Week of October 9, 2024
Week of October 9, 2024
Like a broken record, we had been hearing Stephenson County Board Chairman, Scott Helms, complain, scold and preach to the board with almost every single vote they approved, "How are you going to pay for it?" Now, admittedly, we figured he was just being overly-conservative, after all, he is a banker – and don't all bankers prefer to save money than spend it? But after hearing some rumblings circulating around the County Office building, we had a sit down with County Finance Director,...
Crash With Injuries On 09/26/2024 at approximately 7:02 P.M., Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to 9738 U.S. Rt. 20 W, Galena IL for a single vehicle traffic crash with injuries. Upon arrival, it was discovered that Gregory D Howes, 45 of Galena, was operating a 2024 silver Hyundai Palisade eastbound on U.S. Rt. 20 near Jupiter Drive when his vehicle crossed the center line, went over the curb, and crashed into a residence that had multiple occupants inside at the time of the crash. Gregory D Howes was transported...
The Daily Drawing is a drawing for 366 daily cash prizes from October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024 to those donating for a ticket. Over $21,000 is paid out to ticket holders during the drawing year. Cash prizes vary between $50 and $250. A ticket may win multiple times as each ticket remains in the drawing each day for the entire year, no matter how often it may be drawn. Sponsoring organizations from Jo Daviess, Carroll & Stephenson County include: Caring Community of Elizabeth, East Dubuque Music Boosters, Eastland Music Boosters, Galena...
Meet Diesel: Your Next Best Friend! Name: Diesel Age: 11 months Breed: German Shepherd Dog & Labrador Retriever Mix About Me: Hey there, I'm Diesel! I've already been through a lot in my young life, but I'm ready to find my forever family. A kind family rescued me from a bad situation, but unfortunately, they couldn't keep me. When I was at risk of being put down due to shelter overcrowding, some wonderful people at SCAC stepped in to save me-now, I'm just waiting for the perfect home! I'm 11...
To help pay tribute to veterans and honor their legacies and sacrifices, State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) is encouraging constituents to submit a photo and story of their loved one who served our nation so it can be displayed in the rotunda of the Illinois Capitol from November 11 through November 25 in honor of Veterans Day. “The ‘Honoring All Who Served’ Veterans Day Display is a fitting tribute to the brave men and women who served our country and all that it stands for,” said Chesney. “It’s important to never forget...
There might be some form of legal paperwork that needs to be done, but as far as we're concerned, we're officially changing Rachael Setterstrom's name to Settersome – More. Behind a 13 kill performance by the Panther senior, Lena-Winslow was able to rally back to knock off Durand at home in a big NUIC-North show down of top teams. Game one was ugly, there's no other way to describe it. The Panthers, who came into the match leading the north with a perfect 5-0 mark, looked nothing like a...
Talk about the history of the Eastland Cougars, and you have to start with the lengthy list of outstanding setters they have had. From Hope Linker and Ashley Beyers to Jenica Stoner, there was always a "master" handling the distribution duties that made the Cougars so effective. So, when it was announced that a freshmen – a girl not even 15 years old yet – was going to be handed the starting job ... it raised some eyebrows. But following the Cougar's sweep over Milledgeville Wednesday...
In what was easily the best game Lena-Winslow has played this season, Lena-Winslow put a running clock defeat on their biggest NUIC-North challenger, Du/Pec, before claiming the 46-22 victory. The strategy was a simple one – keep the ball away from the Rivermen's highly talented quarterback, Cooper Hoffman. When he's on the sideline, he can't hurt you. But the Rivermen opened the game with possession of the ball – and promptly moved it down the field. An encroachment penalty against the...
The Galena Pirates are the reigning State Champions, and currently sit at 19-1 on the season. The River Ridge Wildcats, graduated most of their kills, and are in full rebuild mode. So, while the outcome of the match was never really in doubt, what was important to see was how well the Wildcats could compete against the powerful Pirates. The answer ... was a bit ambiguous. Galena swept the conference battle 25-13, 25-9, with superstar outside hitter – senior Gracie Furlong – leading the way...
