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PART II: 2025 IN REVIEW

LOCAL NEWS

Views from leaders Rochelle’s mayor and outgoing city manager take a look back on accomplishments / 3, 4

TODAY’S EDITION: 24 pages • Vol. 107, Issue 1

A look back at the Rochelle News-Leader’s top stories from the second half of last year / 6

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Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

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Thanks to the Rochelle community As I prepare to close an eight-year chapter serving as city manager of Rochelle, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the residents, businesses and community partners who have supported our organization and our shared vision for this community. It has truly been an honor to serve Rochelle, and I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me by the mayor, City Council, staff and the broader community. Over the past eight years, Rochelle has made meaningful and measurable progress. Together, we invested heavily in core infrastructure to ensure the city is positioned for long-term success. Significant improvements were made to our water and sewer systems, strengthening reliability and capacity. We modernized streets and transportation assets, upgraded our municipal electric system, expanded fiber connectivity and continued important investments at the airport and within our rail and intermodal infrastructure. These projects were not always glamorous, but they were essential, laying the groundwork for economic growth, public safety and quality of life. Economic development has also

COMMUNITY VIEWS Jeff Fiegenschuh been a major focus. I am proud of the work done to recruit new businesses to Rochelle while also supporting the expansion of existing employers who continue to invest in our community. Through collaboration, strategic planning, and targeted incentives, the city established two new tax increment financing (TIF) districts that helped revitalize key areas, encourage private investment and strengthen the local tax base. These efforts have supported job creation, redeveloped areas that had not seen investment in some time and positioned Rochelle as a competitive regional hub. None of this work could have been accomplished without strong partnerships. Rochelle benefits greatly from positive and professional relationships with other governmental entities, and I am especially thankful for the collaboration with both local school districts and the Flagg-Rochelle Community

Park District. Working together, we were able to align goals, maximize resources (school resource officer program) and better serve residents of all ages. These partnerships reflect the very best of local government. That which is focused on cooperation rather than silos. Beyond City Hall, I have been fortunate to be involved with many community organizations that make Rochelle special. Serving alongside dedicated volunteers through civic groups, nonprofits and service organizations reinforced for me that Rochelle’s greatest strength is its people. The passion, generosity and pride shown by residents and business owners consistently inspired me and our staff. As I move on to my next chapter, I do so knowing Rochelle is on strong footing and has a bright future ahead. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving this remarkable community. I will always be grateful for my time in Rochelle and proud of what we accomplished together.

• Jeffrey A. Fiegenschuh, ICMA-CM, MPA, is the city manager of the city of Rochelle.

Oregon man dies after Dec. 29 crash north of Grand Detour Sheriff’s office: Cause of 2-vehicle crash remains under investigation By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com An Oregon man died from his injuries after a two-vehicle crash Dec. 29 north of Grand Detour, according to an Ogle County Sheriff’s Office news release. At 12:59 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29, deputies were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash with injuries in the 7000 block of South Ridge Road. During the investigation, it was

The driver of the Ford was treated at the scene and later sought treatment for minor injuries. The driver of the Chrysler, Anthony J. Frey, 32, of Oregon, suffered serious injuries as a result of the collision and was declared dead at the scene, according to the release. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Dixon Rural Fire Department and emergency medical services, as well as the Oregon Fire Department/EMS. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, according to the release. determined that a gray 2010 Chrysler No charges relating to the crash had Town and Country traveling south been filed as of Tuesday, Dec. 30. crossed the center line and struck the Ridge Road was closed between Edgefront driver’s side of a white 2012 Ford wood and Penn Corner roads for about F-450 box truck traveling north, accord- three hours because of the crash before ing to the release. it was reopened.

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The Rochelle Intermodal Transload Center opened in 2020 as a joint effort between the city and the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corporation to provide industries of all sizes with direct rail access. See story on Page 6. Jeff Helfrich

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As 2025 draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments the city of Rochelle has achieved together over the past year with the support of staff, leadership and council members and also share some of the exciting prospects awaiting us in 2026. Throughout the year, our community has celebrated numerous ribbon cuttings and grand openings, marking the growth and vibrancy of Rochelle. We welcomed new and relocated businesses, including BP Clark, Fit Hub, Mindful Matters, downtown & VFW murals, Family Kitchen, Changes Counseling, ReMAX Hub City, RTHS Library, RCH groundbreaking, Doug Smith Motors, Mason Smith Repair & Superior Dent Removal, Essential Infusions, Royal Arcade, and the RCH Behavioral Health Center. In addition, our city’s façade improvement program has delivered much-needed support to local businesses, with checks presented to Bills Trading Post, VCCT Group, Salon Idyll and Tecalitian. I

COMMUNITY VIEWS John Bearrows want to extend my gratitude to the chamber of commerce for organizing these celebrations and to the community development team for their tireless work to help our businesses not just survive but thrive. Most recently, the city council unanimously voted to place Sam Tesreau in the position of interim city manager to fill the vacancy created by departing City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh. Jeff has been an effective leader for “Team Rochelle” over the past eight years and has accepted a new position in Washington, Illinois. We thank him for all he has done, and wish him the very best in the next chapter of his life. The human resources department, under the request of the city council, has begun the work of employing a nationwide

search company to bring in prospects to fill the full-time position of city manager. Council looks forward to reviewing prospects in the first quarter of 2026. Economic development also had a great 2025 and has had several companies looking at Rochelle, with the most recent one being the data center proposal. This will be a huge boost to the EAV, resulting in increased financial support for all taxing bodies within the city. The developmental agreement for the data center should come to the council in January of 2026. The west-side substation should also get underway in the months to come, providing power to the area to the west of Rochelle for future development, as well as helping facilitate any future expansion proposed at the Mighty Vine/Pure Flavor facility. Other spring projects coming in the spring of 2026 will include the bandshell/stage and public bathrooms in the 400 block of North Main Street. This will prove to be a great attraction and gathering spot in the downtown

area. Thanks go out to the community development department for overseeing this, as well as all the city staff who have had input into this project. This project was made possible in part by an Illinois “Rebuild Downtown” grant. I would say that by the fall of 2026, the whole area in the 400 block of North Main Street will have a noticeable and much-needed face-lift. We should also have the beginning construction of a new aircraft hanger at the Rochelle Municipal Airport. Stay tuned for more on that. As we enter the new year, I wish everyone a very happy and safe new year. Many thanks go to my fellow council members for their dedication and support of the programs that have proven to be beneficial to Rochelle. I also remind everyone of my monthly mayor’s live update broadcast, which will take place on the first Friday of each month. These are live-streamed on my “Mayor John Bearrows” Facebook page.

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ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Rochelle Mayor Bearrow’s review of 2025

Fiegenschuh reflects on eight years as Rochelle’s city manager upon departure ‘I’m very proud of all of the work our team has done here over 8 years’ By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com The city of Rochelle on Dec. 9 announced the resignation and impending departure of City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh, who has accepted a position as city administrator of Washington, Illinois. Fiegenschuh has been Rochelle’s city manager for eight years and his final day will be in mid-January. Fiegenschuh spoke with the NewsLeader on Dec. 17 and reflected on his decision and his experiences during his tenure in Rochelle. “It was a very difficult choice to make,” Fiegenschuh said. ‘This has been my home for over eight years. I have worked with amazing mayors and city council members and staff. They’ve been very good and gracious to me and have shown me a lot of support and I’ve learned a lot from each one of them. It was the right opportunity and the right time. I have truly enjoyed Rochelle and its residents. I’ve heard well wishes from a lot of them since the news. When someone says, ‘You did a great job and the city is better than you found it,’ that’s a huge badge of honor for me.” City accomplishments during Fiegenschuh’s tenure include attracting large steel pipe manufacturer Wheatland Tube

• MAYOR Continued from page 3 I look forward to serving Rochelle in the coming year through success, challenges and more. Let us continue to work hand in hand, build a better tomorrow and celebrate the spirit that makes our town truly special. Thank you for your continued dedication to our community. Together, we can make Rochelle an even better place to live, work and play.

to Rochelle, the purchase and demolition of the deteriorating Hickory Grove building, northern corridor tax-increment financing redevelopments Breakthru Beverage and BenJeff Fiegenschuh ny’s Corner Market, construction of a fire training facility with the Ogle-Lee Fire Protection District, work on two electrical substations and five wells or water treatment plants, and relationship building with other taxing bodies. Fiegenschuh said areas of most progress over the past eight years include improving Rochelle Municipal Utilities electric department reserves and infrastructure, improving the Rochelle Technology Center’s finances from a deficit of over $1 million to now $500,000 in the black, working with the Village of Creston and the Rochelle Landfill on a boundary agreement that extends the life of the landfill, and lobbying to keep the Prairie State Energy Campus, RMU’s main power provider, open through at least 2042. “We’ve done a lot in this community in eight years and this town is set up for long-term success,” Fiegenschuh said. “Financially we’re in great shape with our general fund and utilities and I’d like to think I was some part of that.” Over his eight years, Fiegenschuh also worked to expand staffing in the Rochelle Fire Department, Rochelle Police Department and public works. Fiegenschuh led the city through the

COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw projects in the economically uncertain years that followed. “I see Rochelle’s future as bright,” Fiegenschuh said. “We did projects at the right time in the right economic climate. We spent money wisely and citizens aren’t seeing rate increases to support those projects. I think we’re set well for the future. I wanted to depart when things are going well. We’re in really good shape financially and we have a great team in place that’s committed to the community.” Along with his service as city manager, Fiegenschuh was involved with a number of Rochelle organizations in his eight years in town, including the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, the Rochelle Area Community Foundation, the Rochelle Rotary Club and From the Heart. “My time here working with local organizations and residents has meant

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If you ever have questions or concerns, my door is always open, and I can be reached via e-mail at jbearrows@rochelleil.us or by calling my office at 815-561-2001. In closing, I will share another great quote I came across that is very fitting: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”Henry Ford

John Bearrows is the mayor of the city of Rochelle.

