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All rights reserved. Copyright 2025 ON THE COVER
Sycamore woman named 2024 nurse of year at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin
By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – An almost lifelong Sycamore resident who followed her mother’s footsteps into a career in the health care industry recently was recognized by her employer as nurse of the year.
Brittany Holliday, 37, was named the 2024 nurse of the year for Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin.
I wasn’t expecting that at all, but it just kind of reinforces the good work we’ve been doing at the hospital.”
Brittany Holliday, Sycamore nurse
Holliday, a registered nurse and patient care leader, was one of more than 1,200 Advocate Health Care nurses who were nominated for the award. She was chosen and 32 others were award recipients. She said finding out she was being named nurse of the year for Advocate Sherman Hospital “was pretty great,” but not something she expected.
“It was a big surprise,” Holliday said. “I am pretty humbled by the whole experience. I wasn’t expecting that at all, but it just kind of reinforces the good work we’ve been doing at the hospital.”
Holliday has worked at Sherman Hospital for the past eight years. From 2022 to 2024 she was staff-nominated nursing staff president and was the first person to told that title. She used the position to work with professional governance councils to give her fellow nurses and staff
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
AARP Tax-Aide to offer DeKalb County seniors tax aide
DeKALB – AARP Tax-Aide will offer a free tax return preparation program for 2025 for area senior residents. The program will be available at five locations in DeKalb, Sycamore, Genoa and LaSalle.
The tax prep will be provided by AARP Tax-Aide volunteers. Special focus is being given to taxpayers ages 50 or older who have low-to-moderate income. Taxpayers do not need to be AARP members. Appointments are required.
The tax preparation sites include: Elder Care Services, 1701 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb. For appointments, call
The moon rises over Shabbona Lake Oct. 22, 2024, at Shabbona Lake State Park. A bill headed to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will transfer ownership of land in southern DeKalb County, which includes all of Shabbona Lake State Park, back to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. See story, page 6. Mark Busch file photo
members a voice, according to an Advocate Health Care news release.
Now a local leader in her profession, Holliday said it was memories of her mother that inspired her to help others feel better.
“My mom’s worked in health care since I was little, and she always enjoyed the work and working with the patients that she comes in contact with,” Holliday said, noting she didn’t initially go to college for nursing.
Andrew Smith, public affairs coordinator with Advocate Health Care said Holliday and her peers are central to Advocate’s operations.
“They [nurses] do so much in our hospitals that I don’t think a lot our patients and the community is really aware of,” Smith said. “They’re there 24/7, 365, so it’s really a special moment for us to be able to recognize a nurse from one of our hospitals and really celebrate them and all that they do.”
815-758-6550.
LaSalle Public Library, 305 Marquette St. For appointments, call 815-223-2341. Sycamore United Methodist Church, 160 Johnson Ave. For appointments, call 815-501-5696.
Resource Bank, 310 Illinois Route 23, Genoa. For appointments, call 815-751-5826. DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St. For appointments, call 815-991-9418. For information, call 815-751-5763.
Food canning and preservation STEM Cafe set for Jan. 16 in DeKalb DeKALB – The DeKalb Public Library will host a canning and preserving food STEM
Cafe as part of its Teen and Family STEM Cafes program.
It will be held at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 16 in the library’s lower-level Yusunas Meeting Room, 309 Oak St.
Attendees can discover sustainable food systems, explore home gardening and its food preservation connection, master canning techniques and learn how to grow and preserve food. Pizza will be provided. The program will be led by NIU STEAM community engagement coordinator Jessica Cima. No registration is required For information, email stevenm@dkpl.org or 815-756-9568, ext. 3400.
– Shaw Local News Network
PUZZLE ANSWERS puzzlesonpage16 WHERE IT’S
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Brittany Holliday
Proposed plans for solar field with data center reviewed
Champaign-based developer makes first pitch to city commission
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – The developer behind a proposal that seeks to allow for a solar field with a data center on 30 acres along Peace Road in DeKalb made a pitch to an advisory panel this week.
Donato Solar had submitted a concept plan for a 4-megawatt solar energy system and what the company is calling a “boutique data center” to occupy existing farmland at 1199 N. Peace Road, right between Greenwood Acres and Challenger drives.
In representing Donato Solar at the DeKalb Planning Zoning Commission meeting was Nick Mahoney, who made a pitch to the panel for the development’s concept plans.
