholarship is available for a student majoring in agriculture education graduating from an Illinois school next year. The organization also will offer three $1,000 WCFA Agent of Change Scholarships to students who attended a Women Changing the Face of Agriculture Conference.
Applicants include former conference attendees and 2021 WCFA Online Curriculum student participants. The scholarships will be awarded to a high school senior, current college student and current graduate student. Applications can be submitted online. To apply, visit womenchanzingthefaceofagriculture.com or illinoisagriwomen.org. The deadline is March 31.
The Illinois Agri-Women is a farm and agri-businesswomen organization working to promote a better understanding of agriculture and the family farm system. For information, visit womenchanzingth-
efaceofagriculture.com or illinoisagriwomen.org.
Pre-Civil War quilts presentation set for March 12 in Somonauk
SOMONAUK – The Friends of the Somonauk Library will partner with the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau to host “Pre-Civil War Quilts: Secret Codes to Freedom on the Underground Railroad.”
The presentation will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 12 at the library, 700 E. LaSalle St.
Attendees will learn how quilt making guided runaway slaves though the Underground Railroad. The presentation will be led by retired teacher, veteran fitness instructor and Road Scholar Connie Martin.
“Individual quilts would include specific blocks (patterns) that would indicate direction to travel, farms to avoid, etc. The codes were quite ingenious and in plain site,” Friends of the Somonauk Library vice president Shel DeYoung Dunn said in a news release.
For information, visit somonauklibrary. org or email atouchofpunk@gmail.com. – Shaw Local News Network
John Petragallo
Devoted family man, lifelong public servant
Roger Scott, longtime DeKalb County sheriff, dies at 78
By KELSEY RETTKE krettke@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – For most of Roger Scott’s 78 years on this earth, he spent time helping people in the community he’d long since called home.
It seems perhaps fitting then, that even in his absence that mission continues. He did, after all, devote more than 50 years to work in the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Many there still speak about the training he gave them, the example he left them, and the respect he showed others along the way as a blueprint for the duties they carry on.
Scott, longtime DeKalb County sheriff who retired in 2021 after more than three decades at the helm, died Feb. 23.
Sheriff Andy Sullivan worked with Scott since 1996. The fierce family man, devoted father, humble Christian and stalwart public servant died peacefully at home surrounded by his family, Sullivan said. He turned 78 in January.
“He was a dear friend, teacher, mentor to so many of us,” Sullivan said in an emotional interview. “And he lived his life selflessly serving others and always was a beacon of inspiration to so many.”
Although Scott’s legacy is most widely known because he served 36 years as elected county sheriff and 52 years total with the office, his family was his greatest pride and joy, Sullivan said.
“He was a huge family man, his family meant everything to him,” Sullivan said. “Of all of his accomplishments, I think his family is his greatest accomplishment for sure. They endured him working in this profession for so long. You miss certain things because the job requires that. But they were his absolute treasure.”
‘He was a cop’s cop’
Scott and his wife of more than 50 years, Marcia Scott, lived in DeKalb. Over the years they welcomed into their home more than 55 foster care babies. Together, the Scotts shared 11 children including three biological children and seven they adopted: Nathan, Heather, Daniel, David, Alex, Angie, Ebony, Thomas, Ashton, Evalina and Bella.
Scott was an avid Chicago Cubs fan. When he could get the chance on a rare weekend off, he’d take the kids to Wrigley Field, longtime friend and colleague
Kevin Hickey said.
Hickey – who said Scott was “more like a brother than a boss” – retired in 2010 after serving 15 years as chief deputy under Scott. The late sheriff was just a lieutenant when he hired Hickey in 1976.
“He was very open with everyone. What you see is what you got with Roger,” Hickey said. “He was very sincere. First and foremost in every decision he made, he was guided by scripture. His faith and his family were of the utmost importance to him.”
Lifelong public service was in his blood even before Scott wore the sheriff’s badge. Before he went into law enforcement, Scott served in the U.S. Air Force. His five brothers also served
in the military. One brother, Wilbur Scott, was DeKalb County sheriff from 1970 to 1984. Roger, 12 years younger, took up the helm in 1985. Hickey said Scott always credited his brother Wilbur for laying the foundation.
