Week of October 16, 2024
Week of October 16, 2024
Last week, we reported on the proposed Track and football field project that the School Board of Lena-Winslow approved, and how they discovered a Village Water main lying underneath the current field. The School Board was told that there was no easement or agreement on record – after all the main was put in over 40 years ago – so the responsibility, and cost, to move the main would reside with the Village of Lena. So, the decision, as far as the School Board knew, was that the Village...
Freeport City Road crews will be working on lead service line replacements for the next four weeks on West Avenue beginning October 14th, which will heavily delay traffic one block at a time along West Avenue (known by many as Hwy 26) from Galena Avenue down to Empire Street. Traffic will be reduced to one lane flagging as this work is carried out. Vehicles should seek alternate routes if possible. Work will begin each day at 6:00 am, and continue until 4:00 pm. Again, this will cause major traffic delays one block at a time with the work...
Larry Sanders reached a whole new level of imbecility at Monday’s Freeport City Council meeting – to the point where he got called out during public comments. But … odds are he still won’t realize how much he is hurting the Council as opposed to helping it. You knew it was going to be a bad evening when an ordinance came up to approve a lease with Pete Alber for the fourth year. Alber rents out the first floor of one of the buildings in the Rawleigh complex. And it was pointed out,...
Former Dakota teacher and football coach, Daniel Sheets was back in court on October first where he pled guilty to the charges of Child Pornography of which he was facing nine counts for allegedly videotaping minors without their knowledge or permission. Apparently, the plea was a “blind” plea – which, as explained to us, means that no stipulation in terms of sentencing was agreed to. That means that the entire decision regarding sentencing now resides with Judge Schorsch, and could range anywhere between six and thirty years in prison....
The Lena-Winslow School District was facing an issue regarding their track. In a word, it was old. The asphalt was more than 30 years old, and has gotten to the point where there is no way they can resurface, or repair it. Bottom line, the track needs to be replaced. “We’ve known that the track was going to be an issue a long time ago,” said Superintendent Tom Chiles. “So, there’s been a committee looking into it for a few years now.” At the most recent School Board meeting, the...
On September 4, at 10:38 am, Freeport Patrolman, Dan Moore, responded to a call for service at the Mary Hosmer Apartments regarding a female who was possibly being held against her will. Patrolman Moore was initially the only Officer on scene and made contact with the suspect male, who expressed to Patrolman Moore that he was experiencing a mental health crisis. Officer Moore remained calm while speaking with the male and was able to convince the male to open the door so he could check on the...
The Senior Resource Center is excited to announce their upcoming Senior Lifestyle Expo slated for October 24. This exciting event offers FREE admission and is designed to provide older adults and their families with vital information and resources to enhance their quality of life. The Senior Lifestyle Expo will take place from 9:00 AM to Noon at the Freeport Eagles Club, located at 1200 W. Galena Ave., Freeport. The expo will feature numerous area organizations dedicated to serving seniors, providing a unique opportunity to connect with...
Lena-Winslow was cruising along in their conference battle at Pearl City – playing nearly flawless volleyball with a grand total of only one unforced error in all of game one. Combine that with nine kills, three stuff blocks, and exceptional defense, and the Panthers looked like they had everything well in hand as they cruised to the 25-15 game one win. Meanwhile, after a strong start to the match, the Pearl City Wolves seemed to get down on themselves as unforced errors mounted – nine as a...
Lena-Winslow needed a good scare, and the EPC Wildcatz delivered on the opening kickoff as senior star, Adam Awender, gathered in the kick, found a seam, cut back once to avoid an arm tackle, and was gone – 93 yards for the touchdown. The conversion run failed, but with only 14 seconds gone, EPC was already up 6-0. Panther fans weren't worried, they'd seen this before. Lena-Winslow would surely drive the field and run a ton of clock before claiming the lead ... But they didn't. EPC used a lot...
The gym was packed, the sound was deafening, and the energy was palpable as the one loss Galena Pirates paid a visit to Stockton to take on the one loss Blackhawks in their conference rematch. "I think this is all going to come down to which team can play in system," said Galena head coach Dennis Wills before the game. Truer words were never spoken. In game one the Pirates put on a clinic as they riddled the Blackhawks from every angle. Gracie Furlong led the way with five kills, while Mya...
When the West Carroll Thunder got hammered by Milledgeville earlier in the season, Thunder head coach, Abelardo Sustaita, did some self-scouting. "We were too run heavy, we weren't balanced on offense," he said. So, the Thunder took a lot of time to work on their passing attack, and Saturday in Orangeville, all of that work paid big dividends. West Carroll scored on long touchdown passes of 72 yards to Raef Picker-Schington, and a 41 yard strike to Roger Laborn as quarterback, Winter...
One week ago, the Eastland Cougars were sitting at 17-2 on the season, earned the #4 seed in the post season regional, and looked like a major contender. Since then, the Cougars were stunned by Amboy, lost to a strong Fulton team, then limped out of the Huntley Tournament after only going 1-4 on the day. In less than a week, 17-2 had turned into 18-8. "Everybody goes through slumps," said head coach Kelsey Thurman. "Unfortunately for us, we're picking the worst time of the year to do it." In...
