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

July

Fellows retires from Pegasus Special Riders

On Wednesday, July 9, a retirement party and tribute were held for longtime Pegasus Special Riders Board President Donna Fellows. She recently retired after 28 years of service.

Fellows founded the current iteration of Pegasus Special Riders, after Pegasus Special Equestrians of Northwestern Illinois had existed in previous years before it ceased operations and was revived under a new name. The nonprofit, located at 6668 S. Carthage Road near Oregon, has been operating since 1997. It’s a therapeutic riding program for children and adults with special needs. Volunteers perform all of the required duties, such as working with the riders, caring for the horses and facilities, raising funds and providing the necessary administrative support.

“I knew about horses and I had always been a volunteer somewhere,” Fellows said. “My dad had Polio and I had been exposed to all of the things that Pegasus does. We just made the best of it, from rented barns to giving lessons. Then we had an opportunity to buy this land. Everything you see on this land is from donations. We do better with grants now. It was a good 28 years. I’m ready to hang up my hat. I stayed involved for so long because I love it. My husband and I spend winters in Florida and we’ll be there more now. This place is my first love.”

Birkey’s Farm Store looks toward future

Birkey’s Farm Store in Polo’s Precision Farming department has become a large pillar of its operations, offering products including drones & accessories, displays, steering, GPS signals, receivers, planting control, precision planting, application control, harvest solutions and water management.

Birkey’s Farm Store Polo Precision Farming Specialist John Boelens has been with the store for 16 years and has seen precision farming grow each year.

“Twenty years ago, precision farming didn’t exist,” Boelens said. “Each year it gets more integrated into new tractors and combines. It’s up to farmers to use it. Equipment comes with features like yield monitors and auto steer. Every year interest and demand in less waste and more accuracy and efficiency goes up.”

The precision farming department provides a service for customers that’s a little different than the rest of the store, Boelens said. He talks with customers and looks at their equipment and fixes needs if they have them.

For example, Boelens will look at a planter and try to make it more efficient and order what is needed and install it. For spraying, drones have come into play along with long-held practices of planes, helicopters and ground application.

“Now some farmers want more control of the application with drones,” Boelens said. “With all the licensing and legal requirements, they can do that themselves. We do GPS subscriptions and auto guidance in combines, planters and sprayers. We can also help with harvest time including yield mapping and data management.”

Ribboncutting held for new Byron mural

The City of Byron held a ribboncutting on Friday, July 18, to celebrate the completion of the city’s fourth downtown mural, Community and Connection, by Byron resident Nicole Arand. It was also an opportunity to recognize the businesses that contributed to the project: Fehr Graham; Byron Bank; Constellation; Loomis International; Sterling Federal Bank; Edward Jones, Charles Schaeffer; JT Designs; Sosnowski Szeto LLP; Stillman Bank, Weezy’s Sports Bar & Grill; and Byron Forest Preserve District. The mural can be seen on the west side of the Bub’s building located at 135 N. Union St. Organizers thanked Mayor John Rickard and the Byron City Council, Matt Pendergrass and the Painters District Council #30 Local 607.

August

Monroe FPD sees success with new model

The Monroe Township Fire Protection District has seen success with a new daytime fire and EMS staffing model since starting it in January, Deputy Chief Richard Wilson said Aug. 4.

On Jan. 6, the station began staffing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to better service its residents and improve response times with plans to possibly expand to seven-day coverage in the future. The move was made due to an increasing number of calls for service during working hours when many paid-on-call members are unavailable due to their career commitments.

“The new staffing model has drastically helped our community through quicker response times,” Wilson said. “We are evaluating expanding right now with funding. Right now it’s working out great and the community is being served. We’ve seen a drastic reduction in mutual aid coming into our community to cover our town while all of our personnel are at work. The calls that we couldn’t respond to last year were in the 30th percentile. Now we’re at around the 12th percentile.”

Before the staffing change, mutual aid companies from the area including Kirkland, Lynn Scott Rock, New Milford, and Stillman Fire were responding to more calls in Monroe Township’s coverage area.

