Benefit Sunday for family of Navy vet

GAZETTE STAFF ROCK FALLS - Who Else Inc., a nonprofit club and community service organization in Nelson, is holding a benefit Sunday for the family of Navy veteran Dan "Boone" Hermes, who died Feb. 12 of cancer at the age of 65. Hermes, who served with the Navy from 1960 to 1964, worked at Northwestern Steel and Wire until October 2006. The benefit, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Rock Falls American Legion, 712 Fourth Ave., will feature pulled pork sandwiches for $5 a plate, a bake sale and live and silent auctions featuring items such as a motorcycle jacket, a power saw, marble vanity tops, a fire pit ring and more. Those who can't attend but would like to help can send gift certificates or checks, payable to Linda Hermes or Who Else, to Who Else Inc., P.O. Box 14, Rock Falls, IL 61071. For more information, call club members Jake Beck, (815) 535-3812, Mike Beck, (815) 625-2577, Larry Schettler, (815) 499-8237. Illinois State Police to conduct safety checks Illinois State Police in District One are conducting roadside safety checks and traffic enforcement patrols in Ogle and Whiteside counties this month. Roadside safety checks, which look for drivers operating unsafe vehicles, driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license, driving under the influence or transporting open alcoholic beverages, will be held March 14-16. All month in both counties, checks will focus on traffic violations and compliance with safety belt and child safety seat laws. In Whiteside County, troopers and local law enforcement will be looking for impaired drivers and illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol and other drugs.