A LaSalle man could spend up to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony gun and drug charges. Nicholas R. Milby, 35, entered a blind plea Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court to armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of methamphetamine. Prosecutors agreed to drop additional charges and cap their sentencing recommendation at 13 years. Milby was arrested on September 2nd after a raid by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team and La Salle police at his home near La Salle-Peru High School. Officers seized methamphetamine, a 9mm pistol, and dozens of rounds of ammunition. With prior burglary convictions, Milby qualified for Class X sentencing. His sentencing is set for 11 a.m. on June 27th.
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A Spring Valley woman was sentenced in a Livingston County drug and firearm case. Sinead Jones, 33, pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including unlawful firearm possession and drug delivery. She received a seven-year prison term, with sentences running concurrently, and was credited with 181 days served. Jones and Tierra Jenkins, 30, of LaSalle, were arrested in September 2024. Authorities seized a 9mm ghost gun, high-capacity magazines, ammunition, and 103 Suboxone strips. Jenkins pleaded not guilty and is due in court in April.
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The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will resume construction on U.S. 6 through La Salle and Peru starting Tuesday, April 1, weather permitting. The $6.4 million project, set for completion this summer, includes road patching, resurfacing, and lane reconfiguration between West Street and Monks Avenue in Peru. Traffic will be controlled by flaggers, with possible side street closures and signal timing changes causing delays. Motorists are advised to allow extra travel time, use alternate routes when possible, and stay alert in work zones.
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Illinois Valley Community College opens registration for summer and fall classes on April 3rd — online at 9 a.m. and in person at 10 a.m. Students are encouraged to register early to secure classes and avoid last-minute stress. Tuition deadlines are May 7 for summer and July 30 for fall. IVCC will also host an Explore IVCC Open House on April 8th at 5:30 p.m. and a Fall Preview event before fall classes begin. For details, visit IVCC’s Self-Service system or call (815) 224-0447.
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Ottawa Illinois Native and “Hometown Hero” Army Captain Seamus McGettigan is being praised and recognized for his service away from the battlefield. On February 26th, Army Captain McGettigan experienced an unexpected turn of events on what was meant to be a routine trip to the airport for his wedding. As he and his fiancée, Joy, were leaving they encountered a couple in distress—the expectant mother was in active labor. Without hesitation, Army Captain Seamus McGettigan leaped into action, laying down makeshift bedding while Joy communicated with 911. Moments later, he helped deliver a healthy baby girl, cleared her airway, and placed her into her mother’s arms for skin-to-skin contact, just in time for paramedics to arrive and find both mother and child safe.
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The Kane County Coroner’s Office is confirming that human remains found in a vehicle pulled from the Fox River in Elgin belong to an Elgin woman who had been missing for more than 40 years. Skeletal human remains were discovered in the vehicle after it was removed from the water. Following testing, the coroner’s office notified Elgin police yesterday that the remains were positively identified as Karen Schepers. Divers located the 1980 Toyota Celica while conducting searches of the river as part of the investigation into the April 1983 disappearance of Schepers. This investigation remains open and active.
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Morris Republican State Senator Sue Rezin is raising concerns over Senate Bill 2217, which aims to dissolve Illinois townships with fewer than 5,000 residents, consolidating them into neighboring townships or counties. Rezin, who opposes the measure, argues that while it resurfaces annually as a cost-cutting proposal, it could instead lead to higher taxes and increased expenses for absorbing local governments. The bill, introduced by Democratic State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton of the 23rd District, is currently advancing toward the Senate floor.
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A Chicago man will spend nine years in prison for selling fentanyl-laced heroin to undercover agents in North Utica. Alexander Bryant, 30, also listed as residing in Cicero, pleaded guilty to two Class X felony counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, stemming from undercover drug buys in May and July at Love’s truck stop in North Utica. On Thursday, he accepted a plea deal for two nine-year sentences to run concurrently and declined to address Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. before sentencing. Authorities said Bryant sold heroin for $500 during each transaction, with initial tests confirming 15.1 grams of fentanyl-laced heroin—just above the Class X threshold. However, court records indicate the July seizure alone exceeded 57 grams, marking one of the largest street-level drug busts in recent memory.
