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EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

Cody Cutter

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3 Whiteside County weeklies to merge into one publication

Dear Readers, I’m writing to share information about changes to the slate of printed publications we offer our weekly Whiteside County publications’ readers.

On April 7, three of our weekly Whiteside County publications – the Fulton Journal, Whiteside News Sentinel, and the Prophetstown Echo – will merge into one publication, which will carry the Whiteside News name.

The Erie Review will remain its own standalone publication.

FROM THE EDITOR

Charlene Bielema

Publication dates will remain the same. Why the changes?

This change will streamline those three print operations as we – and the newspaper industry as a whole –respond to ever-changing reader habits while continuing to invest in reliable local reporting, timely updates and expanded digital access. Our continu-

ally updated website and up-to-theminute coverage can be found at shawlocal.com.

The news industry continues to evolve, but our purpose remains the same: serving our readers in Ogle, Whiteside and Lee counties with local journalism – both online and in print – by focusing on local government, education, public safety, business, health, community events and sports.

If you have any questions about this change, please call customer service at 866-979-1053 or email customer-support@shawmedia.com.

Morrison High exploring summer driver education course

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

Morrison High School is exploring the feasibility of offering both the classroom and behind-the-wheel phases of driver education during summer 2026.

Provided that at least 10 students register and pay for the course by the Friday, April 17, registration deadline, the program will run from Monday, June 1, through Thursday, June 25, and will be priced at $315.

If sufficient interest exists, the classroom course will run from 10 a.m. to noon Mondays-Thursdays.

No classroom or behind-the-wheel driving sessions will be held on Fridays.

The course will be open to students outside District No. 6 as well as those who live within District No. 6’s boundaries.

The BTW driving sessions will take place both before the course (from 7:309:30 a.m.) and after the course (from 12:30-2:30 p.m.); students will be able to select BTW driving time slots that fit their schedules during a time-slot selection process on the first day of the course.

Since the driver ed vehicle is shared with staff members who attend conferences during the summer, some driving might continue into July and August, depending on vehicle availability.

Students who are at least age 15 will be able to complete the 30-hour classroom requirement, the 6-hour BTW driving requirement and the 6-hour in-car observation requirement during the summer class. Students who are at least age 14 years and 6 months may enroll in the classroom phase; these students will be able to participate in BTW driving sessions later in the sum-

mer or during the fall 2026 semester upon turning 15.

Students also will need to pay a $20 instruction permit fee to the Illinois Secretary of State when they apply for their instruction permits. Please note that the $20 permit fee must be paid separately and should not be submitted when students register for the course.

Parents/guardians should contact Brian Bartoz, Social Studies and Driver Education teacher, by e-mail at Brian. Bartoz@morrisonschools.org or by phone at (815) 772-4071, ext. 12106, to express their interest in placing a student on the tentative roster for the course.

If at least 10 students have committed to registering, Bartoz will send registration forms via e-mail in April to parents/guardians who have expressed an interest in registering their students for the course.

Junk is reimagined at Morrison crafting business

By CODY CUTTER ccutter@shawmedia.com

MORRISON – People throw things away every day without a second thought. A cracked frame. A busted screen door. Scraps of fabric.

Melissa Hull doesn’t look at those as trash. They’re treasures waiting to be discovered.

Hull inspires others to share that vision at her creative downtown Morrison do-it-yourself studio and craft business, Upcycle Junkie, which revolves around interactive crafting experiences. Customers can utilize her studio as a place where they can turn their ideas into creations, or get inspiration from Hull to find ways to give things a new lease on life.

For Hull, having an eye that can see the possibilities in pieces comes naturally, and she’s gotten pretty good at spotting it in others, too.

“I see other people come in and have this same spark, and I see others that do not,” Hull said. “You either have it or you don’t. It’s the eye.”

Upcycling is the practice of transforming materials into new, higher-value objects. The hobby has gained momentum nationwide, attracting people who enjoy adding artistic and environmental value to materials that might otherwise be discarded. After eight years of owning a mobile upcycling studio, Hull opened her downtown shop in 2024. In addition to giving aspiring creators a place to flourish, Hull also offers weekly craft classes: one for adults and one for children.

Hull’s instinct to repurpose started early. As a kid, she watched Pee-Wee Herman roll a growing aluminum foil ball across the set of “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” on TV and decided to try it herself.

“I wanted to see how big I could make it,” Hull said. “In ‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,’ he had a foil ball. Every time he’d roll it in, it was huge! I’m half-Mexican and my mom likes to cook a lot, so she’d make handmade enchiladas in the kitchen, and there would be foil to cover the pans of dozens of enchiladas. I’d roll up the foil and be like, ‘This is a lot of foil!’ I added and added and added to that until I was about 16 or 17.”

She doesn’t remember what happened to the foil ball after she stopped adding to it, but the lesson she learned from it stuck.

“It inspired me to use what I have and find unique ways to repurpose items,” Hull said. “It’s a matter of vision. I just don’t see an item and think there’s just

it.”

For the workshops, projects range from textured canvas art to preserved moss wall pieces and upcycled textiles. Seasonal themes and guest instructors rotate through the calendar. In February, classes included making clay flower frogs, layered canvas painting inspired by petals and ferns, upcycled wall hangings made from reclaimed fabrics, handstamped greeting cards and preserved mixed moss wall art. Each workshop emphasized hands-on learning and the satisfaction of leaving with a finished piece.

Hull posts her monthly schedules on upcyclejunkie.com, where reservations can be booked. Open studio sessions also are booked there. Classes are posted the third week of the previous month for the following month.

“I think that crafting together creates community,” Hull said. “It’s really fun to see everyone participating, smiling and enjoying themselves. I like to provide something like that.”

The studio also hosts weekly Tuesday Kids Crafts, a drop-in program that allows children to create a project for a small fee without prior registration. For many families, it has become a mid-week ritual.

“I make a sample for them, and the children see the sample, get inspired, see the items that I have to use for it, and I help them complete it,” Hull said. “I get a lot of regulars come in every week, and I’ve seen them get more creative and more open. There are children who come in who are very quiet and not outgoing, and by the end of it, they’re really spoken out.”

one purpose. I see a lot of multiple purposes. If it’s broken, there are pieces that can be used.”

Hull moved to Morrison 12 years ago after meeting her husband, Peter Thompson. When she started Upcycle Junkie, Hull packed supplies into her truck and traveled to churches, schools, craft shows and people’s homes.

“I just packed everything in my truck and took it with me,” Hull said. “I’d load up a utility cart with wheels and haul tables, and that wound up being challenging. I went to craft shows. I loved talking and meeting with new people.”

Hull’s mobile setup eventually led to her brick-and-mortar business. The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Sauk Valley Community College helped her establish her LLC and guided

her on how to start a business. It also gave her space to store materials waiting to be upcycled: Fabric, wood, old windows, screens, frames and broken antiques awaiting a spark of inspiration.

Open Studio sessions Hull offers – one where someone can rent and bring their own materials, or another where they can use materials she provides for an added nominal fee – invite people to bring unfinished projects and work at their own pace with limited guidance. One woman arrived with an 8-by-8 denim quilt top she had started 15 years earlier; four sessions later, it was finished, Hull said.

“That’s how I feel people learn best, because that’s how I learned,” Hull said. “I only need a couple of days in advance, and if there’s an open slot, you can book

The studio also doubles as a small shop, featuring items from 13 different vendors who sell candles, soaps, leather goods and handmade crafts. Displays are often built from upcycled furniture, and Hull has recently begun reselling vintage finds of her own, including church cookbooks.

For Hull, the joy of the space comes from watching ideas spread.

“It inspires more creation, and it also provides the space for people to do it, too,” she said. “I want people to come in here and create, and be a part of the community.”

Upcycle Junkie, 121 East Main St. in Morrison, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Go to upcyclejunkie.com to explore class sessions and to register, or find it on Facebook for more information.

Photo provided by Melissa Hull

Upcycle Junkie hosts weekly Tuesday Kids Crafts, a drop-in program that allows children to create a project for a small fee without prior registration.

MARY JANE ROSENOW

Born: July 24, 1946 in Rock Falls, IL

Died: March 26, 2026 in Prophetstown, IL

MARY JANE ROSENOW, 79, of Prophetstown, IL, died Thursday, March 26, 2026, at her home. Visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at the Bosma-Gibson Funeral Home in Prophetstown. A funeral service will follow at 11:00 AM at the funeral home, with Rev. Jane Hamilton, Hospice Chaplain at Rock River Hospice and Home, officiating. Cremation rites will be accorded following the service. A memorial has been established to Rock River Hospice and Home in Sterling, IL.