Everyone following area volleyball knows how young the Warren Warriors are. They only have two seniors on the roster, and use many of the JV players at the varsity level. So, when playing host to a local power like Durand ... the outcome wasn't really a surprise – or even important – Durand won, as expected. What was of interest, was how the young Warriors would compete, and how the JV match would go. The JV match was a thriller. No, it was not the 32-30 game three battle that took place...
Lena-Winslow was cruising along in their conference battle at Pearl City – playing nearly flawless volleyball with a grand total of only one unforced error in all of game one. Combine that with nine kills, three stuff blocks, and exceptional defense, and the Panthers looked like they had everything well in hand as they cruised to the 25-15 game one win. Meanwhile, after a strong start to the match, the Pearl City Wolves seemed to get down on themselves as unforced errors mounted – nine as a...
* = Clinched Playoff berth + = Playoff eligible NUIC *Lena-Winslow 5 - 0 6 – 0 +Du/Pec 5 - 1 5 – 1 +EPC 4 - 1 5 – 1 Galena 3 - 2 4 – 2 Stockton 2 - 3 3 – 3 Morrison 2 - 3 3 – 3 Fulton 2 - 4 2 – 4 Forreston 1 - 5 1 – 5 Dakota 0 - 5 0 – 6 8-Man *Polo 6 – 0 +Milledgeville 5 – 1 +West Carroll 5 – 1 South Beloit 5 – 1 Orangeville 3 – 3 Alden-Hebron 2 – 4 River Ridge 2 – 4 Christian Life 1 – 5 Kirkland-Hiaw 1 – 5 AFC 0 – 6 Six Rivers WI *Potosi/Cassville 5 – 0 7 – 0 *Blackhawk/Warren 4 – 0 5 – 1 River...
West Galena 8 – 1 25 – 1 Stockton 8 – 1 22 – 2 East Dubuque 6 – 2 10–11-3 Scales Mound 3 – 5 9 – 15 River Ridge 3 – 6 8–17-1 Warren 1 – 7 3–21-2 West Carroll 1 – 8 2 – 23 North Lena-Winslow 9 – 0 19 – 7 Durand 6 – 3 19 – 6 Pecatonica 5 – 3 19 – 8 Orangeville 3 – 5 12 – 8 Forreston 3 – 5 11 – 13 Pearl City 2 – 6 15–12-2 Dakota 1 – 7 8–19-2 South Eastland 7 – 2 17 – 4 Fulton 7 – 2 16–8-1 Milledgeville 6 – 3 16 – 5 Polo 4 – 4 13–10-2 Amboy 4 – 4 8–12-2 Morrison 1 – 7...
The gym was packed, the sound was deafening, and the energy was palpable as the one loss Galena Pirates paid a visit to Stockton to take on the one loss Blackhawks in their conference rematch. "I think this is all going to come down to which team can play in system," said Galena head coach Dennis Wills before the game. Truer words were never spoken. In game one the Pirates put on a clinic as they riddled the Blackhawks from every angle. Gracie Furlong led the way with five kills, while Mya...
The RR/SM Wildcats Boy’s Golf Team was able to record a team score of 339, which was good enough to finish in third at the Galena Golf Regional held last week, and advance them to the Sectional competition. Rockford Lutheran won the meet with a score of 315, with Rockford Christian coming in second with a score of 339. The top ten individuals who are not members of one of the advancing teams also get to advance, and there was a playoff needed to close out the top ten. Brant Romer of Galena, Nathan Woodley of PC/LW and Zavier Mills of Dakota...
The Byron Tigers shot a score of 367 to claim top honors at the Girls Class 1A Golf Regional held at Wolf Hollow in Lena last week. The top three teams all advance to the Sectional competition. Final team scores were: 1 Byron 367 2 Dixon 373 3 Oregon 381 4 Erie 397 5 PC/LW 411 6 Galena 416 7 Stillman Valley 419 8 Sterling Newman 452 9 West Carroll 455 10 RR/SM 456 In addition to the top three teams advancing, the top ten individuals who are not members of one of those teams also get to advance. Individual golfers who made the cut and will...