“They were getting a lot of the burden,” Wilson said. “All of our employees are paid on-call and work jobs outside of town and were unavailable. Stillman Fire has a full-time ambulance. LSR has people around during the daytime. This being an older community with no volunteers in town, we were relying on them. We’re starting to take more care of our own community.”

September

Kunes dealership in Oregon closes

In a news release, Kunes Auto Group announced the decision to close its Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram location at 601 Gale St. in Oregon after more than 10 years, effective Sept. 1.

“Customers are being welcomed at our nearby dealerships, where all service and warranty needs will continue to be supported,” according to the release. “All Oregon employees were offered opportunities at other Kunes locations, and many have chosen to continue with the company. We are grateful to the Oregon community for their loyalty and look forward to continuing to serve the region through our nearby stores.”

Oregon City Manager Darin DeHaan said Tuesday that he was aware of the closure and the city had concerns about the impacts. The Kunes dealership is estimated to be the city’s largest sales tax generator.

“We estimate $50,000-70,000 worth of sales tax was coming in from that business per year,” DeHaan said. “Sales tax revenue goes into our general fund and helps to fund pretty much everything at the city, from employee pay and benefits to programs we do to office supplies. The other impacts are having a local dealership like that for sales and service for residents and to bring people in, and a piece of real estate like that sitting empty.”

Stillman Valley woman attempts to grow record pumpkin

When her daughter went away to college and her family sold its horses, Theresa Miller found herself looking for a hobby.

The Stillman Valley woman went into a Farm & Fleet 17 years ago and bought a packet of Atlantic Giant Pumpkin seeds. Her first pumpkin was 89 pounds. And then she grew one that was 400 pounds. And then 1,000, and then 1,600 pounds. Last year, her entry into the Illinois Giant Pumpkin Association Weigh-off in Minooka weighed 1,871 pounds.

Miller currently has three giant pumpkins growing in advance of the competition on Sept. 27: Patches, Dimples and Roxanne. She believes Patches, the largest of the three, is currently nearing 1,700 pounds and hopes to see more growth.

“I really hope I can at least try to break my number last year, if I can get Patches to grow a little bit more,” Miller said. “We haven’t had a great pumpkin growing season. I’m lucky to have what I have this year. You can lose them at any time if they split. It’s not at the weight I want it to be at, but I’m fortunate to have what I have. The high heat was a problem this year. I pollinate them by hand to make sure the seed is good. I use my own seeds. I sell the seeds to other people, I have sold quite a few.”

Miller will pick her pumpkins on Sept. 26, a night that has become a yearly event where people from the community come out to watch them be picked and loaded to head to Minooka. She estimates she spends about five hours each day tending to the pumpkins. Their growth process takes place April-September.

October

Hill Street Neighborhood groundbreaking held

On Oct. 7, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in Mt. Morris for the Hill Street Neighborhood. The duplex apartment project is planned to serve both people with disabilities and people from the general population.

Plans include 24 units in 12 duplexes and a four-acre public park with walkways to access the park for all units. There will also be a community building open to anyone in Mt. Morris and acreage for future expansion. The $10 million project will be funded by the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

The project is a collaboration between the Village of Progress in Oregon and Kreider Services in Dixon that has come to fruition after many years of planning. The Hill Street Neighborhood will provide a new living option for people with disabilities, which typically only include living with parents or in a group home. People with disabilities living in the Hill Street Neighborhood will be able to choose their own services, an option not seen in group homes.

“Five years ago, VOP Executive Director Brion Brooks told me about a crazy idea in Mt. Morris to build housing for people with intellectual disabilities where they can control their own housing,” Kreider Services Executive Director Jeff Stauter said. “That may seem like nothing to people without disabilities. Here in Mt. Morris, unlike anywhere else in the state, those folks are going to be able to pick who provides their services and who is in their home supporting them. And if they don’t like them, they can hire someone new. It puts them in control of their space and lives. And that is amazing.”

Lowden Memorial dedicated

On Oct. 14, a dedication ceremony was held for a new memorial in honor of Illinois Gov. Frank O. Lowden on the lawn of the historic Ogle County Courthouse in Oregon.

