Taste of Town raises money for March of Dimes

About 350 people were eating for a cause in Streator.  The March of Dimes’ Taste of Town event Wednesday night at the Streator Knights of Columbus raised nearly $30,000.

$2,000 of that sum was donated by a Woodland High School student who organized a Bowl for Babies fundraiser.

You can still help the March of Dimes.  Their next fundraiser is Saturday night at the Peru Eagles Lodge. Songs for Our Babies includes dinner and entertainment.  Families are welcome.  Tickets are $20 a piece at the door.  Doors open at 5pm.  Dinner begins at 6pm with the music beginning at 7pm.

Man accused of indecent solicitation of a child

If you see something strange, tell the police.  That’s what a small group of junior high aged children in La Salle did after they claim a man exposed himself to them Wednesday afternoon.

Police say it happened shortly before 4pm in the 900 block of 8^th Street.  James Madonna of La Salle was arrested for indecent solicitation of a child, a class one felony.  Police say Madonna has a past conviction but was not required to register his whereabouts.

He was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Area Career Center closed due to gas leak

Classes should be back to normal Friday at the Area Career Center.  The center at LP High School was closed after someone smelled natural gas Thursday morning.  Ameren Illinois was called and a leak was traced to a faulty valve in the kitchen.

Area Teen Admits Setting Cat On Fire

A teen from Lacon has pled guilty to burning a cat to death.

The 16-year old boy admitted Wednesday in court to lighting a 17-year old cat on fire last month.  He’ll be sentenced in May after a psychiatric evaluation.

Marshall County State’s Attorney Paul Bauer says the boy offered to kill the cat “humanely” by shooting it in February.  He apparently had done this for other people to save money instead of going to a vet.

Two other 16-year old boys from Lacon and 17 year old Derek Weide of Magnolia are also charged with animal cruelty.  Their cases are pending.