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STATE SCHOLARS
Photo provided by Forreston High School
Five Forreston High School students have been named 2025 Illinois State Scholars. Pictured (from left) are Morgan Penn, Michael Owens, Lucas Nelson, Sophia Lewis and Evelyn Haller. Story on page 2.
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5 FHS students named Illinois State Scholars
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
FORRESTON – Five Forreston High School students – Evelyn Haller, Sophia Lewis, Lucas Nelson, Michael Owens and Morgan Penn – have been named 2025 Illinois State Scholars. All are members of the 2025 graduating class.
Evelyn is the daughter of Jason and Nicki Haller.
Sophia is the daughter of Kent and Christie Lewis.
Lucas is the son of Shawn and Jennifer Nelson.
Michael is the son of Daniel and Kristy Owens.
Morgan is the son of Steven Penn.
The award is given annually by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, which is recognizing 16,500 high school students as this year’s Illinois State Scholars, Forreston High School Principal Tavis Heinz said in a news release.
Illinois State Scholars are chosen based on a combination of exemplary
ACT or SAT test scores and class rank for six semesters.
“To be recognized in the top 10% of graduating seniors in the state of Illinois is a tribute to the students’ work ethic, desire to succeed, their teachers and the support they receive at home,” Heinz said. “The nice thing about each of these students is that they are not only successful in the classroom. Many of these students are leaders outside the classroom in the many extracurricular activities they are involved in as well.”
Barn destroyed in early morning fire about 6 miles north of Polo
By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com
POLO – A barn was destroyed by an early morning fire Saturday, Feb. 22, near the intersection of Haldane Road and Illinois 26 about six miles north of town.
Polo Fire Chief Jim Ports said the structure was consumed by flames when crews arrived after receiving the call at 4:30 a.m.
Ports said the cause of the fire is undetermined. No injuries to firefighters or animals were reported.
Ports thanked the following fire departments and districts for providing mutual aid: Mt. Morris, Forreston, Sterling, Oregon, Dixon, Rural, Milledgeville, Dixon City, Franklin Grove and Advanced Ambulance.
Polo fire crews also responded to a car versus house on the evening of Feb. 20 in the 200 block of North Marco Avenue. Ports said the driver had exited the vehicle when crews arrived and there were no injuries.
BERTOLET LIBRARY
Spice of the Month
This month’s spice is basil. Pick up a spice kit today to learn more about basil, recipes showcasing basil’s flavor and a sample of the spice.
Lego Club
Join us at 5 p.m. Monday, March 3. All ages are welcome. Children younger than 5 must be accompanied by a caregiver.
Stories With Stacey: 10 a.m. Thursdays
Join Miss Stacey as she continues to teach us about animals through books and crafts.
March Take & Make Craft
Stop by the circulation desk to pick up the materials to make a cute dragonfly.
March Book of the Month
In “This Is Happiness” by Niall Williams, Faha
CORRECTIONS
is a small parish in Ireland. Rain is stopping, electricity is coming to the village, and Noel Crowe knows change is coming to the parish. A meandering story of a boy growing up in a different time than we know today. Pick up your copy today at the circulation desk. Reading or listening on the Boundless app? Let us know what you think of this month’s book.
New Releases
Adult Books: “Treasure State” by C.J. Box (large print), “Midnight Black” by Mark Greaney
Chapter Book: “Explore AI: Smart Devices” by Sonya Newland
Picture Books: “You Go First” by Ariel Berstein, “You Are Not Sleepy!” by Mark Teague
DVD: “Here”
Accuracy is important to the Polo Tri-County Press. Please call errors to our attention by email at news@oglecountynews.com.
FORRESTON LIBRARY
Toddler/Preschool Storytime, Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Join us every Wednesday when school is in session for stories, games and crafts. This program is an opportunity for children and caregivers to discover the joy of sharing stories and making new friends. Community Room
Looking for a place to hold your event? Our community room (with a small kitchenette) is available for meetings, parties, showers, family reunions and more. For more information, call the library at 815-938-2624.
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Earleen Hinton
The charred remains of a barn is all that is left standing Feb. 22 after a fire on Haldane Road near the intersection of Illinois 26 north of Polo.
Ogle County students compete at regional spelling bee
By ALEX T. PASCHAL apaschal@shawmedia.com
School champions from three area counties competed Feb. 20 in the regional spelling bee at Dixon High School for a chance to represent the
Sauk Valley in Washington, D.C.
Parker Zimmerly of Amboy Jr. High School spelled his final word “illicitly” correctly to take the title and earn a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national bee.
Oregon’s Lai Tran, a student at Oregon Junior High School, was second.
LEFT: Parker Zimmerly of Amboy Junior High School reacts to winning the Lee, Ogle, Whiteside County Spelling Bee on Feb. 20 at Dixon High School. Zimmerly correctly spelled illicitly to take the title and earn a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national bee. BELOW: Lia Tran (left) of Oregon Jr. High and Cora Schmidt of Forreston Jr. High celebrate as they both make the top five.
Delany Byers of Forreston Grade School went out on the word “fomentation” in Round 2.
Annalise Knutson of Centennial Elementary went out on the word “legalese” in Round 5.
Jackson Buskohl of Aplington Middle School went out on the word “sunseeker” in Round 1.
Landon Johnson of Kings Elementary went out on the word “convention” in Round 1.
Photos by Alex T. Paschal
Briggz Scheck of Oregon Elementary went out on the word “drivel” in Round 3.
Edison Rodriguez of Rochelle Middle School went out on the word “commissioner” in Round 6.
Audrey Metcalf of Meridian Junior High went out on the word “ellipse” in Round 3.
Mikella Jepsen of Byron Middle School went out on the word “touted” in Round 3.
It was a cold, cold day for classroom presentation
Several years ago I had a book and the title was “It Was a Dark, Dark Night.” How the grandkids loved to have me read that book to them. It was one of those pop-up books and at the end I think a ghost popped out. How they would laugh. Obviously they were not afraid of ghosts.
Finally the ghost popped out one too many times, flew across the room and that was the end of the pop-out part.
There was a course in college I had taken and the teacher came loaded with pop-up books of all kinds. We all bought them like crazy and I even had to reorder “It Was a Dark, Dark Night” for the grandkids.
Well, last week the title of the book could have been “It Was a Cold, Cold Day.” Last Tuesday, I had to be in Carroll County in my granddaughter’s
POLO HISTORY
Betty Obendorf
classroom of fifth graders to give a program on the Underground Railroad. I was to be there by 8:30 a.m. and it was cold.
Krista and Jim came over to help me carry stuff and drive me to Carroll County. It was so cold that they had a late start and my time was pushed to noon after the students had lunch. I had not been in a classroom for some time and I was amazed how interested the students were about the subject.
They are getting ready to study the Civil War so this all took place before the war and led right into that part of
our history. I had display boards from the museum and they could see the names of people who helped with the Underground Railroad.
William, a fifth grader, was excited when he saw William Wamsley’s name as an abolitionist because his name was William. He also was amazed at all the information we have collected.
Since I wear a life alert necklace, I asked them if they knew what that was and one girl knew exactly what it was. I was impressed.
I ended up reading the book “Follow The Drinking Gourd” about looking for the Big Dipper if you were traveling at night and needed to know what direction you needed to go. One little girl asked about quilts and while I had not intended to get into that, I did so a little bit. I left a children’s book about a child making a quilt
before she left on the Underground Railroad. Natalie can read that at another time.
The students were very good and I was very tired after talking for more than an hour. I was glad for Krista and Jim’s help with loading stuff up.
We stopped in Lanark for lunch and I was delighted to see the sign “We have crepes.” I had not had crepes since traveling to Minnesota and stopping at the Norske Nook in Osseo, Wisconsin, which is a Norwegian place.
After a plate of crepes with strawberries and whipped cream, I had my strength back.
It was a delightful day with fifth graders in Natalie’s classroom.
• Betty Obendorf is a retired teacher and volunteer for the Polo Historical Society.
First and last duel in Illinois took place in 1820
Illinois was founded in 1818, and according to my research, 1820 marked the first and last duel, which was in Belleville.
The information about the first and last duel in Illinois came from the “History of Illinois” written by Gov. Thomas Ford, who lived in Oregon on North Third Street. Ford received a large majority of the votes for govenor, but was not supported in his own county.
According to the information about the duel, the seconds in rank made it to be a sham duel to throw ridicule upon Bennett, the challenging party. They were to duel with rifles loaded with blank cartridges and his adversary was left to believe that to be the reality.
Bennett, however, suspected a trick
Church to host chicken and dumpling dinner Feb. 28
STERLING – East Jordan Church will host a chicken and dumpling dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb 28. The church is located at 22027 Polo Road in Sterling. Cost is $10 for ages 12 and older and $5 for children 11 and younger.
so he rolled a ball into his rifle without the knowledge of the second in rank of the other party. The word to fire was given and Stewart fell mortally wounded. Bennett made his escape, but two years later he was captured in Arkansas and brought back to Belleville, indicted, tried and convicted of murder.
An effort was made to pardon Bennett but Gov. Shadrach Bond refused to yield to their requests.
The hanging of Bennett made dueling illegal in Illinois. Gov. Ford wrote “the people are indebted for this early
precedent and example. This did more to prevent the barbarous practice of dueling from being introduced into the state of Illinois.”
A duel was an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matching weapons. The duel was based on a code of honor. This code of honor was fought to restore one’s honor by demonstrating a willingness to risk one’s life for it.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel against Vice President Aaron Burr in 1804. Between 1798 and the Civil War, the U.S. Navy lost two thirds as many officers to dueling as it did in combat at sea, including naval hero Stephen Decatur. The practice of dueling continued because of the threat of ridicule if a challenge
was rejected.