“We are very open to working with the ... city here, making sure that everything is up to your standards,” Mahoney said. “Currently, it is within
See SOLAR FIELD, page 4
Champaign-based developer Donato Solar has petitioned the City of DeKalb to install a solar field and data center at 1199 N. Peace Road, between Greenwood Acres and Challenger drives. Concept art published by the city of DeKalb in January shows the proposed build.
Sycamore Chamber accepting Danielson award nominations
SYCAMORE – The Sycamore Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2024 Clifford Danielson Outstanding Citizen Award.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Jan. 24.
The recipient will be honored during the Chamber’s annual meeting and celebration March 6. To receive a nomination form, visit sycamorechamber.com or call 815-895-3456.
Nominees must be a Sycamore area resident or actively involved in the community and have a civic activities leadership record of at least 10 years.
The nominees also must have contributed to Sycamore’s life quality in the following ways:
• Effectiveness in maintaining and improving Sycamore’s business, industrial and professional interests.
• Success in conceiving and implementing civic and community project innovations and improvements.
• Leadership in developing activities that expand the community’s business, industrial and residential areas.
• Excellence in creating and maintaining constructive business, industrial and professional sector relationships.
• Excellence in human relations, demonstrated through garnering respect from peers and the community.
To submit a nomination, send via mail to Danielson Award Committee, c/o Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, 519
• SOLAR FIELD
Continued from page 3
the zoning jurisdiction but is not currently zoned within the master plan here.”
Donato Solar wants city permission to annex and rezone the land.
Mahoney said unlike like the Meta DeKalb Data Center, the Donato Solar is proposing a smaller, standalone data center.
He said he anticipates very little foot traffic to and from this development.
Mahoney said the company intends to occupy the land for up to 25 years and the development would include a decommissioning plan, if approved.
DeKalb resident Elizabeth Kueny asked what type of batteries may be carried by the development.
Mahoney said they are Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries.
“That’s kind of the leading category,” Mahoney said. “Although to your point, that is an evolving field. There’s lots of new battery technolo-
W. State St., Sycamore.
Magician James Ember to perform Jan. 18 in DeKalb
DeKALB – The DeKalb Public Library will host a show featuring magician James Ember.
The free event will be held at 2 p.m. Jan. 18 in the library’s lower-level Yusunas Meeting Room, 309 Oak St. It is intended for ages 5 and older. Ember will perform his interactive, award-winning comedy magic show. He has performed at weddings, corporate events, school programs, on the street and on stages. No registration is required. For information, email chelsear@dkpl. org or call 815-756-9568, ext. 1700.
– Shaw Local News Network
gies that are constantly being released. But these ones, in particular, are the most stable and have fairly high energy density.”
Kueny questioned what type of fire suppression system the development would have.
Mahoney said a decision hasn’t yet made been about whether the fire suppression system for the data center should be water or chemical-based.
“They’re all self-contained,” Mahoney said. “They’re all fire proof in that sense. There’s very little risk of that happening. On top of that, we have a very, very robust [operations and maintenance] package. ... All of these batteries are under warranty for 10 years by the manufacturer. They come out and they’re constantly doing maintenance on them.”
No action from the Planning and Zoning Commission was necessary.
The city said future communication may go out to residents to schedule a public hearing on the developer’s annexation and rezoning requests. City Council approval also is required.
MEAL -
Photo provided by the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce
The 2023 Clifford Danielson Outstanding Citizen Award recipient was Ed Kuhn.
Fourth annual bank challenge
The Kishwaukee Family YMCA recently completed its fourth annual Campaign Bank Challenge to support its annual campaign. The challenge raised $18,191 in donations. The YMCA challenges local banks to raise funds for the campaign. The banks received points in various categories. Old National Bank was the winner. Pictured (from left) are First State Bank commercial loan officer Jacob Cook, Old National Bank banking center assistant manager Andrew Miller, Kishwaukee Family YMCA CEO Brian Bickner, Heartland Bank employee Chrissy Large and Resource Bank investment representative Brandon Diviak.
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
DeKalb Township to offer advance care directive help DeKALB – The DeKalb Township will partner with Northwestern Medicine’s advance care planning and medical ethics department representatives to assist residents in completing their advance care directives.
Help will be provided Thursdays and Fridays in January at the township, 2323 S. Fourth St.
Advance care directives are documents including healthcare preferences and requests. The documents also appoint a substitute health care decision-maker and specify types of medical interventions. The directives are recommended for all adults, valid across state lines, can be updated or revoked and do not expire.
Residents can complete the paperwork on their own or with an attorney. The
following forms are available for self-service online: the Illinois Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney for Healthcare, the Five Wishes document, and the Jehovah’s Witness Power of Attorney for Healthcare Form. Appointments are required; call 815-758-8282. No walk-ins.
