Jingle Bell Walk/Run Changes Venue

You can celebrate the season of giving by doing your part in fighting arthritis.

The annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis is tomorrow morning starting at 8:30 with registration. The course will start and end at the Peru YMCA winding through streets in Peru and La Salle. People are raising money for arthritis by running or walking on their own or with a team.

Runners and walkers are urged to dress up since there will be a costume contest. There’s also a big push for students to raise money since Dr. Paul Perona will match a fundraising gift of up to 500 dollars for the top school or school group fundraisers.

John Spencer will broadcast live from the Peru YMCA starting at 9 on 99.3 WAJK.

La Salle man accused of sexual abuse and child porn

A 22 year old isn’t old but it’s too old to be with a child.  Carl Sampson of La Salle faces sexual abuse and child porn charges after an investigation by the La Salle Police Department. He’s accused of abusing someone younger than 15 years old.

Sampson was arrested on a warrant Wednesday.  He’s being held in the La Salle County Jail with his bond set at $30,000.

Alleged Purse Snatcher Arrested In La Salle

A purse snatcher targeting women leaving bars last month may have been caught.

Christopher Coleman of La Salle was arrested at his home for two counts of robbery and possession of cocaine. Investigators had been doing surveillance of Coleman after women had their purses stolen a week apart at Jake’s Pour House and the Dugout. The thefts happened late at night.

Coleman was taken to the county jail. His rap sheet includes charges of reckless homicide, forgery and theft. He was on probation when picked up this week.

Fire Guts Home West Of Streator

An abandoned home in Kangley was gutted this morning.

Firefighters from Grand Ridge and Leonore were among those responding to the fire at 1509 East Route 18. Firefighters think it could’ve been abandoned for the last decade.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home is a total loss.

Mendota Man Busted For Allegedly Ransacking A Storage Facility

A call about suspicious activity could have a man from Mendota facing several burglary charges.

Mendota Police were called late Sunday about a guy acting a little strange around the B & B Storage facility on Plaza Drive. They arrested Joseph Kerchner of Mendota for burglary after he was allegedly foraging through a storage locker. Investigators say there have been multiple burglaries in the past few weeks at the storage facility and Kerchner is looking at more charges.

He was taken to the county jail with bond at 25 thousand dollars.

2012 roads program would include $3 million loan

A lot of the roads you drive on when you’re shopping in Peru could be redone as earlier as next summer, but that’s only if the city council agrees to a roads plan that includes $3 million in borrowing.Mayor Scott Harl and several city council members favor an Infrastructure Advisory’s Committee proposal. They say even after paying $194,525 in interest, bidding out one-large road project and paying it back with sales tax money in five years would be cheaper than doing smaller projects every year.
Aldermen Dave Potthoff and Dave Waldorf seemed unconvinced while the proposal was rolled out Wednesday night. Waldorf is backing a plan by a member of the advisory committee that wouldn’t require borrowing but use money as it comes in from the half-cent sales tax. Potthoff opposes the borrowing planned, fearing a worsening economy and a steep drop in sales tax money.
Harl wants the council to vote on his idea Monday even as several aldermen have asked for more time. He says the longer they wait, the more costly the work could be.