Hamilton lost his father as the result of a duel and later surveyed Ogle County into townships by himself.
President George Washington appointed Hamilton the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury on Sept. 11, 1789.
While exploring the Rock River Valley in 1833, John Phelps met his old friend William Hamilton about 1 mile north of the present site of Oregon. Hamilton had a government contract to survey the Rock River Country into townships. Hamilton’s father was Alexander Hamilton.
• Otto Dick is a retired teacher and has researched Ogle County history for several years.
For more information, call Pastor Jim Miller at 815-866-6088.
Recycle old electronics on Feb. 28 in Oregon
OREGON – The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department will host a residential electronics recycling event
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at 909 Pines Road in Oregon.
The event is for Ogle County residents only and a free permit is required in advance of the event. To obtain a free permit, call 815-732-4020 or email solidwaste@oglecountyil.gov and provide your name, address, phone number and
email address by 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. There is a limit of seven large or bulky items per permit and one permit per county household per month.
For more information about the recycling event, call the OCSWMD at 815-732-4020 or visit oglecountyil.gov.
– Shaw Local News Network
Otto Dick
OGLE COUNTY HISTORY
Leaf River High School’s 50th (and final) Alumni Event is March 1
The 50th and final Leaf River High School Alumni Basketball Event is Saturday, March 1, at the River Valley Complex, formerly Leaf River High School, 605 Main St.
The sandwich supper is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. There is a $5 admission fee, but no charge for members of the Class of 1975. There is a $2 admission charge for players and students.
The Class of 1975 is this year’s honored class.
Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the program beginning at 6 p.m. The pickup basketball game is at 7 p.m.
The alumni band will be performing. Anyone interested in joining should bring their instrument. Sheet music will be provided.
Volunteers are welcome to come at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, to set up for the event.
For more information, call Linda Borneman at 816-440-7068.
This will be the final year for the event. Alumni gatherings organized by the All Classes Reunion Committee will continue to be held in June. More information can be found on Facebook pages – Leaf River All Classes Reunion, Leaf River High School and Leaf River News.
Forreston FFA Alumni Farm Toy and Craft Show is March 8
FORRESTON – The Forreston FFA Alumni will host its 37th annual Farm Toy and Craft Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at Forreston High School.
There will be more than 40 farm toy and craft exhibitors. A silent auction will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bidders do not need to be present to win.
“We also have one of the area’s best lunch stands featuring Eickman’s meats along with homemade pies, cookies, bars and brownies,” said Kelley Parks, FHS agriculture teacher and FFA adviser.
There also will be a Farm Toy Display Competition with FFA Alumni Toy and Craft Show attendees voting on the People’s Choice Best of Show Award.
The winner will be given a certificate to display with their layouts in future shows.
“There will also be raffles for Eickman’s meat processing, Culver’s gift cards and many door prizes for everyone,” Parks said. Admission is $3 for the event. Children
younger than 5 get in for free.
“This year’s show tractors represent the past and present,” Parks said. “The two tractors are both 1:64 scale, one being a Massey Ferguson 1130 with Duals and the other a Massey Ferguson 8740S. Both are priced at $35 each. These tractors will be on sale during this year’s show on March 8 or ask an FFA Alumni member to purchase one or both ahead of time.”
For more information about the show, call Cathy Kohlbauer at 815-275-6710, Terri Nelson at 815-275-6907 or Rick Garnhart at 815-238-3044.
For information about the Forreston Agriculture and FFA program, call Kelley Parks at 815-938-2036.
Vendor forms can be found at forrestonffaalumni.org.
Byron Knights of Columbus to host fish fry throughout Lent
BYRON – The Byron Knights of Columbus 4739 will host its annual all-you-can-eat Fish Fry fundraiser every Friday throughout Lent, starting on March 7 and running through April 11.
The community event is open to all and promises a delicious meal while supporting Serenity Hospice and Home.
The fish fry will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 226 E. Second St. in Byron. Patrons can enjoy a choice of hand-breaded or baked pollock, tartar sauce, fish tacos, macaroni and cheese, clam chowder, coleslaw, fries or baked potato, sour cream, roll and butter, dessert and beverages.
“Our fish fry has grown throughout the years and thanks to the passion of over 50 weekly volunteers, including area high school students, we serve an average of 370 people each week,” said Roy Lorenz, fish fry chairman of the Knights of Columbus. “We pride ourselves on a fantastic quality meal and we are grateful for the continued support of our parish. We look forward to serving our neighbors throughout Lent.”
The Knights of Columbus have organized fish fry events for about a decade, raising funds for local charities.
The cash-only cost is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors and $5 for children (6 to 11 years). Children 5 and younger eat for free. Families pay only $40. Dine-in and carryout options are available. For more information or to volunteer, call
Roy Lorenz at 779-537-1912.
Spring art classes offered in Mt. Morris
MT. MORRIS – Encore! Mt. Morris and Highland Community College’s division of Lifelong Learning are collaborating to host four art classes between March 10 and April 9 in Mt. Morris. Registration is open until one week before each class begins unless the class is full.
The first class is Rug Hooking Basics from 6 to 8 p.m. March 10 and 17 (two-session class). Cost is $29.
Discover basic rug hooking techniques while creating coasters. Explore samples of vibrant fiber art projects that use the same techniques. Materials include a 12-by-12 frame, hook, linen burlap and wool strips. Instructions for building your own wool stash and additional supplies will be provided at no charge. The class is perfect for beginners.
For course details and to register for one or more of the classes, go to the Encore! Mt. Morris website (encoremtmorris.com) and click on the “HCC Art Classes” button.
On the courses page, click on the title or photo of the class that interests you. That will take you to the Highland Community College Lifelong Learning page to register. Contact Molly Baker at mollyb@encoremtmorris.com for questions.
Annual meeting for Performing Arts Guild set for March 13
MT. MORRIS – The Performing Arts Guild will hold its annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13, at the Allure of Pinecrest Grove Community Center. This event is an evening of food, fun and fellowship along with a preview of the upcoming season.
Cost is $40 to become a PAG member, which covers attendance for you and a guest at the annual meeting and includes one show ticket for the 2025 season. You can join and pay your membership fee at the meeting.
If you are interested in attending, contact Karen by Feb. 29 at Karen2024@performingartsguild.com to make your reservations.
– Shaw Local News Network
Ashton teen pleads guilty to murder of girlfriend
By CHARLENE BIELEMA cbielema@shawmedia.com
DIXON – An Ashton teen pleaded guilty Monday, Feb. 24, to first-degree murder, admitting he used a belt to strangle his girlfriend to death four months ago in the apartment they shared.
David J. Sosa, who turned 18 on Dec. 18 and was charged as an adult, was immediately sentenced to 40 years in prison for the Oct. 15, 2024, death of his girlfriend, Jaedyn Hill. Under the negotiated plea agreement, three other counts of murder/intent to kill were dismissed.
Hill, 16, was found dead Oct. 15 in the Ashton apartment that she shared with Sosa, who was 17 at the time of the slaying, and like Hill was a former Oregon High School student. The couple also share a child together.
According to Lee County State’s Attorney Charley Boonstra, a teenager later identified as Sosa showed up in the Rochelle Police Department’s lobby about 6:45 a.m. Oct. 15. He had walked 11 miles from Ashton to Rochelle to turn himself in at the police department, telling officers he was involved in a murder and the victim was in his apartment.
Lee County deputies went to 702 Richardson Ave., apartment A, in Ashton for a welfare check, arriving shortly after 7 a.m. They found Hill’s body in the southeast bedroom of the two-bedroom apartment. A belt was around Hill’s neck and a knife was on the floor next to her. She was bleeding from her hairline and her ear.
An Oct. 16 autopsy at the Peoria
uation and wanted to plead guilty. Sosa also told his attorney that he wanted to serve his sentence in an adult prison and not a juvenile detention center, Thompson said.
“He wants to proceed today,” Thompson said, adding at one point that Sosa has no intention of appealing.
“He understands the nature of his punishment,” Thompson said. And while Sosa’s life will be the same day after day for many years, “he has plans for his future,” Thompson said.
Sosa also had been in communication with Hill’s family prior to sentencing, Thompson said.
Jordyn Garcia of Oregon, Hill’s mother, read two victim impact statements prior to sentencing, one from Hill’s 13-year-old sister and another she had written herself.
While on the witness stand, Garcia explained how the family celebrated Hill’s 16th birthday with her on Oct. 6, not knowing that she would be murdered just nine days later.
“Jaedyn was my sunshine,” Garcia said through tears. “Our family has been broken and lost.”
She also told Sosa that he had been like a son to her.
“I forgive you, David,” she said.
County Coroner’s Office confirmed strangulation as the cause of Hill’s death.
A Lee County grand jury indicted Sosa on Oct. 18.
Before Sosa made his plea Feb. 24, his attorney, public defender Robert Thompson, told Lee County Circuit Court Judge Jacquelyn Ackert he had
advised Sosa that the case should be developed further before making a guilty plea. Thompson also wanted Sosa to undergo an evaluation to determine if any mitigating factors would benefit him, knowing that if Sosa pleaded guilty he could face anywhere from 20 years to 60 years in state prison.
Sosa did not want to undergo an eval-
As part of the sentencing, Sosa will be granted credit for 132 days served. Because he was a juvenile at the time of the murder, he was not ordered to pay fines or fees. He also will serve three years of mandatory supervised release.
Sosa will not be considered for parole until he has served at least 20 years in prison, Ackert said.
