The 76th annual Mendota Sweet Corn Festival gets underway at 3:00 this afternoon with a Special Afternoon for Special Kids. The Carnival Midway opens to the general public at 6:00 tonight. The Queen Pageant is Friday night. The crafter’s marketplace and flea market runs all day Saturday and Sunday. The parade is Sunday at 1:00 followed by the traditional serving of free sweet corn.
The 2023 Illinois State Fair kicks off today. The fair runs through August 20th in Springfield. Officials unveiled the treasured Butter Cow yesterday in the Dairy Building on the Fairgrounds.
The Quad Cities Hot-Air Balloon Festival begins tomorrow. Rhythm City Casino in Davenport is hosting the event. Balloons will take off Friday and Saturday evenings at 6 p.m., weather permitting. They’ll return for a balloon glow at dusk. Admission is free.
The LaSalle County Health Department is offering free treatment for mosquito control. As West Nile virus activity increases this season, the Health Department is using grant funds for the purchase of Natular DT, a brand-name tablet that prevents mosquito breeding in standing water. A package of 12 tablets can be obtained during regular hours of 8:00 to 4:30 on weekdays at the health department office on Etna Road in Ottawa. There is a limit of one package per household.
The McFarland Mental Health Center in Springfield is being renamed. State officials announced that the center is now named the Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard Mental Health Center. On signage and in common use, it will be known as the Packard Mental Health Center. The psychiatric hospital employs more than 250 staff and supports over 120 patients with serious mental illness. The facility is being renamed in honor of Elizabeth Packard, a wife, and mother who was held against her will in the old Illinois State Psychiatric Hospital outside Jacksonville in the early 1900s.
The Illinois Department of Public Health will be providing a variety of free health and safety services for school-aged children during the 2023 Illinois State Fair. That includes immunizations, physicals, and dental exams. The IDPH will also give away gun locks as part of its ongoing partnership with the Illinois State Police to promote firearms safety in the state.
Authorities are investigating a shooting that left several family members dead in unincorporated Crystal Lake. The McHenry County Sheriff’s says deputies were called to a home early yesterday on a report of a single household member shooting their relatives. Three deceased females were found in the home along with a seriously injured male and female. One family member was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. One other person, believed to be the aggressor, was also hospitalized and later pronounced dead.
33-year-old Dren Resendiz of Earlville is charged by LaSalle County Sheriff’s Deputies with speeding after being observed late Wednesday night traveling at 77 miles an hour in a 55miles an hour speed zone in Earl Township near U.S. 34 and East 14th Road.
A 23-year-old Hartland, Wisconsin, man is charged with Driving Under the Influence. Peru Police stopped Alec Grundman late Tuesday afternoon at Illinois 251 and Unityte Drive. He was released with a notice to appear in court.
24-year-old Chandler Masur of Cedar Point was cited by Peru Police for Reckless Driving and Passing in a No-Passing Zone after a traffic stop at Illinois 251 and Shooting Park Road on Tuesday afternoon.
A Peru woman is charged with driving a vehicle with a suspended registration. 33-year-old Chelsey Maunu was stopped by Peru Police at 7th and Walnut Tuesday afternoon.
A Seatonville man was ticketed by Peru Police for driving with suspended registration late Tuesday morning. 24-year-old Cesar Soto Monroy was stopped at 11th and Pulaski Streets.
73-year-old Dianne Cooper of Lostant was stopped by Peru Police on Tuesday and ticketed for driving with a suspended registration.
An 84-year-old Fredricksburg, Texas, man, Norman Bernstein, faces a charge of retail theft after an investigation by Peru Police at the Hyvee Grocery Store Tuesday morning.
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OBITS:
Dale V. Ott, 74 of Streator passed away Saturday evening (August 5, 2023) in Sturgis, S. Dakota. A visitation will be held Today from 4 – 8 PM with the rosary recited at 7 PM at the Winterrowd Funeral Home, Streator. Funeral services will be held Friday at 10 AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Wenona with burial in Riverview Cemetery, Streator.
Terry J. Giannoni, of Chicago and rural Lexington, passed away on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, after a full, rich, and diverse life.
Visitation will be Friday, August 11, from 10-11 a.m. at Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home. Interment will be at the family mausoleum at St. Columba Cemetery in Ottawa.
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WEATHER:
TODAY – Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. High 81F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
TONIGHT – Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds are light and variable.
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SPORTS:
>>White Sox Blow Out Yankees To Win Series
(Chicago, IL) — The White Sox earned a series victory after claiming their rubber match against the Yankees. Chicago blew out New York 9-2 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mike Clevinger was credited with the win after striking out six batters and allowing one run over six innings pitched. Elvis Andrus went two for four at the dish with three RBI and Oscar Colas slugged his third homer of the season with a two-run shot. The White Sox are now fourth in the AL Central at 47-and-69.
>>Cubs Fall Short Against Mets
(Flushing, NY) — The Cubs left the tying run at third during a 4-3 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Cubs trailed 4-2 entering the inning before Seiya Suzuki led off the frame with a solo home run. Jeimer Candelario and Mike Tauchman both got on base after the dinger, and they were both in scoring position when Ian Happ struck out to end the game. Christopher Morel also homered in the losing effort, and Hayden Wesneski was charged with his fourth loss in relief. The Cubs are two-and-a-half games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central race at 59-and-56. Chicago visits Toronto tomorrow.
>>Fields To Start Preseason Game
(Lake Forest, IL) — Justin Fields will make his preseason debut this weekend. Head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters yesterday that he is planning on starting Fields during the first week of the preseason, although he didn’t reveal how many snaps Fields would take. Eberflus said that “selected starters” will also play in the game before giving way to the second and third stringers. The Bears host Tennessee this Saturday.
>>Bears Great Steve McMichael Discharged From Hospital
(Chicago, IL) — Former Bears star Steve McMichael is no longer in the hospital. He was released last night from Holy Cross Hospital after being admitted last Thursday due to sepsis and pneumonia. McMichael’s wife Misty says she’s hoping that her husband, who suffers from ALS, can live long enough to experience his induction into the Hall of Fame. He is one of 12 semifinalists and three finalists will be selected on August 22.
>>Blackhawks Hold Public Memorial For Rocky Wirtz
(Chicago, IL) — The Blackhawks are paying tribute to late team owner Rocky Wirtz. The team held a public memorial at the United Center last night. Family and friends and hundreds of current and former Hawks players were in attendance. Wirtz died last month after a brief illness at the age of 70. He took the team over in 2007 after the death of his father, and he oversaw three Stanley Cup titles during his tenure.
>>Northwestern AD Blasts Football Staffers Over Shirts
(Evanston, IL) — Northwestern athletic director Derrick Gragg is speaking out against apparel worn by a few staffers of the football team. During practice yesterday, a handful of staffers were spotted in t-shirts that read “Northwestern against the world.” The shirt included the jersey number of former linebacker and head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired after hazing allegations against the program were made public last month. Gragg said he is extremely disappointed that a few members of the football program decided to wear the t-shirts, calling them inappropriate, offensive, and tone-deaf.