Area towns to hold fireworks displays

It wouldn’t be the Fourth of July weekend without a good fireworks display.  Communities in the Illinois Valley offer plenty of choices.

Saturday night fireworks displays are planned for Utica at Cary Memorial Park and in Streator at the Streator High School Football Field.

Peru sets off their fireworks Sunday night along the riverfront.  Walnut will also have fireworks Sunday night as part of their Hometown Celebration.

Even more communities are sticking with the traditional Fourth of July date.  Monday night fireworks are scheduled for Ottawa at the riverfront, Hennepin at the riverfront, Henry at Waterfront Park, Mendota at the fairgrounds, Sheridan at Robertson Field, and Princeton at Zearing Park.

All displays are to start at dusk.

Registered sex offender arrested after child reported missing in Ottawa

A missing child report in Ottawa has left a registered sex offender facing new charges including aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Police say they were called about a missing child near East Superior Street Thursday afternoon.  Officers went to the area and the child was soon found by a family member near Fox River Park.

After talking to people near the park and investigating the child, Spencer Lamont was arrested Friday morning at his home on Pine Street.

He’s charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, unlawful presence within a school zone, and luring a minor.  Each charge is a felony.  He was being held in the La Salle County Jail.

Three rescued from lake after truck and boat went under water

Area lakes and rivers are busy with people looking for some R and R.  But things became hectic at Lake Wildwood in Marshall County after a truck and boat accidentally rolled off the boat launch and into water.

It happened just before 12pm Friday.  Police say a man was trying to launch his boat when for whatever reason the boat and truck rolled into the lake.  Also in the water were three people who couldn’t swim but they were safely brought ashore.

Varna Firefighters and members of the Peru Dive Team helped out.

Holiday Relief From Construction

Happy 4^th of July, some construction areas are being suspended for holiday travel.

As of three o’clock this (Friday) afternoon, IDOT is suspending all non-emergency road work until midnight Monday.  Construction areas in La Salle County that can’t be stopped for the weekend are on the 178 overpass in Utica where one lane remains closed.  A stretch of Route 71/351 in Oglesby also stays closed this weekend for culvert replacements.

In Bureau County, Route 34 south of LaMoille is still closed because of bridge work.  Bridge repairs also still have traffic down to one lane on stretches of Interstate 80 near Princeton and Route 6 east of Interstate 180.

Tougher Restrictions Approved At Hall

Hall High School students will need to step it up if they want to be involved in extra curricular activities.

According to the News Tribune, students who fail two or more classes won’t be eligible to participate in sports or other extra curricular activities.  Prior to this week’s school board decision, students could fail up to three classes and still do sports.

Superintendent Mike Struna says last semester, 60 students would’ve been ineligible for extra curriculars under the new two-F policy.

Death Penalty Ban Takes Effect

CHICAGO (AP) – Death row in Illinois is dead.

On Friday, a ban that Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law in March took effect. It’s a quiet last chapter to the story of capital punishment in Illinois, which captured the attention of the world when then-Gov. George Ryan imposed a moratorium in 2000. Ryan cleared death row entirely three years later.

After Ryan commuted the sentences of 167 death row inmates to life, prosecutors continued to seek the death penalty as they waited to see whether the moratorium imposed by Ryan would be lifted. Quinn has already commuted the sentences of the 15 men on death row to life in prison without parole.

Illinois has executed 12 men since 1977 when the death penalty was reinstated, the last one in 1999.

Ottawa Woman Busted For Crack Cocaine

Ottawa Police didn’t have to go far to nab their latest drug arrest.

Teresa Cottingham was arrested at her apartment Thursday on Clinton Street, about a block or so away from the Ottawa Police Department.  She’s accused of dealing crack cocaine.  Investigators say they found seven grams of the drug in her apartment.

Cottingham is in jail for unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.