A report from the State of Illinois highlights a positive employment trend, with nine areas, including Starved Rock Country, experiencing a decline in unemployment. As a metropolitan region, La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties collectively saw a half-percent drop, with La Salle down 0.4%, Bureau down 0.7%, and Putnam down 0.8%. Marshall County also improved, with unemployment falling by 0.5% compared to last year. However, the region did see a decline in manufacturing jobs. Statewide, total non-farm employment grew in six metropolitan areas, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
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Law enforcement, including Trident agents, Streator police, and the United States Postal Inspector, executed a search warrant at the North Sterling Street residence of 59-year-old April Dunning after intercepting a suspicious package addressed to her. The package, flagged by the postal inspector at Streator’s receiving facility, was found to contain cocaine, multiple digital scales, 20 ecstasy pills, Ketamine, and nearly 400 grams of methamphetamine pills. Authorities coordinated a controlled delivery, leading to the search of Dunning’s home. She was processed at the Streator police station and released with a court date.
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In an update on Jeffrey Peterson, 45, who was charged with aggravated arson, a Class X felony that could result in decades behind bars if convicted. Authorities arrested Peterson at the Hampton Inn in Ottawa on Thursday morning, accusing him of setting fire to a home in the 700 block of Oakley Street in Marseilles while his brother was inside the basement. Officers were able to rescue the brother from the burning house safely. La Salle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro has not ruled out additional charges, including attempted murder. Peterson, who previously lived in the home he allegedly set ablaze, was already out on pretrial release for a domestic battery charge at the time of his arrest. He is set to appear in court on Wednesday to determine his detention status and his request to hire a private attorney.
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The American Red Cross of Illinois urgently needs blood donations, especially Power Red. This type of donation allows you to give two units of red blood cells at once, maximizing the impact of your contribution. Every day, patients rely on these donations for surgeries, cancer treatments, and trauma care. Unfortunately, blood supplies often fall short, particularly in the winter months. If you’re eligible to donate, please make an appointment by calling 1-800-733-2767 or visiting redcross.org.
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Starved Rock State Park is set to receive $33.8 million in state funding for significant upgrades, including a new wastewater treatment plant and improvements to its trails. Announced by the Capital Development Board and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this funding aims to enhance the park’s wastewater management system, addressing the needs of the high volume of visitors it attracts each year. Moreover, the investment will focus on trail enhancements, ensuring improved safety and accessibility for all park-goers.
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Illinois hunters harvested a preliminary 170,758 deer during the 2024-2025 archery and firearm seasons, up from 160,313 the previous year. The harvest was 46.27% females and 53.72% males. Archery hunters took 73,598 deer, youth hunters 4,057, firearm hunters 82,496, and muzzleloader hunters 2,832. The late-winter antlerless and special CWD seasons ended with 7,775 deer, up from 4,639 in 2023-2024. The CWD season covered 18 northern counties, while 27 counties participated in the late-winter antlerless season. Counties below target deer populations for two years may be removed. Full details will be in the annual harvest report this spring.
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Radon Action Month is ending, and radon test kits are still available at the LaSalle County Health Department year-round. Testing for radon is essential for a safe home environment. You can pick up a radon test kit during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 717 E. Etna Road in Ottawa. These easy-to-use kits can help you identify radon levels in your home. If elevated levels are detected, the LaSalle County Health Department offers resources and guidance on how to address the issue.
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Governor Pritzker is blasting President Trump for imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Pritzker called the tariffs taxes on working families. He adds that they will jack up prices on groceries and goods, make gas more expensive, and raise utility bills. Canada is Illinois’ largest export market, with more than 20 billion dollars in exports to Canada in 2023. Mexico is Illinois’ second largest export market, with nearly 13 billion dollars in exports in 2023.
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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he will block people convicted for their role in the January 6th attack on Capitol Hill from state jobs. The rioters were recently pardoned by President Donald Trump. Pritzker released a letter saying that no one who attempts to overthrow a government should serve in government. He has ordered the Department of Central Management Services to apply the State Personnel Code that rejects candidates for state jobs who have engaged in disgraceful conduct.
