Mt_Morris_Times-02-06-2026 by Shaw Media

Celebrating 50 years

Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center marks milestone / 5

Regional excitement

Six Oregon wrestlers and two from Polo advance to Byron Sectional by placing in top three at regional / 18-19

MT. MORRIS TIMES

Earleen Hinton

Retired Ogle County Sheriff’s Detective Brian Ketter (center) and Detective Chad Gallick (left) greet Don and Luann Rosko of Mt. Morris on Jan. 29 outside the courtroom where jurors found Duane “DC” Meyer guilty of murdering Maggie Rosko Meyer, 31, and her son, Amos, 3, in 2016. Story on page 3.

MT. MORRIS TIMES

Let

Freedom Ring Committee

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dessert auction/spaghetti dinner is Feb. 28

The Let Freedom Ring Festival Committee of Mt. Morris is holding its annual dessert auction/spaghetti dinner

Saturday, Feb. 28.

The event will take place at the Ogle County Community Church at 16 S. Wesley Ave. in Mt. Morris.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with the auction starting at 5 p.m. followed by the

MT. MORRIS SENIOR & COMMUNITY CENTER

The following events are happening at the Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center.

Walk and stretch

Monday, Feb. 9, starts a new class of walk and stretch.

Spanish

Want to learn beginning conversational

MT. MORRIS PUBLIC LIBRARY

Library Closed Feb. 16

We will be closed Monday, Feb. 16, for President’s Day. The Mount Morris Public Library is open every day Monday through Saturday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Stop by and see us!

Memorial Gifts

Give a gift that lasts, brings joy to many, and doubles in value. Your memorial gift to the library is matched by the Mt. Morris Library Foundation, doubling your generosity! Many thanks to all who gave memorial gifts in 2025.

OHS Jazz Band Concert

2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15. Shoo-wap, shoo-wap! Come listen to the OHS Jazz Band perform at the Mount Morris library. Refreshments will be served afterward and there will be time to mingle.

Ink with a Friend

5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12. We will be offering a card-making class from local crafter Liz Gullett. You will get all the materials to make two beautiful cards to take home. Stop by to see the samples. There is a $5 registration fee.

Lego Night

6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19. Bring the family out for some awesome brick building. We will pull out all the Legos and kids can build

Spanish? Starting Tuesday, Feb. 10, there will be a six-week course with classes at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cost is $20. Call or stop by the center to sign up.

Potluck

Tuesday, Feb. 10, there will be a potluck starting at noon. Bring a dish to pass and

spaghetti dinner. There will be a freewill offering for the dinner.

There will be live music during the dinner by the Westfall Family. Drinks will be donated by Hector’s Cocina.

– Shaw Local News Network

enjoy company and conversation. Dance

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the center. Each month will have a special celebration. Feb. 13 will be a Disco Valentine Dance from 7 to 9 p.m. – Shaw Local News Network

whatever they imagine. Put a name on your creation and keep it on display for all to enjoy until the next Lego night.

Library Board Meetings

Note there is a new time. Monthly board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. at the library unless otherwise noted. The public is welcome to attend. 2026 meeting dates are Feb. 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16.

Display Case Showings

We always are looking for collectors or artists who are willing to share their treasures in our display cases. If you are interested, call 815-734-4927.

Mt. Morris Library is Fine Free

You no longer need to worry about paying fines for late books, DVDs, audiobooks, etc. at the Mount Morris library. We have no fines for late materials. Just return the item and you can check out any other item at no cost. We love serving our community and invite all patrons to visit the Mount Morris library.

Explore More Illinois

Explore More Illinois users can access and reserve passes from any of our attractions on the Mount Morris Library website, mtmorris-il.org, under the resources page. Visit the website to browse attractions.

CORRECTIONS

Accuracy is important to the Mt. Morris Times. Please call errors to our attention by email at news@oglecountynews.com.

Lions Club Glasses and Hearing Aids Collections

Donation boxes for eyeglass recycling are available at the library. When the boxes are full, they are picked up by local Lions members and dropped off at collection depots. When donating hearing aids, please be sure to place them in a small box or hard-covered case so they do not get crushed or damaged.

Adult Programming

We would love to hear from you. Do you have any program ideas? Do evenings or weekends work better? Do you have a program you would like to share/lead?

Contact Mary Cheatwood at the library at mmlib@mtmorris-il.org or 815-734-4927.

Newspapers Available

We will be receiving the Dixon Telegraph daily. We receive the Ogle County Life, Sauk Valley and Mt. Morris Times. If you want to keep up with local news, stop by. Curbside Service Available

We want to remind everyone that you still have the option of having your materials delivered to your vehicle. Call us if you need more information.

The Mount Morris Public Library is located at 105 S. McKendrie Ave. in Mt. Morris. Call 815-734-4927 or visit mtmorris-il.org for more information.

– Shaw Local News Network

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Prosecutors relieved after jury finds Stillman Valley man guilty of 2016 double-murder, arson

Natural life in prison is mandatory punishment

By EARLEEN HINTON ehinton@shawmedia.com

Family and friends of an Ogle County schoolteacher embraced and wept outside the courtroom just minutes after jurors found Duane “DC” Meyer, 43, guilty of the 2016 murders of Maggie (Rosko) Meyer, 31, and their 3-year-old son, Amos, in their Byron home.

Inside the courtroom, family and friends of Meyer also wept and embraced after the eight-woman, four-man jury returned guilty verdicts for first-degree murder, aggravated arson and concealment of a homicidal death.

Those verdicts followed a trial that took 17 working days to complete, consisting of five days of jury selection, eight days of testimony and arguments, and four days of deliberations.

“I can’t tell you how just pleased and happy we are that both Maggie and Amos will get some justice and their loved ones will get some closure on this horrible situation,” Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock said after the verdicts were announced.

Maggie was a teacher at the Chana Education Center at the time of her death. She filed for divorce in 2014, and court records show the divorce was finalized in September 2016.

Her charred body was found on a couch in her living room the morning of Oct. 19, 2016.

Pathologists determined her death was “highly suspicious for homicide,” testifying she was strangled to death before the fire spread upstairs and killed Amos from carbon monoxide poisoning, as evidenced by soot in his airway and lungs.

No soot was found in Maggie’s airway or lungs, but pathologists said there were signs of strangulation and “some type of blunt force trauma” on other parts of her body.

They said they could not determine an exact cause of death because the condition of her severely charred body –with no distinguishing features remaining – could have masked other injuries that made the forensic case challenging. Rock and his trial team of First Assis-

to bring justice for them,” he said. “I feel great. I’m very happy and again not as much for myself and my office, but for the Roskos. What they have suffered these years, no one should have to go through what they’ve gone through.”

Rock thanked the Illinois State Police, Ogle County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the Illinois Fire Marshal who conducted and contributed to the investigation.

“I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their work on this investigation. I am proud of my team for their hard work and dedication on this case. Our thoughts remain with the victims and their family,” Rock said.

Meyer, who did not appear to react to the verdicts, was remanded to the Ogle County Jail, where he has been held since his arrest in 2019. He is scheduled to appear in court again at 2 p.m. March 13 for a status hearing.

tant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten, Assistant State’s Attorney Allison Huntley, and Victim Service Provider Marisol Esparza experienced a variety of emotions as testimony, attorney arguments and deliberations culminated at the end of the trial in Courtroom 302 at the Ogle County Judicial Center in Oregon.

Ogle County Judge John “Ben” Roe presided over the trial and he waited with defense attorneys, court staff, and family and friends of both the defendant and the victims as jurors continued deliberating late Thursday night, Jan. 29, before reaching their verdicts at 8:28 p.m. on the fourth day of deliberations.

“I’ve done a number of jury trials in my career. I’ve never had a jury out that long with all the ups and downs you could imagine during it,” Rock said. “But again, the jury never indicated they were deadlocked and they worked hard the whole week, and we certainly believe they did come to the right decision.

“Anytime a jury’s out, there’s nervousness. As lawyers, we certainly thought we proved the case, but it took them a period of time to get to what we believe is a just verdict.”

Rock praised all members of his office and all the law enforcement agents who worked on the case before and after Meyer was charged on Oct. 9, 2019 –three years after Maggie and Amos died.

“It did take a period of time for the case to get filed. I was not in office at that time, so this case was pending when I came in 2020. Since that time, I’ve been blessed to have a great group of lawyers working for me. We’ve litigated a number of matters during that time, right up until we got to trial this month,” Rock said.

Rock said the nature of the Meyer case generated a lot of public interest.

“There was a lot of publicity on it and that certainly complicated jury selection, so jury selection took longer than otherwise would, but ultimately, we were able to pick a fair and impartial jury and they came to the right decision,” he said.

The Meyer case marks the fourth Ogle County domestic violence homicide handled by investigators and Rock’s office. One case remains pending.

“Unfortunately, in Ogle County, we’ve had a number of domestic violence-related homicides recently. We’ve tried a couple of them already successfully,” Rock said. “Unfortunately, it’s just how things are in society right now.”

Rock said his team wanted to bring closure to Maggie and Amos’s family.

“Two dear loved ones were taken from them. We definitely felt the pressure to do as good a job as we could for them and we wanted nothing more than

First-degree murder is a Class M felony punishable by 20 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with truth-in-sentencing applying at 100%.