Byron man pleads not guilty to stalking charges
By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com
OREGON – A Byron man pleaded not guilty Wednesday, Feb. 19, to numerous charges that he sent hundreds of emails to a woman despite being ordered by a judge to have no contact with her after a plea agreement for a 2022 domestic battery charge.
Andrew Gornick, 42, appeared in court Feb. 19 with a new attorney, Cassandra Hirth of Rockford, for a preliminary hearing on charges of stalking, cyberstalking and harassment through
electronic communication – all felony offenses.
Gornick first appeared in court Feb. 14 on 16 new charges. He was represented by Assistant Ogle County Public Defender Eric Morrow.
wanted to waive his right to a preliminary hearing.
Hirth asked Judge Anthony Peska for at least four weeks to review the charges and file motions. She also said Gornick had not violated conditions of a 2023 probation sentence for battery and asked Peska to release Gornick from custody.
During a Feb. 14 hearing in front of Judge John “Ben” Roe, Assistant State’s Attorney Allison Huntley said her office has a current petition to revoke Gornick’s probation sentence for a domestic battery conviction.
On Feb. 19, Hirth said she was representing Gornick. She said Gornick was pleading not guilty to all charges and
Peska denied that request, saying continued detention was necessary for the safety of the community and to prevent further violations. He remanded Gornick to the Ogle County Jail and set his next court date for 1 p.m. March 13.
In that domestic battery case, filed in November 2022, Gornick pleaded guilty and was sentenced in May 2023 to 24 months of probation and ordered to pay $1,674 in fines and fees. Part of that sentence ordered him to have no contact with the victim.
Andrew Gornick
Alex T. Paschal
David Sosa enters a Lee County courtroom Feb. 24 to plead guilty to the October 2024 murder of his girlfriend, Jaedyn Hill.
Group organizes with mission of reopening Taft Field Campus
By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com
OREGON – Four members of a newly formed group seeking to resurrect the now shuttered Lorado Taft Field Campus urged area residents to join them in their efforts during an “interest” meeting last week at the Rock River Center in Oregon.
Julie and Larry Bassett of Sycamore, Dan Kenney of DeKalb and Wayne Schimff of Chicago spoke to a small group about their plan to reopen the historic outdoor education campus that is owned and operated by Northern Illinois University.
“The purpose of this meeting is informational,” Julie Bassett said during the Feb. 19 meeting. “To listen to you, your ideas. We want to make sure your input is being heard. Together for Taft means everybody.”
Bassett, a career educator, did her undergraduate work at Taft and holds fond memories of the outdoor education classes offered for decades on a bluff overlooking the Rock River.
She said the group is in the early stages of forming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax status and exploring ways to raise funds for its effort.
“This is going to take everyone working together,” Bassett said. “It really is going to take a village to do this.”
NIU officials announced in September 2024 the decision to close the 141acre campus that is located adjacent to Lowden State Park because of “aging infrastructure” and increasing operational costs.
“This was a difficult decision because Lorado Taft has been a favorite destination for members of our community as well as Illinois children and youth who have enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and camp facilities,” said Rena Cotsones, vice president and chief engagement officer in the Division of Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development in announcing the campus’ closure in 2024.
The Lorado Taft Field Campus originally was part of the Wallace Heckman estate and Eagle’s Nest Art Colony that overlooks the Rock River Valley from a high vantage point on the east bank of the river. It is adjacent to Lowden State Park, which is owned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and is the home of Lorado Taft’s Eternal Indian statue, commonly referred to as the Black Hawk Statue.
NIU acquired a portion of the Heck-
revitalize and reopen the Lorado Taft Field Campus as an educational center.
“Our vision for the Lorado Taft Field Campus is to honor its historical and cultural legacy while also making it an intergenerational global hub where nature nurtures knowledge, providing leadership in environmental education, sustainability and innovation,” the group’s mission statement said. “Through community engagement, economic development and global collaboration, Taft will attract diverse learners, educators and leaders worldwide.
“Our goal is to preserve the original purpose of the Taft Campus by continuing to focus on environmental education in grades 4-8 while broadening our reach to include high school and college students. We aim to include a strong emphasis on climate change, educating learners in understanding and addressing this critical global challenge.”
man estate in 1951, six years after Lowden State Park was created in 1945.
NIU named the campus after Lorado Taft and ran it as a field campus, offering outdoor education classes and camps for schoolchildren across northern Illinois for decades.
NIU discontinued its outdoor education degree program in 1999. NIU officials said the outdoor education program required “significant financial backing” and was further affected when “client preferences” changed after the pandemic.
“While the rustic buildings are picturesque, they are inefficient, anti -
quated and in need of costly repair. The aging infrastructure, including a wastewater treatment facility that has exceeded its functional lifespan, would require millions of dollars of investment to bring it to modern standards,” Cotsones said, adding that although the Taft campus has been “a special place and has provided great outdoor experiences for generations of young people,” it no longer aligns with NIU’s mission and goals.
The Lorado Taft Field Campus closed Dec. 15.
The Together for Taft mission statement outlines why organizers want to
Other topics of Together for Taft’s mission statement are:
• Inclusivity and diversity: “Our campus will embrace diverse perspectives and foster a welcoming environment for all, regardless of background. We are committed to offering inclusive programs that celebrate cultural, generational and socioeconomic diversity while ensuring equitable access to resources and learning opportunities.”
• Community collaboration: “The voices of the Oregon community will play an integral role in shaping the future of the Lorado Taft Field Campus. By actively engaging local stakeholders, we aim to create programs and initiatives that reflect the values, insights and aspirations of the community. Together, we will ensure the campus remains a vital educational and cultural resource for generations to come.”
“Additionally, we are also pursuing initiatives that involve the community of Oregon and surrounding areas. These initiatives will include engagement with the campus both directly and indirectly. However, our primary mission remains to preserve Lorado Taft as an educational environment.”
Schimff, also a Taft alumnus, referred to the campus as “a global resource” that shows the best of the environment with its natural ecosystem and roots with the art colony.
The group hopes the campus property will be sold to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the owner of the adjacent state park.
Earleen Hinton
Together for Taft organizers Julie Bassett, Dan Kenney, Wayne Schimff and Larry Bassett were four of six members of the organization that held an “interest” meeting about the Loredo Taft Field Campus on Feb. 19 at the Rock River Center in Oregon. The grassroots organization is working on funding to reopen the campus after Northern Illinois University’s decision last year to close it.
Shaw Local News Network file photo
The dining hall overlooks the Rock River at the Lorado Taft Field Campus.
New IPASS stickers available through March 10 event in Oregon
OREGON – State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, is bringing a mobile team from the Illinois Tollway to Oregon on March 10 to help motorists switch out their plastic IPASS transponders for the new IPASS sticker technology.
OBITUARY
ROMAINE KAY CAPPS
Born: April 3, 1938 in Freeport, IL
Died: February 14, 2025 in Spring Grove, MN
Romaine Kay Capps was born April 3, 1938 in Freeport, IL and passed peacefully in her sleep on February 14th, 2025 in Spring Grove, MN. She was born to Hasper and Margaret Schoonhoven. Romaine was raised on the farm, the oldest of four children. Her choice for chores was housework and babysitting instead of any animal care. This was likely because she could easily pull out a book and read. Her passion was reading. Later in life she recorded the books she remembered, her book count was at 1,241.
Family relationships were important and Romaine was especially close to her aunts, uncles, and cousins. This continued into adulthood as she taught her children and grand-
“The tollway is phasing out the plastic transponders we have in our cars and replacing them with stickers,” Chesney said in a news release. “Traditional transponders will continue to work for the time being, but these events allow people to make the switch quickly and conveniently and without any disruption to their
IPASS account or activity.”
The event is from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 10, in the River Room at the Nash Recreation Center, 304 S. Fifth St., Oregon. Oregon Mayor Ken Williams is co-hosting the event with Chesney.
There is no fee for switching over to the sticker technology and IPASS balances will
be transferred to the new account. Attendees should bring their plastic transponder(s) and jot down their license plate number.
For more information, call Chesney’s legislative office at 815-232-0774 or email Lori at lyates@sgop.ilga.gov.
– Shaw Local News Network
children the importance and joy of a tight-knit family. She was an Illinois State Fair garment champion, an avid ice skater, and graduated early from H.S.
Romaine married her H.S. sweetheart Jack Capps, in 1957. She attended Northern Illinois University and finished up her doctorate level degree while raising three children with her husband. Her degree was in Education. Her first teaching assignment was at the one room schoolhouse she attended as a child. She enjoyed teaching and her goal was to empower every child with the tools needed to succeed. She was a much loved, respected, and sometimes feared educator. She moved from teaching to administration and was the first female administrator in the Forrestville Valley School District.
Romaine retired early at 55 so she and Jack could travel, spend time at the lake property, and enjoy their grandchildren. She and Jack eventually had 8 grandchildren in total.
She spent as much time in Merrimac, WI at their lake property as possible. She and Jack
OGLE COUNTY PROPERTY TRANSFERS
Feb. 17-23
Warranty Deeds
Joshua D. Winegar to Danielle Kramer, 838 N. 12th St., Rochelle, $87,000.
Jennifer A. Grobe to Stephanie Heath, 302 S. Barber Ave., Polo, $171,000.
Albert Giannini, Jenna King, and Jenna Giannini to Tj&s Properties LLC, 6047 N. Meridian Road, Stillman Valley, and one parcel in Scott Township: 11-18-300-011, $375,000.
Karrie H. Pionke to Larry Doyle, 4924 N. Wendorf Road, Monroe Center, $60,000.
