Hubs begin padded camp The Rochelle Hub football team kicked off its padded camp at RTHS. Page 11
WEEKEND EDITION | WWW.ROCHELLENEWS-LEADER.COM LOCAL NEWS... LOC AL VIEWS
SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2025
Vol. 106 • No. 25
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RACF celebrates 20 years Ribbon cutting ceremony held July 16
BY JEFF HELFRICH MANAGING EDITOR
Today’s RNL issue sponsored by Community Unity members:
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ROCHELLE — On Wednesday, July 16, a ribbon cutting was held for the Rochelle Area Community Foundation at its 350 May Mart Drive location to celebrate the nonprofit’s 20-year anniversary. RACF offers an opportunity for individuals, families and businesses to leave a legacy for future generations and is a public, charitable organization designed to attract gifts that will be shared with Rochelle-area nonprofit organizations for the benefit of the community. It supports the areas of
(PHOTO BY JEFF HELFRICH)
On Wednesday, July 9, a retirement party and tribute were held for longtime Pegasus Special Riders Board President Donna Fellows.
Fellows retires after 28 years (PHOTO BY JEFF HELFRICH)
On Wednesday, July 16, a ribbon cutting was held for the Rochelle Area Community Foundation at its 350 May Mart Drive location to celebrate the nonprofit’s 20-year anniversary.
Chana, Creston, Esmond, Kings, Lindenwood, Rochelle and Steward. Over its 20 years, RACF has awarded nearly $1.4
million in grants to local nonprofits, schools and community organizations. See RACF page 2
BY JEFF HELFRICH MANAGING EDITOR
OREGON — On Wednesday, July 9, a retirement party and tribute were held for longtime Pegasus Special Riders Board President Donna Fellows. She recently retired after 28 years of service.
Fellows founded the current iteration of Pegasus Special Riders, after Pegasus Special Equestrians of Northwestern Illinois had existed in previous years before it ceased operations and was revived under a new name. See FELLOWS pg 6
Public comments heard on solar siting, steer tailing Special use permit for cremation unit on Twombly Road approved Tuesday
BY JEFF HELFRICH MANAGING EDITOR
361 Illinois Route 38 815-561-6861
OBITUARIES • VIRGIL B. SWOPE
INSERTS • MENARDS
INSIDE Local News......................2, 6 Obituaries............................4 Opinion................................5 Community.........................8
OREGON — At its monthly meeting Tuesday, the Ogle County Board heard public comments from residents against solar farm siting in the county, and steer tailing at rodeos that take place just south of Rochelle that have drawn criticism. Sam Miller of Stillman Valley said he’s been against a solar development near his home for the past seven years and talked about the impact of solar developments on the property values of nearby homes. “The closer the solar development is to the house,
the more it impacts value,” Miller said. “In June, Virginia Tech came out with a study and their results were that homes within a half mile of a solar installation saw a 7.2 percent decrease in value. Then they found if the solar field could be seen from the home, it was a 7.9 percent decrease. It’s a lot of money.” The board has considered a number of special use permits for solar facilities in recent years. At its June meeting, the board denied a special use permit for a solar facility in Mt. Morris Township by a vote of 17-4 with residents citing the property’s value as farmland. Back in December, the
board narrowly approved a special use permit for a solar project between Forreston and Polo after previously denying that project due to it being on productive farmland. That petitioner changed its siting to less productive farmland and filed a lawsuit against Ogle County for the denial, stemming from a recent new state law that set statewide standards for wind and solar farm siting and took away previous local controls such as at the county level. Tuesday also saw public comments against solar siting from Tom Smith of White Rock Township. “Right over in Byron we have two nuclear units
making all kinds of green energy,” Smith said. “We don’t need anything else. We don’t need any solar anywhere in Ogle County. We need to keep that ground from being covered up and we need to keep it producing. We have more than enough revenue to make this county work great without solar.”
Steer tailing
The board heard public comments from two Ogle County residents against alleged animal abuse that takes place at rodeos at 16989 E. Ritchie Road, a property in Ogle County south of Rochelle. The board has heard comments against
the rodeos at many recent meetings. Steer tailing is the specific event at the rodeos that has drawn concerns from an animal activist group and county residents. Steer tailing is where a rider on horseback chases down a running steer, bull, or calf and grabs onto the animal’s tail; the rider then wraps the tail around his leg, slamming the animal to the ground. On June 26, Ogle County Board Chairman Bruce Larson released a letter addressing claims of the county permitting animal cruelty. See COUNTY BOARD page 6
You can put all your eggs in one basket with 621 First Ave. • Rochelle, IL 815-562-8784
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