Ottawa Building Wall To Fight Back Illinois River

 

Looking to protect their major investment, the Ottawa City Council is looking to keep floodwaters out of their upgraded wastewater treatment plant.

The council with the help of North Central Illinois Council of Governments are going after a Community Development Block Grant to help pay for a flood wall to surround the wastewater plant near Allen Park.  City Engineer Dave Noble says if the Illinois River went up another inch during the last major flood, the plant would’ve been flooded.

The flood wall is expected to cost upwards of 1.6 million dollars.  The city is already doing an 8 million dollar upgrade to the treatment plant.

Hearing for proposed sand operation called off

A letter from the Illinois Attorney General’s office is delaying a mining company’s plans for setting up shop in La Salle County.  Officials at Proppant Specialists say they still want to build a mining operation west of Ottawa.  They had submitted a special use permit request to the county, but withdrew their request Tuesday after finding out the Attorney General’s office had asked the county’s Environmental Services and Land Use Department to delay a decision on the request.  A hearing for that request would have been held Tuesday evening.

The company says after they receive the permit they can apply for state and federal permits.

Vic Kastner is the vice president of Proppant.   He says they want to answer all questions about this project and that they believe many of the objections to the project are being driven by business competitors.

They plan to resubmit the special use request.  At that time a hearing would have to be held by the zoning board.

Ex.-Ill. Gov. Ryan to remain in federal prison

CHICAGO (AP) – A federal judge has ruled that former Illinois Gov. George Ryan must remain in prison.

Ryan’s attorneys want elements of his conviction tossed based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision curtailing anti-fraud laws – known as “honest services” laws.

Last week, Ryan’s attorneys made an urgent plea for his release after his wife was hospitalized. Doctors have given Lura Lynn Ryan as few as three months to live. She’s been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer ruled that Ryan must remain in prison.

The 76-year-old former governor has served three years of a 6 1/2-year sentence on convictions of racketeering, conspiracy, tax fraud and making false statements to the FBI.

Little change expected from IVCC tax levy

Your property tax bill to Illinois Valley Community College should be staying the same.

The Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees passed their tax levy Monday night which sets the rate at 34.6 cents per $100 assessed valuation.  That means if you’re home value is unchanged from last year, your IVCC taxes should be the same or even drop.

The total tax asking is $666,000, a 6% jump from this past year.  The jump is due to an expected 5% increased in EAV.

 

Peru approves agreement with ambulance service

The price of just about everything seems to be rising, but not the price for proving ambulance service to Peru.  An agreement between the City of Peru and the Peru Volunteer Ambulance Service, a separate organization, has the city continuing to pay $4,000 a month for coverage.

Mayor Scott Harl recently asked to review their agreement with PVAS.  Last month, the City of La Salle decided to choose a different ambulance service over Peru, leaving questions about the financial future of PVAS.

Snowfall Rundown

Yesterday’s snowstorm dropped a variety of amounts of snow across the listening area.

A spotter in Marseilles reported 5.4 inches of snow with 4 inches reported in Earlville, La Salle, Mendota and Ottawa.  The weather service says Peru received 3.8 inches of snow while Seneca got 3.5 inches, Oglesby and Sheridan just over 3 inches.

The snow was heaviest in Lee and Kane counties.

Crowded Mayorial Field In Marseilles

There will be a crowded race for mayor in Marseilles.  Four people are running.

Incumbent Mayor Jim Trager will have to hold off Patti Smith, Cheryl O’Brien and Angie Bowyer in the April election.  O’Brien is a current council member while Bowyer ran for commissioner in 2007 and Smith lost to Trager in the mayor’s race in 2007.

There are four council seats on the ballot in Marseilles but only four people are running.  Incumbents Bob Davis, Jim Hollenbeck and Jim Buckingham are running for re-election.  Marseilles Recreation Board President Bob Kaminski will fill the other council seat.