During a recent operation, the Illinois State Police conducted checks at several establishments across La Salle County to determine compliance with alcohol sales regulations, with five businesses failing the test. Brice Kotecki faces charges of unlawful delivery of alcoholic liquor to a minor, allegedly selling to a minor while employed at Peru Liquor Wine and Spirits. In Ottawa, Robert Lacourse was apprehended for selling alcohol to a minor at Circle K, while others arrested for similar offenses in Ottawa included Michael Chambliss at Liquor & Wine Incorporated, Sunil Kumar at Joe’s Mini Mart, and Patel Shaileshkumar at La Salle Beer and Cigarette Depot. Following their arrests, all employees were released with court dates pending.
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Each April, the American Public Health Association organizes National Public Health Week, running from April 1-7, to unite communities nationwide in promoting public health. The theme “Protecting, Connecting, and Thriving: We Are All Public Health” underscores the paramount importance of ensuring community safety and well-being. Through various initiatives, including free screenings for conditions like HIV and Hepatitis C, low-cost immunizations, and educational programs such as the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and the Family Case Management Program, the La Salle County Health Department actively works to enhance public health. Additionally, the department distributes free radon test kits and larvicide to mitigate health risks posed by environmental factors like radon exposure and mosquito-borne diseases. Through social media outreach and community engagement, the department strives to raise awareness about public health issues and the resources available to residents. For more information on these programs and services, individuals can contact the La Salle County Health Department directly or visit their website.
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Detectives continue to grapple with the aftermath of a violent ATM break-in that occurred in the early hours of Monday morning at a bustling bank location in Peru. Despite their relentless efforts, no fresh leads have surfaced, and the perpetrators remain shrouded in secrecy. The Peru Police Department has confirmed the absence of any significant developments in the case thus far. At approximately 4:30 AM on Monday, a pickup truck arrived at the drive-up ATM of the Illinois Valley Credit Union on Shooting Park Road. Witnesses reported that the individuals attached chains from the truck to the machine before accelerating forcefully, causing substantial damage to the ATM. Escaping the scene with a haul totaling at least $8,000 in cash, the culprits abandoned the stolen pickup truck in a nearby residential area, later identified as having been taken from a residence in La Salle. Anyone with potentially pertinent information is urged to contact the Peru Police Department promptly.
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La Salle-Peru High School proudly announced on Facebook that two of its students, Alex Anderson and Will McLaughlin, clinched the top spots in the regional math competition held in Peoria. Their stellar performance secured them first place in the oral segment of the ICTM Regional Math Contest on February 24th, propelling them to the state level. Set to compete at Illinois State University on April 6th, they are poised to showcase their mathematical skills on a broader platform.
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Of Illinois’ 102 counties, only two surpass Bureau, La Salle, and Putnam counties in terms of unemployment rates. Bureau County recorded a 7.6% jobless rate in February, marking an increase of almost 2 percentage points from the previous year. La Salle County’s unemployment rate for the same period stands at 6.9%, representing a slight uptick of approximately half a percent compared to last year. Putnam County reported a February unemployment rate of 7.3%, showing an increase of nearly a full percentage point from the previous year. Unemployment rates reflect individuals actively seeking employment opportunities.
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A new report says most Illinois school districts are facing a serious teacher shortage. The report comes from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools. The report shows that 93 percent of schools that were surveyed are facing a shortage of substitute teachers. It also says 88 percent of the schools surveyed receive five or fewer applications for a position and more than 70 percent say half of the applicants for jobs don’t have the proper credentials to teach.
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An earthquake felt by hundreds in St. Louis Thursday night has now been confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The agency’s website says it happened just before 7:00 p.m. and was centered near Germantown, Illinois, which is a little to the east of the metro area. The quake has been confirmed as having a two-point-eight magnitude and officials say it originated about 14 miles below ground.
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Terrell J. Davis Jr., 25, a Lansing man also listed as a resident of Chicago, faces serious charges in La Salle County Circuit Court, including aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. This Class X felony carries a potential sentence of six to 30 years in prison. Davis was arrested in Oglesby after allegedly threatening a woman at gunpoint. Although the gun was not fired, it was found to have been modified to shoot machine gun fire. This revelation led to additional charges and a petition for detention. Despite arguments from the defense regarding Davis’s criminal history, the judge deemed him a risk to the public and ordered him held pending trial. His arraignment is scheduled for April 11.
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Nicholaus Phillips, 24, accused in the Ottawa shooting death of Eric Clements, appeared in court seeking a mental health evaluation before his scheduled trial. Despite no significant doubts about Phillips’ mental capacity, his defense counsel requested the evaluation as a precautionary measure. This delay prompted Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. to postpone setting new trial dates, opting instead for a status hearing on May 24 to review a sealed report from the evaluation. Phillips faces up to 85 years if convicted. Meanwhile, Chastity Furar, also implicated in the crime, awaits trial for allegedly aiding Phillips. She faces up to 75 years if found guilty.
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Ryan Carter, 33, was detained overnight at La Salle County Jail for three counts of burglary and an outstanding failure to appear warrant. Released the following morning with a scheduled court appearance, Carter stands accused of breaking into multiple vehicles in December 2022 at Country House Restaurant and Rudy’s Liquors in La Salle.
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WEATHER:
Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 64. East-northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
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Tonight
Showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between midnight and 4 am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 am. Low around 52. East-southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming south-southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
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OBITUARIES:
Nancy (Sizemore) Armstrong, 87, of Ottawa, passed away on March 22nd, at The Pavilion of Ottawa. There will be no public visitation or burial services, cremation rites have been entrusted to Ottawa Funeral Home.
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Lyndle “Lindy” Ator Jr., 76, of Morris, passed away Monday, March 25th, at Morris Hospital. Visitation will be today from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A funeral ceremony will follow at 3:00 pm. Private burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Seneca.
