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Rochelle News-Leader (USPS #004-083 / ISSN #1045-3059) is published Monday and delivered to homes by Shaw Media, 211 IL Route 38 East, Rochelle, IL 61068

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4 a.m. public transit bailout sets off alarms

In the early morning hours of Oct. 31, while most Illinoisans were asleep, legislative Democrats pushed through a sweeping overhaul of the state’s public transit system.

The 1,000-plus page bill was passed at 4 a.m., without a single committee hearing or opportunity for public input. The timing alone should raise alarms, but the substance of the bill is even more troubling.

It amounts to a massive bailout for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and his chronically-mismanaged Chicago Transit Authority. Who is footing the bill? Rural

IT’S YOUR WRITE

Response to Harris column on federal issues

To the Editor:

In the Nov. 17 Ogle County Life, Reed Harris asked “When do we start winning?” He posed a lot of questions for our consideration. They were more than questions, though. Framed in a manner critical of the current administration, they make me ask questions, such as when did we become smarter than the State Department and Secretary Rubio? Who thinks we have all the information to know better how to handle foreign affairs? America does not go to the world as a beggar, but with solutions.

Perhaps, instead of being tired of National Guard deployment, be alarmed at the ignorant impediment to federal law. If the law and our civil structure were respected, the Third-World illegal border crashing migrant invaders would not be in America to be arrested. A true believer in “our democracy” would come through the front door and not jump the line ahead of those that do. Truth is, they brought “their democracy” here and America is sending it back. Somehow soybean prices cause finger pointing at the current administration. Who has checked soybean futures for the past five years? It peaked in 2023 and down skidded for two years. Now it is on a rise. Who orchestrated those two previous two years? Why does it look like a change did America good? Is there more to No Kings than scare tactics?

COMMUNITY VIEWS

Andrew Chesney

taxpayers and small communities that will see minimal benefit in return.

For decades, Illinois has relied on a stable formula for distributing revenue from the sales tax paid on motor fuel. Historically, those dollars have been split 55% for downstate/rural transportation needs and 45% for transportation sys-

Today’s issues are complex. No single protest sign provides an education of these issues. The beast of Obamacare is from the Democrats. No Republican in the House or Senate voted for it back in 2010. Medicare, Social Security and healthcare are all government meddling in the public market place. Fear and ignorance produce emotions, not reason and solutions. I am concerned about “blowing up” boats in international waters. It is Congress that sets the rules for the President to enforce. Congress needs to be informed and be in concurrence, but beyond the media spin, where is the assumed proof the Caribbean boats were innocent and no rules of engagement were applied? The military uses drones, helicopters, radar, spies, radio transmissions and other surveillance tools to gather intelligence. To arrive at “troops forced to violate their oath” is a strong statement requiring validation. Where is the justification to repeat such an extraordinary indictment to the public? Pablum of the press?

Ask yourself if armed troops are the only types of warfare used by enemies, foreign and domestic? Is there such thing as economic warfare? Is it used against America and its allies? There are forces actively working to destabilize South America, including the Argentinian Peso. Check your facts. There was no $40 billion sent to Argentina. There was a $20 billion credit swap offered to Argentina of which $1.5 billion was used. Imagine an

Amid food insecurity in the community, the Rochelle Christian Food Pantry has broken records for families served in recent weeks, RCFP Board President Cal Jacobs said Nov. 14. Jeff Helfrich ON THE COVER

tems in the Chicago region. This long-standing structure acknowledged that while Chicagoland relies heavily on rail and bus networks, communities like ours outside the Chicagoland area must maintain thousands of miles of roads and bridges.

The new transit funding package throws that precedent out the window. Now, 85% of those dollars will go to a new transit authority that benefits Chicago and nearby suburbs, and only 15% will be left for everyone else, including

See CHESNEY on page 4

economic attack on Argentina was in progress by bad actors and this offset it? This is not a giveaway. It is a hedge to an ally and will be redeemed by swapping back.

The faithless comment about holding our breath waiting for economic turnaround is plain wrong. Economic turnaround is in progress, but the resistance is formidable. What has taken decades to subdue us may take decades to resolve. The revelation of USAID and similar grift institutions are but an example of what needs undoing. Too many spoons are in the money trough.

My questions: Where is our sound money that was usurped by fiat currency and Gresham’s Law? Where did the wealth of the devalued dollar go? Why was there no personal income tax until 1913? What is inflation? Who benefits? Where is my representation in Congress? What happened to House districts of 50,000? What happened to state’s rights when the Senator is elected by citizens? Why are there 42 million VISA or Temporary Protective Status holders? Why are non-citizens counted in the census? Why are non-citizen numbers allowed to skew citizen representation? A foreigner has allegiance to his country. Why would his child be any different, no matter where it is born?

The answers to these questions are the America I voted for.

John Dickson Oregon

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Rochelle Christian Food Pantry sets all-time record for families served in October

‘It’s scary to know that there are that many people in town with that much need’

By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

The Rochelle Christian Food Pantry at 770 Lincoln Ave. saw an all-time record with 237 families served during the week of Nov. 2-8, 2025. It also set a record in October 2025, averaging 84 families served per distribution day. It has served nearly 7,000 families this year, RCFP Board President Cal Jacobs said.

The food pantry is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. People can either pick up boxes or come in

and do their own shopping. On distribution days, cars are often lined up as early as 9 a.m. and occasionally distribution starts early to serve the large number of people in time.

The Rochelle Christian Food Pantry at 770 Lincoln Ave. set a record for families served in August 2025, RCFP Board Member Cal Jacobs said on Sept. 25.

gram (SNAP) benefits

“We’ve heard some talk from clients about the loss of SNAP,” Jacobs said. “I don’t know for sure how many SNAP clients we have. I would assume it’s quite a few but I don’t know that for sure. I’m sure it’s a factor. We have had people come in and say they’re here because they have less benefits.”

RCFP has been able to keep up with the additional demand so far with food supply, volunteers and donations, Jacobs said. Some days, he wonders how the food pantry is able to keep up with numbers that he said would be unbelievable two years ago.

RCFP has seen rising numbers for the better part of two years. Jacobs said he’s unsure of how much of the recent rise can be attributed to people losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro-

Items that are in the most demand at RCFP are meat, produce and diapers, Jacobs said. On Nov. 14, the food pantry ran out of hamburger meat, which

See RECoRd on page 4

Photos by Jeff Helfrich

Amid food insecurity in the community, the Rochelle Christian Food Pantry has broken records for families served in recent weeks, RCFP Board President Cal Jacobs said Nov. 14.

Continued from page 2

those of us living in Northwest Illinois. That means Chicago transit will get about $731 million each year, while the rest of the state receives only $129 million. Rural areas lose nearly $473 million a year through this change, and Gov. JB Pritzker is loudly supportive.

All told, taxpayers outside the Chicago region will now be forced to sub-

sidize more than half a billion dollars every year to bail out Chicago’s transit system. Riders have long reported unreliable service, staffing shortages, deteriorating stations and safety concerns. Yet instead of requiring reforms, performance benchmarks or accountability, the legislature handed Chicago leaders a blank check and sent the invoice to the rest of the state.

Meanwhile, families and businesses outside of Chicago already shoulder higher transportation costs. We drive

With the current climate of food insecurity, RCFP has seen an uptick in donations recently, Jacobs said.

longer distances to work, school, hospitals and grocery stores and depend on safe roads and bridges, yet we are expected to sacrifice even more, while receiving less. It is fundamentally unfair, but typical of how Illinois Democrats operate.

Illinois should not be a state where one region prospers at the direct expense of another. Additionally, significant financial and policy decisions should not be brokered while the public sleeps. And finally, taxpayers

food a month.”

hasn’t happened “in ages,” Jacobs said. If community members want to donate items or money or volunteer, they can stop by the food pantry on its distribution days.

Sixteen volunteers each distribution day have helped RCFP to keep up with demand. Those volunteers make what the food pantry does possible, Jacobs said.

But that may not be enough to keep up with rising costs, and Northern Illinois Food Bank supplies may not be either.

“Last Friday, we unloaded a truck from the Northern Illinois Food Bank with 14,000 pounds of food,” Jacobs said Nov. 14. “Our cupboards weren’t bare before that, but they were getting pretty close. That was about $7,000 worth of food. We get that twice a month. I’m not sure how we can sustain $14,000 worth of

Jacobs called the food insecurity situation “scary”, and attributes it to increases in rent and grocery store prices and decreases in government benefits.

“I’m afraid this is sustainable,” Jacobs said. “I don’t see anything in the near future that is going to turn this situation around. As far as how sustainable it is for this place, we’ll give until we can’t give anymore. That’s all I can tell you.”

Jacobs doesn’t think that the majority of the community understands what

should not be treated like a bottomless piggy bank to bail out politically powerful interests.

Illinoisans deserve transparency, fairness and a transportation system that serves the whole state, not just Chicagoland. Unfortunately, the passage of SB 2111 in the dead of night is just the latest example of how Illinois Democrats do business.

• Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, is the Illinoisstatesenatorforthe45thDistrict.

happens at RCFP on Tuesdays and Fridays and how dire the food situation is in Rochelle.

Jacobs hopes more awareness will be seen, and bring with it donations of dollars and food.

“I wish I knew what the future holds for all this,” Jacobs said. “I wish I knew if we were going to hit a plateau and stay there or if we’re going to just keep on climbing like we have for the last 20 months. If this place wasn’t here, this would be a hurting town. If we weren’t here, there would be a lot of people going hungry. It’s a lot of weight to shoulder.”

Polo shed catches fire Monday afternoon

8 area departments responded to fire

By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

There were no injuries after a shed fire Nov. 17, in rural Polo, Polo Fire Protection District Chief Jim Ports said.

Area fire personnel were called for a shed fire at 8455 W. Judson Road at 3:41 p.m. Monday and arrived on scene to flames coming through the roof of the shed. The tin building was 40 feet by 20 feet with bails of straw in it, Ports said.

“We started suppression and got the fire out,” Ports said. “The farmer was there with a skidloader taking bales of straw out. The straw was a total loss. There was minimal damage to the structure. The tin was just scorched. We were on scene for an hour.”

Ports estimated the cost of the loss of straw at $200 and the damage to the building at $3,000 to $4,000.

Responding departments included Polo Fire, Mt. Morris Fire, Sterling Fire, Forreston Fire, Oregon Fire, Dixon Rural Fire, Milledgeville Fire and Advance Ambulance. Chadwick Fire covered Polo’s station during the fire.

“When we’re called for a structure fire, those are the resources that are called out to support us,” Ports said. “We had to haul water due to the closest fire hydrants being four miles away in Polo, which is another reason we needed so much help. Thanks to the area departments that helped us out.”

AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY

A&T Auction Services, LLC

LIVE & Online Auctions

Travis Cunningham

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Whitetail Properties Real Estate / Ranch & Farm Auctions

Todd Henry - Broker, Land Specialist / Licensed in IL

Cell: 815-997-2256

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Advanced Auction & Appraisal

Real Estate, Farm Land, Personal Estates, Farm Equipment, Live & Online Auctions, Personal Property Appraisals

Otis D. Holley

815-218-0705

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Alex T. Paschal

Firefighters work Nov. 17 at 8455 Judson Road in rural Polo tending to a shed fire. Departments from Mount Morris, Polo, Dixon and Sterling were seen working at the site.

