IVCC begins registration for Spring 2011 this week

If you plan on taking course at Illinois Valley Community College next spring, registration begins this week.

Online registration beings at 8 a.m. Monday. In-person registration begins Tuesday.  You can register by phone, fax and mail beginning on Wednesday.

To register online, you need to have registered WebAdvisor account.
Spring tuition must be paid by December. 8.

IV Red Cross holds bloodmobile

Have you donated blood lately?  You can during a bloodmobile at the Illinois Valley Red Cross Monday afternoon in Peru.  It runs from 1pm-5pm Monday.

IVAC and area counties

The next Chamber of Commerce breakfast in Peru is all about the counties. The November 10th business breakfast seminar will have guest speakers from our three area counties: Bureau County Board chairman, Dale Anderson; LaSalle County Board chairman, Jerry Hicks and Duane Calbow of Putnam County.  Each will provide an update of things happening in their respective county. The event at Mario’s Maples Supper Club begins at 7:30. Reservations need to be made no later than November 9th.

Stock market and Obama care

The stock market has likely priced in a Republican victory this Tuesday, but Steve Witek of LPL Financial in La Salle says that may be adjusted depending on how big a Republican victory is. The conventional wisdom on Wall Street, says Witek, is betting “cap and trade” is dead. Witek believes New York financial power brokers have yet to wager on repeal of “Obama care”.  One caveat: Witek says it depends on whose in control of the U.S. House in January and just what their agenda is.

CSX crossings

Railroad improvements will cause more traffic headaches in Ottawa. CSX Railroad will work on crossings at Guion and Champlain Streets starting Sunday. These crossings will be closed to traffic for about a week. The crossings are on the east side of town.

Taxpayer protection pledge

If taxes are a deciding factor in whom you vote for Tuesday, there’s a new list out for you.  Americans For Tax Reform has released the names of incumbents and challengers in Illinois who have signed the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge”. The candidates commit to not raising taxes. Among the incumbents to sign the tax pledge are Congressman Aaron Schock and State Representatives Careen Gordon and Robert Pritchard. Challengers signing the pledge include gubernatorial candidate State Senator Bill Brady, U.S. Senate candidate and current Congressman Mark Kirk. Gordon’s opponent in the state representative race, Sue Rezin also signed the pledge.

Yemini terrorism update

 Qatar (GUH’-tur) Airways says a parcel carrying the mail bomb found in Dubai traveled on two separate passenger planes. The package contained explosives hidden in a printer cartridge and was headed for the United States.
Al-Qaida’s offshoot in Yemen is suspected in the plot. Yemeni police have made one arrest and are hunting other suspects.   Could there be more mail bombs headed to the U.S.? President Barack Obama’s counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” that authorities “have to presume” there might be. He says investigators are trying to determine whether the planes were the intended targets. The packages with the explosives were addressed to Chicago-area synagogues.

Second fire destorys Oglesby home, sparks investigation

A house in Oglesby that was damaged by a fire a couple of years ago has been totaled following another fire.

A neighbor called 911 at about 1:30am Friday for the fire on Hazen Avenue.  Oglesby Fire Chief Ron Popurella says the blazed damaged the siding on neighboring homes.

Popurella says the house had been undergoing restoration and no one had been living there.

It’s being investigated by the State Fire Marshall and Oglesby Police Department.

Ottawa Chamber using survey to gather community feedback

City officials in Ottawa want to know what people think of the place they call home.

The Ottawa Chamber of Commerce has put together a 25 question, online survey to get feedback from the public.  The survey asks to rate various things including: appearance of the city; the downtown; shopping; quality of public schools and taxes.

The survey is available until November 14^th.

Halloween brings Trick-or- Treat to area communities

Wondering when you should have your kids ready for trick-or-treat?

Trick-or-treat will be from 5pm-7pm Sunday in La Salle, Peru, Oglesby and Utica.

In Mendota, it is from 4pm-6pm Sunday.

In Spring Valley, Naplate and Grand Ridge trick-or-treat is from 6pm-8pm Sunday.

Ottawa Pavilion will allow trick-or-treating from 5pm-6pm Sunday.  Ottawa city-wide trick-or-treat hours are from 6pm-8pm.

Streator and Marseilles trick-or-treat is from 5pm-8pm Sunday.

The Peru Mall is holding trick-or-treat from 4pm-6pm Sunday.