Speaking from experience, it is far better being the grandfather than being the father. Now, the biggest reason is obvious – you get to enjoy your grand kids, and as soon as they become crabby, or in massive need of a diaper change or some other maternal comforts, you can immediately pass them off to their parents. In addition, while they do tend to wipe you out whenever they come to visit – due to incredible energy levels that the Energizer Bunny can never hope to match – they will leave...
Political corruption undermines and erodes public trust in government. There should be no place in our political landscape for those who would use their elected position for personal gain. On this, there should be full bipartisan agreement. This week, the highest profile political corruption trial of our time will take center stage in a federal courtroom in Chicago. Former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan will face 22 counts of racketeering conspiracy, attempted extortion, and wire...
With all this nice weather, my wife and I decided it was time to finish up the garden for the year. We picked the few remaining tomatoes, and the peppers, turnips, carrots, and green beans. We pulled all the plants out by the roots and loaded them in the truck for the burn pile. I got the ladder out, and climbed as high as it would take me and reached out as far out as I could possibly reach, and picked the last of the apples and dropped them one at a time to my wife, who was standing below to...
The River Ridge FFA Chapter has had several opportunities the past few weeks for its members to start developing their leadership skills! Starting off in early September Jr. High members were invited to attend the Discovery Conference. At this conference students had the opportunity to learn about FFA contests as well as hone their communication skills. The three break out sessions were all led by high school Chapter Officers who were tasked with both developing and leading their respective...
Youth from 30 teams across Illinois demonstrated their learning, celebrated their accomplishments, and interacted with others who share an interest in robotics at the 2024 4-H Robotics Competition held at the Interstate Center on the McLean County Fairgrounds on May 4. The competition theme this year tasked youth with thinking about a world of never-ending technological advancements through the lens of AgTech. “From the foods that we eat, to the clothes that we wear, Agriculture plays both the lead, and several supporting roles in this...
State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) has announced that Highland Community College (HCC) is receiving an $81,150 Adult Literacy Grant through the Secretary of State’s Adult Literacy Program. Funding for the program comes from state and federal sources. “I am always glad to see state and federal grant dollars coming back to the 45th District,” said Chesney. “This allocation will go far in providing valuable adult literacy programming for the HCC service area.” According to Chesney, the adult literacy program utilizes volunteer...
The Shenandoah Riding Center (SRC) located in The Galena Territory will host Fear Forest on Oct. 12, 19 and 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. and a Monster Mash Bash on Oct. 25 from 7 to 11 p.m. Do darkness and creeping through an eerie forest sound like the perfect night out? Walk through a haunting trail of fright in Fear Forest. Start at the SRC barn where you can purchase food and drinks. Then, muster up the courage to face your fears! This 20- to 30-minute walk through the most haunted forest in Galena is sure to be a hair-raising experience. All...
The Badger State Archaeological Society will hold its 45th annual Native American Indian Artifact Show on Sunday, October 27th. The event will be held at the Rehmstedt gym in Monticello School, 334 South Main Street, Monticello, WI from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm. Cost of admission is $2.00 for anyone 14 years and older. There will be experts on hand to identify your artifacts. Ralph Hammerly, Paul Severson and James Beer started the show with only five tables in Monroe 45 years ago. Today, the show has grown to over 80 tables of artifacts on...
Legend Says, when you can’t sleep at night its because you’re awake in someone else’s dream. So, If everyone could stop dreaming about me, that would be great. Time really flies when you take two naps a day. Damn right I’m good in bed. I can stay there all day. I have a date tonight, with my bed. We’re totally gonna sleep together. Blanket on – too hot. Blanket off = too cold. One leg out: Perfect. Maturity is realizing that no human being is more important than your sleep. It doesn’t matter if I sleep 2 hours, or 13 hours. I...
Lena Robert “Bobby” J. Brown, 23 Robert “Bobby” J. Brown, age 23, of Lena, IL passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, September 29, 2024 from injuries he sustained in a car accident. Bobby was born on January 17, 2001 in Winnebago County, IL. He was adopted by Dan and Teresa Brown in 2012. Bobby was a 2019 graduate of Le-Win High School where he was active in football, basketball, and track. After graduating, Bobby went to Highland Community College where he enrolled in their barbering program. He proudly served his country in the United... Full story