National Rural Health Day at Rochelle hospital:

‘We’re here

‘The familiarity we have here is a comfort for the patients and their families’

By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

National Rural Health Day was Thursday, Nov. 20. Rochelle Community Hospital is the only facility of its kind in Ogle County and the only hospital in a 30-minute radius of Rochelle.

RCH celebrated NRHD, with its Wellness Committee handing out gifts and healthy snacks to employees, who also will take pictures and participate in a contest by providing responses on what rural health means to them.

“I think people that are in rural settings assume everyone knows about rural health care and people not in rural settings don’t know the difference,” RCH

for people in the community’

RCH’s services and how certain things affect us. Some of the comments from staff have been really meaningful. Some of them you can tell research went into them. We want people to start thinking of rural health.”

Since 2011, the annual observance –founded and coordinated by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health – has been held on the third Thursday of November to spotlight the unique health care challenges and strength of the almost 61 million people living in rural America.

RCH Chief Human Resources Officer Denise Bauer said she believes rural health is personable, caring and consistent.

“We know each other as family, friends and neighbors and that’s how we treat the community that comes in,” Bauer said. “We’re here for people in the community. It’s about access and timing.

Marketing & Public Relations Specialist Kirby Heward said. “It’s about bringing

attention to the things that make rural health care important and the need for

Promote Your Local Business! Contact Chris Grimm for more details. 815-632-2504

Jeff Helfrich

National Rural Health Day was Thursday, Nov. 20. Seen are Rochelle Community Hospital Human Resources Generalist Lorena Hueramo (left), Human Resources Assistant Brenndon Garcia, Chief Human Resources Officer Denise Bauer, Marketing & PR Special Kirby Heward and Dietician Janelle Stein.

People can get in for tests quicker here and into our providers and the ER quicker. We have state-of-the-art equipment in our lab and radiology departments. Just because we’re rural doesn’t mean we don’t have up to date services and equipment.”

RCH Cardiac Rehab RN Lisa Charboneau said rural health means people having access to quality health care regardless of where they live.

“I think we have a great hospital and we provide for the whole surrounding community,” Charboneau said. “There are a lot of people from other areas that drive here because we’re good at being personable. People are a name here, not a number.”

RCH is a critical access hospital, a designation given to eligible rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The designation is designed to reduce the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals and improve access to health care by keeping essential services in rural communities. To accomplish this goal, CAHs receive certain benefits, such as cost-based reimbursement for Medicare services.

Critical access hospitals have 25 or

fewer acute care inpatient beds, are located fewer than 35 miles away from another hospital with exceptions, maintain an annual average length of stay of 96 hours or less for acute care patients and provide 24/7 emergency care services.

“In the suburbs, people may have a dozen health care facilities within an hour of them that they can choose from,” Heward said. “That isn’t the way it is here. There’s a lot of importance

there and we want people to understand that.”

RCH is an independent, nonprofit hospital. It employs 347 people. RCH Human Resources Generalist Lorena Hueramo said it’s always easy to find a connection at the facility.

“It’s a happy feeling when someone in our community needs help and they come here,” Hueramo said. “Everyone here helps people find their way in the hallways. That’s always a good feeling.”

Many of RCH’s employees live in Rochelle and receive care for themselves and their family members there. RCH Employee Health Nurse Kelly Musselman said having the hospital in the community is a comfort for her.

“It’s knowing that your coworkers are taking care of your loved ones and friends and that they’ll get the care that they deserve here,” Musselman said. “It’s peace of mind. We are small and you do have those relationships with everybody within the facility. If someone goes to the ER, you know who their nurse was and that they got good care.

“The familiarity we have here is a comfort for the patients and their families. Seeing a friendly face that you know from the community and having that person take care of you makes everyone more comfortable.”

Jeff Helfrich

The front lobby of Rochelle Community Hospital at 900 N. 2nd St. in Rochelle.

DRIVE TIME

Winterizing a car can be an important part of vehicle maintenance. That’s particularly true for vehicle owners who live in regions where winter is marked by especially cold temperatures and/or significant snowfall. As fall gives way to winter, drivers can take these steps to winterize their vehicles.

• ADDRESS TIRES AND TIRE PRESSURE. The experts at Kelley Blue Book note the danger of aging and/or poorly inflated tires, particularly in winter. Icy, wet and/ or snow-covered roads can be dangerous to traverse, so it benefits drivers to examine their tires prior to winter. Worn down treads reduce traction and make it more difficult for vehicles to stop, which is already challenging on roads where ice is present. It’s equally important to keep tires properly inflated, as KBB reports each 10-degree dip in temperature can lead to a one-pound loss in air pressure. Poorly inflated tires can decrease performance and safety on the road.

• CHECK THE BATTERY AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY. Another step to winterize a car involves the battery that helps to keep the vehicle running. The automotive experts at Firestone note that sinking temperatures force the chemical reaction within vehicle batteries to slow, which reduces the amount of power the battery can generate. In fact, Firestone estimates a battery can lose as much as 60 percent of its strength in freezing temperatures. Firestone urges drivers to get a battery assessment test prior to winter to ensure the battery is healthy enough to endure the coming months. If the assessment indicates the battery is weak, replace it prior to winter.

• CHECK FLUID LEVELS. Routine vehicle maintenance at an auto body shop or car dealership typically involves checking and topping off fluid levels. Book such an appointment in advance of winter to ensure the vehicle has coolant, which KBB notes is formulated to resist freezing. Without sufficient coolant, a vehicle engine can suffer significant damage. Windshield washer fluid also should be filled to ensure the windshield can be sufficiently cleaned of salt during and after snowstorms. A pre-winter oil change also can help the vehicle run smoothly throughout the colder months.

• INSPECT BELTS AND HOSES. KBB notes cold weather weakens belts and hoses, which can become brittle and fail in low temperatures. Belts and hoses should be checked prior to winter. Engines can overheat, electrical system problems can emerge and power steering may be compromised if belts and hoses are allowed to fall into disrepair.

Ogle County farmers wrapping up harvest ahead of schedule after dry conditions

By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com

Ogle County farmers are 80-85% done with harvest and are ahead of schedule due to recent dry conditions, Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said Nov. 12.

With the exception of a possible field or two, all soybeans in the county have been harvested and “a few hundred acres” of corn remains for farmers with larger acreage, Kern said. Dry weather has seen farmers be able to be in the fields nearly each day since harvest’s start.

Harvest in the county will be wrapped up by Thanksgiving, and farmers will have the chance to do additional fall work, such as anhydrous ammonia application and fall tillage, Kern said.

“They’ve been pretty lucky with the pace they’ve been able to move at,” Kern said. “With yields, some farmers will say they had a great year with the corn or bean crops. Others will say it wasn’t what they were expecting or disappoint-

ing. Overall, the bean crop was just a little below average and the corn crop was average to just above average. In the spring we were so dry that we had germination issues with soybeans. The fields didn’t have the population that they should have had. They were good enough to not replant, but they’re not what farmers planted.”

Heading into the winter after another dry year, Kern said he’s hoping for moisture in the next five months to recharge soil before spring planting in April. Forecasters are calling for weather that’s warmer and wetter than normal with some excessive cold spells, Kern said.

Ogle County saw a number of field fires this fall with dry and windy conditions, which can allow fires to get out hand in “the blink of an eye,” Kern said.

“Hopefully in most instances farmers

See HaRvESt on page 17

Jeff Helfrich

Corn is harvested in a field off Oregon Trail road in Oregon.

King Blacktop

3499 N. Tower Rd., Byгоп 815.234.4171 kingblacktop.com

BAR/GAMING/ENTERTAINMENT

Oregon VFW Post 8739 & Mess Hall

Holcomb Bank

504 Blackhawk Drive, Byron 815-234-3131 holcomb.bank

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS/SERVICES

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE SERVICES

Serenity Hospice and Home 1658 S. IL Route 2, Oregon, IL Serenityhospiceandhome.org

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE SERVICES

PARKS & RECREATION

The Serenity Shed 131 N. 3rd St., Oregon, IL 815.732.2499

TITLE COMPANY

CONSIGNMENT/RESALE SHOPPING

1310 W. Washington St., Oregon

815.732.6851 facebook.com/oregonvfwpost8739

Angel Treasures Resale Shop

201 IL Route 64, Mt. Morris, IL 815.734.0504

BLACKTOP & SEALCOATING

ReRuns

120 W. 2nd St., Byron 815.406.8060 rerunsbyron.com

King Blacktop 3499 N. Tower Rd., Byron 815.234.4171 kingblacktop.com

Hours: Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM (closed Wed) & Sat & Sun 9AM-2PM

CONSIGNMENT/RESALE SHOPPING

Angel Treasures Resale Shop

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS/SERVICES

201 IL Route 64, Mt. Morris, IL 815.734.0504

Central Illinois Loans

ReRuns

310 Eagle Dr., Rochelle 815.561.4035

120 W. 2nd St., Byron 815.406.8060 rerunsbyron.com

FOOD, DINING & LODGING

Fritz’s Wooden Nickel

Central Illinois Loans 310 Eagle Dr 815.561.4035 centralillinoisloans.com

Stillman Bank

208 N. Walnut St., Stillman Valley, IL 61084 815-645-9828 www.facebook.com/fritzswoodennickel

White Pines Lodge

608 W. Blackhawk Dr., Byron 815.234.5626 1445 IL Route 2 Nor th, Oregon 815.732.7956

6712 W. Pines Rd., Mt. Morris, IL 61054 (815) 655-2400 visitwhitepines.com

101 East Main St., Stillman Valley 815.645.2266 stillmanbank.com

GARDEN CENTER

HEALTH SERVICES

Hidden Timber Gardens

462 S. Chana Rd., Chana 815.751.4162 hiddentimbergardens.com

Rochelle Community Hospital 900 N. 2nd St., Rochelle 815.562.2181 rochellehospital.com

HEALTH

SERVICES

Rochelle Community Hospital 900 N. 2nd St., Rochelle

MENTAL HEALTH/COUNSELING SERVICES

Serenity Hospice and Home 1658 S. IL Route 2, Oregon, IL Serenityhospiceandhome.org

Sinnissippi Centers

212 W Blackhawk Dr. PO Box 1095 Byron, IL 61010 Phone: (815) 209-0998

REAL ESTATE AGENCY

RE/MAX Hub City

MENTAL HEALTH/COUNSELING SERVICES

Sinnissippi Centers

815.732.3157 1321 N. 7th St., Rochelle 815.562.3801 sinnissippi.org

100 Jefferson St. Oregon, IL 61061 Phone: (815) 732-3157 1321 North 7th Street Rochelle, IL 61068 Phone: (815) 562-3801 www.sinnissippi.org

PARKS & RECREATION

INSURANCE AGENCIES

Rock River Title 412 W Washington St., Oregon 815.732.5291 rockriver title.com

244 May Mart Drive, Rochelle 815-562-7588

remax.com

RE/MAX Professional Advantage

REAL ESTATE AGENC Y R E/ M A X of Rock Valley 606 E Washington St., Oregon 815.732.9100 rockvalleyproper ties.com

404 W. Blackhawk Drive, Byron 815-234-4663 remax.com

SENIOR SERVICES

Rock River Cent

Rock River Center

Forreston Mutual Insurance Company

Byron Forest Preser ve 7993 N. River Rd., Byron 815.234.8535 byronforestpreser ve.com

208 S. Walnut Ave., Forreston, IL 61030 815-938-2273 www.forrestonmutual.com

The Serenity Shed 131 N. 3rd St., Oregon, IL 815.732.2499

810 S. 10th St., Oregon 815.732.3252 rockrivercenter.com

Businesses

Community Unity

Saturday, November 29, 2025

Oregon’s 39th Annual Candlelight Walk will be held Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 from 3-8 p.m.