“Natural life imprisonment is a mandatory punishment when a defendant is convicted of killing two victims,” Rock said.

Aggravated arson is a Class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison with truth-in-sentencing applying at 85%. Concealment of a homicidal death is a Class 3 felony punishable by two to five years in prison.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Meyer strangled Maggie to death and set her on fire in her home to clear the way for him to pursue a new life with his girlfriend.

They said text message exchanges between Meyer and his girlfriend –extracted from their phones by investigators and analyzed by FBI agents –showed Meyer was “obsessed” with his girlfriend, “hated” Maggie, and promised to “eliminate” Maggie and Amos from his life.

Defense attorneys argued that Meyer was innocent and that police unfairly targeted him instead of trying to find out who really was responsible for the deaths of Maggie and Amos.

And they argued that text messages about Maggie and her family that were sent before the deaths were “cherry-picked” by prosecutors and taken out of context.

Shaw Local News Network file photo Margaret “Maggie” (Rosko) Meyer and Amos Meyer.

Earleen Hinton

Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock hugs Luann Rosko of Mt. Morris on Jan. 29 after jurors found Duane “DC” Meyer guilty of murdering her daughter, Maggie, 31, and her grandson, Amos, 3, in 2016.

Martin-Bakener is new executive director of Village of Progress

‘It’s special to be in this position and help people as a person that grew up here’

By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

Even though she grew up a few blocks away from the Village of Progress in Oregon, Angie Martin-Bakener wasn’t aware of its services until years later.

Martin-Bakener recently was promoted to executive director of the Village after the retirement of previous Executive Director Brion Brooks. Martin-Bakener has worked at VOP for more than 12 years, most recently serving as its manager of Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional services.

The Village of Progress serves people with developmental disabilities in Ogle County through evaluation and assessment, job training, supported employment, social and recreational experiences, health care and maintenance and living skills instruction.

“I wasn’t expecting to become director,” Martin-Bakener said. “It was exciting. When I started here, I did hands-on care and worked as a case manager. After COVID-19 hit, we transitioned our services from within our walls to community-based. At that time I became the manager of the other case managers. I think it’s exciting to be able to continue to transition our agency to be more community-focused versus the old sheltered workshop model.”

The Village’s new executive director said she’s looking forward to working on bringing in clients after they leave the school system to ensure they continue social interaction. VOP also

recently broke ground on the Hill Street Neighborhood in Mt. Morris with Kreider Services, which will see people with and without disabilities living in the same housing together and people with disabilities having the chance to choose their own services. Construction will be completed in 2027.

Martin-Bakener also is excited to work more with VOP’s Village Bakery and janitorial services programming for clients in her new role, along with expanding its Special Olympics program.

“I think we have an opportunity to expand our footprint,” Martin-Bakener said. “We’ve done a great job of becoming visible in Oregon. I think it would be beneficial if we could be a little more vis-

ible in the other Ogle County towns.”

Day services programs like the Village of Progress are a rarity in Illinois, and Martin-Bakener said Ogle County residents with disabilities and their families are fortunate to have VOP’s work, social interaction, recreation and leisure opportunities.

Martin-Bakener said she enjoys her work at VOP because “every day is a new day,” inside and out of the facility.

“Since we’ve transitioned into a community-based format since COVID-19, it’s been amazing to watch people do things for the first time,” Martin-Bakener said. “I went with a group to a Milwaukee Brewers game a couple of summers ago and to get to our seats we had to take an escalator. I didn’t think any-

thing of it and I got on. I got to the top and I looked behind me and the client I was with was still at the bottom. He had never been on an escalator before and was in his late 60s. It’s awesome to watch them do things for the first time.”

Martin-Bakener thanked VOP’s board, staff, volunteers and donors for their dedication to the Village’s mission. She said the work the Village of Progress staff does each day is vital to the people it serves for the betterment of their lives. She particularly enjoys seeing VOP clients getting out into the community.

“Our people all just want to fit in and be respected and loved like all of us do,” Martin-Bakener said. “If we go back to a place for a second or third time, they’re getting recognized and having interactions with people at a restaurant or grocery store. It’s been really exciting to see them foster their own relationships.”

After growing up in Oregon, Martin-Bakener went to school and got a degree in law enforcement. Due to a state hiring freeze at the time, she took a job as a group home manager in Oregon. It was then that she learned about the Village of Progress. After working at Sinnissippi Centers for a couple of years, she took a job at VOP.

“I didn’t see myself doing work like this when I was in school,” Martin-Bakener said. “But once I got here, I never looked back. I had no idea the Village existed when I was growing up. In the sheltered workshop days, the Village was a very well-kept secret. They didn’t leave the building often. Now that we’re out in the community on a daily basis, it’s just wonderful. Everyone gets to experience the joy that they bring out in the community. It’s special to be in this position and help people as a person that grew up here.”

Applications being accepted for Village of Progress scholarship

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

The Village of Progress Foundation will offer two scholarships in 2026. The first scholarship in the amount of $1,000 is made possible through a joint effort between The Larry Young & Friends Charities and The Village of Progress Foundation. Larry Young & Friends Charities partner with The Village of Progress Foundation every

year to help make its annual golf outing a success. Larry Young also serves on the foundation’s board of directors.

The second scholarship in the amount of $1,000 is made possible through the generosity of the Cacciatore family. The Cacciatores have been longtime supporters of the Village.

Wanda Cacciatore served on the Village of Progress board of directors for 10 years beginning in 1988. She also served on the foundation’s board for 33

years. The scholarship honors Pete and Wanda, who were enthusiastic supporters of the Village and its mission.

To be eligible for either scholarship, the student must be a resident of Ogle County and be either a high school senior who is disabled or is planning on attending college and majoring in an area related to the disabled, or a full-time undergraduate college student who is disabled or is majoring in

an area related to the disabled. Applications must be received by March 15, be completed on the foundation application form, and include at least two written references. The financial status of the applicant is not a consideration. Those wishing an application are encouraged to call the Village of Progress at 815-732-2126 or go to www.villageofprogress.org and download a high school or college application.

Jeff Helfrich

Angie Martin-Bakener (second from left) is the new executive director of the Village of Progress.

Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center marks 50 years

‘There are a lot of small towns that don’t have something like this’

By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

In 1975, the Village of Mt. Morris formed a committee to put services in place for senior citizens in town. In 1976, a Mt. Morris senior citizen council was incorporated, which brought about the Mt. Morris Senior Community Center.

This year, the organization, now known as the Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center, is celebrating its 50-year anniversary of providing services, engagement and education to Mt. Morris’ senior citizens. The longtime 9 E. Front St. location will be home to special anniversary celebrations throughout 2026.

Melissa Rojas, the Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center’s executive director of eight years, called reaching the milestone “amazing.”

“There’s been a lot of very faithful people that have kept it going over the years such as board members and people that have given donations,” Rojas said. “It’s cool to be part of something that has been here for 50 years that has been so supportive. Mostly, it’s support from the community that keeps the center going.”

The center celebrated its 50th anniversary in January with an open house. It will have each of its monthly events tie into its anniversary with added celebrations.

Events for the rest of the year include

LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS

‘Wild Neighbors: Beavers –Nature’s Engineers’ program coming Feb. 11 to Oregon

Area residents will have an opportunity to learn more about one of Illinois’ most fascinating native animals during “Wild Neighbors: Beavers – Nature’s Engineers,” a free program offered by University of Illinois Extension.

The presentation will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Rock River Center, 810 S. 10th St. in Oregon. Extension educator Peggy Anesi will lead the session, exploring the complex

a Valentine’s Day dance on Feb. 13, an adult egg hunt on March 28, a special trivia night April 16, senior/senior tea on May 2, a community dinner on June 12 and Flag Day on June 13, the Let Freedom Ring celebration and parade on July 4 and an ice cream social on July 8, National Night Out on Aug. 4 and a golf outing on Aug. 8 and a center anniversary party on Aug. 22, Autumn on Parade on Oct. 4 and Witches Tea on Oct. 29, a health fair on Nov. 13 and noon year’s eve on Dec. 30.

Regular services at the center include Medicare assistance, assistance with senior license plate discounts, resources for home health care, an Alzheimer’s support group, and an exercise class on

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“Having activities here is one of the best things we do,” Rojas said. “I think about the people who come here all the time and they have so many friends and they’re out doing things every day. And then I think about the people who don’t know about the center and they’re maybe sitting in their house watching TV, bored and lonely. If they knew this place was here, they could come and have fun and meet people and play cards and exercise and eat a meal. We have a ton going on here.”

The Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. It hosts occasional night events, which are open to

the entire community. It has a computer lab available for community use. The center also has space available to rent for events such as birthday parties.

“I often think about people who say there’s nothing to do in a small town,” Rojas said. “If you pay attention, there’s a lot to do here in Mt. Morris. The center is a great resource for the community and I think it’s great we have it. There are a lot of small towns that don’t have something like this.”

Rojas said activity and involvement at the center are important to the health of the seniors it serves. The Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center has patrons that have been coming for “a lot of years,” and staying involved and healthy, Rojas said.

“There are a lot of seniors that come here that live by themselves and if they didn’t have the center to come to, I’m not sure what they would do,” Rojas said. “We’ve had a lot of people that were very active here and then something happens and they end up not being able to leave their house and they get out of the habit of coming. And then their health goes downhill fast. You have to keep moving and stay around people. Everything the center provides is very important for seniors as they get older.”

