Sunday activities

Local Union members will rally at the Streator train station today to tell elected officials to keep moving forward with job creation programs.   Also…part of Streator’s Labor Day festivities….a Roamer car show noon – 3pm in Streator City park.  The state’s largest Bocce Ball Tourney is happening in Toluca Sunday.   A beer tent opens at Noon with late evening music by “Jam Sammich”.  The carnival opens at 5:30.  Toluca Labor Day festivities conclude Monday with the carnival at noon and a parade at 2.  A bags tourney and beer garden are also scheduled.

Halvorson – Kinzinger debates

One thing is certain, Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson and her Republican opponent Adam Kinzinger will debate. How many times though still seems up for debate. A few hours after Kinzinger’s camp sent out an email saying Halvorson agreed to one debate in mid-October on WCMY Radio in Ottawa, Halvorson’s camp announced the congresswoman would debate Kinzinger two other times. According to Halvorson’s team, the first debate will be October 5th in front of the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board. The second debate is October 12th at Illinois State University followed the next night on WCMY.

Bellas Oglesby

The new restaurant in Oglesby called Bella’s has nothing to do with Lil Bella’s Pizza. It doesn’t even have pizza on the menu. Despite many people wondering about the similar name, Bella’s owner Agim Mehmedi says he had no idea about Lil Bella’s Pizza when he came to Oglesby. He named his restaurant after his daughter. The latest restaurant to try and succeed behind Subway in Oglesby opened Wednesday. Mehmedi says he stopped in Oglesby on a vacation three months ago and though it would be a good place to start a restaurant being off the interstate. He runs Five Brothers Café in Fairfield and Salem in southern Illinois. Bella’s is open seven days a week from 6 in the morning until 10 at night.

Tri-County Fair

How many and how fast can you eat hot dogs? Before you take on the pros in New York, better start locally at the Tri-County Fair. The eating contest is slated for 1pm. “Bags Tourneys” seem all the rage these days…and the Fair has one this afternoon. A Truck/tractor pull will happen in front of the grandstand at 6..and perhaps, the last fireworks you’ll see this year will be after dark at the Mendota fairgrounds. Monday is the last day of the fair with a “baby contest”, chain saw carving auction and the demolition derby.

Project Santa – “Billion Points” promotion

“Project Santa” is returning, but it’s looking for donations now – and all you have to do is vote on-line. Heidi Milner, who helps steer “Project Santa” has entered the charity in the Sears-K-Mart “Billion Points” promotion. According to Milner, over 40-thousand projects and/or charities are entered. And, call it luck, Milner’s “Project Santa” is currently 26th in the voting across the nation. Milner’s cause needs to get into the top 20 for a shot at $1000. There’s a link on the AM 1220 WLPO website under Lou Anne’s bio. You’ll have a couple extra steps to perform the first time you vote…but it gets easier after that. You can vote once each day until the deadline of October 5.