Utica Elementary School Looking At Wind Power

Bureau Valley has one.  Illinois Valley Community College is thinking about getting one.  Soon, Waltham Elementary School in Utica will have two.  Its wind towers.

The La Salle County Board approved a special use permit for Waltham to put up two, 70 foot tall wind towers south of the Waltham North School on North 33^rd Road.  These towers are about a fifth the size of turbines near Mendota and Streator.

Waltham received a renewable energy grant for the towers.  They hope to have the towers up and running later this year.

Celebration to be held in Ottawa for military parents

If you walked more than one thousand miles across the country you’d probably like to celebrate when you reach your destination.  A rally is being held in Ottawa’s Washington Park Thursday afternoon for Michelle and Dan Benavidez, military parents who lost a son in Iraq.   Army Sgt. Kenneth Mayne was killed by an explosive in 2008.

The couple has walked to La Salle County from Colorado.  Their final destination is the Middle East Memorial Wall in Marseilles.  They’ll visit the wall during the Annual Freedom Run Saturday.

You can see them during the American Military Family Honor Rally Celebration Thursday.  It begins at 12:30pm.  There’s no admission but they’re asking you wear a red “Support Our Troops” T-shirt.  They will also be serving lunch for five dollars.

Saving money during the summer topic of program at La Salle Library

With vacations and the air condition running, summer is hardly the season for saving of money.  Learn how to be better with money during a series of programs at the La Salle Public Library.

Tuesday the topic is “Summer Savings on a Dime.” It’ll be lead by credit counselors from the Family Credit Management Organization, a non-profit.  It starts at 6pm.

Successful Relay For Life In Marshall County

It was a successful Marshall-Putnam County Relay for Life.

The relay this past weekend in Henry raised over 77 thousand dollars.  This year’s fundraising goal was 75 thousand dollars.  Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

The Relay for Life of La Salle County starts this Friday.  Bureau County’s relay is August 3^rd.

Starved Rock May Be Illinois’ Top Tourist Attraction

It’s on to the championship for Starved Rock State Park.

The park is a finalist for the most popular tourist attraction in Illinois according to online votes at Enjoy Illinois’ Facebook page.  Starved Rock is pitted against the Museum of Science and Industry.  Starved Rock got to the final by beating Brookfield Zoo last week.

The attractions themselves win nothing besides bragging rights.  But if you vote, you become eligible for weekend getaways to Chicago, Galena and Springfield.  You can vote once a week by finding Enjoy Illinois on Facebook.

Chicago Teachers On Board With Strike

CHICAGO (AP) – The Chicago Teachers Union is set to announce it has more than enough votes to authorize a teachers strike, according to local news reports.

The Chicago Tribune and NBC 5 Chicago were reporting late Sunday that union officials said after counting ballots over the weekend that more than enough teachers voted to approve a strike. Vice President Jesse Sharkey confirmed
that more than the needed 75 percent of teachers authorized the move.

Union officials have said they called the vote to give them more leverage in talks and not because they were seeking an immediate strike. Any possible strike called by teachers would not happen until the fall.