Victory For Gun Rights Advocate

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) – A judge has issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the Illinois State Police from releasing the names of registered gun owners in the state – something the agency doesn’t want to do anyway.

The order was handed down Friday in Peoria. It is the latest chapter in a battle between the state’s attorney general and police force over the release of names of the state’s Firearm Owners Identification cardholders. Last week, responding to a Freedom of Information request from The Associated Press, Attorney General Lisa Madigan ruled the names are public information and should be disclosed by the state police.

The state police refused to do so and Friday four Peoria-area members of the Illinois State Rifle Association and the association asked Judge Scott Shore to issue the order.

Brush Fire Near DePue

Even though the ground is wet there was a brush fire Friday afternoon in Bureau County.

Fire crews from Bureau and DePue responded to the fire at 2650 East Street northwest of DePue.  The caller had concerns about the fire spreading to a nearby barn full of cardboard.  Crews put the blaze out before it hit the barn.

Firefighters had the blaze out within a half hour.

Prison time for La Salle man in arson case

Setting your house on fire could earn your 11 and a half years in prison.  It has for Joshua Hoyt of La Salle.

Hoyt was arrested shortly after firefighters and police arrived at his home on Tonti Street last July.  At the time he was arrested, he was on parole for aggravated battery.

Hoyt pleaded guilty to aggravated arson Thursday and sentenced.  He must serve 85% of term.

No one was hurt in the blaze.  The house sits boarded up and for sale.

Area mother says Navy son stationed in Japan felt quake

Many U.S. service members are stationed in Japan including the son of a woman from Troy Grove.  CSSA Jacob Stohr, 19 years old, is serving in Yokosuka Japan on the Navy Base aboard the USS George Washington.

His mother Tammy Sondgeroth says Stohr described the quake as,”massive shaking unlike anything they could have imagined back in Illinois.”  The ship reportedly broke away from its dock but was secured and prepared for Tsunami warnings.

Sondgeroth is following her son and his friends on Facebook.  She says the sailors on base were placed on lock down.

Scientists say the massive earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan ranks as the fifth largest jolt in the world since 1900.

You can learn about tsunamis and tsunamis preparedness during an interview with Illinois Valley Community College Professor Mike Phillips.  It’s available at the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

Parolee arrested for drugs in Ottawa

A parole check on a woman in Ottawa, has led to a new drug charge.

Ottawa Police and a parole agent paid a visit to Sara Farrell at the Surrey Motel Thursday.  She was on parole for a previous drug possession conviction.

Police say they found what they believed was heroin.  Farrell was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a class four felony.

Farrell was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Daycare center an area of disagreement for IVCC Board candidates

The most heated exchange at a forum for the Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees candidates involved an audience member.  It was held Thursday on campus sponsored by a student government organization.

IVCC trustee candidate Jim Narczewski fired away at Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker saying it was a disgrace that he took away the right of collective bargaining.  The former Spring Valley mayor and IVCC trustee didn’t stop there, using the word Natzi to describe Walker.

This upset the president of IVCC’s republican group.  Narczewski angrily fired back saying “you say what you say, and I’ll say what I say”.  The forum’s moderator stopped the exchange by telling Narczewski not to use the word again.

The other five trustee candidates, incumbents Mike Driscoll, David Mallery and Larry Huffman along with challengers Brandon Evans and Everett Solon all agreed with Narczewski that collective bargaining rights need to be protected.

Trustee candidates were split on where to put the college’s daycare center.  Solon, Narczewski and Evans all said the center should stay on campus.  Mallery, Driscoll and Huffman all back a plan to move the daycare to La Salle when the building is torn down to make way for a Community Technology Center.

Huffman says a partnership has been worked out with La Salle and La Salle Elementary Schools to move IVCC’s daycare center to their area.  Huffman says there is no fiscally responsible place to have the program stay on campus.

Huffman, Driscoll, Mallery, Solon and Evans are all vying for three, six-year terms.  Narczewski is running unopposed for a two-year term.

U of I singing group to peform at LPHS

Looking to start your weekend with music?  An a cappella group from the University of Illinois will be performing at LP High School Friday night.

“The Other Guys” take the stage at 7pm in Matthiessen Auditorium.  It’s sponsored by the L-P Choral Department.  Tickets are $10 and available at the door.

Ottawa candidates agree on a lot of issues facing the city

TIF districts, downtown parking, and home-rule were a few of the topics the candidates for Ottawa City Council and mayor tend to agree on.

The six men took questions during an hour and a half long forum Thursday night sponsored by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.

About 50 people turned out for the forum at the 807 Conference Center.

While many of the candidates shared similar beliefs, they don’t all agree on what to do about railroad traffic, specifically how it should be handled in regards to emergency vehicles.

Commissioner candidate Dale Baxter, an incumbent and former police chief, says they need to plan for a third fire station north of the tracks.

A few others thought it would be a large expense and they should continue to work with the railroads to shorten the amount of time trains are blocking crossings.

The forum also featured incumbent Mayor Bob Eschbach and his write-in opponent Arthur Foltynewicz.

Incumbent commissioner candidates Dan Aussem, Ed Whitney and Wayne Eichelkraut were joined by Planning Commission Member James Less.