Jane was born July 24, 1946, in Rock Falls, IL, to Oliver W. and Veronica (Cooper) Violet. She was educated in the Rock Falls Grade Schools and attended Rock Falls High School. On July 28, 1962, she married Richard F. Rosenow in Erie, IL. They shared their lives together for over 57 years before his passing on March 4, 2020. Jane was employed as a physical thera-

pist in West Memphis, AR, for 15 years before devoting her time to raising her and Richard’s children. She had a love for flowers and enjoyed tending them both indoors and out, with a special fondness for yellow roses. She also found joy in crafting, often incorporating her flowers into her creations. Jane was an avid dog and cat lover, but above all, she cherished her beloved pup, Annabell “Annie,” and the time she shared with those she loved.

Survivors include one daughter, Deb (Drew) Maes of Prophetstown, IL; two sons, Richard (LaFaughn) Rosenow, Jr. and Randy (Teri) Rosenow both of Prophetstown, IL; one stepson, Mike (Trisha) Rosenow of Conway, AR; twelve grandchildren, Leah and Luke, Amanda, Reese, Emma, Cole and Patrick, Bradley, Kendra and Bret, Bryant and Brady; twenty-four great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Julie (Gary) Evans of Broxton, GA; two brothers, Doug (Pam) Violet of Mt. Morris, IL, and Don (June) Violet of Rockton, IL.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Richard; one son, Ron Rosenow; one sister, Judy Violet; one brother, Kevin Violet.

To send online condolences go to www. bosmagibson.com

Annual Cemetery Clean-Up

March 30th - April 3rd, 2026

Ta maintain Grove Hill Cemetery while honoring and respecting thase at rest ...

Starting Monday, March 30 to Friday, April 3rd, 2026, city staff will be cleaning up the cemetery by removing and disposing of grave site decorations.

Those who wish to save decorations must remove them no later than Sunday, March 29, 2026. Decorations may be returned after Friday, April 3rd, 2026.

Those wishing to place new grave site decorations are asked to wait until Saturday, April 4th, 2026.

FULTON’S

60 years

• March 30, 1966

• Two speakers with broad experience in the operation of nursing homes are scheduled to address a meeting of area women about plans for organization of a women’s auxiliary of the Harbor Crest Nursing Home.

• Two teachers have resigned at the Fulton Junior High and Grade School. Mrs. Maurice Holdgrafer, teacher of language arts and fifth grade, and Mrs. Larry Senior, third grade teacher.

50 years

• March 31, 1976

• Special service and related activities are being planned for this weekend in observance of the 40th anniversary of the Assembly of God Church. The Rev. David Smith has been pastor of the church since 1973.

• The local V.F.W. Post 4044 sponsored a Voice of Democracy contest for high school students. Local winners are Jul Medenblik, Mary Vander Meulen and Linda Bielema. Vander Meulen received a $25 bond for first place, Medenblik received $10 for second place and Bielema received $5 for third place. Participants wrote a broadcast script, which was taped, and the scripts of local winners were sent to the district contest.

40 years

• April 2, 1986

• Just 100 years ago, on Feb. 26, 1886, the Christian Reformed Church of Fulton was organized. Twelve members constituted that organizational meeting. The Rev. Peter Kosten and Otto Stuit were delegated to effect the organization. After worshiping a little more than a year it was decided to purchase lots on 19th Avenue, where the first church was erected, and later a parsonage was added.

• After operating offices from their home for nearly a year, two agents of the Farmers Insurance Group have opened their new business office. Kenneth Ven Huizen and Don Tollstam are now located in the Drives, Inc. office complex at 110 10th Ave. (North Entrance).

30 years

• March 27, 1996

• Tom Maus and Fred Fiet, owners of Fulton Meat Market, Inc., are shown in the customer area of their remodeled and expanded business. The remodeling has doubled the retail area, along with adding more meat cases, coolers and freezers. Approximate cost of the remolding project is $80,000.

• Officials of Chewton Glen Energy announced that they have filed for bankruptcy at their newly opened Ford Heights,

waste-to-tire energy plant. Ford Heights was operating their electricity-producing plant but with the repeal of the retail rate law signed by Governor Edgar, the plant was not economically feasible to continue the operation. Fulton was to have an even bigger plant than Ford Heights and there has not been an announcement yet if the Fulton plant also will fall by the wayside.

20 years

• March 29, 2006

• River Bend Educational Foundation purchased a SmartBoard for Fulton High School. The “SmartBoard” is an interactive white board in which a chalkboard is connected to a computer system. Templates used for every subject can be processed on the SmartBoard: musical notes, mathematical graph paper, backgrounds, maps or any other scannedin image or document. You can even write on it using a finger.

• Three very good friends, LaVonne Huizenga, Lesley Kennedy and Bernita Schaver, had not seen each other for 31 years. Back in the 1960s, they all worked for Fidelity Life Association in Fulton, and then were transferred to Long Grove, Illinois. After a few years, Fidelity and Kemper Insurance become one and after a while the friends moved to different careers. Bernita stayed in the Chicago area and is president of a global firm, Lesley moved to Dallas and is an engineer and LaVonne moved back to Fulton and retired as city clerk after 25 years. In January they all were able to get together and catch up on stories.

10 years

• March 30, 2016

• The Steamers accomplished what they set out to do at the Illinois Top Times Meet held at Illinois Wesleyan College. The 4x200 relay ran their best race of the season and finished first with a time of 1:35.76. Members of the relay are Rodney Gossard, Tyler Paulline, Nathan McLuckie and Trey Simmons.

• After 15 months of meetings, gathering input from architects, engineers, and community members and receiving a $100,000 grant, the Drives Building Exploratory Committee has yet to be given a direction forward from the Fulton City Council. The council voted 5-3 against a motion to “authorize funds up to $50,000 to repair a portion of the roof at the Drives building, subject to a successful sixmonth $250,000 fund drive and completion of a viable business plan”.

CARMEN BLASDELL

Born: June 13, 1954 in Raymondville, TX

Died: March 26, 2026 in Clinton, IA

CARMEN BLASDELL, 71, of Albany, IL, formerly of Fenton, IL, passed away Thursday, March 26, 2026, at MercyOne Medical Center in Clinton, IA.

There will be no visitation or funeral service. Cremation rites have been accorded. The Morrison Chapel of the Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Carmen was born June 13, 1954, in Raymondville, TX, to Anastacio and Guadalupe (Carrisclesz) Hernandez, Sr. She was educated in the Morrison school system and graduated from Morrison High School. During her school years, she also attended Sterling Vocational School. She married Roger Dean Blasdell on September 28, 1974, at St. Mary Catholic

TROY DOUGLAS LEECH

Born: June 7, 1972 in Morrison, IL

Died: March 27, 2026 in Clinton, IA

TROY DOUGLAS

LEECH, 53, of Clinton, IA, formerly of Morrison, IL, passed away unexpectedly Friday, March 27, 2026, at his home.

A visitation will be held from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at the Morrison Chapel of the Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home. There will be a private funeral service with Rev. Luke Schouten, pastor of Emmanuel Church in Morrison, IL, officiating. Interment will be at Grove Hill Cemetery in Morrison. A memorial has been established.

Troy was born June 7, 1972, in Morrison, IL, to Douglas and Judy (Boelkins) Leech. He was educated in the Morrison grade schools and graduated from Morrison High School in 1991. Troy worked in auto sales for several dealerships before his career at Nestlé Purina in Clin-

Church in Morrison, IL. Carmen was employed at Resthave Home and later at Ben Franklin. She went on to work at Hillsdale Fast Break and most recently at Home Depot in Clinton, IA. In her free time, Carmen enjoyed sewing and crafting. She had a passion for dancing during her younger years and was always happiest when helping others. Above all, she cherished time spent with her family.

Survivors include her husband, Roger D.; two sons, Roger C Blasdell of Fenton, IL, and Jason Blasdell of Albany, IL; six grandchildren, Collin, Austen, AAliyah, Daisy, Noah, and Kalob; several great-grandchildren; one sister, Maria Blasdell of Fenton, IL; one brother, Antonio (Julie) Hernandez of North Carolina; one sister-inlaw, Nancy “Carol” Shafer & Mike of Morrison, IL; one brother-in-law, Donald “Butch” (Sandy) Hamm of Morrison, IL; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and three brothers, Anastacio H. Hernandez, Jr., Daniel Hernandez, and Juan Hernandez. To send online condolences go to www. bosmarenkes.com

ton, IA. In his free time, Troy enjoyed fantasy football and was active in a local dart league. A devoted sports fan, he especially loved the Green Bay Packers—despite growing up in a Chicago Bears household. He had a notable attachment to his car and took great pride in it. Troy was rarely seen without his beloved dog, Maverick, who accompanied him nearly everywhere he went.

