63-year-old Kenneth Bolte of Minooka died from injuries he suffered Wednesday at 7:30 pm as he was hit by a semi-trailer that drove through the stop sign at Grove Road where it intersects with Sherill in Minooka.
Bolte’s pickup truck was pinned underneath the semi-trailer driven by a Dolton resident.
The semi-tractor-trailer was southbound on Grove Road and entered the intersection while the eastbound pickup truck was entering the intersection.
Minooka Fire and EMS assisted at the scene. Grundy County sheriff is still investigating.
———————————————————————
No injuries to the driver of a sized semi tractor-trailer who thought they could cross the old Red Covered Bridge West of Princeton which was built around 1863 this morning a little after 7:00 am and the results were catastrophic.
Princeton City Clerk Pete Nelson said the main damage was caused not so much by the weight of the truck but by its height.
The bridge was nearly demolished, suffering severe damage to the roof and entry and exit points. He said there is a real possibility the bridge might be permanently taken out of service. Authorities were notified immediately. It’s not sure if the driver of the semi notified them or witnesses or someone who happened afterward.
The 149-foot-long bridge, built the same year the Emancipation Proclamation was signed cost $3,148.57 to construct and was once part of the Peoria-Galena Trail, crossing over Big Bureau Creek.
IDOT oversees the maintenance of the bridge. The State of Illinois owns the bridge. Illinois State Police are investigating.
———————————————————————
La Salle County is one of the last to still offer COVID numbers to residents or media that want them. But Public Health Administrator Chris Pozzi says the La Salle Department of Public Health is trying to stress it’s not just Covid that’s circulating but also the flu and RSV or Respiratory syncytial virus and prevention happens the same way. Cover your cough, wash your hands often and thoroughly, and stay home if you are ill.
The Health Department had its monthly meeting today. If you want to keep up with the latest happenings there, they announced their new initiative in conjunction with OSF, it’s called Healthier LaSalle County. It focuses on bringing together an eclectic range of both state and private agencies to keep you in the loop on everything from healthy walks to Alzheimer’s support.
Visit lasallecountyil.gov, look for the Health Department page, and then scroll down to Healthier LaSalle County.
Lastly, the Department’s new initiative, Healthier La Salle County, needs a logo. They are asking La Salle County Area High School art students to apply with an original design. Applications can be picked up at the LaSalle County Health Department at 717 Etna Road in Ottawa, the deadline for applications is December 1st.
———————————————————————
32-year-old Steven L Moore of St Louis was arrested by Ottawa police at LaFayette and Fulton Street Wednesday for allegedly driving on a suspended license and suspended registration. He posted a bond and was given a notice to appear.
47-year-old Ronald E Bennet of Streator was charged by Ottawa police in the 1000 block of Marquette Street on Wednesday with speeding and driving on a revoked license. He was given a notice to appear.
———————————————————————
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) are remembering the 10th anniversary of the Washington, Illinois tornado—a solemn reminder of the importance of year-round weather preparedness.
“This anniversary serves as a poignant and somber reminder that tornadoes can occur at any time of the year, not just during traditional tornado seasons,” said IEMA-OHS Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “It is imperative that we maintain vigilance and preparedness throughout the year. The lessons learned from the Washington tornado highlight the significance of early warning systems, family emergency plans, inventories of possessions, and well-stocked emergency kits in our homes.”
Everyone should take time to think about the importance of weather preparedness and disaster planning to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. The agency offers resources on its website, such as the emergency supply list and the family communications plan to assist in preparedness efforts.
In the early hours of November 17, 2013, a devastating EF-4 tornado tore through the community of Washington, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The storm resulted in the tragic loss of lives and caused extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. In the face of such adversity, the people of Washington and surrounding areas displayed incredible resilience, coming together to rebuild and support one another.
On this significant milestone, we honor the memory of the victims and recognize the tireless efforts of survivors, first responders, those who helped the community recover, and all who bravely answered the call for help.
———————————————————————
Illinois State Senator of the 38th District Sue Rezin says she is all for a massive lawsuit being filed by Attorney Generals across the country against social media giants who profit off children who use their platforms. She claims that social media platforms that specifically try to addict children for profit should be liable for negative outcomes.
Rezin says Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined dozens of other states in a lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms Inc., claiming the social media platforms are knowingly addictive and harm children’s mental health.
Rezin has also been working for the past 6 to 8 months on putting a package of bills together that will also serve a similar purpose.
One bill would be to establish an age minimum for children to use social platforms or have their parent’s approval.
Another bill would require kids to opt in to see video suggestions, not automatically be shown the next video.
