
Woman dies in vehicle vs. semi crash in Whiteside County
UNDATED – One woman is dead after a 2-vehicle crash in Whiteside County on Monday. According to authorities, they responded to a 2-vehicle crash on Prophet Road just west of Luther Road. Upon arrival, deputies discovered the

Bureau, Putnam and Marshall County Health Departments hosting vaccine clinics this week
UNDATED – The Bureau, Putnam, and Marshall County Health Departments have scheduled vaccination clinics for this week. According to the departments, at this point in time, there is no online registry due to huge technical issues. On

Huntley mobile phone store employee guilty of downloading sexual images from a customers cell phone
HUNTLEY – A Huntley mobile phone store employee is convicted of downloading sexual images from a customer’s cell phone. According to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, In September of 2018, the victim visited a retail mobile

57 new cases of COVID-19, no deaths in LaSalle County
OTTAWA – The LaSalle County Health Department is reporting 57 new cases of COVID-19. This brings the total number of cases to 9602. New recovered cases are 46 and total recovered cases, 6611.

Oglesby City Council approves purchase of new truck for police department
OGLESBY – The Oglesby City Council on Monday approved the purchase of a new truck for the police department. The vehicle will be paid for with funds from the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team, or TRI-Dent, with

Peru approves $100,000 for next TBM Avengers event
PERU – The Peru City Council on Monday night approved contributing $100,000 for the 2021 TBM Avengers reunion and Salute to Veterans event. The gathering of vintage aircraft at Illinois Valley Regional Airport is set to

State of Illinois to sue ATF over arms manufacturer license
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The state of Illinois and a Missouri city are suing the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for granting a license to an arms manufacturer that had gone bankrupt after

National Blood Donor Month the perfect time to donate with The American Red Cross
OTTAWA – The American Red Cross has partnered with the NFL during National Blood Donor Month to not only help save lives, but give those donors a chance to win tickets to next year’s Super Bowl in

COVID-19 rules eased, state hiring more health care help
By JOHN O’CONNOR AP Political Writer SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois public health officials reported 3,385 fresh cases of coronavirus illness. Also Monday, 50 more deaths were reported as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration eased social interaction restrictions

LaSalle County Sheriff’s Department awarding scholarship for 2021-2022 school year
OTTAWA – LaSalle County Sheriff Thomas Templeton will be awarding a $500 scholarship. Applications are now available and must be postmarked by March 15th. Students must be enrolled as a full-time student during the 2021-2022 school year,

Mendota Fire Chief’s son, Brady Rutishauser is Mendota’s latest fireman
MENDOTA – Mendota Fire Chief Dennis Rutishauser’s son is following in his footsteps, joining the firefighters of Union Local 4200. Brady Rutishauser was sworn in at Monday night’s city council meeting as firefighter and paramedic. Rutishauser has

41 new cases of COVID-19 in LaSalle County
OTTAWA- The LaSalle County Health Department is reporting 41 new cases of COVID-19 in the area on Monday. This brings the total number of cases in the county to 9545. There were zero new deaths to

Stroger nurse high on duty, took IV equipment, report says
CHICAGO (AP) — A former emergency room nurse at Stroger Hospital in Chicago was high on marijuana during at least one shift and took equipment and IV solution from the hospital, according to an investigative report. Cook

LaSalle St. in Ottawa closed on Tuesday
OTTAWA – The City of Ottawa Public Works Department will be closing a portion of the 1900 block of LaSalle Street on Tuesday, beginning at 7:00 a.m. for water main maintenance work. The closure to traffic will

Man allegedly hid 3 months at Chicago airport due to virus
CHICAGO (AP) — A California man who told police that the coronavirus pandemic left him afraid to fly has been arrested on charges that he hid in a secured area at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for

LaSalle County Health Department to host COVID-19 vaccine clinic at IVCC
OTTAWA – The LaSalle County Health Department will be having a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Illinois Valley Community College this week. The appointment-only public 1-B vaccine clinic will begin on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