Rojas finds purpose in seeing seniors benefit from programming at the center.

“I enjoy this place because of the people,” Rojas said. “My favorite part is running the different events and just being able to hang out with the people. I have a lot of office work I have to do, but the part I really enjoy is being with the people and being able to spend time with them and help them.”

relationship between humans and beavers. From the child enchanted by a beaver’s quiet meal at the zoo to the landowner frustrated by a freshly felled tree, these animals evoke a wide range of reactions. Anesi said that while beavers can create challenges, they also play an important ecological role – and they make decisions based on instinct, not human expectations.

Anesi specializes in environmental education, helping audiences understand wildlife behavior, habitat needs, and the connection between animals and water

quality. She holds a Bachelor of Science in zoology with a focus on wildlife management.

Those needing reasonable accommodations to participate can contact the DeKalb County Extension office at 815-758-8194.

The program is free, but registration is required. To reserve a seat, call the Rock River Center at 815-732-3252.

Grand Detour Township sets 2026 meeting dates

Grand Detour Township recently

released its 2026 meeting dates.

All township meetings will be at the Grand Detour Town Hall on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. with the exception of the April meeting that will be held immediately following the annual meeting that is held the second Tuesday in April. For questions, call township clerk Connie Ross at 815-973-0988.

Meeting dates are Feb. 11, March 11, April 14 (following annual township meeting), May 13, June 10, July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9. – Shaw Local News Network

Jeff Helfrich

The Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center is at 9 E. Front St. in Mt. Morris.

Ag teacher’s supply list goes beyond pens, pencils

By JEANNINE OTTO jotto@shawmedia.com

Mellisa McMillan’s classroom supply list is not your everyday school supply list.

“We need welding gloves and welding tongs. I know we need another new saw out in the woodshop,” said McMillan, the agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Ashton-Franklin Center High School.

McMillan teaches agriculture to students from seventh grade all the way up to high school seniors. She has about 85 students in agriculture classes this semester.

Earlier this year, McMillan applied for and received a $4,500 grant through the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Committee’s agriculture education grant program.

She plans to use the funds to purchase some of the more unusual items for her program.

“I thought I’ll just apply. We can always use new and updated equipment for the classroom and the shop,” she said.

The supplies needed for an agriculture classroom and workshop are a little out of the ordinary because the classes offered in a typical agriculture education curriculum can vary from plant science and horticulture to welding and construction.

“An ag department is such a different animal when it comes to the supplies we need and use,” McMillan said.

Lab tables are another item that McMillan needs for her classroom and plans to purchase with the grant funds.

While the supplies on McMillan’s list may differ from those in other classrooms, the items have one thing in common.

“All of these items will help students succeed. We have items we need to help them succeed, and I want to see these students succeed in the area of agriculture in which they feel most comfortable,” she said.

SVACC boosts agriculture education

The ag education grant program that the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce administers is just one of the committee’s efforts to boost agriculture and vocational learning in the region.

“We raise funds for ag education. That can be for local FFA and agriculture education programs, the University of Illinois Extension, for 4H programs. The CEO program at the Whiteside Area Career Center receives funds from that

A student reaches out to touch the class pet, a young sheep, at AFC High School.

as well,” said Dallas Knack, executive director of the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Agribusiness Committee’s primary fundraiser is the Steak Fry in the Country event, which takes place every year in early August.

“Funds from that event also are used toward workforce development as well as our scholarship program. The funds specifically from that event go to our ag scholarships,” Knack said.

The SVACC Agribusiness Committee has 10 members.

“We have representatives from Extension, FFA, 4-H, we have ag lenders, insurance, other agribusiness and from Sauk Valley Community College,” Knack said.

The SVACC and the Whiteside Area Career Center CEO program are putting the finishing touches on the chamber’s biggest event of the year, the annual meeting and dinner.

“It’s a chance for all of our members to get together and learn about what we did as an organization in 2025 and look at goals for 2026,” Knack said.

This year, the theme of the Jan. 29 event at the McCormick Center in Rock Falls was “Dinner Undercover.” That theme and the night’s activities were

Mellisa McMillan, Ag teacher and FFA adviser at Ashton-Franklin Center, teaches students about the glaciers of Illinois. The Ag program recently won a $4,500 grant from the Sauk Valley Area Chamber Of Commerce.

planned by students in the Whiteside Area Career Center’s CEO program.

“The CEO students choose the theme, they provide the entertainment, and they also act as hosts for the event,” Knack said.

The event, which also is the SVACC’s annual awards night, saw some firsts.

“Our Sauk Valley Under 40 initiative will be presenting their first emerging leader award,” Knack said. The SVACC’s Chamber Champion and Ambassador of the Year awards will be presented at the dinner.

The event was open only to SVACC members.

Alex T. Paschal photos

Still huddled in and dealing with the cold

POLO HISTORY

Betty Obendorf

Alexa still keeps telling me things that I do not want to hear. Things such as “Weather still at zero, so stay in” and “More snow coming tomorrow, so be aware.”

I get the news from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and this morning I saw the street that I have traveled many times is covered with ice. I hate ice, and the snapping of tree branches.

This week we had our board meeting late in the afternoon and the sun had been shining, which makes my house warmer. I headed to the museum not even thinking of snow, although they were calling for it. After a good meeting, I was the first to leave, eager to get home where it would be warmer. I opened the door of the museum and saw two inches of snow over everything, including my car. I had not had that to deal with for a long time.

I looked for my snow brush but could

not find it. So I started to brush off snow with my gloved hand and I opened the trunk to put my walker in it. By that time Ted had come out and said, “If you just get in the car and turn on the windshield wipers, I think you can get home.”

I did just that and Ted was right. I had only two blocks to go and I was relieved when I pulled into my garage safely at home.

When I opened my back door to the car to get things from the museum, there was my snow brush on the back seat. I gave it a good lecture and then cleaned off my car. I was afraid the snow would freeze to my car but what was left on it did not. My garage is well insulated.

In all this cold weather, my boiler has been struggling and they tell me I have a very old boiler. But I am very old myself and just maybe the boiler will outlive me and the next person can deal with it. I think it will be a race to the finish line to see who goes first.

Since I have been shut up in the house, I have been working with a bucket of apples that Mike left for me. I started first with sliced apples and cheese. Then I went to cooked apples with cinnamon.

Next in line was applesauce made in my blender.

Now I remember on the farm having the pointed sieve-type thing with a wooden thing that you stirred on the inside of it. It was great for making applesauce. But I do not have that anymore and it is probably sitting in someone’s house as an antique. So the applesauce was only fair. Next I made apple muffins with crumble on the top and they were yummy.

I finished up with apple fritters and reminisced about Town and Country Days when the Methodist Church made them. Kenneth and I could not get enough of those. I loved Town and Country Days because of the food, especially the Jaycees’ deep-fried chicken and apple fritters.

I think I threw in some apple crisp along the way, but the one I loved the best was when I made apple muffins with crumble. I still have a few apples left in the refrigerator and the weather is still in “stay-in mode” so I think more muffins is the answer.

• Betty Obendorf is a retired teacher and volunteer for the Polo Historical Society.

Tri-County Opportunities Council opens scholarship applications for local students

The Tri-County Opportunities Council will award at least 10 scholarships to income-eligible students residing in the agency’s service area, which includes Ogle County. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has made scholarships worth up to $2,000 available through its Community Services Block Grant funds.

Applicants must be a member of an income-eligible household; can attend a college, university or trade school, in state or out of state, in person or virtual; and must be considered full time (minimum of 12 semester hours) to qualify for the full $2,000 scholarship.

Part-time students will be eligible for the competition; however, scholarship awards will be prorated if they are selected as winners.

The application deadline is March 13.

For more information and application forms, call 1-800-323-5434, ext. 710, or visit tcochelps.org.

OCFB’s Kern: Farmers seeking more moisture before winter’s end

‘For the past three years, we’ve been living on borrowed time with moisture’

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

Since two heavy snowstorms hit the area early this winter, Ogle County farmers have been hoping for more moisture to no avail, Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said Jan. 29.

Kern said those snowstorms yielded a vital 2 to 2.5 inches of moisture that was able to be soaked up by fields before the ground froze. A dry and extremely cold January hasn’t been ideal for Ogle County farmers, and has landed the area on drought maps, Kern said.

“With the cold spell we’ve seen recently and no more snow, we’re seeing the ground freeze up,” Kern said. “Any rain right now wouldn’t help with the ground being so frozen. If we could get more snow heading into a late March thaw, that may help us. For the past three years, we’ve been living on borrowed time with mois-

ning. If anything breaks down this time of year, it’s just a miserable existence.”

This time of year for Ogle County row crop farmers involves pricing grain to move as spring approaches, and pricing, purchase and delivery of inputs such as fertilizer, fuel and seed for the approaching season.

“Fuel is kind of a shining star among inputs right now with its reasonable price,” Kern said. “Prices on things like fertilizer and seed are going back up.”

Kern said the top two issues in the farming industry are the federal tariff situation’s impact on commodity exports, and the need for a new federal Farm Bill.

ture. We’ve just been lucky getting rain when we absolutely had to have it. And we can’t keep living like that.”

The impact of recent extreme cold on farm ground will depend on how far down the frost line goes, Kern said. He’s hoping for a good thaw in the spring to allow moisture to get into the subsoil, which has been short on moisture in the area “for a long time.”