Survivors include one son, Collin Douglas Sanders of Bloomington, IL; his parents, Doug and Judy Leech of Morrison, IL; two sisters, Michelle (John) Moshure of Mt. Carroll, IL and Suzi (Mike) Mills of Morrison, IL; one brother, Sean (Marcia) Leech of Morrison, IL; many nieces and nephews; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. He will be greatly missed by his loyal dog, Maverick Douglas and his special friend, Charity Henak of Clinton, IA.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Robert and Grace Boelkins; his paternal grandparents, Warren and Evelyn Leech; three uncles, Rick and Randy Boelkins and Lyle Reap; and one cousin, Chad Reap. To send online condolences go to www. bosmarenkes.com

ELLEN L. CONNER

Ellen L. Conner, 86, of Sterling, IL, passed on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

Arrangements entrusted to Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home, Morrison, IL. Additional information: www.bosmarenkes.com.

DAVID B. OTTO

David B. Otto, 55, of Morrison, IL, passed on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

Arrangements entrusted to Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home, Fulton, IL. Additional information: www.bosmarenkes.com.

EDWARD “BUB” G. CHARNESKI, JR.

Edward “Bub” G. Charneski, Jr., 87, of Fulton, IL, passed on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

Arrangements entrusted to Bosma-Renkes Funeral Home, Fulton, IL. Additional information: www.bosmarenkes.com.

DAVID

“DICK” R. EBBERS

Born: August 21, 1936 in Grand Rapids, MI

Died: March 21, 2026 in Sterling, IL

DAVID “DICK” R. EBBERS, 89, of Morrison, IL, died Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Rock River Hospice and Home in Sterling, IL.

A visitation will be held from 9:30 to 11:00 AM on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at Emmanuel Church in Morrison, IL. The funeral service will follow at 11:00 AM at the church, with Rev. Luke Schouten officiating. Interment will be at Grove Hill Cemetery in Morrison, IL. Memorials have been established to Camp Manitoqua and Retreat Center in Frankfort, IL and Emmanuel Missions.

Dick was born August 21, 1936, in Grand Rapids, MI, to Alva J. and Corra D. (DeYoung Nyhof) Ebbers. He attended Fulton High School and graduated from Morrison High School in 1954. He continued his education at Central College in Pella, IA, and later attended IBA Heating and Cooling School in St. Louis, MO. On December 12, 1958, he married Esther Christine Bielema at Spring Valley Reformed Church in Fulton, IL. They shared their lives for over 64 years before her passing on December 10, 2023. Dick began working at a young age, helping as a farm hand for Raymond and Kathryn Bielema during high school. He later worked alongside his father and brother, Rolland, with A.J. Ebbers and Sons and completed an apprenticeship with Lloyd Knox. He went on to own and operate Ebbers Plumbing, with the support of his wife, Esther, where he took great pride in his work. A member of Emmanuel Church, Dick served in many roles over the

years, including elder and Sunday school superintendent, and was active in adult Sunday school. He also served on the boards of Camp Manitoqua and Kings Camp. Dick and Esther cherished their time in a neighborhood couples Bible study, forming lasting friendships and deepening their faith. Dick had a great love for fishing, a pastime that brought him peace and quiet enjoyment throughout his life. He also cherished time spent on family vacations, especially the memories made together over the years. Many of those special moments came together at fishing resorts, where he could enjoy both his favorite pastime and the company of those he loved most. He was always willing to lend a hand, often helping his children with projects around their homes and he took pride in maintaining his lawn and caring for his garden beds. More than anything, Dick found joy in spending time with his family and supporting them in any way he could.

Send obituary information to saukobits@shawlocal.com or call 815-5264438. Notices are accepted until 9 a.m. Monday for Tuesday’s edition. How to submit

Survivors include four children, Mark (Laura) Ebbers of Holland, MI, Marlene (Tim) Knox of Morrison, IL, Jim (Lori) Ebbers of Clarkston, WA, and Doug (John) Ebbers of San Diego, CA; six grandchildren, Justin Knox, Joel (Kara) Ebbers, Anna (Matthew) Beck, Leah (Joshua) Mugford, Ryan (Janice) Ebbers, and Kaitlyn Ebbers; eight great-grandchildren, Braeden and Emma Ebbers, Laura, Andrew and Benjamin Mugford, Cora, Oliver and Gabrielle Beck; one brother, Paul Ebbers of Cobbs Creek, VA; sisters-in-law, Ruth Venema of Fulton, IL, and Doris Bielema of Morrison, IL; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of almost 65 years, Esther; and one brother, Rolland Ebbers.

To send online condolences go to www. bosmarenkes.com

By CODY CUTTER ccutter@shawmedia.com

MOUNT CARROLL – What does a city do when it wants to strengthen its economic foundation, open the door to dozens of new places to live, create a community within a community, and breathe new life into a piece of local history?

If you’re Mount Carroll, you give it the old college try.

And boy did it succeed.

It what’s being a called a project of historic proportions, the city celebrated the opening of Shimer Square on Nov. 12 as a major step in redeveloping the former Shimer College. Led by site owner Economic Growth Corp. with support from the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the project preserves the former campus’s historic buildings while transforming the 14-acre site into a mixed-use community focused on housing, jobs and long-term economic stability.

Once vacant college classrooms and dorms now anchor the ambitious redevelopment project, where history meets housing, and businesses are soon to come.

The project is a long-term work in progress, and as of the start of the new year 51 apartments with modern amenities have been created, alongside shared indoor and outdoor community spaces. The redevelopment also includes a new resource center offering property management, housing counseling and small-business lending, plus a newly constructed Honey Bee child care center on site. Additional plans call for commercial, hospitality and community-focused uses across the campus’s other buildings as redevelopment continues.

The hilltop campus, formerly home to the college until 1978 and mostly vacant since then, is once again active and evolving – this time as a place designed to serve residents across generations while anchoring future economic development for the community and the wider region.

Economic Growth Corp., a national nonprofit with a regional office in Milan, focuses on building and managing affordable housing. The idea to develop the

Shimer campus took shape in 2018, and the group officially took possession of the campus on Dec. 31, 2018, EGC vice president Beth Payne said.

“We are known to do the hard things, and we wanted to know for sure that we could take this mission on and do it well,” Payne said. “This is the largest development we’ve ever done. It’s all historic.”

EGC board members toured the campus alongside city officials, walking through vacant dormitories, academic halls and aging infrastructure while discussing the possibilities. Andy Fisher directs the construction for EGC, with the actual work done by general contractor Estes Construction of Davenport, Iowa.

“At that time, we started the ball rolling on what, when and how this was all going to take place,” Fisher said. “We did whatever we could at the time we could do it.”

As plans evolved, so did the vision.

“It’s taken turns and has changed form in many ways, but a lot of that is because of the nuances of what it takes to take on these buildings and historically rehabilitate them to what they are now, and to adaptively reuse them as apart-

ments,” Payne said. “If we had not stepped in, this would have been given back to the City of Mount Carroll, and then what?”

The Sawyer House was rehabilitated first, becoming the administrative hub for the development and later incorporating co-working space. Work on the campus’s front gate followed. From there, attention turned to residential buildings.

Shimer Square’s offerings include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 462 to 1,093 square feet, and monthly rents from $430 to $948. The apartments feature in-unit washers and dryers and are designed to be fully accessible, adaptable and petfriendly, with shared indoor and outdoor amenities across the campus, including community rooms, gardens, walking paths and gathering spaces.

Three historic buildings – McKee Hall, Hostetter Hall and Dezendorf Hall – house the campus’s 51 apartments. McKee and Hostetter, both built in 1906, anchor the residential core, while Dezendorf Hall, constructed in 1962, was the

THE FIRST AMENDMENT

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Why scammers love artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence. AI. We sure hear a lot about it. What is it?

AI is a branch of computer science that enables machines to simulate human intelligence, to include reasoning, problem-solving and creativity. The important thing to remember for today is that scammers love AI. They adopted AI systems with great enthusiasm. They use it every minute of every day.

AARP gives us some idea of the extent to which AI appears in scam world:

• Over half of spam emails are AI-generated

• Eighty-two percent of phishing emails, the ones from Amazon or Paypal telling you about “charges to your account,” are AI products

• Every day, every American sees an average of 2.6 “deepfakes,” which are still images, video or audio showing false activity by celebrities, political leaders, or other public figure

• With one photo and three seconds of

SENIORS VS. CRIME

Randy Meier

audio, AI can create a deepfake video with audio

• Humans have a hard time telling the difference between deepfakes and reality

– we guess it right about half of the time

The use of AI in scams is most likely in imposter scams. These are the scenarios where someone poses as law enforcement, a government agency, a business, or your new online romantic interest.

The use of deepfakes in online advertising or marketing is especially common. Scammers can take images or videos of celebrities and manufacture videos of that person promoting or advertising medications, cosmetics, cryptocurrency, you name it.

But you don’t need to be a celebrity to find yourself portrayed in a deepfake.

AARP reported the ordeal of a California doctor specializing in skin diseases. Scammers produced ads using his image and voice to sell skin creams on Facebook. It took months of pressure on Facebook to get the ads removed.

