It’s Primary Election Day in Illinois and polls are open until 7:00 this evening. Voters must declare a party when asking for a ballot that includes choices for President of the United States, U.S. Representatives, as well as State House and Senate seats that are up in this election cycle. One key Illinois House race is in the re-drawn 76th District, which encompasses La Salle, Bureau, Putnam, and DeKalb counties The backward “L” shaped district includes Spring Valley, Peru, LaSalle, Ottawa, and most of DeKalb. Democratic State Representative Lance Yednock of Ottawa is not seeking re-election. Three Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination for November’s General Election: DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes, DeKalb Alderwoman Carolyn “Morris” Zasada, and Amy “Murri” Briel of Ottawa, who serves as Representative Yednock’s Chief of Staff. The Democratic winner will face off in November against one of two Republicans running for the 76th District seat: Crystal Loughran of Peru and Liz Bishop of LaSalle. The ballot also has choices for some county offices, county board members and chairman, judicial positions, and party committee members. Four candidates are running for La Salle County Board chairman, currently held by Republican Don Jensen, R-Deer Park, who is one of the contenders. Jensen is being challenged by Deborah Porter of Streator. Two Democrats, both members of the LaSalle County Board, are competing for their party’s nomination. Joseph Oscepinksi, Junior, of Peru, represents District 10, and Brian Dose of Ottawa represents District 21. The Illinois State Board of Elections is anticipating the lowest voter turnout in a presidential primary in 12 years.
—————————————————————–
Contractors hired by the City of Ottawa will be relocating a gas line within the 700 block of State Street, spanning between W. Moore and Allen Street. Commencing on Tuesday, March 19 at around 7:00 a.m., they anticipate reducing through traffic to one lane. This lane restriction will persist throughout the workday and will be lifted to accommodate all traffic by 5 p.m. daily. The project’s duration is projected to span multiple days, with anticipated completion by the end of Friday.
—————————————————————–
La Salle City’s water testing, overseen by Chris Perra, owner of TEST and certified water operator, has detected lead levels surpassing EPA standards in select homes, prompting increased public notification efforts. Among 40 recently tested homes, one showed elevated lead levels, with pending results for four others. Perra advised running water before use to mitigate potential lead exposure from aging plumbing. Historical data reveals sporadic instances of elevated lead levels since 2016, prompting intensified sampling efforts. While the city attributes the issue to household plumbing rather than the water treatment plant, ongoing testing and public education initiatives aim to address the concern. The city offers to cover testing fees for residents concerned about their water quality, reflecting its commitment to resolving the issue. The city plans to notify all La Salle residents about the issue, clarifying that the Water Treatment plant isn’t the source of the problem. Notably, copper levels were also tested, yielding no concerning results. In other City counsel news, La Salle’s Easter Egg Hunt at Hegeler Park is scheduled for Saturday at 11 am, while the Rotary Park disc golf course will officially open on Tuesday at 2 pm.
—————————————————————–
Next week marks a pivotal juncture in the sale of St. Margaret’s Health assets, potentially shifting gears away from OSF ownership. A hearing is set for Wednesday, March 27, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, where attorneys will seek to transition the bankruptcy sale from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7. Chapter 7 entails liquidation, requiring asset sales to settle debts, while Chapter 11 enables reorganization to maintain operations and repay creditors. Those opposing this transition must lodge objections by Monday; otherwise, the court might proceed without a formal hearing.
—————————————————————–
The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced the closure of Interstate 80 in Bureau County for two consecutive nights on Wednesday, March 20, and Thursday, March 21, to facilitate the placement of beams for the 470 East Road bridge near Sheffield. The closures will span from the Route 78 interchange (exit 33) to the Route 40 interchange (exit 45), lasting from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night. Westbound Interstate 80 will be closed overnight on Wednesday, March 20, followed by the eastbound closure on Thursday, March 21. Motorists will be redirected to use Route 78, U.S. 6, and Route 40 via a posted detour. The 470 East Road bridge, part of the ongoing replacement of two bridges in the I-80 corridor, is slated for completion this summer, following the earlier completion of the first bridge at 645 East Road in fall 2023. Drivers should anticipate delays, allocate extra travel time, and consider alternative routes where possible.
—————————————————————–
Enrollment rates are on the rise across numerous Illinois community colleges, including Illinois Valley Community College situated in Oglesby and Ottawa. According to data released by the Illinois Community College Board, IVCC
witnessed a significant surge in spring headcount, reaching 2,545 students, marking a notable increase of over 9 percent compared to the previous spring semester. This growth trend is consistent with the preceding fall semester, which also experienced a more than 9 percent rise from the previous year. The considerable increase in dual enrollment students at IVCC has notably contributed to this upsurge, with a remarkable 40 percent rise from the prior spring. Reflecting this trend statewide, spring enrollment figures for Illinois community colleges have seen a collective increase of 5 percent from the previous year.
—————————————————————–
Governor J.B. Pritzker has announced five million dollars in state funding for the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot Program. The program is designed to support people experiencing homelessness by improving employment opportunities and their ability to afford a home. It’s a key part of the Illinois Job Training and Economic Development Program.
