A look back at some of the top Ogle County Life stories from the past year.

January

OFPD announces expansion

The trustees of the Oregon Fire Protection District have announced plans for a $4.1 million renovation and expansion of the current fire station on Washington Street, located next to the river. This project, slated to begin in late spring pending city approval and financing, will significantly enhance the district’s capabilities without requiring any additional property tax levy.

Over the last 40 years, fire apparatus has increased in both height and length, and the current space does not meet the needs of modern apparatus. Two separate buildings are used to house equipment. The new addition will consolidate these into one, increasing efficiency and decreasing response times when seconds count, which can make a difference in saving lives and property.

To consolidate resources, the district sold the unused Chana Fire Station, generously donated by the Canfield Family, and plans to sell the old ambulance building on Madison Street, generously donated by Oregon Ambulance Services. These donations have served the district well over the years, but the time has come to expand and consolidate all equipment into one station from which the district responds to all emergency calls. The yearly call volume exceeds 1,200, mostly ambulance calls, which averages three per day. This high demand necessitates the expansion to accommodate two Advanced Life Support ambulances and provide housing for the full-time firefighter/paramedics.

The expansion will nearly double the size of the existing station and feature an engineered metal frame structure with a brick front designed to seamlessly integrate with the current building. Key elements of the project include four additional apparatus bays, a new office area, and living and sleeping quarters for the dedicated firefighter/paramedics.

County board approves change for nuclear plant

At its monthly meeting Tuesday, the Ogle County Board approved three amendments to the Lee-Ogle Enterprise Zone that would see it increase in size, including one that would see the addition of Constellation’s Byron Nuclear Plant as the facility plans for capacity upgrades in coming years.

The Lee-Ogle Enterprise Zone (LOEZ) is designed to stimulate economic growth and businesses located or expanding in the zone may be eligible for certain state and local tax incentives, such as sales tax exemptions and property tax abatements. The expansion of the LOEZ to include the land for the three projects will be considered by many boards and councils within the zone over the next several weeks, LOEZ Administrator Andy Shaw said.

The land added to the LOEZ for the Byron Nuclear Plant amendment would total 171.92 acres. Constellation is planning to invest more than $355 million in the Byron Nuclear Plant to increase its capacity and is seeking support from the LOEZ.

The Byron Nuclear Plant produces 2,347 megawatts of electricity each year and employs over 600 full-time employees. Constellation’s investment to increase power output will include six low-pressure turbines, two high-pressure turbines, and electrical system improvements.

Constellation Manager of Local Government Affairs Ryan Tozer appeared at the county board meeting to support the amendment. He said the LOEZ would expand to capture the footprint of the Byron Nuclear Plant.

“We have a generational planned investment to replace the turbines,” Tozer said. “The bigger turbines will capture more steam air, rotate more and produce more megawatts. We will do the project in four separate windows and each window we’ll increase employment by about 500-600 contractual employees.”

The capacity expansion project is slated to start in spring 2026 and be finished completely by 2029. Tozer said Tuesday the improvements will extend the life of the Byron Nuclear Plant until approximately 2080.

No Prep Tacos opens in Rochelle

Local food truck vendor No Prep Tacos will be opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant in March just outside Rochelle at 7034 S. Klondike Road, the former site of The Kitchen Table.

No Prep Tacos is owned by longtime Rochelle residents and brothers Marco and Jesus Penaran. The business got started in 2023 by selling tacos at car race meets in the region and No Prep Tacos has been regularly serving Mexican food locally for the past year.

“We’re car enthusiasts and we’d go out to Chicago or the suburbs and go racing,” Jesus Penaran said. “We met a lot of people. We would always want a late night snack and nothing was open. We would always say we should bring tacos and sell them out the back of the truck. In 2023 a friend asked us if we wanted to sell tacos at an event at a racetrack in Indiana. We’d never done anything like that before. We’d just cooked for ourselves. There weren’t going to be any concession stands. We decided to do it. We sold out within the first three hours and we just saw something we could do. It ended up being so much more than just a side job. It ended up being our full-time job and we ended up here.”