All this sounds almost frightening and makes us wonder if we have any defenses. And we do. You don’t need to outsmart AI. Using the same tools we use for conventional scams works just as effectively for AI scams:

• Stop and think about the situation before acting. Time is on your sidealways

• Talk to someone you trust. Someone removed from direct contact with scammers is more likely to see through the lies than anyone emotionally caught up

• You can’t trust your eyes and ears, but you can verify and look at the context. If something sounds too good to be true, it’s probably not true

Here are some other tips to get technology working for you:

• Update your passwords. Don’t use the name of your cat as your password

• Update the settings on your smartphone to send unknown numbers calling you to voice mail

• Update your privacy settings on social media to ensure only people you want see your posts

• Freeze your credit

• Delete apps you never use (they may hold passwords vulnerable to hacking) We are not defenseless. We just need to use our own non-AI reasoning abilities.

Contact Seniors vs. Crime

Let me know about scams, fraud, or other crookedness you run across. Most of what I learn, I learn from you. Contact me at Seniors vs. Crime, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, 563-242-9211, extension 4433, or email me at randymeier@gapa911.us.

• Randy Meier is the director of Seniors vs. Crime.

Started by a group of Illinois farmers 100 years ago, COUNTRY Financial® is a leading provider of farm insurance.

Dan Hawkins

Dan Hawkins 724 Main St Po Box 680 Erie, IL 61250-0680

724 Main St Po Box 680 Erie, IL 61250-0680 https://www.countryfinancial.com/dan. hawkins

https://www.countryfinancial.com/dan. hawkins

Dan.Hawkins@countryfinancial.com 309-659-2241

Odell Public Library offers patron-led programming

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

Odell strives to serve Morrison by providing learning spaces, digital access, programs, opportunities to gather, and so much more.

Odell offers story times, Lego and Pokémon clubs and game sessions that include chess and Scrabble. In additional to checking out books and digital media, patrons often enjoy reading by the fireplace, utilizing tech services, and playing a wide variety of table-top games.

Storytime: This is a 30-minute, drop-in program each Thursday evening designed for families with preschool through early elementary-age kids (or anyone who still loves a good read-aloud). Families will enjoy stories, songs, rhymes and a craft each week as they become familiar with the library and meet new story time friends.

Lego Club meets on the first Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to noon. This is the perfect chance for builders of all ages and abilities to create. Odell pro-

vides a variety of bricks, including Lego, Duplo and MegaBlok. Creations are displayed in the library until the following club meeting.

Pokémon Club meets on the second Saturday of the month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Whether a Pokémon trainer plays the card game or just likes to collect, Pokémon Club brings fans together to play, trade and share their Pokémon knowledge.

Patron-led programs

All programs are free and open to the public. Beginners are welcome. Please note that these programs are not run by Odell Public Library, though staff are happy to host and pass on any questions.

• Pinochle: 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays, Odell Program Room

• Scrabble: 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, Odell Program Room

• Chess: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second,

third and fourth Mondays, Odell Program Room; 5 to 8 p.m. third and fourth Thursdays, Odell Program Room

• Crafters: 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, Genealogy Room, bring a project and socialize

• Book Club: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., second Thursday, Odell Program Room (ask the front desk about getting a copy of the month’s book.)

The Odell Public Library is located at 307 S. Madison St. in Morrison.

The Odell Library fireplace where many tales have been read.

Illinois tops record wheat yield in 2025

The top 5 highest yielding counties in Illinois were Macon, Carroll, Edgar, Ogle and Schuyler

By RHIANNON BRANCH FarmWeek

The statewide average winter wheat yield in Illinois for the 2025 crop was 88 bushels per acre, according to USDA, surpassing the record 87 bushels set in 2023.

“A lot of it boils down to the fact that wheat tends to respond to management very well and it seems like the more that you do to promote high yielding wheat, the more that crop responds and gives

you that high yielding wheat in return,” Illinois Wheat Association President Tracy Heuerman told FarmWeek. “I think farmers that grow wheat see that and they’re willing to invest in the crop to make sure they get the maximum yields.”

The top five highest yielding counties in Illinois were Macon (112.3), Carroll (111.6), Edgar (110.2), Ogle (106.9) and Schuyler (104.6). Countywide average yields also reached or exceeded 100 bushels per acre in Bureau, Champaign, Clark, Gallatin, Greene, Henry and McLean counties.

Illinois farmers produced a total of 61.6 million bushels of wheat in 2025, up from 60.2 million in 2024.

The leading counties in winter wheat production last season were Washington (5.6 million), Randolph (3.3 million), Perry

(2.6 million), St. Clair (2.16 million) and Wayne (2.11 million).

Heuerman, who farms in Effingham and Clay counties and covers 11 counties across the Interstate 70 corridor as a field sales agronomist for GROWMARK, said the 2025 crop saw timely planting and good emergence.

“In general, from my recollection, the wheat crop from the 2025 season was one of the better looking ones that we’ve had coming out of dormancy,” she said.

Challenges came later in the growing season including six weeks of wet weather in April and May.

“I do think with the commodity prices and the outlook, farmers pulled back on applications of products like fungicides and palisade,” Heuerman said. “So, we did face more lodging challenges than

what we had in previous years.”

Looking at the 2026 crop, she said fields planted in the second half of October were slow to emerge given the dry weather and are a little behind, “But in general the stands are there, the population is there and I think we’re set up to have another really good wheat crop this year.”

Illinois farmers have had success with wheat yields for several consecutive years, jumping from a 66 bushel-per-acre statewide average a decade ago. After two years of 79-bushel yields (2021 and 2022), the average jumped to 87 bushels in 2023 and remained steady at 86 in 2024.

This story was distributed through a cooperativeprojectbetweenIllinoisFarm BureauandtheIllinoisPressAssociation. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

first to welcome residents. Sawyer House now serves as the administrative office for Shimer Square and includes co-working space for tenants. Other campus buildings are being phased into commercial, administrative and community uses. Several former academic buildings are slated for small businesses and child care and other, older structures are still being renovated as funding allows.

Property management for the apartments is handled by Yost Management Services, and availability and unit specifications are shared through the Shimer Square Apartments Facebook page.

The first residents moved into Dezendorf Hall during the first week of November 2025, according to Cindy Berg, EGC’s chief financial officer. She said watching the transformation of the buildings has been especially rewarding.

“I love to see the actual construction process along the way,” Berg said. “The level of craftsmanship was well done. It’s really fun to see it come to life – the hardwood floors, the unique windows, all of that coming together.”

modern living has been integrated into historic structures.

“It’s up-to-date, up-to-code,” Fisher said. “You’re living in a 100-year-old building, but it’s in 2025 … You’re getting the best of both worlds. There’s a maintenance team, a 14-acre campus that the kids can play in, and with things to come in the future. We have tried to accommodate everything and everyone we could inside a historic building.”

Inside McKee Hall, the former dining hall has been repurposed into a community space, complete with an internet café and co-working area. Painted dorm room numbers still appear on McKee’s original doors – now preserved as false doors.

Brian Hollenback, CEO of Economic Growth Corp., said Shimer Square fits squarely within the organization’s long history of adaptive reuse. He said the campus’s character made it an especially compelling project.

all of Carroll County.”

Construction crews, he added, have also taken pride in the project as they work to restore the buildings, Hollenback said.

Pointing to touches like the preserved dorm doors in McKee, he said: “You can’t duplicate that,” Hollenback said. “Can you imagine some of the conversations that were had in some of those former dorms and classrooms?”

Support from state and local leaders has been essential, Hollenback said.

“If you do not have support from your elected officials and the community, you’re taking a difficult task and almost making it impossible,” Hollenback said. “Having the support of the mayor and the city council was important for getting through the challenges we came across.”

With this being the campus that it is, with the quad and that area, too, it’s just a very welcoming community. I don’t think there’s anything like what Shimer Square has to offer in the region, or the state.”

As redevelopment continues, additional buildings are slated for future use. Plans include attracting small businesses into three more campus buildings, converting others into commercial or community-focused spaces, and bringing in a mobile coffee unit to activate the former quad.

As the project continues to evolve, Payne said flexibility has been essential in responding to community needs and in navigating the realities of historic redevelopment.

For Fisher, one of the most compelling aspects of Shimer Square is how

Shimer Square Apartments is located at 203 East Seminary St. in Mount Carroll. Find Shimer Square Apartments on Facebook or go to shimersquare.com to learn more about the former Shimer College campus in Mount Carroll’s reuse into apartments and small business space, as well as for information on apartment specs and leasing. Go to economicgrowthcorporation.com to learn more about Economic Growth Corporation, who owns the site and has rehabbed apartment and housing projects in northwest Illinois. Continued from page 7

“There’s something about the campus when you walk onto it,” Hollenback said. “With the history of the college, you just have a sense of place. There’s something very special there. It’s a place where the community can come together, and now we’re looking forward with the additional phasing of it becoming a tremendous asset to not only Mount Carroll, but

The redevelopment also expanded beyond housing when city officials suggested adding a child care center. The idea was incorporated into the plan, resulting in a brand-new building on the campus.

