An audience of over 400 filled the cafeteria at Central Intermediate School in Ottawa Thursday night for the Illinois Health Facilities and Review Board hearing on the Certificate of Need filed by OSF Healthcare to replace St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center Hospital. The advocacy group, Citizens for Healthcare in Ottawa, requested the hearing based on community opposition to the organization’s plan to replace the 50-year-old Ottawa hospital. Following remarks from OSF Western Region CEO A.J. Querciagrossa and St. Elizabeth Medical Center President Dawn Trompeter, the meeting was opened for testimony in favor of, in opposition to or a neutral opinion of the OSF plan to build a new, smaller hospital with no ICU or OB services as well as an over 75% reduction of medical/surgical beds. Of the over 50 attendees offering comments, only four spoke in favor of the plan all of whom had a connection as either a staff member or other relationship to OSF Healthcare. The comments presented Thursday night will be placed on file and online at the review board’s website. Written comments can be submitted through July 19th with the review board’s decision to be rendered on August 8th at a public hearing in Bolingbrook. Another public hearing by the board is set for June 26th at 1:30 p.m. in Peru City Hall regarding the plan OSF submitted to the state for St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center – Peru, the former St. Margaret’s Health System-operated Illinois Valley Community Hospital. The website for the Illinois Health Facilities and Review Board is hfsrb.illinois.gov.
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The weekend activities in LaSalle County this weekend include the 26th annual LaSalle County Cruisers Cruise Night in downtown Ottawa from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. Several hundred classic and custom cars and trucks will line LaSalle Street from Lafayette Street south to Main Street as well as the side streets of Jackson, Jefferson, and Madison. The southbound Illinois 23 traffic pattern through the downtown area will change around 5 p.m. with traffic moving west on Lafayette to Clinton, then south on Clinton to Main, and east on Main back to LaSalle. In Streator, the week-long 8th annual Poco a Poco Summer Music Festival wraps up with a String Jam Session tonight at 7 p.m. in Park Church, followed by Saturday’s Community Concert at 3 p.m. in Streator High School featuring the Community Choir and Community String Ensembles along with special appearances by Poco a Poco’s young artists and faculty. And, Oglesby’s Summer Fun Fest runs through Sunday.
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37-year-old Ryanne A. Lamb of Sheridan was arrested Sunday on a retail theft charge. Lamb was taken into custody at the Ottawa Walmart.
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Ottawa Police arrested a woman for operating an uninsured moter vehicle and unlawful possession fo adult cannabis by a driver yesterday. 22-year-old Liliana J. Polo of Ottawa was taken to the LaSalle County Jail.
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A Streator man was arrested yesterday evening on a domestic battery charge. Streator Police took 29-year-old Liam A. Motsch to the LaSalle County Jail.
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Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs is touting that his office has returned more than two-billion-dollars in unclaimed property. Frerichs says that is a record-setting total for a state program that’s been around for more than 60 years. The Treasurer’s Office reached the two-billion-dollar mark last month by returning 500-thousand-dollars to a Lake County veteran whose late wife had taken out a life insurance policy through a former employer.
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The Illinois Department of Public Health is launching a new data collection process to help gather more clinical information about an increase in congenital syphilis cases. The new online form will make it easier to collect comprehensive data by alerting public health officials if a person who tests positive for syphilis is pregnant. The IDPH launched the Perinatal Syphilis Warmline last fall, a new phone service created to provide expert clinical guidance for prenatal healthcare providers. This was done in response to a more than tripling in the number of congenital syphilis cases in Illinois since 2020.
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Authorities are revealing more information about the suspect who shot three Ogle County sheriff’s deputies in Dixon. Jonathon Gounaris barricaded himself inside a house in the 400 block of Wild Rice Lane Wednesday after threatening family members. Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said he was armed with multiple firearms, a fixed-blade knife, pepper spray and ballistic armor. Deputies exchanged gunshots with the suspect after entering the home. Three deputies and Gounaris were hit by gunfire and sent to the hospital. Two of the deputies have since been released.
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An eight-year-old Missouri girl is dead following a medical emergency on a plane that was forced to land in Peoria. The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office was called out yesterday after a plane landed at the Peoria International Airport. The commercial flight originated from Joplin, Missouri and was bound for Chicago. Emergency crews began performing life-saving measures on the child, who was pronounced dead at the hospital. The coroner identified the girl as Sydney Weston of Carl Junction, Missouri. An autopsy is scheduled for today.
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WEATHER:
Today
Sunny, with a high near 87. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 58. East-northeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
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Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south-southeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South southeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
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Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. South southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
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OBITUARIES:
Kenneth W. Damron, 69, of Marseilles, went home to the Lord on June 4th. A memorial service for Kenneth W. Damron will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 15th, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa. Burial for Kenneth W. Damron will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation for Kenneth W. Damron will be from 1 to 3 p.m. on June 15th before the service at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa.
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Nancy Sovern Peffley, 90, of Ottawa, passed away on Wednesday, June 5th. A memorial service for Nancy Peffley will be held at Christ Episcopal Church in July. Interment for Nancy Peffley will be in the future at Violett Cemetery in Goshen, Indiana. The online guest book may be viewed and remembrances shared at ottawafuneralhome.com
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SPORTS:
White Sox Survive Late Scare
The Chicago White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-2, ten-inning win over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert Jr. hit back-to-back homers in the third inning to give the Sox an early 2-0 lead, but the M’s tied the game with a one-out solo home run from Julio Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth. However, Andrew Vaughn drove in Korey Lee with the game-winning run in the tenth. Michael Kopech earned his second win in relief, while Tanner Banks picked up his second save.
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Cubs Falter In Seventh
The Chicago Cubs allowed three runs in the bottom of the seventh during a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The Cubs led by two entering the inning before Mark Leiter Jr. gave up back-to-back-to-back RBI to Jose Lowe, Ben Rortvedt, and Yandy Diaz. Leiter was charged with his fourth loss in relief after Justin Steele tossed six scoreless innings. The Cubs are in fourth place in the NL Central at 33-and-36. Chicago sends Jordan Wicks to the mound against the Cardinals this afternoon.
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Sky Take On Mystics
The Chicago Sky aims to avoid their third loss in a row when they visit the Washington Mystics at Entertainment and Sports Arena tonight. The Sky are coming off an 83-75 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night. Chicago is in eighth place in the WNBA at 4-and-7. Tonight’s game tips off at 6:30 PM.
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Bears Sign KR Carter
The Chicago Bears are bringing in some competition on special teams. The team signed return man DeAndre Carter to a contract for the 2024 season yesterday. The 31-year-old is entering his seventh season in the NFL. He returned 24 punts for 232 yards and 11 kicks for 262 yards with the Raiders last season.
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Shannon Found Not Guilty
Illinois superstar basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. has been acquitted of his rape charges. A jury in Douglas County, Kansas, found Shannon not guilty on counts of rape and sexual battery yesterday following a week-long trial. The guard was arrested last December after a woman identified him as the person who allegedly sexually assaulted her at a bar in Lawrence, Kansas, on September 8th. Illinois suspended Shannon for six games before he sued the school to allow him to return. He is a potential first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.