DeKalb library to host game day Jan. 18
DeKALB – The DeKalb Public Library will host a game day for ages 16 and older on Jan. 18.
The event will be held at 11 a.m. in the Zimmerman Meeting Room, 309 Oak St. Attendees can play card games, puzzles and board games or bring their own games. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.
– Shaw Local News Network
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Shabbona Lake State Park land returns to Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
Public access to park a stipulation of Senate bill headed to governor’s desk
By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com
SHABBONA – A bill that now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will transfer ownership of 1,500 acres of stolen land in southern DeKalb County, which includes all of Shabbona Lake State Park, back to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
The 175-year-land saga came to a climax Jan. 7 when the Illinois Senate passed the legislation.
Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick, chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, said Jan. 8 that it was hard for him to immediately appreciate the magnitude of the state Legislature’s decision.
“It’s kind of hard to describe,” Rupnick. “I don’t even think it really has sunk in yet, of the significance of what this means.”
Shabbona Village President Don Goncher said the village has worked with the Potawatomi Nation for the past 20 years, as the Nation long sought to regain land in southern DeKalb County stolen from Potawatomi Chief Shab-eh-nay in 1849.
“We have supported what the Potawatomi are doing,” Goncher said.
The Potawatomi Nation and other tribes ceded land in northern Illinois in a treaty signed July 29, 1829, commonly known as the Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien; however, Potawatomi Chief Shab-eh-nay and his band at their village near Paw Paw Grove were allowed to keep two parcels of land, totaling 1,280 acres. That land became known as the Shab-ehnay Band Reservation.
Rupnick and generations of his family have argued that in 1849, while Shab-eh-nay was visiting relatives who had been forced to move to Kansas, the land known as the Shab-eh-nay Band Reservation was stolen when the General Land Office of the U.S. sold the property at a public auction.
In April, portions of the Shab-ehnay Reservation were placed into a trust for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation by the U.S. Department of Interior, making the first federally recog-
nized tribal land in Illinois an enclave in DeKalb County. That portion of land did not include Shabbona Lake State Park, but it spurred some Shabbona residents and park users to rally against any future change in ownership of the state park.
Shabbona Township resident Peter Dordal leads a group called DeKalb County Taxpayers Against the Casino. Dordal has repeatedly questioned the authenticity of the Potawatomi Nation’s claims to the tribal land. The land belongs to the Nation, however, according to the federal government.
“The people of Illinois are losing a state park, and that’s the bottom line for us,” Dordal said.
Public access to the land is not expected to change in the long term. A requirement of the Shabbona Lake State Park land conveyance is that the park remain open for public access. The Potawatomi Nation also must enter into a land management agree -
ment with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, according to the bill.
Nation representatives have repeatedly said they do not intend to limit public access to the park and that they have no plans to build a casino on the land.
The ownership transfer next heads to Pritzker’s desk for his signature.
“Now, really, the hard work begins because part of the legislation included a management agreement between the state and the Nation,” Rupnick said. “We’re going to have to kind of work through that before any transfer takes effect. And that has always been the Nation’s commitment to the General Assembly, to the state, to DNR, to all of our supporters, even our opponents –that we are committed to keeping that park open.”
Numerous steps remain before the land officially can be transferred, but pushback from Shabbona village offi-
cials is not expected, Goncher said. Goncher said he and other village leaders still have questions about the land transfer, noting that they’ve had nothing to do with the matter but they support the change.
“We will work with the Potawatomi in their efforts because I think it will, in some way – somehow it’s going to benefit the community, one way or the other,” Goncher said.
Rupnick said he hopes few notice the change.
“One of the commitments that we made to the general legislature or the General Assembly here in Springfield was that for the average citizen, they should see no change or would not even realize that transfer of land had taken place,” Rupnick said. “Everything should go as smoothly as possible, and I know that that’s one of the things that I’m working toward.”
See LAND, page 12
After 175 years, we’re able to return back to the homeland that we originally inhabited.” Joseph “Zeke”
Mark Busch file photo
Reeds silhouette against Shabbona Lake and colorful trees on Oct. 22, 2024, at Shabbona Lake State Park.
D-428 board rejects placing failed referendum on April ballot
Voters rejected a proposed 1% sales tax in November
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – The DeKalb School District 428 board this week rejected a district attempt to place a failed sales tax referendum back on the ballot in April.
