Rochelle Township High School’s Cash Budde was recently named as the recipient of the Rochelle Rotary Service Above Self Award for March.

Serenity Hospice & Home is delighted to introduce its new medical director, Dr. John Plescia. Active in the Mt. Morris-Oregon area for several years, Dr. Plescia has demonstrated care for all in need since joining Serenity in the fall of 2023. Many have heard the name Dr. Plescia in his professional roles at KSB’s Oregon Health Clinic and Allure of Pinecrest in Mt. Morris.

For his March 2024 local business highlight, State Rep. Bradley Fritts (R-Dixon) chose to highlight Kennay Farms Distilling in Rochelle.

The 2024 Rochelle-area American Legion Essay Contest is complete. The topic was “What does freedom mean to me?”

The Ogle County Republican Party recently hosted their Annual “Draw Down” at The Rivers Edge Experience in Oregon, right before Easter weekend on Thursday, March 28, and it was a huge success. 

On Tuesday, demolition of the former site of Vinny’s Barber Shop at 517 W. 4th Ave. began. The city purchased the building in October after the building had previously been condemned

Arabella M. has been a Girl Scout for seven years with Troop 1168 in Rochelle. Her goal this year was to sell Girl Scout cookies to all 50 states. With the help of videos and photos shared to social media and all the texts and emails sent to family and friends, she achieved her goal.

Rochelle Middle School recently congratulated its seventh-grade students for their efforts in the RMS speech meet on March 5.

Ogle County Farm Bureau leaders are excited to call the Ogle County Board an “Ally in Agriculture” after the board’s adoption of a pro-agriculture resolution, demonstrating local elected officials’ support for farmers.

The Flagg Township Museum will host a series of informal talks – Chautauqua – on March 25 through March 28 from 7-8 p.m. at the museum and it’s all about birthdays – birthday toys, the 95th birthday of a local organization, birthday cakes, and even ideas about how to save your birthday memories.

St. Paul Lutheran School in Rochelle recently released its honor roll for the third quarter of the 2023-2024 school year.

On March 15, Ashton-Franklin Center Elementary School held a ribbon cutting for its new book vending machine in its cafeteria. Students and staff were invited to participate in the event.

At the March 12 Kishwaukee College Board of Trustees meeting, the board voted to eliminate approximately $375,000 in student course fees. This decision follows the elimination of nearly $1 million in other student fees — student activity, technology, registration and lab/studio fees — approved by the board in October 2023.

Rochelle Community Hospital wants its patients, specifically those that utilize its RCHMyChart online healthcare portal, to know that a text message sent by OSF HealthCare/Pointcore Partners regarding portal text message alerts is valid, and it is not a scam. Although the text may look misleading due to the text claiming it is from OSF and Pointcore, that is the system that RCH’s patient portal is actually hosted through.

The Rochelle Rotary Club recently presented its first-ever Rochelle Rotary Service Above Self: Student of the Month award to Julia Livingston of Rochelle Township High School.

The Rochelle Middle School Math Team brought home the first place trophy from the Sauk Valley Regional MathCounts competition on Saturday, Feb. 24. 

On March 5, State Rep. Bradley Fritts (R-Dixon) welcomed Haley Brill and Sam Setchell to the Emerging Women Leaders Event in Springfield. The event consisted of a brunch, listening session, and informational seminars from other women in leadership roles.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to City of Rochelle for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31.

Zekelman Industries recently continued annual support of the Rochelle Area Community Foundation (RACF) with a generous donation of $10,000 directed towards building the RACF Endowment Fund.

Small Business Bingo will be holding a spring kickoff event on April 4 from 6-8 p.m. at the hangar at Chicagoland Skydiving Center at the Rochelle Municipal Airport, Event Organizer and AP Massage Therapy Owner Ashley Patrick said.

Liquor ‘N’ Wine has continued its commitment to the Rochelle Area Community Foundation (RACF) with its second donation towards a multi-year pledged aimed at supporting the RACF Endowment Fund, which supports the overall well-being of the community.

At the Feb. 19 Ogle County Fair Board meeting, two retiring members were recognized for their years of service on the board. Denny Alderks served on the board for 27 years and Rita Dauphin served for …

Rochelle Community Hospital will host the Northern Illinois Food Bank for a mobile market food pantry on Thursday, March 14 from 4-5:30 p.m.

The members of the Ogle County Democratic Central Committee made a difference in their community by recently donating a total of $800 amongst eight Ogle County food pantries, an idea that originated during the pandemic as a unique way to celebrate the holiday season together since in person gatherings were not possible.

Rochelle Township High School District #212 recently announced that RTHS Assistant Principal Dr. David J. Perrin has been recognized as the Illinois Principal Association (IPA) Assistant Principal of the Year for the state's Northwest Region.