Peru minor league field to be named for former umpire

Remember your little league days- your teammates and the coaches.  You probably even remember the umpires.  A former umpire is being remembered in Peru.  The minor league field at Washington Park will be named Wayne “Hank” Koplin Field after the longtime ump and former park employee.

The city council began to consider the naming after being contact by a Maury Aaron who asked to have the field named in Koplin’s honor.  Aaron’s also making a 10 thousand dollar donation.

Alderman Bob Ankiewicz supported the name change when it came time to approve it Monday night.  He said Koplin was a great man who helped a lot of kids grow-up properly.

Alderman Rodney Perez and Tony Ferrari didn’t support the idea, saying there have been many people who have helped and suggested they be remembered in other way.

Wildlife Group Ups The Ante In Bald Eagle Investigation

The reward has gone up for anyone that has information leading to the conviction of a bald eagle shooter.

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to 25 hundred dollars for information about the injured eagle found in Hennepin late last month.  The Bureau-Putnam County Crime Stoppers were already offering a thousand dollar reward.

The eagle was found along the Illinois River with shotgun pellets in its left wing.  Penalties for shooting a bald eagle can be a year in jail and a 100 thousand dollar fine.

Oglesby Thinking About Skating Rink

If Oglesby opened an ice skating rink this winter, would you use it?

The city’s park board brought up the idea at their last meeting and Mayor Don Finley back’s it.  Finley says they would put the rink in an empty city lot just east of city hall.  It’s the same grassy lot where they had a farmer’s market.

Finley says the skating rink is just in the discussion stage right now but he’d like to have it up and running this winter.

Police look for man in Peru

A pot belly, dirty shirt, tan jacket and scraggly blond hair are some of the characteristics of a man wanted by the police in Peru.  The search for the man started around four this afternoon after a man working at Auto Body Direct on Fourth Street was approached and cut by a man that apparently had a knife.

Police have been searching the area for someone matching the description.  You’ll hear more as it’s made available.

Serious crash slows traffic on I-39 near Oglesby

The scene outside of Oglesby was smoke and flashing red and blue lights after a crash on Interstate 39.

A man that was driving through the area says it looked like a van and small car crashed in the southbound lanes just north of the Oglesby exit Monday afternoon.

At least one person was able to get out of the van as it was smoking.  The car was overturned in the ditch and on fire.  Police haven’t said yet who was involved or the extent of the injuries.

Crash in Granville sends man to the hospital

A ticket for one man and a trip to the hospital for another after an accident in Granville.  Police say it happened at the intersection of Route 71 and Elm Street Monday morning.

Garrett Fues of Hennepin was ticketed for failure to yield.  Michael Bickham of La Salle was taken to St. Margaret’s Hospital where he was treated and released.

Injured eagle transferred to wildlife center

DURAND, Ill. (AP) – A bald eagle found shot along the Illinois River has been transferred to a wildlife rehabilitation center.

The Rockford Register Star reports the 8-month-old eagle will recover at the Hoo Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Durand. Volunteers will care for the bird before it is released back into the wild in the spring. The injured eagle was found Oct. 30 and taken to an animal clinic in Streator. From Streator it was transferred to Hoo Haven last week.

Ten shotgun pellets fractured a long bone in the bird’s wing. The eagle had surgery in Streator and now will undergo physical therapy exercises in Durand.

Eagles are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Illinois Conservation Police are searching for the shooter. There is a $1,000 reward.

Lawmakers Heading Back To Springfield

After the first part of a veto session saw lawmakers override the governor’s veto on the smart grid bill, what will be done during the session’s second part?

The legislature is back in session tomorrow.  State Representative Frank Mautino has two bills that could be approved this week.  He’s pushing a bill that would allow school district’s to merge with others even if they don’t share a border.  Leepertown Elementary wants to annex into Ladd but they don’t share a boundary.

Mautino’s solution to pay Regional Office of Education Superintendents could also be voted on this week.  The Spring Valley democrat proposes using 11 million dollars from the personal Property Tax Replacement Fund to pay the regional superintendents.  City governments don’t like the idea because its tax money they normally would get.

Volunteer Bell Ringers Needed

The famous Salvation Army bell ringers return in less than two weeks.

Kettles will be outside businesses in Ottawa, La Salle and Peru starting November 18^th and in Streator on the 19^th.  Organizers hope to collect over 150 thousand dollars between the four cities.  The kettle drive runs through Christmas Eve.

If you can volunteer to be a bell ringer, call the local Salvation Army office.  Shifts usually last two hours.

Paw Paw Man Killed In Crash

Veering into oncoming traffic can be a deadly proposition.

62 year old Ronald Orr of Paw Paw was killed Saturday night after Kendall County deputies say he veered into the other lane of traffic and hit a semi driven by Wesley Morris of Big Rock.  Orr was in a pickup truck and was pronounced dead at the scene.  Morris was taken to Copley Hospital with minor injuries.

The crash happened near Yorkville.