A packed Ottawa City Council meeting Tuesday night had the audience ready to see whether a resolution was on the agenda regarding a formal stance by the city on the proposed new hospital by OSF. After public comments from a couple of residents as well as Dawn Trompeter, President of OSF St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Ottawa, and A. J. Querciagrossa, CEO of the OSF Western Region, along with comments from Ottawa commissioners Wayne Eichelkraut and Tom Ganiere, a 5-0 vote tabled the item to the May 21st Council meeting with the stipulation that a formal public meeting be scheduled within the two-week time frame. The meeting would involve the Ottawa City Council and OSF officials in discussing the hospital chain’s plans to replace the 50-year-old Ottawa hospital.
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One person is dead after a three-vehicle collision north of Mendota at the height of the rainstorm early Tuesday morning. A LaSalle County Deputy came upon a three-vehicle collision at Illinois 251 and North 38th Road. One male was determined to be deceased at the scene while four others had injuries deemed not life-threatening. They were transported to hospitals for treatment. Mendota Fire/EMS and Troy Grove Fire assisted. The LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office nor the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office have released the name of the fatality. The LaSalle County Sheriff is continuing to investigate the accident.
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President Joe Biden will be in Illinois today. The president will be in Chicago late today for a Democratic Party fundraiser. Biden will be visiting the city after making a stop in Racine County, Wisconsin.
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Illinois is experiencing an increase in international visitors. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity says the state welcomed more than two million international visitors in 2023, a 39-percent increase from the previous year. As a result, international visitors injected nearly two-point-seven-billion-dollars into Illinois’ economy in 2023, representing a 47-percent increase in spending compared to the previous year.
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John Deere is making cuts at its plant in Moline. The company announced that 34 employees are being laid off at the Moline Cylinder Works factory at the end of the month. Cylinder Works has about 280 total workers. John Deere said the size of the workforce has to be balanced with the amount of production.
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An Illinois businessman is going to federal prison for evading nearly half a million dollars in taxes and engaging in a variety of fraud schemes. Joseph Cipolla Jr. of Bloomingdale was sentenced to nine years behind bars for failing to file individual income tax returns from 2015 to 2020. Cipolla concealed his income by engaging in affirmative acts of tax evasion, including listing a relative’s Social Security number on casino tax forms. He pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, and mail fraud.
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31-year-old Elijah Aguirre of rural Ottawa has a charge of criminal trespass to real property after Ottawa Police investigated an incident Monday at 3041 Illinois 71.
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A Joliet man was arrested by Ottawa Police in the 700 block of East Superior Street Tuesday. Adam L. Biesemeyer has two charges of driving under the influence and a violation of pre-trial release conditions.
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Westbound I-80 in Bureau County will be closed tonight for repairs. The closure will be between the Illinois Route 40 interchange and the Illinois Route 78 interchange. Eastbound I-80 will remain open. The work is part of a two-year, nearly 37-million-dollar construction project on nearly ten miles of I-80 in Bureau County that began in March.
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WEATHER:
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Light and variable wind is coming east at 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
Tonight
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 1 am and 4 am, then showers likely after 4 am. Mostly cloudy, with a low of around 54. East-northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
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OBITUARIES:
Michael S. Farrell, 65, of Ottawa, passed away Thursday, May 2nd, at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center. Visitation will be on today from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will follow at 5:00 pm. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
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Arla Elaine Severson, 92, of Ottawa, passed away on Monday, April 29th, at Pleasant View. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 9th at the First Presbyterian Church in Ottawa. Burial will follow at Deer Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the church. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Softball
Wilmington 12, Streator 3: At SHS Athletic Fields
Princeton 10, Newark 5: At Princeton,
Baseball
Serena 4, Hinckley-Big Rock 3: At Serena,
Mendota 13, Sandwich 9: At Sandwich
Boys tennis
Ottawa 3, Streator 2: At the Henderson-Guenther Tennis Facility
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PRO SPORTS:
The Chicago White Sox were held to six hits during a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The Southsiders gave up two runs in the second and two more in the third, and they were never able to get back into the game. Paul DeJong homered for the Southsiders, while Mike Soroka fell to 0-and-4 after surrendering three earned runs and one unearned run in five innings. The Sox have dropped six of eight and remain in last place in the AL Central at 8-and-28. Chris Flexen starts for Chicago against the Rays tonight.
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The Chicago Cubs came through in the clutch during a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. The Padres scored twice in the top of the eighth to take a 2-1 lead, but Christopher Morel hit a sacrifice fly in the home half of the inning to tie the game. In the bottom of the ninth, Michael Busch crushed a walk-off home run to give Chicago the win. Hector Neris earned his second win in relief, while Cody Bellinger also homered in the victory. Chicago is in second place in the NL Central at 22-and-15. The Cubs send Hayden Wesneski to the mound against the Padres this afternoon.
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The Chicago Blackhawks are bringing back one of their young players. The team re-signed forward Lukas Reichel to a two-year extension yesterday. The deal is worth one point two million dollars a season, and it keeps Reichel with the team through 2026. Reichel was Chicago’s first-round pick in 2020, but he’s struggled during his first three seasons in the NHL. He had just five goals and 11 assists in 65 games last season. In other team news, the Blackhawks were given the second-overall pick during the NHL Draft lottery yesterday.
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The Chicago Sky wrapped up the preseason with a 101-53 rout over the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena. The Sky outscored New York by at least eight points in every quarter. Marina Mabrey led the way with 20 points, and Dana Evans finished with 19. First-round pick Angel Reese had a solid game with 13 points. The Sky opens the regular season with a game against the Wings on May 15th.