Jeff Helfrich

Serenity Hospice and Home invites community members to attend its men’s grief group, held the third Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. at Sunrise III Restaurant in Oregon.

The Rochelle Township High School board on May 18 recognized retirees who will finish their careers this month.

The pool will open one hour earlier each day, starting at 11:30 a.m. rather than 12:30 p.m. Early access will be available for pool pass holders and all-inclusive REC members at 11 a.m. Adult swim will take place Monday through Thursday from 7-10:30 a.m.

The Ogle County Board unanimously approved two change orders May 19 for an ongoing Memorial Plaza project on the south side of the historic Ogle County Courthouse property.

A grand opening was held May 16 for The Echelon in Rochelle. The recently remodeled downtown building is now home to Down Range Firearms, photography businesses Kitty’s Kaptures and JuliaVsoftstudios, more business suites, a meeting room and living spaces.

Dede Ponto will retire this month after 33 years as a teacher in the Rochelle Elementary School District.

Rochelle Middle School social studies teacher Beth Hahn will retire this month after teaching sixth grade for the past 33 years.

The Rochelle Police Department held its annual Cop on a Rooftop event at Dunkin Donuts on May 15 to raise money for Special Olympics Illinois.

The Hillcrest Village Board voted unanimously May 13 to waive competitive bidding for a short-term repair of the currently closed Hemstock Road bridge, which is owned by the village.

Danae White will retire this month after 25 years of teaching English at Rochelle Township High School.

Tracey Lawton will retire from Rochelle Middle School this month after 32 years of teaching eighth grade communication skills.

Glen Mehrings will retire this month after 33 years as a math and computer teacher at Rochelle Township High School and 30 years as the school's head golf coach.

Normally, the small cottages, cabins, and barns of Chaplin Creek Historic Village in Franklin Grove represent the way of life as it was in northern Illinois in the early to mid-1800s.

Rochelle's Sarah Flanagan volunteers for numerous local causes, including the Hub City Senior Center, the Rochelle Rotary Club and the Rochelle Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Dave Eckhardt of Rochelle founded From the Heart, an annual gala fundraiser that raised about $1 million for Rochelle-area nonprofits over 18 years.