Tensions rose at the Marseilles City Council meeting as attendees discussed the Timber Edge housing development and water safety concerns. Residents criticized the lack of transparency regarding property acquisitions by Constellation Energy, which left homes vacant. City Engineer Mike Etscheid explained that these properties were being acquired by Trust 4495, affiliated with George Barr, for demolition. Mayor Jim Hollenbeck, who denied knowledge of any development plans, mentioned the possibility of annexing land for future projects. Regarding water safety, Hollenbeck dismissed residents’ concerns, assuring them that water testing met Illinois EPA standards and that results would be available by January 15. He also acknowledged issues with dead-end water mains and the city’s plans for automatic hydrant flushing systems.
—————————————————————–
The Ottawa Police Department officially welcomed two new recruits, Daniel Rodriguez and Sofian Riahi, who took the oath to become police officers. Family, friends, and fellow officers attended the ceremony at police headquarters to celebrate this momentous occasion. The new officers will undergo 16 weeks of intensive training at the police academy, covering essential skills for their roles. Their induction signifies a commitment to fostering community engagement and enhancing public safety in Ottawa. Both officers are ready to embrace the challenges ahead and dedicate themselves to serving with integrity.
—————————————————————–
Beth Findley Smith, a member of the La Salle County Board representing District 4, has announced her resignation following her relocation out of the district, with her final meeting scheduled for January 9th. In her resignation letter to Chairman Don Jensen, Smith expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve, stating that it has been both a privilege and an honor to advocate for key issues such as property rights, tax reduction, and infrastructure improvements, which she sees as essential for the county’s welfare. Despite recently winning reelection against newcomer Christine Valenta with a significant margin, Smith plans to step away from her current role but hopes to continue her public service in other ways in the future. Jensen has indicated that he will begin the process of finding a replacement within the next 60 days.
—————————————————————–
The LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with the Illinois Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies statewide for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, targeting impaired drivers, unseat belted occupants, and other traffic violations from Dec. 13th through Jan. 2nd. The result? A safer holiday season with (4) citations for seat belts, (37) speeding, (5) distracted driving, and (14) other traffic offenses. The enforcement initiative, administered by IDOT and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, underscores the collective commitment to safer roadways, particularly during high-risk times like the holidays.
—————————————————————–
The racketeering trial of Michael Madigan resumes today following a long break for the holidays. The former Illinois House Speaker’s attorneys were calling witnesses when the trial paused on December 19th. Madigan and longtime ally Michael McClain face charges accusing them of conspiring to participate in an array of bribery and extortion schemes.
—————————————————————–
Galesburg police are searching for a missing man. Authorities say Octavius McIntosh was last seen Friday at 525 Iowa Court. The 33-year-old has a condition that places him in danger. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Galesburg Police Department.
—————————————————————–
In the wake of the 2021 Edwardsville tornado that killed six Amazon workers, an Illinois task force has recommended measures to improve warehouse safety during severe weather. The EF3 tornado exposed critical design flaws, leading to calls for updated building codes requiring tornado shelters and site-specific emergency plans following OSHA guidelines. While Illinois adopted the International Building Code in 2023, experts seek localized standards to address severe weather risks. The task force emphasized the need for stronger structures or internal shelters, referencing a 2004 incident in Woodford County where 140 people survived in a secure area. With Illinois reporting a record 142 tornadoes in 2024, enhancing warehouse safety and funding emergency response systems is vital for protecting lives.
—————————————————————–
A 50-year-old man from Dalzell, Perfecto Leal, is set to appear in court on Monday for his final pretrial session following accusations of aggravated arson, a Class X felony that could result in a prison sentence ranging from six to 30 years if convicted. Court documents reveal that Leal is alleged to have intentionally set fire to a residence at approximately 3:13 a.m. on November 30 in the 200 block of Scott Street while individuals were inside the home. Currently, Leal is in the custody of the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office, having been denied pretrial release, and his jury trial is scheduled to commence at 9 a.m. on February 24 at the Bureau County Courthouse located at 700 S. Main St., Princeton.
