The closure of a rural bridge over Interstate 80, situated east of Seneca, has been promptly initiated. Following an inspection revealing inadequate contact between several beam ends and the pier bearings, the Illinois Department of Transportation has temporarily shut down the North 30th Road/North La Salle Road overpass near the Seneca I-80 exit. Plans for the repair of this bridge, located on the La Salle and Grundy county line, are currently under assessment by IDOT.
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OSF HealthCare has announced significant alterations to its occupational health services in the Illinois Valley to optimize resource utilization. Effective Monday, May 6th, comprehensive occupational health services will be available at OSF Occupational Health offices in Peru, Ottawa, and Streator, alongside OSF OnCall Urgent Care facilities in Ottawa and Morris. Drug screenings will exclusively occur at OSF hospitals in Mendota and Princeton. Dawn Trompeter, President of OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center and Saint Paul Medical Center, underscores that these changes aim to enhance the patient experience by strategically reallocating services across the I-80 markets, ensuring efficiency and delivering quality care through specialized centers of excellence.
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The Pack the Pickup food drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, at Ottawa North Kroger (2701 Columbus St.) and Hy-Vee (1651 Midtown Road, Peru). Feed His Children, supporting 600 families across 29 schools in the Illinois Valley biweekly, relies solely on this community fundraiser to gather food donations. Volunteers will collect items from donors, who can either purchase needed items on-site or drop off pre-purchased items. Money donations are also welcomed to directly aid in food purchases for students. Most needed items include cereal, jelly, canned chicken, tuna, and saltines. Glass items are not accepted, only plastic or cans.
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In Spring Valley, a garage fire was discovered to have extinguished itself by the time firefighters arrived on the scene at West 3rd Street on Wednesday morning. Spring Valley Fire Chief Todd Bogatitus revealed that the fire had occurred overnight but remained unnoticed until a neighbor informed the owner later that morning. Bogatitus explained that the detached garage had been tightly sealed, facilitating the fire’s self-extinguishing process. Despite this, damage was incurred to the garage’s interior and door.
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Prepare to safely dispose of unwanted agrichemicals this growing season with the upcoming opportunity in a few months. Scheduled “Clean Sweep” collections will be available in late summer across 11 counties in Illinois, including Bureau, La Salle, and Henry. This initiative, rotating among Illinois counties, welcomes active and retired farmers, nursery owners, private pesticide applicators, pest-control applicators, and landowners dealing with inherited agricultural pesticides. Led by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant, the program is entirely free, with the state assuming liability for proper disposal. Sponsored by the counties’ Farm Bureaus, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and U of I extension offices, interested participants have until late July to register the products they plan to dispose of.
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Midland States Bank named Salina Palevo, banking center manager of its Ottawa branch, as the inaugural recipient of the Bright Impact Award, recognizing her dedication to community service. Palevo’s volunteer efforts, totaling over 180 hours in 2023, included financial empowerment sessions with local nonprofits and schools, and committee involvement with various organizations. As part of the award, Palevo received a $2,500 bonus, and Midland donated an additional $2,500 to the Ottawa Community Food Basket, a charity of her choice. Shonna Kracinski, Midland’s chief human resources officer, praised Palevo’s commitment to community involvement, emphasizing its importance in fostering financial empowerment and banking services.
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The Illinois House has approved legislation proposed by 75th District State Representative Jed Davis, introducing the Child Abuse Notice Act. The Newark Republican emphasizes the bill’s purpose in combating child abuse, highlighting its focus on prevention and intervention. Under House Bill 4350, specific businesses and facilities, such as hotels, motels, tattoo parlors, bus stations, and hospital emergency rooms, are mandated to display prominently a notice, crafted by the Department of Children and Family Services. This notice targets individuals under 18, furnishing essential information regarding the identification and reporting of physical and sexual abuse. The proposal advances to the Senate for further review and deliberation.
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Illinois leaders are celebrating the historic opening of Innovafeed’s North American Insect Innovation Center in Decatur. The new facility is expected to help bolster Illinois’ access to sustainable agriculture feed supply while creating jobs and advancing the growing agriculture industry in the state. The facility is Innovafeed’s first in North America and part of their larger effort to scale up production and commercialization of insect protein in the United States.
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The Illinois House is moving forward with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s legislation regarding child pornography. The measure would clarify that the state’s child pornography laws apply to images and videos created by artificial intelligence technology. It would ban the use of AI technology to create child pornography and separately prohibit the nonconsensual dissemination of certain AI-generated sexual images. The legislation was passed by the House and now goes to the Senate.
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Illinois’ unemployment rate remains steady. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the state’s jobless rate was unchanged last month at four-point-eight percent. Non-farm payroll jobs increased by more than 12-thousand in March.
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31-year-old David Cross of Wedron was arrested by Ottawa Police Thursday at Wal-Mart. He has charges of retail theft, possession of a controlled substance, driving on a suspended license, and no insurance.
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An 18-year-old is charged with driving on a suspended license and driving without headlights. Ryan M. Baxter of Ottawa was stopped by Ottawa Police early Friday at West Main and Canal Streets.
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A 33-year-old LaSalle man has charges of retail theft, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and driving on a suspended license. Jared Arozamena was stopped by Ottawa Police in the 300 block of West Stevenson Road Thursday.