Polo Sectional Tue., Nov. 5 Winner Galena Regional vs. Winner Indian Creek Regional – 6:00 pm Winner Serena Regional vs. Winner Forreston Regional – 7:00 pm Thu., Nov. 7 Championship - 6:00 pm Forreston Regional Mon., Oct. 28 (2) Stockton vs. (11) Dakota – 6:00 pm (6) Pecatonica vs. (7) Pearl City – 7:00 pm Tue., Oct. 29 (3) Lena-Winslow vs. (9) Forreston – 6:00 pm (5) Durand vs. (8) Orangeville – 7:00 pm Wed., Oct. 30 Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2 – 6:00 pm Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4 – 7:00 pm Thu., Oct. 31...
Kaydra Wright, the sophomore setter for the Stockton Blackhawks has a problem most setters dream about ... she might have too many options of who to give the ball to. "A lot of times they call out to me and tell me they want it," Wright explained. "but coach has always said that whenever I can I should set the middles because when they get it, that usually leads to a kill. So, I try to set the middles when I can, but – yeah – there are times when someone is hot – like Madie and Taylor...
Same Rife of RR/SM was able to shoot a 77 at the Rockford Lutheran 1A Golf Sectional to qualify individually for the State finals. The top three teams all advance to the finals, final team scores were: 1. Port Byron Riverdale 299 2. Rockford Lutheran 312 3. Fulton 315 4. Spring Valley Hall 330 5. Rockford Christian 331 RR/SM 331 7. Brimfield 347 8. Taylor Ridge 348 9. Peoria Christian 349 10. Roanoke-Benson 358 11. Erie 371 12. Aledo Mercer County 373 The top ten individuals who were not...
West Galena 9 – 1 26 – 1 Stockton 8 – 1 23 – 2 East Dubuque 7 – 2 11–11-3 Scales Mound 4 – 5 10 – 15 River Ridge 3 – 7 8–18-1 Warren 1 – 8 3–22-2 West Carroll 1 – 9 2 – 24 North Lena-Winslow 9 – 0 20 – 7 Durand 6 – 3 20 – 6 Pecatonica 6 – 3 20 – 8 Orangeville 3 – 6 12 – 9 Forreston 3 – 5 11 – 14 Pearl City 2 – 7 15–13-2 Dakota 2 – 7 10–19-2 South Eastland 7 – 2 18 – 9 Fulton 8 – 2 17–8-1 Milledgeville 7 – 3 17 – 6 Polo 4 – 5 13–11-2 Amboy 4 – 5 8–13-2 Morrison 1 – 7...
PCE Empowering Foundation is proud to introduce The Farm to Table Gathering, a new and exciting event dedicated to supporting our local communities. Join us on Saturday, November 16, 2024, for an evening of good food, great company, and a shared commitment to making a positive impact. Set in a charming, historic barn over 100 years old that was once used for milking cows, this event offers a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations while enjoying a locally sourced, delicious meal. As PCE Empowering Foundation continues to...
We are excited to announce that Lincolnway Dental has officially opened its doors on Lincoln Highway in Sterling! At 2501 E Lincolnway, our brand-new, state-of-the-art dental office is now welcoming patients of all ages, offering comprehensive and personalized dental care. About Lincolnway Dental At Lincolnway Dental, we are committed to providing top-tier dental care with a focus on patient comfort and satisfaction. Our office is designed to be a welcoming space, featuring the latest dental technology to ensure that treatments are efficient,...
OK, fair warning, you might not want to read this column because it deals with politics. I was taught at an early age that there are two things you should never argue about – religion and politics. Because what people believe in regard to their religion or political leanings is what they believe – you’re never going to change their mind. So, if you’re anything like me, as soon as someone starts going into a political conversation – I tend to tune them out. You’ve been warned....
I am sure this is common with others as it is for me: as a kid, tween and teen I often became involved with things because someone in my family had done them previously. I joined 4-H because my mother had been a member and my grandma a local club leader. During my time in 4-H I showed dogs, rabbits, participated in childcare and development and did cooking projects. For those who are not familiar, “4-H is delivered by Cooperative Extension- a community of more than 100 public universities...
My wife had a class reunion last weekend. She got to ride on her class float along with several of her classmates during the Homecoming Parade and later we all got a tour of the high school we both attended. It was quite interesting walking the halls of the old high school. Everything was so much larger back then. A lot has changed, but then again, it all seemed the same. That night her classmates and their spouses gathered for dinner and a time of reminiscing. The stories began to flow and...
A newspaper is like a woman, because every man should have his own, and not go rushing after his neighbor’s. Wife: I wish I was born as the newspaper, so you’d hold me with that much excitement every day. Husband: Please be aware, that I don’t read the same newspaper every day. So, what’s in the news today? “I have no idea. I’m just sitting here with the newspaper open to hide from my wife.” It’s weird the way that whenever you reuse old newspapers, the articles in them suddenly become fascinating. Freedom of the press is...
Dakota Lyle A. Reed, 95 Lyle A. Reed, age 95, of Dakota, IL passed away on Friday, October 4, 2024, at his home with his family by his side. He was born on March 2, 1929 to Russell and Mary (Walker) Reed. Lyle was a 1947 graduate of Orangeville High School. On February 1, 1950, Lyle married Cynthia Dunaway at her parent’s home in Afolkey, IL. Lyle was a lifelong farmer in the rural Dakota area. He started his career as a dairy tester, and shortly after he married Cynthia, they became dairy and hog farmers. Lyle enjoyed golfing, bowling,... Full story
