Woman Falls At Starved Rock

A 20 year old woman from Orland Park is in critical condition after falling last night at Starved Rock.

Cori Winchel was lifeflighted to St. Francis Medical Center after falling 25 to 30 feet from Wildcat Canyon.  Utica Fire Chief Dave Edgcomb says his department treated Winchel at the scene before Ottawa River Rescue took her across the Illinois River to be picked up by a helicopter.  Edgcomb believes she suffered a skull fracture.

Three others were in Winchel’s group.  They’re all from the Chicago area and were all ticketed for unlawful entry to a restricted area.

EPA Sues Ottawa

The Environmental Protection Agency has filed a lawsuit against the city of Ottawa.  But it’s actually a rare lawsuit that both sides are okay with.

Last October, the Ottawa City Council came to an agreement with the EPA to pitch in 150 thousand dollars for the cost of cleaning up a radioactive site near the Route 6 and 71 intersection.  When the sides started negotiating, EPA wanted the city to pay five million dollars.  Mayor Bob Eschbach says the city was able to bring down the city’s share because of the city’s ability to pay.  He also says the EPA is filing the lawsuit so they can actually carry out the consent decree or agreement with the city.

The EPA has been cleaning up numerous sites in Ottawa that used to be radium dial plants.  The city apparently used the site on Route 6 east of Ottawa as a landfill at one point.

Mesarchik Investigation Continues

The investigation into the death and disappearance of Streator’s Dalton Mesarchik has now reached seven years.

It was March 26^th of 2003 when Dalton was first reported missing to Streator Police.  Seven years ago today his body was found in the Vermilion River south of Streator.  He was beaten to death.

State Police in Pontiac remain the lead investigator in the case.  Officials from District 6 say that around 17 hundred leads have been opened and investigated in the Mesarchik case.  Also over 400 pieces of evidence have been seized.

A 50 thousand dollar reward remains in place for information leading to the capture and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death.