Man found dead along the Hennepin Canal

Foul play isn’t suspected in the death of a man found along the Hennepin Canal.  Police say an Illinois Department of Natural Resources employee found the body Tuesday afternoon west of the Interstate 180 bridge in Bureau County.

The 48 year old was pronounced dead shortly later from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  The Bureau County Corner’s office was waiting to give out his name.

La Salle County unemployment unchanged from last October

The local job market doesn’t seem to be getting easier.  The unemployment rate for La Salle County in October was 11.1%, the same as it was in October 2010.

Bureau and Putnam county unemployment was 9.8% for October, slightly lower than it was last October.

The Ottawa-Steator area unemployment was 10.7%, barely lower than the same time last year.  The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the educational-health services and leisure-hospitality fields added jobs.  But still more jobs were lost in manufacturing, government, and business services fields.

Deer hunters take 66,500 deer over 1st weekend

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois hunters harvested more than 66,500 deer during the state’s opening firearm season.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says the preliminary total includes deer harvest from Friday through Sunday.

It is about 1,500 fewer deer than were taken during the first weekend harvest in 2010. Pike County had the most deer taken with 1,917. Adams County came in second, followed in order by Fulton, JoDaviess and Jefferson counties.

Statewide, conservation police issued nearly 550 wildlife code citations and 630 written warning over the first weekend of deer hunting. More than 330,000 firearm deer hunting permits were issued for this year’s season.

Hunters harvested nearly 99,000 deer during last year’s entire seven-day season in 2010. This year’s seven-day season ends Dec. 1 to 4.

 

Semi Overturns Near Ladd

A semi accident that slowed traffic on Interstate 80 has left the man driving hospitalized.  Police aren’t sure why James Givens’ International tractor-trailer went into the ditch and rolled early Wednesday morning near the Spring Valley exit.

Givens, of Tonica, was taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital before being transferred to St. Francis Medical Center.

Former Utica Man Faces Murder Charge

Just a few years removed from living in the Illinois Valley, a man is charged with murder in Florida.

Garrett Kern of Cape Coral, Florida was charged with murder this week in the death of his grandfather James Arthur. Arthur’s body was found November 3rd after he was reported missing. He was last scene with Kern.
Kern was in Ottawa court last week where a 2007 charge of unlawful possession of marijuana was dropped.

He used to live in Utica.

IDOT Scaling Back Lane Closures For Holiday

The Illinois Department of Transportation says it will scale back road work this weekend to make it easier on drivers traveling for Thanksgiving.

Starting at 3 p.m. today, IDOT plans to suspend all non-emergency road work on highways and state roads. That work
won’t resume until midnight Sunday. Many roads will still have a few lanes closed, though. Locally this includes Route 178 over I-80 and Route 23 just north of Streator. There will be one lane closed at both of these spots.

IDOT says work zone speed limits are still in effect even if no construction workers are around.

Two headlights and no booze for Thanksgiving travel

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and even if you’re not going far tomorrow, chances are good you’ll be driving somewhere between this evening through Monday.  The State Police troopers will be on the road too.

District 17 Trooper Craig Graham says they’ll be looking for DUIs, improper lane usage and seatbelt usage.

Graham says make sure all of your equipment is in order and you’ve got your drivers license and insurance card.  There’s a good chance they’ll have a roadside safety check set up somewhere.