Thirty-nine years ago a group of merchants in Oregon’s Conover Square Mall combined their energies and created the first Candlelight Walk to celebrate the holiday season. Little did those businesses know that the event would grow to encompass the entire community and the celebration become recognized as one of the best small town holiday events in Illinois. The current organizers thanked those Conover Square businesses for their vision and creativity to create a lasting legacy for the community.

Throughout the years, family-focused events have been added allowing residents and visitors alike to share in the celebration. Conover Square remains a staple in the tradition offering special entertainment, guest performers, and special treats. Attendees are invited to visit all of the local Oregon businesses, celebrate the community treelighting ceremony, enjoy the horse-drawn wagon rides and local entertainment, get some treats on Candy Cane Lane, find unique gifts at the Holiday Gift Fair and Sip and Shop at The River’s Edge Experience, and visit Santa and have some family fun at Kid’s Winter Carnival at the United Methodist Church. Attendees can register at local Red Bow merchants to win special prizes.

Celebrate the Season

Proud Sponsor of the 2025 Candlelight Walk

Oregon's 39th Anniversary

Oregon s 39th Anniversary

Oregon's 39th Anniversary

Saturday, November 29th, 2025

3 - 8 pm

Join us Downtown Oregon for an evening of old-fashioned holiday fun!

3 - 8 pm of old-fashioned holiday fun!

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE:

3-8pm:

Kid’s Winter Carnival at the United Methodist Church

Face Painter

Kid’s Winter Carnival at the United Methodist Church

Crafts - Letters to Santa - Balloon Artist -

Face Painter

Kid’s Winter Carnival at the United Methodist Church

Caricatures Artist

Crafts - Letters to Santa - Balloon ArtistCaricatures Artist

Face Painter

- Free Holly Trolly

Candy Cane Lane

Crafts - Letters to Santa - Balloon ArtistCaricatures Artist

Food Vendors

- Free Holly Trolly

Candy Cane Lane

Crafts - Letters to Santa - Balloon ArtistCaricatures Artist

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 4pm

- Free Holly Trolly

Serenity Shed

Food Vendors

Serenity Shed

Candy Cane Lane

Food Vendors

Build-A-Buddy Workshop with Build-A-Pet Clubhouse

Serenity Shed

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 4pm

The Coliseum Museum

Serenity Shed

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 4pm

Madrigals Performance

Build-A-Buddy Workshop with Build-A-Pet Clubhouse

The Coliseum Museum

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 5pm

Build-A-Buddy Workshop with Build-A-Pet

Clubhouse

OHS Jazz Band Performance at 6pm

Madrigals Performance

Wagon Rides & Cocoa Hut

The Coliseum Museum

Free Holly Trolly

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 5pm

Sip-N-Shop at The River’s Edge Experience

Madrigals Performance

OHS Jazz Band Performance at 6pm

Sip-N-Shop at The River’s Edge Experience

Wagon Rides & Cocoa Hut

Holiday Craft Vendors

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 5pm

Free Holly Trolly

OHS Jazz Band Performance at 6pm

Free Holly Trolly

Tree Lighting at 6pm

Wagon Rides & Cocoa Hut

Sip-N-Shop at The River’s Edge Experience

Holiday Craft Vendors

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 6pm

Free Holly Trolly

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 6pm

Madrigals Performance

Live Music

Tree Lighting at 6pm

Sip-N-Shop at The River’s Edge Experience

102.3 The Coyote LIVE at Brooks Jewelers

Holiday Craft Vendors

Free Holly Trolly

Madrigals Performance

Tree Lighting at 6pm

Live Music

102.3 The Coyote LIVE at Brooks Jewelers re on s

Byron Dance Academy Performance at 6pm

Madrigals Performance

Live Music

102.3 The Coyote LIVE at Brooks Jewelers

As part of Oregon’s Candlelight Walk, a Red Bow Box drawing will take place. Participants can visit each participating Oregon business and enter their Red Bow Box drawing for 27 chances to win festive prizes from local shops plus a grand prize of a $250 Oregon shopping spree.

Participating stops are 102.3 The Coyote, Kaczmarzyk Agency, Harvard State Bank, White Pine Mercantile, Alfano’s Pizza, Riverside Liquor, Oregon Public Library, Hazel’s Cafe, Brooks Jewelers, Wicked Nutrition, Allure Aesthetics, Oregon Snyders, Mobel Furnishings, Nobel Cakery, Hector’s Cocina, No Stone Unturned, CMAAA, AM Floral, Chili Pepper, The Hunt Club, BEAM, Father & Son’s Pizzeria, Courthouse Tavern, and Franklin Street Pub.

Stop by any participating business between Nov. 13-25 and fill out a Red Bow Box entry slip. Must be 18 years or older to participate. Need not be present to win. Registration ends at 8 p.m. on Nov. 25. Winners will be notified by phone. Check with individual merchants for restrictions and guidelines.

Red Bow Box drawing to take place in Oregon RED BOW BOX

1. Must be 18 years or older to participate.

2. Need NOT be present to win.

4. Winners will be notified by phone.

3. Registration begins November 13th and ends at 8pm November 25

5. Check with individual merchants for restrictions and guidelines to apply.

are carrying fire extinguishers with them and can get the fire suppressed before it gets out of control,” Kern said. “There are things you can do to prevent fires, like keeping shafts clear and keeping engine compartments clean. But if something like a bearing inside the combine starts going out and heats up and sparks ignite something around it, there’s only so much you can do.”

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.

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, Kern said.

“China is a huge market and a market we can’t afford to lose, and unfortunately we seem to be losing it quite well these days,” Kern said. “Once you lose a

body to cut us a check just because the grain is piled up sitting around somewhere because it can’t go anywhere. If Uncle Sam wants to send farmers a check to help keep farms operating, they’re not going to complain. But in the long run, I’d much rather have that market than that check.”

The wait is still ongoing for a new federal Farm Bill. The current Farm Bill, passed in 2018, has been extended for a year twice, most recently in December. The federal Farm Bill allocates funding for crop insurance, disaster assistance and conservation programs for farmers.

market, it’s extraordinarily hard to get it back later on. Once China finds they can get soybeans cheaper in Argentina and Brazil, suddenly the U.S. doesn’t become the preferred exporter. The good thing is that the U.S. is still king in the world’s corn export market. We at least have that. Our farmers are seeing the impact of the soybean trade. If China placed a 12 million bushel soybean order tomorrow, it would impact prices for U.S. farmers significantly,

probably enough that it might turn a loss into a profit.”

There has been talk of federal subsidies for U.S. soybean farmers due to the tariff impacts, but that isn’t the solution farmers prefer, Kern said.

Kern said he expects the new Farm Bill delay to drag on for “at least another couple years.” He hopes it’s resolved soon with measures in place that reflect modern agriculture to help farmers.

Due to issues of tariffs, markets, input costs and weather, Kern called the 2025 agricultural year in Ogle County a “rollercoaster.” He has his wishlist in place for 2026.

“That would help farmers to at least keep from tanking. But we don’t want subsidies,” Kern said. “We’ve spent a lot of decades building up our market. We want to market, export and use the grain we produce. We don’t want some-

“Give me some decent moisture to recharge soil coming into the spring,” Kern said. “Solve this tariff issue and get serious about writing a new Farm Bill, and I will go to sleep at night and rest very well.”

Jeff Helfrich

A farmer works on fall tillage in a field off East Kyte Road west of Rochelle.

Eagle’s Nest Art Group hosts candlelight show

SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com

The Eagle’s Nest Art Group will host an art show at its Conover Square studio during Oregon’s annual Candlelight Walk festivities Saturday, Nov. 29.

Several members will be on hand, welcoming visitors in the Conover studio from 3 to 8 p.m. There is no cost and parking is plentiful.

Work created by members will be on display and available for sale. Work includes both large and small pieces in oil, ink, watercolor, acrylic, photography, calligraphy, glass, ceramic, wood and oil pastel. Prints of original art and greeting cards also are available.

This year’s show is dedicated to the memory of long-time member Rhonda Cheek, who died in October.

If you would like to learn more about the Eagle’s Nest Art Group and its offerings, this is a perfect time to come

LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS

United Church of Byron’s cookie walk and bake sale is Dec. 6

Stock up on Christmas cookies and other baked goods by attending the cookie walk and bake sale at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the United Church of Byron in the Fern Calvert Fellowship Hall.

The UCB Fellowship of the United Church of Byron is sponsoring the cookie walk, where cookies and candies will be sold at $10 per pound from 9 a.m. to noon. There also will be hot beverages and goodies to sample. The church is located at 701 W. Second St. and is handicapped accessible. For further information, call the church at 815-234-8777. The website is www.unitedchurchofbyron.org or it can be found on Facebook.

Mt. Morris Goodfellows accepting holiday donations

For the past 70 years, the Mt. Morris Goodfellows have provided food assistance and fruit baskets to residents in Mt. Morris, thanks to the financial support of the community.

in and get to know more about its programs, classes and art shows.

Come and enjoy the small-town tradition of community fun, music, refreshments and art at Conover Square Mall, 301 N. Third St., Oregon. The Eagle’s Nest Art Group studio is on the second floor with an elevator available.

No ‘Those Were The Days’ program at Oregon Depot this month

The Oregon Depot Museum will not hold a monthly “Those Were The Days” in November. The historical program highlights area history with speakers. Keep an eye on local publications for future program dates.

The Goodfellows are accepting monetary donations for those in need this holiday season. Donations are greatly appreciated. Donations can be mailed to Mt. Morris Goodfellows, P.O. Box 75, Mt. Morris, IL 61054 or dropped into a Goodfellows donation can located at local businesses. Participating Mt. Morris businesses are Sterling Federal Bank, Union Savings Bank, Rockford Bell Credit Union, Cimino’s Pizza, The Idle Hour, Moose Lodge, Peppermill Restaurant, Shell Express, Sullivan’s Grocery, Village Hall, Mobil, Eclips Hair Salon, Campus Cafe, Mullarkey’s Bar & Grill, Nava Family Restaurant, Mt. Morris Pharmacy and Garden View Family Restaurant. For questions regarding Goodfellows, call Jerry Griffin at 815-440-4440.

–Shaw Local News Network

Photo provided by ENAG

Several art group members will welcome visitors in their Conover studio from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 29.

