Wynnie Earline Johnson, 73, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at her home in Rochelle.

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, Rochelle Community Hospital hosted its annual Holiday Drive Thru Dinner for anyone in need in the community. The dinner was free and received just under 200 orders, RCH Marketing, Foundation & Organizational Development Manager Michelle LaPage said.

Sophomore Keagan Albers kicked off the Rochelle Hub varsity wrestling team’s dual match against Belvidere North with a dominant win in the 113-pound bout.

The Rochelle Lady Hub varsity bowling team faced Ottawa on the road Wednesday evening. Sophomore Kylie McCullough rolled a team-high 484 series, while junior Cassidy Vincent added a 473 series as the Pirates defeated the Lady Hubs 2,759-2,539.

Greg Booras has joined Creative Circle Media Solutions as National Sales Director. He will focus on expanding sales of Creative Circle products in the magazine industry and helping accelerate the growth of the company across all industries and product categories. He’ll play an active role in product development as well as sales.

A back-and-forth battle in the Interstate 8 Conference ensued on Tuesday, when the Rochelle Hub varsity basketball team faced LaSalle-Peru seeking its third win in four games.

The Rochelle Wrestling Club sent 19 athletes to the 2023 Stillman Valley Holiday Tournament on Sunday. Seven Rochelle athletes brought home first-place finishes, while three more secured second-place finishes and three others earned third-place finishes.

The Rochelle Hub varsity bowling team traveled for the Freeport Sport Shot Tournament on Saturday, finishing 15th out of 20 schools with a 4,512 final score after six games. Rochelle (9-6, 4-3 Interstate 8) will be off from the lanes until Thursday, Dec. 29, when the Hubs are scheduled to bowl at the Dixon Toughman Tournament.

Robert C. Macklin, age 94, of Steward, IL and Scottsdale, AZ, passed away at the Serenity Hospice and Home on Sunday, December 17, 2023.

Gregory Allen Leather Age 65 passed away Friday, December 8th, in his home in Rockford IL.

Peter J. Howe age 61 of Dixon passed away on Wednesday Dec. 13, 2023 at KSB Hospital in Dixon.

On Dec. 15 at approximately 7:35 p.m. deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 8,000 block of North Illinois Route 251. After an investigation, Armando Del Carmen, 32, of Beloit, was placed under arrest for driving while license suspended. Del Carmen was also cited for speeding, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and a child restraint violation. Del Carmen was released on a notice to appear.

On Dec. 15 at 2:11 a.m. Robert French, 48, of Rochelle was arrested for domestic battery and transferred.

Dear Mr. President: President Washington, it will be Christmas in just one short week from now in the year 2023. We are just shy of the 248th year of our “Declaration of Independence.” At this time in your life, you are fighting gallantly and will be successful in your efforts to gain the freedom of the American people. In fact, my ancestors fought along with you for this freedom, also fought gallantly, and some died for their efforts.

With every holiday party we attend, every last-minute package we receive, every holiday moment made a little more special with our friends and family – chances are, we have union workers to thank for helping make it happen.

The Rochelle Township High School Speech Team won the team competition at the Byron Holiday Classic Dec. 16. Of the 18 teams in the competition, Rochelle walked away in first place.

On Nov. 16, the Highland Community College Foundation recognized five Distinguished Alumni at the Freeport Club, including Terry Camplain of Davis Junction.

At its monthly meeting Monday, the Rochelle Township High School District Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution in support of placing a county facilities sales tax on the March 19 election ballot.

At its monthly meeting Monday, the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to its intergovernmental agreement with the City of Rochelle to extend the entities' joint ownership of Fairways Golf Course through the 2024 season.

The Rochelle Wrestling Club sent 13 athletes to the 2023 John Nagy Throwdown in Dixon on Sunday, Dec. 10. Four Rochelle athletes brought home first-place finishes in the tournament, while five others secured second-place finishes and two more placed third.

Junior Abby Metzger and senior Alivia Henkel each reached double figures in scoring on Wednesday, when the Rochelle Lady Hub varsity basketball team faced Ottawa in Interstate 8 Conference action. Henkel finished with 16 points, six rebounds and six steals, while Metzger followed with 10 points and five rebounds as the Lady Hubs suffered their eighth straight loss, falling to the Pirates 69-42.

Junior guard Carson Lewis set a goal to become a more versatile scorer for the Rochelle Hub varsity basketball team this season.

A defensive battle broke out on Friday evening, when the Rochelle Hub varsity basketball team faced off against Ottawa in an Interstate 8 Conference showdown. Freshman Brody Bruns finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, while junior Elijah Harley added 10 points and four rebounds as the Hubs fell to the Pirates 55-47 at Kingman Gym. Rochelle (2-7, 0-4 Interstate 8) will host Princeton on Saturday.

The Rochelle Hub varsity wrestling team brought home three victories from the annual Oak Forest Mega Duals on Saturday. Rochelle (15-2, 3-0 Interstate 8) recorded a 51-23 win over Prospect as well as a 51-21 win over Oak Forest and a 40-39 win over York. The Hubs suffered one loss at the meet, falling 42-29 against Naperville Central to conclude the day. Rochelle will return to the mat on Thursday with a home match against Belvidere North.

Junior Kendyl Darby went to work on the block Saturday, when the Rochelle Lady Hub varsity basketball team battled Genoa-Kingston seeking its second straight victory.