Farm and home tools subject of exhibit at Prairie Arts Center

If you grew up on a farm or just appreciate that work that farmers do, you could enjoy an exhibit that opens this week at The Prairie Arts Center.

“Harvest:  Handcrafted Farm and Home Tools” features items that have been collected by Bureau County farmer Harold Steele.  It includes a wide array of primitive and more modern tools.

The show opens Friday evening at the Prairie Arts Center in Princeton and runs through Sunday, October 2^nd.

Enjoy a Walk with the Mayor in Ottawa

Walking and local politics come together again in Ottawa.  Mayor Bob Eschbach kicks off another round of Walks with the Mayor at 6pm Thursday at Washington Square.  It was something he started last year.  He says it’s a way of supporting a healthy lifestyle while speaking with the mayor and other people in town.

Library program allows members to checkout eBooks

While there will always be the hard-copy book lovers, many people have fallen in love with electronic devices that let you turn the pages by sliding your finger across a screen.

The La Salle and Peru Public Libraries have a new program that allows you to checkout eBooks and eAudios from anywhere there’s an internet connection.  It’s called OMNI Libraries.  Laura Frizol, the Library Director in La Salle, explains how it’s similar to checking out the physical copy of a book.

To download books you need to have a library card through either La Salle or Peru Libraries.  A link to the program is available at the websites.  The program works with Nooks, IPads, IPhone, Sony Readers and later in the year the Kindle.

Learn more about how you can checkout eBooks by listening to an interview available at the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

Bridge replacement completed on Wallace-Waltham Blacktop

If you’ve been going out of your because of bridge work on the Wallace- Waltham Blacktop, you no longer need to.  The bridge over Tamahawk Creek has been replaced and the road was reopened to traffic Tuesday evening.

Radium Girl statue to be installed Wednesday

A tribute to the young women in Ottawa who suffered and died from radium poisoning is being installed Wednesday morning.  The Radium Girl statue is being dedicated Friday morning, but this morning the final preparation of the statue base will begin.  Workers will be placing the six inch high granite base to the Memorial plaza floor.

Once that’s in place the covered statue will be glued to the base.  It will remain covered until ceremony Friday at 11am.  The statue is being placed at the northwest corner of Clinton and Jefferson Streets, across from Home Hardware.

Miller Group Charitable Trust donated $20,000 to the campaign in December.  Miller Group Media includes AM 1220 WLPO, 99.3 WAJK, 96.5 the Wolf, NewsTribune and AgriNews.

Spring Valley store employee accused of selling bath salts

Bath salts are neither for use in a relaxing bath or a legal drug in Illinois.  But police say someone working undercover was able to buy the cleverly named drugs at a store in downtown Spring Valley.

Nedal Abdallah of Spring Valley, an employee of Ned’s Smoke Shop was arrested Monday.  He’s accused of selling the drug that became illegal in late July to someone working with the drug team TRIDENT.  Police say they found a number of packages of the drug during a search of the store.

Abdallah faces the class three felony of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance.  More charges are possible.  He was taken to the Bureau County Jail.

16 year old arrested for Streator High School break-in

It’s too early in the semester to be acting out about going to school.  A 16 year old boy is being blamed for breaking windows and things being stolen from Streator High School early Saturday morning.

The teen was arrested Monday for burglary, criminal damage to government property and breaking curfew.  He was taken to the La Salle County Detention Home.  More charges are possible.

Big Time Rush concert raised $27,000 for Peru Pool Fund

Area kids sure went wild for the band Big Time Rush when they performed in Peru.  Hopefully those kids will be just as excited when a new pool is built in Peru.

The concert on August 13 has given the pool fund an extra $27,000.  Merry Noonan with Lou’s LaGrotto was the force behind the show and the Concerts for a Cause series which brought two performances to the Illinois Valley Regional Airport this summer.

The concert was sponsored by 99.3 WAJK.

The pool fund is up to an estimated $62,000.

Oglesby utility taxes increasing

Now is a good time to start practicing energy conservation in Oglesby.  Utility taxes are about to be increased to make up for money lost when the cement plant stopped producing.

Buzzi Unicem’s high electricity demand helped the city keep the costs down for people living in town, but with the cement plant no longer producing, the city’s left with a whole to fill.

The city council agreed Monday to raise the Ameren and telecommunication taxes from 2% to 5%.  The electricity tax will go from 2% to 6%.  Mayor Don Finley says it’s what the state law will allow them to do.

The decision needs be held over for a final vote next Tuesday evening.

Peru sales tax increase approved

Money for roads and sewers beat out the risk of loosing shoppers and businesses with the approval of a half-cent sales tax increase in Peru.  The proposal had the council Monday night.

Alderman Dave Potthoff was the most outspoken against it, saying a tax increase would put Peru at a competitive disadvantage.  He thinks it will make people want to shop online or in other towns.  He also thinks it could lead to businesses leaving for towns with lower sales tax.

Mayor Scott Harl had been pushing for the tax increase all summer.  He says Peru’s situation wasn’t hurt when the council created a half-cent sales tax in 2007 for Parkside School.

Potthoff, Bob Ankiewicz, Tony Ferrari, and Dave Waldorf voted against the increase, but were out numbered when Harl’s yes vote broke a tie.

The sales tax will begin January 1.  It will be collected in a restricted fund designated for road and sewer projects.