Alleged Drug Dealer Will Get Head Checked

One of the men charged in a drug bust centered in downtown Peru will be evaluated by a psychiatrist.

Dan Thorndyke of Earlville will undergo the evaluation to see if he’s fit to stand trial for charges of delivery of a controlled substance.  His trial date of August 9^th was postponed.  His next hearing is September 2^nd.

Thorndyke was arrested at a Peru business March 23^rd for allegedly dealing cocaine.  Just minutes later, investigators moved to a boot shop in downtown Peru and arrested Gabriel Arteaga of Peru for dealing cocaine and marijuana.  Drug officers then went to Spring Valley and arrested the boot shop’s owner Alejandro Arteaga for cocaine and marijuana.  Prosecutors say the three men were working together in a cocaine ring.

Gabriel Arteaga is set for trial August 23^rd while Alejandro is scheduled for trial September 13^th.

St Bede Goes Medieval

You and your kids will find theater and games at the 18^th Annual Medieval Faire for Children at St. Bede Academy.

The Academy Stage Rats will be dressed up in medieval costumes hosting the faire tomorrow from noon to five.  It’ll feature to performances of the original play “The Giant in the Woods” at 1:30 and four.

There will also be a variety of games to play for 25 and 50 cents.

Admission is $1.50 for adults and one dollar per child.  Kids under five get in for free.

Job Opening For A Judge

Lawyers have under a month to throw their hats into the ring to become an associate judge.

James Brusatte is hanging up his judge’s robe September 30^th, leaving the vacancy in the 13^th Judicial Circuit.  The replacement has to be an attorney in Illinois and live inside the 13^th circuit.

August 26^th is the application deadline.  The state court in Springfield is handling applications.

The 13^th Judicial Circuit includes Bureau, La Salle and Grundy counties.

Longtime La Salle County Board Member Resigning

La Salle County Republicans need to find a new county board representative in Marseilles.

District 24 board member Jack Leininger says he’s resigning from the county board August 14^th.  He says there area a couple reasons he’s resigning but he won’t release those until a later time.

Leininger’s term is up late next year.  He’s been on the county board since 2002.

He is chairman of the county’s Property Committee and also serves on the Nursing Home, Finance, Tourism and Circuit Wide Probation committees.

Ottawa Paper Turns Over Blogger Information

If you like to attack people on newspaper blogs, this may make you think twice about doing it.

The Ottawa Times has turned over information about a blogger on it’s website after being ordered to do so in court.  The Third District Appellate Court in Ottawa ruled in that the newspaper should turn over information about a blogger that claimed Don and Janet Maxon were bribing city officials to support a controversial bed and breakfast that never even happened.  The Maxon’s want the information so they can sue the blogger for defamation.

Circuit Judge Eugene Daugherity dismissed the Maxon’s case in October of 2008.  The appellate court though ruled against Daugherity.

Fire Displaces Princeton Family

A family is displaced after their apartment caught fire yesterday afternoon.

Princeton fire crews were called out around 4:30 at 721 Longhaven Street.  Firefighters say the blaze was in the closet of an apartment where Debra Wawrzyniak lives.  One person was evaluated for smoke inhalation but declined a trip to the hospital.

The Red Cross has been called in to assist the family.  Property and contents damage is estimated to be three thousand dollars.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

New Trial Date For Streator Murder Case

A convicted murderer from Streator has a date for his second trial.

43 year old James Alvarado will be tried again for first-degree murder starting September 27^th in La Salle County Court.  Alvarado was awarded a new trial by the Third District Appellate Court after being sentenced to 45 years in prison for shooting and killing his wife Angela at their rural Streator home in October of 2006.  He was sentenced by Judge H. Chris Ryan in July of 2007.

However the appellate court ruled Alvarado should get a new trial believing that Judge Ryan and States Attorney Brian Towne erred by not allowing a witness to talk about an alleged affair Alvarado’s wife was having.  Alvarado testified that he found out about the affair, “blacked out” and accidentally shot his wife.

Alvarado is being held at the La Salle County Jail on a million dollars bond.

Freedom House needs art for fundraiser

Are you an artist?  Freedom House, a place for people affected by domestic and sexual violence, is organizing an art show and sale and is looking for artists interested in donating a piece of work.

The fundraiser on October 2 in Princeton is part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Applications are available. Only original pieces created by the artist will be accepted. No crafts.  A review committee will make the final decision on which pieces will be included.

Applications are available online at www.freedomhouseillinois.com.  The deadline to apply is September 18.

Route 71 crash sends five people to an area hospital

A family and a truck driver were taken to the hospital after a crash on Route 71 near Ottawa.

Police say Matthew Kern of Princeton was driving an SUV with his wife and two daughters when he lost control, went into the other lane and was hit by a semi driven by Jeremy Maynard of Malden.  It happened at 7pm Thursday.

All five were taken to Ottawa Regional Hospital.  Their conditions haven’t been released.

The accident remains under investigation.

Spring Valley approves appropriations

$360,000 for retirement fund expenditures and $115,000 for elected officials’ salaries are just some of the totals in the new appropriations ordinance for Spring Valley’s current fiscal year.

The city council approved the appropriations during a special meeting Thursday night.

The list of expenditures in the ordinance exceeds revenues in almost every account, and that is typical. An appropriations ordinance is not a budget.

$200,000 has been appropriated for the fire department.  Fire Chief Gene Scheri says the department needs to purchase a backup generator to power the fire station during storms or other power outages.

Thanks to the Newstribune for information in this story.