Animal activist is accused of calling Ogle County dispatchers 27 times on May 25, 2025, and falsely reporting that someone had been shot at a rodeo on Ritchie Road property.

Ogle County students were recently named to the spring 2026 dean's list at Monmouth College.

Communities around the Sauk Valley are gearing up for fireworks shows to celebrate Independence Day and the nation’s 250th birthday.

Oscar F. Pina, 49, pleaded guilty to the Class 2 felony offense as he appeared at the Ogle County Judicial Center in Oregon.

Work began June 1 on a new mural at the city of Rochelle’s recently completed pocket park at 517 W. Fourth Ave. The mural is being painted by Mat Steder, owner of Steder Tattoo in Rochelle.

A meeting of American Legion Post 403 was held at the Petro Truck Stop on June 10.

The Flagg-Rochelle Public Library’s summer reading program is underway, with numerous events running through Aug. 26 for kids, families and people of all ages.

The Rochelle Police Department held its annual Law Enforcement Torch Run June 10 to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics Illinois.

The Rochelle Elementary School District Board of Education heard an update June 10 on its current Tilton Elementary School addition project.

Monday’s Rochelle City Council meeting was the first for City Manager Zeke Jackson, who officially began his new role June 8.

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons of Northwest Illinois recently announced its expansion into Rochelle.

Rochelle held a ribbon cutting June 9 for the completion of recent upgrades to its Rochelle Municipal Utilities wastewater treatment plant at 888 Elliott Way.

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lindenwood will host a one-day Vacation Bible School from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, July 25.

Gary Ellis was named the winner of the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce Lawn of the Week contest on June 5.

Local residents have had negative reactions in recent weeks after learning about a real-estate listing posted on the Lee County Industrial Development Association’s website – a listing that has since been removed – advertising a 387-acre property along Interstate 88 and U.S. 30.

First Avenue from Eighth Street to Second Street will experience intermittent lane closures to through traffic beginning at 7 a.m. June 9.

Rochelle Township High School's Andrew Nuyen cleared 17-6 and placed second.

A 3,721-square-foot single-family home, built in 1906, has changed hands.

With Forreston’s loss in sectional baseball, it’s a wrap for another high school sports season in Ogle County and also for this column. Both will return in August.

Global supply chains are essential to the movement of agricultural commodities around the world.

Several Sauk Valley-area fire departments are receiving grants through the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office’s 2026 Small Equipment Grant Program.

Judge grants prosecutors’ objection to expert testimony from veterinarians, but rules defense attorneys are free to call the civilians they want to testify.

A signing ceremony was held June 4 to establish the HOPE of Ogle County Domestic Violence Support Fund through the Rochelle Area Community Foundation.

The Flagg-Rochelle Public Library's HVAC replacement project is done, and the library is ready to welcome patrons for its summer reading program, Director Sarah Flanagan writes.

Each year, the Polo Lions Club partners with the keynote speaker of their annual Farmers’ Night to support youth programming in the area.

William Haas of Rochelle served in the United States Army from 1970-1972. Most of his service was spent in Okinawa, Japan, during the Vietnam War. 

AI, AI, that’s all one hears about lately. AI is presented as the next greatest deal since sliced bread. So what is the fuss all about?

U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, visited Rochelle and Ogle County on May 28 and met with city and county officials.

Crowds flocked to the Rochelle Railroad Park to see the Union Pacific's Big Boy 4014 steam locomotive on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Over 2,000 people are estimated to have come to the Rochelle Railroad Park on Tuesday to see the Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 steam locomotive make a whistle stop.

A grand reopening and ribbon cutting were held May 29 for The Blackstone Bar & Grill in Rochelle.

The University of Dubuque recently named Ogle County students to its spring semester 2026 academic dean’s list.

Here's a list of Ogle County property transfers for May 25 to 29, 2026.

A single-family home in Rochelle that sold for $215,000 nears the top of the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Ogle County in the past week.

Honored students earned a grade-point average of 3.4 or above in a single semester.

The Roberts Armory World War II Museum of Rochelle participated in the World War II reenactment at the Chaplain Creek Village in Franklin Grove on May 16 and 17.

An animal rights group urged Ogle County officials to shut down a rodeo event near Rochelle on Sunday as one of its members heads to trial for charges that accuse her of falsely reporting a shooting at one of those events in May 2025.

As we move further into spring and summer, we begin following the great number of projects and happenings throughout our community.

A ribbon cutting was held May 28 for Rochelle’s recently completed pocket park.

The University of Dubuque recently named Rochelle students to its spring semester 2026 academic dean’s list.

A Memorial Day ceremony was held Monday at the Rochelle Veterans War Memorial at Lawnridge Ceremony.

Steve Hall has spent the past 40 years as an educator at Lutheran schools in the region. He recently retired as the principal of St. Paul Lutheran School in Rochelle after nine years in that position.

Rochelle Township High School held its graduation ceremony May 23 outdoors on the football field. There were 169 graduating seniors.

Northern Rehab Physical Therapy Specialists and the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District invite the public to join them for a free community presentation, “Stretch, Play, Recover: Pickleball Tips,” on Tuesday, June 9.

More than 3,500 students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater earned a spot on the dean’s list for the spring 2026 semester.

The Rochelle City Council unanimously approved the $355,787 purchase of a new Horton all-wheel-drive ambulance from Foster Coach Sales on May 26.

A grand opening and ribbon cutting were held May 22 for Salon Idyll in Rochelle.

It was a big day for Oregon girl athletics on Saturday with a regional softball title and a fourth-place finish in the IHSA track & field meet.

Rochelle Township High School's graduation ceremony for the Class of 2026 was held on Saturday, May 23, 2026.

Here's a list of Ogle County property transfers for May 18-22, 2026.