Spring Valley to lose jobs

Significant decrease in demand for products made at the Honeywell-Hobbs plant in Spring Valley has triggered talks to close it.
Employees found out Monday that company officials have begun talks with United Auto Worker Union Local 2095 heads that would ultimately lead to the closure of the plant.
Hobbs makes switches and other parts for the transportation industry. Mark Hamel is spokesperson for the company. He says 61 jobs would be lost when the production line is moved to a larger plant in Juarez, Mexico.
Hamel says it’s unclear how long the talks between the company and union will take.

Road work begins on Rt 71 and I-39

Summer road-trip season is nearing an end but road construction isn’t.
Two projects getting underway Monday are on Route 71 north of Ottawa and Interstate 39 through La Salle County.
Crews will begin work to widen the shoulders of Route 71 from north of I-80 to Route 52. They will continue through November.
And if you take I-39 thru La Salle County, be prepared to see crews patching. Work will span from Marshall County to Lee County. The work is supposed to be finished by October.

Marseilles joins drug-fighting police team

Another town has joined forces with the TRIDENT drug enforcement group.
The Marseilles Police Department is the latest to offer a member of its force to help out TRIDENT. Results have already shown with a drug arrest made Thursday in Marseilles.
Fourteen different agencies are part of TRIDENT including the Bureau County, La Salle County and Putnam County State’s Attorney and Sheriff’s offices and Marseilles, La Salle, Oglesby, Princeton, Streator, Mendota, Peru, and Spring Valley police departments. Everyone but Putnam County has a full-time officer on the drug team.
The TRIDENT team led to the end of the District 17 State Police Drug Task Force.

New middle school holds grand opening

The new middle school is just about ready in Peru. You can get glimpse of the building that will be used by grades fifth through eighth during an open house Tuesday.
The grand opening ceremony is at 5pm. The building will be open for you to see until 7pm.
The building cost about $17 million and was built by Vissering Construction. With the opening of this school, the district has closed Roosevelt School and will use Washington School for younger students.