IDOT to present Route 178 bridge plans in Utica Tuesday

For people visiting Starved Rock State Park the ride to the stores and businesses in Utica is a quick ride on Route 178.  That’s why IDOT’s proposal to replace the Illinois River bridge south of Utica has a woman with Starved Rock Lodge concerned.

Kathy Casstevens-Jasiek says they would like to see the bridge replaced but not taken out of service because it would hurt to flow to Starved Rock.

She would favor a plan in which a new bridge is built while the existing bridge remains in use.

IDOT officials will be at the Utica Village Hall from 4pm until 7pm Tuesday to hear your thoughts and answer questions.

Massachusetts man arrested after stop near La Salle

Add speeding in a construction zone to the list of things you shouldn’t try doing if you’re hauling a sizeable stash of marijuana.

Joseph Hynes of West Roxbury, Massachusetts was stopped on Interstate 80 near La Salle Sunday night.  Police say they stopped him because he was speeding in a construction zone.  He was arrested for felony possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.  Hynes was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Two hospitalized, one arrested following ATV crash

Not much good can come from messing around on an ATV after midnight.

Deputies say William Nelson of Marseilles was driving an ATV drunk early Monday  morning south of town when he hit a guardrail trying to avoid a car.  He and his passenger Kristopher Burns also of Marseilles were taken to Ottawa Regional Hospital.

Nelson was arrested for felony DUI and felony driving with a revoked license along with possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.

Time to prepare for winter

Despite fall like temperatures, it’s important to get ready for winter weather.

This week is Winter Weather Preparedness Week in Illinois.  While no accumulating snow has fallen this month, Chicago usually averages around two inches in November.

Wind was the story yesterday in the listening area.  According to the National Weather Service, the peak wind gust Sunday in Peru hit 46 miles per hour.  The wind gauge at the AM 1220 WLPO studio in Oglesby hit 55 miles per hour.