TRIDENT arrests a man and a woman in Spring Valley

An investigation into illegal drugs in Spring Valley has left a man and a woman arrested.

Dustin Dean of Spring Valley is accused of selling heroin to a person with TRIDENT drug investigators.  He was charged Tuesday with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a class two felony.  He’s being held in the Will County Jail on other drug charges.

Also arrested on a Bureau County warrant Tuesday was Tashia Cook of Spring Valley.  She’s charged with unlawful delivery of cocaine, a class two felony.

Leonore Man Accused Of Running Three People Over

A man from Leonore is accused of running over three people with his truck.

According to the Freeport Journal-Standard, Joseph Bierbrodt was arrested Sunday in Freeport for allegedly hitting two men and a woman from Freeport.  The incident allegedly happened early Sunday morning outside of a bar.  Bierbrodt’s accused of dragging one of the victims 75 feet before stopping and running him over.

Bierbrodt is charged with aggravated battery, leaving the scene of an injury accident and aggravated reckless driving.  He posted bond Tuesday and was released from the Stephenson County Jail.

Kinzinger bringing Rep. Roskam to Ottawa campaign stop

Medicare fraud is one of the topics the republican candidate for the 11^th Congressional district will be talking about during a stop in Ottawa.

Adam Kinzinger has brought in Congressman Peter Roskam for a press conference at 10am Thursday at the La Salle County GOP Headquarters.

They plan to talk about legislation sponsored by Roskam that would crack down on fraud.

Kinzinger is trying to win the seat currently held by Democrat Debbie Halvorson.

Project Santa a step closer to winning a charity contest

A local effort that has been sending Christmas stockings to military personnel overseas is hoping they can win 500 thousand dollars through a corporate charity competition.

Project Santa organizer Heidi Milner has been encouraging everyone she knows to vote for Project Santa at the One Billion Points charity video website.  The charity is through a rewards program affiliated with Kmart and Sears.

Today she found out that Project Santa has been voted into the top 20 charities and will have a chance at winning $500,000 to by merchandise.  Voting for the new phase of the contest will not begin until Saturday.

Milner wants to send seven thousand stockings to troops this year.  The items in the stockings, the stockings and the postage have traditionally been paid for with donations.

Heroin related charge for a La Salle woman

An investigation into heroin sales in La Salle has left a woman facing a drug charge.

Katherine Zaverl of La Salle was arrested Tuesday after police say she brought heroin to a person with the police drug team TRIDENT near 3^rd and Crosat Streets.

Zaverl was charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a class two felony.  She’s being held in the La Salle County Jail.

LPHS senior chosen as National Merit Scholarship semifinalist

Not every high school student is chosen as a National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist but a senior at LP High School has made the grade.

Dakota Kowalski is one of 16,000 semifinalists nationally.  Students are judged based on test scores.  Kowalski plans to study computer programming at either the University of Illinois or MIT.

Shadows of the Blue and Gray returns to City County Park

A Civil War re-enactment is the ultimate 3-D, at least that’s how the director of the Shadows of the Blue and Gray describes the program that’s in its 15^th year.

Brett Hall says everyone in the family will be able to step back into 1860s and have history unfold before them with live actors.  The re-enactors portray soldiers, civilians and others who would have been involved in the war.

Hall says the re-enactors are not there to glorify war.

Participants come from all over the Midwest.  You’ll be able to speak to the re-enactors and hear their stories.  A period fashion show is scheduled for Saturday.  Battle demonstrations are Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

It’s held in City/County Park north of Princeton.  Admission is $7 for people 12 and older.

You can hear more about the Shadows of the Blue and Gray by listening to an interview posted on the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

La Salle planning downtown sidewalk work

Sections of sidewalk in La Salle’s shopping districts are being replaced.  Ladzinski Cement has been hired to do $56,000 worth of sidewalk work.

Many of the sections are on First Street though some are as far north Ninth Street.

The city hopes to save money by having city employees remove concrete when possible.

The work is being paid for using money from the downtown TIF district.