UPDATED STORY
Thirty-four people were rescued after their cars got stuck in ditches and snow drifts on Illinois 251 between Mendota and Peru. The Illinois Department of Transportation closed the highway Thursday night. Car removal continued this morning morning, so the highway stayed closed until close to noon. The Mendota Fire Department says it, Troy Grove fire fighters, and Mendota police helped rescue stranded motorists. Mendota fire fighters even helped a sheriff’s deputy out of a snow drift on U.S. 34.