The DeKalb County Area School Districts County School Facility Occupation Tax, which proposed a 1% new sales tax benefiting public schools countywide, failed to garner enough votes in November. The measure, which appeared on all ballots countywide, received 23,181 no votes and 21,333 yes votes.
An attempt by DeKalb School District 428 to get the referendum placed back on the April 1 Consolidated Election ballot failed in a 3-4 vote Jan. 6. Dissenting votes were cast by school board members Amanda Harness, Board Vice President Christopher Boyes, and members Steven Byers and Fred Davis.
Harness questioned why the district wanted to pose the referendum question to voters again.
“I want to understand why this is
coming back up because we put this out to the taxpayers and they said no,” Harness said. “Why are we putting this back on here? What school is asking us to do this? And who’s on board with it? What school districts?”
District officials previously said the new sales tax could have generated about $10 million which would have been divided by district student population. DeKalb is the largest school dis-
trict in the county.
Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez said getting the measure on the spring ballot was always part of the plan if the referendum failed in the fall.
“When we did the first vote around, it was asked at that time, that if it didn’t make it that we would ask again in an open session to revote it to be able to put it back on again on a bal -
lot,” Garcia-Sanchez said.
Garcia-Sanchez said all DeKalb County school districts, aside from Sycamore, Indian Creek and Hinckley-Big Rock, are in support of putting the referendum on the ballot again.
District officials said DeKalb schools would use the tax money in part to pay back debt from building DeKalb High School.
In order to place a sales tax referendum on the ballot, school districts representing at least 50% of grade-school students in DeKalb County have to authorize the referendum.
District 428 has 45.9% of the county’s student population enrolled in its schools. Sycamore has 23.8%, according to Sycamore school district documents.
Harness said the matter before the board didn’t sit well with her.
“And we wonder why people don’t trust us,” Harness said.
Board President Deyci Ramirez disagreed.
“Taking the fact that other districts don’t receive the same funding, I think, it’s also fair for us to, again, put it back on the voters,” Ramirez said. “They could shut it down again. That’s perfectly fine, but at least it doesn’t lay on us, whether or not we give them the choice to choose for themselves.”
Megann Horstead file photo
DeKalb School District 428 board member Amanda Harness speaks at a Sept. 19, 2023, meeting.
Police: DeKalb woman beaten to death
Devonne L. Montgomery charged with murder
By KELSEY RETTKE krettke@shawmedia.com
DeKALB – A 31-year-old DeKalb woman was beaten to death Jan. 7 and the man she was dating was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing, authorities said.
Jasmine Dejournette was pronounced dead at her home on West Hillcrest Drive early Jan. 7, according to DeKalb County court records. She succumbed to what police described as “significant facial injuries.” A DeKalb police forensic pathologist said her cause of death was brain hemorrhaging due to excessive blunt force trauma, court records show.
Loved ones have set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the family to help lay her to rest.
“Jasmine was a beautiful soul –kind, loving, and selfless – always putting others before herself,” loved ones wrote in memory. “She had an incredible spirit, a heart full of love, and a presence that could light up any room.”
Devonne L. Montgomery, 30, a convicted felon, called 911 about 2:20 a.m. Jan. 7 to report “an unresponsive woman,” police said.
When officers arrived at the apartment, Montgomery answered the door and the officers saw Dejournette naked and laying on the floor of the apartment, unconscious and not breathing, records show.
Montgomery is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, felony aggravated domestic battery and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, according to records filed Jan. 9 in DeKalb County court.
If convicted, he could face a life sentence. Montgomery previously
was convicted of aggravated battery and discharge of a firearm in a 2015 Kane County case, according to court records. He also was convicted in a 2013 Kane County case of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Devonne L. Montgomery, 30, of DeKalb
He told officers he lived with Dejournette in DeKalb on days that he worked, police said. The Monday before Dejournette was killed, Montgomery had been playing video games and drinking alcohol, records show.
Authorities said Montgomery’s phone showed evidence of the two dating, although messages sometimes referred to his violent treatment of Dejournette, court records allege.
Between June 13, 2024, and Jan. 6, Montgomery and Dejournette exchanged 8,214 instant messages, according to court records. In some, she mentioned Montgomery beating her, according to documents filed in court.
On Dec. 2, Dejournette wrote, “you don’t have to put your hands on me to prove your point. The look in your eyes is scary af.”
In an audio message sent to Montgomery Jan. 1, Dejournette talked about him “putting his hands on her,” and her wanting to leave him but “knowing he was going through a lot,” according to court records.