JUANITA “JOYCE” ORSTED

Born: September 10, 1932 in Belvidere, IL

Died: November 16, 2025 in Oregon, IL

Oregon, IL – Juanita “Joyce” Orsted, age 93, died Sunday, November 16, 2025 at the Serenity Hospice and Home near Oregon, IL. She was born September 10, 1932 near Belvidere, IL the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Moore) Holtapp. Joyce attended Oregon Schools. She married Irving E. Orsted on December 11, 1948

at the First Presbyterian Church in Oregon, IL. Joyce first worked as a telephone operator and then began working for the Ogle County Supervisor of Assessments office for the next 23 years where she retired as the Chief Clerk of the Assessments Office at the Ogle County Court House. She was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church in Oregon, IL where she served as an elder. She then became a member of the Franklin Grove First Presbyterian Church. Joyce enjoyed playing cards, reading, camping, and traveling with her husband Irving, especially traveling to Door County, Wisconsin. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Irving, her brothers Mervin, Lowell, and Glendon

OGLE COUNTY PROPERTY TRANSFERS FOR NOV. 10-14

Warranty Deeds

• Chris L. Youssi Trustee, Youssi Real Estate & Development Inc 401k Profit Sharing Tr, and Roth Yredi 40k to Laurie L. Janes and Patrick A. Janes, 1 Parcel in Marion Township: 05-26-330-005, $25,110

• Harvest Glenn Llc to Contry Homes Group Llc, 1 Parcel: 195 Autumnwood Ln, Davis Junction, $0.00

• Harvest Glenn Llc to Contry Homes Group Llc, 1 Parcel: 193 Autumnwood Ln, Davis Junction, $0.00

• Harvest Glenn Llc to Contry Homes Group Llc, 1 Parcel: 191 Autumnwood Ln, Davis Junction, $0.00

• Harvest Glenn Llc to Contry Homes Group Llc, 1 Parcel: 932 White Birch Ln, Davis Junction, $0.00

• Harvest Glenn Llc to Contry Homes Group Llc, 1 Parcel: 930 White Birch Ln, Davis Junction, $0.00

Holtapp, and her sister Barbara Engelkas. She is survived by her 3 children: Michael “Mike” (Linda)Orsted of Stillwater, MN; Deborah (Russell) Janssen of Oregon, IL; and Douglas (Bea) Orsted of Oregon, IL; 5 grandchildren: Bobbi Young, Tim (Stacy) Smice, Liz (Barry) O’Donnell, Ingrid Orsted, and Amy Orsted; 7 great grandchildren: Ashley (Matt) Anderson, Blake Young, Brooke Young, Corey Stone, Deborah Smice, Emma O’Donnell, and Mariah Parker; 3 great great-grandchildren: Elias and Ryker Anderson, and Nova Valdivia; several nieces and nephews, and 2 special loved ones Judee and Barry Elliott. A funeral service will be held 2:00 PM on Monday, November 24, 2025 at Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, 110 S. 7th

Street in Oregon, IL with Pastor Jack Briggs of Franklin Grove First Presbyterian Church officiating. Visitation will be prior to the service at the funeral home from 1:00 – 2:00 PM. Burial will follow the service at the Daysville Cemetery. A memorial fund is established in Joyce’s name for the Franklin Grove First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 388, Franklin Grove, IL 61031. Visit www.farrellhollandgale.com to leave a condolence or memory of Joyce.

• Nicholas J. Dawtyne and Megan Dawtyne to Raymond A. Herold, 1 Parcel: 3300 N Silver Ridge Dr, Oregon, $395,000

• John Engelkes to Sandra Garcia, 1 Parcel: 1210 W. Lincoln Ave., Rochelle, $165,000

• Betty L. Calvert to Anthony Ware, 1 Parcel: 210

E Front St, Mt. Morris, $115,000

• Joshua A. Nilles to Maxwell Bradfield and Kathlene Bradfield, 1 Parcel: 1126 Old Hunter Run, Byron, $240,000

• Allison S. Toal and Erik A. Guglielmi to Tracy L. Eastman and Jeffery G. Eastman, 1 Parcel: 7148 N. River Road, Byron, $165,000

• Secretary Of Veterans Affairs to Melissa Ann Dyrdahl, 1 Parcel: 153 N Perene Ave, Byron, $234,500

• William M. Doane to Nikki Doan, 1 Parcel: 1831 N Lynnville Rd, Lindenwood, $400,000

See PROPERTY on page 22

RICHARD A. NORTON

Born: August 30, 1955

Died: November 9, 2025

Richard A. Norton, 70, of Oregon, IL, formerly of Neponset, passed away at 7:37 a.m. Sunday, November 9, 2025 at OSF St. Anthony’s Medical Center in Rockford.

He was born on August 30, 1955, in Kewanee, the son of Clarence L. and Patricia (Jones) Norton. He married Sheri West on November 11, 2011 on the Norton farm in Neponset.

Survivors include his wife, Sheri of Oregon; his stepmother, Sue Norton of Neponset; two sisters, Debra (Richard) Croegaert of North Port, FL and Gail (George) Farley of Geneseo; a sister-in-law, Tammy Norton of Collinsville, IL; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and two

• PROPERTY

Continued from page 19

• Brian T. Finch to Thomas Niehaus and Joyce Niehaus, 1 Parcel: 311 E. Front St., Byron, $109,000

• Damon L. Mcclung and Peggy Mcclung to Edward Medina and Kassidy Medina, 1 Parcel: 3775 E Whippoorwill Ln, Byron, $260,000

• Jordan E. Morrison and Anna Morrison to Benjamin Slomian, 1 Parcel: 2048 Southfield Ln, Byron, $280,000

• Kevin K. Coyne, Deborah J. Powless and Donna M. Coyne to Steven E. Pettenger, 1 Parcel: 417 N Mineral St, Byron, $195,000

• Creston Commons Llc to Mascote Properties

brothers, Martin and John Norton. Rich graduated from Neponset High School in 1973. Upon graduation, he joined the US Air Force, serving his country with an initial deployment to Japan. He worked as a computer programmer and software engineer for Farmers Insurance, Pioneer Life Insurance, LRI, Alltel, Amcore Bank and Jack Henry. He was a gun enthusiast as well as an American History buff. He was also a lifelong enthusiast of Harley Davidson motorcycles and had traveled to the Sturgis motorcycle rallies with dear friends Ken and Lori. Rich also earned a recreational pilots license. He enjoyed camping and traveling the backroads throughout the United States. Rich could be found relaxing at the river’s edge with one of his favorite dogs: Snickers, Maxine or Sadie.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 17 at Rux Funeral Home, Kewanee. Pastor Terry Lancaster will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be at Floral Hill Cemetery where military rites will be accorded by the Neponset American Legion. Memorials can be directed to Serenity Hospice and Home in Oregon, the Neponset Public Library or the Neponset Historical Society.

ROCHELLE VETERINARY HOSPITAL

Llc, 1 Parcel in Dement Township: 25-23-303-001, $26,060

• Sheryl L. Mcgee to Charles C. Becker and Denise A. Becker, 1 Parcel: 13658 Flagg Rd, Rochelle, $220,000

• Contry Homes Group Llc to Anna Morrison and Jordan Morrison, 1 Parcel: 1004 Whitetail Dr, Davis Junction, $322,980

• Ryan Mcroberts to Shannon Marie Bybee, 1 Parcel: 609 N Woolf CT, Rochelle, $120,000

• Susan F. Furman to Michael J. Roberts and Irene Roberts, 1 Parcel: 3825 S Queens Rd, Rochelle, $294,900

• Timothy W. Goodman and Jacqui L. Goodman to Kyle Skaja and Analise Hanson, 1 Parcel: 5054 E. Nordic Woods Drive, Byron, $315,000

FRANCIS “BUTCH” E. BLUMEYER

Born: August 8, 1948 in Oregon, IL

Died: November 15, 2025 in Oregon, IL

OREGON, IL ~ Francis

“Butch” Eugene Blumeyer, 77, passed away with his family by his side at his home in Oregon Saturday, November 15, 2025. He was born at Warmolts clinic in Oregon, IL, on August 8, 1948, the son of Alvin & Marian (Schier) Blumeyer. He married his first wife, Kathleen Leary on August 16, 1969, in Oregon, IL. She preceded him in death on July

23, 2003. On September 30, 2006, he married Bonnie (Welsh) Winterland. Butch served his country in the United States Army from 1968 to 1973 including service in Vietnam. Later in life, he worked as a contractor running his own business, Blumeyer Construction. He loved building houses, furniture and many other things. He would often be found in his shop working on a project or talking with friends that stopped by. Butch would often collect taxidermied animals and keep them in his “Game Room” where the family would often spend time playing pool and being together. When he wasn’t in his shop or working on a project, he might have been out fishing, hunting, working in the garden, working on sudoku, jigsaw puzzle, or playing solitaire. His favorite pass time was being with his friends and family. Butch had an open-door policy and would often be found just sitting outside his

shop talking to anyone who would stop by. Butch was preceded in death by his parents Alvin & Marian, first wife Kathleen and son Joshua. He is survived and missed dearly by his loving wife Bonnie Blumeyer of Oregon, daughters Celeste (Jim) Lyles of Ashton, Vanessa (Darrell) Ankney of Dixon, step-sons, Jeff (Jenni) Winterland of Chana, Chad Winterland of Lee Center, Nathan (Shauna) Winterland of Sheridan, WY, brother Ron (Angie) Blumeyer of Maricopa, AZ, sister Dixie (Terry) Winterland Hurless of Chandler, AZ, grandchildren Doug (Whitney) Lyles, Wade Lyles, Annalise (Dillan) Laaker, Alexandria (Aaron) Gillingham, Elijah Ankney, great-grandchildren, Alli, Buck, Elliot with 2 more expected in 2026, step-grandchildren Conner Winterland, Collin Winterland, Maci Winterland, Kady Winterland, special family friend Ashley Yee and several nieces and nephews. A visitation is planned for Sat-

urday, November 22, 2025, at Farrell Holland Gale Funeral Home, 110 S. 7th St, Oregon, IL, 61061 between the hours of 10:00 AM & 12:00 PM. Immediately following the visitation, a memorial service celebrating Butch’s life will be held and will be conducted by Pastor Dave Rogula of Lighthouse Church of Oregon, IL. Butch will then be laid to rest at Daysville Cemetery, Oregon. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the family who plan to donate it to the many different health care providers who took care of Butch in his final weeks. To leave an online condolence or plant a tree in his memory, please visit www. farrellhollandgale.com.

KICK OFF

CHRISTMAS AT HIDDEN TIMBER GARDENS

462 S CHANA RD, CHANA, IL

NOVEMBER 28-30 9AM-5PM

SEASONAL HOURS

NOVEMBER 28TH - DECEMBER 21ST

WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY: NOON-5PM SATURDAY-SUNDAY: 9AM-5PM

Fresh Cut Christmas Trees

Hand-Tied Wreaths - Swags Holiday Decor - Porch Pots Made to Order Garland & Roping - Mixed Evergreen Bundles - S’mores, Coffee, & Hot Cocoa On the Weekends!

BYRON

ALL SAINTS LUTHERAN CHURCH

624 Luther Drive, Byron, IL 61010 815-234-5277

Pastor: Vicar Michelle Wandersee

All are welcome to weekly Sunday Worship services at 9:00am

Holy Communion is served every Sunday.