Peru Library open for browsing
PERU – The Peru Public Library is opening for browsing by patrons this Wednesday, January 20th! When patrons stop by they will be able to browse the library’s collections on both floors. And they will notice

4th victim dies after gunman’s attacks in Chicago, suburbs
CHICAGO (AP) — Authorities say a 61-year-old woman became the fourth person to die from a series of shootings this month by a Chicago gunman who was later killed in a police shootout. The Cook County medical

Second Round of Paycheck Protection Program grants available
OTTAWA – The second round of Paycheck Protection Program grants are now available to first time and returning borrowers. According to the North Central Illinois Council of Governments, applications are open until March 31st. In an update

Prosecutors: Woman robs 4 Chicago stores in less than hour
CHICAGO (AP) — A 21-year-old woman charged with robbing four Chicago convenience stores in the space of less than an hour has been ordered by a judge held on $50,000 bond. Jessica Short is charged with two

Illinois collects $62M in cannabis revenue for neighborhoods
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois has collected $62 million from legalized marijuana sales that’s earmarked for helping minority businesses and neighborhood development, but the money hasn’t been spent yet. The Chicago Tribune reports problems with the state’s system

LaSalle, Livingston and Bureau County to allow limited indoor dining
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health on Sunday announced that Region 2, which includes Bureau, Grundy, LaSalle, Livingston and Marshall Counties, has met the metrics to allow limited indoor dining. The Tier 1 restrictions allow

Recovered LaSalle County COVID-19 cases approach 6500
OTTAWA – The LaSalle County Health Department on Sunday announced 54 new infections have been identified among residents, along with 52 individuals now considered recovered from the novel coronavirus. The Health Department noted that since the pandemic

Stateville Correctional Officer charged with forgery
JOLIET – An Illinois Department of Corrections Officer working at the Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet has been charged with three counts of Forgery. The Illinois State Police said on Saturday that 28-year-old François Kopca of Chicago

Streator Police Blotter 1/16
STREATOR – The Streator Police Department reported a couple of incidents from Friday evening. They say that around noon a resident reported decorative lights were taken off of a garage in the 300 block of East

LaSalle home destroyed after Saturday night fire
LASALLE – A LaSalle home was destroyed after a fire Saturday night. The Lasalle Fire Department were called around 10 PM to the 800 Block of Oconor Ave for a fully involved structure fire. The two residents

IVCC adds social justice certificates to criminal justice program
OGLESBY – Illinois Valley Community College board on Thursday approved short-term criminal justice certificates in social justice, criminology and forensic science. The 21-credit social justice certificate is for students interested in racial disparity, unequal representation, government control

Blood drive coming to Mendota Tuesday
MENDOTA – The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center will be coming to a Mendota area church on Tuesday. Individuals who want to make a donation will need to register to schedule a time during the event at

Recovered Midwestern bird soars off endangered species list
By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal officials say a bird called the interior least tern is being dropped from the endangered species list. The small, fish-eating bird lives along rivers, lakes

Chicago-area man gets 16 years in postal worker’s shooting
CHICAGO (AP) — A suburban Chicago man who pleaded guilty in the New Year’s Eve 2018 shooting of a U.S. Postal Service worker has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison. A federal judge in Chicago

LaSalle County Sheriff speaks out on criminal reform house bill
SPRINGFIELD – A police and criminal reform house bill that would drastically change law enforcement as we know it, is in the hands of Governor J.B. to sign. House Bill 3653 formerly House Bill 163, authored by

States declare emergencies, close capitols ahead of rallies
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois National Guard members will be on duty this weekend in Springfield in response to state capitols being threatened across the country. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday that members of the National

Governor eases COVID restrictions in 3 Illinois regions
CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the spread of COVID-19 has slowed sufficiently that he’s easing restrictions in three Illinois regions, although strict rules will remain in place in Chicago and other parts of the state.