On June 18, 2024, Dejournette messaged Montgomery and said, “Regardless of what we go thru, I’m never calling the police on you or telling them [expletive] ... I would never wanna take you from your kids lives,” according to court records.
When officers arrested Montgomery, he initially said he wasn’t at the apartment the night of Dejournette’s
killing, according to court records. Instead, he told them he arrived back to the apartment after a night out at a cousin’s home and found her lying on the floor with a pillow next to her and covered in a blanket.
Montgomery’s phone location data, however, showed his phone was in or around the apartment from 6 p.m. Jan. 6 to when police arrived after 2 a.m. Jan. 7, according to court records.
DeKalb police detectives searched Montgomery’s phone with a warrant and discovered he’d been on a threeway phone call with two cousins for hours early Tuesday morning leading up to Dejournette’s killing, according to court records.
One of the cousins, a man who’d been on the phone with Montgomery that night, told police Montgomery later called him from the DeKalb Police Department about 8 a.m. Jan. 8 and told him “to tell police that they were together the night before,” according to court records.
The man also said that during the phone call, Montgomery talked about how he was upset about his father’s recent death and that Dejournette hadn’t paid bills on time, police said.
The man said he overheard Mont-
gomery and Dejournette arguing over the phone multiple times during the call, police said, and toward the end of the call, Montgomery told the man he would be back.
Five minutes later, the man said he heard Montgomery return and say that he had to go, and ended the call, according to court records, and about 3 that morning, Montgomery called the man back and said “something along the lines of ‘she’s gone.’”
DeKalb police searched the apartment and found evidence of a bloody scene, according to court records.
Items included bloody clothing, soaked carpet, shoes with a tread pattern with shapes similar to the injuries officers saw on Dejournette’s face, a loaded pistol in a men’s shoebox upstairs in what Montgomery told police was the “game room,” and a Taurus pistol bought by Dejournette under a bed upstairs, according to court records.
Montgomery made his first court appearance on the charges before Circuit Court Judge Philip Montgomery Jan. 7. The judge ordered him detained pending trial.
He’s expected to remain held in DeKalb County jail with a status hearing set for 10 a.m. Feb. 5.
LOOKING BACK
1925 – 100 YEARS AGO
Tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of prohibition and local leaders in the dry cause have asked The Chronicle to print the article from the American Issue that was a sort of celebration of the occasion. It is also suggested that it would be a fitting form of celebration to hang out the flag.
Everything was quiet at the city hall during the forenoon yesterday when a hard looking personage came limping into the building. He walked into the clerk’s office and the young lady in charge there, after the man had stuttered out a few remarks, being backward about asking for something to eat, was ready to step on the police buzzer. The man stated his business and was directed to the police department. He told his troubles there and within a few moments, the coffee was boiling and the hungry fellow was eating bread and drinking coffee. That the man was hungry cannot be doubted as he consumed 21 slices of bread before he said he had enough.
Workmen today started to remodel the first floor of the Knipp building, formerly occupied by Emil Johnson, following the announcement that J. Stoler will move his Farmer’s Bargain store into the new building the first of the month. Mr. Stoler has been located in the building next to the Elks’ club. Mr. Stoler will take possession of the building the first of the month, when it is expected that the building will be ready for occupancy. The new location will give the store large space for the display of the general merchandise.
The latest news about the electric lights in Cortland is that they will be ready about the first of February. They are working on a few here this week.
The Homer Glass family of Genoa is quarantined for scarlet fever. Two of the children are ill with the disease.
In answering an alarm sent in from College Avenue and John Street last night, Spark Plug with King Tut at the wheel and Lieut. L. L. Smith on the seat, had a narrow escape at First and Locust streets. A Ford sedan driving south on First Street, failed to hear the trucks approaching that street and if Spark Plug had been equipped with a bumper, the accident could not have been avoided.
As it was King Tut had a large pile of snow in the Elk’s yard in sight as a landing place.
1950 – 75 YEARS AGO
New street signs for the City of DeKalb have arrived and will be erected as soon as weather permits, it was announced by Commissioner of Public Works E. L. Foiles. The new street signs will be placed throughout the city, there being 262 signs to be erected. Ten-foot poles set in cement two and one-half feet in the ground will be used for the new signs and when the project is completed a needed improvement will have been accomplished.
Deputy Harry Overton had to make a pair of calls to a spot just south of Maple Park where a large tree had blown across the County Line Road. An automobile had driven into the branches when Overton was first called at 1:05 o’clock but was undamaged. On the way back, he got as far as Hale’s Corners when another call sent him back to the spot where another car also was entangled in the branches.
