Peru fire closes a block of Route 6

If you were following the story of the fire on Route 6 in Peru, it looks like it started after a fan in the attic shorted.  Firefighters were called to a house next to Peru Pawn shortly before 2pm Wednesday.

The fire luckily didn’t spread and there was minimal water and smoke damage.  No one was hurt and the people living in the home should be able to stay.

Firefighters were there for about two hours, causing traffic on Route 6 to be detoured.

Seneca remembers their past with Shipyard Days

Enjoy carnival food and a drink while learning about local history during the Seneca Shipyard Days.

Michael Ellis is helping with the festival.  He says it’s a celebration of the people that served on the landing ship tanks and built them during World War II.  Seneca was one of the shipyards on the prairie where hundreds of people work.

During the festival you’ll be able to see a full scale replica of an LST, hear from historians and tour the last standing grain elevator along the I and M Canal.

It begins Wednesday and continues through Saturday.  There will be a beer garden, food stands, a carnival and live music.  Fireworks will be on Saturday night.

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

Bad News For Dwight Prison Workers

It’s a dark day for workers at the Dwight Correctional Center.

Governor Pat Quinn’s office says there are no plans to stop the women’s prison from closing in an attempt to save millions of dollars.  A memo was sent out that moves plans ahead to close Dwight and other state buildings.

Representative Frank Mautino is dejected over the decision. He and other lawmakers came up with over 30 million dollars in the proposed budget to keep Dwight open but the governor’s budget had only 8 million dollars to be used for the transition of prisoners when the prison closed.  Mautino says there’s a slight chance of a veto override in November but by then the prison will already be closed.

The closure memo says Dwight will close August 31^st.

Pay Raises For IVCC Administrators

It pays to be an administrator at Illinois Valley Community College.

The IVCC trustees approved two and a half to three percent pay raises for the president and vice presidents.  Support staff at the college are getting three percent raises along with part-time faculty.

Vice Presidents Cheryl Roelfsma and Lori Scroggs are getting additional pay for picking up duties from a vice president for learning and student development job that’s being consolidated.

Multi-Million Dollar Building Taking Shape At IVCC

The steel frame you see on Illinois Valley Community College’s campus is the skeleton of the Peter Miller Community Technology Center.

President Jerry Corcoran says as of yesterday two-thirds of the steel frame and metal decking are in place.  He expects underground plumbing to be completed by the end of the week.

You’ll see work begin next week on the concrete second floor decking and exterior metal framing.

The building will house classrooms and offices.  Construction began late last year.  It’s scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2013.