Laurie Fester and Laurie T. Sievert to Laurie Fester, trustee, Laurie T. Sievert, trustee, and Fester Family Declaration Of Living Tr2025, 515 Autumnwolf Lane, Davis Junction, $0.
Thomas Michael Peters to 800 1st Ave LLC, 800 W. 1st Ave., Forreston, $73,202.
John B. Roe IV and Irene M. Roe to Katie
M. Honeycutt, 443 Mill Ridge Drive, Byron, $156,000.
Ronald M. Kuntzelman Deceased By Heirs to Angel Hernandez, 303 E. 2nd St., Leaf River, $115,000.
Hre Builders LLC to Randall Hays, 10260 E. Deer Creek Lane, Rochelle, $346,919.
David Boehle and Lisa Boehle to James Andrew Moe and Tanya Denise Moe, one parcel on Orchid Lane in Oregon: one parcel on Orchid Lane in Oregon: 16-01-403-007, $38,000.
Anq LLC to St Jude Rochelle Real Estate Inc., 505 W. IL Route 38, Rochelle, $500,000.
Alan D. Hawkins and Christine M. Hawkins to Barbara A. Netter and Sandra M. Anetsberger, 8684 N. Yosemite Drive, Byron, $205,000.
Cecilia Peterson to Andrew Mulrooney and Whitney Mulrooney, 1403 Crimson Ridge Drive, Byron, $144,000.
travelled to all 50 states, Europe, and the Caribbean. They did the NASCAR Circuit and wintered in Florida.
Romaine’s greatest joy was her family. She attended her children’s arts and sporting events and then her grandchildren’s as well. She loved gathering everyone together at the lake and at Christmastime. Christmas was something to behold with Romaine and Jack as Santa Claus.
Her nieces and nephews held a special place in her heart and she kept in touch with them throughout her life.
She became a devoted Caitlin Clark fan and rarely missed a game. She also learned to love the animals her family collected.
Romaine is survived by her son, Mark and his children Tiffiny (Jesse) Smith, Jonathan (Esther Hernandez Fletes) Capps, daughter Jill and her children Chase (Vili Bayreva) Morgan, Hunter (Joselyn Sulureh) Morgan, daughter Kay and children Garrett (Adriana Hernandez Calderon) Cross, Kaley (Nick Pavelich) Cross, Addison Cross, Elliott (Erin Schrader) Cross,
great-grandchildren Kylie, Leiya, and Gavin Smith, Ambar Rubin Hernandez, Kenai Cross, Michael Morgan, sister Marlene (Al) Lewis, sister-in-law Roberta Schoonhoven, brother-inlaw Larry Lessman, many nieces and nephews and significant friend Nannette Stroebel. She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, John Bruce Capps, parents Hasper and Margaret Schoonhoven, in-laws, Milton and Mildred Capps, siblings Sharon Lessman and Bradley Schoonhoven, sister-in-law Nancy Erickson.
Per Romaine’s wishes no funeral or visitation will occur. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice Care in her name. Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
We would like to thank Mayo Clinic, Hospital, Hospice Care, and Tim Mengis of Mengis Funeral home for their compassion and care. An enduring thank you to Addison Cross for the loving care they took of their grandmother. Romaine was forever grateful as we all are. She left a hole that will not be filled. Her legacy will continue within her family.
Quit Claim Deeds
Creston Commons LLC to Hre Builders LLC, one parcel in Dement Township: 25-23-301-009, $0.
James Pontnack to Debra A. Pontnack, 207 E. Lincoln St., Mt. Morris, $0.
Trustees Deeds
Sharon Sue Watkins, trustee, and William A. and Doris M. Kucenski Tr1 to Benjamin Kucenski, 921 N. Main St., Rochelle, $122,000.
Elsa Mcmahon, trustee, Donn P. Mcmahon Tr, and Elsa Mcmahon Tr to Matthew Lynch and Sarah Lynch, one parcel in Fawn Ridge subdivision, plat 3, Byron, $370,000.
Michael Goelitz, trustee, and Marcia R. Goelitz Declaration Tr to Mickey D. Gutierrez, 5751 N. Carole Court, Monroe Center, $290,000.
Richard C. Brantner, trustee, Gerald W,
Brantner, trustee, James D. Brantner, trustee, Brantner Private Trwblb1, and Lola Jeanne Brantner Tr to James D. Brantner, 226 N. IL Route 26, Polo $205,000.
Deeds in Trust
Cherie L. Slack Reserved Limited Use to Hannah E. Hurst, trustee, and Rusty Tr215, 1150 E. Helle Road, Oregon, $0. Ray W. Reineck and Barbara B. Reineck to Ray Reineck, trustee, Barbara Reineck, trustee, and Ray Reineck Tr, 223 Joanne Lane, Rochelle, $0.
Cathleen A. Schmidt to Cathleen A. Schmidt, trustee, and Cathleen A. Schmidt Lv Tr, 206 S. Fifth Ave., Forreston, $0.
John B. Crisham and Kristi A. Crisham to John B. Crisham Lv Tr, John B. Crisham, trustee, Kristi A. Crisham, trustee, and Kristi A. Crisham Lv Tr, 2934 S. Lowden Road, Oregon, $0.
Source:OgleCountyRecorder’sOffice
Continued from page 7
Kenney said it appeared IDNR may be somewhat interested, but any sale would have to go through an appraisal and bid process.
“We don’t know how the recent cuts in funding will affect this project,” Kenney said.
The Taft campus property includes artwork by Lorado Taft, a dining hall that overlooks the Rock River and other buildings and dorms.
Kenney said NIU has informed the group that it only will maintain the buildings on the campus until September.
“They don’t want to maintain it or deal with it after September,” he said.
The group hopes to network with donors to raise funds to resurrect the campus.
“As Dan [Kenney] has said, “This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Bassett said.
T-shirts with the Together for Taft logo are available to order on the group’s Facebook page or by visiting game-dayapparel.net/taft.
Information about the effort also can be found on the Facebook page or by emailing togetherfortaft@outlook.com.
Timeline for Taft
Oregon Mayor Ken Williams offered the following information about the Taft campus during an October 2024 meeting at the Oregon Depot Museum.
The Taft campus consists of three parcels of land, including 5 acres along the river commonly referred to as
• GORNICK
Continued from page 6
Gornick was charged in April 2024 with cyberstalking and electronic harassment for a series of emails in December 2023 that prosecutors said he knew would cause a “reasonable person to fear for their safety or the safety of a third person.”
The 2024 cyberstalking charge accuses Gornick of typing that he would kill the woman and her friend. Prosecutors said that incident occurred on or about Dec. 13, 2023. Gornick also is accused of typing that he would drown the woman and sending a “suggestion or proposal which is obscene” with an intent to offend.
Eight counts of harassment accuse Gornick of sending the woman more lewd emails with obscene images, all with the intent to offend.
on funding to reopen the campus after Northern Illinois University’s decision last year to close it.
“Ganymede Springs.” Fifty-nine acres above the Rock River – accessed through the entrance to the state park – encompasses the parking lot and all the campus buildings and other outdoor facilities.
A 76-acre parcel runs from the main campus east to River Road and was purchased by NIU in 1965.
Williams presented a timeline of the Taft property that outlined a 1943 Illinois House resolution to purchase the
On Feb. 14, Huntley said new, additional charges had been filed against Gornick: stalking, cyberstalking and harassment through electronic communication.
The female in all the new cases is the same person listed in the previous charges.
A male, also listed in some of the charges, is described in court records as a friend of the woman.
Huntley told Roe that Gornick’s behavior had “escalated” and estimated he had sent 174 emails to the woman from Jan. 18 to 21.
Huntley said Gornick’s emails had gone to the woman’s junk email folder because she blocked him in an attempt to ignore his communications. Huntley said some of the emails are obscene in nature and clearly made to threaten the woman and her friend.
Court records accuse Gornick of writing “Your life is in jeopardy,” “You
including the Taft campus, to NIU to promote outdoor education, Williams said.
In August 2023, NIU contacted the city of Oregon to estimate the cost of running a sewer line from the city to the campus because the campus’ system was failing.
“That estimate was $1.5 million and, of course, the city would not pay for that. That would have to be paid for by NIU or IDNR,” Williams said.
When Williams contacted Costones after the announcement of the closing, he said she estimated that $12 million to $14 million in repairs would be needed on the Taft campus property. He said he asked for a detailed list of what those projects were in case a private investor was interested in buying the property.
Williams also said he contacted state representatives to make them aware of the situation and had spoken to an IDNR official to ask whether the agency would have the monetary resources to make the needed repairs.
300-acre Heckman estate and former art colony for $50,000 after the death of the last surviving Eagles Nest Art Colony member.
“That’s $911,000 in today’s money,” Williams said. “$13,000 of that came from local donations, $237,000 in today’s money. So if people feel like we own it out there, we kind of do. That was a big donation.”
In 1951, Gov. Adlai Stevenson signed a bill transferring 66 acres of land,
will die today” and “Coming to burn your house down.” One of the charges said Gornick threatened more physical harm to the man and woman, accompanying the threat with a photo of two knives.
Other charges quote Gornick as saying “I will serve 25 years to make a point” ... ”I’m killing him” [...] This morning!!!!!”, “I will go to prison” and “I am killing both of you.”
Huntley told Roe that Gornick was ordered not to have any contact with the woman in the 2022 case and in the case filed in April 2024.
Morrow agreed the alleged messages were “alarming in nature” but said Gornick needed mental health treatment rather than being held in the Ogle County Jail as his cases proceed through the court system.
