VOLUME 175 NO. 20 • SERVING OGLE COUNTY SINCE 1851
Friday, July 11, 2025 • $1.00
NEWS
Let Freedom Ring festival Kiddie Parade, Little Miss Firecracker and Little Mister Firecracker contest part of festivities / 6
NEWS
Pavement blowouts Twice in 24-hour span, pavement buckles force partial closure of Route 2 between Oregon and Byron / 8 One section • 16 pages
BEAR HUG Earleen Hinton
Veteran Ken Williams gives a very large teddy bear to Taytum Coulter, 10, of Oregon as the Oregon VFW/American Legion float passes by her family during the Let Freedom Ring parade July 4 in Mt. Morris. Taytum’s grandfather, Robert, is a member of Oregon VFW Post 8739 and was driving the truck that was pulling the float. Taytum was excited to receive the bear, saying, “I didn’t know it was on the float.” More photos on page 7.
INDEX Betty Column.................................... 4 Classifieds...................................12-15 Crime and courts............................. 5
Jamboree concert series............... 5 Otto Column...................................... 4 Property Transfers.......................... 10
DEATHS Published every Friday by Ogle County Newspapers, a division of Shaw Media
William C. Cross, Page 11