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Around 1:30 Sunday morning, LaSalle County Deputies handled a single-vehicle accident with no injuries on the far north side of Marseilles in Rutland Township. 19-year-old Eloy Contreras of Plano was southbound on Rutland Street, lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway and entered a ditch, and struck a church sign, a library sign, a Lions Club sign, a bush, two trees, and a planter in the front yard of 1030 Rutland Street. Contreras has citations for improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, leaving the scene of a vehicle accident with property damage, failure to report an accident to authorities, and driving on a revoked license.
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WEATHER:
Today
Sunny, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a west wind of 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
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Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low of around 36. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
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Saturday
Increasing clouds, with a high near 52. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
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Saturday Night
Areas of frost after 1 am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low of around 33. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
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Sunday
Areas of frost before 9 am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 59. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.
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Sunday Night
Areas of frost after 1 am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 36.
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OBITUARIES:
William “BZ” Zwanzig, Jr., 89, of Ottawa, passed away on Saturday, April 13th, at the LaSalle County Nursing Home. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. today at Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today after visitation. Burial will follow at Ottawa Avenue Cemetery.
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Dustin Farrell, 41, of Ottawa, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, April 14th. Visitation will be today from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will follow at 1:00 pm. A celebration of life will immediately follow at the Ottawa Lions Club. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
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Andrew M Woodin, 40, of Marseilles, passed unexpectedly on Sunday, April 14th. Services will be private at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home with Reverend Duane Kaufman officiating. Burial will be in Riverview Cemetery in Marseilles.
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Patrick Marshall Gray, 44, of Ottawa passed away on Monday, April 15th, A private family service will be held. He will be buried at St. Columba Cemetery. Ottawa Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
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Christina Swanson, 58, of Ottawa, passed away with her family by her side at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center on April 16th, A private Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Ottawa Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
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Emma Louise Donahue, 91, of Ottawa, passed away Tuesday, April 16th, at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center with her family by her side.
Visitation will be on Sunday, April 21, from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A rosary will be said by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas at 1:45 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:00 am on Monday, April 22, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, April 23, at St. Columba Cemetery.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
BASEBALL
Marquette 0, St. Bede 0: At Masinelli Field in Ottawa, the long-awaited match-up between the Catholic school rivals lived up to the hype, but for only five innings before the game was suspended because of rain.
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Morris 11, La Salle-Peru 3: The Cavaliers outhit Morris 11-10 but fell short in the finale of the three-game Interstate 8 Conference series in Morris.
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Newark 18, Earlville 1 (4 inn.): The Red Raiders did not record a hit in a Little Ten Conference loss in Earlville.
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Dwight 3, Seneca 2: At Dwight, the visiting Fighting Irish (13-5 overall, 6-2 TCC) got the loss in Tri-County Conference play.
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Newark 18, Earlville 1 (4 inn.): At Newark, the host Norsemen (5-15 notch the Little Ten Conference win over the Red Raiders
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Streator 7, Reed-Custer 1: At Braidwood, the visiting Bulldogs (7-10 overall, 4-3 ICE) get the Illinois Central Eight Conference win.
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Softball
During the fourth inning of Thursday’s Tri-County Conference softball game between St. Bede and Marquette, the forecasted rains started as drizzle at June Gross Field and then eventually turned into a downpour following the top of the fifth inning.
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Seneca 6, Dwight 0: At Dwight on Wednesday, the visiting Fighting Irish beat the incoming rain and the host Trojans to improve to 14-1 overall this spring and 8-0 in the Tri-County Conference.
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GIRLS SOCCER
Mendota 1, Ottawa 0: Crystal Garcia scored on a penalty kick with seven minutes left to lift the Trojans to a victory in Ottawa.
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Streator 1, Manteno 0: At Manteno, the visiting Bulldogs picked up an Illinois Central Eight Conference triumph by shutting out the Panthers.
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PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
The Chicago White Sox hit the road for a weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies that begins at Citizens Bank Park tonight. The White Sox were off yesterday after splitting a doubleheader with the Royals on Wednesday. Chicago is in last place in the AL Central at 3-and-15. Garrett Crochet starts for the Southsiders tonight. The first pitch is at 5:40 PM.
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The series opener between the Cubs and Marlins was rained out in Chicago. The game will be made up tomorrow as part of a split doubleheader. The series will officially start from Wrigley Field today when Shota Imanaga takes the ball for Chicago. The first pitch is at 1:20 PM.
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The Chicago Bulls will try to clinch the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs when they visit the Miami Heat in the final Play-In Game tonight. The Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 131-116 in the first Play-In Game on Wednesday. The winner of tonight’s game earns a spot in the NBA Playoffs, while the loser’s season will come to an end. Tonight’s contest tips off at 6:00 PM.
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The Chicago Blackhawks are ending the season on a six-game losing streak following a 5-4 overtime loss against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto-dot-com Arena. Chicago trailed by two entering the third period before scoring three times in the first seven minutes of the frame. However, Los Angeles tied the game with under two minutes left in regulation and won it six seconds into overtime. Lukas Reichel, Tyler Johnson, Joey Anderson, and Ryan Donato all scored in the losing effort. The Blackhawks finished the season in last place in the Central Division with 52 points and a 23-53-and-6 record.
The Blackhawks will face the St. Louis Blues in the upcoming Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. The game will take place on December 31st, 2024. The game will mark the second time the Hawks have hosted the Winter Classic at Wrigley.