The late sheriff had an open door policy at work: Whether resident, attorney, County Board member or fellow officer, he’d invite them in and listen.
“Occasionally if people got disrespectful, he was known to throw a person or two out of his office, and that included attorneys,” Hickey said with an amused chuckle.
But Scott also was someone to walk the walk. He kept his boots on the ground even as sheriff. He’d never ask any of his deputies to do something he
wouldn’t do himself, Hickey said. If Scott was closest to a 911 call, he’d respond himself. And he’d handle the call from start to finish.
“He was a cop’s cop,” Hickey said.
When Scott wasn’t working, he was simply Dad. On his days off, he took the kids fishing and hiking, he told Shaw Local News Network during a 2019 interview when Marcia received a national award for her work in foster care. The Scotts said at the time they’d rather stay “out of the spotlight.”
Sullivan said he thinks Scott would feel the same way now. A service-before-self kind of guy, Scott wasn’t one to toot his own horn.
Shaw Local News Network file photo
DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott accepts a street sign June 21, 2021, with his name on it from the acting City Manager Maggie Peck as North Locust Street will be named after Scott as he retires. Scott died Feb. 23 at home.
He was a dear friend, teacher, mentor to so many of us. And he lived his life selflessly serving others and always was a beacon of inspiration to so many.”
Andy Sullivan, DeKalb County sheriff
DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott smiles as he and and his wife, Marcia, talk at their home in DeKalb, about the 10 kids, seven of them adopted, that they have raised and the more than 40 children that they’ve fostered over the years.
Continued from page 6
A public service-minded community leader who more than once sought reelection as a Republican unopposed, Scott announced his retirement in mid2021. It came “after several months of prayer and consultation with trusted friends,” he’d said. Scott had worked in the sheriff’s office since 1969.
“My greatest appreciation and love are for my wife, Marcia, and all our children who being the sheriff’s family endured and sacrificed much along the way,” Scott said in May 2021 in his retirement announcement.
The late sheriff quoted the Bible in
his retirement message. The passage from Romans 13:4 about law enforcement reads “For he is the minister of God to thee for good...and does not bear the sword in vain.”
Sullivan said he still spoke to Scott weekly.
Scott was sheriff when Sullivan, who grew up locally, was just a kid.
“I was 10 years old when he was sheriff,” Sullivan said.
Legacy’s lessons
Sullivan, who started as a corrections officer in the county jail in 1996, then transferred to patrol, later became Scott’s right hand man. He worked as
Mark Busch file photo
• ROGER SCOTT
Continued from page 7
the sheriff’s chief deputy for six years until he himself was elected.
Sullivan said Scott, who he once referred to as a father figure, “served with integrity, honor and distinction.”
Working more than 50 years in a department will teach someone a thing or two about policing. And Scott wasn’t shy about sharing the wisdom he’d gained with others.
Hickey said he doesn’t think another will break Scott’s record for longevity of service in DeKalb County. His lessons in accountability also stand out. Scott believed in the work he did for DeKalb County residents, and felt responsible for them all, Hickey said.
Scott’s death will echo across the state, too. He carried “a deep love” for the sheriff’s office and its mission, Sullivan said. He also was part of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association.
To many outside of the county, Scott was “a tremendous leader,” Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, said.
“There is no doubt that his passing will leave a tremendous void in his family that he cared for and loved so deeply, but also for all that had the honor of
continue to be seen and felt by all involved with the ISA.”
The lessons Sullivan learned from the longtime law enforcement officer stay with him now.
“He helped me learn so many things within this job and within this profession,” Sullivan said.
What kind of lessons? “Making sure that you’re doing the right thing for the right reasons at the right time,” Sullivan said. “Always trying to think of the bigger picture at that 19,000-foot level, and trying to make wise decisions.”
Scott’s final day on the job was June 23, 2021. He stayed in touch however.
