Recently, the Illinois Lottery announced the sale of a winning scratch-off ticket worth $1 million in Peru, specifically at the Speedway gas station located at 3151 May Road. As a result, the gas station is entitled to a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. This marks the third individual to claim the million-dollar prize from the $50 Scratch-off contest, according to lottery officials.
—————————————————————–
Early Friday morning, a devastating fire tore through a semi parked within the TDJ company building located at 3661 Cougar Drive, just west of Plank Road and northeast of Dalzell, near Illinois Valley Regional Airport. Peru Fire Chief Jeff King reported that neighbors were alerted by the sound of the semi’s tires exploding, prompting them to call the firefighters. The flames swiftly consumed both the semi and its trailer, causing extensive damage, including melting the roof insulation. To combat the blaze, firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof. Chief King speculated that the fire likely originated within the semi after it had been parked around 10 am. Fortunately, no individuals were present at the time of the incident, resulting in no injuries.
—————————————————————–
Early Thursday morning at 4:40, a Spring Valley police officer spotted a speeding vehicle heading southbound on Route 89, resembling one that had been sought by authorities and reportedly seen traveling eastbound on Interstate 80. Upon attempting to halt the vehicle, it careened down a hillside and became lodged near a runoff ditch, prompting the suspects to flee and evade pursuit, including that of a bloodhound from the Princeton Police Department. By 7:20 a.m., officers received word of another vehicle theft in the vicinity. Aurora police apprehended two suspects, aged 17 and 16, hailing from Aurora and an undisclosed location, respectively. Spring Valley Police Chief Adam Curran expressed gratitude to various law enforcement agencies and dispatch services for their collaboration and assistance in the matter.
—————————————————————–
On Saturday night, a resident of 115 S. Wasson St. in Streator promptly alerted 911 upon noticing smoke emanating from their home. Streator firefighters swiftly responded, arriving in less than 2 minutes to find smoke emerging from beneath the residence, pinpointing the fire’s source beneath a porch. They efficiently extinguished the flames, remaining on-site for approximately 45 minutes. While the home sustained minor damage, predominantly beneath the porch area, an investigation into the fire’s cause yielded no conclusive results. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries. The Streator Fire Department received support from Vermilion Valley Emergency Communications, Streator Police, Illinois American Water, Nicor, and ComEd during the incident.
—————————————————————–
Negotiations between the Illinois Department of Transportation and Teamsters Local 916, representing PROTECH members including surveyors, engineers, and technicians, continue without immediate plans for a strike, according to the Union President. Further updates on the negotiations are expected by Wednesday morning, with talks currently underway in Springfield. Meanwhile, a coalition of eight unions representing construction laborers has not yet announced a strike, as they are required to provide the state with five business days’ notice before any strike action. Key points of contention include wage disputes and the state’s proposal for the union to transition exclusively to state-provided insurance. Notably, there is no indication of an imminent strike date on Local 916’s official communication channels.
—————————————————————–
In 2024, La Salle County is set to organize complimentary electronics recycling occasions on April 20th and October 5th. Each resident is permitted to dispose of up to two televisions per vehicle, contingent upon pre-registration, which must be completed before the event. Detailed registration instructions and a list of acceptable items will be available on www.lasallecountyil.gov approximately three weeks ahead of each event. These gatherings will take place at the La Salle County Government Center, located at 707 E. Etna Road, Ottawa.
—————————————————————–
Attorneys representing a group of voters contesting Donald Trump’s candidacy in Illinois presented their case in a Chicago courtroom on Friday. Central to the dispute is the question of Trump’s eligibility to run in Illinois, with objectors citing a provision in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as grounds for his removal from the ballot. They argue that Trump’s involvement in the insurrection disqualifies him. Similar arguments were recently heard by the Supreme Court in a case from Colorado, with no ruling date set. Friday’s proceedings centered on whether the Illinois State Board of Elections erred in permitting Trump’s inclusion on the March 19 primary ballot. Trump’s legal team contends that the matter is political and that there is no legal impediment barring the former president from running.
—————————————————————–
A newly proposed bill in Illinois aims to grant accredited media access to encrypted police scanner transmissions. Introduced by Chicago Democrat Representative LaShawn Ford, House Bill 4339 seeks to amend the Public Records Act, mandating that law enforcement agencies encrypting radio transmissions must provide access to FCC-licensed broadcasters and accredited newspapers. Ford recognizes concerns about the potential misuse of real-time police scanner data for criminal activities or evasion of law enforcement. However, he argues that the media has a responsibility to report on events promptly, emphasizing the importance of utilizing real-time information for timely reporting.
—————————————————————–
Author Melanie Holmes, known for “100 Things to Do in Illinois Before You Die,” is set to host a presentation at Reddick Library in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 22. From 6 to 7 p.m., attendees can expect insights from her book, covering travel tips ranging from day jaunts to weeklong excursions across Illinois. For more details on this event and other happenings, you can visit the Reddick Public Library website.
—————————————————————–
During the Chicago Blackhawks game against the Ottawa Senators of Ottawa, Canada, on Saturday, the Ottawa Visitors Center seized a strategic opportunity to promote Ottawa by sponsoring the radio broadcast. Leveraging the unique connection between the two Ottawas as a hook, they strategically pitched the city to a broad audience. In a show of support, several Ottawa officials attended the game in person, further emphasizing the city’s presence and engagement.