Payne said the residential mix has aligned closely with expectations.

“It’s housing for all,” Payne said. “There are a lot of young professionals who are here and retirees who are looking to downsize. Our market base is essentially what we anticipated it to be.

We Support Our Local Schools!

Erie library hosts ‘Choose your own Easter egg hunt’

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

Do your Easter Egg hunt on your time at the Erie Public Library! Our eggs will be hidden all week from March 30 to April 4 waiting for the perfect time for you to find them. Let our librarian know you want to start the hunt and you’ll get 2 minutes to find as many eggs as possible. Return the eggs to the desk to claim your prize. No crowds, no schedule, no registration. One hunt per person, please. The hunt is free.

Cookbook Club

April 4, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Finallya bookclub that always has snacks! We are cooking recipes from Good Things by Samin Nosrat. Stop by the library to flip through the book and pick out a recipe. Then bring it to Cookbook Club on April 4 so we can taste our way through the book. Email your recipe selection to Director@EriePublicLibrary.com. This event is free.

Hydroponics & Microgreens

April 7 from 6-8 p.m. and April 18 from 10 a.m. to noon: Come learn about

the health benefits of microgreens and how to grow them at home. Participants receive a hydroponics starter kit to grow your own microgreens at home

and 30 recipes for ideas on how to eat them. Class is limited and registration is required. Email Director@EriePublicLibrary.com to reserve your spot. The event is free.

Lego Club

April 11, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Come build with our massive Lego collection. Bring a friend or meet one here. Work as a team or create something independently. Either way you belong to the best Lego club around and get access to incredibly unique Legos. Lego club is unsupervised. No registration is required. Recommended ages: 9 and up (or younger with adult). The event is free.

Open Studio

April 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Artists and crafters: Come to the library and join Open Studio. Bring your knitting, sewing, painting, literally any art or craft you’re working on - and don’t forget the snacks! Meet with your fellow artists, swap ideas, and get caught up on your craft (and chats!). This event is free.

Daily Journal/Taylor Leddin-McMaster

The Erie Public Library offers patrons to choose their own Easter Egg Hunt the week of March 30 to April 4.

Prophetstown library has plenty of upcoming events

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

Dungeons & Dragons/Game Club

A role -playing game club (Dungeons & Dragons) will meet every Monday from 3:30-7:30 p.m. at the Prophetstown Library. This is for anyone ages 10 to adult. All materials will be available unless you would like to bring your own dice, pencils, books etc. Stop by or phone the library at 309-714-2699 with any questions.

After-school crafting club with Raven

Starting in April, all kids are invited every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for an after-school crafting club at the library. Come hang out with our new employee, Raven Newman, and craft some fun new projects. The club will be from 3-5 p.m. All supplies will be provided.

May/June sessions for Crochet class

Our March/April beginner crochet classes are full. We have decided to add another class after this one to allow anyone to get signed up who didn’t. These classes will be held in May/June on Satur-

days from 10 a.m. to noon and will be led by Prophetstown crocheter Nikol Hamstra. Cost will be $10/class to participate and this includes yarn and hook. Classes will be offered one at a time so individuals can come when their schedules are open. Youths and adults are encouraged to sign up by calling the library at 309-714-2699 or emailing hcadams1@yahoo.com.

Lego Club to meet

Lego Club will meet Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. All ages are invited. Snacks will be provided.

Huck the Prairie Dog to visit in April

The public is invited to come meet “Huck” the Prairie Dog at 10 a.m. April 11. We are going to be learning about prairie dogs, including where they live, what they eat, and who all their friends are. There will be some fun activities along with refreshments.

Cricut class making adhesive vinyl

Beginner Cricut class will be held Friday, April 3, at 3 p.m. at the Prophetstown Library for anyone who would like to be able to have some basic beginner knowl-

edge for Cricut crafting. This class will focus on adhesive vinyl. Blank vinyl will be supplied or you can bring your own. An instructor will be there to walk you step by step through the process. Feel free to bring your laptop if you have a design you would like to use. Call or email the library to sign up so they know how many will attend for materials. For more information, call 309714-2699 or email hcadams1@yahoo.com.

Whiteside County 4-H clothing embellish fun workshop set for April

4-H of Whiteside County will host a clothing embellishment workshop at Henry C. Adams Memorial Library. The workshop falls on Friday, April 3, and will run from 1-3 p.m. Cost is $10 per child and this is for 8-12 year olds. Organizers will need to know child’s T-shirt sizing. Please call the library to sign up your child at 309714-2699 or email hcadams1@yahoo.com.

Beatrix Potter coloring celebration

Pick up your Beatrix Potter coloring page at the Prophetstown Library or on our website. The winner will receive a gift certificate from Blooms-A-Latte in Prophetstown. The contest runs until April 6.

The winner will be announced April 7.

Summer reading signup to begin

Feel free to stop in and sign up for our June Summer Reading Program. The program runs every Tuesday in June. Ages are Pre-K through eighth grade. Cost is $3 and this includes all five weeks of June activities.

Book Club

The next library book club meeting will be Tuesday, April 21, at 2 p.m and the book will be “Red Scarf Girl” by Ji-li Jiang. If you would like to join the book club, please email or phone the library, and we will get the book ordered for you. Contact the library at 309-714-2699 or hcadams1@ yahoo.com.

Reptile Meet and Greet coming in June

On Saturday, June 13, Christal’s Exotics and Erie Reptiles will host a “Reptile Meet and Greet” at Prophetstown Library from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. These great friends have teamed up to bring a nice collection of snakes and lizards. These are all nonvenomous and this is a family friendly event!

Morrison Food Pantry and its president, thanks community for donations

All of the volunteers at the Morrison Charitable Food Pantry want to send out a big, heartfelt thank you for your support in 2025.

When we sent out an appeal for help in October to help cover the extra expenses due to the increase in the number of new clients we were seeing (partially due to SNAP being disrupted and the government shutdown) and the increase in the cost of purchasing food to distribute, you responded. We are so proud to live in a community that is so generous and willing to help their neighbors.

I would like to especially acknowledge some of our younger community members who had food drives and personal care items for our pantry.

Seeing our young people take an active role, at a young age, is encouraging and uplifting knowing they care about the residents in their community.

The Southside Elementary Kindness Club collected 321 pounds of food for us, and the High School Student Council had a “fill the bus” drive with a total of 1,500 pounds of food and personal care items.

The Cub Scout Pack donates personal care items to us each month. Odell Library collected 260 pounds from the community for us.

So many different organizations and citizens stopped in with food, personal care items, or cash and checks, for which we are eternally grateful.

Our Turkey Trot Fun Run and Walk was canceled due to weather, but we received $1,800 in donations with more coming in due to ongoing T-shirt sales. We still

have a good selection of the Turkey Trot T-shirts for sale at $20 each, or two for $30. All the money received from the T-shirt sales goes to the pantry.

You can contact Leveda at 779-441-2733 and leave a message or email morrisonfoodpantry@gmail.com, to arrange for the purchase and pickup of the shirts.

I would also like to acknowledge some of the long-time organizations that have supported us through the years. The Lions Club and St. Annes for their monthly collections of personal care items. Our longest donation supporter, Sullivans Foods, for their donations each week, which really add to the items we can distribute.

The Rotary Club for being there on the first Wednesday of each month to help us unload our order from River Bend Food Bank and for their monetary donation last year. Kunes Auto Group, which donates skids of food items to various food pantries each year. That donation boosts the pantries’ food inventories and helps lower their food costs.

Thanks also to the people who donated eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, hamburger meat, hams, and turkeys, sourdough bread, along with personal care items, all of which are greatly appreciated by our clients. You all are truly an awesome group of people. To all the community members who bought a Christmas bag for us at Sullivan’s, the total weight of food bought was 755 pounds.

When I compared our distribution statistics between the end of 2022 (our first year as a stand-alone 501(c)3 entity) and the end of 2025, it showed that we had a 43% increase in the total number of families we served, and a 46% increase in the total number of people within those

families. In 2025 we served a total of 806 families and 2,353 people within those families.

People will ask us what works better, cash or food items; we answer whatever you wish to donate.

Cash allows us to purchase the food items that we are low on, at a reduced price, through both River Bend Food Bank and Sauk Valley Food Bank.

Food donations cut down on the items that we need to purchase. All donations are gratefully received, and all donations stay here in Morrison. We now have a donation box next to our northeast door for non-perishable items.

We do not receive any tax money from the city, county, state or federal government. We are totally reliant on public donations to operate our pantry. As we are a 501(c)3 charitable organization, donations, generally, are tax deductible. Please check with your tax accountant, your IRAs, retirement accounts etc. about how to donate to the pantry to claim a tax deduction. We will gladly issue a receipt for your donations; please ask us for one.

