Garage Burns In Princeton

A possible arson is under investigation in Princeton.

Princeton firefighters took a call just after 5:30 Friday evening about a garage fire at 115 West Putnam.  When they arrived on scene, they found a single-story unattached garage on fire.  They were able to have the fire out within 15 minutes.

The damage estimate including contents inside the garage is put at three thousand dollars.  The garage owner is Douglas Huffaker of Princeton.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the state fire marshal office’s arson division.

Olympians Show Talents In Spring Valley

The spirit of competition was on display yesterday at Hall High School.

The 2010 edition of the Starved Rock Area Special Olympics event was held at Richard Nesti Stadium.  Nearly 300 athletes from seven different counties competed in track and field events.

Twenty-eight different agencies were represented in yesterday’s games in Spring Valley.

Vermilion Opening Back Up To Recreation

With weather like this, imagine being able to canoe on the Vermilion River in Oglesby.  State Representative Frank Mautino says it’ll become a possibility again very soon.

Mautino says engineers and lawyers with Buzzi Unicem and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have come to an agreement where the state will take over the cement company’s stretch of the river, opening it up once again to recreation.  A law Mautino has proposed in Springfield to reopen the river by state statute isn’t needed now.

The last remaining issue to be worked out was where to put buoys that guides boaters away from dangerous areas on the river.  Other new safety steps are being put in place by the DNR.

No official reopening date has been given for the Vermilion.