Ottawa Riverfest Rolls Along

If you’re a bargain shopper, downtown Ottawa is the place to be today.

As part of Riverfest there are downtown sidewalk sales today from 10 until 4.  Opening at 5 today is the “Taste of Ottawa” featuring around 10 restaurants.  Paddle boat races and a kid’s fishing rodeo also start near the bridge at 5.  The carnival opens back up at 6.

Live music starts at 7 with “Vagrant Life” followed by headliners “Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts” at 10.

Ottawa Regional Still Working On Merger

Nearly 10 months after word came that Ottawa Regional Hospital was planning to merge into the OSF Healthcare System, nothing has been made official yet.

Ottawa Regional Spokeswoman Karen Brodbeck says both sides are still doing their “due diligence to learn more about each other”.  She says the reason it seems like the merger is dragging is because they’re sifting through nearly 18 hundred documents to make sure the proposed merger will be successful.  Brodbeck says lawyers are going thru over 500 financial documents.

When the merger was first announced in October, ORH Governing Board Chairman Steve Gonzalo said they’re well positioned financially but it’s a good time to partner with a larger healthcare system.

Area Sheriff Crashes Into Semi

A bee buzzing around is blamed for a crash that involved Grundy County Sheriff Terry Marketti.

Marketti was on Route 47 in Mazon late Monday afternoon when he says he was distracted by a bee inside his county-owned SUV.  He veered into the northbound lane and sideswiped a semi driven by Charles Ogden of Marseilles.  Marketti finally stopped in a soybean field.

No one was injured or ticketed.

Committee works to bring small companies to La Salle

A small company bringing 50 fulltime jobs could make a real difference in La Salle.  One of the committees to be born out of La Salle’s Action Plan is focusing on attracting industry and small businesses.

Leah Inman is part of that committee of a dozen people.  She says her committee and others that focus on the downtown and technology give La Salle an advantage over their neighbors.

Inman says so far they’ve been coming up with an assessment to survey some of the local business owners and help determine what types of business or industry they would like to see.

If you would like to get involved, call City Hall ask for the economic development director.  Inman’s group tries to meet once a month.

Man wanted on warrants arrested in Peru

You’d never want to be arrested but if the police already have you stopped, it’s not worth trying to runaway.

Christopher Bates of Peru was picked up on a couple of La Salle County warrants after an officer noticing him walking Tuesday.  Police say while they were arresting him, Bates took off running but was soon stopped.

He was taken to the county jail with a new charge added to the list-resisting police.

State Police to hold Roadside Safety Checks

Don’t be surprised if you come upon an Illinois State Police roadside safety check sometime soon.

Roadside checks have been planned for La Salle County during August and September.  Troopers will be checking for the usual violations like people not wearing seat belts or DUI’s.

Semi crash caused traffic problems on WB I-80

A construction zone on Interstate 80 already has you slowing down near the Spring Valley exit, but a semi accident Wednesday morning had you just sitting in traffic.

The accident involved two semis, one of which began leaking fuel.  Westbound traffic was at a standstill for over an hour. Nobody was hurt.