Jeff Helfrich

Rochelle officials reacted Wednesday to its receipt of a $237,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant from the state of Illinois for the construction of six new pickleball courts at Fairways Golf Course.

The Rochelle City Council voted unanimously Dec. 23 to appoint City Engineer Sam Tesreau as interim city manager. Former City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh departed Jan. 15 to take a city administrator position in Washington, Illinois.

The Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday, Jan. 19, to approve a $26,000 bid from IPS Inc. to paint the main pool at Spring Lake.

The Rochelle Township High School District Board of Education on Tuesday, Jan. 20, heard a presentation on a potential future solar array project that could take place this year.

There were no injuries to residents or firefighters after a Monday night house fire in Chana, but four residents were displaced and the home was a total loss, Oregon Fire Protection District Chief Michael Knoup said Tuesday, Jan. 20.

A Rochelle man was identified as the victim of an early Sunday morning fire on South Thorpe Road west of Rochelle, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said Monday, Jan. 19.

The Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees heard a report Jan. 14 from Village Engineer Kaitlin Wright on the short-term repair and long-term replacement of the currently closed Hemstock Road bridge.

The Flagg-Rochelle Public Library in conjunction with Ogle County Master Gardeners will be hosting a seed library kick-off event Saturday, Jan. 31.

The Rochelle City Council held a discussion Monday, Jan. 12, on power line construction from its Ritchie Road electrical substation to its Centerpoint substation, which is currently in preliminary stages of construction west of town.

The Rochelle Elementary School District board heard a bilingual/dual language programming update Tuesday, Jan. 13, from District Language Services Director Celeste Canfield.

The Rochelle Municipal Utilities electric department saved nearly $2.9 million through its generation plant in 2025, RMU Superintendent of Electric Operations Blake Toliver said.

The city of Rochelle and Rochelle Municipal Utilities held a ribboncutting ceremony for RMU’s new well house at Well 8 off Caron Road on Monday, Jan. 12.

Rochelle Township High School sophomore bowler Austin Hartnett’s best game of the season came outside of a meet. He bowled a 300 on Monday, Jan. 5, on a double date at T-Byrd Lanes in Rochelle.

Brion Brooks retired Dec. 19 after 11 years as executive director of the Village of Progress in Oregon, which serves people with developmental disabilities in Ogle County.

Chicagoland comedian Des Mulrooney will perform at the Lincoln Arts Center in Rochelle on Friday, Jan. 16.