TRIDENT investigation includes Peru, Spring Valley, and Earlville

http://ping.fm/p/RTZJE – Drug investigation in Peru

Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei talking about a drug raid Tuesday that included 50 police officers, surveillance aircraft and five total K-9’s.          The incident started with TRIDENT investigators allegedly paying over 87 hundred dollars to buy a dozen ounces of cocaine from Dan Thorndyke of Earlville at a north Peru business.  Thorndyke was arrested. 

          Simultaneously, officers went out to spots in Earlville, DePue, Spring Valley and a western clothing store in downtown Peru.  Investigators arrested Gabriel Arteaga of Peru at the store where they allegedly found two pounds of pot.  The owner of the store, Alejandro Arteaga was then arrested at his home in Spring Valley.  Despite fearing the three men could be armed, officials say the arrests were made without incident.

          Thorndyke is charged with three felony drug counts involving delivery of cocaine.  Alejandro Arteaga faces five total felony drug counts for cocaine and marijuana while Garbiel Arteaga faces three felony drug counts for both cocaine and marijuana.   

          Among the charges is a rare super X class felony for all three men with a possible 40 year sentence attached to it. 

          Investigators say they captured 14 ounces of cocaine, two pounds of marijuana, several thousand dollars in money and several rounds of ammunition.  The investigation continues.

ABC Wire still interested in La Salle

The building that was once Sauer-Danfoss in La Salle still looks to be on track to be used for manufacturing copper wire.

ABC Wire of Sycamore tells La Salle officials they’re setting up production lines at the La Salle location and have told their 30 or so employees they’re moving.

          Those workers will be receiving information for relocating to the area.  The Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce has given 30 packets.  Barb Koch, IVAC’s Executive Director, says the packets include information on schools, housing, and recreation.  

La Salle Economic Development Director Don Alexi and Building Inspector Brian Maddox were in the building last week.  Some stuff has already been moved in, but the factory hasn’t been a workplace since Sauer-Danfoss stopped operations in late 2006.

          It’s unclear when the move to La Salle would be made.

Oglesby launches House Watch program

Planning a vacation and worried about your house when you’re away? If you live in Oglesby, you can have the police keep an eye on things. The Oglesby Police Department is starting a new program called “House Watch”.

Anyone living in Oglesby planning to leave home for an extended amount of time can fill out a form to have police officers periodically checking your home.

For more information about the House Watch program, go to the Oglesby Police Department’s website.

Fire Kills Kinsman Woman

An investigation is underway after a rural Kinsman woman was killed in a fire.

50 year old Sandra Yard was pronounced dead just after midnight this morning.  Investigators say she was found on her porch floor by firefighters.

A driver called in the fire around 11:30 last night.  The home is on Kinsman Road.  Grundy County Sheriff’s deputies were first on the scene and heard smoke detectors going off but said they couldn’t get inside right away.

The fire remains under investigation.  The State Fire Marshall’s Office is helping to find out the cause.

La Salle owes park board while they wait on state payments

Money’s tight for the City of La Salle and it has the comptroller tapping different funds to pay the bills.  The state is several months late with their income tax payments and it has comptroller JoAnne Milby waiting to pay the park board their cut of a sales tax increase approved by voters just a few years ago.
Milby says the state’s last income tax payment was $52,000 and it was for November. She’s waiting on December and January payments which total over $113,000.  In the meantime, the park board is owed $30,500.
Milby says this is the first time she’s been behind in making the park board whole but she’s confident she’ll have them paid by the end of the fiscal year, April 30.
Mayor Jeff Grove says the parks will get their money and the late payment isn’t causing the parks problems.