The National Weather Service reported a brief tornado touchdown in an open field south of Henry, just before 4:45 on Thursday afternoon, with no injuries reported. Trees were knocked down and power outages were reported between Magnolia and Henry, affecting nearly 800 customers in Varna and causing a few dozen outages in Magnolia. Small hail was reported in McNabb and Princeton, and a semi overturned on Interstate 80 near Peru as the storms passed through.
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The La Salle County Board unanimously approved a resolution designating the county as a non-sanctuary for migrants, with 24 votes in favor, none against, and four “present” votes. The resolution underscores that immigration falls under federal jurisdiction, highlighting the limited taxpayer resources allocated for U.S. citizens and stating that the county cannot financially support an influx of illegal immigrants. However, it emphasizes La Salle County’s commitment to humanitarian aid in emergencies. The resolution underwent revisions through three meetings involving two board committees after an initial proposal on January 11.
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The Streator City Council and Streator High School Board are collaborating to purchase two electronic radar speed signs for the vicinity of Lincoln Avenue and Bloomington Street, a crucial crossing area for students. Mayor Tara Bedei disclosed that the high school board has agreed to share the expense of the signs with the City Council, with the matter possibly appearing on the upcoming agenda. City engineer Jeremy Palm previously estimated the cost of a solar-powered radar sign at $7,000. These signs will inform drivers of their current speed and prompt them to slow down if exceeding limits, mirroring a similar initiative near Grand Ridge School. The decision stems from Streator resident Jeremy Whitfield’s plea for increased safety measures, which led to discussions within the City Council. Palm explained that installing a traffic light on Bloomington Street, a state highway, would necessitate a traffic study and approval from the Illinois Department of Transportation, whereas implementing the electronic radar signs would not require such a study. Following a vehicular accident involving a student in 2006, the city took measures to enhance safety by installing crosswalks, flashing warning lights, and updated signage. It’s mandated that vehicles halt when students use the crosswalks, particularly during peak pedestrian times coinciding with the school’s schedule from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., when caution lights are activated.
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Peru has suspended a portion of its false alarm ordinance, following Chief Sarah Raymond’s request during a Finance Committee meeting, relieving the police department from charging businesses for alarm calls. Raymond cited the administrative burden of billing and collecting fees as disproportionate to the $5,000 annual revenue generated. The ordinance, revised in 2013, exempts residents from fines but levies fees on businesses, with about 341 alarm calls in 2023, mainly weather-related for residential and often due to human error for businesses. Raymond emphasized the importance of responding to all calls, dismissing unused provisions allowing non-response due to excessive false alarms. The discussion intended to eliminate penalties for businesses unless alarms become habitual nuisances.
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On Wednesday, Brian Faber concluded his tenure as police chief in Marseilles, retiring after serving since 1999 and assuming the chief position in 2018. Before his leadership role, Faber contributed to law enforcement in Oswego and Plano. Succeeding him is Todd Gordon, who transitions from his prior role as captain within the Marseilles Police Department, bringing over 22 years of experience to his new position as chief of police.
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Teamsters at the Illinois Department of Transportation could be headed for a strike. Teamsters in several IDOT Districts, including members of Local 916 based at District 3 headquarters in Ottawa, overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike. The strike authorization vote follows months of negotiations with the state of Illinois for a new contract. The most recent contract expired on July 1st.
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Nurses at Ascension St. Joseph Hospital in southwest suburban Joliet are on strike. They plan to be on the picket line for two days. This is the third strike that the nurses have staged since August. The union says they have issues with understaffing and below-market wages. Ascension officials say they will remain open during the two-day strike with staff replacements.
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Illinois is generating a massive amount of gaming revenue. The Illinois Gaming Board reported that the State and local governments earned more than one-point-five-billion dollars in tax revenue in 2023. That includes funds from the state’s 15 licensed casinos, more than 46-thousand video gaming terminals, and 13 sports wagering operators statewide. Over 11 billion dollars was wagered on sports last year in Illinois, which has become one of the highest-grossing sports wagering markets in the country.
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The Spring Valley Police Department is currently investigating a car theft incident involving a Ford Explorer from a local dealership. Police Chief Adam Curran has revealed that the potential suspect, who purportedly hails from Florida, approached the dealership under the guise of car shopping and requested a test drive. Notably, the suspect consistently requests the spec sheet from dealerships. Chief Curran further disclosed that the suspect presented a fabricated Florida license bearing the names “Steven Marcus” or “Marcus Steven” to the sales team. Alarmingly, this individual has employed the same fraudulent method to steal four Ford vehicles previously. In light of these events, the Spring Valley police urge any dealerships who encounter an individual fitting this description to promptly alert law enforcement.
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This week in Peru, 41-year-old Jamie Bennett was charged with violating a civil no-contact order at a neighbor’s property. Wednesday morning saw an incident at the Igloo Trailer Court involving a violation of an order of protection, leading to the arrest of 44-year-old Daniel Salinas who resides there. Later that night, Tobias Tomsha of 6th Street received a City of Peru ordinance-violation ticket for allowing his dog to roam freely, which had reportedly bitten someone earlier that day.
