A federal fugitive wanted out of Kane County on first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges was apprehended in Streator Wednesday morning. LaSalle County Sheriff Adam Diss says agents of the U.S. Marshall’s Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force arrested 43-year-old Rodolfo Madrigal in the 400 block of South Sterling Street. The outstanding warrant on Madrigal was on a Montgomery Police Department investigation from January of 2021. Madrigal was taken to the LaSalle County Jail and is being held on no bond.
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Wednesday night the Marseilles City Council narrowly affirmed its interest in acquiring the former Illinois Valley Cellular headquarters by borrowing up to 2.3 million dollars. After the 3-2 vote, Mayor Jim Hollenbeck said if the city moves forward to buy the property for a new location for city offices and the police department, the borrowed funds would be in the form of debt certificates. Negotiations continue with MTCO, the current owner, to buy the property which is on the market for 1.6 million dollars. The additional monies are for renovations that would be needed to meet the needs of the police department. The city is waiting for a second appraisal and arranged with Phelan Steel for a building inspection. Phelan oversaw the original construction of the Riverfront Plaza structure.
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Pebbles, the eldest American bison at Buffalo Rock State Park, died Tuesday afternoon of natural causes. She had been under veterinary care. Pebbles was born at Buffalo Rock on April 25, 2005, and was a popular site for visitors to the park, which is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Two bison remain at the park: Cocoa and her 3-year-old calf, Hope. Hope was born on April 28, 2020, just weeks after the COVID-19 pandemic created uncertainty across the world and led to the temporary closure of non-essential businesses and services, including Illinois state parks.
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After years of criticism and just a week after another scathing audit of his agency, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith is resigning. In a DCFS town hall meeting Wednesday morning, Smith announced his resignation. Last week’s DCFS audit found the agency has disregarded child welfare laws. Many of those findings were repeated year after year, even before Smith took over as director. Smith took over the beleaguered Illinois DCFS in
2019. His tenure was marred with controversy, including being held in contempt of court at least a dozen times for the agency’s failure to properly care for or protect children. Smith’s departure was formally announced in a release from Governor JB Pritzker’s office, which also included news that the leaders of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and Department on Aging would also leave office at the end of this year.
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The head of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is resigning. Director Theresa Eagleson announced she will be leaving the department at the end of the year. The governor has appointed Lizzy Whitehorn to serve as Director beginning January 1st. Eagleson has been the director since January 2019.
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U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa is demanding action to prevent sexual misconduct and staffing shortages at the federal prison in Thomson. Ernst says the correctional facility in northwest Illinois is known for rampant sexual assault and misconduct by inmates directed at employees. She said she sent a letter last year to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons seeking a plan for responding to the ongoing criminal activity occurring at Thomson. However, Ernst claims she received what she calls a “deeply unsatisfactory response.”
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Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois in Champaign is cleared for tomorrow night’s football game against Nebraska following a fire this week. Officials say the blaze broke out Tuesday night in a maintenance area of the stadium under the Horseshoe. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Following an inspection, Illinois’ Division of Intercollegiate Athletics determined the game could proceed.
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The NASCAR Chicago Street Race is returning next year. The announcement comes after a study showed the inaugural race this past summer drew more than 47-thousand unique attendees and generated nearly 109 million dollars in economic impact. The event will be held on July 6th and 7th 2024. Following conversations with city leaders, NASCAR has agreed to shorten the event’s setup
and tear down times and committed to addressing costs incurred by City departments and agencies in facilitating and securing the event.
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LaSalle County Sheriff’s Deputies cited a Manteno man Wednesday evening for driving with an obstructed front windshield. James Ozee was stopped in Bruce Township at Illinois 23 and Summer Street.
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WEATHER:
Today – Showers in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High near 75F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Tonight – Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 47F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
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OBITUARIES:
Marcella Weygand, 88, of Naplate, passed away October 4th, at La Salle County Nursing Home surrounded by her loving family.
Visitation will be tomorrow, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will take place at noon at the funeral home. She will be entombed in the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum at Oakwood Memorial Park.
William Charles Krause, 82 of Ottawa, passed away on Sunday evening, October 1ST, surrounded by family. Funeral services will be held at noon this Saturday at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL LOCAL SPORTS:
On Tuesday the 7th Grade Lady Rams basketball team defeated Spring Valley 35-9. 7th Grade is now 5-3.
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The 8th Grade Lady Rams defeated Spring Valley 41-15. 8th Grade is now 7-1
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HIGH SCHOOL LOCAL SPORTS:
Football
Marquette Vs. Seneca – Our featured Friday night game of the week tomorrow hear Isaac Missle, And Andrew Evola on the call. With Tony B back at the WCMY studios. 6:45ish pre-game and a 7 p.m. kick-off. Right here on your official Crusaders football station!
Girls volleyball
Newark 2, Leland 0: At Leland, in the Little Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday
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Earlville 2, Hiawatha 1: At Leland, in the Little Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals, the fourth-seeded Red Raiders advanced to a Friday semifinal matchup with Newark
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Somonauk 2, Serena 1: At Leland, in the Little Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals, the Bobcats moved onto Friday’s late semifinal
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Marquette 2, St. Bede 0: At Bader Gym, the host Crusaders beat St. Bede in the Tri-County Conference competition.
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Boys cross country
Dixon 24, Mendota 39, Streator 70: At Lake Mendota, the Bulldogs finished third of three teams
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Girls cross country
Dixon 15, Streator 54, Mendota 77: At Lake Mendota, the Bulldogs were second of three competing teams
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Girls tennis
Ottawa 3, Morris 2: At Morris, the visiting Pirates swept doubles play
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Boys soccer
Morris 4, Streator 1: At Morris
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PRO SPORTS:
>>Bears Visit Commanders On Thursday Night Football
(Landover, MD) — The Bears go for their first win of the season when they visit the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football at FedEx Field tonight. The Bears are 0-and-4 after blowing a 21-point lead during a 31-28 loss to Denver on Sunday. Chicago has been plagued by the second-worst scoring defense in the league, but both Justin Fields and DJ Moore have been turning the offense around. Fields passed for 335 yards and four touchdowns during last week’s loss, while Moore has over 300 receiving yards so far this year. Defensive backs Eddie Jackson and Jaylon Johnson will both miss tonight’s game with injuries, while receiver Chase Claypool remains away from the team for the second game in a row.
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>>Blackhawks Host Wild In Preseason
(Chicago, IL) — The Chicago Blackhawks continue preseason play with a game against the Minnesota Wild at United Center tonight. The Hawks are coming off a 4-2 win over the Red Wings on Tuesday. Chicago is 2-1-and-1 in exhibition play this year. Tonight’s contest gets underway at 7:30 p.m.
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>>Illinois Gets Green Light After Fire At Memorial Stadium
(Champaign, IL) — A fire at Memorial Stadium won’t prevent the Illinois Fighting Illini from hosting Nebraska in a Big Ten showdown tomorrow night. University officials say the fire started Tuesday night and caused minor damage away from areas where spectators sit. The fire was put out quickly and there were no injuries. Investigators are still searching for the cause of the fire.