National Alpaca Farm Days celebrated in Utica

It’s not everyday you get to hangout with an alpaca but you can this weekend.
Apple Tree Acres Alpacas in Utica is letting people stop to meet and learn more about alpacas as part of National Alpaca Farm Days. You’ll be able to have your picture taken.
It goes from 10am until 4pm Saturday and Sunday.

FEMA decision expected soon

By this time next week the Ottawa Elementary School District should know if FEMA will help pay for a new elementary school.
Superintendent Craig Doster was told on Tuesday to expect a decision from FEMA within a week. The district hopes FEMA funds 75 percent of the cost for a school to replace the flooded out Central Elementary School along the Illinois River.
The school board last month gave the district architect the go ahead to start designing a school to house 500 students, up from the 400 Central Elementary held before the flooding. Board members were adamant in saying they want the architect to start drawing up plans for a new school but they’re not committing to a new school because they don’t know where they’ll come up with over $20 million. That’s the engineers estimate for a new grade school.
The district’s lease with Wal-Mart ends after 2011. Doster has said he doesn’t want students in Wal-Mart past that time.

New uniforms needed for LPHS Marching Band

Wear an outfit enough times and it’ll start falling apart. That’s become the case with the uniforms worn by members of the LP High School Marching Band. The uniforms are about 10 years old and need a lot of mending.
Alex Guerarro is the band director. He ask the school board Wednesday night for help in getting new uniforms. He says new uniforms cost $365 a piece. One option has them spending $31,000 for 85; another option has them spending $36,000 for 100.
The band department has already saved up $27,000 to put towards the cost.
The request goes to the student programs committee.
New uniforms would take about a year to have made.