I think we’re set well for the future. I wanted to depart when things are going well. We’re in really good shape financially and we have a great team in place that’s committed to the community.” Jeff Fiegenschuh, outgoing city manager everything to me,” Fiegenschuh said. “I love being involved and giving back and I’m super proud of that. I will remember a lot about this job. My involvement in the community will be right there at the top. I’m proud of the fact that I was approachable to residents and the inroads I built in the community.”

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Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

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‘We’re building and supporting services that are going to help people who aren’t even alive yet’ By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com The City of Rochelle’s work in 2025 included infrastructure work, small-business development, and staffing replacement and expansion, City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said Dec. 17, 2025. Infrastructure projects included work on an iron removal plant at Rochelle Municipal Utilities’ Well 8, renovation and repainting of the city’s large water tower near the Illinois Route 251 overpass, starting a downtown project

Jeff Helfrich

In 2025 the city of Rochelle established the rank of captain within the Rochelle Fire Department. From left are RFD Capts. Jeremy Good, Zach Prewett and Jason Underwood. that will include utility underground- ing easements and contractors for a new ing, parking lot work and a bathrooms, electrical substation on Centerpoint storage and stage structure; and secur- Drive.

“When I was hired, the city put a strategic plan together,” Fiegenschuh said. “One of the mayor and council’s top priorities at that time was infrastructure improvements and investment and that has continued. We changed our capital improvement plan from five years to 20 years and we’re really looking out at capital expenditures and infrastructure improvements. I’m very proud of that. Because we’re building and supporting services that are going to help people who aren’t even alive yet.” The city also created a new grant program in 2025 for interior improvements to downtown businesses. A total of $30,000 will be budgeted for the program in 2026. The city has had a similar program in place for facade improvements to businesses citywide in recent years.

See lookback on page A12

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ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

City of Rochelle’s 2025 work included infrastructure and personnel work

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Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER

Rochelle News-Leader 2025 in Review: July-Dec. SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com A look back at some of the top RochelleNews-Leader stories from the past year. The January-June Rochelle NewsLeader Year in Review ran in the Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, issue.

July

Ordinary Golfer opens for business: Ordinary Golfer, a new golf simulator business, opened July 19 at 425 Lincoln Highway inside the Lincoln Mall in Rochelle. The business is owned by locals Sam Volkert, Craig Baker and Erik Garcia. Ordinary Golfer features two bays of high-end golf simulators. Food is available from nearby Acres Bistro and the business plans to serve beer once its liquor license is approved and in effect, along with other drinks and snacks. Patrons will have access to golf club rentals. Booking of bays can be done online at www.oggolfrochelle.com/ “We want to provide cheap, comfortable golf for people who may never have done it up to the most seasoned professional,” Volkert said. “You can do some real practicing in here or you can come in and just have fun and learn the game. It’s a really nice, laid-back place to come hang out and do some golfing.” The business is open Tuesday-Friday from 4-10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. Ordinary Golfer is closed on Mondays. Baker and Volkert are longtime friends and began golfing together two years ago. They also recently set up a golf simulator in a friend’s garage for use during the winters rather than driving out of town to more expensive venues. They began discussing the idea of a golf simulator business and got in touch with Garcia, who came up with the Ordinary

Jeff Helfrich

Ordinary Golfer, a new golf simulator business, opened July 19 at 425 Lincoln Highway inside the Lincoln Mall in Rochelle. The business is owned by Sam Volkert, Craig Baker and Erik Garcia. Golfer name with a clothing brand in mind. The golf simulator business has now come to life inside the Lincoln Mall, after Baker sought a location and got in touch with the owner of the building, who desired more recreational businesses in the space. “I’ve been here 38 years, and usually it’s few and far between whenever we do get something new for entertainment and recreation in town,” Volkert said. “It’s something new for people here to do and something that can bring people into town.” Changes Counseling celebrates 15 years: On Friday, July 11, a ribbon cutting and ice cream social were held at 604 N. Main St. Suite 4 in Rochelle to commemorate Changes Counseling’s 15-year anniversary. Changes Counseling has offices in Rochelle and Peru and offers individual, couples, youth and family counseling to people of all ages.

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“It has grown over 15 years,” owner/ licensed clinical professional counselor Christine Novak said. “Changes Counseling has served hundreds of individuals, couples, kids and families in the past 15 years. We have planted seeds of hope, nurtured resilience during difficult seasons, fostered growth of new ideas and self esteem, and launched careers. We have built relationships, strengthened families and supported people in grief and letting go.” RCH begins expansion: Rochelle Community Hospital is currently in the process of planning a multi-year facilities improvement process, RCH CEO Karen Tracy told the Rochelle News-Leader and Ogle County Life on July 23. In 2023, RCH received the results of a master facilities plan that analyzed the entire RCH campus. At one time, RCH previously owned farmland off Illinois Route 251 in Hillcrest and there was an idea that a new hospital would be built there one day. Tracy said that idea is no

more, and the master facilities plan will launch a process of updates and changes to RCH’s campus at 900 N. Second St. “There are some things we can do to renew services, expand and improve that will keep us relevant, and provide more and improved services to the public in a fiscally responsible way,” Tracy said. The process will start this August with the expansion of RCH’s Health and Wellness Building on the south side of its campus to merge its Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Therapy departments and Physical and Occupational Therapy departments into one convenient location to serve all rehabilitation and therapy patients. The expansion will take place on both the top and bottom floors and will consist of a new gym space below for rehab and therapy, and more space above for Primary Care operations and RCH’s newly launched Behavioral Health department. Willis Senior Lofts opens: On Friday, July 25, a grand opening event was held for Willis Senior Lofts, a new 60-unit senior housing development at 410 Willis Ave. in Rochelle. The project was completed in the spring after breaking ground in November 2023. Lincoln Avenue Communities (LAC) was the developer of the project, its second new construction deal in Illinois. Willis Senior Lofts is an Enterprise Green and Net Zero-certified senior housing development (55 and older). It features a double-volume community room opening up to an outdoor patio, a theater room, fitness center, community laundry rooms, an indoor dog washing room, a walking path, raised community garden, and bicycle parking. The four-story building is equipped with an elevator and other accessible design features making it well-tailored to the needs of seniors.

See review on page A7

ESTABLISHED 1861

Unger-Horner Funeral Home & Cremation Service 400 N. 6th Street, Rochelle 815-562-4534 www.ungerhorner.com

• REVIEW Continued from page 6 Fifteen of the 60 units at Willis Senior Lofts are reserved for those making at or below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI). The remaining 45 units are available to those at or below 60 percent of AMI.

August

Jeff Helfrich

On Friday, July 11, a ribbon cutting and ice cream social were held at 604 N. Main St. Suite 4 in Rochelle to commemorate Changes Counseling’s 15-year anniversary. Bearrows said the project will have “a significant impact” on Rochelle and local and regional businesses. He thanked IDOT and GREDCO for their support on the project, which he said took many hands to bring it to fruition. Spring Lake sees high numbers: Spring Lake Pool in Rochelle saw its highest attendance numbers in five years this summer, Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District Director of Recreation Maureen Stevens said Aug. 21. The park district attributed the high numbers at the outdoor pool to a hotter-than-normal summer, which also necessitated creativity with staffing, such as shift swaps so staff could have extra breaks and rotations and stay cool and sharp. Stevens said the park district hires over 40 staff members for each summer, regardless of expected attendance or temperatures. More staff were scheduled for shifts this summer to deal with larger crowds. The park district was happy to see high numbers this summer to increase revenue and provide a place for area residents to beat the heat. “Spring Lake has always been a community feature,” Stevens said. “Just