Our website address is morrisonfoodpantry.org, which has information on the pantry along with our registration form, income guidelines, etc.

Our email address is morrisonfoodpantry@gmail.com, and our phone number is 815-441-2733. Our Post Office box number is Box 324 for those who wish to mail donations to us.

We do not have a mailbox at the pantry building. On Wednesdays there is, generally, someone at the pantry between 9 and 10:30 a.m. if you wish to drop off items.

We are open every non-holiday Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for food distribution to those residing in the Morrison School District area.

We will be closed if the Morrison School District cancels school for the day, and will reopen the following Thursday. Again, thank you Morrison for your continued support. It is needed now more than ever.

President Leveda Ashlin and the Volunteers of the Morrison Charitable Food Pantry. Morrison

CHURCH LISTINGS

ALBANY

Albany United Methodist Church 502 N. First Ave., 309-887-4781

Pastor Toni Lucas

St. Patrick Catholic Church 1201 N. Bluff St., Albany

Father Timothy Barr, Pastor CORDOVA Cordova Baptist 602 Third Ave. South, Cordova

Pastor Carmen Jordan 309-654-2501 - www.cordovafbc.com

EAST MOLINE

Sycamore Baptist Church 5323 180th Street North, East Moline 309-200-2505 www.sycamorebaptistchurch.com

Wildwood Baptist Church 18717 Hubbard Road, East Moline 309-496-9397 office@ wildwoodchurch.com

Pastors Brian Smith, Andrew Robinson, Andy Thomaston and Matt Winquist

Zion Lutheran Church 17628 Hubbard Road, East Moline Rev. Gary A. Wright - 309-496-3592

ERIE

Erie Baptist Church 8th Ave. and 11th Street, Erie

Call Ron Kimball for info: 309-230-3584

Erie Christian Church 715 6th Ave., Erie, 309-659-2561

Minister: Nathan Bright Youth Minister: Aaron Sweeney www.eriechristianchurch.com

Erie Evangelical Free Church 1409 16th Ave., Erie, 309-659-7125 Website: erieefree.org

Pastor Ron Eckberg

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg

Erie United Methodist Church 811 8th Street, Erie Pastor Tiffany Garcea - 309-659-2541 www.erieumc.org

Farmers Elevator

815-772-4029 - Morrison, IL Rock River Lumber & Grain

815-537-5131 - Prophetstown Frary’s Lumber & Supply 815-537-5151 - Prophetstown

Newton Zion Reformed Church 10465 Frog Pond Road, Erie

Pastor Shannon Parrish - 309-659-2464 newtonzion@frontier.com

St. Ambrose Catholic Church Corner of 5th and Main

Father David Reese Rectory Phone: 815-537-2077

Church Phone: 309-659-2781

FENTON

New Life Church of Fenton 10019 Main St., Fenton, 815-858-6180 fentonumc19@gmail.com

FULTON

Bethel Christian Reformed Church 1208 3rd Avenue, Fulton, 815-589-2501 www.bethelfulton.com bethelcrchurch@gmail.com

Sunday service is 10 a.m.

First Reformed Church 510 15th Avenue, Fulton, 815-589-2203

Pastor Charles Huckaby

Fulton Presbyterian Church 311 N. 9th St., Fulton, 815-589-3580 www.fultonpreschurch.org email: presbyterianchurchfulton@gmail.com.

Garden Plain Presbyterian Church 14915 Sands Road, Fulton

Gateway Faith Fellowship Church 701 11th Avenue, Fulton, 815-589-4283

Pastor Wayne Wiersema

Immaculate Conception Church 703 12th Avenue, Fulton, 815-589-3542

Father Timothy Barr, Pastor secretaryfulton@gmail.com

Newton Zion Reformed Church 10645 Frog Pond Road, Erie, 309-659-2464 newtonzion@frontier.com

Pastor Shannon Parrish

CrossView Church 703 14th Ave., Fulton, 815-589-3425 www.wearecrossview.com secretary@wearecrossview.com

RUTLEDGE ELECTRIC

822 Main, Erie

Serving the Area Since 1980

Farm • Residential • Commercial Wiring & Contracting 309-659-2195

Morrison Veterinary Clinic

Jentry Fane, DVM, DVM, R.R. Zinkem, DVM, S.E. Blair, DVM, SJ. Lawfer, DVM

Phone 815-772-4047

14993 Lyndon Rd., Morrison

Spring Valley Reformed Church

10960 Spring Valley Road, Fulton

Pastor Paul Wissink 815-772-3554

First Christian Reformed Church 801 15th Avenue, Fulton, 815-589-3790 www.fultonfirstcrc.com firstcrcfulton@live.com

Pastor Michael Hooker

HILLSDALE

Hillsdale United Methodist Church 124 Butzer St., Hillsdale Church 309-658-2340

Pastor Melva England

HOOPPOLE

Calvary Evangelical Congregational Church

Rev. Zachary Van Dyke, Pastor 563-370-8779

Hooppole Zion Methodist Church

Pastor Rolando Renteria 311 Main St, Hooppole, 815-948-7591 Parsonage 309-658-2145

LYNDON

Dominion Christian Fellowship Center 104 4th St. W., Lyndon 815-590-6971

Rev. Barbi E. Momolu Sr.

Trinity Baptist Church

403 6th Ave North, Lyndon Pastor Alan Jahn - 563-242-0307 www.trinitybaptistchapel.com

MORRISON

Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church

301 W. South St., Morrison Pastor Tammy Anderson 815-414-1758 - Office: 772-4896

Brethren In Christ Church 207 E. Knox Street, Morrison Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m. 815-772-4871

WISDOM

Heating and Air

Erie, Illinois

“For your wisest climate solutions” 309-659-7944

Allure of Prophetstown

Senior Living Apartments

Skilled Nursing Services Hospice

Inpatient Outpatient Therapy Service

310 Mosher Drive, Prophetstown 815-537-5175

Church Of St. Anne Episcopal

401 N Cherry St., Morrison, 815-772-2818 stannemorrison@frontiernet.net www.churchofstannemorrison.org

Crossroads Community Church

201 W. Market, Morrison Pastor Jon Eastlick - 815-956-0090 morrison@crossroadscn.com

Ebenezer Reformed Church

309 E. Park St., Morrison Pastor J. T. Bean 815-772-2472

www.ercmorrison.com

Emmanuel Church

202 E. Morris St., Morrison 815-772-3890

www.ecmorrison.com

Rev. Luke Schouten, Senior Pastor Rich Criss, Ministry Coordinator

First Baptist Church

406 E. Maple Ave. Morrison

Pastor Roy Brown, II Phone 815-772-2696 facebook.com/morrisonfirstbaptist

First Presbyterian Church

Rev. Michael Selburg - 815-772-3510

100 East Lincolnway, Morrison Facebook live services Sundays 10:15 a.m.

YouTube Channel: First Presbyterian Church firstpresmorrison@gmail.com www.firstpresmorrison.org

Kingdom Life Community Church 11429 Ward Road, Morrison 815-772-4098

www.kingdomlife.global

Pastor Stephen Harmon

Morrison Christian Church 201 S. Genesee, Morrison David Manley, Minister, 602-750-6426

d.manley93@yahoo.com

Google YouTube Larry Kidwell for sermons.

Morrison United Methodist Church 200 W. Lincolnway, Morrison Pastor Sun-Ah Kang - 815-772-4030

CHURCH LISTINGS

St. Mary’s Catholic Church

13320 Garden Plain Road, Morrison Rev. Slawomir Zimodro 815-772-3095

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church

601 N. Jackson St., Morrison www.stpetersmorrison.com

Interim Pastor Mark Peters

Sunday service is at 9:30 a.m. Bible study and Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. Sundays

PORT BYRON

Bethel Baptist

27308 108th Ave. N., Port Byron

Pastor Todd Rowland Church Phone: 309-523-3352

Church of the Cross United Methodist Church 22621 IL 2 and 92, Port Byron

Pastor Mark Graham Parish Office: 309-523-2201

Countryside Christian Church

3817 230th St. N., Port Byron

Pastor Steve Allison Church Phone: 309-523-2834

Fairfield United Methodist Church

235th St. at 115th Ave. North, Port Byron

Pastor Larry Misfeldt 309-523-3767

Messiah Lutheran Church

302 11th St., Port Byron - 309-523-2421

Pastor Gwen Sefrhans-Murphy

Peace Lutheran Church ELCA 20828 Friedens Road, Port Byron Interim Pastor: Nancy Jaster www.peacelutheranil.org - 309-523-2295

Port Byron First United Methodist Church 9412 228th St. N., Port Byron, IL Church Office: 309-848-4050 Email: portbyronfirstumc@gmail.com