—————————————————————–
Malcolm Whitfield, a 31-year-old man from Streator, is scheduled to stand trial for murder on March 3rd, following a spring 2023 incident in which he allegedly shot three people, resulting in one fatality, Shaquita Kelly. During a recent appearance in La Salle County Circuit Court, Whitfield, along with his Public Defender Ryan Hamer, requested a continuance to allow for further investigation, specifically to seek out and interview a potentially crucial witness for his defense. Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. granted the request, setting a final pretrial conference for February 28. Whitfield, who could face a lengthy sentence of up to 145 years, remains in custody at the La Salle County Jail as he awaits trial.
—————————————————————–
39-year-old James E. Akins was arrested at his residence on 605 5th Street in Peru, Illinois, following a service call. He was taken into custody on a failure-to-appear warrant for contempt of court issued in Lee County. After posting bond, Akins was released with a new court date.
—————————————————————–
A traffic stop conducted at the intersection of 4th Street and Rock Street, near US Route 6 in Peru, resulted in the arrest of 19-year-old Juan D. Caballero Vaca of 207 N. Main Avenue, Ladd, Illinois. Caballero Vaca was cited for driving with a suspended or revoked license and operating a vehicle with an expired registration sticker.
—————————————————————–
A pedestrian traffic crash occurred at the Applebee’s Restaurant located in Peru. Regina M. Mounce, a 45-year-old woman from Streator, was arrested following the incident, she was cited for operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Mounce was subsequently released with a scheduled court date in Ottawa.
—————————————————————–
Cord W. Bernier, a 35-year-old male residing at 402 7th Street, Peru, was arrested and charged with domestic battery and aggravated battery to a peace officer. Following the arrest, Bernier was taken into custody and transferred to the LaSalle County Jail.
—————————————————————–
Zachary Smith was arrested by Streator Police in the 700 block of East Kent Street at mid-morning Friday on a charge of Aggravated Assault. He was released with a court date.
—————————————————————–
Twice over the weekend, 41-year-old James T. Johnson of Ottawa was charged by Ottawa Police with Criminal Trespass to State-Supported Property. Johnson was arrested Saturday, and then again Sunday, at 900 Paul Street.
—————————————————————–
28-year-old Kelvin Harris of Ottawa was cited for driving on a revoked license and disobeying a traffic control device after a stop by Ottawa Police Saturday at LaSalle and Lafayette Streets.
—————————————————————–
A Peru man has charges from Ottawa Police for resisting a peace officer, leaving the scene of an accident, and violation of pre-trial release. 61-year-old Richard Sievert was arrested Sunday in the 2800 block of Columbus Street.
—————————————————————–
39-year-old Chandra Defenbaugh of Ottawa is cited for driving on a suspended license. She was stopped by Ottawa Police Sunday in the 300 block of West Etna Road.
—————————————————————–
Two people are charged with retail theft after Ottawa Police investigations at Wal-Mart over the weekend. Sunday, 39-year-old Benjamin Boldt of Ottawa was arrested. Saturday, 36-year-old Alyssa L. Ottawa was picked up at the store.
—————————————————————–
WEATHER:
Monday
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 27. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 14. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
—————————————————————–
OBITUARIES:
Daniel Owen Jones, 83, of Tonica, passed away on January 3rd. A private memorial service will be held at Ottawa Funeral Home.
—————————————————————–
James F. Wilcox Jr., 86, of Utica, passed away Tuesday, December 31st, at the LaSalle County Nursing Home. A service with military honors will take place at the graveside in Ottawa Avenue Cemetery at a later date. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
—————————————————————–
Vera Ann Martinez, 94, of Ottawa, passed away on December 31st, at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center. A visitation will be held today from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Tuesday, January 7, at 10:30 am, at St. Patrick’s Church. Burial will follow at St. Columba Cemetery.
—————————————————————–
Elizabeth Suzanne Sirek, age 81, of Ottawa, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, December 31st. Memorial Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. today at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Ottawa. Military honors by the U.S. Army and American Legion Post 33 Honor Guard will follow.
—————————————————————–
Kathleen Elizabeth Schulz, age 73, of Ottawa, born in Springfield, Oregon, passed away on Thursday, January 2nd, A visitation will be held on Thursday, January 9th, from 11:00 am until 12:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will take place at noon at the funeral home. Private burial will follow in Oakwood Memorial Park.
—————————————————————–
LOCAL SPORTS:
Join us Tomorrow night as we bring you High School Varsity Boys Basketball. As your Ottawa Pirates take on the Mendota Trojans, with a 7 pm tip-off from Kingman Gym with Hunter O’Dell on the call.