ESTABLISHED 2014

knowing that it’s still in people’s hearts is reassuring. It shows that all the work and effort it takes to open it every year is worth it because you get to see the happiness on everyone’s faces.” Garden dedicated to McNeilly: On Tuesday, Aug. 26, a ribbon cutting and dedication were held for the Diane McNeilly Memorial Garden at the intersection of North Seventh Street and 10th Avenue in Rochelle. McNeilly, who passed away in late 2023 at the age of 79, was an active community leader and volunteer, serving on many boards and working to bring about change within the city. The City of Rochelle erected the garden at the site in recent years and chose to dedicate it to her, along with a bench that bears her name provided by the Rochelle Kiwanis Golden K Club. The garden is near McNeilly’s former home. The ribbon cutting and dedication were hosted by the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce and the City of Rochelle. Speakers included Chamber Executive Director Tricia Herrera, Mayor John Bearrows and McNeilly’s daughter, Kristine. “Everyone has a story about Diane and how special she was and what she taught

September

RFD marks 50 years of EMS: In a town of nearly 10,000, Rochelle Fire Department paramedics often see former patients that they’ve helped in the past in chance encounters around the community. “I tell the new firefighter/EMTs that they need to keep a journal on the people they’ve helped,” RFD Chief Dave Sawlsville (RFD 1980-present) said. “Because you have an impact. You can’t go to the post office or the store without seeing someone from a past call. You leave an impact on your community. You made somebody’s really bad day a little bit better. That’s huge.” Sept. 1 marked 50 years of RFD providing ambulance service to the Rochelle area. Before that, ambulance service was offered by three funeral homes in the community. In 1974 there was a movement locally toward a fulltime ambulance in Rochelle. When Don Horner, owner of Unger-Horner Funeral Home, came to the city and offered to provide a full-time ambulance for $16,000, the city council decided RFD could take on the responsibility for a lesser cost. On July 16, 1975, the city council approved RFD taking over ambulance service and the changeover took place in See review on page 8

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City expands transload center: On Thursday, Aug. 14, the City of Rochelle held a groundbreaking for the expansion of its Rochelle Intermodal Transload Center at 1851 S. Steward Road. The RITC opened in 2020 as a joint effort between the city and the Greater Rochelle Economic Development Corporation to provide industries of all sizes with direct rail access. To date, the facility has transloaded 1,000 railcars and has served as a staging area for hundreds of shipping containers used by 12 customers. Increased demand in the area for rail-to-truck transloading and third-party logistics brought about the $4.8 million expansion, which will be 80 percent funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The event was attended by city officials and staff, economic development personnel, state officials and representatives from the railroad and trucking industries. Speakers at the event were City Economic Development Director Tom Demmer, Mayor John Bearrows, City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh, City Engineer and Railroad Director Sam Tesreau, Illinois Secretary of Transportation Gia Biagi, and the Burlington Junction Railway’s Peter Hoth. Demmer said the city-owned railroad is unique and offers opportunities for economic development by local businesses and the chance to attract new businesses. He called the RITC expansion “a great opportunity” for the city, Ogle County and the region and thanked the state for its support of the project.

7 ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

them and how instrumental she was,” Herrera said. ”Right up until she passed away, she was still doing all of those things and promoting Rochelle and telling everyone how wonderful it was. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate someone who was so proud of our community and steeped in the history of it. We are so fortunate. She was a great educator. People like that are the heart of Rochelle and are what small town pride is all about. We are thankful to the family for sharing her with us. We’re happy that people can come to this beautiful space and have a seat on the bench and honor her and her dedication.”

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Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER

• REVIEW Continued from page 7 September of that year. Rick Kasmar, Loren Edwards and Dennis Hooley were the personnel on the first RFD ambulance call. The city’s first ambulance arrived on Sept. 7, 1975, and Flagg Township later bought a second ambulance for the city and the city then bought a third ambulance for transfers. From September through the end of 1975, RFD ran 104 ambulance calls. In 1976 the department ran 400-500 calls. From Sept. 1, 1975, to Aug. 28, 2025, RFD has run 65,138 total ambulance calls. The department now averages over 3,000 calls a year. RTHS opens remodeled library: On Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, Rochelle Township High School hosted a ribbon cutting for its recently remodeled library media center. Back in January, the RTHS Board of Education approved a bid of $746,050 from Stenstrom Construction in Rockford for the remodeling work, which began in late April and concluded a few weeks ago. The remodel includes versatile space, flexible furniture, a content creation room, updated technology, and modern design. The LMC had not seen major changes since it was constructed in 2004. The ribbon cutting was attended by members of the community and RTHS staff, administration and board members. Speakers included RTHS District Superintendent Jason Harper, Rochelle Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tricia Herrera and Rochelle Mayor John Bearrows. “We’re extremely proud of this,” Harper said. “Sometimes it felt a little slower than we would have liked, but we’re here in September welcoming students and our students are enjoying this space, which we love to see. This space is for us to help prepare students for their tomorrow. This space is the Hub of Hubland. It’s welcoming for every single student, regardless of what year they are or what they want to do after high school.” U.S. Silica holds ribbon cutting: On Thursday, Sept. 18, a grand opening was held for U.S. Silica’s Rochelle Innovation Center at 1951 S. Steward Road in Rochelle. U.S. Silica is a mining company that has been in business for over 100 years with over 20 active mining and production sites across the country. The Rochelle facility, which recently was idle due to shifts in the industry, now has 10,000 square feet of new research and development lab space with a state of the art pilot plant facility. U.S. Silica representatives said it will be a “hub for innovation and scaling up new products for many years into the future.”

Speakers at the event included U.S. Silica Vice President of Products and Innovation Mason Borlik, Executive Vice President and President of Industrial and Specialty Products Zach Carusona and Chairman andChief Executive Officer Bryan Shinn, along with Rochelle Mayor John Bearrows and Rochelle Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tricia Herrera. U.S. Silica has a hand in the making of items such as plates, absorbents and bourbon. Carusona said the Rochelle Innovation Center project began in 2020. The origin of the facility goes back to 2009 when it was built as a production facility for products used in the oil field market in drilling for oil and gas. “Unfortunately due to changes in market conditions, a few years later this facility was idle despite being state of the art,” Carusona said. “The products were just no longer in demand. However, now with reinvestment in the facility, state of the art equipment, world-class people and world-class scientists are here. We’re happy and proud to be back in Rochelle. This site will provide growth and innovation and allow us to have smart people in the right place with the right equipment that will help U.S. Silica and our industrial business supercharge our research and development efforts and bring more specialized products into the marketplace and further contributions to the business and the community.”

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a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony were held for Davis Family Health and Trim IV Infusions at their new location at 450 Coronado Drive in Rochelle. Davis Family Health is owned by Dr. Kelly Ann Tonielli Davis and offers primary care services along with physicals and weight loss programs. Trim IV Infusions is owned by Dan and Ashley Luevano and offers weight-loss programs, IV therapy, vitamin shots, botox injections and more. Davis serves as Trim IV’s medical director and the businesses teamed up to expand and fill the formerly vacant space that was previously Northwestern Medicine. “Thanks to everyone for coming,” Davis said. “I started here with Davis Family Health in 2019. The whole reason I became a provider was because I wanted to help people. I am a doctor of nursing practice and a nurse practitioner. I was graced with Dan and Ashley coming to ask me to help them out with their business. Now we’ve expanded so we can help more people.”

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• REVIEW Cardott retires from city: On Thursday,

Oct. 23, the City of Rochelle held a retirement celebration and open house for Finance Director Chris Cardott, who will retire at the end of the year after 20 years with the city. After graduating from the University of Illinois with an accounting degree, Cardott worked at a bank in that area before moving back home and serving as president of the Northern Illinois University Credit Union for nine years. She then worked at Resource Bank in DeKalb as assistant controller from 2002-2005. Cardott was hired by the City of Rochelle as an accountant in August 2005 and was later promoted to accounting supervisor before replacing Bob Withrow as finance director in 2008. “I take pride in my work and anything I can make more efficient,” Cardott said. “It’s taxpayer money, and I treat it as if it were my own. There are great people here. My job changed over the years. I was in charge of human resources and risk management in the past. I worked under different city managers and with people from all of the different departments. It’s nice to get to know new people

November

Ashton’s Gomez sees chess success:

Kaiden Gomez learned to play chess when he was 5 or 6 years old. After he got older, the Ashton resident put down his chess pieces and board and stopped playing. About two years ago while building Lego, he saw a little glass chess piece and decided to start playing again. He played online and with friends. Last month, he won a national chess tournament for youth players ranked 1700 and above in Omaha, Nebraska. “I would’ve quit if I didn’t have my friends to play with,” Gomez said. “I progressively got better and realized if I wanted to continue, I needed stronger competition. A year and a half ago, my goal was never to be a chess pro. I slowly started joining groups. I played in Naperville, Peoria, Schaumburg and Chicago with club after club. My rating slowly got higher and higher and I got to where I am now.” In his first tournament in Schaumburg two years ago, Gomez lost every game he played. He didn’t let that discourage him. He went to a tournament in Chicago and won five games in a row and first place. He is now a part of the

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lowship Church Pastor and Former Focus House Teacher Nick Tornabene, Judge John B. Roe III, Rochelle Schools Superintendent Jason Harper and Former Focus House Director Greg Martin. “Tonight we celebrate 50 years of empowering youth,” Tess said to open the event. Focus House offers residential treatment for males aged 12-17 in the justice system that are court ordered by a judge to go to the facility. Kids in the program eventually transition back to their homes after education, treatment and public service work at Focus House. The facility has three teachers and two paraprofessionals. Other programming includes alternative to suspension services for kids that receive out-of-school suspension in Ogle County. Focus House also offers alternative to expulsion services and outpatient treatment for youths on probation, along with evaluations for youth and work with students at the Chana Education Center. Royal Arcade opens: On Friday, Nov. 21, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for Royal Arcade, a new arcade space inside local ice cream shop Roiel Scoop Ice Cream at at 316 N. Sixth St.

