Informational meeting planned for La Salle Rotary Park

Plans to develop La Salle Rotary Park continue.  You can find out what the park board needs to do next to use a nearly $438,000 grant they’ve received from the state.

          The park is planned for the east side of town, near the site of the a new wastewater treatment plant.  It’ll be on land once owned by Illinois Cement.

          The park development committee is holding a public meeting on the park 7pm Wednesday in the La Salle Public Library.

Crash Kills Seneca Man

A crash in Grundy County Tuesday morning that killed a man from rural Seneca. 

          Investigators say 24 year old Dustin Bersano was heading east on Route 6 near the Morris Country Club entrance when he crossed into the other lane of traffic and hit a large tow truck owned by Snow Dance Towing of Seneca.  Bersano was pronounced dead at the scene. 

          It remains under investigation.

SUV Pulled From River In Utica

Two men from Chicago are okay after their SUV and boat ended up in the Illinois River last night.

Conservation Police, Ottawa River Resue, Utica and Peru fire departments all responded to the Starved Rock boat ramp when Gary Brandon and Robert Hamilton ended up in the river.  They were inside Hamilton’s SUV which was pulling a boat and trailer.

Investigators aren’t sure how they ended up in the river.  Both guys were able to get out okay.

Divers had to help pull the SUV out from the water.  It ended up about 40 feet from the shore.

I-80 Marijuana Bust

Three men from out of state were arrested yesterday for allegedly hauling marijuana thru the area.

Just before two yesterday morning, a trooper says he stopped a car with Daryl Adams of California and Chad Adams and Michael Garchow both of Michigan for improper lane usage.  The three were stopped on Interstate 80 at the Ottawa exit.

After the trooper says he saw nervousness among the suspects, the Ottawa K-9 dog was brought in.  The dog allegedly helped police find 11 cannabis sativa plants in the trunk along with a total of 105 grams of cannabis.

Both Adams’ and Garchow were arrested for possession of cannabis and possession of cannabis sativa plants.  They were taken to the county jail.

Utica Tornado Anniversary

When the clock hits 6:10 tonight, it’ll be exactly six years since a tornado ripped into Utica, killing eight people at the Milestone Tap.

The F3 tornado first did damage in Granville before making its way thru Utica.  The tornado brought down the Milestone Tap killing Wayne Ball, Michael Miller Jr., Helen Mahnke, Carol Schulties, Larry Ventrice, Marian Ventrice, Jay Vezain, and Beverly Wood.

Several weeks after the storm, the village clerk’s son was stillborn and became recognized as the ninth victim of the tornado.

Name For New Ottawa School To Be Announced

The voters have spoken in Ottawa.  Now it’s up to the elementary school board to see if the voters have their say.

The Ottawa Elementary School Board is having its monthly meeting tonight and on the agenda is a vote to officially name the new elementary school.  With around 100 surveys returned last month, 58 people voted not to change the name of Central Elementary School when the new school goes up on the south edge of town.

As for what the new school’s mascot will be, students in the elementary district voted.  The current nickname of Cyclones won the vote with 262 votes.  A close second was Eagles at 260 votes.  The third choice was Cougars with 257 votes.

Tonight’s board meeting starts at 6 at McKinley Elementary.