La Salle County unemployment higher than that of surrounding counties

One out of 10 people looking for a job in La Salle County, can’t find one.  That’s one way of looking at a 10.2% unemployment rate.  While April 2012’s rate is eight tenths of a point lower than the same time last year, it’s higher than surrounding counties.

Bureau County’s April unemployment rate was 8.6% and Putnam County’s was 9.2%.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says Ottawa-Streator area has added jobs in professional-business services and leisure-hospitality but lost nearly 1000 retail jobs.

Whooping cough causes early dismissal for Ladd School

Early dismissal for students at Ladd Elementary School but not because of the heat, because of illness.  Classes dismissed at 1pm Thursday because a student has come down with whooping cough.  Parents were notified.

Also known as pertussis, the Centers for Disease Control calls it a highly contagious respiratory disease.  It gets its nickname from the sound you make when coughing.

Superintendent Michelle Zeko says parents were told to take their children to a doctor to be tested if they begin to show symptoms.

School officials are working on revising the end-of-the-year calendar.   8^th Grade graduation would have been Friday night.

Woman rescued after slipping at Starved Rock State Park

Even though it’s been a week without rain, the canyons and trails at Starved Rock State Park are damp, especially near the waterfalls.

A woman walking near Tonti Canyon at Starved Rock Wednesday evening had to be helped out by Utica firefighters and Ottawa River Rescue.  She apparently slipped on a wet rock and was able to call for help using her cell phone.

After directing rescuers to her location, she was carried to the river shore to be taken by boat to an ambulance and then Illinois Valley Community Hospital.  Her name and condition weren’t available yet.

Starved Rock Area Sand Mine Facing Delays

“Far from a done deal”, that’s how one member of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency describes the approval of a sand mine next to Starved Rock State Park.

Members of the EPA, DNR, and Illinois Historic Preservation Agency took public comments last night about permit requests from Mississippi Sand.  The sand mine company has received approval from La Salle County but still needs a handful of permits from the state.

Mississippi Sand President Tony Giordano says the process has been delayed but not because of the state. He understands they must follow the law but thinks opponents have been extra critical of his project, slowing things down.

Originally, Giordano hoped to begin mining sand east of Starved Rock off Route 71 this fall.  He now thinks early 2013 would be more realistic.

Windy Day Ahead

If its garbage pickup day in your town, better keep in eye on your garbage cans.

A Wind Advisory is in effect for the listening area from one this afternoon until eight this evening.  Wind should start dying down with the sunset.

Sustained winds are expected to be around 30 miles per hour with gusts as high as 45.

Ottawa Prostitution Case Hits Snag

A prostitution case has been delayed in Ottawa.

A pretrial hearing that was supposed to happen yesterday for 51 year old Kyong Mi Kim of Pennsylvania was rescheduled to June 20^th.  Kim was arrested in late February for prostitution while she worked at the Spa Rx on Columbus Street, just north of the old Kmart building.  Detectives said the arrest came after a month long investigation where they received several complaints that prostitution was happening at the Spa.

Kim is currently out of jail after posting 150 dollars bond.  The Spa Rx has since closed.