Barn Torched In Mendota

No one was hurt in a large barn fire in Mendota.

A 911 call came to Mendota Fire at nine Friday night about a barn fully engulfed on Route 251, a mile north of town.  Mendota fire officials say the barn is owned by Gleim Farms and was in use with about 600 bales of hay inside.  There was no livestock in the barn.  The barn was destroyed.

Mendota and about a half dozen other fire departments were on the scene for over two hours.  The stretch of Route 251 near the fire scene was closed during the blaze.

Fundraiser To Benefit Marseilles Veteran’s Wall

A pig roast and raffle today will help remember soldiers killed in the Middle East.

Fat Daddy’s Bar and Grill in Seneca is hosting the roast with proceeds going towards a new touch-screen kiosk at the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Marseilles.  The screen will have a directory making it easier to find soldiers on the wall.  Illinois Valley Cellular would provide internet to the kiosk.

City officials think it’ll cost 20 thousand dollars.

April Showers To Bring May Flowers?

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) – A new record for April rainfall has been set in Illinois.

The state water survey says average rainfall for the month was 7.45 inches. The typical average is 3.83 inches. State climatologist Jim Angel says this month beats the previous record of 7.13 inches set in 1957.

Rainfall amounts ranged from 4 to 6 inches in northern Illinois, to 4 to 10 inches in central Illinois and 10 to 15 inches in southern Illinois. Anna in southern Illinois had 20 inches of rainfall, the highest total statewide.

The average temperature statewide for April was 52.6 degrees, 0.5 degrees above average. Temperatures ranged from 93 degrees in Kaskaskia on April 11 to 18 degrees in Marengo on April 1.

Heroin Bust In Ladd

A week after getting arrested on a weapons charge, a Spring Valley man now faces a drug charge.

TRIDENT investigators say they were able to buy heroin from Micah Morganflash Thursday just south of the Ladd exit on Route 89.  TRIDENT officials say Morganflash had less than 15 grams of heroin.  Last Wednesday, he was arrested for having a handgun without a FOID card.

Morganflash was taken to the county jail on a new charge of unlawful delivery of controlled substance.

Cocaine Arrests In DePue

A man and woman from DePue are accused of dealing drugs out of their house.

TRIDENT officials paid Johnathon Meusel and Merri Cruz a visit Thursday. They allegedly had a number of bags of crack cocaine packaged for sale in their home.  Meusel was arrested for unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance while Cruz was picked up for unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Both were taken to the Bureau County Jail.

Drivers Asked To Avoid Utica Overpass

Even though the Route 178 overpass remains open during construction, IDOT officials want you to avoid using it on busy weekends.

Julia Messina with IDOT in Ottawa says her department along with law enforcement and fire officials have come up with a list of alternate routes to get to downtown Utica or Starved Rock.  They suggest using Route’s 71 and 6 to get to Utica from either Interstate 80 or 39.

Construction on the Utica overpass will continue through the summer.

Police Stop Early Morning Theft

Deputies say they caught a Marseilles man in the act of stealing from an elderly woman.

Police were called out to the Marseilles property of an 83-year old woman Thursday morning because of a suspicious truck.  Deputies say the truck was loaded with scrap metal and other things belonging to the woman.  They eventually tracked down Roman Cummings on the property and arrested him for criminal trespass and theft.

He was taken to the county jail and his truck was seized by deputies.  Cummings was arrested in 2008 for residential burglary.

Illinois River Receeding

The Illinois River is on its way down.

The river crested at 25.4 feet in La Salle Thursday night.  The stream is currently at 25.2 feet and will take at least a week to get back below the 20 foot flood stage.

In Ottawa, the Illinois sits at 463.7 feet, just above the 463 foot flood stage.  The river crested at two feet above flood stage yesterday.  It’s supposed to fall back below flood stage Saturday.

Ex-Henry Chief Settles Lawsuit

A former police chief in Henry has agreed to a settlement with the city.

According to the Peoria Journal Star, Jay Young received a $19,750 settlement after suing for age discrimination and unpaid overtime.  The Henry City Council approved the settlement last week.

Young was fired in September 2009 after being hired in 2006.  He argued that he never was given a reason why he was fired.

City officials say they’ll pay the settlement using state liability insurance, not taxpayer money.

Area Woman Accused Of Spitting On Cop

A Sheridan woman had a wild night that involved trips to a hospital and jail.

Kendall County deputies were called out Wednesday night about a rollover crash.  Cassandra Nelson was treated and released at Valley West Hospital.

She was also arrested for DUI, possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia and aggravated battery.  Nelson is accused of spitting on a Plano police officer.

She was taken to the county jail.