“Even to this day with both of us retired, we got together for coffees and lunch quite often,” Hickey said. “And that’s going to be a big void, just our personal contact since retirement. I’m going to miss that. And of course I’ll miss his guidance and his counsel. He was very patriotic. He loved his country and loved the people of DeKalb County.”
knowing him in the profession that he truly loved,” Kaitschuk said. “His depar-
ture is a tremendous loss for this organization, but his stamp of influence will
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. March 6 at Bethany Road Bible Church, 2215 Bethany Road, DeKalb. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. March 7 at Bethany Road Bible Church with the Rev. Robert Stewart officiating. Interment will follow at Fairview Park Cemetery in DeKalb with police and military honors.
Mark Busch file photo
DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott gives a thumbs up Jan. 20, 2021, after receiving the first of two scheduled injections of the COVID-19 vaccine from Northern Illinois University nursing student Christian Blessing in DeKalb.
LOOKING BACK
1925 – 100 YEARS AGO
Announcement is made today that O. H. Shaver on Saturday will open a place of business to be known as the North Second Grocery & Delicatessen, in the building at North Second and Locust streets. The interior has been fitted up very nicely, the shelves have been filled with first-class brands of groceries, canned goods and other eatables, and it is expected that within a few weeks more merchandise will be added, depending on the people’s wants.
Plans for the further beautification of Elmwood cemetery, Sycamore’s “city of the dead” are being considered at this time by the offers of the association, which, if executed, will make this burial ground one of the most beautiful in this section of the state. Elmwood cemetery is now a beautiful resting place for the departed loved ones, but the officers of the association feel that as the finances warrant, other improvements may be made from time to time that will add to the beauty.
Contractor B. J. Nelson has been successful in getting much of his material on the ground early, which will be used in the construction of the new bank building in Sycamore. The work at the bank was again taken up today and the contractor states that as long as the weather continues as favorable as it is now, there will be a large force of men at work there. Much of the foundation work has been completed and with a few more days of favorable weather, the preliminary work will have been given attention.
Wishing to observe the inauguration yesterday of President Coolidge, the businessmen of DeKalb erected flags in the downtown district. Many of the early people in the business district did not know why the flags were flying and spent much time in finding out the reason for the decorations. With the exception of a few instances, the residential districts of this city did not observe the day by flying flags. It is understood that DeKalb went to great pains to observe the event, while other nearby cities were not making any effort.
Failure on the part of the tumblers in the combination of the currency safe at the First National bank to work on Monday
morning has caused the institution to seek the aid of safe blowers in attempting to gain an entrance to the safe.
1950 – 75 YEARS AGO
At a dinner meeting for staff members held last night at the Rice Hotel, Arthur Buehring, owner of the DeKalb Dairy Co., and his son, Arthur W. Buehring, announced that arrangements have been successfully completed for the affiliation of the DeKalb Dairy Co. with Beatrice Foods Co., producers of nationally known Meadow Gold dairy products.
Mary Lou and Frankie Willis of Clare have been absent from school in Sycamore with flu and colds. Almost every home in this locality has one of two flu victims at this time.
Ideal Industries Inc., has purchased the entire business and assets of Tincher Products Co., Chicago, it has announced today. The Tincher company already has been moved to Sycamore and now is housed in a portion of the giant Ideal plant. It will continue to operate under the Tincher name, but will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ideal Industries. The Tincher process is a chemical to seal castings against the seepage of water or other liquids through the pores of the metal. It is called “sealing porosity in castings.”
Military men know that in war the quickest way to win is to cut off food and fuel to the other side. Both Japan and Germany were whipped because of this
type of blockade. It appears that some are not above using the same tactics on their friends and neighbors right here at home. One wonders if the coal strike is the first of a long succession of strikes in critical industries, each of which could cripple the nation.
Located on South Second Street, a modern one-story building is the headquarters of the DeKalb Clinic, which has been constructed during the past new months and is now the headquarters for Dr. Paul Carney, Dr. Kurt Biss and Dr. Grand Suttle.
