Welcome to FREEPOD, a local news source for everyone in the Freeport area. This weekly podcast is brought to you by a large volunteer group dedicated to providing to objective, unbiased news that’s specific to our community.
Freeport receives Safer Streets grant
At their meeting on August 19th, the Freeport City Council accepted a $400,000 grant to help make Freeport streets safer at accident-prone intersections.
This grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation is called Safe Streets and Roads for All and will allow the City of Freeport to hire consultants to create a plan to increase transportation safety throughout the City while also prioritizing underserved areas. Specific intersections that will be reviewed include Stephenson Street and Park Boulevard, Stephenson Street and Greenfield Drive, Walnut Street to Float Street on South Street, Walnut Street and Empire Avenue, all 12 City school crossing lights, and hotspots on West Avenue, Clark Street, and Douglas Avenue.
In order to receive the $400,000 grant, the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration requires the City to utilize $100,000 in local funds.
Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together Stephenson County is one of over 100 affiliates of the national Rebuilding Together organization. Their goal is to repair area homes that have fallen into disrepair for homeowners who can't afford to fix them, with particular attention paid to providing safe and healthy housing.
Thanks to the generosity of local churches, banks, grants, charitable foundations, 100 Women Who Care, many individuals, Lowe's, USAA Financial Services, and others, they have been able to provide services to homeowners at no cost to the homeowners with some work being done on a volunteer basis while also hiring contractors when necessary.
Since their inception in Freeport in 2021, they have completed ten projects including painting of home exteriors, replacing windows, rebuilding unsafe porches, landscaping, building ramps for disabled homeowners and in one case for a special-needs child, repairing a storm-damaged roof along with needed interior repairs, and replacing a large portion of a collapsed ceiling at the Freeport Area Church Cooperative’s women's dorm.
When your pet is lost
Most of us have been in the unfortunate situation of a pet getting lost. So, what do you do when it happens? That's when the animal control departments for both Freeport and Stephenson County get involved.
Officials at each say if a pet goes missing the first thing to do is call the departments. For Freeport the number is 815-235-8210 and the County’s number is 815-235-8276. After office hours, they ask that people call the non-emergency numbers for Freeport Police at 815-235-8222 and Stephenson County Sheriff at 815-235-8252.
These numbers may also be used by anyone who sees stray animals on the loose.
City to require permits for all driveway projects
In response to recent issues related to driveway projects negatively affecting the City Right of Way, the Freeport City Council has approved an amendment to Chapter 1262 of the Codified Ordinances. This will allow the City more jurisdiction over the quality of driveways within the community.
The amendment will require residents to acquire a permit when working on driveways, no matter the project cost. The cost of these permits will be 1% of the entire project cost.
Above and beyond…
Freeport Police Chief Chris Shenberger recently made a special presentation to Officers Joshua Leverton and Justin Holden for going above and beyond the requirements of their normal day for the good of the community.
They were credited with finding a suspicious vehicle and suspects in that vehicle who were in possession of loaded guns, and thwarted a potential shooting incident that could have occurred. Both officers were given the Merit Award at a Committee of the Whole meeting.
School district news
In news from Freeport School District 145, the Board of Directors have agreed to purchase 9 new buses after comparing the cost of leasing buses versus buying them. It was also announced that there will be 5 e-learning days this year instead of snow days.
Enrollment for the school district is 3,720, with almost 400 multilingual students.
Park District news
At the most recent board meeting for the Freeport Park District, the annual audit was reviewed and pronounced to be a clean audit. Additional news included the information that following the departure of Park District Executive Director Ron Schneider in June, the board has paid the Illinois Association of Park Districts $7,600.00 to help search for a new Director. In the interim, Bruce Cubberley continues to serve as Interim Executive Director, as appointed by the Park Board of Commissioners. Prior to this temporary assignment, Cubberley served as the Superintendent of Parks and Natural Resources for the Freeport Park District for the last five years.
Greater Freeport Partnership awarded Matthew Marvin Community Impact Award
The Greater Freeport Partnership was honored as a co-recipient of the Matthew Marvin Community Impact Award at the Foundation for Northwest Illinois Gala on August 17. The Partnership's achievements in promoting collaborative economic development initiatives in Stephenson County were noted as deserving of the honor. The Partnership’s award was accepted by Executive Director Andrea Schultz Winter.
The Foundation also honored Northwest Illinois Economic Development as the other co-recipient of the Matthew Marvin Award.
The Foundation hosted the Celebration Gala in honor of their 50th anniversary and to showcase their strategic work in economic development with nearly 130 guests in attendance.
News from Winneshiek Theater
If you lived through the 80's -- or WISH you had – mark your calendars for Winneshiek Players upcoming performances of “Back to the 80's,” a comedic parody based on movies from that decade (think Back to the Future, Risky Business, and Goonies).
Evening performances are September 20th, 21st, 27th, and 28th at 7:00 p.m., with a matinee also offered on Saturday, September 21st. at 2:00 p.m.
Two productions are being planned for October's Halloween season, including an Edgar Allen Poe Radio Hour and a shadowcast of the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The Winneshiek Theater is believed to be the nation's oldest continuously performing all-volunteer amateur theater. Winnie, as it is affectionately nicknamed, has been operating in Freeport since 1926. It has been at its current location, 228 West Clark Street, since 1936.
Antique Engine Club open on Labor Day
If you’re looking for something fun to do on Labor Day next Monday, September 2nd, try a ride on the Silver Creek and Stephenson Railroad of Freeport, which will be open all day. The train operated by the Stephenson County Antique Engine Club is the type of train used during the golden age of railroading when numerous branch-line trains tied the small towns of what was once a more rural America to each other and the outside world.
The week ahead…
As we look ahead to a short week due to the Labor Day holiday, we want to remind everyone that the public is invited to provide input for the 2025 budget for the City of Freeport next Tuesday, September 3rd. This conversation is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at the Council Chambers at City Hall, 314 W. Stephenson Street in Freeport. The public will have another opportunity to offer input during a similar meeting on Monday, October 28th.
Next up, with a Presidential election right around the corner, attendees at the Lindo Theatre’s Select Pix Classic film series will enjoy All the President’s Men next Wednesday, September 4th. This 1976 political thriller is an inside look at the famous Watergate Scandal. Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Robards star. All the Presidents’ Men screens Wednesday at 1:00 and 7:00 p.m. at regular ticket prices. 2024 is the 14th year for this popular film series hosted by Ed Finch and Alan Wenzel at the Lindo Theatre in Freeport.
In a bit of history trivia for the week and related to our story about the Stephenson County Antique Engine Club, our historians tell us that the first rail service to Freeport began 171 years ago this week, when on August 31, 1853 a Chicago and North Western Railway train arrived in town.