While row crop farmers in Ogle County have been assessing the weather as spring draws closer, area livestock farmers have been out in the elements.

“This cold weather is hard on livestock, and farmers, who are trying to keep water from freezing,” Kern said. “If they have confinement, they’re trying to make sure all of the generators, heat and fans and everything else are run -

Amid the White House’s tariffs, Ogle County farmers have seen the impacts of Argentina and Brazil selling more soybeans to China, which previously imported more beans from the U.S. South America has overtaken the U.S. as the top global exporter of soybeans, leaving American farmers with lower prices and uncertainty where soybeans will end up.

Jeff Helfrich

Since two heavy snowstorms hit the area early this winter, Ogle County farmers have been hoping for more moisture to no avail, Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said Jan. 29.

IT’S YOUR WRITE

Remorse and Minneapolis

To the Editor:

“And so, there’s a struggle, or a context, I guess you could say, all the time, it seems to me. And remorse, well, to be able to show remorse, to be able to be sorry about what we’ve done that hurts other people, that keeps us human.” – Elizabeth Strout.

To say that you are sorry, this has happened. Or to say that you regret that this has occurred are not strong enough

COLLEGE NEWS

Ogle County students named to NIU fall 2025 graduation list

More than 1,200 students received their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Northern Illinois University in December. Graduates from Ogle County include:

Byron: Hailey Groharing, bachelor of science, marketing. Ava Krall, bachelor of science, biological sciences.

Davis Junction: Emma Underwood, bachelor of science, psychology.

Forreston: Katie Erdmann, master of business administration. Naya Haller, bachelor of arts, English. Marisa Vogt, bachelor of science, kinesiology.

Lindenwood: Anna Roush, bachelor of science, history.

Oregon: Cristina Tranchina, master of science, nutrition. Isabella Tranchina, bachelor of science, marketing.

County students named to Kishwaukee College fall 2025 Dean’s List

Kishwaukee College announced the students named to the fall 2025 Dean’s List. To be eligible for Dean’s List honors, a student must have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours (at the 100/200 level) during an academic term with a semester grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Ogle County students named to the fall 2025 Dean’s List include:

Byron: Macey Stoddard

Chana: Kennedy Adamski, Jade Brewington, Rylee Jackson, John Jarrett

Davis Junction: Lillie Gebel

Esmond: Mark Hopkins, Gabriella Roschi

Kings: Allison Drobick, Grace Luxton,

responses to the misery being visited upon the people of Minneapolis. I look to our leaders and our representatives to express something more. I look to Darin LaHood and Andrew Chesney to express a sense of deep regret and empathic sorrow on this blight to our national identity.

I feel shame, I feel a sense of guilt concerning this animus being visited by one American upon another. I cannot look at the latest videos showing the death of Alex Pretti with anything other

than a sense of horror and moral outrage. Remorse moves us far deeper and much closer to capturing our ethical failure in permitting or merely observing such a merciless and indifferent wrongful act. Our conscience “bites us again” when we realize our complicity.

The symbol for remorse is the lily. It is thought that the tears Eve shed upon being banished from the Garden of Eden blossomed as lilies. Lilies have come to symbolize grief and remorse. A depth of

feeling that realizes what harm a particular action has caused.

What I hope is that we do not just wallow in a sea of remorse. I hope what remorse will do is move us to take ownership of our actions as a nation, without making excuses or blaming others. And that the depth of feeling remorse triggers will lead us to finding a way out of this abhorrence and blight upon our national life.

Rev. Ronald D Larson

Mt. Morris

Jessica Vagle

Monroe Center: Andrew Gibbs

Oregon: Macklynn Rager, Nichole Zimmerman.

County students named to Kishwaukee College fall 2025 part-time student honors list

Kishwaukee College announced the students named to the fall 2025 parttime student honors list.

To be eligible for this honor, a student must have completed a minimum of six (but fewer than 12) semester hours of college-level courses at Kishwaukee with a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

Ogle County students named to the Kishwaukee College fall 2025 part-time student honors list include: Byron: Eythan Armstrong

Chana: Jack Anderson

Davis Junction: Autumn Kittoe

Kings: Elise Hayenga

Oregon: Katelyn Koper, Cortney Parker, Coen Schafer, Reilee Suter, Laura Torres, Martin West.

Polo’s Clark named to President’s List at Iowa State University

Polo’s Harper Clark, a microbiology major, recently was named to the President’s List at Iowa State University. Students achieving this designation have maintained a 4.0 grade-point average for two consecutive semesters.

Oregon’s Rogers makes Loyola’s Dean’s List

Abigail Rogers of Oregon was named to the Dean’s List of Loyola University College of Arts and Sciences for the fall semester of the 2025-26 academic year.

County students among Rockford University fall 2025

Distinguished Scholars

Ogle County full-time students attending Rockford University were named Distinguished Scholars for the fall 2025 semester, earning at least a 3.75 with no grades below “C” and having completed all requirements for the semester.

Students honored included:

Tayton Bandy of Forreston

Rachel Berg of Davis Junction

Hayden Larson, Brooklyn Lee and Zachary Tucker of Byron Elise Lundine, Jackson Martindale and Lucas Meyer of Stillman Valley.

County students named to UW-Eau Claire fall 2025 Dean’s List

Two Ogle County students were named to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire fall 2025 Dean’s List.

Honored students were Forreston’s McKenna Dorty (College of Health and Human Sciences) and Oregon’s Natalie

Tremble (College of Health and Human Sciences).

To be eligible, a student must be in good academic standing, have a minimum semester grade-point average of 3.7, and have completed at least 12 credits during the semester.

County students named to University of Dubuque fall 2025 Dean’s List

The University of Dubuque recently congratulated Ogle County students on being appointed to the fall 2025 Dean’s List.

Among them were Forreston’s Brooke Boettner, Leaf River’s Brookelyn Poggensee and Mt. Morris’s Avery Sellers.

Full-time students in good academic standing (having earned 12 or more letter grade credits for the term) who earn a term grade-point average of 3.5 or above and who do not have any grades of incomplete for the term are named to the Dean’s List.

– Shaw Local News Network

The history of the Ku Klux Klan in Ogle County

Whether you remember George Santayana’s quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” or Winston Churchill’s later misquote, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” the point remains the same: You do not need to like what happened, but you owe it to the future to remember the good and the bad. This story is about the bad.

In the 1850s, the community of Byron had a secret. The Lucius Reed home was part of the “Underground Railroad.” Slaves seeking freedom had friends in Ogle County. Rochelle joined the rest of the county in the early 1860s, sending men to fight in the Civil War against slavery and man’s inhumanity toward man. Cemeteries across the county hold the remains of those who were willing to give their lives so others could enjoy freedom.

In the 1920s, something changed. The end of World War I saw more than 200,000 Black men return from combat overseas. These men had fought for their country and expected to be treated as equals when they returned. Much of Europe had been destroyed during the war, Ireland still had not recovered from the “Potato Famine.” Many felt the United States of America offered more opportunity. The Great Migration, which started in 1910, had flooded the United States with foreign people and foreign ideas. Prohibition was the law of the land, which led to a quick rise in illegal bootlegging and organized crime. Fear and confusion opened the door for a new way of

thinking. The Klan was eager to help define that change.

“I did not sell the Klan on hatred. I sold it on Americanism. These people knew what they signed up for. That oath could not have been more specific about the absolute superiority of one race and one religion, and the inferiority of all others,” Grand Dragon David Stephenson said.

The first mention of the Ku Klux Klan in Ogle County appears in local newspapers around 1923: “In a field west of Mt. Morris, thousands of members of the Ku Klux Klan met for an induction ceremony. At dark, fireworks were displayed and an immense fiery cross was ignited and could be seen from miles away. A large number from Mt. Morris and surrounding towns took the pledge of membership.”

Byron, once home to the Underground Railroad, held a monster demonstration at the Burd Pine Grove located north of town. About 10 p.m. the group donned their robes and hoods and came to town. Two robed figures on horseback led a parade of 90 Klansmen on foot and 50 automobiles. The first car had a large cross with white lights and the second car had a large cross with red lights. Those on foot carried lit torches. All wore the robe and hood of the Klan.

“The Ku Klux Klan bears the same

relationship to the Protestant churches of America as does the Knights of Columbus to the Roman Catholic church,” asserted Dr. C.C. Crawford in an address before a crowd that packed the tent at the closing session of the three-day Klantauqua held in Rochelle in 1924. “The first Klansmen were patriots, who disguised as Indian, boarded an English ship tied up in Boston harbor and dumped overboard a cargo of tea to secure American liberty.”

“The Klan, he said, “is essentially a law and order organization and opposed to evil in all forms. It fights the battle with ballots and not bullets.”

The Klantauqua was a three-day event held at the “Prairie” located at 10th Street and Sixth Avenue.

The Ku Klux Klan sold itself as wholesome, family-friendly, faithbased, and supportive of Midwestern values. There were many ready to join in the perceived defense of shared values. The identification of the “enemy” varied depending on locale. Ogle County in the 1920s had very few people of color so Blacks, Jews and Catholics were chosen. In the southwestern states, Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, and Catholics posed the threat. On the West Coast, Blacks, Jews, Asians, and Catholics must be stopped. The enemies to democracy could be varied to suit the prejudices of the specific community.

