Black History Month Celebrated At IVCC

You don’t have to check the U-S Census numbers to realize the Illinois Valley is predominately white.  Yet there are black people and their take on the community may vary.

A program Monday at Illinois Valley Community College takes that perspective.  “Being Black in the Illinois Valley” will be presented by student Yulandist Brown. Amanda Cook Fesperman is a professor on campus who asked Brown to share her perspective with other students.

The program is from 12-1pm Monday in the Fireplace Lounge.  It’s one of several scheduled for Black History Month.

The following Wednesday, February 15, students and staff will take part in a soul food buffet set to jazz music.

Another Report Of Area Children Being Approached By Suspicious Person

In what’s becoming a disturbing trend lately, more area kids are complaining they were approached by a stranger on their walk home from school.

Streator Police got the call yesterday afternoon from kids who say while on their way home from school, a red truck with dark windows slowed down by them.  The man driving, described as being white in his late thirty’s with a moustache and hat asked if they wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese’s.  The children told police they ran home without answering.

They were allegedly approached on Lundy Street by Vermilion Street.  Anyone with information is asked to call the Streator Police Department.

Chief Has Questions About Smoke Shop Robbery

Nearly two weeks after a call came in about the Peru Smoke Shop being robbed at gunpoint, Peru’s police chief has his doubts.

Doug Bernabei says there’s a possibility that the January 23^rd armed robbery never happened.  He won’t say if that’s where he is leaning but he says they have no leads yet on a possible robber.

The description given by the store clerk was a man dressed in black wearing a mask and blue jeans.  He was described as 6 feet tall and 250 pounds.

Gun Arrest In La Salle

A man from Peru is accused of packing heat and pot.

La Salle Police pulled over Gregory Krauss a little before 10 last night in the 1300 block of Crosat Street.  He was arrested for two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, having firearms and ammunition without a FOID card and possession of cannabis.  Officers say Krauss had two handguns that weren’t registered.  The Peru K-9 assisted in the arrest.

Krauss was released with a court date.