36-year-old Jonathan Caffey of Naperville pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated discharge of a firearm after firing shots back in August of 2021 at another car outside the Silver Slipper Saloon in Ottawa. That put him behind bars for 5 years. The Silver Slipper is just off I 80 on Route 71. No injuries resulted from the shots or Caffey would be doing more time
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31-year-old David Davis of Ottawa was charged by Ottawa Police with alleged domestic battery on Friday at his home on Dakota Drive in Ottawa. He was taken to La Salle County jail.
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Also on Friday, 62-year-old David Querciagrossa of Ottawa was charged by Ottawa Police with violation of pre-trial release conditions neat his home on Illinois Avenue. He was taken to La Salle County jail.
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Friday was a busy day for Ottawa police, they arrested 22-year-old Anthony Rodriguez of Ottawa with a failure to appear on a La Salle County warrant for robbery.
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At the Thursday La Salle County Board meeting, representing 3700 voters in District 24, board member Arratta Znanicki, gave a speech before the meeting. She said the county needed to look into the feasibility of a new morgue for La Salle County.
She said although all voters agree taxes are too high, coroner requests for a new morgue have been made every year since 2006. In the past year, the coroner’s office has relocated from the Etna Road complex to a forensics lab in Oglesby. Adding a morgue there makes sense, even if it may raise taxes.
In 2006 the coroner budget was 235,477.00 and next year’s will be 613,869.00. Znanicki then asked the current coroner Rich Ploch to make a presentation at the next full board meeting about a study on how to finance a new morgue. The study was authorized last May.
She also asked the Board Chairman Don Jensen to bring forward a timeline to place the question of a new morgue on the November 2024 ballot.
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Hard rock music legend Tom Morello established a music program at Marseilles Elementary on Thursday. Morello made his mark in the tough-to-crack music industry with two bands, Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave in the 90’s and now he says it’s time to give back.
Morello spent his summers in Marseilles as a boy, even taking music classes at Marseilles Elementary.
During a school assembly Thursday, Morello and Music Will, a nonprofit that donates equipment to schools and has donated to over 6,000 schools, pulled the veil off a drum kit, guitar amplifiers, and other music equipment.
Then Morello, a guitarist by trade, gave a speech. He said he quit music twice, once when the guitar teacher insisted he learn scales when he just wanted to play the solo to Stairway to Heaven. He said music is what gave him the thing he values most in life, playing with other musicians, making the connection and friendship with others.
Music Will’s donation will allow teachers and students alike the chance to practice on real top-of-the-line musical equipment that many schools today just don’t have room in their budget for.
Music Will reached out to Morello and asked him where he would like donations to go. The first school that came to Morello was Marseilles Elementary but he told them of 9 other schools. One in Harlem and one in Los Angeles among them.
Morello was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland as a member of Rage Against the Machine.
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Open Spaces Art Gallery on 223 West Madison is marking their 5th anniversary on December 8th.
Amanda Weygand Zehr, the owner says to celebrate, it’s free to come in and look or make your own Christmas tree ornament. It’s no cost to have a real artist walk you through the process. For example, you solder and fashion the stained glass stamped metal ornament and it becomes your work. You can also make your own Christmas candle.
On December 9th, from 5 to 7 pm, Open Space will hold an anniversary exhibition. They have mini art in the gallery, all created by local Ottawa artists. The artists will be on hand to talk to and there will be free appetizers and refreshments and mini art on display.
Open Spaces is going to be busy on Dec 9th, they will also sponsor Ottawa’s first-ever City of Ottawa Arts Committee pop-up gallery. To introduce themselves to the community, Open Space will rent out the empty storefront for 6 days. It’s between the toy store and the tap room at 818 La Salle Street.
Local artists will show their work and you can also tour the store. The street will be busy and this captures foot traffic headed to the Kris Kringle markets that don’t quite make it to Madison.
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Sunday night about 9:45 pm LaSalle County Deputies stopped 26-year-old Malcom Prince of Ottawa for driving without his license, not wearing a seatbelt, and having no insurance. He was released with a Notice To Appear.
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On Sunday, December 3, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. the Mendota Police Department arrested 37-year-old Christopher C Ladson of Mendota at his home at 111 S 13th Ave Lot D1 for damaging an unattended vehicle in regards to a hit-and-run accident. Ladson was taken to the Mendota Police Department where he was later released with a December 21st at the LaSalle County court date.
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Also on Sunday night at approximately 11:30 p.m., Mendota Police stopped 32-year-old Wesley Starnes of Belvidere near the intersection of RT34 and Steve Bowne Dr. The driver, Starnes was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Driving while License Suspended. Starnes was taken to the Mendota Police Department and later released with a mandatory court date of December 21 at the LaSalle County Courthouse.
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WEATHER:
Monday
Cloudy, with a high near 38. North wind around 5 mph becoming west-southwest in the afternoon.
Monday Night
A chance of rain before midnight, then rain, possibly mixed with snow. Low around 34. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming southeast after midnight. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible.
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OBITUARIES:
None at this time
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Serena 8th grade Girls Basketball (12-3) will be playing Bourbonnais (15-6) on Wednesday the 6th, at 6:30 pm for the Sectional Championship at Seneca Grade School. This is the first year for Serena to be in IESA. They won over Seneca @ Regionals 22-16.
