52nd Annual Illinois Valley Band Festival to be held Saturday

They practice during school, after school and even when they probably don’t want to, they’re middle school band students.  And their hours of practice will be celebrated Saturday evening in Ottawa.

The 52^nd Annual Illinois Valley Band Festival will feature 190 students from Mendota, Streator and Ottawa.

After rehearsing during the day, the performance will begin at 5pm in the Shepard Middle School gym.  Tickets are $2  for adults and $1 for students and are available at the door.

Peru Kmart among new list of stores scheduled to close

For people that hate shopping at Walmart, the Peru Kmart has been alternative.  But the store’s days are number.  Employees were told Thursday that the store would close in June.

Kim Freely with Sears Holdings Corporation says the store will begin liquidation in mid March.

It’s one of five Kmarts in Illinois scheduled to close.  Sears Holdings announced the closures of Kmarts nationwide earlier this year and more recently employee cuts at their headquarters in Hoffman Estates.  This despite have recently receive a large tax break from the state.

Large Heroin Bust In Streator

You’ve heard of drug houses, what about drug apartments?  Area drug cops think they found one in Streator.

While doing a search Wednesday at an apartment on Sterling Street, TRIDENT investigators say they found nearly 90 packages of heroin.  They say they found 25 packages in the apartment of Alexander King and 64 more packages in a commons area of the apartment complex.  King was arrested for two counts of unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

He was just paroled from prison in December after a 2010 cocaine dealing conviction.  Officers believe King was providing heroin to numerous cities in the Illinois Valley.

Nearly 20 People Arrested In Marseilles Drinking Party

With no school Monday, a bunch of area teens are in trouble for partying it up.

Sixteen people were arrested by sheriff’s deputies Sunday night for their alleged part in an underage drinking party west of Marseilles.  Officers say they found out about it when they saw a teen girl sleeping in her car.  She was picked up for underage drinking and DUI.  A teenage boy was also in the car and ticketed for underage drinking.

The teens allegedly told the deputies they had come from a party with drugs and alcohol at the home of Tausha Benckendorf.  She was arrested for unlawful delivery of alcohol to a minor, permitting a minor to become drunk, and resisting and obstructing a peace officer.  Other adults arrested for underage drinking were Kameron Kohrt, Michael Ping, Kory Schott and Ty Benckendorf all of Marseilles.  Ty Benckendorf was also accused of resisting arrest.

Nine other kids between 14 and 17 years old were also busted for drinking.  They were all released to parents.

Winter Storm On Its Way

Have a shovel and bag of salt handy- you could need it tonight and tomorrow morning.

A winter weather advisory will be in place from 6pm Thursday to 6am Friday.  The National Weather Services believes the rain and snow mix will turn to just snow late tonight and could drop one to two inches.  The snow could be heavy at times.