Frank Carney moved to Rochelle in 1906. Frank was a partner in the firm of Carney & Longenecker Clothing Store. Frank served as a state director of the National Retail Clothiers Association.

He was a member of the Rochelle Business Men’s Club, the Chamber of Commerce, president of the National Bank of Rochelle, and a charter member of the Rotary Club. Mr. Carney at one time served as Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus. Frank Carney also had the sad distinction of having the Ku Klux Klan burn a cross in his yard.

When he was 9 years old, Rochelle resident Saul Druker remembered a Ku Klux Klan parade through Rochelle. The parade had 4,000 to 5,000 marchers in full Klan robe and hood. A 15-foot-tall lighted cross filled the intersection in front of the Bain building. As Saul Druker, a local Jewish boy, recalled, “Us kids threw stuff at them and ran.”

By 1928, the Klan in Ogle County was disappearing; the wheel of time moved on. In 1952, Vince Carney (son of Frank), was selected Man of the Year for the community. Elzie Cooper became the first Black man to become Man of the Year in 1964. Had Rochelle completely changed? Such is not the way of the world. There have always been good people and there have always been bad people, and there will always be.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Let us remember what has been, not with shame but with an eye toward making the future better.

• Tom McDermott is a Flagg Township Museum historian and Rochelle city councilman.

United Way of Ogle County’s Adult Prom

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK

contact@shawmedia.com

United Way of Ogle County is rolling out the red carpet for its biggest fundraising event of the year. Join it for Adult Prom: A Night in Hollywood on Friday, March 6, at the Stronghold Center for an evening of dancing, fun and community impact.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the celebration continues until 10 p.m. Guests will enjoy heavy appetizers and a cash bar with one free drink included, a live DJ and extra dance time to keep the party going, a photo booth with props for memorable photos, a silent auction, dessert dash and raffle baskets with prizes.

Whether it’s your first prom in decades – or your very first – guests are encouraged to dress in their favorite decade of formal wear and step onto the red carpet for a Hollywood-worthy night out.

Tickets are $50 per person, $95 per couple and $350 per table of eight.

Tickets are limited, so early registration is encouraged. Purchase online at

uwogle.org/a-night-in-hollywoodadult-prom.

All proceeds benefit United Way of

Ogle County’s Community Grant Program, which provides funding to 26 nonprofit partners serving Ogle

County. By attending, guests will support local programs that make a real difference in the community.

Photo provided by Long Shots Photography

Eagle’s Nest art show begins Feb. 14 at Byron museum

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

The Byron Museum of History will host an art exhibit by members of the Eagle’s Nest Art Group. The show will begin with an opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14. Several artists will be on hand to welcome visitors.

The exhibit will remain on display through Saturday, March 28.

The museum, located at 110 N. Union

• FARMERS

Continued from page 8

The U.S. has started to sell more soybeans to other countries that previously imported from Argentina and Brazil, but the China gap hasn’t been made up.

The federal government has initiated “some” subsidy programs for soybean farmers impacted by tariffs, but the situation is still not ideal, Kern said.

St. in Byron, is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. The museum’s exhibits and the art show are open to the public for free.

This year’s show features oil, watercolor, pastel and acrylic paintings, as well as photography and glass art, wood art and other 3D art. It will be an extensive show of the work of local artists from Oregon, Byron, Rockford, Stillman Valley, Sycamore, Rochelle, Rock Falls, Sterling, Dixon, Forreston, Mt. Morris,

“The number is nowhere near what they’d have if there was a robust export market,” Kern said. “It’s more or less like throwing someone a breathing tube. If you have to sit there and breathe through a tube for the rest of your life, it’s a miserable existence. We just need to understand it’s a global market and we need to be a part of it. Anytime you have prices like there are and you can get anything at all to help pay the bills, nobody is going to say no. But that’s not what we want.”

The Farm Bill, passed in 2018, has

COUNTY MARRIAGE LICENSES: JANUARY 2026

• Ogle County recently released marriage licenses issued in January 2026.

• Luke Chernick of Monroe Center and Mya Hildreth of Monroe Center.

• Tyler Mocaby of Esmond and Chelsea Sansone of Esmond.

• Juan Gonzalez Amezquita of Rochelle and Giovana Garcia of Rochelle.

• Samantha Wilton of Davis Junction and Ashley Roussey of Davis Junction.

• Jacob Bohm of Polo and Ashly Beavers of Waterman.

• Jonathan Derrer of Shannon and Barbara Noble of Shannon.

OGLE COUNTY PROPERTY TRANSFERS

Jan. 26-30, 2026

Warranty Deeds

• Jeffery J. King to Matthew Zito and Marcet Zito, 1 Parcel: 503 W. 2nd St., Byron, $153,500

• Stephen C. Sharer and Suzanne M. Sharer to Stephen C. Sharer Trustee, Suzanne M. Sharer Trustee, Sharer Family Tr., 1 Parcel: 202 E Lincoln St., Mt. Morris, $0.00

• Smith & Schaefer Llc to Uriel Estrada, 1 Parcel in Lincoln Township: 07-23-157-001, $31,000

• Jersey Rochelle Llc to Ample Rochelle Llc, 1 Parcel: 600 N 15th St., Rochelle, $375,000

• Twin Creek Farms Llc to Pamela K. Glendenning Trustee, George B. Glendenning Iii Trustee, P&g Family Tr219, and P & G Family Tr219, 2 Parcels in Scott Township: 11-27-200-010 and 11-27-200-011, $1,280,999

Ashton and Polo.

The Eagle’s Nest Art Group, founded in 1957, has a full schedule of art events, workshops and shows, and will have materials available at the museum for those interested in learning more about this community of artists and its activities. The group welcomes artists of any level of experience. There are Thursday sessions at the Eagle’s Nest Art Group studio in Conover Square and summer outdoor painting sessions. For informa-

been extended for a year three times. The federal Farm Bill allocates funding for crop insurance, disaster assistance and conservation programs for farmers.

“The Farm Bill work recently has just been a bunch of sword rattling in Washington, D.C.,” Kern said, “I don’t really have optimism for progress at the moment for something in the near future. It’s been extended for three years now. It’s time to do something. It’s frustrating. You can only kick the can down the road so far before you get

tion about the Eagle’s Nest Art Group, call 815-732-7783 or visit the Facebook page at Eagle’s Nest Art Group, Oregon, Illinois.

The permanent collections of the Byron Museum of History, as well as the historic Read House, are open to the public throughout the year. The museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the Byron area through exhibits, programs and artifact preservation. To learn about the museum, call 815-2345031 or visit byronmuseum.org.

to the end of the road. They need to modernize it. Agriculture is constantly changing and the Farm Bill needs to reflect that and its programs need to keep up with that.”

With spring on its way, Kern and Ogle County farmers find themselves doing something they’ve done for the past three years: Praying for moisture.

“Give me some relatively normal moisture and some normal weather come April,” Kern said. “And we will be back out into the fields and ready to go for another year.”

• Juan Hernandez of Rochelle and Carla Zapata Galindo of Rochelle.

• Nathan Lee of Rochelle and Nicole Jorgensen of Rochelle.

• Timothy Flaharty of Byron and Mary Kirkley of Byron.

• Ethan Hoffman of Kirkland and Helen

Pfeiffer of Davis Junction.

• Derek Moore of Rockford and Jamie Simpson of Rockford.

• Scott Shank of Byron and Jamie Wrasse of Byron.

• Vincent Cruz of Rockford and Savannah Turen of Rockford.

• David W. Safanda and John F. Safanda to Charles H. Payne, 1 Parcel in Scott Township: 11-22-226-006, $0.00

Quit Claims

• Bradley J. Bellows to Dalton Haenitsch, 1 Parcel: 508 E Buffalo St, Polo, $0.00

• Steven G. Stinson to Steven G. Stinson and Erica M. Stinson, 1 Parcel: 511 S 3rd St, Oregon, $0.00

• Haywell Llc-Mill Creek to Hre Builders Llc, 1 Parcel: 554 Creekside Circle, Byron, $0.00

• Creston Commons Llc to Hre Builders Llc, 1 Parcel in Dement Township: 25-23405-001, $0.00

• Jennifer L. Hay and Jennifer L. Elder to Jennifer L. Elder and Brian Elder, 1 Parcel: 1327 W 8th Ave, Rochelle, $0.00

• Johna L. Templin to Thomas C. Davis, 1 Parcel: 202 N Division Ave, Polo, $0.00

Deeds in Trust

• Raymond E. Ankney and Donna I. Ankney to Darrell E. Ankney Trustee and 4 D’s Family Tr1, 4 Parcels in Pine Rock Township: 17-27-376-001, 17-27-376-003, 17-27-376-004, and 17-27-376-005, $0.00

• Daniel Heng and Teresa Heng to Daniel Heng Trustee, Teresa Heng Trustee, and Teresa Heng Tr, 1 Parcel in Pine Rock Township: 17-22-300-024, $0.00

• James Marner and Laura A. Marner to James A. Marner Trustee, Laura A. Marner Trustee, James & Laura A. Marner Joint Rev Tr, 1 Parcel: 4868 E Walden Rd, Byron, $0.00

• Danny A. Hoffman, Judy L. Hoffman, and Judi L. Hoffman to Judy L. Hoffman Trustee, Judi L. Hoffman Trustee, and Judy L. Hoffman Tr., 1 Parcel in Forreston: 02-29100-004, $0.00

Executor’s Deeds

• Janis K. Wilson Deceased By Executor to Michael J. Kelsey, 1 Parcel: 808 N Crestview Trl, Byron, $119,500

• Arlen J. Heeren Deceased By Executor to Nicole M. Schoeny, Eric S. Schoeny, and Matthew S. Heeren, 1 Parcel in Maryland Township: 03-04-300-003, $0.00

• Arlen J. Heeren Deceased By Executor to Eric S. Schoeny and Nicole M. Schoeny, 1 Parcel in Maryland Township: 03-04-300003, $115,000

– Shaw Local News Network

• Danny A. Hoffman, Judy L. Hoffman, and Judi L. Hoffman to Danny A. Hoffman Trustee and Danny A. Hoffman Tr., 1 Parcel in Forreston Township: 02-29-100-004, $0.00

CLASSIFIED

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OG LE COUNTY, ILL INOIS

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, PLAINTIFF, VS.