Rezin believes those features are meant to addict children.
She says minors’ brains are not developed enough to recognize the danger. She says age 25 is when users possess the ability to process all the information at their fingertips.
She will present a package of bills when Illinois senate sessions start in January.
———————————————————————
WEATHER:
Friday
A 20 percent chance of rain before 7 am. Mostly cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a temperature falling to around 44 by 5 pm. North wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Friday Night
Clear, with a low around 26. Northnorthwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Winds could gust as high as 10 mph.
———————————————————————
OBITUARIES:
Barbara Olson, age 75, of Ottawa, passed away Monday, November 13th, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM today at Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home. A luncheon will follow at the American Legion Post 33 in Ottawa. Cremation rites will be accorded following services.
———————————————————————
Jacqueline Curtin 93 of Ottawa, passed away peacefully with family at her side at the LaSalle County Nursing Home in Ottawa on November 8th. A grave service will be today, at 11 a.m., at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Utica. Burgess Funeral Home is handling the service.
———————————————————————
LOCAL SPORTS:
Sheppard Boys Basketball:
7th grade defeated Princeton 34-24. Leading the way: Luca Fernandez with 11 points, Bryce Ceja with 8 points, Keandre Miller and Bryce Lucas both had 4 points. 7th grade is now 3-4.
———————————————————————
8th grade lost to Princeton 35-17. Leading the way: Amari Molina with 10 points, Nico Kimes, Jett Johnson, and Miles Stafford all had 2 points. 8th grade is now 5-2.
Shepherd will play Wallace at Ottawa High School this Friday. Games start at 6:45 pm.
———————————————————————
Girls basketball
Serena 49, Seneca 27: At the Falcon-Irish Thanksgiving Tournament on Thursday in Seneca, the Huskers advanced to a 1 p.m. Saturday championship game against Fieldcrest with the victory over the host Fighting Irish.
———————————————————————
Marquette Academy 70, Normal Community JV 44: At the Falcon-Irish Thanksgiving Tournament in Flanagan, the Crusaders moved to 2-1 with the victory.
———————————————————————
Ottawa 40, East Peoria 38: At the Prairie Central/Pontiac Turkey Tip-Off Tournament in Fairbury, the Pirates improved to 2-1 with the win over the Raiders.
———————————————————————
Mendota 23, Streator 16: At the Princeton Holiday Tournament, the Bulldogs dropped to 0-3 with the loss to the Trojans.
———————————————————————
Newark 55, Dwight 39: At the Tim Humes Breakout Tournament in Somonauk, the Norsemen improved to 2-1 with the win over the Trojans.
———————————————————————
Elgin 48, Earlville 44 (2 OT): At the IMSA Keith McIntosh Tournament in Aurora, the Red Raiders (0-4) fell short in double overtime to the Maroons.
———————————————————————
LPHS 65, Somonauk-Leland 13: The La Salle-Peru girls basketball team, behind a fast start and solid defense throughout, topped host Somonauk-Leland 65-13 at the Tim Humes Breakout Tournament on Thursday night.
———————————————————————
St. Bede 47, Pontiac 45: The Bruins rallied from a 15-point deficit to earn their first victory of the season Thursday at the Pontiac Turkey Tip-Off in Pontiac.
———————————————————————
Hall 49, Herscher 30: Charlie Pellegrini drained six 3-pointers and finished with 18 points to lead the Red Devils to their first win of the season at the Falcon-Irish Thanksgiving Tournament in Seneca.
———————————————————————
Boys bowling
Kaneland 2,819, Ottawa 2,663: At Dettore’s Town Lanes, the Pirates fell in their Interstate 8 Conference match against the Knights.
Wil Znaniecki had a 471 series and a high game of 191 for Ottawa, while Corwin Diaz added a high game of 182.
Rock Island 3,084, La Salle-Peru 2,905: Zach Quick rolled a 561 series as the Cavaliers lost a nonconference match at the Super Bowl in Peru.
———————————————————————
IHSA rules Peoria must forfeit its seven victories from the 2023 season
The Lions went 7-2 in the regular season; and were ousted by Joliet Catholic in the opening round of 5A playoffs
The Illinois High School Association announced on Thursday that Peoria High School will forfeit all seven victories it achieved in 2023 due to the use of an ineligible player. Had the forfeiture situation been discovered before the postseason it would have not altered the playoff fate of any of the teams affected regarding admission to the playoff field. It would have improved the seedings of Danville, Bloomington, Normal West, and Peoria Notre Dame. It would, however, have created a field vacancy left by Peoria’s forfeitures, which would have been filled by Marist, the first 4-5 at-large team left out of the playoffs.