IVCC cancels Spring 2021 sports
OGLESBY – Illinois Valley Community College is canceling its spring 2021 volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball seasons due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made Friday, by President Jerry Corcoran who said, “This was

IVCC joins four other colleges hopeful for manufacturing academy
OGLESBY – Illinois Valley Community College will join a four-college consortium vying for a $7.5 million Central Illinois Manufacturing Academy. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may choose the consortium’s grant application for the academy,

Teen charged with murder in fatal Chicago carjacking
CHICAGO (AP) — A 16-year-old boy has been charged as an adult in the slaying of a Chicago man who was fatally shot during an attempted carjacking of his SUV last month. Denroy Garcia’s name is being

Union: 17 Chicago cops resting in burgled office suspended
By DON BABWIN Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — The president of the Chicago Police officers’ union says 17 officers and supervisors have been suspended for their involvement in an incident in which several officers were captured on

Jacob Blake says he was ready to surrender before being shot
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — A man who was shot in the back by a police officer in Wisconsin, triggering several nights of violent protests, says he was prepared to surrender just before the officer opened fire. Jacob

Township supervisor accused of embezzling from private firm
PLAINFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A northern Illinois township supervisor is facing allegations he stole money over six years from the company he founded. Plainfield Township supervisor Anthony Fremarek is charged in an indictment unsealed Thursday with wire

Latest stimulus arrives via debit card
WASHINGTON – The latest direct stimulus payment arrived via direct deposit to many Americans in the last few weeks, but for those who received the first round of payments via check are now receiving a debit card

Prosecutors seek restrictions on Rittenhouse after bar stop
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Prosecutors in Wisconsin have asked a judge to order an Illinois teen charged with killing two people and wounding a third in a violent protest over a police shooting to stay out of

Recovered cases outpace new COVID-19 infections in LaSalle County
OTTAWA – Recovered COVID-19 cases outpaced new infections in the latest update from the LaSalle County Health Department on Thursday. They announced 111 new individuals are now considered recovered from the novel coronavirus, ahead of the 85

Over 80 deaths attributed to COVID-19 announced by IDPH
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday announced 88 new COVID-19 deaths and 6,652 new confirmed and probable cases. Over 3500 Illinois residents were hospitalized battling the novel coronavirus, with 382 individuals on ventilators.

Three Bureau County men die from complications related to COVID-19
PRINCETON – Three more men from Bureau County have died from complications related to COVID-19. The Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Departments announced Thursday that a man in his 50’s, a man in his 70’s and

36 new COVID-19 cases, one death in Livingston County
PONTIAC – Thirty-six residents of Livingston County have tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease). Sadly, one more resident has also died due to complications related to COVID-19. The individual was a female in her

Mayor: Chicago opening 6 mass COVID-19 vaccination sites
CHICAGO (AP) — The city of Chicago is opening six mass COVID-19 vaccination sites that’ll be able to deliver roughly 25,000 weekly shots once fully operational. Mayor Lori Lightfoot visited a new site Thursday at a

Bill that would restrict police presence in Illinois schools has been tabled
SPRINGFIELD – A recently introduced bill that would eliminate police presence on school grounds in Illinois is no longer moving forward. House Bill 0029, filled by Representative Anne Stava-Murray, provides that law enforcement officers shall not maintain

Bill that would restrict police presence in Illinois schools has been tabled
SPRINGFIELD – A recently introduced bill that would eliminate police presence on school grounds in Illinois is no longer moving forward. House Bill 0029, filled by Representative Anne Stava-Murray (D), provides that law enforcement officers shall not

Chicago area priest charged in fatal hit-and-run has died
CHICAGO (AP) — A retired suburban Chicago priest charged in the 2019 death of a woman after he allegedly struck her with his car as she walked from a holiday party has died. The Archdiocese of Chicago

Chicago teachers punished as classroom no-shows protest
By SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago teachers punished for refusing to show up for the start of in-person classes over COVID-19 concerns have demonstrated outside the home of the school board president. Roughly 150