The coal shortage hit Sycamore hard today. The school board ordered all Sycamore schools closed this afternoon until the coal strike is settled and more coal can be obtained.
A legislative program is to be presented by American Legion Post 570 and Auxiliary at the Leland High School on Wednesday, March 15. Everett M. Dirksen, Peking, who has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate from Illinois will be the speaker.
1975 – 50 YEARS AGO
The DeKalb Planning Commission voted against a preliminary plat for a subdivision on the south side last night. The plat contains about 10 lots. The site is on South Second Street and south of Pine Acres subdivision. Bradt-Milner Inc. requested the plat review by the planners.
Inability to buy malpractice insurance threatens a plan to expand physician coverage of the DeKalb Public Hospital emergency room. Hospital directors Tuesday adopted a plan to place doctors in the emergency room at night and on weekends. The plan, however, hinges on additional malpractice insurance.
A large majority of parents in the DeKalb school district support the open enrollment policy. The DeKalb Bord of Education, one year ago, adopted the policy of allowing students to attend schools other than those in their neighborhoods.
One portion of a proposed downtown DeKalb improvement project would be the extension of Locust Street from Fifth to Seventh Street.
Burglars broke into the home of J. Jenings Saturday night and took about $75 in coins. The intruders entered by breaking a window in the front door.
2000 – 25 YEARS AGO
Work will begin March 13 on removal of the existing bridge that carries Illinois 23 over a branch of the Kishwaukee River one mile north of Illinois 64, just north of Sycamore. IDOT plans to replace the span with a triple box culvert.
The jury is still out on the proposed rail port in Maple Park. Supporters are touting the plan as a real economic development tool for the area. Warehousing, which is a clean industry and provides relatively high-paying jobs, may follow if a rail port is built in Maple Park.
Fashion Bug officially moved to its new location Thursday, 2451 Sycamore Road. The 7,800-square-foot store features apparel for almost any woman. A part of the community since 1982, Fashion Bug formerly was located in Northland Plaza on Sycamore Road.
After 65 years, Sandwich pharmacist Richard C. Holland will retire from the pharmacy business today. His retirement marks the end of an era for Sandwich. It began in 1926 when his father, Richard L. Holland, opened Holland’s Drug Store. – Compiled by Sue Breese
Photo provided by DeKalb County History Center
Planes are seen in front of DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport’s main hangar in October 1990.
Nonprofit organization registration open for Give DeKalb County 2025
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – Eligible nonprofit organizations can register for Give DeKalb County 2025 before the April 1 deadline.
Now in its 12th year, the annual fundraising event features multiple ways to support nonprofit organizations.
Donors can give online from midnight April 30 to midnight May 1 at GiveDeKalbCounty.org. Between April 17 and May 1, those who prefer to donate by check can print a donation form from the website and give by mail. Donations from Individual Retirement Accounts also are accepted following the mail-in guidelines.
Give DeKalb County is coordinated by the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership, a program of the DeKalb County Community Foundation. The previous 11 giving days raised over $10.7 million combined.
“Over $2 million was contributed by thousands of donors during last year’s Give DeKalb County,” Director Ben Bingle said in a news release. “This inspiring effort uplifts local communities and highlights the generosity of donors near and far.”
Participating nonprofits must be 501(c)(3) organizations located in or serving DeKalb County, legally registered with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and 2025 DCNP members by March 1. The deadline to register for Give DeKalb County as a participating organization is April 1. Online registration and additional details are available at GiveDeKalbCounty.org.
“As we kick off Give DeKalb County 2025, now is the time for nonprofits to
check their eligibility and sign up by visiting GiveDeKalbCounty.org,” Bingle said.