Switching operations in DeKalb will be speeded with the completion of the erection of a new signal control unit on the Chicago and North Western main line between Second and Third streets. The south switch track has to be shifted about five feet to the south to make way for one of the steel supports, and the steel standards were put into place
that the Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul Railroad is seeking to install at two Genoa crossings. The two crossings, on North Monroe and North Sycamore streets, would do away with the crossing guards and install sidewalk and street gates that would lower when a train approached the crossing.
Kishwaukee College will offer classes this spring for people who want to learn how to speak, write and read the English language. The English as a Second Language (ESL) classes will be held on campus and in DeKalb. These classes are for the non-English speaking adults who wish to learn the basics of English.
DeKalb County residents awoke this morning to find garbage cans blown over and tree limbs downed in high winds which some say approached 50 miles per hour in the early morning hours.
2000 – 25 YEARS AGO
yesterday with a special crew, aided by a steam crane. The new signal will make it possible for switching operations to be carried on even if a train is operating withing the block covered by the signals, located several miles west of town and at Tenth Street to the west. The new system has been in operation for several months and is controlled from a central office in Chicago. Its installation makes it possible for trains to operate in either direction on both tracks.
A coming attraction of great interest to people in DeKalb County will be the Vienna Choir Boys who will appear as the third and last number of the Headliners Series, sponsored by nine civic and professional organizations. The choir, established more than 450 years ago by imperial decree, was introduced to this country in 1932.
1975 – 50 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Penner of Sarasota, Fla., have been awarded the contract to construct DeKalb’s new postal facility at Lincoln Highway and Sixth Street. The building is to have 14,400 square feet of interior space. Under terms of the contract, the U. S. Postal Service will lease the building for 20 years and hold six renewal options of five years each. Rent for the building will be $147,000 a year.
No decision was rendered during last night’s Genoa City Council meeting concerning the proposed railroad gates
Oprah Winfrey has named her new magazine – O. The choice of O, The Oprah Magazine was finalized after several focus groups were conducted, Hearst Magazines and Oprah’s entertainment group said Wednesday.
The cost for services and procedures at Kishwaukee Community Hospital are generally higher than the Northwest Illinois average, according to recent comparison. Included in the survey is a price comparison of diagnostic, inpatient and outpatient services for KCH and other area hospitals.
Aaron Tyler of Waterman, a Daily Chronicle carrier, helped a customer in distress. As he was putting the newspaper in Irene Kleinmaier’s front door, he noticed through the window an arm with a hand clutching and waving a tissue. It was her call of distress to Aaron. She had fallen and broken her hip. She was on the floor for several hours, but she knew her carrier would be there that evening. Aaron rushed home and got his mother, who summoned help.
Relief may be in sight for DeKalb County residents who are tired of loud train whistles. The Federal Railroad Administration has announced a proposal that sets guidelines communities can follow to quality for a “quiet zone.” Where train whistles need not be blown unless there is a clear danger.
– Compiled by Sue Breese
Photo provided by the DeKalb County History Center Archives Altgeld Hall is reflected in the lagoon on the campus of Northern Illinois State Teachers College (now Northern Illinois University) in 1940.
Considerations for your second act
Many people see their careers as one of their defining characteristics. Children are often asked what they want to be when they grow up, and as adults they will likely be asked “What do you do for a living?” more times than they can remember. Work is undoubtedly a major component of life for most people from the time they leave school to the day when they retire. And a growing number of adults value work so much that they pivot to second careers.
A phenomenon known as ”unretirement” occurs when people who have previously retired return to the workforce.
A 2010 paper published in the Journal of Human Resources found nearly 50 percent of retirees followed a nontraditional retirement path that involved partial retirement or unretirement. According to a recent Retirement Saving & Spending Study from T. Rowe Price, around 20 percent of retirees are working either full- or part-time, while 7 percent of study respondents are looking for employment. Some people return to work for financial reasons while others seek the social and emotional benefits employment can bring. But individuals mulling a return to work or those currently working but trying to determine a second act should not feel beholden to previous career paths. A second trip around the employment block can involve an entirely different line of work. The following are some things to look for in a second act.
• Flexibility: Choose a career path that enables you to set your own schedule or possibly work part-time if that is your preference. This way you can still reap some of the benefits of retirement, including the flexibility to travel.
• Social interaction: Adults may lose daily opportunities to be social when they retire, which can compound feelings of isolation common among retirees. Consider a second career that lets you interact with a number of people and continue to build relationships and a good network.