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29-year-old Kadesha Clark of Joliet faces indictment on charges stemming from allegations that she left her two young children unattended inside a vehicle, which also contained a loaded handgun, during freezing temperatures. The grand jury indicted her on two felony counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, as well as two misdemeanor counts of endangering her children’s lives. Clark was arrested by Joliet police nearly three weeks earlier after officers responded to a report at a Target parking lot, where they found her 2-year-old and 8-year-old sons inside a Nissan Sentra with a window partially open. The temperature at the time was around 9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of approximately -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Officers took custody of the children and later found a loaded Ruger Security firearm under the driver’s seat of the vehicle. Clark arrived about 45 minutes later, claiming she thought she had left the vehicle running for her sons, and was subsequently taken into custody.
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A man is charged in the death of a Rockford K-9 officer last month. Malik Trotter faces numerous charges, including killing a police canine and attempted first-degree murder of a police officer. K9 officer Nyx was shot and killed while chasing a suspect on January 28th. Trotter was shot while exchanging gunfire with an officer. A memorial visitation for Nyx will be held on February 17th at City First Church in Rockford.
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A homeless Ottawa man faces a charge of battery. 35-year-old Gregory Givan was arrested by Ottawa Police Thursday at 1120 Canal Street.
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WEATHER:
Today
Sunny, with a high near 56. West southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly between 9 pm and 3 am. Partly cloudy, with a low of around 33. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
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OBITUARIES:
Charles “Mike” McGuire, 84, of Ottawa, passed away on Thursday, February 1st, at his home. A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa. Visitation will be from 12 to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
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Thomas Moore, 53, of Marseilles, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, January 30th, at his home. A celebration of life will be held on March 2nd, from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm at the American Legion in Marseilles. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Join us tonight for Marquette Crusaders Boys Basketball on senior night as they take on the Dwight Trojans. Tip-off is at 7 pm and pre-game is at around 6:45 pm. Andrew Evola and David Bergeson are on the call, with TonyB back at the WCMY studios.
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Boys basketball
LPHS 63, Sycamore 38: La Salle-Peru boy’s basketball team scored the first 20 points in a 63-38 victory over Sycamore
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Girls basketball
Ottawa 30, LPHS 24: Ottawa gets the win on Thursday’s Interstate 8 Conference and regular-season finale. The postseason is next for each side with L-P playing Class 3A regional host Morris at 6 p.m. on Saturday, while Ottawa will take on Kanakee at 7 p.m. on Monday.
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Dwight 55, Marquette Academy 53 (OT): At Dwight, the Crusaders dropped the Tri-County Conference game to the Trojans in overtime.
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Seneca 41, Midland 37: At Seneca, the Fighting Irish (16-14, 7-7) slipped past the Timberwolves for the Tri-County Conference win on Thursday.
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Somonauk-Leland 47, IMSA 32: At Somonauk, the Bobcats outscored the Titans 15-4 in the third quarter on the way to the Little Ten Conference victory on senior night.
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Amboy 45, Earlville 20: At Earlville, the Red Raiders fell short against the visiting Clippers.
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Pontiac 61, Streator 33: At Pops Dale Gymnasium, the Bulldogs finished the regular season with a loss to the Indians.
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Middle school basketball
West Lincoln Broadwell 40, Marquette 32: Marquette Academy’s seventh-grade boy’s basketball team dropped a 40-32 decision to West Lincoln-Broadwell in the IESA Class 7-1A championship game at East Peoria Central Junior High School.
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Effingham St.Anthony 28, Oglesby 25: The Oglesby Washington seventh grade boys basketball team fell 28-25 in double overtime to Effingham St. Anthony in the IESA Class 2A title game Thursday in Macon.
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PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
The Bulls powered through the fourth quarter to take down the Memphis Grizzlies 118-110 at the FedEx Forum. Chicago visits Orlando tomorrow night.
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The Blackhawks will try to snap a five-game losing streak when they host the New York Rangers at United Center tonight. Tonight’s game begins at 7:30 PM.
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Several former Bears are headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Steve “Mongo” McMichael, Devin Hester, and Julius Peppers have been elected to the Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2024. McMichael played 13 seasons with Chicago and was part of the 1985 Super Bowl Championship defense. Hester played eight of his eleven NFL seasons with Chicago and is regarded as the most prolific return specialist in league history. Peppers spent four of his 17 NFL seasons with the Bears and ranks fourth in league history in career sacks.
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The number-12 Illinois Fighting Illini go for their fourth win in a row when they visit Michigan State at Breslin Center tomorrow. Tomorrow’s game tips off at 1:00 PM.
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The Northwestern Wildcats will try to get a winning streak going when they host Penn State at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday. Sunday’s contest begins at noon.
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Notre Dame aims to avoid its eighth loss in a row when the Fighting Irish host Virginia Tech at Joyce Center tomorrow. Tomorrow’s game starts at 5:00 PM Central Time.
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Carl Sandburg 57, IVCC 54: Qu’amar Hobbs scored 18 points as the Eagles came up short in an Arrowhead Conference game in Galesburg.