La Salle council clears the way for produce market

Normally, businesses building in La Salle would have to provide off-street parking, but that won’t be the case for a market planned for Joliet Street.

The produce market being built by Keith Boggio across the street from Save-a-Lot will not be required to have a parking lot because the city council agreed Monday night to waive the rules.

Boggio is buying the grassy lot for $18,000.  It should be up in time for next year’s produce season.

Work continues at new La Salle wastewater treatment plant

Painting, equipment installation, and landscaping are a few of the continuing projects at the new La Salle wastewater treatment plant.  The plant will handle sewer from homes and businesses east of the Little Vermilon River.

La Salle Public Works Superintendent Sam McNeilly says the contractor promised substantial completion by the end of June.  McNeilly says new water mains and sanitary sewer are in place, including lines that had to be installed under Interstate 39.  Equipment was also changed out at a lift station.  Contractors continue to finish up landscaping work.

Once everything is installed, McNeilly says they’ll run tests to make sure everything processes correctly.  The plant should be operating by the fall.

McNeilly says the same city employees will work at both treatment plants.

Dance contest raises $25,000

A dance competition has raised $25,000 for area charities.  The annual Illinois Valley Cellular’s Dancing with the Stars Charity contest was held Sunday night in La Salle.

First place went to WCMY Radio personality Kris Michaels and his partner Reilly Jaeger.  They raised money for the Hegeler-Carus Foundation.

Money was raised through ticket sales and raffles.  Every charity received at least $2,000.

Police say they found drugs during an I-80 stop

Hiding your marijuana in a duffle bag probably won’t prevent the police from finding.  Police say they found 10 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on Interstate 80 Monday morning.

Police say they stopped Chritos Koumasidis of Massachusetts for improper lane usage.  After receiving permission to search his car, police say they found the drugs in a duffle bag in the trunk.

Koumasidis and Evangelo Koutounidis were arrested for possession of cannabis with intent to deliver and were taken to the La Salle County Jail.

American Cancer Society opens center in Streator

You’ve probably donated to the American Cancer Society either through a Relay for Life event or another fundraiser.  A new Patient Resource Center in Streator is an example of how your donation is being used.

Part of the center is a wig boutique.  Lauren Johnson is with the American Cancer Society.  She says the organization offers free wigs and head coverings to patients who have or will loose their hair due to treatment.   The center also includes an area devoted to literature and information about cancer.

The center is in the medical arts pavilion across from St. Mary’s Hospital.  It’s open Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am-5pm.  A grand opening will be held on Wednesday, June 1.

You can learn more about the center by listening to an interview available at the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

Area School Superintendent Resigns

The DePue School District needs a new leader.

Superintendent Ann Chandler will leave next month after turning in her letter of resignation.  She has been superintendent at DePue for the last three years.  Chandler says she’s going back to her husband in Taylorville.

The job posting says the candidate must have a teaching background in social studies and reading.

Blago Attorneys Want Mistrial

CHICAGO (AP) – Attorneys for Rod Blagojevich have asked a federal judge for a mistrial.

In a filing Monday morning with U.S. District Court in Chicago, the defense says the government failed to prove the corruption allegations against Blagojevich during their three-week case. Prosecutors rested last week, and defense attorneys are expected to put on their own case when the retrial reconvenes Wednesday. The mistrial motion also cites the inability of the defense “to ask any meaningful questions” in cross-examination. Prosecutors objected to questions from the defense more than a hundred times during the cross-examination of some government witnesses.

The judge is meeting with defense attorneys Monday to discuss instructions for jurors once they withdraw to deliberate in coming days. He could possibly address the mistrial motion later Monday.

Area Storm Reports

For the most part, the Illinois Valley went unscathed in the latest round of severe weather.

A line of storms rolled through the area between 8 and 9 o’clock Sunday night.  Just south of Princeton, the weather service says a door was blown 50 to 60 yards into a house and a small shed was blown down.  There was also a report of a tree blown down over a road outside Princeton.  One trained spotter measured 1.75 inches of rain during last night’s storms in Princeton.

As far as wind goes, a 70 mile per hour wind gust was reported in Arlington with a 60 mile per hour gust in Mendota.