A local man is benefiting from the pardoning of the Capital rioters by President Donald Trump. Ottawa resident Mathew Capsel, 31, is among over a thousand individuals charged or convicted in connection with the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. In December 2022, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder. Capsel was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and serve two years of probation. Federal records reveal that Capsel was part of a group illegally present at the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace, where rioters overpowered officers trying to secure the area. Later that day, he joined another mob and charged at a line of National Guard members, pushing them. Capsel documented his actions on social media, which became part of the evidence against him.
—————————————————————–
The Ottawa City Council advanced riverfront development plans Tuesday, approving agreements for the amphitheater, surrounding park, and business partnerships. The Lamar Johnson Collaborative will refine the amphitheater’s conceptual design, while Ginkgo Planning and Design moves forward with detailed plans for the park, including sidewalks and street grades near Route 23. SB Friedman Development Advisors will assist in attracting businesses like hotels and restaurants to the area. The council emphasized integrating the amphitheater into a multi-use park for year-round activities. Additionally, residents were advised to trickle faucets to prevent frozen pipes, with water bill adjustments available in spring. Other actions included approving firefighter training, siren maintenance, and part-time city staff appointments.
—————————————————————–
The Oglesby City Council will vote in February on a liquor license for a proposed liquor store at 210 N. Columbia Ave., near Route 351. Owner Kamleshkumar Patel, who operates other stores like Route 66 Tobacco Liquor and Gaming, plans a 4,200-square-foot retail space with six gaming terminals. Mayor Jason Curran sought assurance that no drug paraphernalia would be sold, which Patel confirmed. While Curran praised Patel’s other locations, Commissioner Tony Stefanelli requested more detailed plans, prompting the council to delay the decision. Separately, Ross Baker was appointed city engineer, replacing Jim Clinard, who retired after 20 years. A Wednesday Plan Commission meeting on the April 1 referendum will not be livestreamed but will be recorded.
—————————————————————–
The Mendota City Council has taken significant steps toward replacing two bridges near Black Brothers Co., securing a joint funding agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to cover up to half of the estimated $1.1 million cost. The bridges, located on Fifth Street at Eighth and Ninth Avenues, are set for much-needed replacement. As part of the process, the council also finalized an agreement with Black Brothers Co., requiring the company to outline the economic benefits of the project to IDOT, further solidifying support for the initiative.
—————————————————————–
Illinois and Michigan Oil (IMO) is proposing a large barge terminal on the south bank of the Illinois River, east of Seneca, a project that has sparked years of controversy. The company has permits for 106 barges and plans to use a dock wall and cranes for operations. Seneca Mayor Jeff Olson and Village officials are reviewing the proposal and awaiting a detailed plan from IMO to address concerns about river congestion, property values, noise, and visual impacts. Early assessments suggest the project may bring minimal jobs and no significant tax benefits. Discussions continue as the village aims to reduce the scale of the project and avoid potential litigation.
—————————————————————–
Livingston County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at a residence on South Carr Street following multiple complaints about the property. Inside, authorities discovered a cache of weapons, a large quantity of ammunition, and drugs. Two suspects, 32-year-old Sebastian Carlile and 33-year-old Annette Essman, both of Streator, were arrested. Carlile, who was on parole, faces charges including armed habitual criminal status, meth distribution, felon in possession of firearms, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, and possession of a controlled substance. Essman is charged with meth distribution and possession, being a felon in possession of firearms, and having a firearm with a defaced serial number. Both are being held at the Livingston County Jail.
—————————————————————–
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is joining three other states in challenging President Trump’s new executive order ending birthright citizenship. Raoul and the attorneys general of Arizona, Oregon, and Washington have filed a lawsuit arguing Trump’s order violates the constitutional rights of all children born in the U.S. Birthright citizenship gives legal rights to citizenship for all children born in a country’s territory. The suit seeks to invalidate the executive order and requests a preliminary injunction to prevent the order from taking effect.
—————————————————————–
Governor Pritzker is accusing the White House of keeping quiet about President Trump’s plans for mass deportations. The governor says the Trump Administration hasn’t communicated with his administration about their plan. Pritzker says they have heard that they’re targeting as many as two thousand people initially in the city of Chicago. He reiterated that Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. The governor also blasted billionaire Elon Musk for a controversial hand gesture at the president’s inauguration rally this week, claiming Musk owes an apology to the American people.