Roberta Robbins, Lead Pastor

Becky Butterfield, Associate Pastor PROPHETSTOWN

Advent Christian Church

200 Elm St., Prophetstown

Pastor Diana Verhulst 815-537-5646 - ptownac.org

First Lutheran Church

Interim Pastor Susan Davenport Office: 815-537-2758 www.firstlutheran-ptown.org

Leon United Methodist Church 17173 Lomax Road, Prophetstown Pastor Joey Garcea - cell 815-656-0362 pastorjoeygarcea@gmail.com

Prophetstown

United Methodist Church

200 W. 2nd St., Prophetstown Pastor Joey Garcea - 815-537-2496

River Church

218 E. 3rd St., Prophetstown 815-876-6226 - www.riverchurchag.com

St. Catherine Catholic Church of Prophetstown 815-537-2077

RAPIDS CITY

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

1416 Third Ave., Rapids City Fr Julien Esse Phone 309-755-5071

TAMPICO

St. Mary Catholic Church

Reverend Slawomir Zimodro 105 Benton St., Tampico Phone 815-438-5425

Tampico Baptist Church

209 W. 3rd St., Tampico Pastor Ethan Horton

Tampico First

United Methodist Church Pastor Leanne Keate - 815-564-2302

WHITESIDE

Warranty Deeds

Debra L Marruffo to Kody J Velazquez and Bailee M Fortney, 901 OAK AVE, STERLING, $112,500

Jimmy B Morris, Debra H Cruthis, and Debra H Morris Nka to William A Vanzuiden and Elizabeth A Vanzuiden, 1122 15TH AVE, FULTON, $110,000

Perry Wancket to Joseph M Parent, 1215 20TH ST W, ROCK FALLS, $99,425

Gordon D Zaagman and Paulette J Zaagman to Nicholas Varela Allen, 2 Parcels: 03-24-400-004 and 03-25-200-002, $480,550

David E Cook and Carol L Cook to Ryan Eugene Jr, 1 Parcel: 03-21-200-003, $25,000

Jose Urvina and Mariana Cano to Robert M Minor, 908 1ST AVE, STERLING, $165,000

Meichelle Phelps to Adam I Anderson, 41 MEADOW LANE, PROPHETSTOWN, $0.00

Jacob Stanhoff and Ruth Bartlett to Todd A Davis and Cinnament L Davis, 20477 PROPHET RD, PROPHETSTOWN, $265,000

Jose Armelo A Agudelo and Michelle E Agudelo to Whiteside Properties Llc, 206 9TH AVE NORTH, ALBANY, $30,000

Jeff D Ellis to Vasile Marincat, 22950 PROPHET RD, ROCK FALLS, $170,000

Alice Vandevoorde to Randal Lorenz and Terri Lorenz, 925 8TH ST, ERIE, $59,000

Jeffrey D Galor and Amanda C Galor to Dallas Michael Knowles and Holly Knowles, 1310 MINERAL SPRINGS RD, STERLING, $228,500

Chad A Starbuck to Brenda A Vanderploeg Trust and Craig E Vanderploeg Trust, 708 VALLEY VIEW DR, FULTON, $105,000

Jan E Tomczak to Kyle T Wyckstandt, 25326 COMO RD, STERLING, $150,000

Jestun Gatz to Maria Solis and Angel Gomez, 309 7TH AVE, STERLING, $51,000

Sandra Dziedzic to Kaitlyn Swanson, 411 2ND AVENUE, ROCK FALLS, $24,516

David A Olsen to Todd W Saeger and Glynis Ann Lackland Dean, 12719 GARDEN PLAIN RD, MORRISON, $420,000

Tracy Hebert to Alasdair J Stewart, 606 AVENUE C, ROCK FALLS, $80,000

W, PROPHETSTOWN, $62,000

Gerardo Rascon and Maria Mirma Cabrera Ortega to Jazmin Moore, 1311 2ND AVENUE, STERLING, $63,739

Anthony R Bonnell to Kaitlyn Blum and Jeremy R Reyes, 1003 2ND STREET W, ROCK FALLS, $142,000

Carrie A Lamb to Christopher A Miller, 400 7TH AVE, ROCK FALLS, $124,000

Mortgage Clearing Corp to Stephen B Hill, 304 MADISON STREET S, MORRISON, $20,000

Paul L Szarzynski to Seth D Land and Alyssa C Land, 407 1ST AVENUE, ALBANY, $109,900

Trever R Mahaffey to Kyle Workman, 719 16TH AVE, FULTON, $155,000

Quit Claims

Jimmy B Morris and Debra H Morris to Mark Schroeder and Brandy Schroeder, 1 Parcel: 01-28-412-006, $0.00

Pebbles Jones to Pebbles Jones and Landon C Hemminger, 601 DILLON AVE, STERLING, $0.00

Joseph T Padilla, Bree Oltmans Padilla, and Bree E Oltmans Fka to Joseph T Padilla and Bree Oltmans Padilla, 1804 OAK GROVE AVE, STERLING, $0.00

Jose M Arrezola to Rosalinda Arrezola, 1209 18TH ST W, ROCK FALLS, $0.00

Joseph W Swope to Joseph W Swope and Nathan J Swope, 28862 SURREY DR, STERLING, $0.00

William J Brearton to Katelyn G Brearton, 207 GROVE RD W, COLETA, $0.00

Brianne Price to Shawn R Price, 17485 CHASE RD, FULTON, $0.00

Jerry E Francis Trustee, Marie A Francis Trust, and Linda A Vos Trustee to Jerry E Francis and Linda A Vos, 9 Parcels: 15-19-300-007, 15-19-300-008, 15-19-400-003,15-19-400-004, 15-19-400006,15-20-300-003, 15-20-300-006,15-29100-001, and 15-29-100-003, $0.00

Mellissa Dykema to Christopher Dykema, 9719 FENTON RD, FENTON, $0.00

Shawn E Lamb to Carrie A Lamb, 400 7TH AVE, ROCK FALLS, $0.00

Trustee’s Deeds

Dykstra & Law

Insurance Agency, Inc.

Brent Dykstra, Agent In River City Mall

1426 10th Avenue, Fulton 815-589-2200

Jerry E Francis and Linda A Vos to William J Mccormick and Gabrielle

Louise Mccormick, 2 Parcels: 15-29-100001 and 15-29-100-003, $966,128

Secretary Of Hud to William O Funkhouser, 600 5TH ST E, ROCK FALLS, $80,000

Michael A Kuelper and Christina L Demay to Larry J Deneve, 421 3RD ST

Virginia Schipper to Virginia Schipper Trust and Glenda Nicke, 102 5TH ST, FULTON, $315,000

Dennis L Feltz to Dennis L Feltz Trust, 7669 BUNKER HILL RD, FULTON, $0.00

Susan Ellen Kort Trustee and Kort 2021 Revocable Trust to Bradley N Eakle and Tracy Eakle, 2006 AVE D, STERLING, $285,000

CLASSIFIED

NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF FULTON, IL 2026 -2027 BUDGET

The City of Fulton, Illinois, 2026-2027

Budget is available beginning Monday, March 23, 2026, for review at City Hall, 415 11th Avenue, Fulton, IL 61252. Hours are: Monday - Thursday 7:30a.m.-4:30p.m. Friday 7:30-12 Noon March 31, 2026

As sumed Name Publication Notice

Public Notice is hereby given that on Thursday, March 12, 2026, a certificate was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Whiteside County, Illinois, setting forth the names and post-office addresses of all of the persons owning, conducting and transacting the business known as: MAR-CO INDUSTRIES located at 523 BARDEN ST MORRISON IL 61270

Dated this 12th day of March, 2026. No. DBA5436

Karen J Stralow Clerk

March 17, 24, 31, 2026

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE FOU RTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, WHITESIDE COUNTY, IL LINOIS NOTICE OF THE DEATH, ADMISSION TO PROB ATE AND CLAIM PERIOD IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERTA J. LANE Case No. 2025 PR 45 Notice is hereby given to creditors and claimants of the death of Roberta J. Lane, last a resident of Fulton, Illinois, who died on November 5, 2024. Letters of office were issued on May 6, 2025, to Michael Lane, 119 S. 14th St., LeClaire, IA 52753 as Independent Executor. The Attorney for the estate is: Rebecca L Huizenga, 1011 4th St., Fulton, IL 61252. Claims against the estate may be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Whiteside County Courthouse, 200 E Knox Street, Morrison, IL 61270, or with the Representative or both, on or before September 30, 2026. Any claim not filed within that period is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the Representative and the attorney for the estate within 10 days after it has been filed. Dated this 31st day of March, 2026

REBECCA L. HUIZENGA Attorney for the Estate 1011 4th Street P.O. Box 102 Fulton, Illinois 61252 815/589-2859

March 31, April 7, 14, 2026

THE ABOVE AND FORGOING IS THE ANNUAL TREASURER'S REPORT FOR THE FISCA L YEAR ENDING APRIL 30, 2025.

