84-year-old Chester Weger, who has spent approximately six decades behind bars, is set to appear in LaSalle County Court today for a status hearing that could potentially lead to the vacating of his murder conviction. Andy Hale, Weger’s attorney, has recently asserted during a podcast that a forensic analysis of a hair sample from one of the three women murdered at Starved Rock State Park in 1960 points to a different individual, not Weger. Hale contends that this revelation is substantial evidence to exonerate Weger in the notorious “Starved Rock Murders,” deeming it a significant “bombshell” development. The scheduled afternoon hearing will involve the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office special prosecutors responding to Hale’s post-conviction petition filed on behalf of Weger.
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Four La Salle County residents are now facing felony charges for allegedly selling narcotics to undercover agents, as revealed in a Tuesday news release. If convicted, 52-year-old Robert L. Sims and 44-year-old Renee M. Taylor, both residing in Marseilles, could potentially face up to 15 years in prison, primarily charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, categorized as a Class 1 felony. Court records detail a series of buy-bust operations conducted by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team between September and December. The accused, Sims and Taylor, stand accused of delivering cocaine to Tri-DENT Agents on multiple occasions. Furthermore, during a vehicle stop, agents reportedly discovered approximately 14 grams of purported cocaine in their possession. The charges were officially filed on Friday, and instead of immediate custody, Sims and Taylor received notices to appear—a trend becoming more common in felony cases following the elimination of cash bail through the SAFE-T Act. Two additional individuals, 40-year-old Rebecca Foster of Marseilles, and 46-year-old Katie E. Fought of Ottawa, are now facing charges for a controlled buy of cocaine on September 28, accused of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony carrying a potential seven-year prison term, as per law enforcement sources.
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Following a drug raid in Ottawa on Monday, three individuals were charged with felonies. Among them, 38-year-old Glen C. Johnson III from Ottawa faces charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, categorized as a Class X felony. Additionally, he is implicated in multiple driving offenses, including aggravated fleeing and eluding, a Class 4 felony with a potential sentence of one to three years. Allegedly fleeing the scene prompted these charges. The La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office is awaiting further details before officially filing charges against Johnson. However, considering the substantial weight of the confiscated cocaine, Johnson could potentially receive an extended term of 12-50 years without the possibility of probation. Notably, at the time of his apprehension, Johnson was already on probation for unlawful possession of a controlled substance with
intent to deliver. Prosecutors intend to request his detention in La Salle County Jail during a Wednesday hearing in La Salle County Circuit Court.
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Marquette Academy is set to honor the achievements of Don Debernardi, Donny Phillis, Steve Kuhn, Monsignor Halfacre, and Father Kipfer by inducting them into the prestigious John Pocivasek Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held on Friday, January 19th, immediately after the sophomore boys’ basketball game. Following the varsity game, a gathering at the K of C will celebrate the inductees with tenderloin sandwiches and cake.
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Early Tuesday afternoon, you might have seen the post on the WCMY Facebook page from the Village of Seneca stating their lack of knowledge regarding the reason behind a sounding siren outside the village limits. The Village assured the public that the police department was actively investigating the situation. Approximately an hour later, the Seneca Police Department’s Facebook account updated the community, revealing their efforts to contact various entities, including Grundy County Dispatch, La Salle County Dispatch, La Salle County Generating Station, the Illinois National Guard Training Center, and Ottawa Central Dispatch. None of these authorities were aware of any scheduled siren testing. Despite being unable to identify the origin of the sirens, Seneca officers expressed confidence that any potential threat to public safety would have been known by some agency.
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38-year-old Glen Johnson of Ottawa has several charges by Ottawa Police after his arrest Monday at 1220 Clinton Street. Johnson faces charges of aggravated fleeing and eluding police, driving on a suspended license, speeding, improper lane usage, failure to signal, disobeying a stop sign, and driving with no insurance.
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Illinois Valley PADS is thrilled to announce that they are now accepting teams, walkers, and volunteers for the upcoming Coldest Night of the Year national event. This heartwarming and impactful event which is set to take place on Saturday, February 24th, is a community walk to bring awareness to the plight of the homeless and benefit Illinois Valley PADS. It is a one-mile walk in the cold starting and ending at the Jordan Block in Ottawa, more details are on the WCMY website and our Facebook page.