—————————————————————–
Closing arguments are set to begin today in Michael Madigan’s landmark corruption trial. Attorneys for the former Illinois House Speaker formally rested their case last week. The Chicago Democrat and co-defendant Michael McClain face charges accusing them of conspiring to participate in an array of bribery and extortion schemes. Jury deliberations are expected to begin next week.
—————————————————————–
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is expanding the new online licensing system. Four additional professions are now available for licensure on the Department’s new online licensing system, CORE. They include Licensed Behavior Analysts, Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst, Behavior Analyst Continuing Education Sponsor, and Licensed Certified Professional Midwife. The department will transition all licensing procedures to CORE in a phased implementation process over the next two years.
—————————————————————–
The Illinois Department of Public Health is launching a new dashboard that provides information on all violent deaths and firearm-related injuries in the state. The new dashboard is presented in two parts, Illinois Firearm Injury Rates and Illinois Violent Deaths. It is intended to provide detailed information at the county level about these incidents. The goal of the dashboard is to inform data-driven prevention and intervention efforts to reduce violent deaths and firearm injuries in Illinois.
—————————————————————–
A Central Illinois man is charged in the brutal 2020 slaying of a Harvey woman. Dakota Petrey of Lewistown faces a charge of first-degree murder. Authorities say the body of Vanessa Ceja Ramirez was found in the Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve in November 2020 two days after she disappeared while on a walk. Ceja Ramirez had been strangled and her body had been partially burned. There was also evidence she was sexually assaulted. Detectives learned that at the time of Ceja Ramirez’s disappearance, her cell phone pinged at an Oak Forest apartment building where Petrey was living. There is no indication that the suspect and victim knew each other.
—————————————————————–
A man who lost his job in a recent sexual abuse lifeguard scandal is back on Chicago’s payroll. Alonzo Williams is now working for South Side Alderman Greg Mitchell. Williams is a legislative aide in the Seventh Ward and earns an annual salary of over 106 thousand dollars. The Chicago Board of Ethics says the situation is disturbing but no ethics ordinance governs who aldermen can and cannot hire as an independent contractor.
—————————————————————–
A man faces charges accusing him of strangling a pregnant woman in Machensey Park. Police say officers responded to a domestic incident Monday in the 20 block of Marquette Road. The victim told officers that she told Nathan Schober to leave her house before he grabbed her neck for multiple seconds. The suspect was later arrested on multiple charges, including aggravated battery of a pregnant woman.
—————————————————————–
Ryne J. Bartolucci, 33, of Peru, was arrested twice on Saturday, January 18, 2025. The first arrest occurred at 6:00 AM at Vinnie’s Tap, located at 1517 Peoria St, Peru, where he was charged with assault, endangering the life or health of a child, and resisting arrest. He was released with a mandatory court date. Less than two hours later, at 7:34 AM, Bartolucci was arrested again for domestic battery, assault, and resisting or obstructing an officer. He faces charges related to both incidents.
—————————————————————–
LaSalle County Deputies conducted a traffic stop in the area of IL Rt-18 & E 9th RD (Eagle TWP) Landon Florancic (20) of Rockford was cited for Speeding 85 MPH in a 55 MPH zone and released from the scene.
—————————————————————–
42-year-old Emily K. Bosi of Peru was arrested at the intersection of 5th St and Walnut St, Peru, following a DUI-related incident. The arrest occurred after she was observed driving under the influence of alcohol, with a BAC of .08 or higher, and committing the additional violation of improper lane usage on a laned roadway. There were no injuries reported in the accident. Bosi was subsequently taken into custody and released with a mandatory court date.
—————————————————————–
LaSalle County Deputies investigated a two-vehicle accident in the area of IL Rt-23 & N 20th RD (Farm Ridge TWP) resulting in multiple injuries. Grand Ridge EMS transported the injured parties to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Ottawa and OSF Center for Health in Streator. A juvenile driver (17) of Marseilles was cited for improper left turn into oncoming traffic, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and released with an NTA.
—————————————————————–
Ruben Puesme, a 23-year-old male from Spring Valley, IL, was arrested at the intersection of Shooting Park Rd and Rock St in Peru, IL. He was charged with driving without a valid driver’s license, speeding (as detected by radar), and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. The arrest occurred after Puesme was stopped for the aforementioned violations.
—————————————————————–
LaSalle County Deputies conducted a traffic stop in the area of IL Rt-23 & N 2350th RD (Farm Ridge TWP). Kya Langlois (22) of Streator was cited for no valid driver’s license, speeding 73MPH in a 55MPH zone, and was released with an NTA.
