La Salle officials question yard waste fee

The rules and pricing for yard waste pick-up has city officials and people in La Salle asking questions.

The city’s waste hauler, Illinois Valley Waste Services, has begun distributing notices telling people in La Salle they’ll have to pay a $10 fee for weekly yard waste pick up this year.  The “important notice” as it’s titled asks you to call their office in Princeton and sent them a check by April 15.

But Mayor Jeff Grove and several of the aldermen want more information from the company because they don’t believe it’s the same pitch they heard in January when they decided to renew their contract.  The topic came up during Monday night’s council meeting.

Alderman Jon Lavieri went as far to call it bait and switch.  Lavieri and others say that’s not what the company proposed.

Grove says he’s going to call the company to see if they can work it out.  In the meantime, you’ll want to hang-on to your money.

Hennepin Ethanol Plant Expanding

Business must be good for a local ethanol plant.

Marquis Energy officials have plans to build a new plant in Hennepin that will double their ethanol production.  This could also mean 40 to 50 new jobs. The new construction would be at the existing plant location in Hennepin.

The company submitted a construction permit with the Illinois EPA and hopes to start expanding later this summer or fall.  The existing Marquis Ethanol plant started production in May of 2008.

Over 80 People Shave Heads In La Salle For St. Baldricks

The numbers are in for this year’s St. Baldrick’s fundraiser in La Salle.

82 people including one woman shaved their heads and raised money to fight childhood cancer.  Over 15 thousand dollars was raised which fell well below this year’s goal of 29 thousand dollars and the 32 thousand dollars that was raised last year.

In the battle of fire department fundraising, Utica firefighters raised 88 more dollars than Peru.

Locals Advance In Charity Tournament

It’s onto the third round for 99.3 WAJK morning man Jon Shap and NewsTribune sportswriter Erik Hall.

Both won their second round matchups in the Peoria Chiefs promotion benefiting charities called “Media Madness”.  Shap is trying to win for Cops 4 Cancer while Hall is in it for Ladd Baseball.  Either Shap or Hall needs to get the most votes in five different rounds to win 500 dollars for their charity.

Shap and Hall are now paired up against each other in the quarterfinal round.  You can cast 25 votes a day by going to the Peoria Chiefs website.

Voting goes until Sunday evening.

Wild Weather Possible This Week

Now that warmer weather is here, are you ready for severe thunderstorms?

The National Weather Service’s storm prediction center has put the entire listening area under a slight risk for severe storms Tuesday.  The greatest chance of storms will be late Tuesday afternoon into the evening.

In a twist, snow could fall Wednesday night.

Fire Damage At Area Softball Field

Just before a new softball season will begin, Ottawa officials will have to clean up a diamond because of an apparent arsonist.

Police took a call Friday about someone setting the base of a light pole on fire at the June Gross softball diamond at Lincoln-Douglas Park.  Investigators say the fire charred a dugout bench, the bottom of the light pole and melted the electrical conduit that was on the pole.

The fire is under investigation.

Ottawa man faces LSD charge

An investigation that started with a traffic stop in October has led to an arrest.

Nathan Tri of Ottawa was arrested Sunday on a La Salle County warrant for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, LSD, with intent to deliver.  It’s a class two felony.

Police say they found the drug after stopping him last October.  Items from the stop had to be sent to the State Police Crime Lab.

Tri was taken to the county jail with his bond set at $50,000.

La Salle Council meets tonight

A couple of changes to the park and recreation board in La Salle.  A new member will be appointed as another one steps down.  Another item up for discussion during Monday night’s La Salle City Council meeting, paying the general contractor that’s building the new wastewater plant, pending approval of the IEPA.

The La Salle City Council meets at 7pm.