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A Rock Island woman accused of falsely reporting that her child went missing last month is in custody. Princess Ilunga was arrested Thursday during a traffic stop in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Her seven children were inside the vehicle and are now with their father. Rock Island Police says Ilunga falsely reported that her daughter was inside a vehicle that was stolen in Rock Island on January 16th. After the child was found unharmed, McCloud said investigators learned that Blessing had been in her own home the entire time.
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Mendota Police were called to the 800 block of Washington Street late Thursday night for a disturbance. After a brief investigation, 48-year-old Donovan T Allen of Mendota was arrested for Domestic Battery. Allen was taken to the LaSalle County Jail.
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Thursday night, LaSalle County Deputies investigated a single-vehicle accident at U.S. 34 and North 4250th Road in Mendota Township. Mendota Fire & EMS responded and transported two injured people to OSF St. Paul Medical Center in Mendota. 54-year-old Ivaylo Ivanov of Streator was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and was later released with an notice to appear in court.
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A 22-year-old homeless Streator man was arrested by Ottawa Police Friday in the 200 block of West Stevenson Road. Layton J. Pinney has charges of retail theft, possession of a controlled substance, resisting a peace officer, violation of conditions of pre-trial release, and an outstanding Livingston County warrant for failure to appear in court.
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LaSalle County Deputies conducted a traffic stop Friday near Illinois 18 and East 6th Road in Richland Township. 18-year-old Alayna Fleming of Streator was cited for operating an uninsured motor vehicle and released at the scene.
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LaSalle County Deputies investigated a single-vehicle accident in Lake Holiday at Nova Road and Suzy Street. Sandwich EMS responded for minor injuries. 18-year-old Callie Ferrario of Sandwich was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and released at the scene.
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35-year-old Kristof E. Bullock of Ottawa was arrested by Ottawa Police Sunday at 1120 Canal Street on a failure to appear warrant out of LaSalle County for failure to appear in court on a burglary charge.
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LaSalle County Deputies investigated a two-vehicle accident at Illinois 18 and East 15th Road in Eagle Township. Lostant EMS and Streator EMS both responded to the scene, multiple injured people were transported to OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa and to OSF Center for Health in Streator. 35-year-old Jessica Lundberg of Rockford was cited for Failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and was released from the scene with a court date.
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76-year-old David G. Duggan of Marseilles is cited by Ottawa Police for driving on a revoked license after a traffic stop Sunday at East Norris Drive and Brickton Lane.
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Streator Police on Sunday afternoon arrested 35-year-old Joseph E. Kelly of Streator on West Second Street on a Livingston County warrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of driving on a revoked license. Kelly was taken to the Livingston County Jail.
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A 30-year-old Ottawa woman is charged with domestic battery. Ottawa Police charged Alexandra C. Freeman after investigating an incident Sunday at 606 East McKinley Road.
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36-year-old Zacharia A. Kelly of Marseilles was arrested by Ottawa Police Friday at Chippewa and Hiawatha Drives on an outstanding warrant out of Will County on charges of driving under the influence of drugs.
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WEATHER:
Monday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night
Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low of around 28. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
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OBITUARIES:
Doyle Olson, 83, of Ottawa, passed away Wednesday, January 29th, at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa. Mass of Christian Burial will be today, at 10:30 am at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Burial will follow at St. Columba Cemetery.
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Ann (McGinnis) Byers, 91, of Ottawa, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 29th. Visitation will be from 9 to 10:30 on Tuesday, February 4th at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa. A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4th, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Ottawa. Burial will follow at St. Columba Cemetery.
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Emmett Franklin Roth, 81, of Ottawa, passed away on Friday, January 31, at the LaSalle County Nursing Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5th, at the Mueller Funeral Home, and one hour before the service on Thursday. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 6th, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park, where Full Military Rites will be accorded by the American Legion Post 33 Honor Guard.
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Carol Jean Reinecke, 62, of Ottawa, passed away Thursday, January 30th, at her home surrounded by her loving family. A visitation will be held on Thursday, February 6th, from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will follow at 5:00 pm.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Girls basketball
Ottawa 55, LPHS 36: At Sellett Gymnasium
Streator 45, Somonauk/Leland 35: At Pops Dale Gymnasium
Tonight
Marquette at Putnam County
Ottawa welcomes Princeton
Streator at Manteno
Seneca at St.Bede
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Competitive dance
Postseason ends for Ottawa and Streator: In the IHSA State Finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington
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Competitive cheerleading
Ottawa: In the Farmington Sectional, Ottawa finished ninth in the 15-school Medium Team division.