Morrow said Gornick had been admitted to a Rockford psychiatric treatment facility for 72 hours from
“He just started laughing, the answer being no, IDNR does not have the money to make those repairs,” Williams said, adding he also was trying to find out what the options were for the transfer of the Taft property back to the IDNR.
“We really won’t know what will happen until some later point in time,” Williams said.
Asked whether NIU planned to sell the property, the university’s media relations department replied in an email: “University leaders are currently exploring options for future stewardship of this unique property.”
Jan. 22 to 26 for a “mental health crisis.”
Huntley said Gornick should have pursued treatment after being sentenced to probation in 2023.
Roe agreed.
“That plea agreement had a number of conditions, one being to have no contact with the victim and another to cooperate with any psychological assessment. Psychological treatment was part of that order,” Roe said. “I understand mental health issues and crisis that go on with people that come before the court and this is most likely a mental health issue, but the defendant should have sought treatment one and one half years ago.”
Class 4 felonies have a sentencing range of one to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections followed by six months of mandatory supervised release. Probation of up to 30 months also can be ordered.
Earleen Hinton
Together for Taft organizer Julie Bassett of Sycamore introduces the three other members of the organization who held an “interest” meeting about the Loredo Taft Field Campus on Feb. 19 at the Rock River Center in Oregon. The grassroots organization is working
Postseason basketball underway
Oregon’s Addison Rufer (left) tries to use a screen by teammate Aniyah Sarver as Riverdale’s Jillian Murray fights to defend Feb. 20 at the Class 2A Erie-Prophetstown Regional.
Photos by Earleen Hinton
Erie-Prophetstown’s Max Milem and Oregon’s Keaton Salsbury (10) reach for a loose ball Feb. 24 in Class 2A regional action at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon.
Oregon’s Benito Olade shoots as Erie-Prophetstown’s Connor Keegan defends during Class 2A regional action Feb. 24 at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon.
Crop farming has long been a big part of Michael Koster’s life, always striving to find better ways to get the most out of what he grows.
That ever-growing curiosity has led the Sterling farmer down a different path recently — but it wasn’t a dirt path.
Koster has tapped into the world of hydroponics, a soil-free system where plants are grown primarily in nutrient-rich water, and since dipping his toes in the water, he built a two-bay, gutter-connect greenhouse on his property last year, planted his first seeds in
• See KOSTER on next page
T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SAUKVALLEYMEDIA.COM
June, and recently begun selling a variety of his leafy greens at local markets..
Koster has grown at least 16 types of vegetables and herbs: lettuces such as regular and red buttercrunch, Batavia, bicolor oak leaf, and mini red and green romaine; as well as arugula, basil, bok choi, chives, cilantro, kale, kohlrabi, parsley, spinach and watercress.
Hydroponic growing is a more efficient way of delivering nutrients to the plants, Koster said.
“The biggest difference is that the plants are grown in water instead of soil,” Koster said. “If you put a plant in soil, the only way you can deliver nutrients is to just dump it on the soil and it becomes the plant’s responsibility to try and reach the nutrients in the soil. We put the nutrients in the water and the water is constantly going to the plant. The nutrients always are available to the plant when they need them.”
It also adds a level of comfort to customers who prefer the transparency of water-based growing, knowing exactly what’s going into their greens, as opposed to the uncertainty of unknown elements that can come from soil-based growing.
“You’re not subject to any contaminants that’s already in the soil,” Koster said. “We’re enclosed here. When stuff is growing out in an open field, you’ll have an animal or a bird that poops on the
stuff and it only gets washed off somewhat and gets sold, and that’s a common way E. coli gets into produce.”
Customers also appreciate being able to get fresh greens all year.
“It’s nice to supply the community with a fresh, clean product that you can get year-round,” Koster said. “One of the biggest advantages we have here is the freshness at which we’re able to deliver our product to our customers. When we sell at the farmers every week, what they are buying Saturday morning had been har-
• See KOSTER on next page
ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SAUKVALLEYMEDIA.COM
Koster’s Greenhouse grows several crops, including various varieties of lettuce, basil, watercress and spinach.
• KOSTER from previous page
• KOSTER from previous page vested on Friday.”
Koster’s crops can be found on Saturdays at the Twin City Farmers Market in Sterling, as well as at County Market grocery stores in Sterling and Dixon, Oliver’s Corner Market in Dixon, Polo Fresh Market, and Country Lane Market in Tampico. They can also be found in restaurant kitchens at Arthur’s Garden Deli, in Dixon, Sterling, Rock Falls and Rock Island.
The climate-controlled greenhouse measures 44 feet wide by 128 feet long and can hold up to nearly 10,000 different plants. The entire system comes from Cropking of Lodi, Ohio.
The process begins on a table in a room attached to the greenhouse; seeds are planted in moistened rock wool in large trays that are placed under a clear domes and controlled lighting, where they germinate and begin to grow. A heating pad under the trays helps create humidity. While some seeds can’t wait to sprout, others are tougher to crack, especially spinach, which Koster has to nurture to get them soft enough to germinate.
After three days, trays are taken to the nursery section of the greenhouse, placed under grow lights and begin receiving nutrient water for the next 11 days. The sprouts are eventually cut from the rock wool, in small cubes, with each one placed inside a hole on a long-grow channel panel, where
• See KOSTER on next page
they continue to take in water and grow.
Utilizing a nutrient film technique, the nutrient water enters sloped panels through small tubes, about the size of a cell phone charger cord. Excess water is drained out and fed back into the reservoir. As new plants enter the greenhouse, others are moved along until fully grown. Once plants are removed, each panel is cleaned and sanitized before taking on its next batch of budding young plants.
To ensure the water’s consistency, the system is set up with a sample pot that tests pH balance and electrical conductivity. If there’s an imbalance, an automatic system kicks in to restore normal levels.
Having control of the process makes a big difference in the quality of the greens.
“You’re definitely going to be at an advantage as to the healthiness of the crop,” Koster said. “Since we’re able to control most all aspects of the plant, we can make a lot better plants. It’s getting watered all of the time, and it’s getting all of the right nutrients all of the time. When you give a plant everything it needs, it’s going to turn into a very nice looking product.”
Koster’s wife Ally and his mother Anne help with the hydroponic business. Anne works the farmers market table in Sterling and enjoys spreading the word about hydroponics, especially how the process minimizes the environmental footprint and contributes to a greener planet.
“Overall, it’s a very clean, very good way to grow vegetables,” Koster said.
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
Class 2A Bureau Valley Regional quarterfinal at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon.
BOYS BASKETBALL – CLASS 2A BUREAU VALLEY REGIONAL QUARTERFINAL: OREGON 51, ERIE-PROPHETSTOWN 42
Oregon starts slow, but rallies to advance in regional play
By ANDY COLBERT Shaw Local News Network correspondent
OREGON – After going on the road and beating Erie-Prophetstown 64-41 four days earlier, Oregon did not expect to be trailing by 12 points to the Panthers early in the second quarter of the Class 2A Bureau Valley Regional quarterfinals Monday.
But that was the case at the Blackhawk Center where Hawks coach Jarrett Reynolds told his team, “This is the postseason. Everyone is playing like it’s the last game.”
That was during a first-quarter timeout after E-P jumped out to a 10-2 lead. Fortunately for Oregon, it finally got untracked and they came away with a hard-fought 51-42 victory after the teams were tied 33-33 going into the final eight minutes.
“That’s all you can ask for. I thought we did a good job of executing but didn’t take care of the ball in the
fourth,” E-P coach Ryan Winckler said.
The Panthers had seven turnovers in the fourth quarter, but the turning point of the game came shortly after they had an 18-6 lead on a Connor Keegan 3-pointer on the first possession of the second quarter and eight first-quarter points by sophomore Evan Steimle.
Keaton Salsbury started a rally for Oregon with an old-fashioned threepoint play and Tucker O’Brien did the same. Kade Girton then took control with back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by another basket to give the Hawks a 24-22 lead.
“Kade put the team on his back. It was a senior being a senior,” Reynolds said. “I’m proud of our guys for chipping away after being down.”
Salsbury tacked on another 3-pointer for a 27-25 lead at halftime.
Keegan Winckler helped Erie-Prophetstown regain the lead at 32-28 with a pair of baskets early in the third quarter.
Nole Campos pulled Oregon to within 32-29 and both teams then went cold from the field the rest of the quarter.
The problem for Erie-Prophetstown was extending its cold streak of 17 possessions with only one point until four minutes remained in the game.
By then, Oregon had a 40-33 lead on another O’Brien basket and free throw after being fouled. Steimle finally got Erie-Prophetstown on the board to cut into the lead, but Oregon quickly got it back up to 44-35.
Employing a three-quarters court trap, all the Panthers could do was foul in the final two minutes.
The Hawks made only five of 10 free throws, but missed shots and turnovers prevented the Panthers from getting any closer.
Using only a six-man rotation without a senior on it, fatigue had to be a factor for Erie-Prophetstown in the loss. Oregon had a 13-5 rebounding
edge in the fourth quarter.
“We’re used to playing with six guys. We’ve been doing it all year,” Winckler said. “We had shots we wanted. We didn’t finish around the basket.”
Steimle led the Panthers with 15 points, followed by Keegan with 11 and Winckler with six. Another factor in the loss was shooting only 4-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Girton was the top scorer for Oregon with 16 points. Benny Olade added 10 points and Salsbury had nine.
Both teams played hard. It was very physical,” Reynolds said. “[E-P] set the tone early and gave us a wake-up call. Our guys realized it could be a last game.”
Oregon improved to 18-14 and faced Rock Falls on Wednesday in a Bureau Valley Regional semifinal. The regional championship is 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28.
Erie-Prophetstown ended the season at 8-19.
