Rochelle Book Hub will open Saturday, July 20. The new-to-town bookstore will be located inside Cypress House at 718 10th Ave. 

At its monthly meeting Monday, the Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees heard an update from Village Engineer Kaitlin Wright of Baxter & Woodman on a number of topics.

Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said July 9 that “things are starting to return to normal” for both his office and the Ogle County Emergency Response Team following the June 12 shooting in Lost Nation that resulted in three ERT members and a barricaded subject being shot.

The baseball diamond at Focus House in Rochelle has been restored to playing shape in recent weeks after years in disrepair thanks to the efforts of community organizations and Focus House students, staff and foundation board members, Focus House Community Projects/Marketing and Volunteer Coordinator Jeni Hardin said. 

The Vince Carney Community Theater will welcome Hugo's Elvis Tribute Show to the Lincoln Arts Center at 108 S. Main St. in Rochelle on Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m. Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased online at http://www.vcctrochelle.org/. 

At its meeting Monday, the Rochelle City Council voted unanimously to reject all bids received for a utility adjustment and relocation project at the intersection of Flagg Road and 20th Street due to high prices. The city plans to rebid the project at a future date.

Mary Beth Papke of Rochelle served in the United States Navy Reserves for 36 years from 1985-2021. Papke served in medical units and retired as a Commander. Her service included two deployments.

On Thursday, a ribbon cutting was held for Royal Scoop, Rochelle’s newest ice cream shop at 316 N. 6th St. 

On Thursday, the Lee-Ogle Transportation System hosted two public meetings in Rochelle concerning its plans for public transit in Rochelle, including a potential deviated fixed bus route and a microtransit service alternative.

At its May 28 meeting, the Rochelle City Council discussed a potential urban park it may erect in the future at 517 W. 4th Ave., where it recently demolished a building that was the former site of Vinny's Barbershop.

The City of Rochelle recently circulated a request for proposals from area artists for future art installations in public spaces in the community.

At the June 20 meeting of the Rochelle Kiwanis Golden K Club, Rochelle Fire Department Firefighter/Paramedic and Kishwaukee Education Consortium Fire Science/EMT Program Co-Coordinator and Lead Instructor Ben Johnson made a presentation on the KEC program he teaches at.

In October of last year, the Ogle County Health Department received a CDC Addressing Conditions to Improve Population Health (ACTion) grant for $500,000 each year from 2023-2026 to increase access and availability to healthy and nutritious foods, education for home-based food production, food pantries, and mini food centers (refrigerated and dry food).

The Village of Progress and Kreider Services have plans for The Hill Street Neighborhood development in Mt. Morris in the coming years. The duplex apartment project is planned to serve both people with disabilities and people from the general population.

The 2024 season at Spring Lake Pool has been in full swing since opening June 5, Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District Director of Recreation Maureen Stevens said June 20. 

At its meeting Monday, the Rochelle City Council unanimously approved an ordinance accepting a bid from Larson & Larson Builders for a $251,950 Rochelle Police Department locker room improvement project.

The transition into the summer months brings an increase in referrals for the Rochelle Community Hospital Rehabilitation Services Department, Evan Tracy, the department’s manager, said.

At its monthly meeting Tuesday, the Ogle County Board heard an update from Board Member Dan Janes (R-Stillman Valley, District 5) regarding ongoing petition work by Constellation, the owner of the Byron Nuclear Plant, to change the zoning classification of some of its property.

At Tuesday's monthly meeting of the Ogle County Board, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle presented a critical incident briefing on the June 12 shooting in Lost Nation that resulted in three Ogle County Emergency Response Team members being shot.

The suspect in a June 12 shooting in Lost Nation that resulted in three Ogle County Emergency Response Team members being shot has been taken into custody and charged with four counts of attempted first degree murder, a Tuesday press release from Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock said.

The Rochelle Fire Department and the Ogle-Lee Fire Protection District responded to two separate structure fires on Monday evening. There were no injuries to residents or firefighters, and eight residents were displaced from the homes due to damage, RFD Chief Dave Sawlsville said.

At its monthly meeting Monday, the Rochelle Township High School Board of Education unanimously approved a $311,307 bid from Law Excavating for an upcoming detention pond reconstruction project.

At its monthly meeting Monday, the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve its 2024-2025 tentative budget and appropriations.

Three Ogle County Emergency Response Team members and one barricaded suspect were shot late Wednesday morning at a residence in Lost Nation in the rural Dixon area and survived after being transported to area hospitals, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon. 

At its monthly meeting Wednesday, the Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees held a public hearing for and unanimously approved a new solar panel ordinance.