The five-member Utica Planning Commission met last night and gave unanimous approval to Utica resident Jason Harmon to install ground-mounted solar panels along the side of his home at 3213 E. 9th Road in Utica. The public hearing took place at 5:30 p.m. and Harmon himself appeared before the Commission to plead his case. Village attorney Herb Klein Harmon asked if the panels would generate any noise in their day-to-day function. The answer was only at the time of installation and Harmon was quick to point out that his panels would more or less mimic the well-received solar farm of his neighbor’s to the South. Harmon, from North Utica, also met the minimum criteria of building on 3 acres of land. Though in rural Utica, his neighborhood is zoned R-1 which requires the special use permit he sought last night. Harmon did his research, to reduce his carbon footprint and save on his energy bill, he said it’s best if the panels faced south to retrieve maximum energy. Also, they would not be mounted on the roof where strong winds could cause them to damage his home. At 6 p.m. a Special Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees unanimously gave their thumbs up to the project and work should commence in the Spring of 2024.
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LaSalle County Sheriff Adam Diss said Thursday afternoon a 29-year-old Sandwich man, Jon M. Hurtig, is the offender taken into custody following a domestic incident shooting in Leland Tuesday afternoon. 32-year-old Kami White suffered a gunshot wound and is reported in stable condition at a Rockford hospital. Hurtig was taken to the LaSalle County and detained during the investigation. Thursday, Hurtig was charged with Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and Unlawful Restraint. Hurting is being held without bond in the LaSalle County Jail.
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33-year-old Jeremy J Seroka of Streator has been locked in a La Salle County jail cell since his arrest on January 6th for possession of cocaine, a class X felony. He and his Public Defender will appear before Judge Cynthia Raccuglia later today for a status hearing, which will either be the final meeting before a trial or Seroka avoiding that altogether by striking a plea bargain. The bond for possessing 15 grams of cocaine was set at half a million dollars which Seroka has so far been unable to pay. The case is being tried by Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Cantlin. If found guilty by a jury, Seroka could face between 3 and 25 years in prison.
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The state of Illinois is honoring the victims of the deadly mass shooting this week in Lewiston, Maine. Governor Pritzker has ordered that all flags be lowered to half-staff through sunset on Monday. Eighteen people were killed and 13 others injured in the town of Lewiston after a shooter opened fire inside a bowling alley and a bar last night. Tens of thousands of people remain on lockdown as state police hunt for suspected killer Robert Card.
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IVCC wants to know how they are doing. You are invited to put your two cents in over three days starting today at 1:30 at the Community Technical Building in Oglesby, room 125, or via Zoom. Other dates are Monday, October 30th at noon and Wednesday, November 1st at 5:30 p.m. in person at the CTC or via Zoom. Your feedback all goes into a new inventory of IVCC’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and yes, even threats. The results of the community input then go to the planning committee to help them pinpoint their overall vision for IVCC.
You will be asked to support your views with stats so plan accordingly. If attending via Zoom you can send that material in beforehand and get the Zoom link for all three sessions by emailing the Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. No registration is necessary. If you have questions, call the IVCC Counseling Center at 224-0360.
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A 63-year-old Aurora man was injured in a single-vehicle accident just after 6:00 Thursday night in Rutland Township. LaSalle County Deputies say Robert Nies lost control of his vehicle on a curve near Illinois 71 and East 24th Road and struck a tree. Nies was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and illegal transportation of alcohol. He also has warrants out of Will County for failure to appear on charges of driving on a suspended license and driving under the influence as well as a warrant out of Kane County for failure to appear for a DUI charge. Nies was treated at the St. Elizabeth OSF Emergency Room and then taken to the LaSalle County Jail.
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On Wednesday a homeless man, 54-year-old Derrick Gullery, was arrested for alleged theft at the Ottawa KFC. He was taken to La Salle County Jail. Ottawa police ticketed 23-year-old Erin K. Frazier of Ottawa Wednesday at Columbus and Stevenson streets. Frazier’s charged with driving with a suspended license and was let go with a notice to appear. On the same police stop, 29-year-old Herbert X. Agosto of the same address as Erin Frazier was charged as a passenger in Frazier’s car in possession of cannabis. He was taken to La Salle County Jail on a failure to appear warrant for his second DUI. Also on Wednesday, another
Homeless man, 24-year-old Alexander G Adams, was arrested by Ottawa Police at Norris and Starfire Drives on a failure to appear warrant for obstruction in Livingston County.
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The Will County landlord accused of stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy to death will remain in custody. Joseph Czuba was formally indicted yesterday by a Will County grand jury on hate crime, murder, and other charges. The charges stem from a knife attack earlier this month in Plainfield Township that killed Wadea Al-Fayoume [[ wy-dee-ah Al Fah-you-mee]] and left his mother hospitalized. Prosecutors say Czuba targeted the victims because of their Muslim faith, and because of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
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An attorney for the father of the Highland Park July 4th shooting suspect wants to call the son as a witness in his father’s trial next month. Robert Crimo Jr.’s lawyer requested a series of motions filed last week. The father is facing charges stemming from allegations he helped his son get a Firearm Owner’s Identification card. He is set to go on trial on November 6th. His son, Robert Crimo the third, is facing numerous charges accusing him of killing seven people and wounding dozens more at the Highland Park Parade on July 4 last year.