Photos by Earleen Hinton
ABOVE: Erie-Prophetstown’s Keegan Winckler (left) and Oregon’s Kade Girton dive after a loose ball Feb. 24 during a
LEFT: Oregon’s Keaton Salsbury and Erie-Prophetstown’s Max Milem fight for a rebound.
Oregon falls to Riverdale in regional title game
By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com
PROPHETSTOWN – Riverdale wasted little time in capturing the Class 2A regional title in Prophetstown on Feb. 20. The Rams jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter against Oregon en route to a 47-25 win.
The Rams (21-9) led 13-4 after the first quarter and 25-6 at halftime.
Cayleigh Hungate led the Rams with 11 points, followed by Amarah Coleman with 10, Molly Skahill with nine and Katie Cox with eight.
Oregon (16-16) was led by junior Sarah Eckardt’s 10 points. Classmate Aniyah Sarver scored eight.
Riverdale’s Jay Hatch, a Hall of Fame coach with Alleman who also took the Rams to state in 2020, was proud of his team and its effort.
“We got off to a good start tonight, which was very helpful,” Hatch said. “I thought we did a good job of just maintaining it. I thought we did a pretty good job of trying to take away what we thought they wanted to do.”
First-year Oregon coach and former assistant Angela Reynolds was proud of her team after it reached its first regional title game in 11 years. The Hawks won nine more games than last season. Reynolds played on the team that last won a regional title in 2014.
“We had an outstanding season this year and although tonight wasn’t the outcome we had hoped for, we still have so much to be proud of,” Reynolds said. “Riverdale played a great game and we had a slower start and didn’t get some of our shots to fall. Aside from that, our girls brought their energy and hard-work ethic and battled as hard as they could. Above all, our girls played their hearts out and that’s all a coach can ever ask for.”
Oregon’s Noelle Girton and Riverdale’s Molly Skahill reach for a loose ball during the Class 2A Erie-Prophetstown Regional final Feb. 20.
Oregon’s Sarah Eckhardt drives for a layup against Riverdale during the Class 2A Erie-Prophetstown Regional title game Feb. 20. Riverdale won 47-25.
Photos by Earleen Hinton
Oregon’s Aniyah Sarver reaches for the ball against Riverdale’s Amarah Coleman during the Class 2A Erie-Prophetstown Regional title game Feb. 20.
Oregon’s Josiah Perez is All-State with sixth-place finish
By RANDY HOLLAND Shaw Local News Network correspondent
CHAMPAIGN – Oregon has a state wrestling place winner for the first time since 2019 when Chase Clark, Noah Paul and Jacob Milliman all placed third and Andrew Herbst took fourth.
Josiah Perez is Oregon’s newest medalist after bringing home a sixthplace medal at 113 pounds at the Class 1A individual state meet at State Farm Center in Champaign.
Perez had a rough road to the medal. The fourth-place finisher in the Oregon Sectional, Perez sent Owen Petersen of Coal City to the consolation side with an 8-5 overtime win.
In the quarterfinals, Perez met Cohen Sweely of Benton, coming up short 6-5. Sweely lost by a technical fall in the third-place match.
Perez met Peterson again in the fifthplace match, losing by a fall at 3:08.
The 113-pound weight class was won by Max Philpot of Vandalia, defeating Austin Hagevold of Woodstock Marian
in the title match. Sweely was second to Philpot in the Carterville Sectional. Petersen was the champion at the Coal City Sectional and Hagevold took the top spot at the Oregon Sectional.
“Every match was just hard all the way through,” Perez said. “I wrestled as hard as I could, but things that worked all year just weren’t enough here.”
Hawks coach Justin Lahman agreed.
“Perez did everything we wanted and everything he could,” Lahman said. “Sweely was tough and Josiah just got caught in the medal match. There wasn’t much we could do there. The big thing is that it is not over for Perez and our whole team. We have a chance to make our mark and put a lot of medals around a lot of necks this week in the team series. We are ready.”
Isaiah Perez at 120 and Nelson Benesh at 132, the other two representatives for the Hawks at state, both wrestled just two matches.
Josh Messenger for Shaw Local News Network
Oregon’s Josiah Perez (right) finished in sixth place at 113 pounds at the Class 1A state wrestling finals Feb. 22 in Champaign.
• WRESTLING
Continued from page 17
Isaiah Perez lost his first match to eventual thirdplace medalist Jeremiah Lawrence of Chicago De La Salle and his second match to sixth-place finisher Barrett Speck of Illini Bluffs.
Oregon Sectional champion Bryant Teunissen of Woodstock Marian finished at the top in the 120-pound weight class.
Benesh lost by technical fall to third-place medalist Brandon Green Jr. of Roxanna in his first match and in overtime to Luke Munsterman of Coal City in the first round of the consolation bracket. Munsterman dropped out in the next round of a very tough bracket.
Riverdale’s Dean Wainwright took the 132-pound championship.
Other area wrestlers winning medals were Riverdale’s Blake Smith, champion at 157 pounds; Erie-Prophetstown’s Wyatt Goossens, third place at 157 pounds; Stillman Valley’s Henry Hildreth, sixth place at 150 pounds; and Byron’s Jared Claunch, sixth place at 285 pounds.
Coal City led all teams with seven place winners, but the Coalers were kept off the top of the podium, finishing with two second places and four fifth places.
Vandalia had two champions and a runner-up among its six medalists. Tolono Unity had five medalists including a first and second. Advancing out of the Oregon Sectoinal, Woodstock Marian had two firsts, two seconds and a fourth place. Also from the Oregon Sectional, Richmond Burton and Lena-Winslow-Stockton each took home four medals, including a first and a second.
Oakwood-Salt Fork also had four medalists, but no champions. Riverdale qualified two to Champaign and both finished first. De La Salle, Illini Bluffs, Hoopeston,
Tremont and Alton Wood River also crowned champions.
Against Petersen in the opener, Josiah Perez lost the first takedown. Perez started the second period with a quick stand but was taken down in a body lock right away. He stood for another escape and trailed 5-4 at the start of the third. Perez escaped from a crook to tie the score at 5-5. Thirty seconds into overtime, Perez shot a double and worked around for the winning takedown.
Against Sweely in the quarterfinals, Perez lost the first takedown and fought off a tilt later in the period. Sweely countered a nice high crotch for a 6-0 lead going into the third. Perez picked up a stalling point and got a takedown but couldn’t get any more points, losing 6-5.
The second-round wrestleback was especially tough for Perez as he struggled for points. He missed on two good shots in the first period and had a takedown stopped for caution in the second. Perez went to the third clinging to a one-point lead.
A chance at backpoints was cut short by blood. Perez picked up a point but lost a reverse in the waning
seconds and went to overtime tied 4-4. Twenty-five seconds into the extra frame, Perez worked his way around for his second sudden victory.
The next match against Paxton Pyatt of Murphysboro also was tough. The first period was scoreless and Pyatt tilted for two backpoints early in the second. Perez escaped and got a takedown as time wound down in the second to lead 4-2. Pyatt took the lead with a low single, but Perez tied it up with an escape with a minute to go and hit a double leg takedown 30 seconds later and held on for an 8-5 win.
Against eventual third-place finisher Dylan Elmer of St. Joseph Ogden, Perez trailed 6-1 after two periods and managed an escape to start the third but went down 9-3.
In the fifth-place match against Petersen, Perez trailed 3-1 in the second period. He lost a quick escape before he stepped over for a takedown to tie the score, but he was quickly reversed to his back and pinned at 3:07 for sixth place.
In his opener, Isaiah Perez couldn’t get through as Lawrence caught him three times in double leg takedowns to take a 12-3 major decision.
Perez’s tournament ended in the first round of the consolation bracket to Speck. Perez was in control early with the first takedown, but Speck was strong on top in the third, getting two points with a cradle and four more with half nelson in defeating Perez 8-3.
Benesh lost five takedowns and was caught in a cradle to drop a 19-3 technical fall at 2:32 in his first match. With former Oregon wrestler Cole Barringer in the stripes and on the whistle, Benesh’s chances ended in the first round of wrestlebacks.
Benesh went to overtime tied 1-1 after each wrestler scored an escape. Munsterman scored the first takedown of the match, going out of bounds as the buzzer sounded at the end of the extra period. The takedown sent Benesh home with a 4-1 loss.
Oregon’s Nelson Benesh (left) wrestles at the Class 1A individual state meet Feb. 21 in Champaign.
Photos by Josh Messenger for Shaw Local News Network
Byron’s Jared Claunch brought home a sixth-place medal at 285 pounds at the Class 1A individual state meet Feb. 22 in Champaign.
Stillman Valley’s Henry Hildreth (top) finished in sixth place at 150 pounds at the Class 1A individual state meet Feb. 22.
Oregon punches ticket to state quarterfinals
By TY REYNOLDS
Shaw Local News Network correspondent
OREGON – A strong start gave Oregon a huge cushion. And when Newman fought back to get to within striking distance, Briggs Sellers provided the final exclamation point.
The senior won his heavyweight bout to put the Hawks over the top for a 39-30 win over the Comets in Tuesday’s Class 1A Oregon Dual Team Sectional. Oregon will face Tolono Unity at 7 p.m. Friday in a state quarterfinal at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.
“That fast start was everything. It’s so tough to win a dual if you don’t start off hot like we did,” Sellers said. “Thankfully our little guys got it going for us and we got an awesome win.”
The “little guys” Sellers was referring to were his teammates at 113, 120, 126, 138, 144 and 150 pounds, all of whom won by pin to put the Hawks ahead 36-3 halfway through the dual.
Josiah Perez and Isaiah Perez led off with pins at 113 and 120 and Preston LaBay kept the momentum rolling with a stunning come-from-behind win at 126. LaBay won by pin at 5:32 after trailing 9-3 going into the third period.
“I was just thinking that I had to get this kid [Zhyler Hansen]. I lost to him at sectionals this year in individual, so I was kind of looking for some revenge,” LaBay said. “I just kept fighting, didn’t worry about if I got in a bad spot, just tried to forget and go for that next move.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team. Our little guys went out there and got after it and I’m glad they set the tone. That got us super fired up.”
Newman got a 4-2 decision from Landon Blanton at 132 pounds, but Oregon got first-period pins from Jackson Messenger (138), Levi Benton (144) and Jayden Berry (150).
“They got us up big and at that point we just kind of rode that wave,” Oregon coach Justin Lahman said. “LaBay was looking forward to this as a senior, a captain, one of our big leaders. That one just totally sparked the rest of that dual.”
The Comets’ comeback started with Briar Ivey’s pin in 1:47 at 157 pounds. He took a 5-0 lead with a takedown and back points only eight seconds into the bout.
“I was just going to come out and wrestle hard, come out flying and try to
get the pin for what I knew was maybe my last match. I thought I’d end it on some fireworks, just let it all out there,” Ivey said. “It was fun to get one more win, especially in this place. The energy’s really good and the crowd was wild tonight.”
Timothy Plote followed with a 16-5 major decision at 165 and Daniel Kelly recorded a 19-3 technical fall at 175.
“It was fun to wrestle one more time, especially ending up with a win personally. At [individual] state, I lost, so that wasn’t the best feeling,” Kelly said. “I thought we wrestled pretty tough. Some matches didn’t go our way, but that happens sometimes. Still, it was a fun sea-
son.”
A pair of comebacks kept the Comets alive. Matthew Clemen rallied from an 8-4 deficit early in the third period for a 10-9 win at 190, notching his second third-period takedown with 47 seconds left to pull out the win.
At 215, Jacob Newberry trailed 10-3 heading into the third period before scoring three takedowns in the final 1:37 – the last one with only four seconds remaining – to send the bout to overtime. He recorded a takedown only 10 seconds into the extra period for a 15-12 victory, bringing the Comets to within 36-24 with two bouts remaining.
Sellers then stepped up and put the
dual to rest. Needing only to avoid being pinned for the Hawks to win the dual, the senior went out and did it one better.
The heavyweight bout was tied 0-0 after one period and 4-4 after the second. Sellers chose the down position to start the third and was let up to take a 5-4 lead. He then got a takedown just 16 seconds later for an 8-4 lead. He rode out the rest of the time, setting off a raucous celebration for the Hawks.
“I had to get a takedown, I had to up the intensity, I had to push the pace. I did my job and got the ‘W,’ ” Sellers said. “The whole rush of emotions from all the hard work this whole team put in finally paying off was amazing. Senior year, I get to go down to team state, that’s pretty special.”
“That’s another senior in a big spot for us,” Lahman said. “It came down to Briggs and he just needed to not give up the pin and he said, ‘No, I’m going to go take it and finish it.’ ”
The trip to the state finals is the first for the Hawks since 2008.
“This is the first time in 17 years, so the first time for me just being in the program in general and then as the head coach. It’s great that little guys are getting to see it, our numbers are growing, junior high’s wrestling really well and so you just get that exposure,” Lahman said. “The stands were packed, both sides, and it was an awesome atmosphere. Now it just kind of keeps snowballing. That’s the goal is to get down there, get it going, and everybody wants to be a part of that. They want to have fun, fans going crazy, spotlights on the mat, just the perfect atmosphere.”
That feat did not go unnoticed by Sellers.
“That means everything to us. That was our goal the first day of practice walking in. People had us ranked in the 20s at the start of the season and we knew what we were capable of and we put in the work and we got the job done, but we’re not finished yet,” Sellers said.
Now the Hawks have their sights set on Tolono Unity.
“Tolono is a winnable dual. We’ve got to wrestle a little bit better, not give up some of those matches late and battle for six minutes. They had a state champ at 138, a runner-up at 144, they have some studs, but they also have some holes. Just like us, we’ve got to get our bonus points and just not give them up,” Lahman said.
Photos by Earleen Hinton Oregon’s Jackson Messenger is congratulated by teammates after winning his 138-pound match against Newman’s Jason Curtin at the Class 1A Dual Team Sectional on Feb. 25 at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon.
Oregon’s Briggs Sellers drives Newman’s Matthew Murray into the mat during their 285-pound match at the Class 1A Dual Team Sectional on Feb. 25 at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon.
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP
Girls basketball
Class 2A regional championships: Byron 82, Aurora Central Catholic 59; Stillman Valley 60, Winnebago 44. Taylor Davidson led Stillman Valley with 22 points.
Class 2A sectional semifinal scores: Rock Falls Sectional: Stillman Valley 57, Riverdale 32; Byron 58, Rock Island Alleman 43. Byron and Stillman Valley played in the sectional championship Thursday, Sept. 27. The winner of that game advanced to the Bureau Valley Supersectional at 6 p.m. Monday, March 3, to face either Deer Creek-Mackinaw or Peoria Notre Dame.
Boys basketball
Class 1A regional scores
Forreston 68, LaMoille 35: Kendall Erdmann scored 21 points and had seven assists and Brendan Greenfield had 19 points as Forreston opened the postseason with a win. Greenfield also had 12 rebounds and four assists. The Cardinals advanced to face St. Bede in the Amboy Regional semifinals Wednesday.
Eastland 87, West Carroll 32: The
Cougars rolled as Peyton Spears scored 19 points, Parker Krogman had 14 and Adam Awender added 12 in the home win. Eastland advanced to face Fulton on Wednesday. Aden Buchholz led West Carroll with 10 points.
Fulton 62, Polo 39: Landen Leu led the Steamers with 19 points, Jacob Voss had 15 and Jacob Huisenga added 12 in the win.
Other Class 2A score: Winnebago 65, Stillman Valley 53
Regular-season games
Morrison 65, Polo 52: Brayden Rubright scored 21 points and Brady Ernst added 16 in the road win for the Mustangs. Gus Mumford had 19 points and Mercer Mumford added 12 for the Marcos.
Amboy 51, Polo 50: Amboy’s Eddie Jones made a game-winning free throw with less than a second left to give the Clippers a victory at home.
Forreston 60, Amboy 34: Brendan Greenfield scored 15 points, Mickey Probst had 14 and Kendall Erdmann had 13 in the Cardinals’ win. Eddie Jones led Amboy with 13 points.
Earleen Hinton
Stillman Valley’s Taylor Davidson makes a no-look pass against Marengo during the Class 2A Stillman Valley Regional semifinal Feb. 17. Davidson led all scorers with 22 points in the Cardinals’ 58-31 win.
Here’s hoping for a stellar sectional final in girls basketball
This is one of the weeks where it is difficult to be time sensitive as I’m writing this days before the boys regionals and girls sectional games will be played. So by the time you get my forecasting, the games will be over.
Oh, well. That’s how it is with newspapers these days.
Here we go anyway.
In girls basketball, Byron and Stillman Valley looked headed for a delicious sectional championship in Class 2A. All four regional seedings played right to form with two No. 1s (Stillman Valley and Rock Island Alleman) and two No. 2s (Byron and Riverdale) advancing.
Last year, Alleman beat Stillman Valley in the final, but Alleman graduated more talent than Stillman Valley. Alleman does play a tough schedule in the Western Big 6.
If Byron and Stillman met, the popular choice would be the senior-laden Cardinals. But in girls sports, freshmen can make just as much impact as seniors.
These two teams are so evenly matched that it makes little sense to offer a prediction. Instead, let’s hope
GUEST
Andy
VIEW
Colbert
both get past the semifinals and meet in a classic sectional final at Tabor Gym in Rock Falls.
The local Class 1A girls basketball sectional almost went to form, but No. 3 Rockford Lutheran nipped No. 2 Orangeville in a regional final. The same thing happened last year with No. 4 Lutheran beating No. 1 Orangeville.
A problem in seeding for Lutheran is lack of allies in the NUIC-heavy sectional complex and also underrating them because of their record. Lutheran plays much bigger schools than anyone else in local 1A.
Otherwise, it is all NUIC in the remaining three sectional spots with Galena and Pecatonica the favorites.
In Class 1A boys, No. 1 Pecatonica got a genuine taste of competition the last couple of weeks with losses to Class 4A Nequa Valley and Class 3A stateranked St. Laurence. That was to be
EARLY VOTING CONSOLIDATED ELECTION
expected, but an overtime win over Lena-Winslow gives cause for concern. If seedings hold up, Pecatonica and Eastland are slotted to meet in the sectional final. A surprise in that sectional could be Forreston. The way the Cardinals are playing, there is no reason why they can’t win the Amboy Regional as a No. 3 subsectional seed.
As previously stated, the area 2A boys sectional remains the weakest in the state. My interest lies down south where the top two teams in the state’s Associated Press poll, Belleville Althoff and Pickneyville, are in the same regional. No. 3 Benton and No. 4 Breese Central also are in the same sectional, so only one of the top four in the state will survive to play in a supersectional.
Crazy, but that is the nature of IHSA geographical seedings. I’m sure basketball folks from the south complain as much about the unfairness of it the same way northern schools do about football.
In looking at results from the boys individual state wrestling meet, the seven-year drought of Ogle County not having a state champion almost ended.
Rochelle’s Xavier Villalobos lost 1-0 in the Class 2A title bout at 126 pounds.
