A 53-year-old Streator man is being held in LaSalle County Jail after being charged with involuntary manslaughter after a fatal shooting in his Streator family home Saturday night. Harold Crank is charged by the LaSalle County State’s Attorney with reckless handling of a firearm causing the weapon to discharge and shoot his 26-year-old son Logan Crank who later died from his injuries. Harold Crank is jailed on a $150,000 bond.
Recreational marijuana sales remain high in Illinois. Cannabis sales topped 140 million dollars last month, setting a new high for the year. It was the second biggest month since the state legalized adult-use marijuana more than three and a half years ago. The majority of the cannabis sales were in-state residents, totaling more than 104 million dollars.
Illinois leaders are considering the idea of a new state flag. Governor Pritzker signed a bill that creates the Illinois Flag Commission. The commission will explore the creation of a new state flag and develop new state flag designs. The commission will make recommendations to the General Assembly concerning whether the current State flag should be replaced with a redesigned flag. By September 2024, the Illinois Flag Commission will select no more than ten potential flags and submit a report to the General Assembly by December 2024.
Illinois is expanding youth access to prosthetics care. Governor Pritzker signed a bill known as the “So Kids Can Move” initiative. The measure allows children with limb loss or limb difference access to affordable prosthetic care that enables them to participate in physical activities. The legislation requires insurance coverage for medically necessary prosthetic or custom orthotic devices to maximize the patient’s whole-body health and function. Illinois is just the fourth state in the nation to pass this act.
The Illinois Department of Labor, its Division of Occupational Safety and Health, and the On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Program are joining federal OSHA and businesses across the state to recognize Safe + Sound Week, Aug. 7-13, 2023. The nationwide event takes place each year in August to recognize workplace safety and health programs, though Safe + Sound is a year-round campaign to ensure workers everywhere return home safe and healthy each day. On-Site provides free and confidential safety and health advice to small and medium-sized businesses committed to improving workplace safety and health.
The Illinois State Fair Grandstand is hosting harness racing to kick off the 2023 grandstand calendar. County Fairs and Horse Racing Day is being held Thursday. Admission into the harness races is free for fairgoers. The 2023 Illinois State Fair starts Thursday and runs through August 20th in Springfield.
The father of the Highland Park July 4th shooting suspect is asking a judge to dismiss the case against him. Robert Crimo Junior is facing charges of felony Reckless Conduct. The charges stem from allegations he helped his son get a Firearm Owner’s Identification card. The judge is expected to make a ruling on August 28th. His son, Robert Crimo the third, is currently facing charges for killing seven people and wounding dozens more at the Highland Park Parade on July 4 last year.
A 51-year-old Ottawa woman faces charges of Driving Under the Influence and improper lane usage after a traffic stop on Route 71 on Sunday. Stacy Tucker posted her driver’s license as bond and was released with a notice to appear.
24-year-old Christian Hill of Creve Couer was arrested by Ottawa Police Sunday at Albin-Stevens Drive and Woodward Memorial Drive on charges of Driving Under the Influence, improper lane usage, and no insurance. He was released on bond with a notice to appear in court.
64-year-old Barry Carver of Ottawa was arrested at his home on East Fremont Street and charged with Disorderly Conduct. Carver posted a bond and has a notice to appear in court.
47-year-old Tonya J. Messer of LaMoille was charged by Peru Police with driving with a suspended registration after a Monday morning traffic stop at May Road and Plan Road.
A Peru man faces a charge of driving on a suspended or revoked license. 34-year-old Joshua R. Guynn was stopped at 5th and Buffalo Streets in Peru early Monday morning.
39-year-old Nathan D. Thompson faces several charges after being stopped by Peru Police at a 4th Street gas station last Thursday morning. Thompson was cited for resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer, attempting to disarm an officer, criminal property damage, and disorderly conduct.
32-year-old Jarod A. Scott was stopped by Peru Police at 38th Street and Venture Drive Friday night and charged with suspended registration and no insurance.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Obits:
Dale V. Ott, 74 of Streator passed away Saturday evening (August 5, 2023) in Sturgis, S. Dakota.
A visitation will be held Thursday from 4 – 8 PM with the rosary recited at 7 PM at the Winterrowd Funeral Home, Streator. Funeral services will be held Friday at 10 AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Wenona with burial in Riverview Cemetery, Streator.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Weather:
Today – Areas of patchy fog early. Cloudy early with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 80F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Tonight – Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds will be light and variable.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Sports:
>>White Sox Take Down Yankees
(Chicago, IL) — The White Sox are on a three-game winning streak following a 5-1 win over the New York Yankees at Guaranteed Rate Field. Andrew Vaughn hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the second to give the Sox an early lead, and Luis Robert put the game away with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth. Dylan Cease earned his fifth win of the season after striking out six and giving up just one hit in five-and-a-third scoreless innings, and Bryan Shaw picked up his first save. The Southsiders are in fourth place in the AL Central at 46-and-68. They send Touki Toussaint to the mound against the Yankees tonight.
>>MLB Hands Down Suspensions for White Sox
(New York, NY) — Major League Baseball is handing out several suspensions after last weekend’s brawl between the White Sox and Guardians. The fight started between White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez after a play at second base during Saturday’s game.
Anderson fell to the grand after appearing to get hit by a punch thrown by Ramirez. The MLB suspended Anderson for six games, and White Sox manager Pedro Grifol received a one-game ban. Starting pitcher Michael Kopech also received a fine.
>>Hahn, Grifol Address Comments Made By Middleton
(Chicago, IL) — The leadership of the White Sox is defending the team’s culture. General Manager Rick Hahn and Manager Pedro Grifol addressed the media yesterday after a recent ESPN article. The article featured comments from former White Sox reliever Keynan Middleton, who said that the White Sox culture suffered from a lack of rules and accountability. Hahn told reporters that Middleton had recently apologized to him for unspecified unprofessional behavior, so he was shocked by the article. He also refuted each of Middleton’s examples of Chicago’s poor culture, which included players falling asleep in the bullpen and skipping fielding practices without consequences.
>>Cubs Get Rocked By Mets
(Flushing, NY) — The Cubs gave up three home runs during an 11-2 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field. Chicago surrendered three runs in the bottom of the first and trailed the rest of the way.
Drew Smyly was charged with his eighth loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits in five innings, and Cody Bellinger went three-for-three with two RBI in the losing effort. The Cubs trail the Brewers by two-and-a-half games in the NL Central race with a 58-and-55 record. Jameson Taillon starts for Chicago against the Mets tonight.
>>Blackhawks F Philp Has Surgery
(Chicago, IL) — The Chicago Blackhawks are losing some offensive depth. The team announced that forward Luke Philp had Achilles surgery this past weekend and is expected to miss seven months. Philp spent most of his time at Rockford last season, appearing in just three games with Chicago last season.
>>Sky Host Lynx
(Chicago, IL) — The Chicago Sky go for their fourth straight win when they host the Minnesota Lynx at Wintrust Arena tonight. The Sky are coming off a 104-96 win over the Dallas Wings, and they’ve scored exactly 104 points in each of their last three contests. The team will be without forward Ruthy Hebard, who was suspended for one game yesterday after an altercation between the Sky and Wings on Sunday. Chicago is in eighth place in the WNBA at 12-and-15. Tonight’s contest tips off at 7:00 PM.