Busy Board Meeting In Ottawa

The new board districts for La Salle County could be approved Thursday.

The La Salle County Board is expected to vote on a resolution that takes the latest census figures and redraws the 29 districts.  Even though it’s been discussed, there are no plans to cut the size of the county board.

Elsewhere at their meeting tomorrow, the La Salle County Board will talk about union contracts with deputies and jailers along with AFSCME workers.  The board also will accept the retirement letter of Regional Office of Education Superintendent Rich Myers.

Man Charged In Fatal Crash At State Park

A man from Morris has been ticketed in a fatal crash.

State Police ticketed Edwardo Lopez for driving too fast for conditions after he crashed into three men who were working for the DNR at Stratton Park in Morris on Monday.  Derek Posey and Steven Fronzeak of Morris and Richard Brockman of Wilmington were taking a break, sitting in a tractor bucket when Lopez crashed into it.  Posey was pronounced dead at the scene while Fronzeak and Brockman were taken to Morris Community Hospital.

State Police say more charges are pending against Lopez.

Skydiving Death near Ottawa

A skydiver is dead after an accident at Skydive Chicago.

30 year old Karthik Balakrishnan of Schaumburg was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon about a mile and a half east of Skydive Chicago.  Witnesses tell police that Balakrishnan’s parachute opened properly but shortly after that, he began making several radical turns, lost control and crashed into the ground.

The death is under investigation by the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office, La Salle County Coroner’s Office and Federal Aviation Administration.  FAA officials are in Ottawa today.

Mendota High School student helping patients at St. Jude Children’s Hospital

Spending time in a hospital can be hard, especially for a child.  A senior at Mendota High School is leading an effort to donate coloring books and crayons to children being treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

Linnea Leonard began her project, Color My World, last summer.  She says it was inspired by a friend at school.

Leonard and other students are holding a carnival from 10am-3pm Saturday in the front parking lot of the high school to raise money.  It’s geared toward families and will include food and games.

With the money raised Saturday, she hopes to buy the coloring books and deliver them to the hospital in the coming weeks.

You can hear more about her project by listening to an interview available at the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

Local Politician Hits Newstands Worldwide

Did you know that an area U.S. congressman had six-pack abs?

Republican Aaron Shock dons the cover of the June issue of Men’s Health magazine, showing off his toned body.  The 18^th Congressional District congressman is promoting a new fitness campaign with the magazine called “fit for summer challenge”.  He was on NBC Today’s Show Monday morning to talk about the fitness challenge.

Men’s Health meanwhile calls Shock “America’s fittest congressman”.