CRIME & SAFETY
Endangered missing advisory issued for Ogle Co. man
OGLE COUNTY, Ill. (WIFR) - The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office announces a Missing Endangered alert for Robert Sutton. On Wednesday, the Ogle County Sheriff stated Sutton was last seen around 1:40 p.m. on April 29 in Oregon, Illinois. Sutton has several face and neck tattoos, brown eyes and dark...
House fire disrupts Rock Falls fire department training
ROCK FALLS, Ill. — The Rock Falls Fire Department started its day Wednesday preparing for search and rescue training exercises. The Whiteside County Health Department donated a house next door to its expanding clinic. The house will be torn down later this month and become extra parking spaces, but in the meantime, the old house is the fire department's training facility.
When teamwork works: Rock Falls first responders beat the odds to save man who suffered cardiac arrest
ROCK FALLS – “Automatic defibrillator. Plug in cables. Stay calm. Check responsiveness. Call for help. Adult man. Don’t touch patient.”. The words are robotic, but Rock Falls police Chief Dave Pilgrim immediately obeys, pulling away from the unresponsive form of the man on whom he’d been performing CPR.
Rock Falls police seek to connect with, educate public through Citizen Police Academy
ROCK FALLS – Policing is not like how it’s portrayed on television or in the movies. “There are some great technological advances, but the reality of what’s truly actually available on a day-to-day basis is nowhere near that,” Rock Falls Police Chief Dave Pilgrim said. “A lot of the stuff you see on TV is just … a concept that, maybe it’s out there in the real world, but it’s probably not admissible in court.”
A safer fire service is the mission of Dinges Fire Co.
AMBOY – Nick Dinges has grown Dinges Fire Co. into a major player in the fire service industry while remaining local in Amboy. As a firefighter, Dinges jumped at the opportunity to be part of creating and distributing fire safety equipment. “It really interested me that I could be...
Sauk Valley Community College is training hub for law enforcement
DIXON – The police academy at Sauk Valley Community College is the eighth academy in Illinois and the first in northern Illinois. It opened its doors on Aug. 8, 2022. The first class, made up of 21 recruits, graduated in January 2023. “In talking with our local law enforcement...
Dixon Rural, Rock Falls swear in new fire chiefs
DIXON – A longtime Dixon Rural firefighter became that department’s newest chief earlier this year. Dustin Dahlstrom, a 12-year member of the department, officially became chief Jan. 16, taking over after Sid Aurand, who has been Dixon Rural’s chief since 2014, retired from the position. “I enjoy...
Mount Morris man cleared of felony aggravated domestic battery, found guilty of lesser charges
OREGON – A Mount Morris man was found not guilty of felony aggravated domestic battery but guilty of two lesser charges of domestic battery after a three-hour bench trial Tuesday. Cory Love, 47, was charged in December after police investigated a Nov. 23 altercation in a Mount Morris home.
Oregon, Ogle County first responders’ teamwork saves woman from cold river on December morning
OREGON – A woman’s life was saved in 2022 thanks to the training and heroic efforts of first responders who got the call of a person in the icy Rock River – just feet away from the Oregon dam – on a dark and chilly December morning.
Sterling Police Department’s Brinkley is not your typical police dog
Sterling Police Department’s favorite officer, Brinkley the golden retriever, is getting ready to retire. She joined the department on Feb. 27, 2017. She will retire June 12 after seven years of service as a community service dog, rather than your typical K-9. When thinking about a police dog, the...
Rock Falls police and fire departments collaborate to educate seniors
ROCK FALLS – A year and a half ago, Marge Sadowski, a senior Rock Falls resident, reported her phone had been stolen just three weeks after buying it. She went through the process of filing a complaint and bringing the case to court. The accused failed to appear in...
At 20 years old, 911 dispatcher has a ‘poise you can’t train’
STERLING – On her days off, Alexis Echebarria often cleans her room – a way of “resetting her area” – before heading to Sterling for an iced blondie from 7 Brew Coffee and some shopping. “I feel like, getting into this job, mental health has...
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