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The so-called “ComEd Four” are set to be sentenced this summer. A federal judge didn’t set specific dates but announced yesterday that Anne Pramaggiore, Michael McClain, John Hooker, and Jay Doherty will learn their fate in July. All four were found guilty in 2023 of conspiring to influence and reward former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in order to assist with the passage of legislation favorable to ComEd. Their sentencing dates have been delayed, in part due to a Supreme Court ruling last year that narrowed the federal bribery statute. Defense attorneys objected to proceeding with sentencing, revealing that the Department of Justice is reviewing their client’s convictions.
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Illinois residents are concerned about federal cuts to education. An Illinois Education Association poll shows that 91 percent of respondents think public education is a right. Seventy-one percent believe it’s underfunded. And 72 percent think political parties shouldn’t be involved in school board elections. The poll of one thousand Illinoisans was conducted by a Republican pollster and a Democratic polling firm working together.
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Illinois’ unemployment rate is down slightly. The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the state’s jobless rate fell point-one percentage points to four-point-eight percent in February. Non-farm payroll jobs were dropped by 65 hundred.
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A pair of Illinois congressmen continue to push a bill to honor a Rockford mail carrier who was killed on the job a year ago. Representative Darin LaHood and Representative Eric Sorensen reintroduced a measure to rename the United States Postal Service building on Harrison Avenue in Rockford after Jay Larson. The 25-year veteran of the USPS was one of four people killed during violent attacks on March 27th, 2024 in southeast Rockford. The incident happened while Larson was delivering mail.
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A father and son from the Peoria area are dead following a crash in Tennessee. Authorities say Bradley Parrott of Washington and William Parrott of Peoria died early yesterday after a Dodge Ram driven by Daniel Caravaca-Bonilla collided with their Chevy Silverado on I-24 outside Nashville. The collision caused a chain reaction crash. Caravaca-Bonilla was arrested on multiple charges, including vehicular homicide by intoxication and driving under the influence.
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Police in the south suburbs are investigating an alleged case of squatters who are house-hopping. A pair of property owners in Hazel Crest say a group of people with two dogs moved into their vacant home and wouldn’t leave. After paying the occupants to vacate, they saw a story on television about a man in Tinley Park, who claimed squatters had moved into his home and refused to leave. Hazel Crest police say the suspect is connected to other alleged squatting cases. Authorities are now working with the Cook County State’s Attorney to see if crimes of extortion or fraud were involved.
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A Yorkville man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault in Kendall and Kane Counties. Prosecutors say 53-year-old Rafael Sanchez accepted a plea deal following a 2022 investigation into assaults on his stepdaughter between the late 1990s and 2007. Sanchez was arrested in 2023 and remains in custody. He must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence.
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Two men face charges following a drug bust in Kewanee. Police say law enforcement executed a search warrant yesterday at a home in the 800 block of Birch Place. During the search, officers located cannabis, MDMA, cocaine, packaging materials, digital scales, and two firearms. Jordan Hart and Keywon Nichols were taken into custody and transported to the Henry County Jail on drug charges.
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LaSalle County Deputies conducted a Traffic stop in the area of Norris RD & Columbus St (Ottawa TWP). Tiarah Adams (20) of Joliet was cited for operating a motor vehicle with suspended registration and released from the scene with an NTA.
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LaSalle County Deputies conducted a Traffic stop in the area of US Rt-6 & E 709th RD (Utica TWP). Joseph Brewer (44) of Ottawa was cited for improper passing/meeting vehicle and released from the scene with an NTA.
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LaSalle County Deputies conducted a Traffic stop in the area of US Rt-71 & E 22nd RD (Rutland TWP). Rafael Escobedo Ceballos (41) of Aurora was cited for operating a motor vehicle with suspended registration and released from the scene with an NTA.
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WEATHER:
Friday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Windy, with a southwest wind of 10 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Breezy, with a southwest wind of 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
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OBITUARIES:
Jerry Thomas Kiley, 67, of Spring Valley, formerly of Ottawa, passed away Thursday, March 20th, at his home after a courageous battle with cancer. Funeral ceremonies will be held at a later date. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
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Lisa Jean Fuchs, 62, of Ottawa, passed away on Tuesday, March 18th, at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, surrounded by the love of her family. A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 29th, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa, with a private burial to follow. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, at the funeral home.
