Broadband Internet Coming To La Salle County

Broadband internet throughout La Salle County could be available in a couple years.

Herb Kuryliw of Northern Illinois University says broadband officials are doing a six-month environmental assessment plan right now and should start installing the fiber lines for broadband internet in March.  He thinks the 190-mile high-speed network will be done in two years.  Kuryliw says they still have to get easements to bury the lines underground.

The entire project will cost over 60 million dollars and around two million dollars each year to keep it up and running.  Millions of dollars have been awarded to the broadband initiative from state and federal governments.  Kuryliw also expects the heavy users of broadband like hospitals, schools and governments to help fund the project.

La Salle County Board Chairman Jerry Hicks says the county will pitch in 100 thousand dollars that can be paid over the next three years.

Popular Peru restaurant sold to new owner

For years a restaurant on the west end of Peru was the place to go for pork tenderloins and papaya juice.  The Igloo has been in business since 1937.  After being on the block for several years, it has a new owner.

Richard Decker and his wife Christine purchased the business from the Mazzorana family Thursday afternoon.  And without skipping a beat, it’ll we be open for business Friday morning.

Decker says he’s not changing anything- from the name to the menu,  though eventually they would like to add new items.

Papaya juice, which has been off the menu for a couple of years, won’t be making a comeback unless he can find a new supplier.

Decker’s restaurant experience includes 30 years with McDonald’s.

Lockers, plumbing and other repairs scheduled for LPHS

The L-P School Board plans to spend over $100,000 on fixing up student lockers.

The board is spending nearly $500,000 in health and life safety funds to replace locker doors, replace main entrance doors and perform lighting, plumbing and exhaust work at the main building.  At the east gym and area career center, the board wants to replace five classroom ventilators and roof exhaust fans.

Included in the $500,000 cost is over $40,000 in architect fees and expenses.

Toxicology results show man had been drinking before deadly crash

A husband killed in a crash almost two weeks ago had been drinking before the accident.  Toxicology testing shows 41 year old Dale Shannon of Ransom had a blood alcohol level of .266, three times the legal limit, at the time of the crash.

Shannon was killed instantly when his neck snapped because of the impact of the crash on December 5 on the Grand Ridge Blacktop.  His wife, 40 year old Tanya Shannon, has been missing ever since.

Toxicology results were released Thursday by the La Salle County Coroner’s office.

Sex Assault Arrest In Ottawa

A man from Ottawa is in jail for allegedly abusing a young girl.

Jeramie Kelley was arrested on a warrant Tuesday for aggravated criminal sexual abuse.  He’s accused of multiple incidents of inappropriate sexual conduct with a girl under 13 years old.  The initial call to police came in October.

Kelley is in jail on 50 thousand dollars bond.

One killed in crash on I-80

Snow covered roads have been making driving dangerous, especially on Interstate 80.

A stretch of eastbound I-80 was closed for several hours after a crash that left one person dead.  It happened around 5am Thursday near the Sheffield exit and involved six semis.

No sooner was that stretch reopened, state troopers were handling another crash east of the I-180 interchange.

Police also handled a rollover crash on I-39 south of Mendota. Police haven’t said if anyone was hurt in the other crashes.

While some roads have been cleared of ice and snow, many remain patchy.

Waiting Game In Shannon Case

The wait is still on regarding answers into the Dale and Tanya Shannon crash.

The search for Tanya is still on hold.  She’s now been missing since December 5^th.

With her husband Dale Shannon, the La Salle County Coroner’s office says they’re still waiting for toxicology test results to see if alcohol played a role in the crash that killed Dale.  The coroner’s office says he died instantly with a broken neck.

Investigators have said they didn’t find signs of alcohol in the couple’s car.

L-P Lowers Tax Rate

Predicting an increase an equalized assessed valuation, LP High School will try to bring in more tax dollars next year than this year.

The tentative tax levy is 1.83, a slight decrease over last year’s.  Last year they asked for 8.6 million dollars and received 8.1 million instead.  This time they’re asking for about eight thousand dollars more than they received.

Superintendent Dr. Craig Carter says they have to ask what they can because after the final EAV is determined they can’t receive more than they requested.  Carter is estimating the school’s EAV to rise 2.4 percent.