Village Board

2BE AT oglecountynews.com MT. MORRIS TIMES MT. MORRIS TIMES Mt. Morris MT. MORRIS VILLAGE BOARD is facilitating new land deal MT. MORR IS OFFICE 113-115 Peoria Ave. Dixon, IL 61021 (815) 732-6166 ext. 2592 Fax: (815) 284-2078 Farm to table restaurant, deli and 2020 SUBSCRIPTIONS $39 in Ogle County, and butcher shop planned Mt. Morris Times / o glecountynews.com • F riday, December 25, $52 outside Ogle County. Single-copy price is $1 To subscribe, make a payment or discuss your delivery, call 815-732-6166, ext. 2518 Monday-Friday or send an e-mail to subscriptions@ oglecountynews.com. You also can subscribe online by going to oglecountynews.com and clicking on Subscribe. CLASSIFIED SALES 815-284-2222 OBITUARIES 815-7632-2534 ehinton@oglecountynews.com Deadline for obituaries is 2 p.m. Tuesday for Friday’s edition SEND NEWS news@oglecountynews.com BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com The Mt. Morris Village Board unanimously approved the facilitation of a property development deal involving the former site of the Penner building and a nearby property that are slated to become a farm to table restaurant and a deli and butcher shop at its Tuesday meeting. Since the Penner building was demolished last year, the village has been working with purchase developers at 13 S. Wesley Ave. adjacent to the property for development, Village Attorney Rob LeSage said. The village will purchase the adjacent property, which is owned by Tom Felker, for $40,000 cash. Immediately following that acquisition, the village will Property LLC will be developing the real estate into the restaurant and deli and butcher shop. The city will be giving the developers TIF money to assist in the transaction. months into operation, the village will pay $40,000 for a TIF reimbursement total of $200,000.” LeSage said the city is involved with Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media Mt. Morris residents watch as workers from Maddrell Excavating, Monroe, Wisconsin, demolish the Penner building in downtown Mt. Morris on Oct. 16, 2019. acquire the Penner property, after pay- “Under the TIF deal, it will be a total the transaction so the developer will General Manager ing for half the cost of demolition, for $1. of $200,000 of TIF reimbursement for have to follow terms of a redevelopment Earleen Hinton Closing is set for Dec. 31 at 11:30 a.m., a project of $1.1 million,” LeSage said. deal. Work on the properties is expected 815-632-2591 ehinton@shawmedia.co Editor m LeSage said. The village will then immediately turn around and sell those properties to a developer, Wesley 1895 Property LLC, for the purchase price it just “There will be significant investment by the developer. The first $110,000 will be paid out during construction on a draw down basis. They will submit bills to the to begin after the first of the “I think they’re going to pretty quickly and residents year. be moving will see real Jeff Helfrich paid, a total of $40,001. village. Upon completion and opening, action,” LeSage said. “Their hope is to 815-632-2590 Following the purchase, Wesley 1895 the village will pay $50,000. Finally, six be open by July or August.” jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

Advertising Sales Patty Bridgeman 815-632-2555 pbridgeman@ shawmedia.com

Mt. Morris Times, Ogle County News and oglecountynews.com are a division of Shaw Media. Ogle County Newspapers also prints the Mt.MorrisTimes , OregonRepublicanReporter, and Polo’s Tri-County Press .

The MT. MORRIS TIMES (USPS No. 365-440) is published weekly by B.F. Shaw Printing Co., Shaw Media. Periodical postage paid at Mt. Morris, Illinois. POSTMASTER Send address changes to MT. MORRIS TIMES, P.O. Box 8, Oregon, IL 61061. Phone 815-732-6166, ext. 2516.

BRIEFS

Library going fine free in 2021

The Mt. Morris Library is going Fine Free starting Jan. 2.

“We will no longer place fines on any overdue materials. If an item is not returned, or is damaged, charges will still occur but there will no longer be late fees,” library officials said in a press release.

The library’s Board of Trustees chose to take this action at their December meeting, the release said.

“We do not want fines to stand in the way of patrons checking out materials. Patrons will receive reminders about overdue materials, and will be encouraged to return or renew items. If books are 14 days overdue, or DVDs are 7 days overdue, you will not be able to check out items until they are returned,” the release said.

If an item is 21 days overdue, the patron will receive a bill for the replacement cost of the item. Once the item is returned, the charges are removed and the patron may once again check out materials.

“It is our hope that patrons will realize that we are not wanting to punish anyone, but want to have items available to be used. We want the library to be welcoming to all and serve our community well,” the release said. Mt. Morris library receives grant

The Mt. Morris Library has been awarded a Digital Access Grant for Public Libraries.

This grant will allow us to extend the Wi-Fi capabilities to allow better access to stable internet service in the community. The new service will allow people in the community to easily access free Wi-Fi network even when the library is closed.

The equipment purchased with this grant will boost the Wi-Fi signal to make it more readily accessible to anyone parked outside of the library. More information is forthcoming as we get the equipment installed and tested.

The funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of the Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

HELPING THOSE IN NEED Polo Christmas star project buys gifts for 72 kids

Volunteers did the shopping for others

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

The Pine Creek Christian Church and the Polo community have come together to purchase Christmas gifts for hundreds of children over the years.

This year, however, was a little different due to COVID-19.