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state chess team online and has represented Ashton-Franklin Center High School in scholastic tournaments. The 17-year-old has played in over 50 chess tournaments. Gomez enjoys chess because he believes it makes people smarter, and smarter people make the world a better place. It’s a game he’s always been able to understand. “No matter how bad times get, if you always have something that you can grab onto that you have passion for, it’s great,” Gomez said. “I like the problem-solving aspect of it. When I see a problem and I know that I can solve it, I just want to. And if I don’t know how, that just drives me to want to improve and know what to do in future games. I love chess because I get it.” Focus House celebrates 50 years: On Friday, Nov. 14, a celebration event was held in honor of Focus House’s 50-year anniversary. The Ogle County treatment facility just north of Rochelle provides a continuum of services for at-risk youths including residential, counseling, education and alternative programming. The event saw speakers including Foundation for Focus House Board President Dave Tess, Focus House Executive Director Brenda Mason, New Hope Fel-

ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

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and see what their strengths are and to be able to help them succeed.”

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ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER

CHURCH DIRECTORY Ashton Bible Church, corner of Main and Paddock in Ashton. Pastor Farrel Stauffer, church phone is (815)453-2190, church website www.ashtonbible.org0. Sunday School for all ages 9:00-10:00am, Morning Worship 10:15am, Wednesday Prayer Meeting/Bible Study 6:30-8:00pm.

Calvary Lighthouse Church, Assemblies of God, Senior Pastor, Dr. James Horvath. 14409 Hemstock Rd., Rochelle. Sunday Morning: Sunday Worship & Children’s Church 10:00 A.M., Wednesday Evening 7:00 P.M. – Adult Teaching, Missionettes & Royal Rangers Childrens Classes, Nursery available for all services. HE-Brews Cafe is open before and after services. For further information, please call the CLC office at 815-5627701, or email us at staff@calvarylighthouse.com Church of Christ, Keeping Christ at the center in the Hub City. We meet Sundays at 9:00am for Bible Study and 10:00am for worship. We also have a Wednesday Bible Study at 7:00pm. 206 Erickson Rd, Rochelle, IL 61068. You can call us at (815) 562-6572 or visit us on the web at rochellechurch.com. We also have a radio program Sundays just after 8am on WRHL 1060AM. Minister Dominic Venuso. Creston United Methodist Church - Rev. Ilhan You, Creston: 126 West South Street, P.O. Box 209, Creston, Illinois 60113. Sunday morning worship 9:00am. Coffee fellowship at 10:15am. Steward: 507 Main Street, P.O. Box 80, Steward, IL 60553. Adult Sunday School, 10:00am. Sunday morning worship and Children’s Sunday School 11:00am. Contact the church office at 847-730-4370 for more information. facebook. comcrestonumcil faccebook.com/stewardilumc Elim Reformed Church, 140 S. Church Road, Kings, IL 61068. Phone: 815-562-6811. Email goelimchurch@gmail.com Website www.goelimchurch.org Sunday Morning Worship 10:00 Rev. Marv Jacobs Faith Lutheran Church – (14206 E. Flagg Rd.) – “Making Christ Known Through Lives of Faith.” In-person worship is available each Sunday at 9:00 a.m. or online at “Faith Lutheran Social” on YouTube. Worship resources are also available on our Facebook page - ‘Faith Lutheran Church ELCA.’ You may also e-mail Pastor Joy Alsop at Pastor@ faithlcrochelle.org for more information. All are welcome to join us! First General Baptist Church, 500 S. 12th St, Rochelle. Phone: 815-562-5221. Email: fgbcrochelle@gmail.com.Website: www.fgbcrochelle.org. Facebook: www.facebook. com/fgbcrochelle.Pastor: Rev. Angelo Bonacquisti. Sunday worship services: 8:30 am, 11:15 am and 6:00 pm. Sunday school: 10:00 am. We’d be honored to have you join us as we worship JESUS and continue to grow in truth and love for God and each other. A nursery, children’s church, youth group and small groups are available. If you need a ride please contact our church bus driver, John, at (815) 262-4275 by 8:30 am on Sunday. “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 First Presbyterian Church – An Amazing Place for Amazing Grace - 1100 Calvin Road, Rochelle. Email: info@placeforgrace.com. Sunday morning worship 9:00am. In person or streamed online. On our Website and Facebook Live. www.placeforgrace.com/ www. facebook.com/placeforgrace Harvest Baptist Church 241 Scott Ave. (Hillcrest). Rev. Duane Boehm, pastor. Email duane712@hotmail.com, cell 815-757-3427. Visit us on Facebook! Service times: Sunday morning worship with Children’s Church at 10 am. Wednesday night worship at 7 pm. Immanuel Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 16060 E. Lindenwood Road, Lindenwood, IL 61049. Rev. Dr. Matthew Rosebrock. Church Phone 393-4500. Church Worship 9:00 a.m. Sunday School Christian Education Hour at 10:30 a.m. Living Water Community Church 405 N. Main St, Downtown Rochelle. Phone 815561-6249, Website: www.lwccr.com, Like us on Facebook. We are Non-Denominational, Christ Centered, Casual dress, Christ Centered Live Band Worship. Mike Vogeler - Outreach and Seven C’s Pastor, Chris Bender- Teaching Pastor and Doug Bunger Missions and Children’s Pastor. Sunday Worship Service- 10:00am. Nursery/Toddlers

Ages 0-5 available during the service in the Splash building. Swim- Grades 1st-5th worship with the adults then break out for age appropriate teaching. Youth groups, Small groups, Life Groups and Workshops meet throughout the year for Bible teaching. 7C’s Mission- serves the community physically & spiritually each month from 1135 Lincoln Hwy, providing lightly used clothing, Hygiene items, a light lunch and Elder Prayer open the second Saturday from 10am-2pm and the 4th Thursday from 4pm to 7:00pm and by appointment. New Hope Fellowship (Church of God - Anderson, IN), 1501 10th Ave., Rochelle, IL 61068. Service: Sunday at 9 a.m. 10:30 a.m., (815)561-8400, www.NHFchurch.net. Our pastors are: Pastor Dan Sergeant, Pastor Nick Tornabene, and Pastor Dana Cox. (Classes for children through age fifth grade during service.) Rochelle United Methodist Church welcomes everyone to their worship service, and practices openness for all activities including communion. Worship is at 9:00 am. Sunday school for children begins around 9:15, following the Children’s Time in worship. A fellowship time with food and space for conversation occurs in Hicks Hall every week following the worship service. We celebrate communion with an open table on the first Sunday of every month, and on other appropriate occasions. Youth group is on Sunday evenings from 5:30-7:30. Our youth program includes service projects, discussion topics, Bible Study, and lots of fun and fellowship together. Some of our activities include packing meals at Feed My Starving Children, helping at Rochelle Christian Food Pantry and 7C’s, working with animals at Barn on Baseline, Mystery trips (Destination Unknown!), and Interactive experiences on Dating boundaries, refugees, and homelessness. Youth group is for grades 6-12 and friends are always welcome. Recorded services are available on our YouTube channel and our website at www.rochelleumc.com. Our services are on the radio (93.5 FM) on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am. Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/rochelleumc. Our pastor is the Rev. Dr. Katherine Thomas Paisley. Our address is 709 Fourth Ave. (815) 562-2164. Email is admin@rochelleumc. com. At Rochelle United Methodist Church, everyone is welcome and loved! Steward United Methodist Church - Rev. Ilhan You, Creston: 126 West South Street, P.O. Box 209, Creston, Illinois 60113. Sunday morning worship 9:00am. Coffee fellowship at 10:15am. Steward: 507 Main Street, P.O. Box 80, Steward, IL 60553. Adult Sunday School, 10:00am. Sunday morning worship and Children’s Sunday School 11:00am. Contact the church office at 847-730-4370 for more information. facebook. comcrestonumcil faccebook.com/stewardilumc

