A teen charged after a gun was found in a locker at Ottawa Township High School was in LaSalle County Court Tuesday and pleaded guilty Tuesday to two felony charges. The juvenile was placed on 18 months probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. The youth admitted to felony unlawful use of a weapon and disorderly conduct, as well as misdemeanor charges of obstructing identification and resisting a peace officer, with an additional felony charge dismissed as part of the plea deal. Judge Michael C. Jansz, who praised the teen’s behavior during his detention, imposed probation until April 2026, along with a mental health evaluation, curfew, and other conditions. The weapon, identified as a .45-caliber Springfield Armory, was seized after the teen was detained on October 2. A second OHS student, believed to have knowledge of the gun, was released to a parent pending further charges.
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A La Salle man facing charges of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl was released Tuesday into home confinement. 45-year-old Phillip A. Weeks was arrested in Indiana on October 17th following a warrant issued by LaSalle County on September 24th, charging him with predatory criminal sexual assault—a Class X felony carrying a sentence of six to 60 years without probation. At a detention hearing, prosecutor Greg Sticka cited DNA evidence, calling it “extremely probative and incriminating” and indicating a 1-in-500 trillion match to Weeks. Sticka argued Weeks posed a risk to the public and to the victim, claiming he had missed court dates in other cases and allegedly threatened the victim’s family. Weeks’ attorney, Public Defender Ryan Hamer, argued his client was a mid-range risk and had no recent history of violence. Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. granted home confinement, ruling that Weeks would remain on 24/7 lockdown except for court appearances. Weeks entered a not-guilty plea, with a trial set for January 6th and a motion hearing on December 27th.
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Streator residents reported hearing gunshots around 11 p.m. Monday in the 700 block of East Wilson Street, prompting a quick response from police, though no evidence of gunfire was initially found, according to a department release. Officers confirmed that neither residences nor vehicles sustained any damage, and no shell casings were located. Despite a second canvass of the area on Tuesday, a crime scene has yet to be established. This marks the sixth report of gunfire in Streator in October, with previous incidents leading to property damage and one injury, including reports on October 5, 6, and 10. The police department is urging residents with security cameras to review footage and report any findings that may aid the ongoing investigation.
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The CDC has issued an alert about a rise in “walking pneumonia,” among children, particularly ages 2 to 4, with Illinois reporting a significant surge. Positivity rates for young kids have increased from one percent in April to 7-point-2 by early October, sparking concern. Symptoms, which often appear mild, include cough, fatigue, and fever, though younger children may experience vomiting or wheezing. Spread through respiratory droplets, most cases are manageable at home. The CDC advises handwashing and covering coughs to limit spread, noting no vaccine is currently available.
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Now just a week away from the Presidential Election Illinois voters continue to cast their votes early. Statewide, more than one-point-four-million votes have already been cast for the 2024 general election. More than half of those ballots were cast in person. Early voting hours may vary by county, so voters are urged to check with their local board of elections websites.
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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is reminding parents and guardians to check the state’s sex offender registry before finalizing Halloween plans. Illinois law bans all sex offenders who committed a crime against a child from distributing candy and participating in trick-or-treat events or other Halloween events involving children. As of this month, there were more than 34-thousand registered sex offenders listed on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry, and more than 27-thousand of those committed a crime against a child. Trick-or-treat hours are all set for Thursday afternoon and evening in various communities. In Ottawa, Naplate, and Grand Ridge, it’s 6:00 to 8:00. Marseilles set the time at 5:00 to 7:30. Seneca and Streator hours are 5:00 to 7:00.
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The Community Food Basket of Ottawa will hold the monthly mobile food pantry distribution this Saturday on the west side of the parking garage at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center. The drive-through event, in conjunction with the River Bend Food Bank, begins at 10:00 a.m. with registration starting at 9:30. The food distribution is open to everyone regardless of residence. Attendees are asked to remain in their vehicles and provide space for food to be loaded into the vehicle by volunteers. You must be present or send a representative with a completed proxy form in order to receive food for your household. If you are unable to attend and will have someone picking up for you, visit this story on the 1430wcmy.com website where proxy forms are available for download.
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Mendota Police Department conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of 13th Avenue and Meriden Street. 40-year-old Jose G. Colin Hernandez of Mendota was arrested for driving on a revoked license. He was released with a court date.
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An Ottawa man has a citation for driving on a suspended license. Ottawa Police stopped 42-year-old Nicholas Leroy at LaSalle and Lafayette Streets Tuesday.
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WEATHER:
Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Breezy, with a south-southwest wind of 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
Tonight
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 3 am. Low around 65. Breezy, with a south wind of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. The chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
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OBITUARIES:
Ann Marie Day, 97, of Ottawa, passed away on October 24th, at LaSalle County Nursing Home. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 30th, from 9:00 am until 11:00 am at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will take place at 11:00 am at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Oakwood Memorial Park.
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John Lenac Jr., 70, of Grand Ridge, IL, passed away on October 24th, at home with his family by his side. A Christian Celebration of Life will be held at Heritage Christian Center on November 2nd at noon. A Luncheon will follow at the church. Visitation will be from 10-12 PM. Burial will be in St. Columba Cemetery after the luncheon.
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Donna Jean Sarver, 83, of Ottawa, passed away on Saturday, October 19th at the LaSalle County Nursing Home. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 1st, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday, at the funeral home.
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Pearl Eiben Burns, 98, of Marseilles, passed away Friday, October 25th, at LaSalle County Nursing Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 2nd, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home. Burial will be at Riverview Cemetery in Marseilles.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Girls volleyball
Marquette 2, Chicago Military-Bronzeville 0: In the semifinals of the Class 1A Illinois Lutheran Regional held Tuesday in Crete, the top-seeded Crusaders overwhelmed the 10th-seeded Eagles in straight sets. Marquette Academy – A host of a 1A sectional next week – moves on to Thursday’s championship match against host Illinois Lutheran.
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The Streator and Ottawa girls’ volleyball teams both had their seasons end Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Class 3A Geneseo Regional. The subsectional No. 9-seeded Bulldogs fell in straight sets to No. 6 and host Geneseo, while the No. 3 Pirates won the first set before dropping the final two to No. 6 Pontiac.
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PRO SPORTS:
The Chicago White Sox have their new skipper. The Southsiders hired Will Venable as their manager yesterday. The Sox are coming off the worst season in the history of the modern MLB. Chicago finished with a 41-and-121 record. Pedro Grifol went 28-and-89 before he was fired, and interim manager Grady Sizemore didn’t fare much better with a 13-and-32 mark. Venable played in the Majors from 2008 until 2016, and he spent the last two seasons on Bruce Bochy’s staff in Texas.
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The Chicago Bulls will try to get a winning streak going when they host the Orlando Magic at United Center tonight. The Bulls are coming off a come-from-behind 126-123 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Chicago is off to a 2-and-2 start this season. Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00 PM.
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The Chicago Blackhawks are gearing up for their game against the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night. The Blackhawks just beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Monday evening. Chicago is in last place in the Central Division with seven points and a 3-6-and-1 record. Tomorrow’s game starts at 9:30 PM.
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The Chicago Bears are making some roster moves. The team placed offensive lineman Bill Murray on injured reserve yesterday. Murray suffered a pectoral injury during the Bear’s loss to the Commanders on Sunday. Murray will have to miss at least four games. Additionally, the Bears signed offensive lineman Austen Pleasants to their practice squad. Pleasants most recently was on Arizona’s practice squad, and the Bears take on the Cardinals this Sunday.