A member of the LaSalle County Board faces domestic battery charges after an incident Saturday evening in Peru. 38-year-old Beth Findley-Smith was arrested by Peru Police at Sixth and Plain Streets. She represents County Board District 4 in Northville Township and also serves in a leadership role with the LaSalle County Republican Central Committee. Findley-Smith was taken to the LaSalle County Jail.
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Prosecutors are expected to rest their case today in the perjury trial of the longtime Chief of Staff of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Timothy Mapes is charged with lying to a grand jury in the federal probe that led to Madigan’s indictment last year in a racketeering case. Mapes served as Madigan’s chief of staff from 1991 until June 2018, when he was ousted following allegations of harassment. Over the last week of testimony, prosecutors presented dozens of secretly recorded phone calls, internal emails, and other documents.
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76th State Representative Lance Yednock announced on Sunday he will not be a candidate for re-election. The Ottawa Democrat has served in the Illinois House since 2019 and says he will complete his term representing parts of Bureau, LaSalle, and DeKalb Counties. In his statement, Yednock says his moderate views have at times created strained relations with the House Democratic Caucus. Yednock also states he has been frustrated with getting fellow lawmakers to understand the needs of downstate Illinois. Following his work as a State Representative, Yednock says he will return to his full-time work with Operating Engineers Local 150.
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Illinois is launching an effort to address food deserts across the state. Governor Pritzker Friday signed a bill that establishes the Illinois Grocery Initiative. The policy will support existing grocers and encourage new grocery stores to open through incentive opportunities. The legislation also allows grocery stores receiving grants as part of the program to be designated as High Impact Businesses, providing them the opportunity to receive tax credits and other incentives.
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A Kankakee man is charged in last week’s deadly shooting in Watseka. State police say officers found Amanda Peterson and Joseph Robinson shot to death Thursday in their home. A third shooting victim was sent to the hospital. Authorities arrested Scott Peterson and charged him with murder. He is being held in the Iroquois County Jail.
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A traffic stop by LaSalle County Deputies early Sunday in Farm Ridge Township near Route 23 and North 17th Road resulted in a charge of operating an uninsured motor vehicle against 24-year-old Heather Hall of Streator. She was released with a notice to appear in court.
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An Earlville woman is charged by Mendota Police with driving while her license was suspended after a stop Saturday afternoon at 6th Avenue and 9th Street in Mendota.
37-year-old Jessica Pineda was released with a notice to appear in court.
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38-year-old Rudolfo Guerrero-Garay of Omaha, Nebraska, has a notice to appear in court after being stopped by LaSalle County Deputies near the intersection of Illinois 23 and U.S. 52 in Freedom Township early Sunday morning. He was charged with disobeying a stop sign, illegal transportation of alcohol, no valid driver’s license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and driving under the influence.
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LaSalle County Sheriff’s Deputies cited 28-year-old Garrett Stewart of Tonica for operating an uninsured motor vehicle after a traffic stop in Farm Ridge Township near Illinois 23 and North 15th Road early Sunday.
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A 58-year-old Naples, Florida, man faces charges of improper lane usage, failure to notify the Secretary of State of an address change, expired registration, and driving under the influence. Ronald Leonard was stopped by LaSalle County Deputies early Saturday near U.S. 6 and Boyce Memorial Drive in Ottawa.
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21-year-old Heather Vahl of Streator was arrested by LaSalle County Deputies Sunday afternoon and charged with operating an uninsured motor vehicle and driving while license was suspended. Vahl was stopped near the Illinois 23 – Interstate 80 interchange and was released with a notice to appear in court.
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LaSalle County Deputies cited 35-year-old Anthony Shaw of Pembroke, Illinois, with disregard of a traffic control device after a stop by Main and Sterling Streets just after midnight Saturday.
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19-year-old Josie Berns of East Peoria is charged with speeding 76 miles an hour in a 55 miles an hour zone. LaSalle County Deputies made the traffic stop near Illinois 18 and East 3rd Road in Hope Township early Saturday morning
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WEATHER:
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. East-northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
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OBITS:
Marie Ellen Atkinson, 92, passed away on Tuesday, August 15, at the LaSalle County Nursing Home, surrounded by her family.
Visitation will be from noon to 1:50 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church. Funeral Services will be at 2 p.m. Entombment will follow at the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum in Oakwood Memorial Park, Ottawa. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Mueller Funeral Home, Ottawa.
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William “Bill” M. Arnold, age 62, of Ottawa, passed away Wednesday, August 16th surrounded by his loving family.
Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Today at Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Grand Ridge Cemetery.
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SPORTS:
>>Cubs Win Series Against Royals
(Chicago, IL) — The Cubs won their series against the Royals following a 4-3 victory in the finale from Wrigley. Kyle Hendricks earned the win after surrendering one run on five hits over six-and-one-third innings. Adbert Alzolay walked the tightrope in the ninth inning and earned the save after giving up a pair of runs on two hits. Miguel Amaya and Seiya Suzuki each crushed solo homers for Chicago, which improved to 64-and-59. The Cubbies are second in the NL Central. Javier Assad starts for Chicago against the Tigers tonight.
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>>White Sox Defeat Rockies To Avoid Sweep
(Denver, CO) — The White Sox erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning as they came back to beat the Rockies 10-5 in Denver. Lenyn Sosa capped off the late rally with a three-run home run after Chicago trailed 5-2 entering the eighth. Andrew Vaughn also went deep for the White Sox, who avoided a sweep in the three-game series. Aaron Bummer earned the win in relief as Chicago improved to 49-and-75. The Southsiders are in fourth place in the AL Central, and they send Touki Toussaint to the mound against Seattle tonight.
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>>Bears Fall To Colts
(Indianapolis, IN) — The Bears gave up 17 points in the second half of their 24-17 preseason loss to the Colts in Indianapolis on Saturday. Justin Fields didn’t play in the game, but Tyson Bagent shined, completing nine of his ten passes for 76 yards and a rushing touchdown. Daurice Fountain caught five passes for 86 yards and a score. The Bears are 1-and-1 in preseason play. They close out exhibition play with a home game against the Bills on Saturday. In other team news, guard Teven Jenkins is expected to miss at least six weeks with a leg injury.
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>>Fire Lose To Orlando City
(Chicago, IL) — The Chicago Fire FC returned to MLS action with a 3-1 loss against Orlando City at Soldier Field. Mauricio Pineda started the scoring in the 47th minute to give Chicago a one-goal lead, but Orlando City scored three unanswered goals to end the game. The Fire is in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with eight wins, eight draws, and eight losses for 32 points. They visit the L.A. Galaxy this Saturday.
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>>Sky Go Down Against Sun
(Chicago, IL) — The Chicago Sky are on a five-game losing streak following a 79-73 loss to the Connecticut Sun at Wintrust Arena. The Sky trailed by as many as 13 in the contest. Kahleah Copper led Chicago with 15 points, and Elizabeth Williams chipped in with 14. The Sky are in ninth place in the WNBA at 12-and-20. They host the Seattle Strom tomorrow.
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>>Viktor Hovland Wins 2023 BMW Championship
(Olympia Fields, IL) — Viktor Hovland is celebrating another victory. Hovland finished atop the leaderboard at Olympia Fields Country Club to win the BMW Championship. The 25-year-old shot a course-record 61 in the final round to finish the tournament 17 under par. He also won the Memorial Tournament earlier this year in a playoff against Denny McCarthy. Matt Fitzpatrick and Scottie Scheffler finished tied for second place at 15 under. Rory McIlroy was fourth at 12 under par. Brian Harman and Max Homa tied for fifth at 11 under.