TRIDENT makes two heroin related arrests in Seneca

Seneca is known for the power plant and shipyards, not heroin dealers.  Though investigators with TRIDENT say they arrested a man and a woman on drugs charges after an undercover deal Tuesday.

Michael Porter of Chicago and Sabrina Bronzell of Seneca are accused of selling heroin to someone working with the police at a business along Route 6.

Porter and Bronzell were charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and were being held in the La Salle County Jail.

U.S. Postal Service plans to end Saturday mail delivery

It’s too expensive to continue delivering mail on Saturdays.  The U.S. Postal Service announced Wednesday that it will stop delivering mail on Saturdays in August.  The change is estimated to save about $2 billion a year.

La Salle Postmaster Kevin Christiansen says while it’s only one day per week, the savings will definitely add up.

Packages will still be delivered on Saturdays.  Christiansen says they’ll also have someone working at the walk-up window on Saturdays.

As for possible job cuts, Christiansen says drivers who have no specific routes and just fill-in may not be needed after August.

Third Annual Mr. SBA planned for Saturday

If you enjoy watching the men in your community trying to dance and sing, you’ll get a kick out of Mr. SBA.  The third annual fundraising competition for St. Bede Academy is Saturday night at Celebrations 150.

The contest is part of the academy’s annual fundraising effort.  Proceeds go to tuition support.

Contestants include graduates Mark Dzierzynski and Dr. Bob Ficek and more.  George Leynaund is the MC.  Doors open at six with the program at seven.  Tickets are sold out.

You can learn more about the competition by listening to an interview with 2012 winner, Mark Dudek at the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

Late Night Shooting In Streator

Streator Police are investigating a shooting.

Investigators say a 52-year old person is in serious condition after being shot in the head last night before midnight.  The shooting was in the 300 block of 1^st Street.

No other details have been released.

Gay Marriage Moves Forward In Illinois

CHICAGO (AP) – An Illinois Senate committee has approved legalizing gay marriage for the second time in a month.

The Executive Committee voted 9-5 yesterday to move legislation giving marital rights to same sex couples to the Senate floor. Democrats with a 40-member majority say they have the needed votes.

The same committee OK’d a similar measure just after the New Year — in the final days of the last General Assembly. But a floor vote was stopped because supporters feared they were short of the 30 necessary votes.

Sponsoring Sen. Heather Steans reworded the legislation at insistence of Republicans. The  Democrat says the new language makes clear that places of worship don’t have to open their doors to gay-marriage ceremonies.

State Of The State Address Today

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Gov. Pat Quinn is set to deliver his annual State of the State address with a focus on the state’s dire financial problems and anti-corruption efforts since he took office.

The speech before lawmakers in Springfield today is the Chicago Democrat’s best chance to boast of his accomplishments and set the stage for his budget address in the coming weeks. Quinn has made overhauling Illinois’ massively underfunded pension system his top priority for the past year.

Quinn has said he’ll also talk about how state government has improved when it comes to ethics. Both of Quinn’s predecessors went to prison on corruption convictions.