A Contemporary Style Worship with our Praise Team is on every 3rd Sunday of the month.

A recording of each Sunday’s service is available on our Facebook page: All Saints Lutheran Church and on our website: http://www.allsaintsbyron.

org Sunday School for ages 3 through 5th grade students are held at 10:15am each Sunday.

Middle School Confirmation class for 6th grade - 8th grade students are held at 10:15 am each Sunday. Both classes begin in September and end in May.

Adult Bible Studies are held on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm and on Wednesdays at 1:30 pm.

Visit our website for more information or email us at allsaints624@ hotmail.com.

CORNERSTONE FAMILY CHURCH

205 N. Peru St., Byron 815-234-8737 www.cornerstonefamily.church

Sr. Pastor: Erik Ness, NextGen/ Family Pastor: Collin Nicholls

Children’s Ministry Director: Katie Dodd

Worship Service on Sundays at 10am with Children ‘s Worship Service and Nursery Available

Revive Jr High and Sr High Youth Ministries Meet Sundays at 6:30pm

Numerous Small Groups Available for All Ages throughout the week

Please call our Church Office or visit our website for more details . Office Hours: 8:00am -4:30pm Mondays-Thursdays

BYRON ST. MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH

226 E. 2nd St, Byron, IL 61010 - Phone 815-234-7431 – Fr. Romeo

“Mio” Pavino

Weekday Masses: Tuesday – Friday 7:30am, Weekend Masses: Sat. 5:00 pm, Sun. 8:00 am and 9:30 am, Reconciliation: Fri. 8:00 am – 8:30 am; Sat. 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm or by app. Eucharist Adoration Fri. 8-9am www.saintmaryinbyron.org secretary@saintmaryinbyron.org

UNITED CHURCH OF BYRON

A Member of the United Church of Christ

701 W. Second Street; PO Box 927, Byron IL 61010, 815-234-8777

Email: ucb@comcast.net

Website: unitedchurchofbyron.org

Pastor: Rev. Tyler Spellious

Youth Ministry Coordinator: Richard Simpson

Sunday Schedule & Worship opportunities:

Service of Meditation & Prayer: 8:15am- 8:45am

Adult Sunday School Hour: 9am

Kids Sunday School: (for ages 3 thru 5th grade) during the 10:30 worship Coffee & fellowship time: 10:00am - 10:30am

Main Worship: 10:30am

Spark Youth Group (for ages 6th grade thru 12th grade) - Sundays, 5pm-7pm

For complete ministry schedule and other activities, please check our website or Facebook page or contact the church office.

Whoever you are or wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome here!

BEACON HILL ASSEMBLY

OF GOD

“Building Faith for Life”

6467 N. German Church Rd., Byron, IL - Ph. (815) 246-2685beaconhillbyron.org

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 448, Byron, IL 61010

Pastor: Gary Cortese

Service Times: Sundays at 10AM; Wednesday night Faith-Lift at 6:30PM

Find us on Facebook/Beacon Hill Assembly of God

CHANA

AREA CHURCH DIRECTORY

FORRESTON

FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH

402 2nd Avenue, Forreston, IL 61030, Phone 815-938-3203Pastor Scott Ralston

Sunday Worship 9:00 am; Sunday School 10:00 am FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

402 First Ave., Forreston, IL Phone: 815-938-2380

Worship at 9:00 a.m. (childcare provided) with coffee and fellowship

immediately following. Sunday School Age 3-Adult, 10:15 am.

God is Good, All the Time, All the Time, God is Good! ST. JAMES LUTHERAN CHURCH

Celebrating 175 Years!

West Grove Rd. At Columbine Rd.

Worship Service 10:30 am. Communion is served every Sunday.

“Singing the Song of Christian Faith in Worship, Service, Learning, Outreach and Welcome” in a beautiful rural setting.

Everyone is cordially invited to be with us.

LEAF RIVER

LEAF RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH

Pastor Billy Hardy Sunday Morning: 9:30am Bible Classes for all ages 10:30am Worship Service with nursery available. Live stream available at leafriver.church/live-now 6941 N. Mt. Morris Rd., Leaf River, IL 61047 815-738-2205 office@leafriverbaptist.org leafriver.church

LEAF RIVER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

104 E. 3rd St., Leaf River, IL 61047 - Phone: 815-345-3038; Pastor Cherie

Quillman

Mailing Adress: PO Box 126, Leaf River, IL 61047

Worship Service: Sunday at 10:30 am

Brewed Connections - Free Coffee with Devotion, 2nd & 4th Tuesdays www.leafriverumc.org leafriverumc@gmail.com

LINDENWOOD

IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH – LCMS

immanuel-lindenwood.org (for sermons, events, etc.) 16060 E. Lindenwood Road, Lindenwood, IL 61049

815-393-4500 • office@immanuel-lindenwood.org

Sunday Mornings: Divine Service @ 9am; Food & Fellowship @ 10am; Sunday School and Adult Bible Study @ 10:30am Food Bank: 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 9am-11am Pastor: Rev. Dr. Matthew Rosebrock pastor@immanuel-lindenwood.org

KINGS

ELIM REFORMED CHURCH

140 S. Church Road, Kings, IL 61068 • Pastor Marv Jacobs Phone 815-562-6811 E-mail: goelimchurch@gmail.com Website: www.goelimchurch.org

Sunday morning worship 10:00 am

MOUNT MORRIS

DISCIPLES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

“By God’s grace in Christ, we LIVE, LOVE, and SERVE” All are welcome here!

9:30 a.m. – Sunday Worship with Communion open to all, followed by fellowship hour 10:45 a.m. Sunday School (Sep. – May)

102 N. Maple Ave., Mt. Morris, IL 61054 815-734-4853 secretary@disciplesumc.org www.disciplesumc.org Pastor Marcia Peddicord

EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH OF MT. MORRIS

102 S. Seminary Ave., Mt. Morris, IL 61054 815-734-4942 www.efcmm.org

Senior Pastor: Bruce McKanna. Associate Pastor: John Foss Sunday Schedule: 8:30 a.m. Sunday School for all ages. 9:30 a.m. Coffee Fellowship. 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship with Childcare and Children’s Church.

MT. MORRIS CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN

Allure of Pinecrest Grove Community Building (S. McKendrie Ave. and Evergreen Lane) Mt. Morris, IL. 61054 Phone 815-734-4573 Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. followed by fellowship time and Christian education. Worship service available online, call or email for details. Email: mtmorriscob@gmail.com

MOUNT MORRIS

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH MT. MORRIS

308 E. Brayton Rd., Mt. Morris IL | Phone: 815-734-6354 | Rev. Josh

Ehrler Worship Services: Saturday 5:30 PM, Sunday 9:30 AM. Sunday School 10:45AM www.trinitymmil.net| facebook.com/tlcmm

OREGON

LIGHTHOUSE UNITED METHODIST

Pastor Dave Rogula 4962 S. Daysville Rd., Oregon, IL 61061 lighthouseUMC@yahoo.com

Worship at 11:00 a.m. Holy Communion celebrated the first Sunday of each of month. Lighthouse will lite up your life!

LITTLE PRAIRIE MENNONITE CHURCH

1831 S Harmony Rd. Oregon, IL 61061

Worship Services: 10:00 AM Sunday Morning, 7:00 PM 1st & 3rd Sunday Evening, 7:30 PM 2nd & 4th Wednesday Evenings of the Month. Pastor: Norman Reinford 779-861-3700

OREGON CHURCH OF GOD

860 W. Oregon Trail Road, Oregon, IL. 61061 Phone: 815-732-6847

www.oregoncog.com Pastor Michael Hoffman; Associate Pastor Nathan Massie Sunday School for all ages, 9:30 am; Worship - 10:30 am Tuesday - Prayer Group - 9:30 am; Women’s Bible Study1:00 pm Thursday Men’s Group - 7:00 pm

OREGON FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

505 Hill St. Oregon, IL 61061 Phone: 732-2642

Pastor: David Snow “A Christ-centered, Bible-believing, family-oriented ministry.” Sunday School 9:45 a.m.; Sunday Morning Service 10:45 a.m.; Sunday Afternoon Service 1:15 p.m.; Wednesday Night Bible Study 6:30 p.m.

OREGON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

200 S. 4th Street, Oregon, IL 61061 | 815-732-2994

www.oregonumc.org

Pastor Rev Megan Smick

9:00 am Adult & Youth Bible Study

10 am Worship & Children’s Sunday School In-person or live on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OregonUMC 5:30 pm Wednesday Night Meal All are welcome!

RIVERSTONE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

609 S. 10th Street Oregon, IL 61061

Pastor Craig Arnold ~ 812-236-1213

Sunday Service @ 10:45 AM ~ contemporary style worship with coffee and doughnuts in our cafe! Online worship is also available via Facebook. We believe in sharing Communion every Sunday as an act of worship.

RiverKids Service @ 10:45 AM for nursery-6th grade ~ provides a safe and fun environment where kids can learn about who God is and who they are because of Him.

Encounter Youth Ministry for kids in 7th-12th grade meets on Sunday afternoons. Please see our Facebook page for scheduled dates and times. For complete ministry info and events, visit us online at Riverstonecc.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/RiverStoneChristianChurch ST. BRIDE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

902 Mongan Drive (at the top of Liberty Hill), Oregon, IL 732-7211 -Office Rev. Eldred George Webpage: saintbrides.org • E-mail:saint.bride.church@gmail.com

Worship Services: Sunday 10 am Holy Communion with Hymns Christian Education Available

OREGON

ST. MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH

301 N 4th St, Oregon, IL 61061 - Phone 815-732-7383 - Fr. Bernard Sehr;

Mailing/Office Address: 8 81 Mongan Dr, Oregon IL 61061

Weekend Masses: Sat. 4:30 pm, Sun. 8:30 am and 6:00 pm

Weekday Masses: Mon. 12:05 pm, Wed. and Fri. 8:30 am

Communion Service: Tues. 8:30 am; Reconciliation: Sat 3:30-4:00 pm or by appt. Eucharistic Adoration: Wed. 9-10 am www.stmaryop.org stmary-oregon@rockforddiocese.org ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH, NALC

114 S. 5th St. Oregon, IL Phone: (815) 732-2367

Website: stpaulnalcoregonil.weebly.com 10:15 a.m. Fellowship/Education hours 11:30 a.m. Worship

POLO

ST. MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH

211 N Franklin Ave, Polo IL 61064-Phone 815-732-7383

Weekend Masses: Sun. 10:15 am

Daily Masses: Tues. and Sat. 8:30 am

Reconciliation: Sat. 9:00-9:30 am or by appt. www.stmaryop.org stmary-oregon@roclcforddiocese.org

STILLMAN VALLEY

RED BRICK CHURCH OF STILLMAN VALLEY

Pastor Rev. Dr. Chris Brauns | Associate Pastor David Bogner

207 W Roosevelt Road (Rte 72), Stillman Valley. 815-645-2526 | www.theredbrickchurch.org

Sunday: Worship at 9:00 and 10:30 am. Sunday School at 9:00 am. Wednesday: AWANA (Sept – April) from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Men, women, youth Bible Studies throughout the year. See website for all activities or contact the church office.