ANTONIO JEFTHE LOPEZ PICHARDO; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD C LAIMANTS, DEFENDANTS. NO. 2025FC25 6846 SOUTH JAMES DRIVE ROCHELL E, IL 61068 NOTICE OF SALE

Representing Attorney:

Auction Representative: Dale Jones (309) 299-6400

PURSUANT TO JUDGMENT OF FORECL OSURE UNDER ILLINOIS MORTGAGE F OR ECLOSU RE ACT

She riff's Office, Main Lobby, 202 South First Street, Oregon, IL 61061, at 10:00 AM, sell at public auction and sale to the highest bidder for cash, all and singular, the following described real estate mentioned in said Judgment, situated in the County of Ogle, State of Illinois, or so much thereof as shall be sufficient to satisfy said Judgment: TAX NO. 24-20476-016 COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 6846 South James Drive Roche lle, IL 61068 Description of Improvements: Brown brick, single family home, attached 2 car garage

The Judgment amount wa s $198,364.97.

Sale Terms : This is an "AS IS" sale for "CASH". The successful bidder must deposit 10% down by certified funds; balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. NO REFUNDS.

Upon payment in full of the bid amount, the purchaser shall receive a Certificate of Sale, wh ich will entitle the pur chaser to a Deed to the real esta te after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospecti ve bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information

The successful purcha ser has the sole responsibility/ expense of evicting any tenants or other individuals presently in possession of th e subject premises.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclos ure sale, other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

For Information: Visit our website at http://ilforeclosuresa les.mrpllc.com

PURSUANT TO THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTIO N PRACTICES ACT, THE PLAIN TIFF'S ATTORNEY IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTIN G TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

Pla intiff's attorney is not required to provi de additional information other than that set forth in this notice of sale I3279354 Forreston Journal Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6, 2026

Deceased 2026 PR 4 CL AIM NOTICE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

¬OGLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

U.S BANK , NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR TRUMAN

2016 SC6 TITLE TRUST, Plaintiff, -vsJUAN M BELMONTE; MANUELA HERRERA, AKA MANUELA HERRERA

BEL MONTE; Defendan t(s).

CASE NO 2025FC22 Prope rty Address: 1115 Lakeview Dr Rochelle, IL 61068

NOTICE OF SHE RIFF 'S SALE

Pub lic notice is hereby given that in pursuance of a judgment of said Court entered in the above-entitled cause on October 6, 2025, I, Sheriff Brian VanVickl e of Ogle County, Illinois, wi ll hold a sale on March 6, 2026, commencing at 10:00AM, Ogle County Sheriff's Office, 202 S. 1st Street, Oregon, IL 61061, to sell to the highest bidder or bidd ers the following desc ribed real estate, or so much thereof as may be sufficient to satisfy said decree, to wit: LOT 8 IN BLOCK 2 IN LAKEVIEW SUBDIVISION IN THE CITY OF ROCHELLE, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN BOOK I OF PLATS, PAGE 7, IN THE RECORDER'S OFFICE IN OGLE COUNTY,ILLINOIS

Commonly known as: 1115 Lakeview Dr, Roche lle, IL 61068 P.I.N.: 24-26-232-007

First Lien Posi tion; Single-Family Residence ; Judgment Amount $144,734.18 IN ACCORDANCE WITH 735 ILCS 5/15- 1507(c) (1)(H- 1) AND (H-2), 765 ILCS 605/9 (G)(5) , AND 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1), YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE PURCHASER OF THE PROPERTY OTHER THAN A MORTGAGEE, SHALL PAY THE A SSESSME NTS AND LEGAL FEES REQUIRE D BY SUBSECTIONS (g)(1) AND (g)(4) OF SECTION 9 AND THE ASSESSMENTS AND COURT COSTS REQUIRED BY SUBSECTION (g-1) OF SECTION 18.5 OF THE ILLINOIS CONDOMINIUM PROPERTY ACT.

Terms of Sale: CASH - 10% down at the time of sale and the balance du e within 24 hours of the sale. All pay ments for the amount bid shall be in certified funds payable to the Sheriff of Ogle County.

The person to contact for information regarding this property is: Sales Department at Diaz Anselmo & Associates, LLC, 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563, (630) 453-6960. For bidding instructions, visit www.dallegal.com 24 hours prior to sa le

This communicat ion is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Diaz Anselmo & Associates, LLC 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120 Naperville, IL 60563 (630) 45 3-6960 midwestpleadings@da llegal.com 8190-961452 Forreston Journal Jan . 30, Feb. 6, 13, 2026 961452

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

¬OGLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

U.S BANK , NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR TRUMAN 2016 SC6 TITLE TRUST, Plaintiff, -vs-

JUAN M BELMONTE; MANUELA HERRERA, AKA MANUELA HERRERA BEL MONTE; Defendan t(s).

CASE NO 2025FC22 Prope rty Address: 1115 Lakeview Dr Rochelle, IL 61068

NOTICE OF SHE RIFF 'S SALE

Pub lic notice is hereby given that in pursuance of a judgment of said Court entered in the above-entitled cause on October 6, 2025, I, Sheriff Brian VanVickl e of Ogle County, Illinois, wi ll hold a sale on March 6, 2026, commencing at 10:00AM, Ogle County Sheriff's Office, 202 S. 1st Street, Oregon, IL 61061, to sell to the highest bidder or bidd ers the following desc ribed real estate, or so much thereof as may be sufficient to satisfy said decree, to wit: Commonly known as: 1115 Lakeview Dr, Roche lle, IL 61068 P.I.N.: 24-26-232-007

The person to contact for information regarding this property is: Sales Department at Diaz Anselmo & Associat es, LLC, 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563, (630) 453-6960. For bidding instructions, visit www.dallegal.com 24 hours prior to sa le

This communicat ion is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Diaz Anselmo & Associates, LLC 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120 Naperville, IL 60563 (630) 453-6960 midwestpleadings@dallegal.com 8190-961452 Forreston Journal Jan. 30, Feb. 6, 13, 2026 961452

STATE OF IL LINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF OGLE

I n re the E state of: MAX E. SNOOK, JR., Deceased 2026 PR 4 CL AIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of MAX E. SNOOK, JR. Letters of Office were issued onJanuary 16, 2026, to KENNEDI PORTS, as Independent Executor

mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 197 5, as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Or egon, IL 61061 or with the esta te legal representative, or both. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.

IL 61061 or with the esta te legal representative, or both. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.

By: KENNEDI PORTS Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com

Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6, 2026

STATE OF IL LINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF OGLE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OG LE COUNT Y, ILLINOIS

By: KENNEDI PORTS

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, PLAINTIFF, VS. ANTONIO JEFTHE LOPEZ PICHARDO; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, DEFENDANTS

NO. 2025FC25 6846 SOUTH JAME S DRIVE ROCHE LLE , IL 61068

Notice is given of the death of MAX E. SNOOK, JR. Letters of Office were issued onJanuary 16, 2026, to KENNEDI PORTS, as Independent Executor Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 197 5, as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Or egon, IL 61061 or with the esta te legal representative, or both. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.

By: KENNEDI PORTS Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com

Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com

NOTICE OF SALE PURSUANT TO JUDGMENT OF FORECL OSURE UNDER ILL INOIS MORTGAGE F ORECLOSURE ACT

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered by the Court in the above entitled cause on December 8, 2025, Judicia l Sales Corporation will on March 6, 2026, in the Ogle County Sheriff's Office, Main Lobby, 202 South First Street, Oregon, IL 61061, at 10:00 AM, sell at pub lic auction and sale to the highest bidder for cash, all and singular, the following described real estate mentioned in said Judgment, situated in the County of Ogle, State of Illinois, or so much thereof as shall be sufficient to satisfy said Judgment: Part of Lot Fifty-nine (59) of Woodlawn Acres Subdi vision No. 3 as recorded in the Ogle County Recorder's Office in Book K of Plats, page 85, bounded and describ ed as follows: Beginning at the Southwest corner of said Lot 59; thence Northwesterly along the Wes terly line of said Lot 59, 200 feet to the Northwest corner of said Lot 59; thence Northeasterly along the Nor thwesterly line of said Lot 59, a distance of 20.2 feet thence Southeasterly parallel with said Westerly line of said Lot 59, a distance of 200 feet to a point on the Southeasterly line of said Lot 59; thence Southwesterly along said Southea sterly line of Lot 59, a distance of 20.2 feet to the point of beginning; s ituated in Ogle County, State of Illinois, AND Part of Lot Sixty (60) of Woodlawn Acres Subdivision No. 3, as recorded in the Ogle County Recorders Office in Book K of Plats, page 85, bounded and described as follows: Beginning at the Southeast corner of said Lot 60; thence Northwesterly along the Easterly line of said Lot 60, 200 feet to the Northeast corner of said Lot 60; thence Southwesterly along the Northwe sterly line of said Lot 60, a distance of 64.8 feet thence Southea sterly parallel with said East line of Lot 60, a dis tance of 200 feet to a poi nt on the Southeasterly line of said Lot 60; thence Northeasterly along said Southea sterly line of Lot 60, a distance of 64.8 feet to the point of beginning; situated in the County of Ogle and State of Illinois.

Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6, 2026

TAX NO. 24-20-476-016 COMMONLY KNOWN AS: 6846 South James Drive Roche lle, IL 61068 Description of Improv ements: Brown br ick, single family home, attached 2 car garage The Judgment amoun t wa s $198,364.97.

Sale Terms: This is an "AS IS" sale for "CASH" . The successful bidder must deposit 10% down by certified funds; balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. NO REFUNDS

Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 197 5, as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County Judicial Center, 106 South 5th Street, Or egon, IL 61061 or with the esta te legal representative, or both. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.

I n re the E state of: ROG ER H. BARNARD, Deceased 2026 PR 6 CL AIM NOTICE Notice is given of the death of ROGER H. BARNARD Letters of Office were issued on January 27, 2026, to TORY J WILLARD, as Independent Executor Claims against the estate may be filed within six (6) months from the date of first publication, or within three (3) months from the date of mailing or delivery of Notice to creditors, if mailing ordelivery is required by Section 5/18-3 of the Illinois Probate Act, 197 5, as amended, whichever date is later Any claim not filed by the requisite date stated above shall be barred. Claims against the estate may be filed in the Office of the Circuit Clerk, Ogle County JudicialCenter, 106 South 5th Street, Or egon, IL 61061 or with the esta te legal representative, or both. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed.

The subject prope rty is subject to general real esta te taxes, special assessments or special taxes levied against said real estate, water bills, etc., and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to pla intiff. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in ful l of the bid amount, the purchaser shall receive a Certificate of Sale, which will entitle the purchaser to a Deed to the r eal estate after confirmation of the sale

The property will NOT be open for ins pection. Prospecti ve bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information

The successful purchaser has the sole responsibility/ expense of evicting any tenants or other individuals presently in possession of the subject premises.

By: KENNEDI PORTS Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276 tom@suitslegal com

If this prope rty is a condomi nium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, othe r than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fee s required by The Condominium Prope rty Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6, 2026

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIO N 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

For Information: V is it our website at http://ilforeclosuresales.mrpllc.com

Between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m only - McCa lla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLP, Plaintiff's Attorneys, 333 W Wacker Drive, Suite 1820, Chicago, IL 60606-1220. Tel. No. (312) 346-9088. Please refer to file# 25-21296IL PURSUANT TO THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTI CES ACT, THE PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Plaintiff's attorney is not required to provide additional information other than that set forth in this notice of sale.

I3 279354 Forreston Jou rnal Jan. 23, 30, Feb. 6, 2026

By: TORY J. WILLARD Independent Executor Law Office s of M. THOMAS SUITS, P.C. 114 W. Mason St. Polo, IL 61064 (815) 946-2276

tom@suitslegal com

Feb. 6, 13, 20, 2026

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Crunch time for basketball and wrestling

Andy Colbert VIEWS

With the calendar turning to February, it’s crunch time for basketball and wrestling. The wrestlers will be in the midst of it Friday, Feb. 13, at Byron for the individual sectional, always one of the top sporting events of the school year.

Several years ago, when I was on the wrestling beat, I preferred the sectional to the state meet. You know more of the wrestlers and the action sometimes can be just as intense.

Josiah Perez of Oregon takes an undefeated 39-0 record into the sectional. The 120-pounder seeks to become only the third Hawks state champion after finishing sixth last year. Another county grappler with a gaudy record is junior Brody Stien of Byron. The 175-pounder is 41-1.

As expected, Lena-Winslow, with four wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the state, finished ahead of Oregon and Byron at the regional. In 2024, Byron upset LenaWinslow at the regional and Oregon beat them last year.

It wasn’t even close this time. LenaWinslow took the title by 77 points over Oregon.

The top showing in a 1A regional came at Coal City, where the home team qualified its entire team for the

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP

By DRAKE LANSMAN dlansman@shawmedia.com

Monday, Jan. 26

Boys basketball

Oregon 62, Amboy 52: Keaton Salsbury led the Hawks with 24 points in the road win. Rylan McNinch had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Ezra Parker added 15 more for the Clippers. Colt McCoy tossed in 13 points for Amboy.

Tuesday, Jan. 27

Girls basketball

Polo 62, Milledgeville 37: Cam Jones scored 27 points and had seven rebounds and four assists

sectional, including 11 individual champs. At least the Coalers are in a different sectional.

One former wrestling powerhouse that seems to have changed into a basketball school is Dakota, which was a distant sixth at the regional. Meanwhile, their hoops team is 24-1, with its lone loss to Byron at the Forreston tourney.

With its football team barely getting enough players out to field a team, the makeup of athletes certainly has changed at Dakota. Still, it’s hard to get away from a former football/wrestling mindset.

Is $12 at the door too much for admission into a wrestling regional, or $10 per session at a sectional? For a family, that can be a bit much and there has been some grumbling from fans about it.

At the sectional there are three sessions, with the gym cleared each time for readmission. Say you’re bringing grandparents, a couple of kids and a spouse. That’s $180 if you choose to attend all three sessions and pay cash.

The IHSA sets all postseason ticket prices and they have gone up considerably over the years. Compared with other forms of entertainment, such as the $359 ticket I purchased to see the Eagles at the Sphere in Las Vegas last weekend, high school sports ticket prices are still somewhat value-oriented.

Still, it would be nice if the IHSA

in Polo’s win.

Stillman Valley 51, Oregon 29: Oregon’s Aniyah Sarver had 16 points in the road setback.

Thursday, Jan. 29

Girls basketball

Polo 39, AFC 28: Cam Jones had 14 points, and Laynie Mandrell had 13 rebounds in the Marcos’ win. Polo led 17-9 after the first quarter. Drew Dawson scored 11 points for AFC.

Friday, Jan. 30

Boys basketball

Oregon 85, Genoa-Kingston 65: Benny Olalde had 19 points and Keaton Salsbury added 18 in the home win. Tucker O’Brien (13

could give consideration to families struggling to pay their way in this era of inflation. Then again, the IHSA policy probably has to be the same for everyone, whereas individual schools have more leeway in pricing structure.

Sterling Newman took its first basketball boys loss of the season to drop to 24-1, with Mendota blowing the Comets out 65-46. That’s not an anomaly. With eight wins by single digits, the Comets were due for a loss. Additionally, Mendota (20-5) has its best team in 30 years.

A 2A sectional host, Mendota might be the team to beat for Byron (which beat Mendota 69-65 last month), Lutheran, Oregon and Winnebago. Watch out for Aurora Christian, too. Oregon is well on its way to its first 20-win season in 10 years, with a shot at Mendota on Feb. 14 at home. The Hawks still need to prove they can be competitive with quality opponents.

Several years ago during some lean times, Oregon downgraded its schedule to include more 1A opponents and that still is the case today with 13 1A teams. However, the Hawks’ best win so far was a 77-53 blowout from start to finish over a decent 3A opponent in Rochelle.

Congratulations to Jim Spencer and Matt Gingrich of Sterling for broadcasting their 1,000th Sterling sporting event (718 basketball games, 211 football, 71 baseball/softball). Having in-house talent like that provides Sterling with a great media presence.

points) and Cooper Johnson (12) also were in double figures.

Eastland 59, Polo 36: Parker Krogman led Eastland with 16 points and Wyatt Carroll added 12 in the road win. Jordan Reed led Polo with 15 points.

Girls basketball

Oregon 48, Genoa-Kingston 32: Aniyah Sarver had 22 points and Addi Rufer added 10 in the home win.

Saturday, Jan. 31

Girls basketball

Polo 71, Forreston 50: Cam Jones led the Marcos with 26 points, going 8 of 9 at the line. Hailee Vogt led Forreston with 21 points and nine rebounds.

I’ve known both since they started in 1997 and they have a passion for high school sports, something needed for anyone covering prep sports. Spencer is more of the trained professional and Gingrich the knowledgeable fan type. And it is more than just game broadcasts. The pair has experimented into other platforms over the years.

As newspaper coverage has changed over the years, it’s nice to see schools being covered in other ways. However, it’s got to be tough on the mothers who had grown accustomed to clipping articles out of a newspaper for a scrapbook for a son or daughter.

Getting back to that Eagles concert at the Sphere, I honestly can say that the show was worth every cent paid. The combination of their music and the technologically advanced venue made it a musical experience unlike no other.

But when it comes down to it, the Eagles at the Sphere can’t hold a candle to seeing one’s son or daughter compete in an IHSA state series tournament. That is truly priceless.

