More Meetings To Discuss Post Office Closings

The process of closing some area post offices is moving ahead.

The United States Postal Service sent letters last week to people in Bureau, Kasbeer and Dover announcing public meetings to talk about closing the village post offices.  The meeting in Bureau is tonight at six in the community building.  The Kasbeer meeting is tomorrow at 4:30 in the Kasbeer Community Church while the Dover meeting is Wednesday at 4:30 in the village hall.

Back in July, the postal service released a so-called post office study list where stamps and flat-rate packaging would be done at village stores instead of post offices.  Other towns on the post office closure list included offices in Cedar Point, Leonore, Troy Grove, Mark and Van Orin.

A post office statement says mail customers “made it clear they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business”.

Jail Improvements Too Costly

You’ll be happy to know that the La Salle County Board isn’t recklessly spending your tax dollars.

The heating and air conditioning needs fixed in the women’s pod of the La Salle County Jail.  The board though is putting off the work after bids came in six times the amount of what the county had estimated to pay for the repairs.  Public Property Committee Chairman Jim Olson says the women’s pod is either too hot or too cold on most days.

The board is restarting the bid process.  The engineer’s estimate is 40 thousand dollars.

Local Schools Get Money To Fight Teen Drinking

Five area high schools have won grants to promote safe driving among teens.

105 high schools were selected to be a part of the statewide “Operation Teen Safe Driving Program” where they each have to come up with a campaign for safe driving awareness.  Getting two thousand dollar grants from IDOT are Fieldcrest, Ottawa, Serena, La Moille and Putnam County high schools.

Schools that come up with the best teen driving awareness program get more money to host a post-prom party.

Animal Cruelty Case In Ottawa

While you may think leaving animals behind to die is worthy of prison, two women accused of doing it in Ottawa may just get fined.

Milinda Flesch of Montana faces four counts of animal cruelty and Dawne Smith of Plainfield is charged with three cruelty counts.  The women are accused of moving out of a home in a rural Ottawa last spring and leaving behind dogs, cats, lizards, along with a horse, pig, rabbit and python.  Two dogs plus a cat, rabbit, pig and python were found dead at the farmhouse.  All the other animals were malnourished.

The cruelty charges are misdemeanors so the women could get a fine, probation or jail time if they plead or are found guilty.

Occupy Peoria and Springfield

Hundreds in Springfield and Peoria have joined the protest against corporate greed and economic disparities that began with the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York. About 300 protesters marched in downtown Springfield on Saturday to join a global day of demonstrations. The Occupy Springfield rally was peaceful and there were no arrests. One protester – 55-year-old Joe Feiden of Petersburg – told the (Springfield) State Journal-Register he was at the rally because corporations have too much political influence. Another 300 people staged a march Saturday in Peoria. The Journal-Star reports the group plans to rally every Saturday and may set up a permanent occupation in a park. The mostly liberal protesters included some supporters of Texas Republican Ron Paul, a favorite of libertarians.

U-Way of the I-V

The United Way of the Illinois Valley has reached 32% of its annual campaign. The goal is to reach 3-hundred 45-thousand dollars. The United Way, located in LaSalle, credits the amount collected so early to its “Pacesetter” members comprised of local companies. Illinois Valley United Way also announced several local churches will be taking direction of the “Christmas Care” program. The goal is to provide gifts to 500 children in our community. If you would like to help or have questions, call 815 – 200 4804 or visit christmas care dot org.

Competing schools help Pantry

A competition that doesn’t need athletic ability and the Hall Township Food Pantry benefits. Hall High School and rival St. Bede Academy are utilizing their students, their parents and its faculty, staff and alumni to collect food items and leave at 500 North Terry in Spring Valley by November 11. Bags and boxes should be clearly labeled with the school’s name. The school bringing in the most pounds of food will be proclaimed the victor through press releases.

Cookie Kingdom charity

Cookies for lunch….well, maybe. But, if you purchase some this week from “Cookie Kingdom” in Oglesby, the proceeds go to St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Cookies will be on sale 9 – 5 Monday through Friday at 1201 E. Walnut Street. “Cookies Kingdom” manufactures pre-packaged cookies sold thru retail businesses around the country. Annually, the company sells cookies to help a select charity.

Chicago protestor arrests

Chicago police say they have arrested 175 anti-Wall Street protesters who refused to leave a city park when it closed. About 2,000 people participated Saturday in an Occupy Chicago
demonstration, and about 500 pitched tents in Congress Plaza that evening. Chicago police say the protesters were told to remove their tents and leave the park when it closed at 11 p.m. When they didn’t, police began cutting down the tents and making arrests. The Chicago Tribune reports most arrests were peaceful, but at least two men refused to stand and had to be carried away. The newspaper says the arrests wrapped up with the plaza cleared about
3:30 a.m. Occupy Chicago organizer Rachael Perrotta says protesters were at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on Sunday morning.

crash memorial

The unveiling of a memorial to victims of the American Airlines Flight 191 crash drew more than 1,000 people. The May 1979 crash killed all 271 people on board and two on the ground. The memorial in Lake Park in Des Plaines isn’t far from where the aircraft went down shortly after taking off from O’Hare International Airport.