KISHWAUKEE COMMUNITY

EVANGELICAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

8195 Kishwaukee Road, Stillman Valley, IL 61084 / 815-965-1940 Rev. Nick Garner, Pastor www.kishchurch.org

Sunday Schedule: Discipleship Hour 8:45 AM, Coffee Fellowship 9:30 AM, Gathered Worship 10:00 AM For complete ministry schedule check out our website or call the church office.

VALLEY EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH

Lead Pastor Barry Norris

103 S Maple St, Stillman Valley, IL 815-645-8872 | www.valleycov.org

Sunday Morning 9am ‘Gather’ for learning & conversation, 10:15am Worship both onsite and online at facebook.com/VECCfSV Home of Valley Covenant Preschool 815-645-8882 Director Jill Huber

Bible Studies, Youth Group, Bread of Life Food Pantry

Please visit website for more information or contact the church office M-F 9am-2pm

WINNEBAGO

MIDDLE CREEK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

12473 Montague Road, Winnebago, IL 61088

Located West of Tower Road on Montague Rd.

Sunday: Worship Service at 10:30 am.

Sunday School: 9am

Pastor Phil Thompson

Phone: 815-335-2609. Email: middlecreekchurch@gmail.com

Coffee & Chat (Everyone is welcome!): Tuesdays 8-10am

Visit our Facebook page or YouTube channel for online worship

HOW TO PLAY

Each row, column and set of 3-by-3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 through 9 without repetition.

Pickles

Wizard of Id

Alley Oop

Garfield

Hagar the Horrible

Barney Google and Snuffy Smith

Daddy Daze

JANRIC CLASSIC SUDOKU

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction but always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have com pleted the puzzle, there will be 19 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

WORD FIND

Yellow and delicious

Solution: 19 Letters

Acres Arrawarra Bags Bins Boxes Bract Bugs Bunch Carton Cases Corms Export Fibre Fruit Glut Growth Herb Hills Labour Latundan Leaf Lifts Musa Nambucca Heads Outlet Pack Pests Protect Rates Rhizomes Ripe Shops Soil Spray Stain Subtropical Suckers Sugar Taste Tully Weeds Woolgoolga

Solution: Make those bodies sing

Creators Syndicate 737 3rd Street • Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 • info@creators.com

Date: 11/22/25

Speed Bump

CLASSIFIED

15th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF OGLE, STATE OF IL LINOIS C.M. HALL & SONS, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. RANDALL C. HALL, Defendant. In case no.: 2018 L 20 NOTICE B Y PUBLI CATION IS G IVEN TO: RANDAL L C. HALL

That on the 5th of November, 2025, Plaintiff C.M HALL & SONS, LLC, filed an original of its Petition for Revival of Judgment in the above-entitled cause with the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial District, Ogle County, Illinois in the amount of $348,368.98 plus costs and interest as of November 4, 2025.

Montague Rd Leaf River, IL 61047 (Located: 2 Miles W of Pecatonica Rd.) LIVE AUCTION! Arnie Has Dec ided To Fully Retire. Will Sell: John Deere 2555 & JD 2020 Loader Tractors: Restored/Nice Oliver 1650 Collector Tractor; 1952 Oliver 77; John Deere X590 & 345 Lawn Tractors; Shop Equipment & Tools; 1974 Arctic Cat Cheetah 340 Snowmobile; Lawn & Garden; Antiques & Primitives; Household Furnishings; More! Ple ase logon for Complete Listing & More Photos Pecatonica, IL 815-239-1436 www.hacksauction.com I.A.F.L. #44 000128

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 15th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF OGLE, STATE OF IL LINOIS

C.M. HALL & SONS, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. RANDALL C. HALL, Defendant. In case no.: 2018 L 20 NOTICE B Y PUBLI CATION IS G IVEN TO: RANDAL L C. HALL

A default Order for Revival of Judgment may be taken against you for new or additional relief unless you file a response and/or otherwise file an appearance in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Ogle County, Illinois at 106 S 5th St #300, Oregon, IL 61061, on or before December 24, 2025, that being thirty (30) days after the first publication date of this notice. E-filing is mand atory for documents in civil cases with limited exemptions. For help with e-filing and to learn more visit ilcourts. info/efiling TIM SCORDATO, RENO AND ZAHM, Attorney for Plaintiff, 2902 McFarland Road, Suite 400, Rockford, Illinois, 61107 (815) 987-4050

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF AUDIT REPORT OF THE VILL AG E OF STILLMAN VALL EY Village of Stillman Valley hereby provides public notice that an audit of funds for the period of May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025, has been made by Sikich LLP and that a report of such audit dated November 14, 2025, has been filed with the County Clerk of Ogle County, in accordance with 20 ILCS 15/0.1 et seq. The full report of the audit is available for public inspection at Village Hall, 120 N Walnut Street, Stillman Valley, during regular business hours 7:00 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday except for holidays. Nov. 24, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE Sealed bids will be received by the Ogle County Highway Department, Oregon, Illinois, until 2:00 P.M. December 5, 2025 for the following: Section 21-0033700-BR - German Church Rd Culvert Improvements. Proposals are available at the Ogle County Highway Department, 1989 South IL Rt 2, Oregon, IL between the hours of 7:00 A.M and 3:30 P.M. Monday - Friday. The Road and Bridge Committee reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids. Nov. 24, Dec.1, 2025

Nov. 24, Dec. 1, 8 2025

ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION School Business Services 217-785-8779

ANNUAL STATEMENT OF AFFAIRS FISCAL YEAR ENDING June 30, 2025

SCHOOL DISTRICT/JOINT AGREEMENT NAME: Ogle Cty Ed Coop DISTRICT TYPE RCDT NUMBER: 47-071-8010-60 Elementary ADDRESS: PO Box 582 Byron, IL 61010-0582 High School COUNTY: Ogle Unit NAME OF NEWSPAPER WHERE PUBLISHED: Ogle County Life Joint Agreement X ASSURANCE

The Annual Statement of Affairs has been posted on the district's website and published in accordance with Section 10-17 of the School Code no later than December 1. (Put “X” in blue box if yes.)

Yes X

SIZE OF DISTRICT IN SQUARE MILES 1,764 NUMBER OF ATTENDANCE CENTERS 7

NUMBER

The ASA must be posted on the school district’s website and published in a newspaper of general circulation no later than December 1, 2025. Refer to Section 10-17 and Section 10-20.44 of the School Code.

Data previously included in the Annual Statement of Affairs can be found at: Payments to certified personnel Posted on district website per 105 ILCS 5/10-20.47 Student Counts Included in district’s report card Illinois Report Card

Financial Data Included in district’s Annual Financial Report posted on ISBE’s Cerberus Server

SALARY SCHEDULE OF GROSS PAYMENTS FOR CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL AND NON-CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL

Salary Range: Less Than $39.999; A. Abrahamson; A. Ahmer; A. Anderson; K. Athanasatos; C. Barcai; P. Barker; H. Bates; E. Baxter; E. Batson; J. Beach; A. Bell; S. Boyden; J. Brauns; J. Brazee; C. Bridge-Groves; T. Brooks; W. Bultron Davila; N. Bunger; R. Cardot; J. Cox; K. Crisp; A. Danekas; B. Demartino; B. Dobberstein; C. Dreska; D. Durnas; M. Easterbrooks; S. Eichstaedt; S. Estock; B. Gaffey; S. Garza; L. Gaulrapp; A. Gerry; A. Ginn; S. Goodwin; A. Guerrero; M. Hall; C. Hallerud; A. Hayes; A. Hendrickson; T. Henson; C. Higley; C. Holden; J. Howard; S. Hummermeier; J. Hunley; G. Ihde-Nelson; L. Ingersoll; R. Jacobson; M. Johanning; M. Johnson; T. Johnson; H. Jones; M. Jones; E. Karper; D. Kramer; P. Land; S. Lawrence; L. Leblanc-Parks; B. Lehman; J. Lewis; L. Luciani; D. Maklezow; J. Maltbey; J. Manos; M. Martens; S. Martin; R. McCormick; A. Miller; M. Mois; D. Monks; P. Moreno; L. Olson; K. Paulsen; K. Pepper; J. Person; M. Petterson; P. Peterson; P. Pottorff; A. Ramos; C. RamosNaber; K. Reid; J. Scheck; T. Slade; D. Soulliere; J. Spain; T. Stouffer; J. Thomas; H. Topping; M. Tyrrell; J. Wallace; L. Weaver; J. Whetsel; E. Whipple; K. Williams; M. Wolter; A. Yanos; Salary Range: $40,000 - $54,999; D. Joslin; E. Overby; J. Shafer Salary Range: $55,000 - $74,999; D. Mahoney; S. McNamee; T. Moser; K. Rogers Salary Range: $75,000 and Over; C. Arnquist; L. Davids; K. Horozewski

PAYMENTS TO PERSON, FIRM, OR CORPORATION OVER $2,500 EXCLUDING WAGES AND SALARIES

AED ESSENTIALS, INC 7,087; ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL 65,732; AMAZON CAPITAL SERVICE 17,569; AMERICAN CENTURY INVESTMENTS 17,825; ANDERSON PLUMBING AND HEATING 13,108; ANDY’S PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING 10,995; ASPIRE 14,110; AURORA UNIVERSITY 14,832; BENNING GROUP LLC 15,750; BISLA 22,568; BLITT AND GAINES, P.C. 3,671; BLUEINK 11,520; BMO HARRIS COMMERCIAL 64,658; BROTHERS FLOORING 38,263; BYRON QUICK LUBE 2,861; CALO 56,950; CAMELOT THERAPEUTIC SCHOOLS 1,042,644; CARDINAL GLASS COMPANY 31,464; CARROLL UNIVERSITY 19,090; CDH EDUCATIONAL CENTER 474,650; CENTRAL BANK ILLINOIS 4,075; COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO 22,659; DEARBORN NATIONAL 2,635; DELTA DENTAL OF ILLINOS 38,641; DIVERSIFIED BENEFITS 24,419; DORS-WORK STUDY CHECKI 6,253; EASTER SEALS METROPOLI 445,499; EMBRACE EDUCATION 49,948; FEHR GRAHAM 29,658; FIDELITY MANAGEMENT TR 3,938; FLEXIBLE SPEND ACCT-FS 39,370; FRONTIER 17,292; FRONTLINE TECHNOLOGIES 2,778; THE HARVARD STATE BANK 3,250;