• Personal passions: Reflect on what you might do for work if money were no object. This may help you narrow down new opportunities that are in line with your interests and passions. Find a job that utilizes your skills and experience and meshes with your interests. A former graphic artist, for example, may decide to teach design to young people.
¥ Nonprofit opportunities: Many retirees spent years in high-stress corporate environments where bottom lines may be more important than the bigger picture. Shifting to a career in the nonprofit sector can be a personally fulfilling job that utilizes skills learned in the corporate world.
• Consulting or contract work: If you’re a retiree who loved your job, you might want to have a second career as a consultant or contractor in the same field.
A number of retirees ultimately explore second careers. Finding a match may be easier than one could have imagined.
Senior Services
LOCAL
Jazz at the Egyptian fundraiser set for Jan. 25
DeKALB – The Egyptian Theatre will host the eighth annual Jazz at the Egyptian concert to support area school music programs.
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at the theater, 135 N. Second St., DeKalb. The concert will feature the Northern Illinois University Jazz Orchestra, Jazz in Progress, and the DeKalb and Sycamore high school jazz ensembles.
Proceeds from the event will benefit
• LAND
Continued from page 6
Former resident Becky Oest and her husband won’t be in Shabbona to see what the transfer amounts to. They decided to move to Leland because of the ongoing land dispute. They sold their Shabbona home to the tribe.
“My husband and I sold our dream home because we knew this was coming,” Oest wrote to Shaw Local News Network. “We do not want to raise a family in an area with so many uncertainties. I am very grateful to the tribe because they purchased our home. Nobody else even made an offer. Who wants to purchase a home with no guarantees of the future of Shabbona?”
Other state officials have been vocal about the legislation.
In a statement after arguing against its passage Jan. 7, state Rep. Bradley Fritts, R-Dixon, said he was deeply concerned by the bill’s passing.
“The bill does not include any regulations surrounding the type of development permitted,” Fritts said in a news release. “The bill also does not address that the state of Illinois is giving away a state park, worth tens of millions of dollars, without regard for the taxpayer or the residents who utilize the park.”
The market value of the land given to the Potawatomi Nation is $14.25 million, according to the bill.
Fritts said the bill does not include any protections for landowners who currently reside on land included in the land transfer agreement.
Rupnick disagrees, however.
“I know that our representative, Rep. Fritts, who is in that district, has been working actively to lobby against us,” Rupnick said. “The thing that was misleading is there are no residents that actually live in the state park –none whatsoever. So his message of what he was trying to get across is patently false.”
Rupnick reiterated that the Nation doesn’t have an interest in building a casino on the land. In the past, he has said the area lacks transportation
the DeKalb and Sycamore high school and NIU music programs.
Tickets cost $17 for adults, $12 for students and ages 65 and older, and $7 for ages 12 and younger.
To buy tickets, visit the Egyptian Theatre box office, call 815-758-1225 or visit egyptiantheatre.org.
The Egyptian Theatre is owned and operated by the Preservation of Egyptian Theatre Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
– Shaw Local News Network
infrastructure for a casino and would compete for patrons with casinos in Rockford and Aurora. He said a casino also would require another act of the state Legislature to enter into negotiations with the governor to build one.
“If we were to do something on the land that is currently in trust outside of the park, we would hope that we would build a facility that would enhance the experience for those folks that do come out and visit the park,” Rupnick said.
The Potawatomi Nation has not captured the ire of all local residents who’ve spoken against the Shabbona State Park land transfer. Oest wrote that her frustration is with the Illinois government and not with the Nation.
“Everyone has a right to fight for what they believe is theirs to fight for,” Oest wrote. “I can only hope that the tribe stands by their word, and our government takes all the next steps to help protect the park and the community.”
Rupnick said he understands that others have made their homes near the land that was stolen from his ancestor. He said he wants to continue to build the Potawatomi Nation’s relationship with Shabbona stakeholders.
“After 175 years, we’re able to return back to the homeland that we originally inhabited,” Rupnick said. “We’re looking forward to working with the state, we’re looking forward to working with the DNR and Gov. Pritzker’s administration to continue to build those relationships and continue working to make our presence known.”
Mark Busch file photo
Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick
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SYCAMORE
Peace Road widening, bridge project could cost $7M
County engineer: Familiar contractor could be awarded project
By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – A new bridge and a wider roadway could be in store for future travelers along Peace Road in Sycamore, according to the DeKalb County Highway Department.
