La Salle County real estate tax bills in the mail

If you own property in La Salle County your real estate tax bill should be arriving shortly.  Bills were mailed out Friday.

The first payment is due July 6 and the second payment is due September 6.  You can pay online by credit card.  Instructions will be on your bill.

An old fashioned check written payable to the La Salle County Collector will be accepted.  You could also arrange to have it automatically taken out of your savings or checking account.

Area swimming pools open Saturday

A great way to get a group of restless children out of your house is to take them to the swimming pool.  Many area pools are opening for the season this weekend.

The Oglesby Pool opens Saturday and will be open daily noon and 6pm.  Admission is $2 each.  Summer passes are available.

The La Salle Pool opens Saturday and will be open Mondays through Fridays from noon until 7pm and Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 5pm.  Adult swim will be from 11:05am until noon daily.  Admission is $2.

The Ottawa’s Riordan Pool opens Saturday and will be open daily from 11 to 6pm.  Admission is $3.

The Spring Valley doesn’t open until Wednesday.

Downtown La Salle Canal Market to open Saturday

Sunny and warm is the forecast for Saturday, perfect weather for visiting an outdoor market.  You’ll find jewelry, art, baked goods and more on sale at the Downtown La Salle Canal Market.

Francie Skofranc is a local artist who’s helping to put it together.  She says it’s like a farmer’s market but it’s not just limited to food and produce.

The market will be open from 8am until 2pm Saturday in the La Salle State Bank parking lot near First and Marquette Streets.  They plan to hold the market on the fourth Saturday of the month now through September.

You can learn more by listening to an interview with Skofranc on the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

State Police issue advice for weekend traveling

Every holiday weekend you hear the message from the State Police, don’t drink and drive and wear your seatbelt.  It’s the same message this Memorial Day Weekend.  And it’s still as important since the highways and interstates will be busy.

Trooper Craig Graham with the Illinois State Police says they will have as many officers as they can patrolling between Friday and Monday.  They’ll be looking for speeders, people not wearing their seat belts and drunk drivers.

You can do your part to keep the weekend safe.  Graham says if you’re going to be out drinking plan ahead.

And while the state police troopers will be on the interstates, their conservation police counterparts will be on the river looking for irresponsible boaters.

Some other tips- drive the posted speed limit in construction zones if even nobody is working, figure out where you’re going before you get on the road, make sure you’ve got your current insurance card handy.

Holiday Means Less Construction Zones

Happy Memorial Day everyone, IDOT is closing up some construction zones this holiday weekend.

Starting this afternoon, IDOT is suspending non-emergency road work thru Monday evening.  Some projects though just can’t be picked up and delayed including one in La Salle County and two in Bureau County.

One lane of Route 23 three miles north of Ottawa remains closed this weekend for a bridge replacement.  The construction area is controlled by traffic lights.

In Bureau County, Interstate 80 from Princeton to Interstate 180 still has one lane closed in each direction for bridge replacements.  Near LaMoille, one lane of Route 34 will be closed for bridge replacement.

Alcohol Blamed For Crash In Northern La Salle County

Three men were hurt after a crash near Sandwich.

La Salle County deputies say Wesley Wisz was on a county road this morning when he left the road, hit a telephone pole and ended up in a field.  Wisz and his passenger David Zito were taken to Valley West Hospital in Sandwich.  Another passenger, Vincent Matesi was flown to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.

Wisz was arrested for driving drunk.  All three men live in Sandwich.

Mautino Wants Higher License Plate Fees

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois license plates would cost $2 more per year to help finance state parks under a plan the House will consider.

The measure sponsored by State Representative Frank Mautino has been proposed as an alternative to a parks fee imposed by the Department of Natural Resources. Some fear charging  park users a fee would be hard to police and could drive down attendance.

Natural Resources Director Marc Miller says his agency has a budget of $49 million but needs about $80 million. Fee revenue would be split between park maintenance and operations.

The basic annual license plate fee was last increased by $20 in 2009.

Top Illinois Senator Says State Retirement Age Staying Put

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says it would be unconstitutional to force current state employees to work to age 67 before collecting full retirement benefits.

Madigan says he will not raise the retirement age as part of package to cut pension costs. The Chicago Democrat says delaying retirement for current state workers would violate the Illinois Constitution.

Gov. Pat Quinn had proposed delaying retirement to 67 to help close an $83 billion gap in public pension programs.