News Briefs: Mar. 31, 2022
In the news: OSD, high bids, pioneer women, farewells, road projects
Old Settlers Days is announcing its musical acts this week. Tickets go on sale April 1.
- Jordan Davis is coming Sunday, June 19. His hit song "Buy Dirt" features Luke Bryan.
- Ashley McBryde will perform Saturday, June 18. With multiple Grammy nominations, she is known for songs like “Girl Goin’ Nowhere,” “One Night Standards” and “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega.”
- LOCASH is coming Friday, June 17. This upbeat duo (“I Love This Life,” “I Know Somebody,” “Ring on Every Finger,” “One Big Country Song”) combines modern country and heartland rock. Their latest song “Beach Boys” features two members of... the Beach Boys.
- On Thursday, Cooper Alan, Ashley Cooke, and Spencer Crandall will be performing, and we wrote an article about them.
Roscoe Township received a low bid of $1,854,854 to build the Roscoe Township Community Center but they haven't decided yet whether to accept it. The architect, Daniel Saavedra, says he's never seen such high bids. The Township was originally expecting to pay about $1,081,420. They had saved up almost that much and also received a $704,000 PARC grant. Township Supervisor Bob Nowicki told me firmly, "We made a promise that we would not borrow money," but says maybe the grant could be increased or extended while the township board waits to see whether building costs will go down.
The Roscoe Township Historical Society continues its celebration of International Women's Month with stories of early women settlers of Roscoe. Hannah Benedict Cross married Robert Cross in 1836, the year after he became the first permanent settler in Roscoe, which was brave. Others in the series are Mary Francis Fyler, Sarah Snure Thompson, and Mahala Ruth Jenks Ransom.
We bade farewell to several Hononegah graduates recently. Steven Hoey (1963-2022) was an award-winning musical composer and business strategist with degrees from Harvard, Oxford, California Institute of the Arts, and a PhD from University of California, San Diego. Betty Russell Showers (1922-2022) raised seven children and began college at age 46, earning a master's degree and serving for two decades as a school librarian in Beloit. Roger Gable (1940-2022) worked at Woodward for 34 years before retiring to his country home on Willowbrook, enjoying his beloved dog Sally “The Queen,” tennis, golf, hunting, wood carving, and collecting things.
The Winnebago County Highway Department plans $6 million in summer road projects, including resurfacing Prairie Hill Road between Illinois 2 and Illinois 251, a culvert replacement on Yale Bridge Road over Sugar Creek, and replacing two box culverts east and west of Illinois 2 on Gleasman Road.
Something good is happening in Springfield. The proposed House Bill 4556 allows pharmacists to give fentanyl test strips to any person, confidentially and without anybody getting in trouble for it. Bev Pomering of Live R.E.A.L. Foundation says, "The thought behind the strips are that if the person is not ready to get clean but doesn't want to die either, then help them use safely. Teach them to not use alone, use small doses, test your drugs and maybe they will soon make a decision to get into recovery." This bill passed the House unanimously and was scheduled for a second reading in the Illinois Senate, where it was amended, on Wednesday, March 30.
Marianne Mueller's article about the Wagon Wheel Resort will be included in the 55th reunion booklet for East High School, Class of 1967. They asked that we share details: the reunion is July 30, 2022 at the Tebala. On Friday night, July 29, they will be touring the newly remodeled East High School and on Sunday, August 1, they will do their traditional brunch at the Stockholm Inn. Ron Holm and his troupe will be providing the music for the reunion on 7/30/22.
