remains of Chicago hiker

Authorities have discovered human remains near a campsite believed to have been used by a hiker from Chicago who has been missing since October 2010. James Nelson was reported missing when he failed to return from a five day, 25-mile hike in the Holy Cross Wilderness area near Minturn, Colorado. The Eagle County Sheriff’s office says a hiker on Friday located the campsite near Holy Cross City, and the remains were discovered during a search of the area on Saturday. The remains were turned over to the coroner for identification, and there was no immediate word on a cause of death. The Sheriff’s office says a notebook located at the campsite indicated that Nelson may have been suffering from altitude sickness. The office says it appears that some of the 31-year-old man’s gear is missing, including a camera and GPS unit.

War made a new Me mural

The National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago has unveiled a new mural installation to mark Memorial Day weekend. The artwork by Michigan National Guard veteran Dominic Fredianelli went on display Saturday and will be up until November. The 70-foot mural, entitled “War Made a New Me,” is done in a graffiti style and depicts a soldier over an American flag backdrop. Fredianelli served as a driver and gunner in Afghanistan in 2009. He says he hopes his artwork can help other veterans to handle their emotions over war and war injuries. The museum also announced it has received a $6,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide art therapy programs for those returning from war.

sizeable retail theft

What’s the largest retail theft you’ve ever heard of? A Plainfield woman tried to leave Peru Wal-Mart with six hundred dollars worth of merchandise Saturday evening. 60 year old Rose Tode went to the county jail on felony retail theft charges. It’s believed the items were groceries.

hot weather

A warm and humid Gulf air mass is providing this area with hot temperatures at least into Monday. Amy Seeley, National Weather Service Meterologist at Romeoville, says this may be the earliest this area has seen such hot weather. Seeley said it will end sometime Monday afternoon with the approach of a cold front. That front may trigger some showers and thunderstorms at that time. It will also knock down our temperatures some on Tuesday.