March 15, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 13

Open Modal

On Air Now

Up Next

Mon - Fri: 06:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Dani in the Morning

Mon - Fri: 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM

Mon - Fri: 03:00 PM - 07:00 PM

Wall to Wall Country

Financial Plus gets naming rights for waterfront amphitheater in $750K deal

nytkaafutjb7tow2tpdfreqbsy508328

Hennepin library event’s set for March

ipozwdcncrbunmqg5vvpqzaiqi431626

Ottawa City Council paves way for new McDonald’s

Residents on Ottawa’s south side may not have to cross the Illinois River to get McDonald’s soon.The Ottawa City Council took steps towards a second McDonald’s in the city by granting a conditional use permit to James Bowe & McDonald’s USA after hearing a presentation at a meeting of the Ottawa Plan Commission.“I don’t think companies like McDonald’s or Walmart or whoever make these decisions do them by mistake,” Ottawa Mayor Robert Hasty said. The proposed site of the new McDonald’s is at the southwest corner of McKinley Road and First Ave.“We see this as a potential opportunity for there to be more development on the south side,” Hasty said. “You put a McDonald’s there, and the next thing you know, there’s one or two other businesses, and it can really help to revitalize that part of our city.“The plan commission is requiring the petitioner to complete roadway and right-of-way improvements, install noise-limiting technology for the drive-thru speaker, shield and direct downward all exterior lighting and provide a cross-access easement to the commercial property to the south.“I thought that McDonald’s did a really good job of explaining what they were planning on doing there, and addressing all of those conditional things,” Hasty said. “They mentioned each one of them, and how they plan to attack each of them, and I was really impressed by what they had to say.” Dan Olson of Upstream Design Group was a representative at the meeting and is enthusiastic about the prospects of a second McDonald’s in Ottawa.“We’re pleased to be part of the community and we’re looking forward to developing a successful restaurant there,” he said.Olson said the next step for McDonald’s is to go through the permitting process with the city of Ottawa and other agencies and get all the necessary approvals. There is no firm timetable for the start of construction or when the restaurant is expected to be open for business.

Strong pitching staff to lead L-P baseball team in 2026

With its top two pitchers from last year returning along with depth behind them, the La Salle-Peru baseball team will be led by its pitching staff this spring.“Our strength will be our pitching staff,” L-P coach Matt Glupczynski said. “We have 11 pitchers, and we return our Nos. 1 and 2 from last year. We look forward to seeing our young guys grow against a very tough schedule.”Senior Gavin Kallis and junior Jett Hill were the Cavaliers’ top pitchers a year ago. Kallis was 5-5 with a 3.01 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched, while Hill went 4-2 with a 2.56 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 43 innins.Glupczynski said the Cavs are looking for senior Tyler Spelich “to solidify our pitching staff and compete for a more prominent role this year on the mound.” Junior John Sowers was a late season call-up last season after being the sophomore team’s No. 1 pitcher, while junior Geno Argubright gives L-P a left-handed arm.“We look for John to carve out a significant role on our pitching staff,” Glupczynski said. “Geno does a great job pounding the zone.”Senior Ceyton Urbanski, juniors Grey Ernat, Will Gende and Nick Salazar and sophomores Adan Pantoja and Kaden Bertuli also could see time on the mound.Defensively, junior Brandon Lamps will be behind the plate after seeing 126 innings there last season. Lorenzi, Sowers and Gende may see time at third base. Ernat and Hill will play shortstop. Hill, senior Nolan O’Brien and Urbanski are vying for time at second base. Urbanski, junior Ben Swanson and Sowers will man first base. Senior Braylin Bond, Pantoja, Salazar, Spelich, Kallis, Bertuli, junior Owen, Zbrowski and Argubright could see action in the outfield.Offensively, the Cavs return a handful of players who were key contributors last season.Bond hit .301 with 20 runs and 15 RBIs, Ernat had a .347 average with 21 RBIs, 21 runs and 12 steals, Hill his .328 with 14 runs and 12 RBIs, and Lamps hit .280.“We feel very confident in our offense this year,” Glupczynski said. “We feel that our offense will be well-rounded, which will help us compete against some of the top pitchers in the state of Illinois. Grey Ernat, Jett Hill, Braylin Bond and Brandon Lamps will be key offensive pieces.”With a strong pitching staff and solid offense, the Cavs are looking to end some droughts this season with their first 20-plus win season since 2014 and first regional championship since 2013. L-P also hopes to contend for the Interstate 8 Conference title.

Ottawa City Council paves way for new McDonald’s

sof22bigfjbptjuzvl3uefsbei319662

Strong pitching staff to lead L-P baseball team in 2026

bq63axtqdvfclapx3hik7w3qpq317092

Financial Plus gets naming rights for waterfront amphitheater in $750K deal

nytkaafutjb7tow2tpdfreqbsy943640

Hennepin library event’s set for March

ipozwdcncrbunmqg5vvpqzaiqi409006

Hennepin library event’s set for March

ipozwdcncrbunmqg5vvpqzaiqi413202

The Putnam County Public Library District’s Hennepin branch, 214 N. Fourth St., recently announced three events and programs it will host during the fourth week of March.

Ottawa City Council paves way for new McDonald’s

sof22bigfjbptjuzvl3uefsbei954370

The Ottawa City Council took its first steps towards adding a second McDonald’s to the city by granting a conditional use permit to James Bowe & McDonald’s USA after hearing a presentation at a meeting of the

Loading...