HODGESLOIZZIEISENHAMME 7,730; HD SUPPLY 7,984; IASB PUBLICATIONS 11,708; ILLINOIS EDUCATIONAL 24,742; ILLINOIS DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT 26,708; ILLINOIS COUNTIES RISK 75,985; ILLINOIS DEPT. OF REVE 306,258; ISC - BLUE CROSS BLUE 1,469,770; IL MUNICIPAL RETIREMEN 246,192; IMPREST FUND ACCOUNT 5,228; INFORMATION CONTROLS I 13,165; INTERNAL REVENUE SERVI 994,384; ISC - ALL STATE INSURA 29,949; JOHNSON CONTROLS 3,451; STEPHANIE KASKAVAGE 74,662; LIMINEX, INC 4,600; MAJESKI MOTORS 32,098; MARCO TECHNOLOGIES LLC 16,426; MNJ TECHNOLOGIES DIREC 58,348; N2Y, LLC 25,835; NCPERS GROUP LIFE INSU 2,048; NEURORESTORATIVE IL 105,781; NEXUS-ONARGA FAMILY HE 26,375; NORTHWESTERN IL ASSOC. 198,409; NICOR GAS 4,809; NORTHERN PARTNERS COOP 9,995; NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIV 9,896; OMBUDSMAN EDUCATIONAL 411,220; OREGON COMMUNITY UNIT 64,447; PERFORMANCE FOOD GROUP 12,128; JEFF PERRY 4,995; PLUM ELECTRIC 58,616; POWERSCHOOL GROUP LLC 43,100; PRAIRIE FARMS 4,025; PRESENCE LEARNING

INC 79,592; PRO COM SYSTEMS 13,101; RESPONSIVE ROOFING, LL 8,876; RICHARD L JOHNSON ASSO 10,081; RIVERSIDE INSIGHTS 3,858; ROCHELLE ELEMENTARY 13,589; SCHOOL OUTLET 2,902; SCHOOL PSYCH AI 5,128; SEAPCO 17,669; SPECIAL EDUCATION SERV 252,675; SPROUT EDUCATIONAL SER 99,008; STRATUS NETWORKS, INC 12,977; SYSCO FOOD SERVICES 7,221; THE KNOWLEDGE CENTER A 3,300; THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR 4,600; TK ELEVATOR CORPORATIO 2,703; TOYOTA OF DEKALB 36,793; TRAFERA, LLC 79,010; TEACHERS HEALTH INSURA 76,871; TEACHERS RETIREMENT 469,046; UCP SEGUIN INFINITEC 6,022; VANGUARD GROUP 3,795; VERIZON WIRELESS 2,689; VILLAGE OF PROGRESS IN 2,556; VOYA INSTITUTIONAL TRU 11,971; VISION SERVICE PLAN OF 9,827; WALTER LAWSON CHILDREN 147,457; WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIV 8,050; WEXBANK (EXXON MOBIL) 2,716; WEXBANK (SHELL) 2,976; WISCONSIN DEPT OF REVE 4,403; YELLOWFOLDER 13,385;

PAYMENTS TO PERSON, FIRM, OR CORPORATION OF $1,000 TO $2,500 EXCLUDING WAGES AND SALARIES

JOHN CHISAMORE 2,205; COUNTRYSIDE PROFESSION 1,576; E-RATE ONLINE LLC 2,500; FELKER FOODS 1,785; FIRM SYSTEMS 1,832; FLANAGAN’S FLATWORK CO 2,151; GAMEDAY APPAREL, INC 1,172; GARY DEVORE 1,725; HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCO 2,205; IASA 1,209; ILLINOIS PRINCIPALS AS 1,003; LRP PUBLICATIONS 1,441; MIDLAND NATIONAL LIFE 2,350; NCPERS GROUP LIFE INSU 2,048; NIEMANN FOODS INC. 1,108; NIU - COMMERCIAL ACCOU 1,268; NORTHERN ILLINOIS DISP 2,145; OGLE COUNTY LIFE 1,401; OREGON SUPERVALU 2,325; PACE ANALYTICAL SERVIC 2,208; PEST CONTROL CONSULTAN 1,084; RENAISSANCE LEARNING, 2,096; RIFTON EQUIPMENT 1,661; SERVPRO OF CLINTON AND 1,247; STAPLES 2,329; TOBII DYNAVOX, LLC 2,349; UNION SAVINGS BANK 1,094; USI INC. 1,178; VALJEAN LLC 1,350; WM CORP SERVICES, INC 1,236;

REPORT ON CONTRACTS EXCEEDING $25,000 AWARDED DURING FY2025

In conformity with sub-section (c) of Section 10-20.44 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/10-20.44], the following information is required to be submitted in conjunction with publication of the Annual Statement of Affairs [105 ILCS 5/10-17].

Byron handles IC Catholic to advance to semis

Richmond-Burton is next up at 2 p.m. Nov. 22

By ANDY COLBERT

Shaw Local News Network correspondent

In a 28-6 win over IC Catholic Prep in the Class 3A state quarterfinals, undefeated Byron did something teams all season failed to do – shut down the vaunted Knights’ passing attack.

Byron defensive coordinator Sean Considine said it was months in the making.

“We knew we’d be playing IC as far back as the summer. That’s when we started planning our pass defense against them,” the former NFL player said. “We used a zone pattern match, and the kids really executed. And when the quarterback scrambled, we were still in position.”

IC quarterback Nate Lang, with more than 2,000 yards passing this year, never got into a rhythm and was plagued by dropped passes. The Knights (8-4) did not score until four minutes were left in the game.

“We didn’t execute and made too many mistakes,” Lang said. “The differ-

dle had a 66-yard touchdown run, and Kole Aken had a 60-yarder to set up a 4-yard Considine score.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” Sean Considine said. “I’m fine with small gains (16 rushes for 72 yards), especially with the way Dawson and Kole ran.”

Both teams were effective in moving the ball in the first half, but the only score was a 1-yard TD by Caden Considine in the second quarter to end a 16-play drive. It was made possible by a roughing the punter penalty.

“That was huge,” Byron coach Jeff Boyer said. “This game was closer than the final score.”

The Knights had plenty of chances in the first half, but were decimated by mistakes, starting with a dropped potential TD pass on the first drive. The next possession (14 plays) saw running back KC Kekstadt gaining the bulk of the yardage and Grant Bowen keeping things alive with a sideline grab on fourth-and-14, but a 28-yard field-goal attempt was no good.

ence in the game was they didn’t make mistakes.”

Another difference was someone other

than all-state running back Caden Considine making big plays on offense for Byron. In the second half, Dawson Crid-

A 26-yard pass from Lang to Bowen in the final minute of the half put IC in the red zone again. A holding penalty and three incompletions stalled the drive.

See TIgERS on page 31

Byron’s quarterfinal win is testament to ‘smart football’

As I was surveying the scene on the football field after Byron defeated Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep in the Class 3A quarterfinals, it was more reminiscent of a state title celebration.

Players, coaches, parents, fans and students shared in the joy of the monumental win over the Chicago Catholic League nemesis.

For others, like myself, the final result answered what had been a mystery. Just who was the better team – Byron or IC?

The scoreboard read 28-6, a result only the most optimistic of optimistic Tiger fans would have predicted. That is a wider margin of victory than what three football semifinalists had against IC in the regular season.

Still alive in 5A, Wheaton St. Francis lost to IC 35-28. Nazareth Academy in 6A beat IC 24-21, while 7A semifinalist Chicago St. Rita beat IC 38-21.

Let that sink in for a while. Small rural 3A Byron with a larger point differential than those larger Chicago area

powerhouses. Is that a mystery in itself?

The lowest point total in a game that IC had all year was 21. And that was against schools two, three and four times larger than it. How was it that IC could only muster a single TD against Byron?

Not just IC but the rest of the Catholic League may be wondering that themselves. This wasn’t a fluke either as the Tigers previously have demonstrated the ability to rise to the occasion against private schools.

I’ve always been a connoisseur of smart football, with little patience for dumb penalties, missed assignments and mental errors. The Chicago Bears are one of the most egregious offenders over the decades.

In watching Byron, it was readily apparent that it avoided these pitfalls while IC fell prey to them. I especially was impressed with the pass defense employed by Sean Considine, whom head coach Jeff Boyer calls the best defensive coordinator in the state.

Considine had his players in the right spot to either prevent receivers from being open or limit QB scrambling. Compared with other defensive schemes against IC in regular-season games I watched online, Byron’s was a masterpiece. The Knights were able to pick up yards on the ground, but their strength lies in an aerial attack and that is where they were stymied. As Considine told me, they had been preparing for IC since this summer.

I love that attitude more than standard “coachspeak” of taking opponents one week at a time. If Byron would have waited until the week of the game to concentrate on IC, its chances of winning would have been drastically hindered.

Besides, the Tigers were assured of blowing every team out other than Dixon or maybe Du-Pec. Wise thinking focuses on the bigger picture and for Byron that is taking every step possible to win a state title.

After the game, former coach Kevin O’Neil told me that Byron may have established itself over Rochester as the premier public school team in the state. I can’t argue that, though Wilmington might.

When you are an elite program, your goals are different than nearly everyone else who is content to win conference or make the playoffs. For Byron, the master plan for winning state is months in the making.

Mission accomplished. Byron, you deserve to party like it was a state title victory, because it sure felt like it. However, unlike the past two years when Byron-Montini was the de facto

Earleen Hinton for Shaw Local News Network Byron linemen Dalton Norris (left) and Braiden Hamme celebrate Nov. 15 after the Tiger’s 28-6 win over Elmhurst IC Catholic in a Class 3A quarterfinal game at Byron High School.

Andy Colbert SPORTS VIEWS

Rochelle’s Dylan Manning returns home after lengthy hospital stay, multiple brain surgeries

Junior player suffered head injury during Interstate 8 game Oct. 3

By RUSS HODGES rhodges@shawmedia.com

Rochelle junior Dylan Manning, who suffered a head injury during the team’s varsity football game against Morris on Oct. 3 and was flown to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, has returned home after several weeks in the hospital.

An All-Interstate 8 running back and defensive back who eclipsed 2,000 career rushing yards this season, Manning collapsed on the sideline after sustaining a head injury in the team’s 37-14 loss at Morris. Manning was taken to a local hospital, where he was then flown to Loyola Medical Center.

At Loyola, Manning underwent multiple brain surgeries, including an initial surgery to remove a blood clot and relieve pressure on his brain. On Oct. 4, the Rochelle community gathered at the Rochelle Township High School football field to pray for Manning. Inspired to

“Play like Dyl,” the Hubs won their last three regular season games and made the playoffs, finishing the year 6-4.

“I still haven’t figured out a way to express in words how thankful we are for everyone who was involved,” said Ben Manning, Dylan’s father. “We’ve had so much support from the Rochelle community and the Hub football community. The amount of love, prayer and positive comments about Dylan and how much people love and miss him has just been unbelievable... We can’t ever be thankful enough for what’s gone on and it makes us so proud to be Hubs.”

Manning remained in Loyola’s intensive care unit for about 30 days, making slow and steady progress during that period. After the initial surgery, Manning underwent a second surgery on Oct. 11 to address a possible infection and provide relief. All three of his drains were removed on Oct. 15, 18 and 24, respectively.

Manning’s breathing tube was removed on Oct. 27. Manning’s progress continued over the next few days, as he

I8FA PLAYOFFS SEMIFINAL: POLO 38, SOUTH FORK 0

was able to sit and stand with assistance on Oct. 28 before eating, watching a movie and interacting with others on Oct. 30. On Nov. 1, his staples and stitches were moved. On Nov. 2, he left the ICU.

“Seeing him awake at Loyola was a really big deal,” Ben Manning said. “From that first day he was awake and couldn’t get out of bed on his own to getting out of bed and walking down the hall and back with someone guiding him. ... That was big. Going from Loyola to Marianjoy [Rehabilitation Hospital] and seeing him walk out of there on his own... That was pretty impressive to see in that short amount of time.”