“The shopping changed this year as much as anything did,” Christmas Star Project organizer Sheryl Hopkins said. “More have done it for others that don’t want to go out. A lot did it online more. Families, the number has been similar.”

The project involves families anonymously listing their children’s age and what they want for Christmas and community members taking them and purchasing gifts. This year, 72 kids will get gifts.

The presents were distributed to families last Friday and Saturday at the church. Hopkins said organizers were happy to go out and do some shopping for people who weren’t comfortable with it.

“There were only a few of us,” Hopkins said. “We didn’t have a problem with going out and doing it. We know there’s a lot of children in

BUSINESS BY DENNIS ANDERSON

danderson@shawmedia.com

The Shaw Local News Network has launched new websites to provide news to Northern Illinois readers with increased immediacy. The ShawLocal.com network also is available on app stores and includes all of Shaw Media’s local news coverage from its 53 Illinois newspapers and magazines.

Coverage on ShawLocal. Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media

Pine Creek Christian Church and the Polo community came together again this year to purchase Christmas gifts for children through the Christmas Star Project. Here, volunteers pose by some of the presents. Pictured, left to right, are: Charlotte Hoppe, Judy Riffle, Sandra Ford, Sheryl Hopkins, Judy Nettz, and Vicki Hey.

need. Everyone is more than willing to help out.”

Hopkins estimates the church has been doing the Christmas Star projcom includes a w a r d - w i n n i n g publications, such as the Northwest Herald, Dixon Telegraph, Kane County Chronicle, Joliet Herald-News, and Ogle County Newspapers.

Also included in the Shaw Local app are Friday Night Drive, which covers prep football across the ect for 15-20 years. This year, each Polo Police officer picked up a name and supported the process. About 30 families will get gifts this Christregion, and Starved Rock Country, which promotes tourism in the greater La Salle County area. “We launched Shaw Local with new technology that improves the reader experience, and allows our reporters to get news up on the site faster,” said J. Tom Shaw, Shaw Media VP and mas.

“The families are always appreciative. More than happy to thank

Shaw Local News Network launches new website network

us.” chief product officer.

For a limited time, all content is available free on the Shaw Local app. Existing subscribers can now also access all content across the Shaw Local News Network.

Shaw Media was founded in 1851 and is the third-oldest, continuously owned and operated family newspaper in the U.S.

For information, visit www.ShawLocal.com.

POLO CHAMBER CHATTER

Merry Christmas From All of Us to You!

Help spread holiday joy by decorating your store or business front. Send your decoration photos to PoloChristmasFestival@gmail.com to be featured on our Facebook page.

The Christmas Cupboard is open. Stop in and see Carol Garkey. The shop is located at 116 N. Franklin, next to Scholl Insurance. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Business After Hours

If you are interested and would like to host a Business after Hours or Breakfast before Business call the Chamber at 815-946-3131.

Certificates of Recognition

The Polo Chamber of Commerce would like to issue Certificates of Recognition to any Polo Chamber of Commerce business members who are celebrating five years of being in business, or those with five-year increments of being in business in Polo.

Contact us so that we can announce your special business celebration during our Annual Dinner.

LOCAL NEWS Man rescued from truck after driving into river

Water was up to the windows when divers reached the driver

BY JEFF HELFRICH’ jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

A Rockford man was listed in stable condition Tuesday after being rescued from his pickup truck after driving into the Rock River.

At 11:40 a.m. deputies and the Byron Fire Department were called to the 10,900 block of North Illinois 2 for a report of a truck in the river.

Roger Durham, 65, of Rockford was helped from his truck and taken to Swedish American Hospital for treatment. Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said Durham had a medical issue which caused the accident.

“The vehicle was 30 yards into the river when Byron Fire got there,” Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said. “The subject was still in it and unconscious. The water was about 4.5 feet high when they got to him, up to the windows.”

VanVickle said Byron Fire used special equipment such as a dry suit to rescue Durham safely. Additional help was also en route as operations took place. First responders in the area are trained for situations like Tuesday’s due to the proximity of the river to Illinois 2.

“There’s a number of spots where that can happen,” VanVickle said. “It has happened in the past. Especially this time of year when the water is so cold, getting on scene genuinely saves lives and it’s an example of that. It goes back to training. Today was a result of that.”

Winnebago County Sheriff’s deputies and Byron Police assisted with traffic control. Maggio’s Towing removed the vehicle from the river.

An investigation into the accident is still underway, VanVickle said. Photos courtesy of the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department

A truck went into the Rock River in the 10,900 block of North Illinois 2 on Tuesday morning. The driver was rescued from his truck and later taken to Swedish American Hospital for treatment.

COVID-19 UPDATE

Five deaths, 271 cases in a week

BY JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

The Ogle County Health Department reported 45 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, Dec. 22, for a total of 3,758.

Eighty eight cases were reported over the weekend. Two hundred and 71 new cases have come in the past week. Ages and locations of the individuals that test positive are not being released to protect their privacy.

The OCHD has reported five new deaths in the past week. The county has seen a total of 54 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Recoveries of documented cases stand at 3,077, with 35 new ones reported Tuesday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health site said Tuesday that there are 1,193 cases in the zip code that includes Rochelle, Creston and White Rock.

Stillman Valley has 207 cases, Byron has 704 cases and Davis Junction has 240 cases.

Oregon and Mt. Morris have 486 See COVID-19 UPDATE, Page 5