Finally, congratulations to Caden Considine of Byron for earning a Division I scholarship for football, giving him bragging rights over grandpa Rick at Northern Illinois and father Sean at Iowa.

• Andy Colbert is a longtime Ogle County resident with years of experience covering sports and more for multiple area publications.

Earleen Hinton

Oregon’s Shaylee Davis drives to the basket against Genoa-Kingston on Jan. 30 at the Blackhawk Center.

Two Polo wrestlers move on to Byron Sectional

By RANDY HOLLAND

Two Polo wrestlers advanced to the Byron Sectional after competing at the Stillman Valley Regional on Jan. 31.

Kaenyn McCarren finished first at 150 pounds and Micah Stringini was third at 190 pounds to advance to the sectional, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 13.

McCarren scored a takedown to the back for four points and worked a half nelson at 1:11 in his first match. He had a second-period takedown and a cradle at the end of the second period on his way to a 17-2 technical fall in the semifinal.

In the final against Cole Herrell of West Carroll, McCarren held off a late surge and scored a takedown with 10 seconds left to take a 15-10 win and the title.

Stringini scored a quick takedown in his opener and pulled a chicken wing back for a fall at the one-minute mark. He lost a reverse to his back in the semifinal and dropped a 17-2 technical fall to Eli Larson of Lena-Winslow-Stockton.

In the wrestleback semifinal, Stringini started on top in the second period and hooked up a half nelson at 3:12. In the third-place match, he hooked up the half nelson again and reversed it for a fall in 42 seconds.

solation match, he got a second-period takedown and pinned with a half nelson at 3:06. In the third-place match, he was turned in a cradle at 3:17.

Morris was pinned in a half nelson at 4:43 in his first match. He pinned with a half nelson at 5:24 in his first wrestleback but dropped from the tournament in the next round with a 14-5 major decision loss.

Ryia pulled a chicken wing back in 40 seconds in his first match, He then lost by falls – a chicken wing and a reverse to the back – in the first minute of his next two matches.

Harson lost a takedown to his back at 2:46 in his opener, and worked the butcher twice for an 8-0 major decision in his first consolation match. He was taken down and stacked in 34 seconds in his second consolation match.

Busker was taken down in a cradle and pinned at 1:52 in his opener. He scored a takedown in a half nelson but was pinned in a cradle in a 1:58 in the third round of consolation.

As a team, Polo finished seventh.

Ryder Faivre was fourth at 138 pounds for Polo and will be an alternate at Byron. Also wrestling for the Marcos were Gabe Morris at 126, Christian Ryia at 144, Axel Harson at 157, Maddox

Busker at 165 and Keagan Bonnell at 175.

Faivre held a half nelson for nearly a minute to pin at 1:08 in his opener. He was taken to his back and pinned in 37 seconds in the semifinal. In the first con-

Bonnell was roughed up in a 21-4 technical fall loss in his first match. Bonnell held off a late rally in consolation to take a 22-16 win but he went over in a half nelson in 47 seconds in his next match to end his day.

Oregon boys, girls basketball teams face off against Genoa-Kingston

Earleen Hinton Polo’s Kaenyn McCarren grabs the leg of West Carroll’s Cole Herrell in the 150-pound championship match at the Class 1A Stillman Valley Regional on Jan. 31.

Photos by Earleen Hinton

ABOVE: Oregon’s Abi Kalnins controls the ball as Genoa-Kingston’s Alexa Ayala defends Jan. 30 at the Blackhawk Center. RIGHT: Oregon’s Ethan Peeling protects the ball from Genoa-Kingston’s Cody Cravatta on Jan. 30.

Six Oregon wrestlers advance to Byron Sectional

By RANDY HOLLAND

Oregon wrestlers took the short trip to Stillman Valley on Jan. 31 to compete in the IHSA regional.

Last year, Oregon emerged as the regional champion, edging LenaWinslow-Stockton for the title. The victory largely was due to a strong performance in the consolation brackets.

This season, the Pantherhawks came to wrestle and held a 35-point lead over Oregon entering the final two rounds of wrestlebacks. They extended their lead by 20 points in the lower bracket and won the team title going away with 236.5 points to 159 for the second-place Hawks.

Lena-Winslow-Stockton advanced 10 wrestlers. Six took first place and four were runners-up. Earning titles were Carson Hill (113 pounds), Brandon White (126), Arrison Bauer (144), Eli Larson (190), Oliver McPeek (215) and Jeremiah Luke (285).

Oregon will send six wrestlers to the Byron Sectional on Friday, Feb. 13.

Josiah Perez took the 120-pound title, Jack Benesh was first at 132 pounds, and Nelson Benesh finished first at 138 pounds.

Finishing second were Jordan Lowe at 113, Isaiah Perez at 126, and Jacksyn Windham at 215.

Kayden Cover finished fourth and will be an alternate at Byron. Also wrestling for the Hawks were Boone Alderks at 144, Jackson Messenger at 150, Jayden Berry at 157, Cole Suter at 165, and Newt Wright at 285. Suter contributed two pins to the effort, and Alderks and Berry each had one fall. Messenger scored a technical fall in the first round. Oregon did not have wrestlers at 175 or 190.

The third-place team finisher was Byron with 133 points. It advanced seven wrestlers with 175-pound champion Brody Stien, three second-place finishers and three wrestlers taking third.

For Oregon, Josiah Perez had a bye and rolled up a 15-0 technical fall in the semifinal with three sets of backpoints. The final was a battle with Keller Otto of Lena. Perez allowed only one point in the third period of a 10-6 win that featured three takedowns.

Jack Benesh had a bye and scored a takedown to the back in the quarterfinal, leading 16-3 at the time of the fall. In the semifinal, Benesh worked the cradle to a 15-0 technical fall at 3:25 to advance to the final against Hunter King of Byron. Benesh worked the cradle again and finished a 20-8 major decision with a double

seconds in the first round and caught the cradle again at 57 seconds in the semifinal. In the final, Perez trailed 8-3 starting the third period and fought back to a onepoint deficit. He tried a throw late and missed, falling 12-8 in the match.

Windham lost the first takedown of his opener but came back with a takedown to the back for a fall at 2:35. In the semifinal, he also lost the first takedown but rebounded with a reverse in a granby for two points and then went from a turk to a chicken wing for a fall at 3:06. In the final, Windham never really got rolling, losing takedowns in every period and a cradle as time expired in an 11-1 major decision loss.

Cover pinned with an outside cradle in his first match and then lost by a technical fall to Whitehead in the semifinal. He got byes to the third-place match, where he kept the score close but was caught in a spladle by Aiden Salo of Byron at 3:32.

Alderks was the victim of a 16-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals by the eventual third-place finisher. In the third round of consolation, he scored a takedown in a spladle and pinned in 36 seconds. In the wrestleback semifinal, he was taken down to his back twice in a 17-2 technical fall loss at 1:35.

Messenger had a four-point half nelson in the second period on his way to a 15-0 technical fall at the four-minute mark. He was saved by the buzzer in a half nelson at the end of the second and taken down at the start of the third to drop a 17-2 technical fall loss to McCarren. In the consolation semifinal, he managed an escape and takedown in the second period but lost a 20-6 major decision.

Berry had an early lead in his opener but was turned in a half nelson at 3:49. He turned a takedown into a stack in 34 seconds in consolation, and he went over in a half nelson at 2:38 in the consolation semifinal.

leg takedown.

Nelson Benesh got a bye to the semifinal, where he stopped a stand with a throw to the back and a pin at 3:03. In the final against Mauricio Glass of Lena, Benesh had an escape and a takedown in the second period and finished a 16-1 technical fall with a spinning takedown

13 seconds into the third period.

Lowe started with a bye as the top seed and pinned with a half nelson in 58 seconds in his first match. Lowe fell and landed on his back in the second period of a 13-5 major decision loss to Hill in the title match.

Isaiah Perez pinned with a cradle in 47

Suter scored a takedown in a cradle at 1:52 in his opener but lost his quarterfinal match by a 15-0 technical fall. In his first consolation match, Suter got a takedown to the back at 1:02. He started with a takedown to the back in the next round but finished the first period on his back and went down and out in a 22-13 major decision loss.

Wright was tied after the first period of his first match but got reversed to his back and pinned at 4:45. He got a bye to the wrestleback semifinal where he lost a takedown to his back at 1:04.

Photos by Earleen Hinton

Oregon’s Josiah Perez (left) wins by decision over Lena-Winslow Stockton’s Keller Otto in the 120-pound championship match Jan. 31 at the Class 1A Stillman Valley Regional.

Oregon’s Jack Benesh puts a hold on Byron’s Hunter King in the 132-pound championship match Jan. 31 at the Stillman Valley Regional.

SPORTS

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1926: NFL rules college students are ineligible until they complete college careers. 1958: Future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Ted Williams becomes highest paid player in Major League Baseball when he re-signs with Boston Red Sox for $135,000.

Friday, February 6, 2026

Oregon’s Nelson Benesh defeats Lena-Winslow-Stockton’s Mauricio Glass in the 138-pound championship match Jan. 31 at the Class 1A Stillman Valley Regional.

REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

Oregon’s Nelson Benesh, teammates Josiah Perez and Jack Benesh and Polo’s Kaenyn McCarren earn regional titles / 18-19

Photo by Earleen Hinton