Upon buying their food trailer, the Penarans were looking for a commissary kitchen and found The Kitchen Table, the donation and volunteer-based eatery/community pay-what-you-can café. They came to an agreement with the organization’s founder, Carolyn Brown, to cook there and served one meal a month at the location for The Kitchen Table.

Late last year, Brown and the organization opted to sell the building due to a shortage of resources and volunteers, and overwhelming need. The Kitchen Table will continue as a nonprofit in a reimagined form. The building was purchased by the Penarans for a No Prep Tacos restaurant location. Their aim is to open in mid-to-late March.

February

From the Heart holds final gala

With a record crowd of 330 people on hand, the 17th annual From the Heart Gala was held on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the hangar at Flight Deck Bar & Grill in Rochelle and raised $90,000 for nine area nonprofits, From the Heart Founder and President Dave Eckhardt said. That number tied a record amount raised in 2024.

From the Heart raises money for nine area nonprofits: the Rochelle Area Community Foundation, HOPE of Ogle County, Rochelle Christian Food Pantry, Pegasus Special Riders, Hub City Senior Center, Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center, CASA, Community Action Network (CAN) and FOCUS House. Each of those organizations will receive a check for $10,000.

This year’s event included dinner supplied by Headons Fine Meats and prepared by Flight Deck Bar & Grill, games, prizes and silent and live auction items.

“It was another great night for us,” Eckhardt said. “It’s tremendous how our community keeps stepping up and helping out From the Heart every year. We’ve been doing this for so long and the hope is that it gets better every year and it always does. More and more people are getting involved and wanting to come. Hopefully those people want to come back next year and that seems to be the case. The Flight Deck Bar & Grill does a great job with the food and we have to thank Headons as well for supplying the prime rib.”

Meridian preschool awarded

In February, Meridian CUSD 223 announced that its preschool program has been awarded the Silver Circle of Quality designation by ExceleRate Illinois, the state’s quality recognition and improvement system for early learning and development programs. The recognition highlights Highland Elementary’s commitment to providing high-quality early childhood education through its participation in the Preschool for All grant program.

The Silver Circle of Quality is awarded to programs that meet or exceed high standards in learning environments, instructional quality, and program administration. Programs receiving this designation meet or exceed quality benchmarks in areas like learning environment, teaching, administration, and professional development. It reflects the dedication of the preschool teachers to fostering a nurturing, engaging, and developmentally appropriate educational experience for young learners.

“We are honored to receive this distinction, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our educators and staff,” Jacque Buchanan, principal, Highland Elementary, said. “Our mission has always been to provide a strong foundation for our children’s future success, and this recognition affirms our commitment to excellence.”

March

50th Leaf River alumni event held

A cherished tradition came to a close as the Leaf River Alumni Organization hosted the 50th and final Alumni Basketball Event at the former Leaf River High School on March 1 at the River Valley Complex. This milestone marked the conclusion of five decades of alumni gatherings at the original school site, bringing together generations of former students, athletes, and community members for one last time.

The evening’s program was led by Master of Ceremonies Terry Miller, a 1977 graduate, who guided attendees through an evening filled with nostalgia and camaraderie. The event honored the Class of 1975, with several graduates from the class in attendance to celebrate their legacy and contributions to the Leaf River community.

Cathy Sisto, daughter of Red and Aggie Baker, shared a touching reflection on the event’s history, saying, “I can still see my parents along with Emerson and Alma Baker as they planned and organized this event in 1975. They would all be so happy that it continued for 50 years. Thank you to all who kept the LRHS Demon spirit alive!”

Hunter wins EMT award

On March 3, Oregon VFW Post 8739 presented Greg Hunter of the Oregon Fire Department with its EMT of the Year Award. VFW Senior Vice Commander Lee Ossmann and Assistant Quartermaster Robert Coulter along with OFD Chief Michael Knoup presented Hunter with a certificate and his wife Lyn Hunter pinned his award on his chest.