Lowden was governor of Illinois from 1917-1921 and a resident of Oregon at Sinnissippi Farm.

In 1899, Lowden purchased a 576-acre farm in Oregon on the Rock River. Over the years, Lowden bought thousands more acres, reaching about 4,400. Reforestation was started by Lowden around 1902 and continued until the country’s entry into World War I.

Lowden served in the United States Congress from 1906-1910. After being elected governor, he worked to make sure that the government was run honestly and fairly, and he wanted a new constitution that would centralize tax structure and permit an income tax. He gained wide notice as governor by his reorganization of the state government and by his handling of the Chicago race riots in 1919.

After his work in politics, Lowden retired to Sinnissippi Farm. In 1938, he entered into an agreement with the University of Illinois Department of Forestry to supervise the management of his woodlands in return for permission to carry out research studies on the forest. In October 1955, Sinnissippi Forest became the first Illinois Tree Farm.

Lowden passed away in 1943. On Oct. 7, 1993, Phillip Lowden Miller and his wife, Bonnie, sold 1,039 acres of the Lowden-Miller estate, Sinnissippi Forest, to the State of Illinois. Sinnissippi Forest was formally dedicated as a state site in 1993.

Lowden State Park in Oregon is also named in the late governor’s honor and is home to The Eternal Indian, a statue by Lorado Taft. Lowden stepped in to ensure the completion of Black Hawk was financially possible.

The new memorial was made possible by the Governor Lowden Memorial Committee, made up of President Stacy Flanagan, Dan Janes, Tom Suits, Ashley Simms, Bonnie O’Connell, Dale Flanagan, Linda Janes, the late Dave Stenger, Marty Typer and Paul White.

Adams, 90, places in national contest

Holcomb and Ogle County’s Dewayne Adams placed fifth in his division at the National Corn Husking Contest in Nappannee, Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. At age 90, he was the oldest competitor at the event.

Before farming became mechanized, picking corn by hand and pitching ears into a horse-drawn wagon was how harvesting was done. In the late 19th century, local contests were held to determine the best corn picker in the community. By the 1930s, hand corn husking became the fastest-growing sport in America, drawing over 100,000 spectators at national contests. Today the National Cornhusking Association sponsors a contest in the fall to determine who is the best. There are 12 classes that huskers can participate in. Nine states that are members of the National Cornhusking Association: Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska.

Adams qualified for the national contest by finishing in the top two in the state. He’s been participating in corn husking contests since 2017.

“Wagons are pulled just ahead of you with tractors,” Adams said. “You draw a number to decide the land you pick in. They pick rain, shine or snow. When you pick, you can’t miss an ear on the stalk or miss the wagon, or you get a deduction. You’re allowed to have two percent of the husk still be on the ear.”

November

K-9 Ball raises funds

The inaugural Ogle County K-9 Fund Bark and Whine Ball was held Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at the River’s Edge Experience in Oregon and raised $34,000 for the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Deputy Ali VanVickle said. The event included live music by The Vodka Boys, food catered by Ralfie’s BBQ, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.

The event sold 240 tickets. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit includes Deputy Kyle White and K-9 Gator, VanVickle and K-9 Saint, and Deputy Jacob Breitbach and K-9 Ace. Expenses for the K-9 program include food, veterinary bills, training, equipment and future K-9 acquisitions.

The K-9 unit is supported solely by fundraising and was recently established as a 501c3 nonprofit. After gun raffle fundraisers in recent years, White and VanVickle decided to attempt to fundraise in a different way with more community engagement. They worked on organizing the event since April.

“The turnout was better than we expected,” VanVickle said. “River’s Edge was completely packed full of people. We couldn’t have asked for more from the community. It completely exceeded our expectations. We went to the Rochelle Fireman’s Ball in April and that’s where we got the idea. We probably worked 40 hours a month on it for the past seven months.”

Focus House celebrates 50 years

On Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, 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 youth 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 Fellowship 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 youths and work with students at the Chana Education Center.

December

RCH opens behavioral health clinic

A ribboncutting event was held Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 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. 2nd St. It is open Tuesday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 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 evaluations 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.