Teen Falls At Mattheissen State Park

A teenager from Chillicothe was flown to Peoria after falling at Mattheissen State Park.

Conservation Police say Eric Mall fell 20 to 35 feet as he was climbing behind some waterfalls at Mattheissen on Tuesday night.  He was initially taken to IVCH before he was flown to St. Francis Medical Center for head injuries. 

Levi Bannister of Chillicothe and Peter Schadid of Peoria were climbing with Mall and carried Mall up to a parking lot after he fell.  Bannister and Schadid were ticketed for hiking off the trails.

Boating On The Illinois River Not Suggested

Memorial Day plans include boating or fishing?

Kevin Eubanks with the Army Corps of Engineers at Starved Rock says the Illinois River is open to recreational activity but he says it’s not a good idea.  Eubanks says the river is still extremely high and large trees have been seen floating down the river which could do heavy damage to boats. 

The Illinois is closed to recreation downriver from Chillicothe.

Drug Bust In Wyanet

Members of TRIDENT did a search warrant at the home of 53 year old John Scrimsher.  Drug officials allegedly found over six pounds of packaged marijuana.  They also reportedly found a scale and drug packaging.  La Salle K-9 helped in the warrant.

Scrimsher was taken to the Bureau County Jail.  He’s charged with two counts of unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver.

Naplate Trailer Fire

Just barely a month after a fire at Datti’s Trailer Park in northwest Ottawa, fire crews were battling another trailer fire at the same place. 

Naplate and Ottawa firefighters were called to a fire at the park this morning.  No word on the severity of the fire.  More details as they become available. 

The trailer park is just south of Interstate 80.

House Fire In Ottawa

Patricia Speaks told Ottawa firefighters that she left a candle burning at her house on 619 Clay Street when she went walking with her daughter. 

Ottawa Fire Deputy Chief Jeff Newberry says when they arrived Wednesday night, flames were shooting out of the bedroom where the candle was.  They had the fire under control in 45 minutes but the house is gutted.  The estimated property loss is 40 thousand dollars with contents loss at 20 thousand dollars.

The owner of the home is Robert Elzer.  Elzer, Speaks and her daughter are staying at an Ottawa hotel.

Man arrested while allegedly burglarizing an Ottawa home

It’s one of the last things you want to wake up to- a stranger in your house in the middle of the night.

Police were called to a home on the south side of Ottawa shortly before 3am Friday for a man they say broke in with the intent of stealing things. He apparently wasn’t quiet about it and woke up the people living there.

Clifton Tucker of Hoffman Estates was arrested for residential burglary. He’s being held in the La Salle County Jail.

Some road construction work taking a holiday

Driving this weekend? To make your trip a little easier, the state’s suspending work in certain construction zones.

All of the construction on Interstate 80 in the listening area will take a break from 3pm Friday until Monday at midnight. There are some places that you’ll still have to deal with construction.

The Route 251 Bridge will still be closed and traffic will be open to only one lane on: Interstate 39, just north of Route 18; Route 17 near the La Salle/Livingston County line; and Marseilles Road over Interstate 80.