The VFW congratulated Hunter and thanked him for serving the community. The award is given out yearly by the Oregon VFW to a firefighter and/or EMT.

“I’m just a small cog in everything that gets done here,” Hunter said. “I’m thankful to all of the other people that work here that help me to do my job and keep me safe.”

Hunter comes from a military family. His father served in the Air Force. He was the first of his family to not go into the service, due to his desire to become a park ranger and the fact that there wasn’t a war going on. After long conversations with his family, Hunter went to college and realized his dream of becoming a park ranger.

While serving as a park ranger in the 1980s, Hunter joined the local fire department in the area. After he was hired by the conservation police, he let his firefighting licenses expire while he worked as an officer for 26 years before getting back into the firefighting field.

“I’m 65 now,” Hunter said. “I know firefighting is a young man’s job, but thankfully I’m in pretty good shape and I work with some wonderful people here to help with the load.”

April

Mt. Morris Fire proposition passes

During the April 1 Consolidated Election, a proposition for the Mt. Morris Fire Protection District to issue $4.5 million in bonds to build and equip a new fire station passed with 66.67 percent of the vote (438 votes in favor, 219 votes against).

In 2023, the MMFPD Board purchased land for the new firehouse site in the 10 block of South McKendrie Avene. Previous structures were demolished for the project. The site was chosen due to its proximity to the district’s service area and access to utilities such as water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and fiber optic lines.

The district’s current facility is a century old and has seen issues with housing newer, larger emergency vehicles. After the new facility is in operation, the old facility would be put up for sale.

The project for the new fire station has seen community support and donations in recent years.

Drawdown raises funds

The Meridian Education Foundation announced the success of its annual Drawdown Event, held at PrairieFire, which raised over $17,000 to support senior student scholarships and teacher classroom grants for the upcoming school year.

The achievement was made possible through drawdown ticket sales, raffle drawings, silent auction items, and sponsorships. The event drew a crowd of over 130 attendees, all coming together to support education and opportunity within the Meridian community.

Last year, the foundation distributed over $15,000 in scholarships. Thanks to this year’s outcome, the foundation is once again poised to make an impact on the educational journey of Meridian students and teachers.

Speakes hired at OJSHS

Oregon CUSD 220 announced the hiring of Jen Speakes as the new principal of Oregon Junior/Senior High School.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been part of many hiring processes,” Superintendent Dr. PJ Caposey said. “This was the finest group of finalist candidates I’ve encountered. Jen set herself apart with her unique combination of instructional coaching experience, high school assistant principalship, and proven success as a junior high principal. She is exactly the right fit for where OJSHS is headed.”

Speakes brings with her a commitment to the Ogle County area and to public education. A lifelong resident of the region, she currently lives in Mt. Morris with her husband, Eric, and their daughter, Harper, age 6. The family has been farming locally for the past four years.

Speakes holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in pre-law from Eastern Illinois University, a master’s in teaching from Rockford University, and a master’s in educational leadership from the American College of Education. Her professional experience spans more than 15 years, including:

Three years as an English teacher at Belvidere High School; seven years at Jefferson High School, where she served as an English teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal; and three years of leadership at Meridian Junior High, including one year as principal-in-waiting and two years as principal.

“I’m honored and excited to join Oregon Junior/Senior High School,” Speakes said. “This is a school and district with a powerful sense of purpose and a deep commitment to students. I can’t wait to partner with staff, students, families, and the community to build on the great work already underway and meet the challenges ahead.”

May

Pegasus Special Riders hosts Lee County students

On May 6, Pegasus Special Riders in Oregon hosted a class of students from the Lee County Special Education Association’s Transition Program for a workshop that focused on horse care and interaction.

