La Salle County to spend $124,000 to fix heating at county jail

Even jail inmates need heat.  Heating ductwork at the La Salle County Jail is going to cost the county $124,000.  The county board Thursday decided to hire Marseilles Sheet Metal for the work that’s needed in the women’s pod of the jail. Marseilles Sheet Metal’s bid is around three times higher than the engineer’s estimate.

Public Property Committee Chairman Jim Olson says the women’s pod is either too hot or too cold on most days.

LP drama club to perform “The War at Home”

A play that looks at the September 11^th attacks through the eyes of high school students is coming to LP High School.

“The War at Home” is being performed Friday and Saturday at 7pm by the LP High School Drama Club.  Tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for students.

Woman arrested after a crash in Leland

Waking up on a stranger’s couch is scary, just about as scary as crashing your car into a tree.  Police say a woman from Big Rock did both early Thursday morning.

Police say they had to wake up Jessica Basenberg after she hit a tree, walked to a stranger’s home and called for help.  She ended up passing out on a couch.

She was given a handful of tickets and was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Historic Blacksmith Shop Getting Facelift

A 119-year-old blacksmith shop in Utica needs major repairs.

The LaSalle County Historical Society building has crumbling exterior walls. Society member Arnie Bandstra says the building’s north wall is leaning nine inches and is about to fall over. He says the original appearance of the building will be preserved when the wall is rebuilt by using the same stones and windows.

Historical experts say the building was opened as a blacksmith shop in 1888 and was never been used for anything else.
Ottawa Masonry Inc. will rebuild the wall, remove and clean stones and windows, brace the roof and tuck point the wall.

The renovation should take four to six weeks.

Area Vets Will Experience National War Memorials

Members of this country’s “greatest generation” will travel to the nation’s capital today for a memorial tour.

Honor Flight of the Quad Cities is sending over 80 veterans to Washington D.C. to tour the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War memorials.  On the trip from Bureau County are Robert Noble, Harry Olson and W. Bud Wilkinson all from Walnut.  Noble fought in WWII in the Pacific with the Navy while Olson is a WWII Army vet who fought in Korea.  Wilkinson served at the pentagon.

Thanks to sponsors, the Honor Flight is free for veterans.  This is the fourth and final Honor Flight of this year out of the Quad Cities.