February 25, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 18

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Mendota, Troy Grove fire departments respond to gas leak explosion at ADM Milling & Rail Terminal

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Say it ain’t snow: Illinois Valley possibly in the path of more snow Thursday

As a cold but not especially snowy winter draws to a close (24 days to go, but who’s counting), the short-term outlook calls for another coin-flip possibility of snow.Gino Izzi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Romeoville, said Tuesday the projection calls for snow but, as is frequently the case, the Illinois Valley is right on the edge of the system.“It’s one of those tricky setups,” Izzi said. “It’s a narrow band of snow and it’s fluid. What we’re forecasting now is 1 to 3 inches and you guys are going be close to the edge.“There’s a very plausible scenario where the snow misses La Salle County and moves to the south.”That goes for Bureau County, too. A forecaster with the National Weather Service in Davenport agreed the system is narrow – between 30 and 40 miles wide – and could just as easily deliver a dusting as the 3 inches that would come in a worst-case scenario.“It’s not a big storm system,” said meteorologist Andy Ervin, “nothing like what’s impacted the East Coast.”That’s good news or bad news, depending on who you ask.Chris Kellett of Peru is a plow driver and he’s had winters when work was steadier and more lucrative.“From a business standpoint, absolutely I would have liked more snow,” Kellett said, though he hastened to add, “Personally, I’d rather have the snow than the bitter cold, any day of the week.”Schoolchildren might not be happy if Old Man Winter misses us and school is in session come Thursday. Ryan Linnig, on the other hand, will be pleased as punch if Thursday proves to be a dodge.Linnig is the superintendent of Peru Elementary Schools and he’s only had to burn one emergency day so far. It wasn’t even a snow day: he closed the school Jan. 23 for extreme cold. Snow days are disruptive and Linnig didn’t conceal his wish to keep his streak of no snow days intact.“I hope we are good to go here on out,” Linnig said.Farmers in North Central Illinois are singing a different tune. Snow is needed to snap an extended dry spell that is currently sparing only the far northeast corner of La Salle County. The Ottawa area is “abnormally dry,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor last updated Feb. 17. La Salle-Peru is mired in a “moderate drought.” The panhandle and all of Putnam County are in a “severe drought.”Steve Michelini farms in four counties and is the Peru Township commissioner. So far, this winter has been worst-of-both-worlds.Michelini explained that he and his peers and the farming community were hoping for more snow to alleviate the dry spell. While it’s too soon to fret over spring planting conditions, the soil moisture is nowhere close to where it needs to be.“It’s definitely a concern to us,” Michelini said. “We are dry. We’re not dire yet, but any moisture would be welcome.”And in his role as township supervisor, Michelini said the winter-to-date snowfall has been just enough to be a pain in the neck for him and his plow drivers. While most of the snowfalls have been minor, averaging half an inch, township crews have had to spread an enormous amount of salt.Izzi confirmed that it’s been a comparatively dry winter – “A little below normal, but not much.”

Renderings released for proposed new St. Michael church in Streator

St. Michael the Archangel Parish has released architectural renderings of its proposed new church in Streator, with a potential parish leaders say is needed to address long-term structural concerns at their current building.Ty Hudson, director of Guidance in Giving, the company managing the parish’s “Building Our Future” capital campaign, said the decision to build new follows years of evaluating aging facilities.“This is the third church they’ve tried over the past 15 years since consolidation,” Hudson said. “Structural issues forced them out of the first one, and size constraints pushed them out of the second.”According to Hudson, the current church dates back about 140 years and would require significant foundational and structural repairs to remain open long term. Leaders determined that the cost of the repairs would be comparable to the construction of a new building entirely.“For the corrections and repairs necessary to bring it to a long-term answer, it was going to cost the same as building a new church,” Hudson said. “And then if you did fix it, you still have a fixed 140-year-old building which might see more problems eventually.”The proposed church would be constructed in the parking lot of the existing St. Mary’s Church site. Once completed, the current church building would be demolished and the space converted into a parking lot.The new church would have a similar footprint to the existing structure, with 30 additional seats.The Parish held multiple church receptions over the past month, and Hudson described feedback from attendees as overwhelmingly positive.“Incredibly positive response and larger numbers than I’ve ever had in a campaign,” he said, noting the turnout exceeded typical participation percentages.The campaign is currently in its pledge phase, with parishioners asked to consider sacrificial gifts ahead of an upcoming commitment weekend.If fundraising goals are met, parish leaders would like to begin construction as early as this fall, though Hudson said permitting and approval processes make spring a more realistic timeline.In addition to the church, the broader project includes plans for a new parish office to consolidate operations currently housed separately. However, Hudson said the primary focus is funding the church itself, with the office portion potentially constructed later if needed.Hudson said new church construction often brings renewed engagement.“That almost always happens when you open a new church,” he said. “People come back or travel to something new.”

Free prom for special needs guests set April 18 in Princeton

A free prom night designed for people with special needs at high school age or older will return this spring at a new location in Princeton.The event is scheduled for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, at the Community Life Center (west building) of Evangelical Covenant Church, 24 N. Main St., Princeton. Organizers ask guests to arrive by 5:15 p.m. for the 5:30 p.m. red-carpet entrance.Each guest will receive a crown, reflecting the theme: “In God’s eyes we are all Kings and Queens.”Corsages and boutonnieres will be provided.Attire is semi-formal, but organizers suggest dresses or dress pants for women and a shirt and tie for men.Refreshments will include cupcakes, cookies, ice cream and punch. A photo booth will also be available.Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by April 1 to Dianne Van Drew by email at vandrewd49@comcast.net or by calling or texting 815-677-2263.

Mendota, Troy Grove fire departments respond to gas leak explosion at ADM Milling & Rail Terminal

Mendota and Troy Grove fire and rescue personnel responded to a call from the ADM Milling & Rail Terminal about an explosion in their wash bay.Jason Stewart, a terminal manager for Foodliner who was working in the wash bay at the time of the explosion, said that the 911 call was made at 9:15 a.m. and response personnel were on the scene roughly 10 minutes later.Stewart said that the explosion was caused by a gas leak from a faulty regulator that put too much gas in the wash bay system.“It sounded way worse than it actually turned out to be,” he said. “We just called 911 and evacuated the building as a precaution.” The faulty regulator is out of commission and is going to be replaced, Stewart saud, though the system will still work without the use of the regulator, and the wash bay would not be active for “a couple of hours.”Stewart explained that the gas used in the wash bay is used to heat the water used to 180° to clean the inside of the tankers at the facility. While the gas is not in use, only the outside of the tankers will be cleaned.He said that this setback will not be severe to operations.Messages left with the Mendota Fire Department were not returned by press time.

Say it ain’t snow: Illinois Valley possibly in the path of more snow Thursday

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Renderings released for proposed new St. Michael church in Streator

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Free prom for special needs guests set April 18 in Princeton

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Mendota, Troy Grove fire departments respond to gas leak explosion at ADM Milling & Rail Terminal

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Renderings released for proposed new St. Michael church in Streator

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St. Michael the Archangel Parish has released architectural renderings of its proposed new church in Streator, offering a first look at the structure parish leaders say is needed to address long-term structural concerns at their current building.

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