Pegasus Special Riders was formed in 1997 as a nonprofit organization to provide therapeutic equine services to individuals with special challenges in Ogle County and surrounding counties. The purpose of its programs are to improve lives in ways that can only be accomplished with the help of a horse.

The Lee County class that visited PSR is composed of nine students, ages 18-22, with various disabilities, including Autism, Down’s Syndrome, and traumatic brain injury, among others. The students are still in school, working on their independent living and vocational skills.

Two of the class’s students, Emily Conderman and Anthony Burke, shared their experiences from their day at Pegasus Special Riders.

“It was fun,” Conderman said. “Because I like horses. I’ve ridden horses before. But it was fun leading them around. I learned how to put a halter on a horse. I want to do it again. The class had fun there.”

“I got to work with the horses and lead them around,” Burke said. “It was awesome. I’ve done it before. It helped me and made me happy. We thought it was cool. I miss Pride, the horse. I met him while I was there. He was my best pal. He’s 25 and I’m 21.”

Byron 2nd graders hold food drive

In an inspiring show of compassion and community spirit, the second-grade students at Mary Morgan Elementary School recently led a successful food drive, collecting and delivering hundreds of non-perishable food items to the Byron Schools Food Pantry.

Guided by their dedicated teachers in March and April — Annie Burke, Becky Hull, Rebecca King, Joslynn Lindsey, and Ashley Stickler — the students embraced the opportunity to support local families in need. Their efforts not only brought in an extraordinary number of donations but also reflected the power of kindness and generosity, even from the youngest members of the community.

When the students delivered their donations, they were welcomed by Caryn Hoover, one of the pantry’s co-founders. Hoover gave the students a tour of the food pantry and spoke with them about the needs many families in the community face. Her thoughtful explanation helped the children understand how their donations would directly support fellow students and families experiencing food insecurity.

The Byron Schools Food Pantry, founded in 2017 by Nikki Yerly, Susan Freyer, and Hoover established to assist students and families within the district. Today, the pantry serves 10 to 15 local families each week, providing groceries and vouchers for perishable items. Additionally, it supplies 100 to 150 snacks and breakfast items to children across all three Byron schools every week.

“These food drives and donations are more than just collecting cans and boxes,” Freyer said. “It is a chance for our students to learn about empathy, service, and the difference they can make in the lives of others. We are so thankful that the second-grade team embraced this philosophy and filled our shelves in the process.”

VOP and Kiwanis partner for accessibility

Enjoying the outdoors is getting easier for people with disabilities thanks to a new collaborative effort between Village of Progress and the Kiwanis Club of Oregon-Mt. Morris.

The Kiwanis Club of Oregon-Mt. Morris announced the donation of a GRIT Freedom Chair to the Village of Progress. This equipment combines features of a wheelchair and a mountain bike, allowing it to navigate terrain that standard wheelchairs cannot. Grass, sand, and other uneven surfaces can be traversed with considerably less effort than a traditional wheelchair. The GRIT Freedom Chair is designed for the purpose of increasing people’s ability to access outdoor spaces for recreation.

Village of Progress will be able to use the Freedom Chair to take clients who use a wheelchair on outdoor trips including state parks and other natural areas. When not in use by a client, Village of Progress will share the Freedom Chair with local nonprofits such as camps and youth organizations on an as-needed basis. This collaboration aims to reach as many people as possible, making opportunities like trips to summer camp, hikes, or fishing trips accessible to people who would previously have been unable to participate. Groups wishing to inquire about the chair should contact Village of Progress at 815-732-2126.

“Our club is honored to collaborate with Village of Progress in such a meaningful way,” Kiwanis of Oregon-Mt. Morris President Caleb Jenks said. “The value of time together in the outdoors is tremendous, and we are blessed to be able to work to make outdoor time more available to those with special needs. We wish Village of Progress many memorable outings with this chair, and are profoundly grateful for their willingness to collaborate with other groups to help us reach as many people as possible.”

