Two Ticketed In Rafting Death

Alcohol apparently played a role in a drowning last week on the Vermillion River.

36 year old Jennifer Wehling of DeKalb was pronounced dead Thursday in the Illinois Valley Community Hospital emergency room. She was taken there after a rafting accident at the Buzzi Unicem low-head dam.

Two others on the raft, 23 year old Janelle Veseling of St Charles and 38 year old Timothy Ruse of Sarasota, Florida were treated and released from IVCH. Conservation Police also ticketed Veseling and Ruse for operating under the influence of alcohol.

Conservation Sergeant Robert Frazier says Wehling and Ruse were boyfriend and girlfriend while Veseling taught school in DeKalb with Wehling.

New Swine Flu Case

Swine Flu count for La Salle County is up to eight.

The latest case is with a 22 year old woman. County health officials say they confirmed the latest case last Wednesday.

Six women and two men have been diagnosed in La Salle County with Swine Flu. An 18 year old woman died from the virus.

Bridge Collapses Near Sheridan

Six people were taken to the hospital yesterday after a footbridge collapsed at a Christian camp near Sheridan.

Serena Fire Chief Rodney Reese says 15 to 20 teens and adults walked on the bridge for a photo when the metal structured bridge collapsed into a creek bed. Reese says six people were taken to Morris and Ottawa hospitals for treatment.

The people fell about 10 feet according to Reese. He didn’t know what church they’re from but says some were out of Joliet.

The emergency call came in around 10 yesterday morning.

Police Have Hands Full In Spring Valley

Some tense moments yesterday at a home in Spring Valley.

William Simpson was arrested for aggravated assault and resisting a peace officer after putting up a struggle with Spring Valley Police.

Problems started when a person called police to say Simpson was approaching his house, yelling in the street and pointing what he thought was a gun in the air. Simpson eventually walked back to his house on East Iowa Street.

When police arrived, they say Simpson wouldn’t come outside and began yelling thru his windows. When he finally came outside, he allegedly put up a fight.

Besides aggravated assault and resisting a peace officer, Simpson is also charged with possession of ammunition without a FOID card. The ammo was found in his house.

TEA Party Time

Organizers who led a tax protest in April outside the Etna Road Government Complex in April are planning another “TEA Party” rally this Saturday.

They’re inviting people to show up at the downtown courthouse this time around in Ottawa from one until two. About 75 men, women and children marched for two hours in April, many holding signs saying “Taxed Enough Already”.

Organizers say they’re not supporting a particular political party just that they believe in less government intrusion and want to defend and protect the Constitution.

Boating accident in kills man

High winds may have contributed to a boating accident that killed a man from Henry.
Investigators say 69 year old Kenneth Rickey fell overboard from a sailboat while on Lake Senachwine Sunday afternoon.
Rickey was taken to Perry Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Conservation Police Sgt. Robert Frazier says high winds may have been a factor. It’s still being investigated by the Conservation Police and Bureau County Coroner’s Office.

Crowd waits through rain and storms for country music

You know you’re a country music fan when you wait three hours through rain, wind, and lightening for a concert to start.
The patient fans that stuck it out Saturday night got to see Little Big Town and Zac Brown Band. It was one of Lou’s La Grotto’s “Concert for a Cause”.
It was held at the Cedar Point Sportsmen’s Club north of La Salle. Some concert goers arrived at 3:30pm. Two waves of rain and storms delayed the concert by three hours. People were given the option to wait it out in their cars. Many did. The show got over around 1:30am Sunday.
Concert organizer Merry Noonan says they had a great crowd and approximately 4,000 tickets sold. She’s not sure yet how much money will go towards a new gym floor for Holy Family School in Oglesby.

Shoulder work plan for Shooting Park Road

A portion of Shooting Park Road will be closed for shoulder work. The road will be closed from Dalzell Road to Church Street between 7am and 5pm Tuesday.
You can take Route 6 instead.

Group arrested for trespassing at Bailey Falls

There was a time when Bailey Falls was a popular place to go on a nice summer day. It apparently is still popular with some, but it’s not allowed.

Police yesterday evening arrested a dozen people for trespassing on the property owned by Buzzi Unicem. Michael Leatherman of La Salle, Kadeem Burgess of La Salle, Cody Jannie of Kewanee, Cody VanDamme of Kewanee, Jessica Borelli of La Salle, Michael Gadd of Oglesby, and six people too young to mention were given notices to appear in court.

L.E.A.S.E plans to buy Peru Roosevelt School

Life goes on for an old grade school building in Peru. Children in Peru attended Roosevelt School for over 80 years, but the old building will no longer be needed by the Peru Public School District after the construction of Parkside Middle School.
Instead, a new group of students will be arriving at Roosevelt. The La Salle-Putnam County Educational Alliance for Special Education, or Lease, has a tentative agreement to buy the old school.
Roosevelt would be the new home of the Circuit Breaker School which is currently held in Seneca.
The price of the sale hasn’t yet been disclosed.
The Peru Public Schools board had said they would have the building torn down if they couldn’t find a suitable buyer. Parkside Middle School will be ready for classes at the start of the upcoming school.