The Hubs have the longest drought among county schools with its last state title by Pat Brownson in 2003. Polo is next with Cort Lawton winning in 2006. Brandon Sklavanitis won for Oregon in 2013, Nolan Baker for Byron in 2017 and Jared VanVleet for Stillman Valley in 2018.
I wanted to view the wrestling finals online through my NFHS yearly $79 subscription, but instead opted for several hours that night in the cold at Bald Hill Forest Preserve located between Mt. Morris and Byron.
That was the site of an endurance race starting at 6 p.m., where competitors ran continuous 2-mile loops around the park with the state’s largest tree for either three, six or 12 hours. I didn’t run but helped serve hot soup, pancakes, sausage, mashed potatoes and all sorts of other food and drink items to about 60 runners, some actually lasting the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. duration.
• Andy Colbert, an avid runner, is a sports writer for Shaw Local covering high school sports in Ogle County.
105 S. 5TH ST., OREGON
LAURA J. COOK
OGLE COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER
CLASSIFIED
Lo st L ake Utility District has an opening for an Office Manager and Secr etary to the Board of Trustees
3 Days per Week (24 hours). Office experience, organization skills, computer skills, and the ability to work well with others required
Employment Application can be picked up in our office or found online at: LLUD.ORG
Send Resume to info@LLUD.org or drop off your resume to our office at Lake Court Center, 406 Lake Ct, Dixon, IL
Applications must be received by March 7, 2025
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Co ntac t us by March 10 with your list for the sale bill / advertising
Consignments can be brought to the auction sight: March 26, 27 & 28 between the hours of 7:30 am & 5 pm (gates locked), also the 29th till noon, closed Sunday, March 30 Open again 7:30 am to 5:00 pm on March 31, April 1 & 2
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INFO - LYLE HOPKINS (IL#440.000185) POLO, IL 815-441-1251
815-946-2660 EMAIL – SLPASPOLO@GMAIL.COM JOHN HOPK INS 815-994-1836
LENNY BRYSON (IL#440.000158) POLO, IL 815-946-4120
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF OGLE, STATE OF ILLINOIS
OLD NATIONAL BANK, successor by merger with FIRST MID WEST BANK, successor by merger with THE NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COMPANY, Plaintiff, v.
JEFFREY A. BRUE; UNITED LOST LAKE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION; "UNKNOWN OWNERS" and "NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS," Defendants No.2025FC4
PROPERTY ADDRE SS: 706 Woodland Drive Dix on, Illinois 61021 NOTICE OF PUBLICATION
The requisite Affidavit for Publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to JEFFREY A. BRUE; UNITED LOST LAKE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION; "UNKNOWN OWNERS" and "NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS," Defendants in the above-entitled suit, that said suit has been commenced in the Circuit Court of Ogle County, Illinois, by Plaintiff, OLD NATIONAL BANK, successor by merger with FIRST MIDWEST BANK, successor by merger with THE NATIONAL BANK & TRUST COMPANY, against you and other defendants praying for foreclosure of a Mortgage covering the premises described as follows to wit:
LOT ONE (1) IN LOST NATION WOODLAN D HOMESTEADS NO 6, LOCATED IN PART OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER (1/4) OF SECTION 9, AND THE NORTHEAST QUARTER (1/4) OF SECTION 5, BEING TOWNSHIP 22 NORTH, RANGE 10 EAST OF THE FOURTH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN; SITUATED IN THE TOWNSHIP OF TAYLOR, THE COUNTY OF OGLE AND THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
Common Address: 706 Woodland Drive Dixon, Illinois 61021
Permanent Index No: 22-09-126-002
which Mortgage was made by Jeffrey A Brue, as Mortgagor, in favor of The National Bank & Trust Company, predecessor in interest to Old National Bank, as Mortgagee, and recorded in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Ogle County, Illinois, on June 21, 2010, as Document No. 202101004621.
NOW THEREFORE, unless you, the above-named Defendants, file your answer to the Complaint in said suit, or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Ogle County, Illinois, on or before March 17, 2025, default may be entered against you at any time after that day and a judgment entered in accordance with the prayer of said Complaint
Tina M Jacobs, Esq. - ARDC 6190255 Joy Pinta, Esq. - ARDC 6278250
JACOBS & PINTA 77 West Washington Street, Suite 1005 Chicago, Illinois 60602 (312) 263-1005 officeadmin@jacobsandpinta.com I3260703
February 14, 21, 28, 2025
IN THE CIRCUI COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUITOGLE COUNTY, IL LINOIS Estate of: JEFFERY L. CAMLING, Deceased No. 2025 PR CL AIM NOTICE
Notice is
AL NOTICES
IRCUIT BANK, Y, ASSOCIATION; 61021
ereby given to SSOCIATION; efendants in the Court of Ogle y merger with ONAL BANK & oreclosure of a LOCATED IN 9, AND THE IP 22 NORTH, UATED IN THE OF ILLINOIS
favor of The ational Bank, as Ogle County, our answer to therein, in the before March hat day and a 6278250 llinois 60602
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUITOGLE COUNTY, IL LINOIS
Estate of:
JEFFERY L. CAMLING, Deceased No. 2025 PR 11 CL AIM NOTICE
Notice is given of the death of JEFFERY L. CAMLING. Letters of Office were issued to NATHAN CAMLING, 6322 N IL Rt 2, Oregon, IL 61061, and AMY WOLBER, 6000 W West Grove Rd., Mt Morris, IL 61054, as CoRepresentatives, whose attorneys are WARD, MURRAY, PACE & JOHNSON, P.C., 202 E 5th Street, Sterling, Illinois 61081.
Claims against the estate may be filed in the office of the Clerk of Court, Ogle County Courthouse, 106 S 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061, or with the Representatives, or both, on or before September 8, 2025, and any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Repres entatives and to the attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed.
Dated: February 21, 2025
NATHAN
Court, Ogle County Courthouse, 106 S 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061, or with the Representatives, or both, on or before September 8, 2025, and any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the Clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Repres entatives and to the attorney within ten (10) days after it has been filed.
Dated: February 21, 2025
NATHAN
CAMLING andAMY WOLBER , Co-Rep resentatives
Amanda J Baron ARDC 6320306
WARD, MURRAY, PACE & JOHNSON, P.C. Attorneys for Estate
202 E. 5th Street P.O. Box 400 Sterling, IL 61081
P: 815.625.8200 baron@wmpj.com
February 28, March 7, 14, 2025
STATE OF IL LINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF O GLE
In re the E state of: ARLYS J. CLARK, Deceased 2025 PR 13 CL AIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of ARLYS J. CLARK Letters of Office were issued on February 18, 2025, to RON CLARK, as Independent Executor
Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 1975, as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred
Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both
amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred
Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both
Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
By: RON CLARK Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com
February 28, March 7, 14, 2025
STATE OF IL LINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF O GLE
In re the E state of: WILL IAM R. SAMUEL, Deceased 2025 PR 14
CL AIM NOTICE
JUDICIAL
CIRCUIT COUNTY OF O GLE
In re the E state of: WILL IAM R. SAMUEL, Deceased 2025 PR 14 CL AIM NOTICE
Notice is given of the death of WILLIAM R SAMUEL. Letters of Office were issued on February 20, 2025, to TRISHA BOLEN, as Independent Administrator. Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication,or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 1975, as amended, whichever dateis later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County JudicialCenter, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both.Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative andto the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
Center, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both.Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative andto the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
By: RON CLARK Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com
sued on February 10, 2025, to MARY F NELSON, as Independent Administrator.
Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 1975, as amended, whichever dateis later
filed.
By: MARY F. NELSON Independent Administrator Law Office s of M. THOMAS
SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com
February 21, 28, March 7, 2025
STATE OF IL LINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH
JUDICIAL
CIRCUIT COUNTY OF O GLE
Notice is given of the death of WILLIAM R SAMUEL. Letters of Office were issued on February 20, 2025, to TRISHA BOLEN, as Independent Administrator.
CAMLING andAMY WOLBER , Co-Rep resentatives
Amanda J Baron ARDC 6320306
WARD, MURRAY, PACE & JOHNSON, P.C. Attorneys for Estate
202 E. 5th Street P.O. Box 400 Sterling, IL 61081
P: 815.625.8200 baron@wmpj.com
February 28, March 7, 14, 2025
Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
By: RON CLARK Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276
tom@suitslegal com
February 28, March 7, 14, 2025
Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication,or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 1975, as amended, whichever dateis later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County JudicialCenter, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both.Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative andto the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both
Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
By: RON CLARK Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com
February 28, March 7, 14, 2025
February 28, March 7, 14, 2025 STATE OF IL LINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF O GLE I n re the E state of: E LLE N J. MASON, Deceased 2025 PR 8 CL AIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of ELLEN J. MASON. Letters of Office were issued on February 10, 2025, to MARY F NELSON, as Independent Administrator. Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 1975, as amended, whichever dateis later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred.
Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both
By: RON CLARK
By: MARY F. NELSON Independent Administrator Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com
I n re the E state of: HERS CHEL M. NEWCOMER, Deceased 2025 PR 9 CL AIM NOTICE
cation, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 1975, as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both
Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
By: GLORIA NEWCOMER Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com
February 21, 28, March 7, 2025
Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
By: MARY F. NELSON Independent Administrator Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com
February 21, 28, March 7, 2025
February 21, 28,
Notice is given of the death of HERSCHEL M NEWCOMER. Letters of Office were issued on February 10, 2025, to GLORIA NEWCOMER, as Independent Executor Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 1975, as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 or with the estate legal representative, or both
Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.
By: GLORIA NEWCOMER Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com
February 21, 28, March 7, 2025
