Bank Robber Still On The Run

The man who robbed Citizens 1^st State Bank in Ohio is still out there.

Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson says they interviewed three suspects but all have been cleared in the bank robbery.  He describes the suspect as being white, in his late 20’s.  He was wearing all black with a ski mask on.  Police think he showed some type of gun and made way with an undisclosed amount of money.  He fled on foot.

If you have information into the Ohio bank robbery, call the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department.

Teenage Girls Helps Others During Tiskilwa Derailment

With flames shooting to the sky just blocks from her home, a 17-year-old girl refused to evacuate until she could help a paralyzed young neighbor with cancer.

Cynnandra Luttrell lives in Tiskilwa where a train derailed and caught fire early Friday. The fire was about five blocks from the high school senior’s home. She sent her family away and rushed across the street to help her best friend’s 9-year-old brother. He is paralyzed on one side and has brain cancer.

Luttrell says her friend is out of town and the girl’s mother can’t lift the son. Luttrell helped get the boy into the car to
safety. She also stayed and went to a half-dozen other homes to make sure her neighbors got to safety.

Feds Investigating Tiskilwa Derailment

Federal transportation safety officials will investigate the fiery Tiskilwa derailment of a freight train loaded with highly flammable ethanol.

The National Transportation Safety Board says it is dispatching a six-person team to investigate today’s rail accident.  It isn’t immediately clear how long the investigation may take. Fire officials say the train’s tanker cars were shipping ethanol along with perhaps other materials and chemicals when the early-morning derailment happened. At least six tanker cars  burned.

There’s no report of injuries.

EPA Looking Into Train Derailment

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is responding to the scene of a fiery freight train derailment in Tiskilwa.

EPA spokeswoman Maggie Carson says the representative heading to Tiskilwa intends to make sure waterways and the environment are protected. Carson says that what’s known about the derailment so far – that the train’s tanker cars were carrying ethanol – suggests that fumes will burn off and there won’t be long-term effects for people.

Carson says the EPA will reevaluate the situation, if other chemicals are involved.

Ottawa Graffiti Arrests Made

Three older teens have officially been charged with the recent graffiti outbreak in and around downtown Ottawa.

19-year old Cody Harney and 18-year olds Jamil Garbutt and Cameron Dyer all of Ottawa are charged with felony criminal defacement of property.  The three are accused of spray painting several places like the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge, south side water tower and businesses like the First National Bank, Miskell Law Center and Roxy Cinemas.

If you have a business that’s been spray painted in Ottawa and have yet to report it, give detective’s Scott Harden or Kyle Booras a call at the police department.