Leave old mortar shells to the experts

What would you do if found what looks like an old mortar shell or an explosive device in your home?  Police say the best response would be to call them and let them handle it.

          The situation came up in La Salle Friday morning.  A man came into the police department with a 60 millimeter mortar shell, saying he found it in his basement and didn’t know much else about it.

          Seeing it as a potentially dangerous situation, officers took the shell and called a group of specialists with the U-S Army in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  They were able to take it to a place for safe detonating.

          Police say if you find something like this in your home, don’t move it or touch it, just call the police.

Man suspected of selling marijuana arrested in Ottawa

A suspected drug dealer has been arrested in Ottawa.  Narcotics detectives Monday searched a home on Nebraska Street they think a man was selling marijuana out of. 

          David Carroll was arrested for unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver after police say they found over 200 grams of the drug, packaging materials, and more than five thousand dollars in cash.

          Carroll’s being held in the La Salle County Jail.

Begging Leads To Arrest

Begging for money got a homeless woman arrested yesterday in Ottawa.

Just before noon, Ottawa Police got a call that someone was begging for money and causing a disturbance in front of a business.  Nancy Taylor was arrested for disorderly conduct.  Investigators say Taylor and her son have been aggressively begging people for the last couple years not only in Ottawa but also Streator and Oglesby.  This has gotten them banned from several businesses.

Ottawa Captain Brent Roalson says what Nelson is doing is a scam of sorts because she and her son have income.

Crash That Killed Local Man Involved Alcohol

A woman has admitted to being drunk when she was in a crash last year that killed a man from Rutland and seriously hurt a man from Minonk.

37 year old Kimberly Chaney of Canton pled guilty Monday to one count of aggravated DUI.  She faces up to 14 years in prison when she’s sentenced in April.  Investigators say her blood alcohol content was about 2 ½ times the legal limit when she crashed into 49 year old John Stevenson of Rutland and 56 year old Gary Baker of Minonk.

Stevenson was pronounced dead at a Canton Hospital after he and Baker had stopped on the shoulder of Route 9 near Canton to get stuff that fell out the back of their pickup.  While doing that, an SUV driver saw the two guys and slowed down, only to be rear-ended by Chaney.  Chaney than crashed into Stevenson, Baker and their truck.

Picketing At Area Nursing Home

Everything from mold issues to unfair labor practices had people picketing yesterday at Camelot Terrace in Streator.

Several workers along with family members of people living at the nursing home held a picket yesterday afternoon.  The nursing home was recently issued “immediate jeopardy” citations by the state because of mold and termites.  Family members of residents say its making people sick.  The citations though have been abated and now the home must file a plan of correction to the state.

Union members also are going after home’s owner Michael Lerner of GEM Healthcare in Chicago claiming unfair labor practices.

City Pulls Bids Too High For Their Liking

Sometimes when you’re looking to save money, you need to try something new.

After bids to correct drainage problems in the Oak Ridge Drive area came in over the estimated cost and out of the City of La Salle’s price range, city officials starting thinking of ways to make it more affordable.  They started by tossing out the bids last night.

The project is broken into two storm sewer lines.  The lowest bid for the more expensive line, line one, was 159 thousand dollars.  The other line came in just under 38 thousand dollars.

Then they voted to re-bid the project only this time without the reconstruction of what’s called Barnett’s Lane.  They’re also trying what’s called design-build.  The company bidding would design a solution to the city’s problem and propose what it would cost to fix it.