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The Illinois Gaming Board is approving licenses for new casinos in Danville, Carterville in Southern Illinois, and Chicago. At yesterday’s meeting, the IGB issued new casino owners’ licenses for the Golden Nugget Danville, Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort, and Bally’s Chicago. The Board also signed off on a request from Bally’s Chicago to operate its temporary casino at Medinah Temple for an additional 12 months while its permanent facility is built in Chicago
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WEATHER:
Today
A slight chance of showers between 7 a.m. and noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny through mid-morning, then becoming cloudy, with a temperature rising to near 70 by noon, then falling to around 58 during the remainder of the day. South southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west-northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 50%.
Tonight
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 pm, then a slight chance of showers between 8 pm and 10 pm. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low of around 36. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%.
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OBITUARIES:
Raymond Edward Bailey of Naplate passed away at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center on Monday, October 23rd. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 28th at the Mueller Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Oakwood Memorial Park, in Ottawa, IL. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, at the funeral home.
Doris Elvira Thomas, 92, of Marseilles, passed away Wednesday, the 25th, at The Pavilion of Ottawa. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, October 28, at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. at the funeral home, burial will be in Riverview Cemetery in Marseilles.
William “Bill” Rognas, age 78, of Ottawa, passed away Wednesday, October 25th at OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, Ottawa.
A Celebration of Life honoring Bill will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, October 29th at Crossbridge Community Church. There will be no visitation. The entombment will be in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery at a later date. Gladfelter-Roetker Funeral Home is assisting the family.
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HIGH SCHOOL LOCAL SPORTS:
Football
Class 1A – 9 Marquette (7-2) at No. 8 Forreston (7-2)
When: 7 p.m. Tonight – Join Bryer Lehr on the call and Tony B back in the WCMY studios.
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Girls volleyball
The Ottawa Lady Pirates volleyball team topped host Streator in the championship match of the Class 3A Streator Regional on Thursday at Pops Dale Gymnasium.
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Newark 2, Earlville 0: At Earlville, the Norsemen defeated the host Red Raiders to capture the Class 1A Earlville Regional championship.
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L-P beats Morris for 20th regional title under Mark Haberkorn
The La Salle-Peru volleyball team defeated Morris in two sets Thursday to win the Class 3A L-P Regional championship.
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PRO/COLLAGE SPORTS:
>>Bears Clash With Chargers On Sunday Night Football
(Inglewood, CA) — A pair of two-win teams clash on Sunday Night Football this weekend as the Bears visit the Los Angeles Chargers in Inglewood. The Bears look to build on their 30-12 home win over the Raiders last weekend. Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent played well in place of Justin Fields, finishing 21-of-29 for 162 yards and a touchdown. Fields remain doubtful with a thumb injury, which will put Bagent back in the starting role if he can’t go. Chicago has won two of its last three games overall since an 0-and-4 start to the season. Besides Fields, three other Bears players missed practice with injuries yesterday, including safety Jaquan Brisker.
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>>Bulls Host Raptors
(Chicago, IL) — The Bulls go for their first win of the season when they host the Toronto Raptors at United Center tonight. The Bulls are 0-and-1 after getting crushed by Oklahoma City 124-104 in their home opener on Wednesday night. Billy Donovan told reporters that the team held a players-only meeting after the loss to try to quickly right the ship. They’ll see if that does the trick when tonight’s game tips off at 7:00 p.m.
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>>Blackhawks Visit Golden Knights
(Las Vegas, NV) — The Blackhawks will try to snap a three-game losing streak when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena tonight. The Blackhawks are coming off a 3-0 loss to the Bruins on Tuesday, and they lost to Vegas at home last Saturday. Chicago is last in the Central Division with four points and a 2-5-and-0 record.
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>>Notre Dame Plays Against Pitt
(South Bend, IN) — The number-14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish return from their bye week to host the Pittsburgh Panthers at Notre Dame Stadium tomorrow. The Irish are coming off a 48-20 beat-down of rival USC on October 14th. Notre Dame is 6-and-2 this season, and the program has not lost to Pitt at home since 2008.
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>>Northwestern Goes Against Maryland
(Evanston, IL) — The Northwestern Wildcats will try to get back to .500 when they host the Maryland Terrapins at Ryan Field tonight. The Wildcats are coming off a 17-9 to Nebraska on the road last weekend. Northwestern is 3-and-4 overall and 1-and-3 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats are 2-and-1 all-time against the Terps.
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In other college football action over the weekend, Illinois State hosts Northern Iowa. Illinois is off this weekend.
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>>Report: White Sox Bring In New Bullpen Coach
(Chicago, IL) — The Chicago White Sox have a new person running the bullpen. The Sun-Times is reporting that the Southsiders hired Angels pitching coach Matt Wise to be their new bullpen coach yesterday. Wise was the pitching coach for the Angels in each of the last three seasons. He takes over for Curt Hasler, who will be taking a new unspecified role in the organization.
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>>Illini Basketball Takes On Kansas
(Champaign, IL) — The Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team wraps up exhibition play with a game against number-one Kansas in the Maui Strong Relief Match-Up at State Farm Center on Sunday. The Illini crushed Ottawa 116-65 in their preseason opener last Friday. All proceeds from the contest will be sent to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund.