The risk to aerial applicators was magnified last month with four crashes within eight days in Illinois, one of them an applicator plane crash near the Ogle County Airport in Mt. Morris along Illinois Route 64. The 23-year-old pilot died in the crash.

Several northern Illinois counties have struggled in the past two years to regulate area rodeos after an animal rights group captured multiple videos of animal abuse at the events. The advocacy group's footage shows animals being hit in the face, tripped and prodded.

John R. Anderson, III, 42, pleaded not guilty Wednesday Aug. 6, 2025, to two counts of aggravated stalking, five counts of stalking, harassment by telephone, and three counts of violating an order of protection.

Sunny skies and mild temps made for a perfect setting for three National Night Outs in Ogle County on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. The evening events, organized by the Ogle County Sheriff’s Department, Oregon Police Department, and Mt. Morris Police Department, were held in Byron, Oregon and Mt. Morris.

Sheriff Brian VanVickle privately shared his decision with close supporters at a June fundraiser, then followed up with a formal public declaration Monday

Man charged with DUI after striking pickup Saturday, July 26, 2025, and injuring one person.

The pilot of a cropdusting plane died Tuesday morning when a plane crashed near the Ogle County Airport, between Oregon and Mt. Morris

Michael Kaemke, 54, is charged with repeatedly contacting a woman he is accused of unlawfully restraining in 2024.

Brandon M. Schmidt, of North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, was pronounced dead at Rochelle Community Hospital.

A 40-year-old man is dead, and another person injured, following a mid-air skydiving incident near Rochelle.

During the public comment period at the start of the meeting, several people alleged misconduct by a female high school teacher played a role in the deaths.

The incident remains under investigation. No further threat to the community exists at this time, authorities said.

Armon D. Pearson, 25, was sentenced to 24 months of probation after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor offense as he appeared before Judge Anthony Peska.

The driver of the semi-tractor and trailer was ticketed for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper lane usage.

Matthew L. Thoreson, 23, is charged with aggravated arson, a Class X felony, following a Thursday, May 1, house fire in Oregon.

Timothy J. O’Dell, 28, of Rochelle, was remanded to the Ogle County Jail following the decision by Judge Anthony Peska on April 24.

Derek Swanlund, 44, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges that accuse him of fatally shooting Cameron Pasley on April 21, 2025, in Mt. Morris.

A rural Dixon man charged with the attempted murder of three police officers at his residence in June will now be represented by a private attorney, a move that comes after two Ogle County public defenders who both defended him left the office.

Derek Swanlund, 44, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Cameron Pasley, 25, also of Mt. Morris.

Cameron Pasley, 25, was shot several times at his residence in Mt. Morris in what police describe as a “domestic incident.”

One person is dead and another charged with first-degree murder in what police are calling a “domestic incident” that happened late Monday afternoon.

Victims tell court about 'horrors' they say Duane Upchurch, 60, caused during 2004, 2008.

Victims tell court about 'horrors' they say Duane Upchurch, 60, caused during 2004, 2008.

Jonathon Gounaris, 32, is charged with four counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, three counts of aggravated battery and two counts of possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card.

Treatment to begin while he is held in the Ogle County Jail.

Police say the vehicle overturned several times.

Christopher J. Kaepplinger, 54, was sentenced to four years of probation with a long list of special conditions through a plea agreement.

Dixon Rural and Dixon City firefighters, along with Advance EMS, were dispatched to a residential structure fire at 4:41 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at 8259 S. Main St. in Grand Detour.

A rural Dixon man charged with the attempted murder of three police officers at his residence in June will remain jailed while an Ogle County judge reviews arguments made by his defense attorney.

The sheriff’s department received a call at 9:59 a.m. Friday, March 7, 2025, of a deceased person at the small rural home located about 3 1/2 miles east of Oregon.

An Ashton teen pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree murder, admitting he used a belt to strangle his girlfriend to death four months ago in the apartment they shared.

A rural Dixon man charged with the attempted murder of three police officers at his residence in June will remain jailed.

A rural Dixon man charged with the attempted murder of three police officers at his residence in June will remain jailed despite new information argued by the defense calling the incident a “paradox of a welfare check.”

Sheriffs from across the Sauk Valley said state law forbids them from assisting with newly sworn-in President Donald Trump’s promise to “launch the largest deportation program in American history.”

Pilot had left the two-seat plane after landing it.

State Reps. Tony McCombie and Brad Fritts presented an Illinois House resolution to three officers and the Ogle County sheriff.

A rural Dixon man charged with attempting to murder three police officers in June will remain jailed while continuing to review evidence that will be presented as his case proceeds through the courts.

His plea and sentence came 19 days after a Nov. 3 chase through Oregon.

Dearborn's remains still not found after Nov. 20, 2019, accident below the Oregon dam.

Miller’s Festive Lights is a new seasonal service that rents and installs colored holiday lights outside of customers’ homes.

A rural Dixon man charged with attempting to murder three police officers in June was presented Thursday with 770 pages of police reports, medical records and other evidence that will be presented as his case proceeds through the courts.

Jonathon Gounaris has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Ogle County Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Ketter, shot in the face during a June 12 standoff at a rural Dixon residence, has undergone multiple surgeries and attended support group meetings in the four months since he was shot. He returned to work Tuesday.

A 12-year-old bicyclist was injured after an SUV hit them Saturday while they crossed a street in Leaf River. Their injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

Jonathon Gounaris, 32, is charged with 4 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 3 counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, 3 counts of aggravated battery and 2 counts of possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card.

Man accused of driving under the influence, combination drugs and alcohol; leaving the scene of an accident; improper lane usage; operating an uninsured vehicle; transportation of an open alcohol container; and no seat belt, according to the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office.

Buckwalter's hiring follows the resignation of Sgt. Tad Dominski, who took a position with the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office in August after 10 years with Oregon.

The body of Carter McGowan was found about 11 a.m. Tuesday in the 4300 block of North Route 2 – midway between Oregon and Byron – by an individual searching for fossils along the river, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said.

At Tuesday’s presentation, Armor Research Company, a law enforcement equipment manufacturer based in Las Vegas, presented a new shield to replace one that took rounds during a June 12 gunfire exchange at Lost Lake.

Armor Research Company donated a new tactical shield to Ogle County after one was damaged during a gunfire exchange June 12 at Lost Lake near Dixon. Three Ogle County Emergency Response Team members were injured after taking gunfire upon entering a home.