St. John’s Lutheran Church, 126 E. South Street, Creston. Phone 815-384-3720, Email: StJohnsLutheran@aol.com, members of NALC/LCMC. Worship is led by Pastor Terese Whitten 231-878-4150. St. John’s Lutheran Church is a part of God’s Family, planting hope, nurturing faith and harvesting love. Coffee or Fellowship at 10:00 a.m. Worship begins at 10:45 a.m. Sunday school is conducted during worship service except during the summer. St. Patrick Catholic Church Rev. Jesus Dominguez; Deacon Prosper Agbetrobu; Deacon Fermin Garcia; Deacon George Schramm; 244 Kelley Dr. (Corner of Kelley & Caron Rd.) PO Box 329, Rochelle, IL, 61068. Office Hours: 9:00 AM - 4 PM Monday-Thursday, Phone: 815-562-2370. Mass Times: 8:00 AM Monday-Thursday, Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00 PM English, 7 PM Spanish, Sunday Mass 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM in English and 11:00 AM in Spanish. Confessions: Monday 8:30-9:00 AM & 6:00-6:45 PM, Tuesday 8:30-9:00 AM, Thursday 6:00-6:30 PM, Saturday 4:00-4:45 PM Or by appointment. Religious Education: Erin Robles, Director of Religious Education, 903 Caron Road, Rochelle, IL 61068, 815-561-0079 or 815-562-2370. Website: stpatricksrochelle.com. Email: stpatrick-rochelle@rockforddiocese.org. Facebook.com/StPatrickRochelle. St. Paul Lutheran Church “Building Relationships in Christ, Now and Forever!” Steven Hall, Principal, Parish Nurse-Marcia Schnorr. 1415 Tenth Ave., Rochelle. Church Office-562-2744. Worship times: 6:00 p.m. Saturday, 9:00 a.m. Sunday. Our service is broadcast over WRHL 1060AM at 10:00 a.m. Sunday. Sunday School 10:15-11:15 a.m. Call 562-6323 for more information about the school. SM-ST2279369

• REVIEW Royal Arcade features various arcade games including pinball, Skee ball, claw machines and more along with darts, pool tables and a juke box. The space is a collaboration with Star Worlds Arcade, a longtime DeKalb business that has expanded to new locations. Roiel Scoop is owned by Jon and Marcela Nuyen, and opened in June 2024. Marcela Nuyen said at the ribbon cutting that the business is always looking to bring new activities for the community, and is looking at adding a climbing wall outside in the summer for kids. “We’ve never had more support anywhere we’ve lived or with anything we’ve ever done than we do here in Rochelle,” Jon Nuyen said. “We really appreciate all the people that come here. We look forward to being of service to people and we hope they enjoy our environment. It’s clean, fun and safe. It’s a good move for all involved.” The Echelon coming to Rochelle: A historic and longtime vacant downtown Rochelle building will be seeing redevelopment over the next year.

Joe Nuyen, Roiel Scoop, Royal Arcade owner At its Oct. 13, meeting, the Rochelle City Council unanimously approved a tax-increment financing redevelopment agreement with Down Range Properties, LLC for a renovation project at 422 Cherry Ave. Down Range Properties is owned by Matt Gerard, who also owns local gun shop Down Range Firearms at 303 Cherry Ave. The $398,152 renovation project at 422 Cherry Ave. includes tuckpointing, doors, renovation of office and residential spaces, and a roof. Gerard will receive a maximum of $199,076 in the agreement, 50 percent of the project. Upon the work’s completion, Gerard will receive a payment of $39,815.20 by each December from 20262030. The 422 Cherry Ave. property has been vacant for 13 years. In a letter to city officials, Gerard said his plans for the building include transforming it into a “vibrant, multi-use facility that will directly contribute to the economic

December

RCH opens behavioral health clinic: A ribbon-cutting event was held Tuesday, Dec. 2, for Rochelle Community Hospital’s Behavioral Health Services department that launched in April. The new department is located at the RCH Multi-Specialty Clinic at the hospital at 900 N. Second St. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Services are offered by appointment only. Call 815-561-1320 for appointment information. No walk-ins are accepted. Services are available for patients 12 years old or older. Health insurance is required for payment. Offerings include face-to-face counseling, behavioral telehealth evalua-

tions and medication management services. Behavioral health providers in the clinic are Licensed Clinical Social Worker Danica Reints and Nurse Practitioner Chiedza Nwakudu. Reints provides in-person counseling services for individuals as well as couples (partners, family, parental, etc.) Nwakudu provides behavioral health evaluations and medication management through telehealth visits. Reints and Nwakudu offer treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, couples counseling, depressive disorder, grief counseling, mood disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder, and suicidal thoughts or ideation. RCH has had a desire to start a behavioral health clinic since 2022. The idea came about due to a need that was discussed in quarterly meetings that take place with RCH and local police and fire representatives and mental health organizations. The Rochelle Fire Department and the RCH emergency department have seen a rise in mental health cases in recent years.

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and cultural growth of the downtown district.” Plans consist of residential units, tourism-oriented spaces, and multiple small business suites. TIF districts generate increment funding from property value increases within them, which can then be used to help fund renovation projects. Gerard said Nov. 28 that the building will be called “The Echelon,” a unique project planned to breathe life into the 120-year-old building that was previously the Savings & Loan building.

ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Continued from page 9

We’ve never had more support anywhere we’ve lived or with anything we’ve ever done than we do here in Rochelle.”

• LOOKBACK Continued from page 5 The city council also approved a tax-increment financing (TIF) redevelopment agreement with Down Range Properties LLC for a renovation project at 422 Cherry Ave. The long-vacant former bank site will be transformed by its owner into “The Echelon,” with plans for residential units, tourism-oriented spaces, and multiple small business suites. The city also took on personnel work in 2025, including the expansion of Rochelle Fire Department staffing and the establishment of the rank of captain within RFD due to rising call numbers and a desire for more safety at fire incidents. “That’s one of my proudest accomplishments,” Fiegenschuh said. “That’s an example of how a union and city can work well together. It was a really thoughtful negotiation that brought that staffing model to light. And I think it’s worked out well. I see how busy our firefighters/EMTs are. Our calls have gone up every year outside of COVID-19.” Public works staffing was also expanded in an effort to do more work in house and reduce expenses and time waiting on contractors. The past year saw the retirements of City Finance Director Chris Cardott and

Economic Development Director Jason Anderson. Cardott was replaced by Matt Hoffman, who was assistant finance director in Lake in the Hills. Anderson was replaced by former state representative and Lee County Industrial Development Association Executive Director Tom Demmer. “Anytime you lose seasoned staff members, it can be scary,” Fiegenschuh said. “That was our biggest challenge this year. We were able to bring on very talented staff to fill those roles.” Fiegenschuh said city staff’s work meant a lot to him in 2025. Fiegenschuh thanked frontline staff for carrying out city council policies and providing services to residents and called city department heads the “most talented group” he’s ever worked with. 2025 was Fiegenschuh’s last year as city manager in Rochelle, as he will be departing mid-January to take a position as city administrator of Washington, Illinois. Fiegenschuh’s proud of his final year in The Hub City. “We did projects big and small,” Fiegenschuh said. “We’ve had a great year Jeff Helfrich with a lot of successes that couldn’t hapIn 2025, the city of Rochelle completed a renovation and painting project on its water tower pen without a supportive mayor and city council. I’m super proud of what we near the Illinois Route 251 overpass. accomplished and I wish Rochelle the best in 2026. I know there will be a lot of good stuff happening.”

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SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com Rochelle Community Hospital has temporarily updated its visitor restrictions in response to the recent increase of respiratory illness in Rochelle and the surrounding area. RCH asks all visitors begin by checking in at registration upon their arrival. “Influenza A [H3N2] has rapidly increased in our community over the last week. We are seeing positivity rates of 50% of those tested here,” said Janine Sobin, RCH infection preventionist. “We need to be extra cautious to protect our patients, families and

employees.” The current updated restrictions include no one under the age of 16 is permitted to visit patients, two visitors are permitted per patient on the medical inpatient floor, and only one visitor is permitted per patient in both the emergency and surgical departments. RCH also requests people who have any symptoms of illness to wear a mask within the facility. These restrictions will remain in place until confirmed cases sufficiently decrease, and are subject to change at any point given continual percent increases. For more information, visit www. RochelleHospital.com.

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Sold to the next generation: Bearrows Auction changes hands to longtime partner Hickey Bearrows has worked in auctions for 50 years and lots of help from people By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com Bearrows Real Estate & Auction Co. Owners John and Dina Bearrows of Rochelle recently announced the sale of the auction side of their business to Josh and Kristen Hickey of Steward. John Bearrows has worked in the auction business in the area for over 50 years. Josh Hickey will be taking over the business as Hickey Auctioneering effective Jan. 1, 2026 after working with Bearrows for the past 21 years. Bearrows said he will continue to help Hickey if needed, but will be focusing more on the real estate portion of his business and his responsibilities as Rochelle’s mayor. “Dina and I have made the decision to slow down on the auction side,” John Bearrows said. “Josh and Kristen are taking over and that was always my hope and I’m very proud of that. I might still help some. I’ve met fellow auctioneers over my 50 years that may call and need an extra auctioneer someday. I hope to still do some work with them, but it’s time.” Bearrows started working in auctions in the area 1972 for Howard McAnly. He finished auction school in 1975 and later purchased the business from McAnly in 1991. John Bearrows estimates he’s done about 75 auctions per year in the area in his time in the business, including farm, land and household sales.

