Police asking for information in recent burglaries

Police are hoping you can help them find the people responsible for break-ins at four area businesses.

Reports of burglaries started coming into to the La Salle Police Department early Thursday morning.  They investigated three break-ins in La Salle, at Twin City Family Table, formerly the LP Family Restaurant; Kotecki’s, and the laundromat across the street from Kotecki’s.

In Peru, an employee arriving for work at Amici’s Restaurant noticed the place had been burglarized overnight.  Police say someone came in through the backdoor and took cash.

Police think the break-ins are related and could be connected to burglaries in Ottawa.  If you have any information, call Illinois Valley Crimestoppers.

Winter weather affecting travel

Have an extra cup of coffee; you’ll need your energy to shovel your way out this morning.  Yesterday’s snowfall has left many main highways, interstates and roads in-town patchy with snow and ice.

Slow down and allow extra time for cleaning off your car and driving to where you need to be this morning.

IDOT’s will be updating their statewide winter road condition map.

Streator house fire forces residents from their home

There’s never a good time to be forced from your home because of a fire, but early morning Christmas Eve seems like possibly the worst.

The people living in a rental home at 910 North Park Street in Streator were out of their home early Friday morning after a fire broke out in the kitchen.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire in the kitchen but were able to keep the blaze to just that room.  The rest of the home had heavy smoke and heat damage.  The family did not need assistance finding a place to go.

It was the second fire call in less than a day for Streator firefighters.  Thursday evening they were called to a home on West First Street for a garage fire.  It totaled the garage, car inside and damaged a nearby garage and house.

In both cases, the cause of the fires is being investigated.

Last day to donate to Salvation Army red kettles

The Salvation Army red kettle is a common sight outside of stores this time of year.  And they need you to continue dropping money in the kettles.

The Salvation Army office in Ottawa has raised over half of their Christmas goal.  They’re trying to collect $125,000.  The Christmas collect accounts for over half of the money needed to maintain services like their food pantry, food baskets and utility assistance.

Over $750 was collected while employees from AM 1220 WLPO, 99.3 WAJK and 96.5 The Wolf took over bell ringing at HyVee in Peru last Friday.