Salmonella outbreak prompts expanded egg recall

If you have a carton of eggs in the refrigerator, you’ll want to check the label to see if they’re included in a recall.  The voluntary recall comes after a salmonella outbreak.

The Illinois Department of Public Health says Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa has expanded its voluntarily recall.

Affected cartons are packaged under the following brand names: Albertson, Boosmsma, Dutch Farms, Farm Fresh, Glenview, Hillandale, James Farms, Kemps, Lucerne, Lund, Mountain Dairy, Pacific Coast, Ralphs, Shoreland, Sunshine and Trafficanda.

Various size cartons are included.  They’re dated from May 16 to August 17 and have plant numbers 1026, 1413, 1720, 1946 and 1942.

If you have some of the recalled eggs don’t eat them and return them to the store where you bought them.

New switches should reduce time spent waiting for trains in Ottawa

Following a meeting with Ottawa officials, Illinois Railway representatives say they’re making improvements that will decrease the time your stuck waiting for trains.

Illinois Railway General Manager Johnnie DeClue says they finished a new rail switch last week on the west end of Ottawa that gives the railroad the ability to access all tracks on the west end of their rail yard.  DeClue says building of a second switch will begin immediately on the east end of their line near Champlain Street.  DeClue says these two switches will mean railcars can move more fluently through the yard.

The last and biggest improvement according to DeClue is adding a new rail to accommodate 60 rail cars and another rail switch east of Champlain Street.  DeClue says this rail extension will be the biggest help in alleviating time spent switching trains over the Route 23 and Columbus Street crossing in the mornings.

DeClue says by no means will they not block traffic at all on Route 23, but they’re “taking huge strides to cut the time down as much as possible.”

Former LPHS coach hired by Rock Falls

LP’s former head boys basketball coach has a new coaching job.  Scott Olson was approved by the Rock Falls High School Board Wednesday night.

In March, the LP High School board voted four to three to not rehire Olson.  He was at the school for three seasons.

You can hear an interview with Olson Friday morning during AM 1220 WLPO Sports.

Rod Blagojevich items sold at Chicago-area auction

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) – A life-sized statue of Elvis Presley connected to convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has sold at auction for $20,500.

The statue was among items in seven wooden storage units connected to Blagojevich that an Arlington Heights storage facility auctioned on Thursday. Facility owners say they haven’t been paid in more than a year and auction profits will go to Children’s Memorial Hospital.

Other items up for auction include campaign buttons and banners, a neon sign that says “Governor Blagojevich” and an autographed Elvis Presley picture.

One buyer, 48-year-old Anthony Jenkins of Chicago, said he came out because he considers the items part of history. He bought a box of videotapes.

Deficit predicted for La Salle Elementary budget

It’s not good for a school district to have a budget deficit, but it’s not as bad as it could be for La Salle Elementary.  That’s Superintendent Dan Marenda’s opinion of a tentative budget.

Marenda says considering the state budget, they’re weathering the storm better than some school districts but he’s continuing to look for ways to cut spending.

He’s estimated a $473,000 deficit.  $37,000 is in the capital projects fund.  Marenda says they received that money in a previous budget year so it’s not counted as revenue this year.

Marenda says they won’t be receiving reading improvement and ADA grants valued at about $100,000, but they’ll continue to offer the programs.

They’re also maintaining a preschool program, even though Marenda says they’re receiving less state funding.

He thinks they could save $307,000 through renegotiating a health insurance program with the teacher’s union, but there hasn’t been much movement yet.

He expects to revise the budget before a final draft is approved next month.  He’ll be considering money coming from a federal jobs bill.

Land purchased for playground

A neighborhood in northwest Ottawa will have a playground of their own.

A divided Ottawa City Council Tuesday approved the purchase of three lots on Deleon and Mulberry Streets for $126,00.  The idea is to put in a neighborhood playground in an area that the council and city rec board believes is under-served.

Commissioner Dan Aussem agreed there’s a need but wanted to continue to negotiate the sale price since a city appraisal of the lots came in at $82,000.  Commissioner Dale Baxter had same financial concerns.

Former Recreation and Playground board member Carl Herren told Baxter that negotiations have already been going on upwards of six years.

As part of the deal, the former landowner will demolish a building on the site at his own cost and agrees to allow the city to pay for the land over three years with no interest.

Halvorson makes stops in Ottawa

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Easter Seals of La Salle and Bureau Counties’ new playground included a visit by a campaigning congresswoman.

Democrat Debbie Halvorson was at the new playground Thursday morning in Ottawa.

That stop was followed by a visit to the La Salle County Farm Bureau where Halvorson spoke with representatives of the Illinois Corn Growers, the Illinois Soybean Association and the Illinois Farm Bureau about legislation affecting Illinois farmers.

Halvorson faces Republican challenger Adam Kinzinger in the November election.