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Margaret “Peggy” Maierhofer, 81, of rural Seneca, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 24th, at the Ottawa Pavilion. A visitation will take place from 2:00 – 5:00 PM at St. Patrick’s Church in Seneca on Sunday, March 30th. Funeral services are to be held at the same location on Monday, March 31st at 9:30 AM. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Seneca. Seals-Campbell Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
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Ronald Laatz, 74, of Grand Ridge, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 27th, at his home. A visitation will be held on Monday, March 31st, from 10:30 am until 12:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will take place at noon at the funeral home. Burial with military honors will follow at the Grand Ridge Cemetery.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Softball
Marquette 6, Amboy 3: In June Gross Field Crusaders improved to 7-1.
Ottawa 2, Streator 0: At King Field
Seneca 15, Putnam County 1 (5 inn.): At Seneca
Sandwich 10, Somonauk 3: At Somonauk
Manteno 15, Newark 5 (5 inn.): At Mantneo
La Salle-Peru 6, Coal City 3: at Coal City
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Baseball
Ottawa 8, Pontiac 3: At Pontiac, the Pirates improved to 5-1 on the season.
Marmion Academy 5, Marquette 4: At Aurora, the Cadets scored the winning run with two outs in the seventh in dealing the Crusaders (5-1) their first loss of the season.
Putnam County 6, Seneca 3: At Seneca
Somonauk 7, Sandwich 4: At Somonauk
Stillman Valley 7, Newark 6: At Stillman Valley
Aurora Christian 8, Serena 3: At Serena
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GIRLS SOCCER
Mendota 4, Ottawa 0: Crystal Garcia scored four goals to lead the Trojans to a nonconference victory in Mendota.
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The Minooka High School Board of Education has approved the addition of a girl’s flag football team, set to debut in fall 2025. The move follows the Illinois High School Association’s February 2024 decision to officially recognize girls’ flag football as an IHSA State Series sport.
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PRO SPORTS:
The White Sox went deep three times in their 8-1 victory over the Angels at Rate Field. Sean Burke earned the win after pitching six scoreless innings. Austin Slater, Andrew Benintendi, and Lenyn Sosa each went yard for Chicago, which starts the season 1-and-0. Jonathan Cannon starts for the Southsiders against the Angels tomorrow.
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Comcast subscribers were not able to watch the White Sox home opener yesterday afternoon. The cable company is still in negotiations with the Chicago Sports Network. Currently, the only options for Sox fans to view the game are to buy a TV antenna and tune in to WJYS-Channel 62, sign up for a streaming service, or switch to another pay-TV provider. To add to the frustration, MLB TV’s Opening Day encountered issues, thousands of users reported the app being down.
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The Chicago Cubs snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-6 at Chase Field. Ian Happ had a double, a home run, and three RBI in the victory, while Justin Steele earned his first win after allowing three runs on six hits in five innings of work. The 1-and-2 Northsiders send Jameson Taillon to the mound against the D-backs tonight.
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The Chicago Blackhawks look to get back in the win column when they host the Vegas Golden Knights at United Center tonight. The Hawks are coming off a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils at home on Wednesday. Chicago is in last place in the Central Division with 51 points. Tonight’s game begins at 7:30 PM.
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Josh Giddey nailed a halfcourt buzzer-beater at the end of regulation to lift the Chicago Bulls to a 119-117 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at the United Center. Giddey finished the game with a triple-double while totaling 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. Coby White chipped in a team-high 26 points to help Chicago notch its fourth straight victory. The Bulls improved to 33-and-40. They host Dallas tomorrow night.
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COLLEGIATE SPORTS:
SOFTBALL
IVCC 10-2, Carl Sandburg 6-10: The Eagles and Chargers split an Arrowhead Conference doubleheader in Galesburg.
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BASEBALL
Prairie State 4-5, 3-4: The Eagles lost a pair of one-run games in a nonconference doubleheader in Chicago Heights.
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The #3 Notre Dame women’s basketball team looks to advance in the NCAA Tournament when they take on #2 TCU in the Sweet 16 at Legacy Arena tomorrow. The Fighting Irish beat #6 Michigan in the Second Round last Sunday. Tomorrow’s game tips off at noon Central time.
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Carey Booth appears to be leaving the Illinois men’s basketball program. The six-foot-ten forward has reportedly entered the transfer portal. Booth appeared in just 21 games this season. He is the first Illinois player to enter the portal this offseason.