Rochelle Township High School concluded its annual Meet the Hubs Fall Family Night with the purple vs. white football scrimmage Friday evening.

Kenneth Lloyd Stice, 80, passed away Thursday, August 22, 2024 at Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford, Illinois. 

On Aug. 20 at approximately 9:21 p.m. deputies responded to 3961 W. Illinois Route 64, at the Mt. Morris Motel, for a report of damage to a vehicle. After a brief investigation, Denise Wagoner, 38, of Mt. Morris, was arrested for criminal damage to property. Wagoner was transported to the Ogle County Jail where she was held pending a court appearance in front of a judge.

On Aug. 20 at 2:59 p.m. Louis A. Cote, 67, of Rochelle was arrested for battery. He was released on a notice to appear with a Sept. 20 Ogle County court date.

The Rochelle Chamber of Commerce recently presented its Lawn of the Week award for the week of Aug. 22 to Jeff and Kelly Newman. They received a sign and a $25 Rochelle ACE Hardware gift card, presented by Rochelle Ace Hardware Manager Jesse Lopez.

Defending Interstate 8 Conference champion Ian Metzger played roughly 200 rounds at Fairways Golf Course this summer to prepare for his junior season with the Rochelle Hub varsity golf team.

Harold H. Fleenor, 80, of Rochelle, Ill., died Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, at Bethany Rehab in DeKalb.

On Thursday, Aug. 22, a ribbon cutting and grant opening event was held for Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s new location in Rochelle at 234 May Mart Drive.

George Henze was born in a log cabin, actually he was the second child delivered in the cabin. The year was 1869, just four years after the Village of Lane changed her name to Rochelle. The cabin had been built initially by John Randall in 1837 and was the first permanent house built in today’s Rochelle. The Henzes built a modern home at 105 S. Main St. just north of the cabin which was removed in 1888.

In most of the nation, all you need to do is to step outside to feel one of the deadliest hazards: extreme heat. So far in 2024, the dangers of heat illness have killed 34 workers nationally both indoors and out.

The Rochelle Police Department is seeking information on a July vehicle fire that was started by an ignition device, an Aug. 22 department Facebook post said. An investigation into the incident determined a “most likely Mototov cocktail-type device” was used to start the fire.

A body found and pulled from the Rock River outside of Oregon on Tuesday morning has been identified as a missing 23-year-old Rockford man, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said. 

Rochelle Township High School alum Amanda Headon was among the top equestrian riders in the nation who gathered for the 2024 IBHA World Show at the C Bar C Cowpokes Arena in Cloverdale, Indiana from July 21-27.

The 2024 Little Miss Peanut Competition was held Friday, Aug. 16 during the first night of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Festival. 13 girls competed in the event. The winner was Rosie Pawlowski, age seven, and the runner up was Lucy Spartz, age eight.

At its monthly meeting Tuesday, the Ogle County Board voted 18-4 with one member abstaining to approve a zoning map amendment that will see 524 acres of land owned by Constellation Energy Generation rezoned from agricultural to industrial. That land is around the Byron Nuclear Plant. 

A body was found and pulled from the Rock River outside of Oregon on Tuesday morning, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said. 

Rochelle sculptors Mark and Danica Rogers again entered the U.S. National Straw Sculpting Competition in Mt. Morris, held Aug. 9-25 this year. 

A miniature bull got loose on a neighborhood street in Hillcrest on Sunday afternoon, Dave and Brenda Wetzel of Hillcrest Avenue said.

On Aug. 17 at approximately 10:29 p.m. deputies attempted to stop a purple Kawasaki 500R sports bike traveling southbound on North Mulford Road from East Crill Road. The Kawasaki fled at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour and disregarded a stop sign. After a short pursuit, the Kawasaki lost control and crashed at the intersection of North Kilbuck Road and East Royster Road. Deputies made contact with the driver, Anthony J. Doyle, 20, of Lindenwood. Doyle was treated by Monroe Center EMS and New Milford EMS personnel and transported to a local area hospital with minor injuries. Doyle was placed under arrest for aggravated fleeing and eluding and was released on a notice to appear with a court date set for early September. Doyle was additionally cited for fleeing and eluding, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, disregarding an official traffic control device, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and speeding 35+ miles per hour over the speed limit. 

On Aug. 17 at 6:23 p.m. Steven W. Blomberg, 31, of Rochelle was arrested on two outstanding Ogle County warrants and transferred.

The City of Rochelle is thrilled to announce receipt of a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant in the amount of $919,368.  This substantial award, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), allows the city to add three full-time firefighters to the Rochelle Fire Department. 

Every fall, additional bricks in the Rochelle Veterans War Memorial are engraved in time for Veterans Day.  Orders for brick engraving are collected and the engraver is hired to perform the work on a dry day in the fall. 

The intersection of 8th Avenue and 14th Street will be closed for a roadway repair Thursday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Aug. 23.

At its monthly meeting Monday, the Rochelle Township High School Board of Education unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Rochelle to continue its school resource officer program with the Rochelle Police Department through July 1, 2027.

At its monthly meeting Monday, the Flagg-Rochelle Community Board of Commissioners heard an update on Spring Lake Pool from Executive Director Jackee Ohlinger as the season recently came to a close.