DCNP raises funds for the Bonus Pool and each Give DeKalb County donation is boosted by a percentage of these dollars. The Bonus Pool is possible because of support from Community Partners, including: AM/PM Solutions & Services LLC, Anonymous, Craig and Joyce Mathey, Curran Family, Dan and Kathy Schewe, DeKalb County Community Foundation, Gary and Joan Hanson Fund, Heartland Bank and Trust Co., Herb and Linda Holderman, James and Karen Buck, James A. and Christine J. Johnson, Jerry and Annette Johns, Lehan Family Fund, Lynne Waldeland, Mark Mannebach and Erika Schlichter, Mary Lou and Phil Eubanks Fund, Meta, Paul and Cheryl Callighan, Pipestone, State Farm – Keicher Insurance Agency, Stephen Kalber, Terri Smialek and Marc Strauss Fund, The Suter Co., Transformation Through Rhythm, Turner Family Charitable Fund, Victoria Young Charitable Fund and Wrennhouse Fund.
The following Media Sponsors donate advertising and promotional support: 94.9 WDKB, 98.9 WLBK, 102.3 The Coyote, 107.1 WSPY, Banner Up Signs, City of DeKalb, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, First National Bank of Omaha, Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce, LePrint Express, Local Exposure, OC Creative, OLT Marketing, Sandwich Area Chamber of Commerce, Sandwich Public Library District, Shaw Media and Sycamore Chamber of Commerce. Contact DCNP Director Ben Bingle at 815-748-5383 or dcnp@dekalbccf.org for information about becoming a Community Partner or Media Sponsor, or with questions.
OPEN HOUSE
DENNY’S CORN CRIB
Photo provided by DeKalb County Community Foundation
Eligible nonprofit organizations can register for Give DeKalb County 2025 before April 1.
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
League of Women Voters to offer election candidate recordings
DeKALB – The League of Women Voters of DeKalb County will record election candidates’ responses to questions for voters.
The recordings will be posted in midMarch.
The league will record answers to two questions. Voters can listen to the recordings at their convenience. They will be available at LWVDKC.org and WNIJ.org.
The recordings will be available for the following races:
• DeKalb, Sandwich and Cortland mayor
• Waterman village president
• DeKalb city clerk
• District 428, Sycamore, Sandwich and Genoa-Kingston school board
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that aims to support democracy by encouraging citizens to make their voices count at the ballot box.
Retired teachers group meeting set for March 11 in DeKalb
DeKALB – The DeKalb County Retired Teachers’ Association will meet at 11 a.m. March 11 at the Lincoln Inn, 302 Grove St., DeKalb.
The featured speaker is Rob Glover, DeKalb County History Center archivist and collection specialist. He will discuss how to preserve photos.
Retired teachers are encouraged to attend. Registration is required by March 7. To register, call 815-895-5494.
Grief support group to meet March 11 and 25 in DeKalb
DeKALB – The DeKalb Public Library will host two support group meetings for adults experiencing grief and loss. The meetings will be held at 1 p.m. March 11 and 25 in the library’s lower-level Bilder Family Meeting Room, 309 Oak St. Attendees can meet other people experiencing loss and grief to receive support in a confidential and safe setting. Participants will learn about grief, share
grief experiences, and receive grieving process insights from peers and the group facilitator, Lee Scott, a licensed clinical social worker.
No registration is required.
The support group does not replace other mental health services. If you need individual counseling or other mental health services, call 815-397-3691 or 211. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or need immediate attention for a non-life-threatening mental health need, call 988. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
For information, email chelsear@dkpl.org or call 815-756-9568, ext. 1700.
March 6 lecture to feature Lincoln Highway history
DeKALB – The March hybrid Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore series at the Ellwood House Museum will feature a program on the history of Lincoln Highway.
The free program will be held at noon March 6 at the museum, 420 Linden Place, DeKalb.
Lincoln Highway Association director-at-large and guest lecturer Ed Kozak will share the story of the nation’s first coast to coast highway. The U.S. had 2.5 million miles of roads in 1912. The roads went nowhere without organized planning and while city roads were gravel or brick, weather conditions could make traveling over bumps or mud impossible.
The “History of the Lincoln Highway” program is part of Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore, a free lecture series offered as part of a collaboration between the Ellwood House Museum and the DeKalb County History Center.
Brown Bag Lunch and Local Lore is funded in part by the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture Fund.
For information, visit ellwoodhouse.org/ lectures.