Photo provided by John Bearrows

John Bearrows (right) hands over the keys of his auctioneering business to Josh Hickey, who will be taking the business over after partnering with Bearrows in the business for many years. John Bearrows thanked the community for its support over his 50 years in the auction industry and said he’s grateful the Hickeys will carry on the work. “Josh has been a great addition to our group,” John Bearrows said. “He’s very good at what he does and he’s an Illinois state champion auctioneer. He’s very dedicated to the auction profession. In my 50 years in the business, I think I’ve only missed one or two auctions. I remember Josh was working with me when I missed one, and I never had to worry about a thing. I know we’re making the right decision.” Hickey is a part of over 300 auctions per year. He said the local auction business will remain as it has been for years. The Hickeys said they’re excited to take the reins, along with their two sons. When he graduated from auction

school in 2004, Hickey’s father called John Bearrows and asked if Josh could help him. “I was so mad he did that and thought I didn’t need the help,” Josh Hickey said. “John called me and told me to come over to a sale and I showed up and worked. And he’s been helping me ever since. I’ll always be grateful for that. We’re looking forward to the next step and seeing where it goes from here.” Josh Hickey said he’s always enjoyed selling items and he and his wife enjoy meeting people at auctions. John Bearrows said he’s always enjoyed the auction business because no two sales are ever alike. He and Dina called the decision to sell the business “tough” but said they’re looking forward to more free time. “In our last 10 years we started doing

auctions for third generations after I did sales for their grandparents when I first started,” John Bearrows said. “That’s when I felt it was time to start slowing down and enjoy life a little more and what Dina and I have worked hard for. I’m looking forward to the day when I can just go and help Josh sell and not have to worry about all the preliminary work before the day of the sale and work after the sale.” The Bearrows’ auction business has served the local area from DeKalb to Dixon and Mendota to Rockford over the years. John recalled working to grow the business and find clients in his early years. The first house he sold at auction was in Rochelle. “I remember being nervous about it,” Bearrows said. “As an auctioneer, people are going to bid and you just keep score. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. The local support has been pretty amazing. That all goes with how you service your customers and help them. We had household sales for years and there’s times when someone buys an appliance and it doesn’t work. How you take care of them determines whether or not you’re going to have a future in this business.” Since the COVID-19 pandemic much of the auction industry has shifted to online, which has been a change for the Bearrows and Hickeys. Josh Hickey said he hopes to do more live auctions in coming years. “I enjoy the live auctions,” Josh Hickey said. “There’s a certain kind of auction for every kind of item and certain things work better online or live or with a combination of the two. I’m hoping to do more live auctions again as time goes on.”

Salon Idyll receives facade grant from city of Rochelle By JEFF HELFRICH jhelfrich@shawmedia.com The city of Rochelle has presented a facade grant program check for $1,550 to Salon Idyll. The city’s facade grant program covers half the cost of any improvements made to business fronts in town with a

limit of $5,000. The improvements included a new sign and replacement of a front window, owners Mckaylee Beeter and Larissa Valdivieso said. Salon Idyll opened in early December at the former Hallmark building at 400 Lincoln Highway. “It’s exciting,” Valdivieso said Monday. “It was awesome to see our sign go

up. That kind of made being open real for us. It was wonderful to get the window replaced so we can see outside now. We’re just so grateful for the opportunity to get this grant.” Beeter said “it means a lot” to have access to the city’s facade grant program, especially for a business that’s just starting out.

“Literally every penny counts when you’re a small-business owner,” Beeter said. The city budgets $30,000 each year for the program and the money is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The distribution is done by the city’s

See Salon on page 15

OBITUARIES

Jeff Helfrich

• SALON Continued from page 14 community development department. City Community Development Director Michelle Pease said she’s happy to see a business has opened in the formerly vacant 400 Lincoln Highway space. “Vacant buildings are not what we want in our downtown,” Pease said. “To walk through the front door here and look and see what they’ve done, it’s beautiful in here. It’s a home run. It’s still the same building, but it’s a home now. It’s pretty exciting for us. It’s a vacant building that’s been filled up with a viable business and they’re going to continue to grow in this space, which is exciting for them.”

Pease said the facade grant program is a way for the city to invest in its businesses, namely its downtown, to encourage growth and improvement. The downtown area has been a point of emphasis for the city recently, with the construction of a pocket park on Fourth Avenue and ongoing construction on an event space off North Main Street and multiple parking lot reconstructions. “It’s important that we create that foot traffic for our downtown businesses,” Pease said. “And with this program, just being able to help them financially, even if it’s $2,000-3,000, that’s huge for a small business. We’re lucky to have a mayor, city council and city manager that understand and believe in the value of small businesses.”

2025

lth Hea & Wellness

JON MARCUM

Ellen Rose Horton, 97, of Rochelle, passed on 12/31/2025. Arrangements entrusted to Unger Horner Funeral Home, ROCHELLE.

Jon L. Marcum, 68, of Lindenwood, passed on 01/01/2026. Arrangements entrusted to Unger Horner Funeral Home, Rochelle.

CHARLES DAVIDSON

last of hisand brothers sisters to pass. brothers sisters and to pass. Charles is survived survived by Charles byhis hischildren, children,Lisa LisaWedig Wedig of of of Mount Morris, Morris,Chuck Chuck(Diana) (Diana)Davidson Davidson Kim Davidson of Stillman Valley; Valley;daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law, Kim Davidson Rochelle; six six grandchildren, Jennifer (Eric)(Eric) of Rochelle; grandchildren, Jennifer Speakes, Jacob (Devin) Speakes, Jacob(Megan) (Megan)Wedig, Wedig,Luke Luke (Devin) Davidson, Cole Muraira), Davidson, ColeDavidson Davidson(fiancé (fiancéKylee Kylee Evan Davidson Taylor Davidson; great Muraira), Evanand Davidson and Taylor6 Davidson; Brycen, Bradley, Brandon 6grandchildren, great grandchildren, Brycen,Beau, Bradley, Beau, Wedig, Harper Speakes Briley Davidson. Brandon Wedig, Harperand Speakes and BrileyThe family would to thank Lanet the Davidson. Thelike family would likeErickson to thankforLanet excellent for carethe sheexcellent gave ourcare dad. she gave our Erickson Funeral services will be at 11:00 A.M. dad. Saturday, January 10, 2026, at the UngFuneral services be at 11:00 A.M. er-Horner Funeral will Home, 400 N. 6th St.,Saturday, January 10, 2026, at the Unger-Horner Rochelle with Pastor David Rogula officiating. Funeral Home, 400 6th St., Rochelle Visitation will be onN.Saturday from 9:00with A.M.Pastor David Rogula officiating. Visitation will 10:50 A.M. prior to the funeral. Cremation care be 10:50 A.M. willonbeSaturday accordedfrom after9:00 the A.M.services. Interment prior toprivate. the funeral. Cremation care willname be will be A memorial in Charles’s accorded after the services. Interment willvisit has been established to the family. Please be private. A memorial intoCharles’s name has www.ungerhorner.com sign the online been to the family. Please visit guestestablished book. www.ungerhorner.com to sign the online guest book.

Born: January 4, 1937 Died: January 3, 2026

Charles CharlesEdward Edward DavidDavidson, 88, loving son, 88, loving husband, husband, father and father and grandfather, grandfather, passed away passed away on Saturon Saturday, January 3, day, January 3, 2026 at 2026 at the Serenity the Serenity Hospice HomeHospice in Oregon, Home Oregon, with hisinfamily at hiswith side. his at his side. Hefamily was born on January He1937 wasinborn on January 1937 4, Popular Bluff, MO,4,the soninofPopular Edward Bluff,Alta MO, the son of Edward and Alta (Head) and (Head) Davidson. He married Betty Jean Davidson.onHeSeptember married Betty JeaninMeserole on Meserole 24, 1960 Rochelle. She September in Rochelle. preceded him24, on1960 August 16, 2017. She preceded Charles worked16,at2017. Rochelle Vault for close to 40 him on August years as a worked backhoeatoperator before Charles Rochelle Vaultretiring. for close to enjoyed little projects 40Heyears as atinkering backhoewith operator before and retiring. watching histinkering grandchildren in sports. He enjoyed with participate little projects and Preceded death by his parents, wife, son,inBruce watchinginhis grandchildren participate Davidson and 9 siblings. He was theparents, last of his sports. Preceded in death by his wife, son, Bruce Davidson and 9 siblings. He was the

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ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

The city of Rochelle presented a facade grant program check for $1,550 to Salon Idyll at 400 Lincoln Highway on Monday, Dec. 22.

