The Grundy County Coroner’s Office has disclosed the identities of the two individuals who tragically lost their lives in an RV fire at the Love’s Travel Center on Wednesday morning.
In an official statement on Thursday, Coroner John W. Callahan revealed that the victims have been identified as William S. Davis, aged 52, and Chelsi A. Bates, aged 31, both hailing from Mena, Arkansas. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are currently under investigation by Callahan’s office, in collaboration with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Situated along I-80 between Morris and Joliet, the Love’s gas station and truck stop, positioned at the Brisbin Road exit in rural Grundy County, was the scene of this tragic incident.
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You’ve probably driven down Dee Bennet Road countless times and never knew you were even going over a bridge at any point. That’s how narrow Clark Run Creek is and how easy it is to miss. It’s next to Starved Rock Lock and Dam and it’s in need of superstructure repairs so trucks that ply that route can continue to do so.
La Salle County Engineer Donald R. Ernat explained to the Board Thursday that the bridge superstructure on Dee Bennet Road over Clark Run is rated 3 out of 10. In layman’s terms that means it’s in a state of advanced deterioration. The county is trying to get ahead of more deterioration so the road does not get posted with weight limit signs. That would spell disaster for the two barge terminals on Dee Bennet as full-sized trucks would have to take Route 71 south of the river and go through Ottawa, causing more wear and tear in town.
The bridge over Clark Run was initially built 58 years ago in 1965 and then had its superstructure beams upgraded 30 years ago in 1993. The cost for the project is $178,660 and it was unanimously approved.
Doing any upgrading or widening to the entire length of Dee Bennet such it is fraught with hurdles. Resource agencies are very aware of the historical and cultural significance of the road not to mention the biological resources at risk by the work.
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The leaf vacuum crew in Ottawa is currently working in the following areas: W2, W3, and S3. That’s a large swath of the west side, north of the river, and a smaller block of streets immediately south of the river but west of State Street. Residents are advised to use caution when traveling on streets in these areas and to be aware of periodic road closures. Please drive slowly when passing City crews for their safety and yours.
Also, today is the last day to dispose of yard waste in the city dumpsters.
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18-year-old Bethany Gibson of Hennepin was involved in an accident in Peru when she didn’t slow down and tried to turn left onto Route 251 from N 2551st Road and struck a car driven by 41-year-old Meghan Libatore of Oglesby. This happened Wednesday at about 3:30 pm. Neither was injured and at least one driver had to be taken to the hospital.
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Thursday at 5:30 am LaSalle County Deputies stopped 37-year-old Charles Leforce of Oswego for speeding 72 mph in a 55 mph zone RT 71 & E 2153rd RD.
A few minutes later LaSalle County Deputies cited 64-year-old Lori Hall of LaSalle for speeding 72 mph in a 55 mph zone in the area of RT 71 & E 24th RD.
Shortly after this stop at 6:07 am LaSalle County Deputies nabbed 19-year-old Johnathan Joy of New Lenox, IL was cited for speeding 73 mph in a 55 mph zone at RT 71 & E 25th RD.
Twenty minutes later LaSalle County Deputies pulled over 39-year-old Jessica Renkosik of Ottawa was cited for speeding 73 mph in a 55 mph zone at RT 71 & E 2153rd RD
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WEATHER:
Soakin’ for a Friday
Rain, mainly before 11 am, then drizzle likely after noon. Temperature falling to around 41 by 5 pm. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Soakin’ for a Friday Night
Rain is likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low of around 37. North wind around 5 mph, with gusts as high as 10 mph. The chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts to less than a tenth of an inch possible.
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OBITUARIES:
Kenneth Duane Lane, 75, of Lake Placid, FL, formerly of Marseilles, IL, passed away on Wednesday, November 22nd at AdventHealth in Orlando, FL. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 3rd at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 3 p.m. at the funeral home. Military honors will be accorded at the funeral home by the Ottawa American Legion honor squad.
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Elizabeth Ann “Bette” (Bader) Meyer, 91, of rural Marseilles, passed away on Saturday, November 25th, at her home, surrounded by her family.
Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 2nd, at St. Columba Catholic Church in Ottawa. Burial will follow at St. Columba Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, at the funeral home. The Catholic Daughters of America will recite the Rosary at 3:30 p.m. on TODAY at the funeral home.
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John M. “Ol Man” Logsdon, 81, of Marseilles, passed away on Monday, November 27th, at his home. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. TODAY at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home. The burial will be in St. Columba Cemetery in Ottawa.
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Edmund Braxton Thornton, of Ottawa, Illinois, peacefully departed this life on Friday, November 24, 2023, at the age of 93. A private celebration of Edmund’s life will be arranged at a later date.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Shepherd Boys Basketball
7th grade defeated JFK Spring Valley 24 to 9. Leading the way for Shepherd: Mason Mucci with 7 points, Joseph Donahue and Tommy Fultz with 4 points, and Henry Farabaugh added 3 points. 7th grade is now 6-4.