La Salle-Peru placed 12th.
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GIRLS BOWLING
At Rockford: La Salle-Peru placed fourth at Belvidere’s Buccaneer Invite at Cherry Bowl in Rockford. La Salle-Peru junior Kamryn Oscepinski threw her first 300 games.
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BOYS WRESTLING
At Melrose Park: St. Bede placed second among six teams in the Chicagoland Prairie Conference duals at Walther Christian. The Bruins went 4-1, defeating Walther Christian, Westmont, Dwight, and Marquette, and losing to champion Seneca.
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Swimming
The Ottawa Dolphins hosted their third and final home meet of the season on Sunday. They placed first out of four teams. Ten Dolphins swimmers swam all of their events with personal best times. Congratulations to Sawyer Booras, Elias Hagenbuch, Kallyn Jobst, Parker Kaminski, Ben Kuiper, Bryce Marks, Colter O’Brien, Shane O’Brien, Sebastian Strow, and Landon Taylor.
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PRO SPORTS:
The Chicago Bulls had a rough second quarter during a 127-119 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. The Bulls led by five after the first quarter, but they were outscored 34-19 in the second and trailed the rest of the way. Coby White scored 22 points in the losing effort, while Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey each had 20 points. Vucevic also had 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a triple-double. The Bulls are in tenth place in the Eastern Conference at 21-and-29. They host the Heat tomorrow night.
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Zach LaVine’s time with the Bulls is over. The veteran guard was traded to the Kings as part of a multi-team deal. As part of the deal, Chicago received Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Kevin Huerter and full control of their 2025 first-round pick from the Spurs. The trade reunites LaVine with DeMar DeRozan, who played together with the Bulls for the past three seasons.
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The Chicago Sky are bolstering their backcourt. The team signed free agent guard Kia Nurse to a one-year contract over the weekend. Nurse was an All-Star with New York in 2019, and she spent last season with the Sparks.
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The Chicago Blackhawks gave up five unanswered goals during a 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday. Landon Slaggert scored just seven seconds into the game to give the Hawks an early lead before Chicago let through the next five goals. The Blackhawks are in last place in the Central Division with 37 points and a 16-31-and-5 record. They host the Oilers on Wednesday.
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The Chicago Cubs are adding some depth to the infield. The team signed Nicky Lopez to a minor league deal over the weekend. The contract includes an invitation to Spring Training later this month. Lopez was with the White Sox in 2024. He hit .241 with a home run and 21 RBI in 124 games.
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COLLEGE SPORTS:
The number-20 Illinois Fighting Illini put together a strong second half to beat Ohio State 87-79 at State Farm Center. The Illini trailed by six at halftime before outscoring the Buckeyes 51-37 the rest of the way. Will Riley poured in 24 points off the bench. Illinois is in seventh place in the Big Ten with a 7-and-5 conference record and a 15-and-7 mark overall. The Illini visit Rutgers on Wednesday.
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell apart in the second half of their 63-57 loss to Miami at Watsco Center on Saturday. The Irish led by 11 at halftime before getting outscored 38-21 the rest of the way. Markus Burton had 17 points in the losing effort, and Braeden Shrewsberry finished with 14. Notre Dame is in tenth place in the ACC with a 4-and-6 conference record and a 10-and-11 mark overall. The Irish visit Florida State tomorrow.
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The Northwestern Wildcats missed out on a chance to upset number-17 Wisconsin during a 75-69 loss at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday. The Wildcats led by nine in the second half before getting outscored 36-16 over a ten-minute span. Jalen Leach scored 23 points in the losing effort, while Nick Martinelli finished with 15. Northwestern is tied for 15th place in the Big Ten with a 3-and-8 conference record and a 12-and-10 mark overall. The Wildcats host USC tomorrow night.
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In college hoops action on Saturday, Loyola edged Saint Joseph’s 58-55, UIC lost to Indiana State 88-83, Chicago State went down against Long Island 73-67, Illinois State beat Valparaiso 86-78, and Northern Illinois fell to Toledo 89-85. Yesterday, DePaul took down Seton Hall 74-57, and Bradley was defeated by Northern Iowa 83-69.