The City of Ottawa will celebrate the completion of renovations at Allen Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Thursday at 1:00 p.m. The improvements, partially funded by a $506,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, include a new accessible sidewalk leading to a modern playground with a hillside play area and a safe surface for children of all abilities. Additional upgrades feature a paved walking trail along the Illinois River, gaming areas with bag toss, chess, checkers, and ping-pong tables, as well as native plantings.
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Peru city officials are monitoring the progress of the planned Five Below store, with a particular focus on the state of the torn-up sidewalk in front of the construction site. Mayor Ken Kolowski raised concerns during a recent Public Works Committee meeting, noting the upcoming shopping season and the sidewalk’s condition. Director of Engineering and Zoning, Eric Carls, explained that the city has been in contact with Five Below, though changes within the development team have caused delays. Kolowski has expressed frustration on social media, citing mixed messages about the project’s status, including reports of contractor disputes. The Five Below project has been in the works since last fall, with plans to build a 10,083-square-foot store near Kohls.
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The Starved Rock Civil War Round Table will hold its next meeting at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow in Room 420 at Ottawa High School. Helen Mlynarski will lead a presentation on the Battle of Honey Springs, Oklahoma. The event is open to the public, and attendees can enjoy snacks and have a chance to win door prizes.
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Former President Donald Trump will be in the Windy City today where he’ll take part in a Bloomberg News interview co-hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago. Attendance will be limited to members of the non-partisan club, their guests, and some press. His appearance comes less than a week after addressing the Detroit Economic Club where he depicted that city as a problem and warned that, in his words, “the whole country will look like Detroit” if Vice President Harris wins in November.
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A 26-year-old LaSalle man was charged by Peru Police Friday morning just after 7:00 following a traffic stop at Council Drive and Illinois 251. Ivan Segura Garcia is charged with operating an uninsured motor vehicle, driving without a valid license, and operating a vehicle with a suspended registration. He was released with a court date. Peru Police also charged Garcia with several counts related to a hit-and-run incident last Tuesday morning at Wenzel Road and Illinois 251. Garcia has a second charge of driving without a valid license, along with charges of driving an uninsured vehicle, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, and failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident. No details were released concerning the condition of the person injured.
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A Peru woman was arrested in connection with a domestic battery incident. 44-year-old Angela M. Simpson was taken into custody by Peru Police shortly after 11:00 Saturday night at a residence in the 1500 block of Pulaski Street. Simpson was taken to the LaSalle County Jail.
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Streator Police arrested a woman and a man Monday morning shortly before 7:00 in the 1300 block of North Wasson Street. 34-year-old Gabrielle A Nash of Streator and 34-year-old Miguel A. Mascote were both taken to the LaSalle County Jail on outstanding LaSalle County warrants for failure to appear in court.
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Mendota Police stopped 54-year-old Bart Larsen of Mendota Tuesday just after 1:00 a.m. at U.S. 34 and Raymond Drive on a charge of driving on a revoked license. He was released with a court date.
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33-year-old Brandi L. Baker of Streator was arrested by Streator Police Monday afternoon in the 100 block of Water Street on an outstanding LaSalle County warrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of possession of cocaine. She was taken to the LaSalle County Jail.
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A 27-year-old Peru man was arrested after a traffic stop by Peru Police late Thursday night. Colin M. Meyer was pulled over at the intersection of Park Road and Putnam Street for speeding. Following a breath test, Meyer was charged with driving under the influence, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, disobeying a stop sign, and speed. He was released with a court date.
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WEATHER:
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of showers before 10 am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 54. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tuesday Night
Widespread frost, mainly after 3 am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 31. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
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OBITUARIES:
None
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LOCAL SPORTS:
FOOTBALL
Ottawa Pirates Vs. Rochelle Hubs
When: 7 p.m. Friday – Guest announcer Cory from Friendship House
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VOLLEYBALL
Marquette 2, St. Bede 0: The No. 4 Bruins lost to the No. 5 Crusaders in a Tri-County Conference Tournament quarterfinal in Ottawa.
Top-seeded Seneca, fifth-seeded Marquette, second-seeded Henry-Senachwine, and sixth-seeded Dwight all advanced to today’s semifinals in Ottawa. The championship match is scheduled for Thursday.
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BOYS SOCCER
Rochelle 2, Ottawa 0:
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PRO SPORTS:
Caleb Williams is starting to turn heads in the NFL. The Bears rookie quarterback was named one of three nominees for the FedEx Air Player of the Week. Williams passed for 226 yards and four touchdowns during Chicago’s 35-16 win over the Jaguars on Sunday. He’ll have to get past NFC North rivals Jordan Love and Jared Goff in order to win this week’s award. Williams and the Bears have a bye this week before returning to the gridiron with a game against the Commanders in Week Eight.
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The Chicago Blackhawks will try to get a winning streak going when they visit the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome tonight. The Blackhawks are coming off their first win of the season, a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers last Saturday. Chicago is in sixth place in the Central Division with three points and a 1-1-and-1 record. Tonight’s game starts at 8:00 PM.
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The Chicago Bulls blew an 11-point lead during a 111-107 preseason loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum yesterday. The Bulls were outscored 32-15 in the third quarter of the losing effort. Adama Sanogo led the team with 16 points, while Matas Buzelis and Talen Horton-Tucker scored 15 apiece. Chicago is 1-and-2 in exhibition play.
Lonzo Ball is set to play in an NBA game for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years. Reports say the Bulls guard is expected to suit up and play tomorrow night in a preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. That will be his first game action of any kind since January 2022. Ball has been battling knee issues that caused him to miss two full seasons.
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COLLEGE SPORTS:
Women’s Flag Football is coming to Illinois Wesleyan University. The university is searching for the program’s inaugural head coach and the team is scheduled to begin competition in the spring of 2026. Women’s Flag Football is backed by the NFL. There are more than 25 universities around the country that sponsor women’s flag football.
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WOMEN’S TENNIS
At Palos Hills: IVCC ended its season Sunday by placing fourth among eight teams with nine points in the NJCAA Division I Region IV Tournament.