8th grade lost to JFK Spring Valley by a score of 43-32. Leading the way for Shepherd: Nevan Holloway with 22 points, Amari Molina with 6 points, Nico Kimes and Quinn Windy each had 2 points. 8th grade is now 7-3.
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Girls basketball
Marquette 54, Seneca 48: At Seneca on Thursday, the visiting Crusaders played strong down the stretch to earn the key early-season Tri-County Conference victory.
Join us on Saturday afternoon for Marquette Lady Cru basketball as they take on Newark at 2:30 pm. Andrew Evola and David Bergeson with the call from Badger Gym.
Hinckley-Big Rock 56, Earlville 22: At Earlville, the host Red Raiders were defeated despite a 13-point, seven-rebound effort from Madyson Olson.
Reed-Custer 42, Streator 16: At Pops Dale Gymnasium, the host Bulldogs (0-8 overall, 0-2 Illinois Central Eight) received nine points courtesy of Ava Gwaltney and five points from Maiya Lansford. Shantell Morton tallied 11 rebounds
Princeton 57, Hall 40: The Princeton girl’s basketball team turned up the defensive pressure in the second half to pull away from Hall for a 57-40 victory Thursday in both teams’ Three Rivers Conference East Division opener.
Dixon 46, LPHS 25: After coughing up seven turnovers and falling behind by five points in the first quarter, the Duchesses (9-0) completely reversed course over the next three quarters. With a second-quarter shutout, Dixon took a three-point halftime lead. After completely dominating the second half, they finished a 46-25 nonconference win over the Cavaliers (4-3).
Girls bowling
Ottawa 2,906, Kaneland 2,611: At DeKalb, the visiting Pirates won two of three games and the Interstate 8 Conference series led by sophomore Lindy Dhuse’s 559 series (209 high games).
Boys wrestling
Morris 48, Seneca 29; Seneca 41, Sandwich 36; Morris 47, Sandwich 34: At Sandwich, Morris picked up a pair of victories, while Seneca won once and the host Indians went 0-2 with two close defeats.
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PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
>>Bulls Snap Losing Streak With Win Over Bucks
(Chicago, IL) — The Bulls snapped a lengthy losing streak following a 120-113 overtime win over the Bucks in Chicago. Nikola Vucevic led all scorers with 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double. Coby White netted 23 points of his own to go with seven assists. The Bulls snapped a five-game losing streak with the victory and are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference at 6-and-14. Chicago hosts New Orleans tomorrow night.
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>>Blackhawks Get Crushed By Red Wings
(Detroit, MI) — The Blackhawks never led during a 5-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Detroit got on the board within the first three minutes of the game, but Lukas Reichel tied the game for Chicago less than a minute later. However, Chicago gave up four unanswered goals to lose the game. The Blackhawks are in last place in the Central Division with 14 points and a 7-14-and-0 record. They visit Winnipeg tomorrow.
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>>Corey Perry Releases Statement
(Chicago, IL) — Corey Perry is speaking publicly for the first time since he was released by the Blackhawks. Perry apologized to the Blackhawks and team employees for his inappropriate behavior. He added that he is going to look for professional help for his mental health and substance abuse issues. ESPN is reporting that an unspecified incident involving a team employee occurred on November 21st, leading to Perry’s eventual release.
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>>Report: Bears Have Interest In Harbaugh
(Lake Forest, IL) — The Bears could be looking to make a head coaching change this offseason. Dianna Russini is reporting that Chicago has entertained the possibility of hiring Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh if the team ends up moving on from Matt Eberflus after the season. Harbaugh spent seven seasons with the Bears as a quarterback. He also coached the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 until 2014. The Bears are off this weekend with their bye.
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>>Illinois Visits Rutgers
(Piscataway, NY) — The number-24 Illinois Fighting Illini go for their fourth win in a row when they visit Rutgers at Jersey Mike’s Arena tomorrow. Illinois is coming off an 84-52 rout over Western Illinois last Friday. The Illini are off to a 5-and-1 start this season. Tomorrow’s game tips off at 3:00 PM.
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>>Northwestern Hosts Purdue
(Evanston, IL) — The Northwestern Wildcats will try to topple the top-ranked team in college basketball when they host Purdue at Welsh-Ryan Arena tonight. The Wildcats are 5-and-1 after beating Northern Illinois 89-67 on Monday. Tonight’s game begins at 8:00 PM.
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>>Notre Dame Takes On Miami
(Coral Gables, FL) — The Notre Dame Fighting Irish go for the upset when they visit number-eight Miami at Watsco Center tomorrow. The Irish just lost to South Carolina in the ACC/SEC Challenge this past Tuesday. Notre Dame is 3-and-3 this season. Tomorrow’s game gets underway at 11:00 AM Central Time.
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>>College Basketball Round Up
In college basketball action yesterday, Chicago State lost to Deleware State 76-69, and Illinois State beat UIC 69-64. DePaul hosts Iowa State tonight. Tomorrow, Bradley welcomes Indiana State, Loyola has a home game against Harvard, and Valparaiso visits Belmont. On Sunday, Chicago State is at home against Stetson, and Illinois State hosts Murray State.