– Shaw Local News Network
ShawLocal.com/ games
Ed Kozak
Fired Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie employees speak out
By DENISE M. BARAN-UNLAND dunland@shawmedia.com
Four former employees at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Wilmington are upset about being terminated for “poor performance” when they feel their performance has been anything but.
Abbot Hays, 27, of Chicago, youth program coordinator; Erick “Iggy” Ignaczak, 44, of Berwyn, facilities operations specialist; Harsha Pandaraboyina, 23, of Crest Hill, range ecologist; and Emily Harvey, 35, of Manhattan, natural resource education specialist, feel they lost their jobs as part of President Donald Trump’s federal spending cuts.
The U.S. Forest Service recently fired 3,400 employees – which included employees at Midewin – and the National Park Service recently terminated 1,000.
Harvey said it wasn’t her supervisor who “decided I should lose my job.”
“It was literally that my name was on a list of people who worked there under two years,” Harvey said.
According to a written statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency had to make the “difficult decision” to release “2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees from the Forest Service,” stressing that the employees who lost their job were “probationary in status, many of whom were compensated by temporary [Inflation Reduction Act] funding.”
‘Easy target’
Hays, a former Student Conservation Association employee, said she started working full time at Midewin 18 months ago as the youth program coordinator, where she presented programming for high school youth, participated in career fairs and ran the summer Youth Conservation Corps.
Hays said she worked on a four-person education team and said all four received the same paperwork and packets, and “no severance or recourse.”
Hays called the firing “illegal” because federal employees are not at-will employees; federal firings are based on performance reviews and “lots and lots of data built up over time.”
She said she was simply “an easy target” because she still was on probation, and she feels badly for longtime employees who recently transitioned into new roles and also were terminated.
“Right now, there’s a lot of lawyers and unions and other people fighting it,” Hays said.
She said she planned to build her life’s career at Midewin since she’s passionate about educating youth about conservation, restoration and sustainability, “but that was pulled out from underneath me, and now I have to make a new plan.”
Ignaczak said he brought 20 years of experience to his role when he came to Midewin 13 months ago to fill a longtime vacant post to maintain the facilities “wall to wall, ceiling to ceiling.”
“I was an independent contractor beforehand, and I liked the stability of a federal job,” Ignaczak said, adding that he planned to stay at Midewin until retirement. “It took me about five and a half months of going through the process onboarding and actually walking through the front door for the first day.”
Ignaczak said he was fired Feb. 15.
He said the people “let go” at Midewin were hardworking people who didn’t deserve the terminations. He planned to add his name to two class-action lawsuits that are being filed.
“I’m happy to fight,” Ignaczak said. “But it all seems futile now.”
Pandaraboyina said he was the “point of contact for all the things that go into wildlife botany.” He was a conservation land management intern in the summer of 2023 and started working at Midewin when his internship ended.
He was “horrified” to be fired on Presidents Day and said the firing was the “worst thing that happened to me in my life.”
A Massachusetts native, Pandaraboyina said he had just signed a new
lease to his apartment Feb. 16.
Pandaraboyina is actually moving back into his parents’ home to “find a job, I guess.”
But Pandaraboyina is not happy about it.
“I had planned to be with the forest service for decades,” he said. “I’m not really a big change kind of guy.”
‘Not going down quietly’
Harvey recalled “absolutely traumatizing” days leading up to the terminations.
This included a “barrage of emails that came almost every day at 1 in the morning or 4:30 on a Friday” that “stripped away everyone’s rights,” including pronoun preferences and LGBTQ+ emblems around signatures, Harvey said.
Harvey said the emails, many from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, often had the tone of “we’re lazy people who don’t work hard.”
“The fact we were fired is a slap in the face,” Harvey said.
Harvey said she’s “not going down quietly.” People need to understand the long-term impact on thousands of people and national parks, she said.
“This is much bigger to me than me personally losing my job,” Harvey said.
Photo provided by Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Jennifer Durkin, a horticulturist at Midewin National Tallgress Prairie and Kala Soto Martinez study a compass plant at the Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
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