TODD A DAIL, TREASURER OF THE ERIE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT OF WHITESIDE AND HENRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS, BEING FIRST DULY SWORN ON OATH, STATES THAT HE HAS READ THE FORGOING BY HIM SUBSCRIBED, AND THAT THE ABOVE IS A TRUE AND CORRECT ACCOUNTING OF ALL MONIES EXPENDED, AND THE OBJECTS OF EXPENDITURES OF THE DISTRICT FOR THE FISCA L YEAR ENDING APRIL 30, 2025

TODD A DAIL

TODD A DAIL, TREASURER

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO BEFORE ME THIS 23rd DAY OF MARCH, 2025. Ashley Morgan Mammosser NOTARY PUBLIC

March 31, 2026

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF ROCK ISL AND COUNTY, ILLINOIS

ROCK ISLAND COUNTY - CHANCERY DIVISION PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES , LLC Plaintiff, vs.

ROMAN PIZ ANO, DANIELL E E. ARMST RONG, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RE CORD CLAIMANTS, Defendant (s).

Case No. 2025FC238

NOTICE BY PUBL ICATION

Roman Pizano Unknown Owners and Non-Record Claimants that this case has been commenced in this Court, against you and other Defendants, praying for the foreclosure of a certain Mortgage conveying the premises described as follows, to wit: LOT THIRTY-FIVE (35) IN BLOCK ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FOUR (184) IN THE TOWN, NOW CITY OF EAST MOLINE.

COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 155 17TH AVENUE, EAST MOLINE, IL 61244

And which said Mortgage was made by: Roman Pizano, Danielle E. Armstrong, the Mortgagor, to MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC ("MERS"), AS MORTGAGEE, AS NOMINEE FOR GREENSTATE CREDIT UNION, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, as Mortgagee, and recorded in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Rock Island County, Illinois as Document No. 202310906; and for other relief, that summons was duly issued out of said Court against you as provided by law and that the said suit is now pending.

NOW, THEREFORE, UNLESS YOU file your answer or otherwise file your appearance in this case in the Office of the Clerk of this Court, Rock Island Circuit Clerk 210 15th Street Rock Island, IL 61201

On or before April 30, 2026, A DEFAULT MAY BE ENTERED AGAINST YOU AT ANY TIME AFTER THAT DAY AND A JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRAYER OF SAID COMPLAINT.

Marinosci Law Group, P.C. 2215 Enterprise Drive, Suite 1512 Westchester, IL 60154

Telephone: (312) 940-8580

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act you are advised that this law firm is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I3284264 Review Mar. 31, April. 7, 14, 2026

PUZZLES

ACROSS

1. “Bird of Paradise” constellation

5. Red Sox WS winner Bronson

11. Whirl

12. The State Dept. has a notable one

16. Energy, style and enthusiasm

17. Part of the mind

18. Mountainous country

19. Type of beverage

24. Atomic #109

25. Opposite of falsities

26. Female sheep

27. Rocky peak

28. Sensitive information sharing environment

29. Ethnic group of Thailand

30. Patron saint of Rome Philip

31. Psychedelics

33. Japanese pine

34. Have an impact on

38. Violent disorder

39. A French river

40. Early Mesoamerican civilization

43. Messenger ribonucleic acid

44. Musician Clapton

45. Ancient Greek sophist

49. Largest English dictionary (abbr.)

50. Valley

51. A way to unwind

53. Atomic #93

54. Recommending

56. Indigo bush

58. Larry and Curly’s pal

59. Off-Broadway theater award

60. Fencers

63. Small Eurasian deer (pl.)

64. Relating to songbirds

65. A way to assign

DOWN

1. Some are “secret”

2. Intestinal openings

3. Distant planet

4. Assembly possessing high legislative powers

5. Genus of typical owls

6. One with distinctively colored hair

7. Red cross

8. An alternative

9. Abominable snowmen

10. About ear

13. The opening letters 14. Feeling of regret

15. Atomic #39

20. Luteinizing hormone

21. Atomic #55

22. Carries a debt

23. Albanian monetary unit

27. Semitic abjad letter

29. Yes

30. Negative

31. Earn a perfect score

32. Connecticut

33. Partner to cheese

34. Snack nuts

35. Quadruped’s body part

36. Locate

37. Pitching statistic

38. “__, myself and I”

40. Utah city northwest of Provo

41. Football players in the trenches

42. One who runs the show

44. Wood

45. Performing artists

46. Slang for a cut

47. More breathable

48. Most crafty

50. Provokes into action

51. University of Dayton

52. Sodium

54. Large fish of the mackerel family

55. Not one

57. __ and behold

61. Sports highlight show

62. “The Great Lakes State”

SPORTS

2017: UConn’s record 111-game winning streak comes to a startling end when Mississippi State pulls off perhaps the biggest upset in women’s basketball history, shocking the Huskies 66-64 on Morgan William’s overtime buzzer beater in the national semifinals.

AREA ROUNDUP

Newman softball has 10-run 5th inning, dominates in win

Softball

Newman 18, Annawan-Wethersfield 5: The Comets scored 10 runs in the fifth inning in the road win. Brenleigh Cook and Claire Von Holten each had five RBIs for Newman.

Moline 11, Rock Falls 5: The Rockets were out-hit 14-9 in the road loss. Madisyn Eikenberry had three hits, and Korah Hosler had two RBIs for Rock Falls.

Oregon 9, Amboy 4: Oregon out-hit Amboy 12-3 in the road win as Ashlee Mundell had three RBIs. Izzy Berg hit a home run, and Lola Schwarz tripled for the Hawks.

Eastland 7, Byron 0: Keara Kaus and Jade Hammer combined to hold Byron to two hits in the home win. Vanessa Allen (one home run) and Emerson Mlakar each had two hits and two RBIs for Eastland.

Pearl City 12, Polo 1 (6 inn.): Polo was outhit 15-2 in the road loss. Camrynn Jones hit an RBI triple for Polo.

Erie-Prophetstown 17, Knoxville 1 (5 inn.): The Panthers out-hit Knoxville 17-2 in the

road win. Lily Swatos hit a home run and had five RBIs for E-P.

Baseball

Newman 12, Annawan-Wethersfield 3: The Comets out-hit A-W 15-4 in the road win.

Jameson Hanlon and Michael Morse each had three RBIs for Newman. The Comets had eight doubles in the win. Liam Nicklaus pitched three scoreless innings in the victory.

Amboy 7, Hinckley-Big Rock 4: Tanner Welch had 10 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) in the home win. Bryson Deery led the Clippers with three hits, including a double.

Forreston 14, North Boone 7: The Cardinals scored eight runs in the sixth inning to pull away for the road win. Kye Alderks hit two solo home runs, and Kendall Erdmann had a home run and two RBIs for Forreston.

Galena 4, Milledgeville 3: The Missiles fell despite out-hitting Galena 5-3. Karter Livengood had three RBIs for the Missiles. Bryson Wiersema struck out 11 in a

complete game effort, allowing four runs (two earned).

Oregon 12, Ashton-Franklin Center 12 (5 inn.): Zandyr Withers led Oregon with three RBIs, and Kyler Willstead had three for the Raiders. The game was called in the bottom of the sixth due to darkness. Oregon was leading 17-14, and AFC had the bases loaded with two outs.

Erie-Prophetstown 10, Knoxville 10: Gavin VanDyke led E-P with three hits in the road contest. Bradyn Frank (home run) and Sawyer Schwarz each had two RBIs for the Panthers.

Boys track & field

Dixon wins home quad: Dixon tallied 81 points, followed by Forreston (41), Oregon (36.5) and Dakota (13.5). Adam Staples won the 100 and 200 for the Dukes. Staples also joined Noah Flynn, Quintynn Sarver and Logan Grett to win the 4x100 relay. Other Dixon winners were Brody Hopper (1600), Jayden Toms (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, high jump), Owen LeSage (shot put) and Nathaniel Payne

(pole vault).

Oregon’s Daniel Gonzalez won the 800, and Xander Garcia won the long jump. The Hawks added wins in the 4x200 and 4x800.

Forreston’s Joseph Kobler won the 400, Landon Graden won the 3200 and Liam Setterstrom won the triple jump.

Girls track & field

Dixon triangular: Oregon and Forreston tied with 57 points, and Dixon (50) was third. Dixon’s winners were Grace Ackert (100, 400) and Kate Boss (800).

Oregon’s winners were Jillian Hammer (200, 100 hurdles), Anya Anaya (1600), Anjali Plescia (3200), Noelle Girton (shot put) and Lorelai Dannhorn (long jump). The Hawks also won the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x800 relays.

Forreston’s winners were Ella Gonzalez (triple jump), Tenlei Patterson (high jump) and Lucy Bawinkel (300 hurdles). – Drake Lansman