Extension is offering individually portioned, ready-to-heat freezer meals — perfect for gifting or stocking your own freezer.

Skydiver Keith Paulsen of Morrison will represent Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle as he travels to Lake Wales, Florida this month to attempt to break the world record for most skydivers in a canopy formation.

The Polo Christmas Festival Committee is excited to announce the return of the annual craft and vendor show, taking place on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.

Ogle County 4-Hers were recognized for excellence in 4-H project work at the recent county 4-H Achievement Celebration.

At its monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, the Creston Village Board of Trustees discussed the potential purchase and placement of a digital sign somewhere within Creston in the future.

Ogle County candidates had until 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, to turn in their nomination papers as they seek candidacy for the March 17 primary election.

A ribboncutting ceremony was held Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, for the new location of Essential Infusions Plus at 310 N. Main St. in Rochelle.

A Steward man has been identified as the victim of a Monday farm equipment and field fire in rural Steward and Lee County

Drop-off boxes will be available starting Nov. 17, 2025, at the following fire departments: Rochelle, Byron, Stillman Valley and Mt. Morris. They will be located at the village halls in Polo, Forreston, and Davis Junction and Creston.

The inaugural Ogle County K-9 Fund Bark and Whine Ball was held Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at the River’s Edge Experience in Oregon and raised $34,000 for the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Deputy Ali VanVickle said.

For the past 70 years, the Mt. Morris Goodfellows have provided food assistance and fruit baskets to residents in Mt. Morris, thanks to the financial support of the community.

The annual Polo Christmas Festival will be Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.

Harp: The mental health profession doesn’t recognize Trump Derangement Syndrome as a true mental illness. The President’s supporters have nevertheless enjoyed some success in discrediting his opponents with that label. They probably don’t, however, appreciate its larger meaning.

Roller skating rinks are places where people of all ages can enjoy camaraderie, competition and creation of memories for years to come – and for more than 75 years, a classic Mount Morris rink has been a spot for fresh moves and retro fun.

The city of Rochelle will host a free electronics recycling event on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the Rochelle Street Department at 251 E. First Ave.

Serenity Hospice & Home will host a “Cooking for One” Workshop, for those grieving a loss, on Nov. 19, 2025, at the Ogle County Farm Bureau at 421 W. Pines Road in Oregon.

Rochelle Community Hospital is proud to join communities across the country in celebrating National Rural Health Day on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

The Eagle’s Nest Art Group will host an art show at the Conover Square studio during Oregon’s annual Candlelight Walk festivities on Saturday, Nov. 29. 2025.

A farm equipment and field fire Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in rural Steward resulted in a fatality, Rochelle Fire Department Capt. Zach Prewett said.

Laura J. Cook, county clerk and recorder of Ogle County, was recently recognized with the Commitment to Service Award for outstanding dedication and commitment to public service.

Allure of Pinecrest, 414 S. Wesley Ave. in Mt. Morris, will have a Veterans Day Remembrance program on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025.

Dickson: After reading recent comments in the Ogle County Life I wondered if, in general, we are weak on civics and maybe weak on composition skills as well.

Cooper: President Trump's "alternative facts" seem to now be a central feature in appeals of several lawsuits involving his deployment of National Guard troops into Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago in response to protests of ICE immigration tactics.

Rochelle resident and co-owner of Institute of Languages, Mathematics, & Sciences, Faten Abdallah, was awarded the 2025 EIGERlab 815 Innovation Award for Education Innovation on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.

The Leaf River Soaring Eagles celebrated the new 4-H year with a kick-off party at the Lingbeck Farm on Oct. 4.

There were 26,203 student contacts made through 1,298 programs in Ogle and Carroll counties last year.

Oregon High School will present its fall play, “Dystopia! The Hungry Maze Game of Divergent Death” by Don Zolidis on Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. in the OHS Auditorium.

Byron High School Students of the Month for September were recently named.

Here's the list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle counties’ property transfers for Oct. 20-24, 2025.

Ogle County students were among the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater scholarship recipients receiving financial awards for the 2025-26 academic year.

The City of Rochelle has recently seen social media reaction to news of it talking with a developer about a data center potentially locating in Rochelle.

Henry Henze, of Rochelle, stood guard over Abraham Lincoln’s casket from Chicago to Springfield on his last ride home. 

The Rochelle City Council unanimously approved a $7,673,358 bid from Tri-City Electric Co. on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, for the construction of a new electric substation for Rochelle Municipal Utilities on Centerpoint Drive off Illinois Route 38 west of town.

After Rochelle denied Geneseo's two-point conversion with 47 seconds left, the Maple Leafs recovered an onside kick and Carson Peters' 36-yard field goal gave Geneseo a 16-14 win in a classic to open the playoffs.

Ogle County’s top 4-H members and clubs were honored for outstanding achievement at a special program held Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 in the Pinecrest Grove Theatre.

Roberts Armory World War II Museum will be open to the public in honor of Veterans Day on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025.

Already struggling with growing numbers of people in need of food assistance, Sauk Valley-area food pantries are now bracing for the even greater numbers expected in the wake of SNAP benefits ending Nov. 1, 2025, as part of the federal government shutdown.

DeKalb youth theater company Lightbeam Players will present its show “Secrets Lie Beyond” on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025.

The TALK-LINE interview for Oct. 29 featured Reagan Mass Transit District Executive Director Greg Gates discussing the future plans of the new Ogle County transit depot and the possibility of “breaking ground” at the end of this year or in 2026.

The Aspen Institute recently named Kishwaukee College as one of the 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges.

A ribbon-cutting and energization ceremony were held Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, for Ducks Solar, a new 31-acre and 7.7-megawatt community solar energy project at 1067 W. Oregon Trail Road in Oregon.

Derek Swanlund, 45, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the April 21 death of Cameron Pasley, 25, also of Mt. Morris.

The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department will be hosting a residential electronics recycling event and food drive on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.

Paschal: While going through my archive from the last month or so, a few different techniques came to light in how I watch people.

On Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, the annual Downtown Trick or Treat was held in Rochelle. Candy seekers took to the streets on Halloween and were greeted by downtown business owners and employees.

Sarah Safranek is accused of suffocating her son, Nathaniel Burton, in the family’s Oregon home in February 2021.

Camren Hastings, 18, is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, and aggravated use of a firearm as a person under the age of 21, a Class 4 felony.

Aqua America, the company which owns area water supplier Aqua Illinois, has been sold. It supplies water in DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Will counties, among others.

Byron Bank is proud to once again participate and be a drop-off location for the Ogle County Toys for Tots program during the 2025 holiday season.

Seven Sauk Valley-area high school students have been chosen as Whiteside Area Career Center students of the month for September.