—————————————————————–
On Friday, a segment of the victorious Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration journeyed through the Illinois Valley. Among the convoy were eight double-decker buses, sourced from various locations nationwide, including Big Bus Chicago, which had participated in the championship parade earlier in the week. These buses, once adorned with players and coaches from the Chiefs during the parade, were observed traversing Interstate 80 in Bureau County on their return journey to their respective providers.
—————————————————————–
Nathan C. Price, 43, facing a litany of charges including armed violence and being an armed habitual criminal, will remain incarcerated at La Salle County Jail for an additional week pending his plea for release. Initially confronted with the prospect of a 45-year prison sentence, Price’s legal situation escalated when a La Salle County grand jury added three more drug-related felonies to his existing cocaine charge. The impending Feb. 20 status hearing may shed light on Price’s potential sentencing range. However, his bid for a new judge and release from custody is being contested by prosecutors. Price’s legal woes stem from a traffic stop by Streator police on Jan. 30, during which a K-9 unit detected narcotics, leading to the discovery of powder and rock cocaine in his possession. Additionally, police discovered a .22-caliber pistol concealed in a Crown Royal bag on his person, resulting in severe Class X charges due to his criminal history.
—————————————————————–
WEATHER:
Washington’s Birthday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 46. Light south-southeast wind becoming south at 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
—————————————————————–
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. South southeast wind around 5 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
—————————————————————–
OBITUARIES:
Mary Ellen Michaels “Grammer”, 69, of Marseilles, passed away peacefully, yet unexpectedly on Thursday, February 15th, following a short battle with cancer at Lightways Hospice with family by her side. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. today, at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home in Marseilles. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow, February 20th at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Marseilles
—————————————————————–
Michael “Mike” McGill, 74, of Ottawa, passed away Tuesday, February 13th, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Visitation will be Friday, February 23rd, from 5:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A private service will follow. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park at a later date. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
—————————————————————–
Margaret Einhaus, 86, of Seneca, passed away Wednesday, February 14th, at the Arc at Dwight with her family by her side. A visitation will be held on Saturday, March 2nd, from 9:00 am until 11:00 am at the Seneca United Methodist Church. A funeral ceremony will follow at 11:00 am at the church. Private burial will take place in Evergreen Cemetery in Morris. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
—————————————————————–
LOCAL SPORTS:
Boys basketball
Marquette Academy 58, Newark 51: At Newark, the Crusaders led 31-20 at halftime in the win over the Norsemen to finish up the regular season on Saturday. Marquette takes on Leland tonight.
—————————————————————–
LPHS 49, Ottawa 39: The La Salle-Peru boys basketball team built a big lead in the third quarter then held off a late charge from Ottawa in Friday’s win at Kingman Gym.
—————————————————————–
Class 3A Sterling Regional
Wednesday: No. 2 Sterling (23-8) vs. No. 8 Ottawa (12-14), 6 p.m.; No. 3 Dixon (24-5) vs. No. 5 La Salle-Peru (22-8), 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Title game, 7 p.m.
—————————————————————–
Class 2A Hall Regional
Monday: No. 9 Mendota (13-18) at No. 7 Hall (11-15), 6 p.m.; No. 11 Aurora Central Catholic (13-17) at No. 6 Sandwich (16-12), 6:15 p.m.
Friday: Title game, 6 p.m.
—————————————————————–
BOYS SWIMMING
At Peoria: The La Salle-Peru co-op placed fourth at the Peoria Richwoods Sectional on Saturday but did not have any swimmers advance to the state meet.
—————————————————————–
BOYS WRESTLING
Before Saturday, it had been a considerable period since a wrestler from Streator achieved the feat of winning a state medal, with Tom Wonders being the sole Bulldog to accomplish this back in 1958. However, this drought was finally put to an end when Streator senior Nicholas Pollett secured sixth place at 106 pounds during the IHSA State Finals, marking a significant achievement for the school.
—————————————————————–
PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
The Chicago Blackhawks snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating Ottawa 3-2 at United Center on Saturday. Chicago visits Carolina tonight.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago White Sox are adding some more depth to their bullpen. The team signed reliever Bryan Shaw to a minor league deal over the weekend. The contract includes an invitation to Spring Training. Shaw spent 2023 with the White Sox. He had four saves and a 4.14 ERA in 38 appearances last year.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago Bulls will spend the week getting ready for the start of the second half of the NBA season. The Bulls tip off the second half with a home game against the Celtics on Thursday. Chicago entered All-Star Weekend as the ninth-place team in the Eastern Conference with a 26-and-29 record. Thursday’s game tips off at 7:00 PM.
—————————————————————–
Number 14 Illinois pulled out an 85-80 road win over the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on Saturday. The Illini are at Penn State on Wednesday.
—————————————————————–
The Northwestern Wildcats got back in the win column with a 76-72 win over Indiana at Assembly Hall. Northwestern hosts Michigan on Thursday.
—————————————————————–
In other college basketball action on Saturday, Northern Illinois was crushed by Kent State 85-47
—————————————————————–
Moraine Valley 87, IVCC 81: The Eagles dropped a nonconference game in Palos Hills.