—————————————————————–
Steve Estrada, a 41-year-old male from Joliet, IL, was arrested at the intersection of 3rd St. and Bucklin St. in LaSalle, IL, for driving under the influence of alcohol. Estrada was found to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeding the legal limit of 0.08 and was also cited for improper lane usage. Following his arrest, Estrada was released with citations and scheduled for a mandatory court appearance on February 7, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.
—————————————————————–
LaSalle County Deputies conducted a traffic stop in the area of IL Rt-251 & N 38th RD (Troy Grove TWP) Juvenile Driver (17) of La Salle was cited for speeding 85 MPH in a 55 MPH zone, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and was released with an NTA.
—————————————————————–
A 46-year-old Arlington Heights man was stopped by Ottawa Police Tuesday at I-80 and Columbus Street. Alvaro F. Acosta, the Third was charged with driving on a suspended license.
—————————————————————–
WEATHER:
Wednesday
A 40 percent chance of snow after 1 pm. Cloudy, with a high near 26. Wind chill values as low as -10. Breezy, with a south-southwest wind of 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Wednesday Night
Snow is likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 14. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch is possible.
—————————————————————–
OBITUARIES:
Anthony “Tony B” Bianchi passed away peacefully on Thursday, the 16th at his home in Ottawa. Visitation will be held at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home chapel in Joliet on Friday, January 24th, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Funeral Service for Anthony David Bianchi will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 25th, at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home in Joliet, Interment will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
—————————————————————–
Margaret “Marge” Garling, 92, of Morris, passed away Saturday, January 18th, at Serenity Estates of Morris with her family by her side. Visitation will be TODAY from 10:30 am until 11:30 am at First Baptist Church in Morris. A funeral ceremony will follow at 11:30 am, at the church. Burial will be in Saratoga Cemetery in Morris. Ottawa Funeral Home has handled the arrangements.
—————————————————————–
LOCAL SPORTS:
Boys basketball
Seneca 71, Newark 39: At Newark
—————————————————————–
Girls basketball
Somonauk-Leland 49, IMSA 23: At Earlville
Hinckley-Big Rock 54, Newark 32: At Earlville
—————————————————————–
PRO SPORTS:
The Chicago White Sox are parting ways with one of their better relievers to make room for newly-signed Martin Perez on the 40-man roster. Perez agreed to terms with the White Sox last week, but the signing was made official yesterday. The Sox claimed Marinaccio from the Yankees last year after he went 1-and-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 16 appearances.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago Cubs are adding some depth to their bullpen. The team signed reliever Trevor Richards to a minor league deal yesterday. The contract includes an invitation to Spring Training next month. Richards spent last season with both the Blue Jays and the Twins. He went 2-and-2 with a 4.55 ERA and one save in 55 appearances.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago Bulls are gearing up for their game against the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night. Chicago was off yesterday, but the Bulls are coming off a 112-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on the road on Monday. The Bulls are in tenth place in the Eastern Conference with a 19-and-25 record. Tomorrow’s game tips off at 9:00 PM.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago Blackhawks are getting some rest as they look ahead to their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at United Center on Friday night. The Blackhawks just lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in overtime on Monday night. Chicago is in last place in the Central Division with 34 points and a 15-28-and-4 record. Friday’s game starts at 7:00 PM.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago Bears have finalized their deal with Ben Johnson. The former Lions offensive coordinator officially became the new head coach of the Bears yesterday. Johnson met with staff at Halas Hall yesterday, and he’s expected to meet the media this morning. His introductory press conference begins at 11:00 AM.
—————————————————————–
COLLEGE SPORTS:
The Northwestern Wildcats look to get back in the win column when they host Indiana at Welsh-Ryan Arena tonight. The Wildcats just lost to number-20 Michigan 80-76 on the road last Sunday. Northwestern is 2-and-5 in Big Ten play and 11-and-7 overall. Tonight’s game tips off at 6:00 PM.
—————————————————————–
In college hoops action yesterday, DePaul was crushed by Creighton 73-49, Bradley beat Belmont 89-77, Illinois State edged Indiana State 85-81, and Northern Illinois fell to Western Michigan 72-70. Tonight, Loyola hosts Fordham, UIC is at Evansville, and Valparaiso visits Drake. Meanwhile, the number-17 Illinois Fighting Illini are off until tomorrow when they host Maryland. Notre Dame returns to action with a game against Virginia on Saturday.