School Employee Charged With Felony Theft

77 year old Patricia Howe of Streator is charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing more than 100 thousand dollars from Streator Woodland School District between March of 2005 and this past April.  She’s accused of forging nearly 70 checks.

Howe is out of jail and has a January court appearance scheduled.  Officials haven’t said what position Howe held at Streator Woodland.

Man arrested in purse theft

Police think they’ve caught the HyVee purse snatcher.  James Grider of Granville was arrested Thursday night on a La Salle County warrant for burglary.

Grider’s accused of stealing the purse from a 90 year old woman who was sitting in a car at HyVee Monday afternoon.

Someone was able to give police a description of a car and police traced it to Grider.

He’s was taken to the La Salle County Jail with his bond set at $50,000.

Habitat for Humanity plans house blessing in Granville

It’s the season for giving and helping others and an example of generosity will be on display Saturday.

A Habitat for Humanity house in Granville is being blessed at 10am Saturday.

You can be there for the blessing.  The home is at 6 Filmore Circle.

Man found dead in Peru, foul play not suspected

Foul play isn’t suspected in the death of man dead in Peru.

The man was found in the cab of a semi parked in an industrial area north of Interstate 80 Thursday afternoon.

51 year old Danny Horton of Dodd City, Texas was pronounced dead at the scene.  An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

IVCC approves deal for Ottawa campus

An agreement creating an Ottawa satellite campus for Illinois Valley Community College has been signed.  The IVCC board of trustees Thursday night approved the agreement that was approved by the Ottawa City Council Tuesday. 

The city is buying an old Centrue Bank building for $625,000 with plans of renting it to the college.  IVCC will pay the city $650,000 rent over the length of the five-year lease. 

$300,000 has been donated towards the project.

Students will be able to take CNA, adult education and continuing education classes at the new campus that’s scheduled to be ready for the Fall 2010 semester.

Fox River ice jams causing flood concerns

If you live along the Fox River in La Salle County, take note of the river level because it could quickly be changing.

A flood warning has been issued for the Fox River and northeastern La Salle County until 2:45pm Friday.

The National Weather Service says an ice jam on the lower Fox River near Norway has caused the river to rise above bankfull and may continue to rise.  That could create rapid fluctuations in water levels.