The Rochelle community supported Manning and his family throughout his time in the hospital. On Oct. 16, Culver’s in Rochelle donated 10% of its proceeds to the Manning family. The Northern Illinois University football program also pledged to donate 10% of ticket sales from its Oct. 25, Nov. 18 and Nov. 28 home games to the Manning family.

“We’ll be happy when he can get back to being a normal high school kid,” Ben Manning said. “Jennifer [Manning] and I are so blown away by the amount of support he’s received.”

After leaving Loyola, Manning was transferred to Marianjoy in Wheaton,

where he started outpatient therapy Nov. 7. On Sunday, Manning went outside for the first time in six weeks. On Tuesday, Manning returned home, where he’ll continue to recover with the support of his family and friends as well as the Hub community.

Manning, who was named Rochelle’s Hackett MVP Award winner during the team’s awards banquet this week, had his first day of physical therapy at Northwestern Medicine in Sycamore on Wednesday.

Manning will have a neurology appointment next week and will undergo a cranioplasty to replace the missing portion of his skull at some point in the shortterm future.

Per Johns Hopkins Medicine, a cranioplasty is the surgical repair of a bone defect in the skull that’s left behind after a previous operation or injury. Once the cranioplasty is scheduled and completed, Manning will start the final portion of his recovery.

“He’s all sewed up, but he’s missing a big piece of his skull,” Ben Manning said. “As soon as we get that scheduled, they’ll open him back up and replace that. ... I’m really looking forward to getting him scheduled for that so we can start to move on.”

Polo advances to I8FA championship after 38-0 win at South Fork

By DRAKE LANSMAN dlansman@shawmedia.com

Facing one of the top offenses in the Illinois 8-Man Football Association, the Polo defense put together a dominant performance in a 38-0 win at South Fork on Nov. 15.

The Marcos (11-1) constantly were in the Ponies’ backfield and had three interceptions en route to their first shutout of the season.

Polo advanced to face Amboy (11-1) in the I8FA state championship at 7 p.m. Friday at Monmouth College. The Clippers beat Milledgeville, 18-8, in the other semifinal Nov. 15.

Polo set the tone right out of the gate,

going 50 yards on its opening drive, which was capped by a Mercer Mumford touchdown. Mumford finished with 197 yards and two scores before dealing with some cramping.

Defensively, Polo held South Fork (11-1) to less than 80 yards rushing. George Bailey came into the game with more than 2,200 yards and 41 TDs. Brody Lush was the league’s leading receiver and was held to 49 yards.

“We knew George Bailey was the leading rusher this year, so we knew we had to focus on him,” Mumford said. “I think we just zoned in on that all week for our defense, and we got it done today.”

Polo held South Fork to only three first downs in the first half and led 22-0 at

the break. Damon Rowe and Eli Perez each caught scores from JT Stephenson in the second quarter. Perez’s score came off play action on fourth-and-1 with 10 seconds until halftime.

Stephenson said the defensive performance was huge.

“We came out and we punched them in the throat in the beginning,” he said. “I think that motivation just got us going. We work on it a lot, so it shows.”

Perez’s TD catch in the second quarter and Mumford’s 33-yard TD run in the third both capped 99-yard scoring drives for the Marcos in the win.

Mumord and Stephenson both had interceptions in the win and Polo got a turnover on downs at the 1-yard line.

Mumford and Stephenson both had to sit out at times after some cramping and getting shaken up, but Polo continued to get it done without two of its playmakers. Temperatures were in the 70s during the game.

“Our second strings came out there and did what they needed to do,” Mumford said. “So that’s good that we can put our faith in them to get it done when we go out of the game.”

Jordan Reed followed Stephenson’s interception with the longest play of the game, finding the end zone from about 90 yards out on the ground.

Polo’s defense was relentless in the win, finishing with at least nine tackles for a loss. Ethan Dewey had a big sack.

Dylan Manning

Starwalt now fastest distance runner for Byron

By ANDY COLBERT

Shaw Local News Network correspondent

Move over Dave Beauchem. Tim Starwalt has surpassed you as the fastest distance runner in Byron school history.

At the Class 1A state cross country meet, Starwalt clocked 14:55 to best Beauchem’s record of 15:01.

“That was the benchmark – 15 minutes,” said Starwalt, sprawled out on the ground after the race at Detweiller Park in Peoria. “My goal was mainly the time.”

The personal best time earned the Tigers senior a 10th-place showing and gave him a second straight All-State honor, equal to what Beauchum did in 1983 and 1984.

They are the only two runners from Byron to earn all-state in boys cross country.

“It’s exciting to have the fastest runner in BHS history,” Coach Mike McHale said. “A lot of hard work went into it. We’ve never had anyone as humble as Tim. It was all about bringing the team down with him.”

• TIGERS

Continued from page 29

“We should have been up 17-0,” IC coach Bill Krefft said.

Byron’s only error of the first half was a fumbled pitch attempt by quarterback Andrew Talbert that stopped a drive at IC’s 20. That didn’t faze the shifty signal-caller, who baffled the Knights defense with his running ability.

Talbert intercepted Lang late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

“I was in deep coverage and read the guy’s slant,” Talbert said. “We are so prepared because we have the best coaches in the state.”

• COLBERT

Continued from page 29

championship, there is another roadblock in the way. Richmond-Burton has an outstanding team, having destroyed everything in its path, other than Coal City, whom they beat 24-20. It may have been by a narrow margin, but it was a quality win.

Interestingly, this is Richmond-Burton’s first time in the 3A playoffs. Before

The Tigers scored 445 points to place 21st out of 30 state-qualifying teams. It was a step up from last year when they were 25th with 605 points.

“It’s a totally different feeling being down here with the team,” Starwalt said. “I’m really happy with how the day went. I got out a little slow. If I had to do it over, I would have went out faster.”

As a sophomore, Starwalt took 32nd with a time of 15:38. Last year, he was 14th in 15:08.

Winning the Class 1A race was defending champion Chaz Oberkfell of Gillespie with a time of 14:32.

After Starwalt, the next scorers for Byron were sophomores Michael Muzzarelli and Gavin Early and juniors Conner Welt and Braden Dietrich. Senior Micah Hilliker rounded out the squad.

Rockford Christian had three allstaters and took home the third-place trophy with 184 points. Eureka edged Elmwood 151-163 for the championship. Winnebago, which has four state titles, was 11th.

Oregon’s Daniel Gonzalez qualified as

On Byron’s opening possession of the second half, it was Talbert getting outside for a 30-yard run to key a 13-play, 78-yard scoring drive. Aken scored from 5 yards out to make it 14-0, with David Cunningham making his second of four straight PAT kicks in the windy conditions.

Gracious in defeat, Krefft did not use the wind as an excuse for his team’s struggle to pass.

“All the credit goes to Byron,” Krefft said. “They executed better than we did. We’ll learn from this and get better.”

With 7:40 left and the wind at his back, Lang scrambled and passed his way to a 80-yard scoring drive for the Knights. It was Bowen catching an 11-yard pass for the TD. Byron lineman Kade Politsch

2000, it had been in 2A and after 2000, it always was 4A, winning state titles in each classification.

Don’t expect Richmond-Burton to make the same mistakes as IC did against Byron, which included six penalties for 55 yards, three dropped passes, one interception, a missed field-goal attempt and a shanked punt.

In a testament to smart ball, the Tigers were not flagged once. Although IC had several critical penalties, credit to coach Bill Krefft for complimenting the

Andy Colbert for Shaw Local News Network Byron’s Tim Starwalt gets a hug from his mom after finishing 10th at the boys 1A state cross country meet in East Peoria on Nov. 8.

an individual for the second year in a row and took 116th with a time of 16:12.

Winnebago won the Class 1A girls competition for the 14th time, the best mark among any school in the state, no matter the class size.

blocked the extra-point attempt to keep the score at 14-6.

After losing the bulk of a big and powerful line, it was the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Politsch leading the Tigers newcomers.

“We knew coming in they were bigger than us, but we’ve made a big jump this year,” Politsch said. “Small town 3A football isn’t a joke. The Catholic League has to respect us. An advantage for us is having the best community and coaches in the state. That creates a built-in bond.”

With the overflow crowd at Everett Stine Stadium on edge after IC’s score, it was Criddle calming everyone’s nerves on the very first play after the kickoff by breaking loose for his long touchdown and a 21-6 Tigers lead.

officials in a postgame interview.

Although private schools often get criticized for alleged advantages over the publics, I have found their head coaches to be super good guys over the decades of my dealings with them.

Byron and Richmond-Burton isn’t the only big game in our area. The atmosphere at the Lena-Winslow and Stockton 1A semifinal promises to be as electric as anything in the state.

My favorite football fields usually are at 1A schools, unlike the larger more san-

The top individual finisher from the Big Northern Conference was Rockford Lutheran’s Abagail Baumann, who was seventh in 16:49.

In one of the best races ever in Class 1A, it was Sandwich’s Sundara Weber beating Isabella Keller of Effingham St. Anthony, 15:54 to 16:06. Weber’s time set the Class 1A record. Keller’s time is No. 3 all-time.

Byron qualified for the second year in a row and took 20th with 471 points. Junior Ashley Potter led the team with a 51st-place showing and time of 18:31.

Other Byron runners were Gracyn Smith, Grace Burnes, Gabriella Northup, Emma Franchi, Elinor McHale and Alayna Swanson. All except Northup return.

“We’ve set a foundation by having the girls and boys make it two years in a row.” McHale said. “Bringing back the bulk of both teams helps.”

Losing someone of Starwalt’s caliber is a different story. It took 40 years to find someone to reach what Beauchem achieved.

“That was a great team we beat,” Criddle said.

Criddle led all players with 120 yards on 13 carries. Kekstadt hit 100 yards on 15 attempts.

After Talbert’s interception, Aken ripped off his long gainer, almost identical to the outside counter of Criddle’s.

“Coming in, I felt we could run the ball,” Boyer said. “I really like the physicality we showed and am proud of the team as a whole.”

Byron will hit the road Saturday for a 2 p.m. game with former Big Northern Conference foe Richmond-Burton in the state semifinals.

Richmond-Burton owns a 2-0 edge in the playoff series.

itized stadium venues. Give me a place in a small rural town with a cornfield next to it and an unfenced area to stand alongside the sideline or end zone.

After having seen Lena-Winslow play in person this year, I don’t know how anyone in 1A can beat it. Yes, I know Stockton took it to them already, but doing it again is a different story.

• Andy Colbert is a sports writer for Shaw Local covering high school sports inOgleCounty.

SPORTS

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1996: Detroit’s Barry Sanders recorded his 8th straight 1,000-yard rushing season.

2015: Golden State set record for best start in NBA history at 16-0.

Monday, November 24, 2025

DRIVING FORWARD

The Byron Tigers football team continued their playoff push in IHSA Class 3A with a 38-6 victory over IC Catholic on Nov. 15 / 29

Byron quarterback Andrew Talbert (center) hands the ball off to Caden Considine against Elmhurst IC Catholic during a Class 3A quarterfinal on Nov. 15 at Byron High School.

Photo by Earleen Hinton for Shaw Local News Network