OHS Teachers Set Strike Date

Following a third unsuccessful mediation session, teachers at Ottawa High School say they plan to walk out on Wednesday.

The teachers union, school board and school administration met with a federal mediator Thursday night for three hours but couldn’t hammer out a new contract. The sides are at odds on salary and health insurance.

The teachers union says it remains open to negotiate leading up to the Wednesday strike date.

Murder Hearing Continues

A hearing to throw out evidence gathered during and right after Keith Mackowiak’s arrest continued yesterday.

La Salle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne picked up where he left off last Friday by calling La Salle County Sheriff’s Office employees to the stand. In each case, deputies and investigators testified that Mackowiak was coherent and pleasant the day he was arrested and interviewed in the Al and Catherine Twardowski murder case.

Mackowiak’s lawyers are trying to throw out their client’s statements after his arrest arguing he was under the influence of drugs. The evidence hearing will pick up again next Friday.

Body Found Near Ottawa

The La Salle County Coroner’s Office is trying to find relatives of a man found dead outside Ottawa Thursday afternoon.

The unidentified man was found in a car on East 1529th Road, on the southwest side of Ottawa. Coroner officials don’t believe there’s foul play involved.