—————————————————————–
Boys basketball
St. Bede 63, Serena 50: At Peru
Plano 65, Somonauk 47: At Somonauk
Sycamore 65, LPHS 58
—————————————————————–
Girls Varsity Basketball
Washington 54, Ottawa 17
Serena 57 St. Bede 53 (OT): At Peru
Plano 58, Somonauk/Leland 34: At Somonauk
L-P 55, Marquette 41
—————————————————————–
Girls wrestling
Seneca’s Pacheco takes 1st at Bolingbrook:
—————————————————————–
Boys wrestling
At Kewanee: Mendota went 2-1 in a quadrangular, beating Putnam County-Hall, and Somonauk, and losing to Kewanee (58-11).
—————————————————————–
PRO SPORTS:
The Bears snapped an 11-game losing streak against their rival after topping the Packers 24-22 at Lambeau Field. Cairo Santos converted a 51-yard field goal as time expired to deliver the Bears’ victory. Caleb Williams completed 21 of his 29 pass attempts for 148 yards and a touchdown. DJ Moore caught nine passes for 86 yards and a score. D’Andre Swift also found the end zone with a four-yard TD run. Chicago finished the season last in the NFC North at 5-and-12.
—————————————————————–
The Bulls used a dominant third quarter to beat the New York Knicks 139-126 at United Center on Saturday. The Bulls trailed by nine at halftime before outscoring New York 41-17 in the third to take control of the game. Zach LaVine and Coby White each scored 33 points in the victory, while Nikola Vucevic finished with 22 points and 12 boards. Chicago improved to 16-and-19. The Bulls host the Spurs tonight.
—————————————————————–
The Blackhawks surrendered three goals in the second period of a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers at United Center. The Hawks got on the board first when Tyler Bertuzzi lit the lamp in the sixth minute of the game, but New York scored the next five goals to take control. Wyatt Kaiser had his first goal of the season during the losing effort. Chicago is in last place in the Central Division with 28 points and a 13-25-and-2 record. The Blackhawks host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
—————————————————————–
NASCAR legend and West suburban Elmhurst native Fred Lorenzen is dead at age 89. He passed away at an Oak Brook nursing home after suffering from dementia for more than ten years. Lorenzen became the first NASCAR driver to earn 100-thousand dollars in one season after winning six races in 1963. He also won the Daytona 500 in 1965.
—————————————————————–
COLLEGE SPORTS:
The number-20 Illinois Fighting Illini are on a four-game winning streak following an 81-77 win over Washington at Alaska Airlines Arena. The game was tied at 75 with under a minute left in regulation when Kasparas Jakucionis put in a lay-up to give Illinois the lead. The Illini went four-for-four from the free-throw line the rest of the way to seal the win. Jakucionis had 18 points in the victory, while Tre White finished with 17. Illinois improved to 11-and-3 overall and 3-and-1 in the Big Ten. The Illini host Penn State on Wednesday.
—————————————————————–
The Northwestern Wildcats got off to a slow start during a 41-18 loss to number-22 Purdue at Mackey Arena. The Wildcats fell into a 41-18 hole in the first half and weren’t able to climb out of it. Angelo Ciaravino finished with 19 points in the losing effort. Northwestern dropped to 10-and-5 overall and 1-and-3 in the Big Ten. They host number 15 Michigan State next Sunday.
—————————————————————–
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell apart in the final seconds of a 74-73 loss to North Carolina at Purcell Pavilion on Saturday. The Irish led by three with under ten seconds left in regulation when North Carolina’s Elliot Cadeau nailed a three and was fouled. Cadeau sunk the ensuing free throw, and Markus Burton missed a lay-up at the buzzer. Burton finished with 23 points off the bench, and Tae Davis added 17 points. The Irish fell to 7-and-7 overall and 1-and-2 in the ACC. They visit NC State on Wednesday.
—————————————————————–
In college hoops action on Friday, Chicago State beat Wagner 64-52. On Saturday, DePaul was crushed by Villanova 100-56, Loyola lost to VCU 84-65, Bradley took down Missouri State 69-60, UIC fell to Belmont 92-87, Northern Illinois was edged by Eastern Michigan 75-71, and Valparaiso earned an 80-73 win over Northern Iowa. Yesterday, Chicago State lost to Long Island University 53-39, and Illinois State crushed Southern Illinois 85-54.