Body Pulled From Mendota Retention Pond

A nice day to fish turned deadly for a man from Mendota.

40-year old Brandon Thompson Sr. was pulled from a retention pond Wednesday afternoon near the Interstate 39 and Route 34 interchange.  Thompson and another man were swimming in the pond Wednesday morning when they fell in.   The other fisherman was able to swim to shore.  Neither one of them was wearing a life jacket.

An autopsy is scheduled today on Thompson Sr.  Conservation officials call his death an accident.

 

Route 178 Closer To Completion In Utica

A milestone has been reached in the Route 178 reconstruction in Utica.

All new lanes of the newly paved highway are open thru the village.  Crews are still working on side streets and shoulders.  The newly paved 178 includes a new bridge over the canal.  Its main purpose is to take truck traffic out of downtown.

The project started last year and also includes a whole new Route 178 and Interstate 80 interchange.

 

Wine And Jazz Festival Returns To Ottawa

Blues royalty will once again headlines the music lineup at the Ottawa Two Rivers Wine and Jazz Festival.

Shirley King, daughter of B.B. King returns to Ottawa for a second straight wine and jazz festival performance.  She’ll hit the stage this Saturday in downtown Ottawa.  Other regional jazz acts will play June 8^th and the 10^th.

Thousands turned out for last year’s event and this year it’s being extended from two to three days.  Besides music there is also plenty of food including lobster, over 20 wineries and a botanical fair.

One day tickets are 15 dollars.  You can get a three-day pass for 25 dollars.

Jaimie London will broadcast live from the Ottawa wine and jazz festival from 11:30 until 12:30 on 993 WAJK.

Truck Crashes Into Streator Buffet

It’s happened yet again, someone has driven into a local business.

The latest driving mishap happened late last night in Streator.  A pickup slammed into the front entrance of King’s Buffet on the north end of Bloomington Street.

The crash happened after 9 last night.  No other information has been released.

Chicago Clamps Down On Kids Using Tanning Beds

CHICAGO (AP) – Teens in Chicago will soon be banned from tanning beds in salons.

The Chicago City Council voted Wednesday to prohibit tanning parlors from serving anyone under age 18. The ordinance from Alderman Debra Silverstein says the ban is “regardless of whether the person has the permission of a parent or guardian.” The ban doesn’t cover tanning beds in private homes. Fines will range
from $100 to $250 per offense.

Tanning beds have received a lot of attention in recent weeks after a deeply tanned New Jersey woman was accused of allowing her 5-year-old daughter to use a tanning bed.