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SPORTS VIEWS Andy Colbert

Shaw Local News Network file photo

Oregon’s Tucker O’Brien puts up a shot over a Woodstock Marian defender at the Oregon Boys Basketball Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 26 at the Blackhawk Center in Oregon. the Hawks are demonstrating that style of play in racing off to a winning record.

Could this be the year that Oregon knocks off both Lutheran and Winnebago? No reason why they can’t.

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

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With holiday tournaments and much of the non-conference schedule out of the way, it is time for high school basketball teams to concentrate on conference action and shoot-outs. Then it is on to the IHSA tournament action. In effect, basketball has three seasons, with a different emphasis on each. As we get into January, more will be revealed on how good everyone is. Thus far, there is quite a bit of parity between the 1A and 2A boys. Sterling Newman, who won both the Forreston and Warkins tournaments, is the only undefeated team in the area at 15-0. Under one of the best coaches in northern Illinois in Ray Sharp, the Comets traditionally know to win close games. Over the years, Sharp has drilled mental toughness and smarts into his players. As a sign of this, Newman has single-digit wins over Eastland, Riverdale, Forreston, Byron and Galena. The Comets aren’t overly talented or athletic, but have put themselves in contention for a berth downstate in 1A? In the 1A sectional complex, Eastland, Dakota, East Dubuque, Scales Mound and Galena will have a lot to say in that, as they have plenty of wins over 2A teams. Oddest is Eastland beating Rockford Lutheran twice by a point each time. Lutheran is 7-6, but should never be judged on their record, as they usually play the toughest non-conference schedule among smaller schools around here. The other private school in the BNC, Rockford Christian, has yet to win a game this year. With all the hardcourt success enjoyed by the Royal Lions, that’s surprising. Or is it? Depending on who’s running the show, private schools can be really good or really bad. Rockford Christian has experienced leadership changes that have negatively impacted athletics. Enrollment is also down substantially. When Oregon coach Jarrett Reynolds played for Oregon, aggressiveness and hustle were his trademarks. That is rubbing off on this year’s team, as

Without a dominant team in area 2A, it is difficult to forecast who has the best chance to advance out of the sectional. Right now, Byron (8-3) is the highest-rated. Over the holidays, Oregon ventured to one of the hotbeds of basketball, Teutopolis, for a tournament. Though the Wooden Shoes put a licking on the Hawks, it was a chance to experience the basketball culture in a different part of the state. And, it is different, with the central and southern parts of Illinois having more history. For example, Teutopolis is No. 6 overall for most programs wins at 2,007. The leader is Centralia with 2,410. Collinsville, Quincy, Pinckneyville and Mt. Vernon are next. As expected, Chicago Marshall and legendary coach Dorothy Gaters leads the girls with 1,211 wins. Gaters also has more wins than any boys coach. Freeport (1,669) is 41st for top ranking among area boys, while Byron (934) is 24th for the girls. Close behind Byron is Sterling (892), who won the inaugural IHSA championship in 1977. On the wrestling mats, the LenaWinslow/Stockton coop is flexing its muscle, just like both schools did in football. They are ranked No. 2 in 1A, with another football power, Coal City, destroying everything in its wake in 1A. At the Abe’s Rumble in Springfield last week, Coal City beat No. 10 Oregon 71-4 and Le-Win 52-21. Compared with a couple decades ago when the northwest part of the state ruled 1A wrestling, the level of competition is spread out more throughout the state. However, one would be hardpressed to find a tougher regional than the one at Byron with both Oregon and Le-Win battling for a sectional berth. Last year, Oregon defeated Le-Win to make the sectional, where it beat Newman to advance downstate for the first time since 2008. Speaking of football and wrestling being interchangeable, it is Immaculate Conception Catholic ranked No. 1 in 2A wrestling. Of the 14 weight classes, defending state champ IC Catholic has individuals ranked in the top 5 in all but one. That sounds more like a wrestling club than a high school team.

ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

High school basketball scene coming into focus

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Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER

20 BOYS BASKETBALL: ROCHELLE 70, STERLING 57

Hubs pull away from Sterling after third-quarter run By DRAKE LANSMAN dlansman@shawmedia.com When Sterling made its run in the third quarter to make Saturday’s matchup a one-point game, Rochelle needed a spark. Senior guard Van Gerber provided it. Gerber scored seven of his gamehigh 24 points in the third to help supply the Hubs with a response in a 70-57 nonconference win at home. Sterling’s Jack Saathoff and Xavian Prather had back-to-back buckets to cut Rochelle’s lead to 40-39, but Rochelle (7-5) answered as its offense got back on track and turnovers piled up for the Golden Warriors (4-9). “I’m just glad that my teammates were trusting me to shoot the ball,” Gerber said. “I just kept shooting.” Gerber finished the game with four 3-pointers and scored 16 points in the second half. “That’s a senior leader for you,” Rochelle coach Tim Thompson said. “To be successful you have to have good quality seniors, and Van has played for me for three years. He can really shoot the ball and he was going to the rim a little bit today. “He made some big shots in that time that kind of just extended the lead.” Thompson was happy with how the team responded after nearly letting the lead slip away. “I knew Sterling wasn’t going to go away. They were putting a lot of pressure on us,” he said. “We weren’t hitting shots at the time and they started to make some shots. Our kids really weathered the storm there.” Rochelle’s Warren Schweitzer had nine of his 12 points in the first half as the Hubs led 38-29 at the break. The 6-foot-7 Warren Schweitzer and 6-foot-5 Eli Schweitzer (12 points) were a challenge to defend with 6-foot-6 AJ Coleman, Sterling’s only post player. Coleman, Saathoff and Prather all scored 11 points for the Warriors. DeAndre Maas and Brady Berlin each scored 10 for Sterling. The Warriors had 15 turnovers and a number of shots go in and out in the loss. “They just outrebounded us,” Saathoff said. “They pushed more in transition, and we just couldn’t fight back.” Sterling missed an open 3-pointer to end the third quarter and trailed 52-44 to

Photos by Alex T. Paschal

Rochelle’s Eli Schweitzer handles the ball against Sterling’s Jack Saathoff on Saturday, Jan. 3, in Rochelle. start the fourth. Gerber scored nine more points in the frame as the Warriors fell short. “They had more energy,” Saathoff said. “They were scoring more in transition, getting more rebounds, and we just couldn’t make any shots.” Gerber said the team was confident and trusted each other with the ball as the Hubs pulled away in the fourth. “We were able to get buckets whenever,” he said, “and we were playing good defense.” Rochelle is adjusting to the absence of 6-5 junior Brody Bruns, who is out with an ankle injury. Thompson hopes he can be back in a month or two. Bruns was averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds. “We’re playing more bigs than we usually do, and it was good to see Eli Schweitzer off the bench, only a sopho- inside as well as on the defensive end more, come in and get double figures,” handling the big guy from Sterling Thompson said. “We have had a size [Coleman]. advantage ... being able to get the ball “It’s only going to make us better in

Sterling’s AJ Coleman, who scored 11 points, works against Rochelle’s Warren Schweitzer (12 points) during Saturday, Jan. 3, non-conference game at Rochelle Township High School. Rochelle defeated the visiting Golden Warriors, 70-57.

February with these guys having to take on different roles. And when Brody comes back, hopefully we don’t miss a beat.”

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22 COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Meet the Mountain West Conference, NIU’s 2026 opponents, one by one Northern Illinois quarterback Rocky Lombardi fires a pass as he is pressured by the Wyoming defense during their 2021 game in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

By EDDIE CARIFIO ecarifio@shawmedia.com There are a lot of questions circling Northern Illinois University football heading into the 2026 season. Who’s at quarterback? Can the team score more than 10 points per game? And other things not involving the offense. The spring and the fall should provide clarity on that. But last month, the Mountain West provided clarity on where the Huskies will be playing for their first year in the new conference, and which teams will be heading to DeKalb. So what better way to spend some time in early January than looking at the 2026 college football season?

Mark Busch file photo

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

2025 record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 Mountain

West

2025 bowl game: The Rainbow Warriors came from behind to beat Cal, 35-31, in the Hawaii Bowl. It was their third bowl win in a row, having won the Hawaii Bowl in 2019 against BYU and the New Mexico Bowl in 2020 against Houston. Head-to-head vs. NIU : Never played. Shocking, right? Though the women’s soccer teams met in 2014 for a 3-2 Hawaii home win. 2026 meeting: Hawaii is heading to DeKalb. No word on whether any restaurants are adding Spam to their signature dishes.

Nevada Wolfpack

2025 record: 3-9 overall, 2-6 Mountain

West

2025 bowl game: None. The Wolfpack’s last bowl game was a 52-24 loss to Western Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl in 2021. Two years before that, they lost 30-21 to Ohio in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Head-to-head vs. NIU: The teams have split their two meetings. NIU won 46-42 in 1993 in Reno and lost 35-31 in 1994 in DeKalb. 2026 meeting: The Wolfpack will be taking on the Huskies at Huskie Stadium.