Etnyre flags honor veterans

Now lining the driveway of Etnyre International in Oregon ahead of Memorial Day are 154 flags purchased by employees, each honoring a friend or family member that served in the United States military.

The flags flew recently for the first time in honor of Memorial Day and will continue to be put up in years to come for the holiday along with July 4, Labor Day and Veterans Day. The idea came from Etnyre’s veterans committee, Etnyre Engineer and Committee Member Matt Maginnis said.

“We’ve put signs out front in the past for Veterans Day and Memorial Day,” Maginnis said. “We saw a lot of places that placed flags along their driveways and we had a meeting and said we should do that too. We have a long driveway we thought would look nice. We figured out what it would cost and opened it up to employees here with the chance to honor friends and family members that have served with each flag. It was $10 per flag, and each flag has a dog tag to honor a service member. We engraved all of the tags.”

Maginnis said the Etnyre veterans committee originally hoped to get a couple dozen flags purchased. 60 flags were ordered and soon so many were purchased that another order had to be placed.

“It’s been far bigger than we thought it would be,” Maginnis said. “A lot of employees have purchased multiple flags. That was overwhelming and it’s overwhelming to drive down the driveway now with all the flags placed. It’s humbling to think about all the people that wanted to help out and support it. It’s a pretty amazing sight.”

Sinnissippi Centers opens Byron location

Sinnissippi Centers’ opened the agency’s newest office on May 12. The new Byron office is located at 212 W. Blackhawk Drive.

“This is Sinnissippi Centers’ third office in Ogle County,” Sinnissippi Centers president/CEO Stacie Kemp said. “The demand for services in Ogle County and the lack of ability to expand at the existing Oregon and Rochelle offices helped lead to the decision to open a third office and to locate it in Byron. We already had a number of Sinnissippi clients in Byron and having a location in the Byron area will contribute to their quality of life and quality of care.”

Sinnissippi Centers’ Byron office is a full-service location offering outpatient treatment for mental illness and substance use. Lynnsey Worrell, LPC, is the Byron office supervisor and oversees all clinical operations there.

“We have five employees right now working in the office,” Worrell said. “We provide services to adults, children and adolescents. Our services include outpatient substance use treatment, individual mental health therapy, family therapy, psychiatric services, anger management, domestic violence intervention prevention, and many more.”

Support for the expansion of services was provided by the Ogle County 708 Board. Ogle County is not the only area seeing an increase in services in the past few years. The increased demand for services has been evident across the agency’s entire service area. While that started during the COVID-19 pandemic, the heightened demand has remained to the present time.

June

Rock River Center marks 50 years

On June 21, the Rock River Center in Oregon held a 50th anniversary celebration open house. The event included a dedication of the building to James and Catherine Ehnen, historical photos, former staff and board members, and a performance by The Four C Notes, a Frankie Valli tribute band.

Rock River Center was established in 1975 and its mission is to provide resources, activities and services that improve the quality of life for Ogle County’s older adults, the disadvantaged, caregivers and the greater community.

All Ogle County residents have access to services at the Rock River Center including assistance with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, property tax freezes, benefit access assistance, license plate discounts, caregiver assistance, and heating & energy bill assistance. RRC offers support groups for low vision, caregivers, cancer and diabetes.

Rock River Center works with other senior centers in the county to provide information and assistance. At its own building, it offers educational, recreational and entertainment activities including a game room with pool, shuffleboard and card games and hosts bingo twice a month. Lifescape Community Services operates its Meals on Wheels dispatch for Ogle and Lee counties out of the Rock River Center. The RRC also offers transportation services to all of Ogle County, Executive Director Jamie Nobis said.

“We’re a provider through the Reagan Mass Transit District,” Nobis said. “We operate on a grant and suggested donations and service people who need rides within the county. We travel to Rockford five days a week for people to go to things like doctor’s appointments. We have four big buses and two minivans and three drivers and a transportation coordinator.”

The July-December Ogle County Life Year in Review will run in the Monday, Jan. 12, 2026 edition.