———————————————————————
PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
>>Bears Visit Lions In Divisional Battle
(Detroit, MI) — The Bears will be seeking their second-straight victory when they visit the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday. Week 11 marks the first of two meetings between the division rivals. The Bears are still searching for their first victory in the division. Chicago dropped the season opener to Green Bay before falling to the Vikings in Week Six. Justin Fields is expected to return from his four-game absence. Fields has thrown for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Bears are last in the division at 3-and-7. Sunday’s game kicks off at noon.
———————————————————————
>>Blackhawks Falter In Third Period
(Chicago, IL) — The Blackhawks gave up a pair of second-period goals during a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at United Center. Corey Perry scored early in the third to tie the game at two, but Tampa Bay took the lead with about eight minutes left in regulation. The Lightning added an empty-netter in the final minute to seal their win. Lukas Reichel scored his first goal of the season in the losing effort. The Blackhawks remain in last place in the Central Division with ten points and a 5-9-and-0 record. Chicago takes on Nashville tomorrow.
———————————————————————
>>Bulls Face Magic In Group Stage Game
(Chicago, IL) — The Bulls play their second In-Season Tournament game when they host the Orlando Magic at United Center tonight. The Bulls are 0-and-1 in Group Stage play after falling to Brooklyn 109-107 on November 3rd. Chicago is coming off a 96-94 loss to Orlando on Wednesday. The Bulls are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 4-and-8. Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00 PM.
———————————————————————
>>White Sox Make Late-Night Trade
(Chicago, IL) — The White Sox are shipping off one of their longest-tenured relievers. The team sent Aaron Bummer to the Atlanta Braves for a package of five players. The Southsiders acquired pitchers Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster, and Riley Gowens as well as infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake in the deal. Bummer has been with the Sox since 2017, but he’s coming off the worst season of his career. Bummer went 5-and-5 with a 6.79 ERA in 61 appearances. Soroka was an All-Star in 2019, but he’s only pitched in seven games over the last three seasons due to injuries. He went 2-and-2 with a 6.40 ERA in 32-and-a-third innings in 2023.
———————————————————————
>>Notre Dame Hosts Wake Forest
(South Bend, IN) — The number-19 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will try to get back in the win column when they host Wake Forest at Notre Dame Stadium tomorrow. The Irish had their bye last weekend, but their most recent game was a 31-23 loss to unranked Clemson. Notre Dame is 7-and-3 this season. The Irish have never lost to the Demon Deacons. Tomorrow’s game kicks off at 2:30 PM Central time.
———————————————————————
>>College Football Round-Up
In other college football action this weekend, Illinois visits number-16 Iowa, Northwestern hosts Purdue, Illinois State is at North Dakota, and Valparaiso is on the road against St. Thomas.
———————————————————————
>>Notre Dame Basketball Gets Crushed By Auburn
(Brooklyn, NY) — The Notre Dame men’s basketball team fell apart in the second half of their 83-59 loss to Auburn at the Legend’s Classic at Barclays Center. The Irish trailed by just six at halftime before being outscored 44-26 the rest of the way. JR Konieczny led the team with 18 points off the bench. Notre Dame fell to 1-and-2 and goes up against Oklahoma State this afternoon.
———————————————————————
>>Illini Welcome Valparaiso
(Champaign, IL) — The number-23 Illinois Fighting Illini aim to bounce back from their first loss of the season when they host Valparaiso at State Farm Center tonight. Illinois fell to number-five Marquette 71-64 on Tuesday. The Illini are 2-and-1 to begin the 2023-24 campaign. Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00 PM. Illinois will also play Southern on Sunday.
———————————————————————
Women’s Basketball
Southern Indiana 66, Northern Illinois 60: At Evansville, Indiana, Jayden Marable scored 14 points and dished out five assists, but the Huskies couldn’t overcome the hot shooting of Vanessa Shafford of Southern Indiana. Stafford went 9 for 15 from the floor and led all scorers with 21 points as NIU dropped its third straight to open the season. Sidney McCrea and Kortney Drake scored 12 points apiece for NIU (0-3).
———————————————————————
>>College Basketball Round Up
(Updated) — In other college basketball action yesterday, Chicago State lost to Southern Illinois 71-55. Today, Northern Illinois visits Georgia State, and DePaul is in South Carolina. Tomorrow, Northwestern takes on Rhode Island, Loyola hosts New Orleans, and Northern Illinois plays against Little Rock. On Sunday, Northwestern takes on either Mississippi State or Washington State, and UIC welcomes Aurora.