Engineers say access road will help with sewer maintenance

Cleaning and maintaining sewers in Peru should be easier with a new access road.  The road is going in west of Pike Street.

Boehm Brothers of Peru have been hired for about $68,000 to clear out the area and put in the road.

Work on the project should start in the coming days.

Search begins for Circuit Court opening

Applications are now being accepted to replace Circuit Court Judge James Lanuti.

Lanuti of Ottawa is retiring from the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit December 6^th.  He was behind the bench for 24 years.

Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride will make a recommendation for Lunati’s replacement to the Supreme Court once candidates undergo an evaluation and screening process.  Applicants must practice law in Illinois and be in good standing with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.  Applications are due by December 23^rd to Kilbride’s office in Rock Island.

The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit covers Bureau, Grundy and La Salle counties.

Firearm deer season harvest numbers up over last year

Hunters in Illinois harvested about 68,000 deer during the opening weekend of the 2010 Illinois firearm deer season.

Hunters in Bureau County took out 1,024 deer last weekend.  In La Salle County 878 deer were harvested and in Putnam County 355 deer were harvested.  Numbers were higher than the same time last year.

The top county harvest totals last weekend were reported in Pike, Adams, Fulton, Jo Daviess and Randolph Counties.

The seven-day firearm season will conclude December 2 through 5.

A list of charges for Iowa City man stopped near Peru

Drug and traffic charges for an out-of-towner arrested in Peru.  Police say Emmanuel Cowley of Iowa City was following too closely and driving with a suspended license when they stopped him Monday night on Interstate 80.

He was also arrested for possession of a controlled substance, obstructing justice and other charges.  He was wanted on a Lake County warrant for a weapons charge.  Cowley was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Inmate Accused Of Starting Ruckus In Courtroom

A man from Streator is accused of starting a fight in court that left two La Salle County employees with injuries.

John Guy was in La Salle County Court Monday to face a charge of domestic battery.  He allegedly became belligerent and H. Chris Ryan ordered court officers to take him back to jail.  When they tried, Guy allegedly began a scuffle, biting a corrections officer on the arm and scratching a court security officer in the ear.

Guy wasn’t hurt in the scuffle but he now faces two new charges of aggravated battery.  He remains behind bars.