—————————————————————–
The FBI reports internet crime across Illinois has risen and residents are losing millions of dollars to online scams. The bureau reports some 16-thousand Illinoisans lost more than 338 million dollars to internet crime in 2023. That’s a 20 percent increase in the amount of dollars lost over 2022. The crimes include internet scams, extortion, and investment fraud.
—————————————————————–
The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau show every metro area in Illinois lost population last year. Chicago ranked third nationally for having lost the greatest number of residents. Only Los Angeles and New York lost more residents. The figures also reveal the Illinois portion of the Cape Girardeau region in southern Illinois lost residents at the fastest rate, though its population is relatively smaller.
—————————————————————–
On Friday afternoon in Norway, two tickets were issued following a three-vehicle collision. According to the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office, 21-year-old Jose Ramirez from Depue was driving south on Route 71 when he collided with the rear of a vehicle driven by 25-year-old Mark Sanchez from Aurora. Subsequently, Sanchez’s vehicle struck a northbound motorcycle operated by a twenty-year-old individual from Oswego. Witnesses did say that the motorcycle was a complete loss. Ramirez received a citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, while Sanchez was ticketed for expired registration. Details regarding potential hospitalization were not disclosed by the authorities, we will have more details as soon as they are available.
—————————————————————–
The Peru Police Department announced it made Zero DUI arrests and issued Zero seat belt citations during the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement period. The department grant officers did issue 2 speeding, one adult use of cannabis in a vehicle, 1 no insurance, 1 disobeying a traffic control device, and 1 operating a vehicle with suspended registration citations.
“We strongly enforce traffic laws for one reason – to save lives,” said Administrative Lieutenant Doug Bernabei. The Peru Police joined forces with state and local law enforcement and highway safety partners in the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement campaign.
—————————————————————–
Jon M. Hurtig, 30, who faced up to 20 years in prison for shooting a Leland woman, chose to plead guilty on Monday, avoiding a potential 40-year sentence for charges including aggravated battery with a firearm. This decision came just before jury selection in La Salle County Circuit Court. Under a blind plea agreement, Hurtig admitted to Class X aggravated battery, with prosecutors recommending a maximum of 20 years at sentencing and dropping other charges. Scheduled for sentencing on June 6, Hurtig remains in custody. The victim, Hurtig’s former partner, testified that he shot her during an argument, dragged her back inside the house, and confessed to the act. Although the victim survived, she required hospitalization. Judge Cynthia M. Raccuglia warned that she could sentence Hurtig to anywhere between six to 30 years, subject to the Truth in Sentencing Act’s 85% requirement. Despite previously rejecting plea offers, Hurtig reversed course just before trial, a not uncommon occurrence in such cases.
—————————————————————–
A Spring Valley police traffic stop before 3 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day led to trouble for a Granville woman, Synthia Myles, when officers discovered she was wanted. Myles, 30, faces charges including resisting, obstructing, or disarming an officer, improper turn signal use, and disobeying a stop sign, with a scheduled court appearance in Bureau County on April 10. Additionally, during another traffic stop on Saturday, officers arrested 26-year-old Uriel Ramirez of Louisville, Kentucky, for an outstanding warrant. Ramirez also faces charges of driving on a suspended or revoked license, along with speeding.
—————————————————————–
Jade A. Scott Bennett of Streator was arrested by Streator Police Monday afternoon at Walmart on a charge of retail theft. Bennett was released with a notice to appear in court.
—————————————————————–
WEATHER:
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a southwest wind of 15 to 25 mph becoming west-northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
—————————————————————–
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 29. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
—————————————————————–
OBITUARIES:
Gerald “Jerry” Walsh, 87, of Serena, passed away Friday, March 15th, at his home surrounded by his loving family. Visitation will be from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Wednesday, March 20th, at Ottawa Funeral Home and Crematory. There will also be a visitation from 9:00 am until 10:00 am on Thursday, March 21st at the funeral home. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 am on Thursday, at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Private burial will take place in St. Columba Cemetery.
—————————————————————–
LOCAL SPORTS:
All games were canceled due to cold weather.
—————————————————————–
PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
The Bulls have won back-to-back games after edging the Trail Blazers 110-107 in Chicago. Chicago is still in ninth place in the Eastern Conference at 34-and-35. The Bulls visit the Rockets on Thursday night.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago Blackhawks will try to get a winning streak going when they visit the Los Angeles Kings. Chicago is in last place in the Central Division with 43 points and a 19-44-and-5 record. Tonight’s game starts at 9:00 PM.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago White Sox have selected their Opening Day starting pitcher. Garrett Crochet will take the mound for his first MLB start when the White Sox open the season against the Tigers in Chicago on March 28th. In other team news, the Southsiders lost to Cleveland 8-5 in Spring Training yesterday.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago Cubs host the Arizona Diamondbacks in Spring Training action at Sloan Park tonight. The Cubs were off yesterday after beating Texas 8-6 on Sunday. Kyle Hendricks is slated to take the mound for Chicago. The first pitch is at 8:05 PM.
—————————————————————–
The Chicago Bears are bulking up in the trenches. The team signed offensive lineman Jake Curhan and defensive end Byron Cowart to contracts yesterday.