Senior Housing Developer Eyeing Ottawa

If you need evidence that the Illinois Valley is an older population, just look at the popularity of senior housing.

While moving dirt already on a 50-unit senior housing development in Oglesby, The Stough Group is now making plans to build a 60-unit development in Ottawa.  They hope to start building this fall on Champlain Street across from the St. Columba Cemetery.

The Stough Group also has senior apartments in Spring Valley and Streator.

Accused Ottawa Robber Has Criminal History

Fifteen thousand dollars is needed to get Matthew Trotter out of the La Salle County Jail.

The 24 year old was in court yesterday being charged with aggravated robbery.  Trotter’s accused of robbing an Illinois Valley Community College employee at gunpoint late Monday morning inside Ottawa City Hall.  The gun ended up being a toy.  He got away with around 50 dollars before being arrested near the Ottawa skate park.

Trotter was arrested the night before by the sheriff’s office in Ottawa for DUI.  He gave Pella, Iowa as his hometown to deputies but Ottawa Police say he also has stayed in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Trotter has an extensive rap sheet, spending three different prison terms in Iowa since 2007.

Welcomeburger to signal start of Ottawa Riverfest

Something that many Ottawans circle on their calendar each year starts Wednesday.

Riverfest starts officially at 5pm with the 46th annual “Welcomeburger” at Washington Square Park in downtown Ottawa.  Tickets are $25 per person.  The carnival opens at 6pm.

From Wednesday through Sunday, Riverfest also features live music, sidewalk sales, “Taste of Ottawa”, art show, and horseshoe tournament.  Riverfest ends Sunday with a car show and the annual parade.  Everything except carnival wristbands and food at the “Taste” is free.

99.3 WAJK is sponsoring Sunday night’s music lineup featuring “Crash” and “Hi Infidelity”.

La Salle mayor thinks they could follow Peru’s lead in investigating ward populations

The neighborhoods in Peru have been changing over the years, so you would expect that to be the case in La Salle.  After learning that Peru will need to update their wards because of population shifts, La Salle Mayor Jeff Grove says it’s something his city should investigate.

Grove says they should talk with attorney their attorney Jim McPhederon to make sure everyone has equal representation on the city council.  Both La Salle and Peru have four wards, the boundaries of which haven’t been updated in at least 30 years.

La Salle County is in the process of updating their district maps, something they do following each ten year Census.

Code enforcement rules proposed for Peru

Would you avoid breaking the rules if you thought you would get caught?  City officials in Peru are considering a set of code enforcement rules they hope will make it easier to crackdown a bad property owners.

They recently approved an updated set of building rules.  The new rules could be used to guide a code enforcement officer if they decide to hire one.

Home In Mendota Burns Down

A home under renovation in Mendota is a total loss after a fire last night.

Mendota firefighters were called out to an unoccupied two-story home in the 18 hundred block of Augustine Avenue.  Assistant Fire Chief Dean Ege says flames were shooting through the roof when they arrived.  A worker in the basement was apparently fusing together copper fittings which started the fire.  He told firefighters he thought he had put the fire out.

A second home and garage received heat damage.  Fire crews were on scene for about four hours.

No Direction Yet On Replacing Spring Valley Bridge

What do you think of taking a ferry across the river in Spring Valley instead of the Route 89 bridge?

City Engineer Jack Kusek told the Spring Valley City Council last night that IDOT is thinking about demolishing the current bridge and just running a ferry across the river all day.  The state could also put up a new bridge exactly where the current one is or in a slightly different spot that could affect Barto Landing.

Kusek says IDOT wants to talk with city officials and people in Spring Valley about what to do with the bridge.  No meeting date has been set.

Dangerous Heat Today

Whether you call it a Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning, it’s plain hot today.

La Salle County is under a Heat Advisory today while Bureau and Putnam Counties are under an Excessive Heat Warning.  High temperatures in the listening area will reach the mid to upper 90s today.  Couple in the humidity and it’ll feel as warm as 108.

Rain tonight should cool things down a bit with a high in the mid-80s on Wednesday.