On Jan. 2, the DeKalb County Board highway committee met with DeKalb County Engineer Nathan Schwartz and discussed how the county will pay for the project, which will widen the roadway and replace a bridge along Peace Road north of Route 64, and south of Freed Road in Sycamore.
The project was estimated to cost $7.4 million, according to county documents. Schwartz said he estimates the cost to be closer to $7 million. While speaking to the highway committee, he said the department received bids just under his estimate, and that the county won’t have to fund the project without help from the state.
Schwartz, who runs the county’s highway department, said he antici -
pates the county will need to pay for about 42.8% of the project’s total costs. That’s because Motor Fuel Tax and Rebuild Illinois Bond funding will contribute $4 million to the cause, he said.
“We’ve been saving that up for this Peace Road bridge project,” Schwartz said. “The last of our RBI funds is going to be $1.2 million. It’s going to be on this Peace Road project. And then $2.7 million is going to be just our regular MFT, our regular gas tax. And the rest of the money is going to be local property taxes.”
Because those funds come from state coffers, Schwartz said the county has to tell the Illinois Department of Transportation how they intend to use those funds. The highway committee, which serves an advisory role to the DeKalb County Board, unanimously voted to recommend the County Board approve the expenditure of the state funds allocated to the county for the project.
The County Board hasn’t yet voted.
At the beginning of the committee meeting, while Schwartz was explaining how his department finds ways to pay for projects through state and federal funding, committee vice chair Mary Cozad, a Democrat from District 10, said she was inspired by their ability to get grant funding.
We’ve been saving that up for this Peace Road bridge project. The last of our RBI funds is going to be $1.2 million. It’s going to be on this Peace Road project. And then $2.7 million is going to be just our regular MFT, our regular gas tax. And the rest of the money is going to be local property taxes.”
Nathan Schwartz, DeKalb County engineer
“It’s kind of impressive, the extra money the county manages to get for highways from the state and other places,” Cozad said.
Committee chair Savannah Ilenikhena, a Republican from District 5, concurred, and directed the credit toward Schwartz.
“That’s all Nathan,” Ilenikhena said. “His team as well.”
Schwartz said the county received
five bids ranging in cost from $6.99 million to $8.3 million, but the winning bid wasn’t in a class of its own. Bids with totals of $7.2 million, $7.3 million and $7.5 million also were submitted to the county.
“So you know that these all are pretty good bids when they’re that close together,” Schwartz said. “My estimate of cost was $7 million, that’s what I put in the budget book, and it came in at $6.99 [million], so I’m really happy that I nailed it.”
The winning bid for the project was submitted by Rockford-based construction company Sjostrom & Sons Inc. In a voice vote, the committee unanimously recommended that the county board authorize the construction contract for the project.
Schwartz said the project wouldn’t be the first partnership between the company and DeKalb County.
“This is a contractor that has done a lot of work for us before,” he said. “In 2024, they did a box culvert and a bridge. They’ll be able to handle it. They will probably sub the road work to one of our local contractors like Curran [Contracting] or somebody like that, and they’ll focus on the bridge. They’ll do a fine job, they do good quality work. I have no concerns with this.”
Mark Busch
Vehicles travel Peace Road just north of State Route 64 on Jan. 7 in Sycamore. The DeKalb County Highway Department is seeking funds to widen the road and replace a bridge at this location.
AMUSEMENTS
CLASSIFIED
FARM LAND AUCTION
LIVE & ONLINE AUCTION
Thursday | January 30, 2025 | 11:30 A.M.
Auction Held At: Pub West | 100 E Adams St. | Waterman, IL Unable to attend the live event? Bid online at www.stenzelauction.hibid.com
The Roger L Pfluger Trust | Theodore Liebovich, Rockford, IL Attorney will offer the following at public auction at the above mentioned time and place. Online bidding will be offered. The farm is located around the address known as 3187 Shabbona Grove Rd | Shabbona, IL
115.37 Acres M/L | Shabbona Twp. | Sec. 27 | DeKalb County | Shabbona IL Ground is located around address known as 3187 Shabbona Grove Rd
115.37 Acres (M/L) in Shabbona Twp., Sec. 27; 120.7 PI (Tillable Acres); Soil types are 656CD Ocatgon, 348B Wingate, 356A Elpaso, 330A Peotone, 512B Danabrook, 62A Herbert FSA-156EZ report shows 120.84 farmland, 117.11 DCP cropland. Corn base of 56.60 acres, PLC yield 167. Soybean base 56.20, PLC yield 51. No CRP. View terms and additional information online at www.stenzelauction.com