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Girls basketball
Marquette Academy 43, Newark 41: At Bader Gymnasium, the Crusaders slipped past the visiting Norsemen. The Lady Cru welcomes Dwight tonight.
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Ottawa 55, Seneca 25: At Kingman Gymnasium, the Pirates raced to a 20-4 first-quarter lead in topping the Fighting Irish on Saturday. Ottawa takes on Yorkville at home.
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Plano 46, Streator 17: At Pops Dale Gym, the Bulldogs dropped the home game to the Reapers. Streator is at Coal City today
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Somonauk-Leland 51, Richmond-Burton 41: At Richmond, Haley McCoy poured in 24 points to lead the Bobcats to the victory.
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Other Girls Varsity Games Today:
Hall is at Mendota.
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Boys basketball
Fieldcrest 61, Princeton 56: At the Colmone Classic in Spring Valley, the Knights outscored the Tigers 23-8 in the fourth quarter to win their opening game of the tournament.
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Lisle 47, Newark 40: At Lisle, the Norsemen fell short against the host Lions.
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Boys basketball: 49th annual Colmone Classic Update, Saturday, Dec. 2
Mendota 65, Pontiac 64
L-P 64, Bureau Valley 37
Fieldcrest 61, Princeton 56
Hall 52, St. Bede 43
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Other Boys Varsity Games Today:
Marquette is at Bureau Valley
St. Bede is at Rock Falls
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Boys bowling
Streator 7th at Oregon Invite: At Plumb Hollow Lanes in Dixon, the Bulldogs – led by Anthony Dominic’s 1,157 six-game series – scored 4,674 to finish seventh at the Oregon Invite.
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Girls bowling
Streator 6th at Oregon Invite: At Plumb Hollow Lanes in Dixon, the Bulldogs – led by Madi Bedeker’s 849 six-game series – scored 4,156 to finish sixth at the Oregon Invite.
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PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
>>Slow Start Dooms Blackhawks
(St. Paul, MN) — The Blackhawks gave up three goals in the first period during a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota scored the first four goals of the game before Taylor Raddysh lit the lamp late in the third period for Chicago’s lone goal. The Hawks are in last place in the Central Division with 14 points and a 7-16-and-0 record. Chicago hosts Nashville tomorrow night.
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>>Strong Third Period Leads Bulls Past Pelicans
(Chicago, IL) — The Bulls controlled the second half during a 124-118 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. The Bulls trailed by eight at halftime before outscoring New Orleans 36-21 in the third quarter. The Pelicans tied the game in the middle of the fourth quarter before Chicago went on a 6-0 run and kept them at arm’s length the rest of the way. Coby White poured in 31 points in the victory, while DeMar DeRozan finished with 24. Chicago is 13th in the Eastern Conference at 7-and-14. The Bulls host Charlotte on Wednesday.
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>>Bears Enter Week 14
(Lake Forest, IL) — The Bears are returning from their bye this week. Chicago will spend the week preparing for their game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field on Sunday. Chicago entered the bye with some momentum after beating Minnesota 12-10 on November 27th. However, the Bears are still in last place in the NFC North at 4-and-8. Sunday’s game will kick off at noon.
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>>Illinois Takes Down Rutgers
(Piscataway, NJ) — The number-24 Illinois Fighting Illini opened up Big Ten play with a dominant 76-58 win over Rutgers at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Saturday. The Illini led by just five at halftime before holding the Scarlet Knights to just 22 second-half points. Terrence Shannon Jr. finished with 23 points in the victory, while Marcus Domask chipped in with 15. Illinois improved to 6-and-1 overall and 1-and-0 in the Big Ten. The Illini go up against number-17 Florida Atlantic tomorrow night.
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>>Northwestern Upsets Purdue
(Evanston, IL) — The Northwestern Wildcats handed number-one Purdue its first loss of the season with a 92-88 overtime win at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Friday. Boo, Buie hit a go-ahead shot with three seconds left in regulation before the Boilermakers tied it at the buzzer. The Wildcats outscored Purdue 16-12 in the extra period. Buie poured in 31 points in the victory, while both Ryan Langborg and Ty Berry had at least 20 points. The 6-and-1 Wildcats are 1-and-0 in Big Ten play, and they take on Detroit Mercy next Sunday.
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>>Notre Dame Goes Down Against Miami
(Coral Gables, FL) — The Notre Dame Fighting Irish shot under 30 percent from the field during a 62-49 loss to number-eight Miami at Watsco Center on Saturday. The Irish scored fewer than 27 points in each half. JR Konieczny had 14 points in the losing effort. The Irish fell to 3-and-4, and they host Western Michigan tomorrow night.
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>>College Basketball Wrap-Up
(Updated) — In other college basketball action over the weekend, DePaul lost to Iowa State 99-80 on Friday. On Saturday, Bradley was defeated by Indiana State 85-77, Loyola beat Harvard 75-53, and Valparaiso fell to Belmont 77-68. Yesterday, Chicago State crushed Stetson 77-54, and Illinois State snuck past Murray State 76-72.
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>>Bowl Game Round-Up
A handful of college football teams from the region are going bowling. On December 23rd, Northern Illinois will play Arkansas State in the Camellia Bowl in Alabama, while Northwestern takes on Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Number-16 Notre Dame goes up against number-19 Oregon State in the Sun Bowl on December 29th in El Paso.