City. It’s a personality test of sorts for fans to see what the true destination 2025 record: 4-8 overall, 3-5 Mountain road trip is for the Huskies’ first MounWest tain West slate. Do you feel it’s the pic2025 bowl game: None. The Falcons’ last turesque beauty of Colorado Springs or bowl bid was 2023, winning the Armed the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas? Forces Bowl against James Madison, 31-21. They’ve won their last five bowl UTEP Miners appearances, most recently losing in 2014 2025 record: 2-10 overall, 1-7 Conferin the Armed Forces Bowl to Cal. ence USA Head-to-head vs. NIU: It’s the first meet2025 bowl: None. UTEP last qualified ing between the football teams. The NIU for a bowl game in 2021, losing 31-24 to men’s basketball team holds a 3-2 all- Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. time series edge, winning games in 1994, The Miners have lost their last seven 1995 and 2007. Air Force won in 1977 and bowls, their last win coming against Ole 2008. Miss in the 1967 Sun Bowl. 2026 meeting: The Huskies are heading Head-to-head vs. NIU: The teams played to Colorado Springs. With Wyoming once in 1996, a 37-6 victory for the Mincoming to DeKalb, the trip to Colorado is ers in DeKalb. The teams combined for the shortest trip the Huskies make this three wins that year. year – exactly 1,000 miles, stadium-to-sta2026 matchup: The 2025 versions of dium, according to Google Maps. UTEP and NIU combined to win five games. They’ll meet in DeKalb, each UNLV Rebels team hoping the new conference is a 2025 record: 10-4 overall, 6-2 Mountain new start after forgettable seasons. West 2025 bowl: The Rebels fell to NIU’s San Jose State Spartans former MAC foe, Ohio, 17-10, in the 2025 record: 3-9 overall, 2-6 Mountain Frisco Bowl. West Head-to-head vs. NIU: The Huskies are 2025 bowl: None. The Spartans made 5-0 all-time in the series, with wins in three straight bowls from 2022-24, losing 2014 and 2015 as well as 1987, 1989 and them all. They last won a bowl game in 1995. 2015, beating Georgia State in the Cure 2026 meeting: The Huskies head to Sin Bowl. That’s a stretch of four games,

Air Force Falcons

including losses to Eastern Michigan and Ball State. Head-to-head vs. NIU: The Huskies won the only meeting between the schools, an 18-17 road win in 1995. 2026 matchup: The only road trip more than 2,000 miles in the Mountain West for the Huskies, they’ll head out to California for the battle of three-win teams.

New Mexico Lobos

2025 record: 9-4 overall, 6-2 Mountain

West

2025 bowl: The Lobos lost in overtime to Minnesota in the Rate Bowl, 20-17. It was their first bowl game since 2016, a 23-20 win against UTSA in the New Mexico Bowl. Head-to-head vs. NIU : They haven’t played a football game against each other. Doesn’t look like they’ve played each other in much of anything. The Lobos won a 2010 baseball game in a tournament in Texas against NIU, 7-2. 2026 matchup: The Huskies will head to Albuquerque for the matchup. For a certain niche, pop-culture type of fan, it could rival Colorado Springs or Las Vegas as the No. 1 new destination. Particularly fans of custom-made Pontiac Aztecs, pork pie hats or Bryan Cranston. (It’s the filming location of Breaking Bad.)

Wyoming Cowboys

2025 record: 4-8 overall, 2-6 Mountain

West

2025 bowl: None. The Cowboys last qualified in 2023, beating Toledo 16-15 in the Arizona Bowl. They lost 30-27 to Ohio the year before in the Arizona Bowl, then in 2021 beat Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 52-38. Head-to-head vs. NIU: Wyoming won both meetings, including a 40-34 triple-overtime game that ended at around 2 a.m. Central Time in 2016. The quarterback for the Cowboys in that one: the one and only Josh Allen, who returned from an injury to run for the winning score in the third overtime. 2026 matchup: Wyoming will head to DeKalb, where the Cowboys were 50-43 winners in 2021. It was the last time the teams played.

NFL: DETROIT 19, CHICAGO 16

By MICHAL DWOJAK mdwojak@shawmedia.com

Mark Busch

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland hurdles Detroit Lions cornerback Avonte Maddox during their game Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. coaching it up.” Like they had throughout the season, the Bears didn’t give up. Williams hit wide receiver Jahdae Walker for a 25-yard touchdown and converted a 2-point conversion to chip at the Lions’ 16-8 lead near the start of the fourth quarter. He then found rookie tight end Colston Loveland for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game 16-16 with 5:25 left in the game, hinting at another memorable comeback win. But this time, the Bears’ heroics didn’t have a happy ending. The defense gave the offense the ball at the Bears 26 yard line with 2:11 left in the game after Kevin Byard intercepted his seventh pass of the season. The offense instead went three-and-out and gave the ball back to the Lions with three timeouts left. “I don’t think we deserve to win the way we played today,” Bears running back D’Andre Swift said. “That’s my initial thoughts. I don’t know. I didn’t like the way we came out at all.” Chicago’s defense meanwhile, con-

tinued its tough stretch for a second straight week. After it allowed the 49ers to put up 496 total yards of offense the previous week, the Lions had little trouble moving the ball down the field Sunday. Detroit finished with 433 total yards of offense, the fourth-most Chicago has allowed this season. Although the Bears defense did a good job of limiting the damage in the red zone, the Lions dominated the time of possession, holding on to the ball for 35:45 compared to 24:15. The Bears had a chance to make a stop when the Lions took over at their own 37 with 1:41 left in the game. Instead, Detroit picked up a couple of first downs, drained game clock and moved the ball down into field goal range for the game-winning kick. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to all look ourselves in the mirror and just play how we’ve been playing all year,” safety Jaquan Brisker said. “We’re one of the top defenses in the league, take the ball away, things like that. So that’s what we’ve got to do.”

The Bears were quick to turn the page despite the loss. As Johnson liked to say after the game, Chicago is entering a new season and will need to go on another four-game winning streak to win the Super Bowl. That road will start 7 p.m. Saturday when the Bears host the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in the Wild Card round. It will be the third time in five weeks the Bears will play the Packers. When the Bears do start that journey, Williams hoped they have learned from Sunday night. The loss didn’t cost them anything. But he believed that frustration could turn into something beneficial over the next month. “Use this frustration having two back-to-back losses,” Williams said. “But use this frustration and then find a way to get better. Find a way to put us, it doesn’t matter if we win the game by one next week or whatever the case may be. Find a way to give us and ourselves an advantage to win the game and do that.”

RNL

Caleb Williams struggled to find the right words as he stood behind a lectern inside the bowels of Soldier Field on Sunday night. Williams stood there, looked down and searched for a way to describe what had just happened. The Chicago Bears had just ended the regular season on a sour note. Yes, the Bears had secured themselves the NFC’s No. 2 seed for the upcoming playoffs. But they didn’t do it on their own terms. Chicago came out flat in its regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions. All sides of the ball failed to live up to the moment and the Bears didn’t play well enough to earn the No. 2 seed because of a win. Instead, Chicago lost 19-16 on a 42-yard field goal as time expired and relied on a Washington Commanders win over the Philadelphia Eagles to secure the spot. So when a reporter asked Williams about the aggravation he felt about the loss, Williams took a few moments before he finally found what to say. “It’s aggravating,” Williams said after the game inside Soldier Field. “It’s frustrating. The good thing about it is we’re going into the playoffs here, and we’ve got to find ways to get better. The focus has to level up. The urgency has to level up. The play has to level up. The mindset, mentality on the field has to level up because that’s what playoff football is.” Everything will have to level up from a performance that raised more questions than answers heading into the playoffs. The offense looked completely different from the one that put up 38 points and was a play away from beating the San Francisco 49ers in a shootout the previous week. The Lions held the Bears offense scoreless through the first three quarters as it punted three times, turned the ball over on downs while Williams also threw an interception. Chicago had 139 total yards of offense over three quarters and the offense couldn’t gain momentum. Bears head coach Ben Johnson said he didn’t hold back on his play-calling ahead of the playoffs. The execution wasn’t there. “I didn’t feel like it was one of our more elaborate plans,” Johnson said. “I felt it was one of our simpler plans. We need to do a better job of executing it and

ROCHELLE NEWS LEADER Rochelle News Leader / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Bears’ didn’t ‘deserve to win’ in loss to Lions

SPORTS

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY 2007: Coach Phil Jackson is fastest to win 900 career games, doing so in 1,264 2013: Alabama win second straight BCS championship, beating Notre Dame, 42-14 Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Sterling’s Brady Berlin is fouled by Rochelle’s Van Gerber (right) Saturday, Jan. 3, in a non-conference game at Rochelle Township High School. Rochelle won 70-57. Photo by Alex T. Paschal

PROVIDING A SPARK

Rochelle’s Van Gerber was the charge the Hubs needed Saturday, Jan. 3, with 24 points in a game against Sterling. Rochelle won 70-57 / 20