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On Sunday, members and volunteers of the Starved Rock Foundation gathered at the Starved Rock Visitor Center to present a generous check of $5,400, derived from the sales of the 2024 Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Park Calendar. This significant contribution was made possible by the collective efforts of fundraiser supporters, local businesses that facilitated calendar sales, and the dedicated photographers who contributed captivating images of Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks. All proceeds from the calendar sales were directed to the Starved Rock Foundation, a volunteer-run organization committed to supporting the state parks through educational programs, guided hikes, exhibit enhancements, and various other activities. The 11-by-14 calendar showcases seasonal natural and wildlife moments captured by park enthusiasts, featuring a cover collage composed of park images submitted by individuals nationwide. Additionally, the calendar includes park events and federal holidays, providing a comprehensive representation of the parks’ beauty and significance
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WEATHER:
In the wake of the first significant snow of the season, road crews have been out overnight salting and doing some plowing. Most major roads and streets are in normal winter driving conditions. Side streets and less-traveled roads are icy and treacherous in places. Police advise caution on those less busy streets and roads. And, as another word of caution, untreated sidewalks are icy today as all the moisture from yesterday afternoon has frozen. A period of light snow is possible tonight that will leave less than an inch of accumulation by Thursday morning. Another winter storm will impact the area Friday into Saturday. Several inches of accumulating snow in combination with strong winds may result in difficult travel into Saturday although forecasters stress that there is considerable uncertainty remains regarding the storm track and rain/snow line location.
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Wednesday
Cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 26 by 5 pm. West wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south-southeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
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Wednesday Night
Snow is likely, mainly between 9 pm and 3 am. Cloudy, with a temperature rising to around 32 by 11 pm. South-southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible.
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OBITUARIES:
Margaret Gaffney, 97, of Ottawa, passed away Sunday, December 24th, at The Pavilion of Ottawa. Visitation will be on Saturday, January 13th, from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will take place at noon at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park. Cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
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Jon Mark Wenger, 67, of Lostant, passed away on Sunday, January 7th, at his home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, January 13th at Heritage Christian Center in Ottawa. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. at the church. The burial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, January 15th at Hollands Grove Cemetery in Washington, IL. Seals-Campbell Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
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Ralph E. Rowe, 83, of Marseilles, passed away Saturday, January 6th, at his home with his family by his side. The Ottawa Funeral Home is handling any arrangements.
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Dorothy Darlene (Houchin) Fowlie, 86, of Ottawa, passed away on Thursday, January 4th, at her home surrounded by her family. Funeral services will be private. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Mueller Funeral Home Ottawa.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Girls basketball
Herscher 42, Streator 23: At Pops Dale Gymnasium, the Bulldogs fell to the Tigers in the Illinois Central Eight Conference game.
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JV girls basketball
Streator 23, Herscher 20: At Pops Dale Gymnasium, the Bulldogs get the victory over the Tigers.
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PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
The Blackhawks weren’t able to turn their stifling defensive performance into a win during a 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at United Center. The Blackhawks gave up just 15 shots in the losing effort. Jason Dickinson gave Chicago an early lead with a first-period goal, but Edmonton tied the game before the first intermission. Connor McDavid knocked in the eventual game-winner for the Oilers in the second. Chicago remains in last place in the Central Division with 26 points and a 12-27-and-2 record. The Hawks are at the Jets tomorrow night.
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The Bulls go for their third win in a row when they host the Houston Rockets at United Center tonight. The Bulls are coming off a 119-112 overtime win against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. Chicago is in ninth place in the Eastern Conference at 17-and-21. Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00 PM.
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish shut down Georgia Tech in the extra period of a 75-68 overtime victory at McCamish Pavilion. The Irish held Georgia Tech to just two points in OT to seal the win. Braeden Shrewsberry poured in 25 points in the victory. Notre Dame improved to 2-and-3 in the ACC and 7-and-9 overall. The Irish host Florida State on Saturday.
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The Northwestern Wildcats will try to get a winning streak going when they visit Penn State at Bryce Jordan Center tonight. The Wildcats are coming off a dominant 88-74 win over Michigan State last Sunday. Northwestern is 2-and-1 in Big Ten play and 11-and-3 overall. Tonight’s game tips off at 5:30 PM.