Mirror Building fetching $650,000

A storefront that was once a men’s clothing shop will likely be the new home of an insurance agency.

Mitchell Kahl of The Phoenix Group is offering the City of Peru $650,000 for the Mirror Building, $60,000 more than its appraised value.

The city council Wednesday night approved a resolution to authorize the sale of the building.

Larry Bianchi with Janko Realty and Development says Kahl owns agencies in several different states.  The Phoenix Group already has an office on Progress Boulevard in Peru.  Bianchi says Kahl will own the building and rent it to his company.  The first floor will be used for the insurance agency while the second floor will be used as a technology center for training employees.  The third floor would be unused, available for lease.

The building will be paid back in five years at 5% interest.  There’s a 10% down payment.  It’s expected to close by the end of August.

Cocaine Arrest At Marseilles Bar

A woman working at a bar in Marseilles was allegedly selling more than just alcohol.

Debbie Sampson was arrested while working at PJ’s Tap last Friday on a warrant for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. She allegedly was selling cocaine while working at the bar.

Sampson was taken to the county jail.  TRIDENT and Marseilles Police worked together in the arrest.

Boy drowns in Lake Depue

The name of a 15 year old boy who drowned in Lake DePue has been released.

Bureau County Coroner Janice Wamhoff says Israel Puga is the drowning victim.  Puga apparently chased a ball into the lake around eight o’clock last night and never made it back out.  His body was pulled from the lake about an hour after he went in.

Counselors are at Depue School to help students today.

Ribbon Cut On New Emergency Center

After saying county emergency management was “going from a basement operation to the 21^st century”, La Salle County Board Chairman Jerry Hicks cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the new county Emergency Operations Center this morning.

The new 1.6 million dollar center is located in the south east corner of the governmental complex.  The stand alone building has a basement, kitchen, large garage area for emergency vehicles, meeting rooms and its own parking lot.  The old office of Emergency Management Director Mike Jobst was in a cramped room in the basement of the governmental building.

The building was built by Vissering Construction for 1.6 million dollars.  The county received a million dollar grant to help pay for it.

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Peru council could authorize sale of Mirror Building

It looks like the Mirror Building in Peru is on track to being sold.  The city council last week approved going forward with the necessary paperwork.  City officials and the realtors have been tight lipped about the buyer.

Plans call for the first floor to be used as office space.  The second floor would be used for a technology center.  There are no plans for the third floor at this time.

The council is set to approve a resolution authorizing the sale of the building Wednesday.  The council meets at 7:30pm.

Boy Sentenced In Marseilles Blaze

A 13-year old boy has admitted to setting a fire in downtown Marseilles that destroyed three buildings.

The boy pled guilty Tuesday and was given 30 days in the detention home and five years probation.  He has already served the time in the detention home so he’s been released to his parents.

The fire late last month destroyed three buildings along Commercial Street in Marseilles.  Smoke could be seen miles away.

Fall At Starved Rock

Imagine falling nearly 30 feet from a tree into a canyon and landing on your feet.  That’s what happened to a 10 year old boy from Marseilles who was hiking at Starved Rock State Park with friends.

It happened around 11:30am Tuesday at Kaskaskia Canyon.  Utica Fire Chief Dave Edgcomb says they had to walk about a mile and a half to reach the boy who had landed on sandstone and mud.  Edgcomb says the boy complained of lower back and hip pain.  Given the circumstances, they chose to have the boy flown to St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.  The Life Flight Helicopter landed on Route 71 to get the boy.

Sgt. Robert Fraizer with the Conservation Police says the boy was with a couple of other boys in a restricted area.  He says they were trying to climb down a fallen tree to get back down.  They had an adult with them but he’s not sure he knew they were in a restricted area.  He doesn’t expect any tickets to be issued.

911 call leads police to woman in car trunk

Why was a woman in the trunk area of her car?  That’s what investigators in Putnam County are trying to figure out.

Sheriff’s deputies took a 911 called Sunday evening in reference to a woman in the trunk of her car.  About 45 minutes later deputies found her car on the Bottom Road in Granville Township about two miles west of Route 89.  She was taken to St. Margaret’s Hospital.

It’s being investigated by several area police departments.

New Mayor Picked For Oglesby

The new interim mayor of Oglesby is former electric commissioner Don Finley.

After a five minute closed session, the council voted Monday night 3 to 0 to have Finley fill out the remaining term of Tony Torres.  Torres resigned as mayor last Monday.  The term ends in the April election.

Finley became electric commissioner in November after Dave Ernat moved outside city limits.  He’s ran unsuccessfully for mayor the last two elections.

He wouldn’t commit to seeking a full term as mayor.