Credit union robbed in Streator

A man was able to leave a credit union in Streator with money. The police were called to the Streator Community Credit Union shortly after three Thursday afternoon.
A man reportedly walked in and yelled for money. He didn’t use a weapon.
Police haven’t said if someone’s been arrested.

Mother and daughter face felony shoplifting charges

It’s not unusual to find a mother and daughter shopping together but police say the two they found at the Peru Target weren’t paying for what they were taking.
Employees called the police for a mother and daughter suspected of shoplifting Wednesday afternoon.
Police say they stopped Tina and Leslie Szafranski of Ottawa in the parking and found them with a tote bag of stolen DVD’s valued at an estimated 670 dollars. Searching further, they say they found 20 more DVD’s taken from the Walmart Super Center.
They were arrested for felony retail theft and were taken to the La Salle County Jail.
Investigators think they could be responsible for thefts of DVD’s at two other Target stores.

Several Internet And TV Outages In Ottawa

Remember to call Julie before you dig!

Mediacom officials say a homeowner near Sheridan failed to call Julie and ended up knocking out cable, internet and phone service to hundreds in Ottawa and Streator yesterday.

Mediacom officials say the homeowner cut some lines while digging with a backhoe. Most of the outages were over within three hours.

Bridge Work In Ottawa

It could be messy getting in and out of downtown Ottawa today.

I-Dot plans on doing routine maintenance from 8 until 4 on the Route 23 bridge over the Illinois River. At least one lane will be open in each direction while the work is going on.

The work should only last a day.

Soldiers On Way Home

Thirteen soldiers with a National Guard unit in Pontiac and another 18 soldiers with a Dixon guard unit will have public homecomings today. The homecomings both start at 11. Troops will be at the Pontiac Armory and the Dixon Armory.

The soldiers were sent out last summer to train Afghan Police. One of the member’s of the Dixon unit, Spc. Chester Hosford of Ottawa was killed July 6th when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.

Pool Debate Continues In Peru

The Peru Indoor Pool may not draw hundreds of members, but the 70 there are sound pretty loyal.

The indoor pool has been coming up for discussion as the city looks for ways to trim spending. The pool is not a money maker, it’s only rented by the city, and its membership has been declining. The recreation committee and Mayor Scott Harl asked pool users for their input last night.

Many in the crowd of mostly older women were quick to justify spending on the indoor pool, saying the outdoor pool costs the city more money. A few said they need the pool for exercise and that the YMCA’s pools don’t meet their needs.

The discussion was limited to a half hour because of the informal council meeting that followed but a continuation has been scheduled for September 3 at 6pm at city hall.