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Edward J. Kuleck, 76, of Ottawa, passed away on Sunday, March 24th, at his home, surrounded by family. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 4th, at St. Columba Church. Burial will take place at St. Columba Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3rd, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Ottawa with an honor guard provided by the Knights of Columbus.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
BASEBALL
Ottawa 13, Streator 3: After falling behind Streator a couple of runs early, the Ottawa baseball team took the lead to post a victory on Thursday at the SHS Athletic Fields.
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Mendota 2, Bureau Valley 0: the Trojans to a Three Rivers Conference East Division victory Thursday in Mendota.
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St.Bede 17, Indian Creek 0: St. Bede shut out Indian Creek 17-0 on Thursday, at St. Bede Academy.
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Hall 11, Fieldcrest 1 (5 inn.): The Red Devils scored five runs in the first inning and four in the third en route to a nonconference victory in Spring Valley.
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Seneca 2, Henry-Senachwine 1: the Mallards suffer a Tri-County Conference loss in Seneca.
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SOFTBALL
Ottawa 7, Somonauk/Leland 0: At King Field, the Pirates improved to 5-2 on the season with the win over the Bobcats.
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Metamora 7, Streator 4: At Metamora, the host Redbirds scored three times in the sixth in the win over the Bulldogs (1-3).
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Hall 16, Fieldcrest 6 (5 inn.): The Red Devils scored five runs in the second inning and seven runs in the third as they rolled to a nonconference victory in Spring Valley.
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Bureau Valley 17, Mendota 5 (5 inn.): The Storm cruise to a Three Rivers Conference East Division victory in Mendota.
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Seneca 10, Henry-Senachwine 0 (6 inn.): the Mallards get a Tri-County Conference loss in Seneca in 6.
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GIRLS SOCCER
Ottawa 4, DePue-Hall 1: The Little Giants lost in DePue.
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Boys’ track and field
Sycamore 84, Joliet Catholic 49, Ottawa 24, Streator 19: At King Field, the host Pirates finished third and the Bulldogs fourth in the quadrangular.
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Girls track and field
Joliet Catholic 53, Ottawa 52, Streator 41, Sycamore 37: At King Field, the Pirates finished runner-up and the Bulldogs third in a very competitive quadrangular.
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Boys Tennis
Peoria (Notre Dame) – 3, Ottawa (Twp.) – 0,
Doubles:
No. 1 – Bobby Morris, Peoria (Notre Dame) – Charlie Joseph, Peoria (Notre Dame) def. Noah Gross, Ottawa (Twp.) – Alan Sifuentes, Ottawa (Twp.), 6-2, 6-2,
No. 2 – John Onderko, Peoria (Notre Dame) – Tristan Flaherty, Peoria (Notre Dame) def. Collin Olszewski, Ottawa (Twp.) – Ayden Sexton, Ottawa (Twp.), 6-1, 4-6, 10-7
No. 3 – Brady Petersen, Peoria (Notre Dame) – Gus Callaway, Peoria (Notre Dame) def. Kaden Araujo, Ottawa (Twp.) – Landon Sawin, Ottawa (Twp.), 6-1, 6-4,
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PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
The White Sox left their offense in Arizona. The Southsiders managed just three hits during a 1-0 loss to the Tigers on Opening Day from Guaranteed Rate Field. Garrett Crochet struck out eight and gave up just one run on five hits, but was tagged with his first loss. Luis Robert Jr., Eloy Jimenez, and Andrew Vaughn were the only players to reach base. The White Sox start the season 0-and-1, and they send Mike Soroka to the mound against Detroit tomorrow with a 12:30 pre-game and a 1:10 pm first pitch.
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The Cubs lost a 4-3 ten-inning heartbreaker against the Texas Rangers on Opening Day at Globe Life Field. Chicago scored on a wild pitch to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth before the Cubs gave up a game-tying home run to Travis Jankowski in the home half of the frame. Jonah Heim drove in the game-winning run for Texas in the bottom of the tenth. Drew Smyly was charged with the loss in relief, while Justin Steele left the game after four-and-two-thirds innings with an injury. The 0-and-1 Cubs send Kyle Hendricks to the mound against Texas tomorrow night.
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The Blackhawks couldn’t get the puck past Anton Forsberg during a 2-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Chicago had just 19 shots on goal in the losing effort. Petr Mrazek gave up two goals in the first period and finished the game with 32 saves. The Hawks are in last place in the Central Division with 47 points and a 21-47-and-5 record. They visit the Flyers tomorrow night.
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The Bulls will try to get a winning streak going when they visit the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center tonight. The Bulls are coming off a 125-99 rout over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday evening. Chicago is in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 35-and-38 record. Tonight’s game tips off at 6:30 PM.
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Number-three Illinois pulled off an upset in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Illini edged second-seeded Iowa State 72-69 from Boston. Terrance Shannon Jr. led all scorers with 29 points and grabbed five rebounds to go with three steals. Coleman Hawkins added 12 points and six rebounds, while Luke Good nailed a pair of threes off the bench and finished with eight points. Illinois will face top-overall seed UConn in the East region of the Elite Eight on Saturday.
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The two-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish go up against three-seed Oregon in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Times Union Center today. Notre Dame beat Kent State and Ole Miss last weekend to clinch a spot in the Sweet 16. Today’s game tips off at 1:30 PM Central Time.
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COLLEGE BASEBALL
Rock Valley 11, IVCC 1 (5 inn.): the Eagles scored only one run in a nonconference game in Rockford.
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COLLEGE SOFTBALL
IVCC 11-19, Dixon 7-7: The Eagles swept an Arrowhead Conference doubleheader in Dixon.