Heat Wave Ends With Triple Digits

Give yourself a pat on the back for surviving the heat wave.

According to the National Weather Service, the hottest day locally was Saturday.  The high in Ottawa was 105.  A spotter in Morris reported 103 on Saturday with a high of 102 in Marseilles and 101 in Peru.

High temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 80s this whole week.  The only day with a chance of rain is today.

Listening Area Averaging Over Two Traffic Deaths A Month

Halfway thru 2012 and Bureau County is well on its way to having more fatal crashes in several years.

According to IDOT figures, six people have died in five crashes this year in Bureau County.  In all of 2011, Bureau County had three killed in three fatal crashes.

Nine people have been killed so far this year in La Salle County in eight fatal crashes.  That’s on par with last year’s 17 killed in crashes.

Putnam County has had no one killed in a crash on a state road this year after one fatal crash last year.

Statewide, 479 people have been killed on the roads this year, up by 53 from this time last year.  Of those 479, 132 deaths were alcohol-related.

Taste of Chicago – Security

Chicago police say security plans for a scaled-back Taste of Chicago will be similar to last year. The annual food festival starts Wednesday and runs for five days. It’s shorter than last year and comes later in the summer. Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy says there’ll be police presence inside and outside the event with both uniformed and undercover officers working to control crowds. There’ll be limited entry points and private security will also help out. In recent years, there have been incidents of violence surrounding the event. In 2008, one person was killed and three injured during a shooting near the event. Since then police have amped up security.

money saving tips on Thursday

Are you thinking your money is getting away from you? A representative of “Family Credit Management Service” explains realistic money saving tips at 6pm Thursday in LaSalle Library. Participants receive a personal spending plan and a savings guide called “one hundred small ways to save Big”. The program is free and no reservations are needed.

overpasses will close

If you use the I-80 overpasses on East tenth or East 16th roads, just west of Ottawa, be aware of their closing on Monday. Illinois Department of transportation will rehab the bridges for two weeks starting tommorrow, according to IDOT. No detours will be posted. When those are re-opened, workers from Advanced Asphalt Company of Princeton will focus on East 14th road. The work is part of a twenty million dollar contract awarded to Advanced Asphalt.

Princeton fire perspective

The city of Princeton had its share of fires and work for area firemen Friday. A large fire developed in an apartment complex on the city’s northwest side about 6pm Friday. Two Ladder trucks and lots of help brought the blaze under control in about two hours. If that wasn’t bad enough, all this work was done in ninety degree heat. AM 1220 WLPO asked Peru Firemen Rodney Perez for some perspective on working in such conditions. Perez says when your begin fighting a fire your adrenaline is going strong and your blood pressure is rising. Firemen need to be watched closely. Perez says it takes two men to operate the end of the firehose…and four men to move it. Plus…most firemen, in those working conditions, are wearing 75 – 80 pounds of gear.

Just one question…………..why?

Three thieves battered their way through a wall, crawled to dodge motion detectors and stole six duffel bags filled with human hair extensions on Saturday. Police say $230,000 worth of hair extensions were stolen from a Chicago beauty supply store around 2 a.m. Saturday.

Consumer Reports – IVCH

The magazine Consumer Reports is most know for its reviews of cars and products but they also take a closer look at things that affect your health. In their August 2012 issue, they’ve rated Illinois hospitals based on infection rates, readmissions and communication. Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru came in second with a safety score of 65 out of 100. St. Margaret’s Hospital in Spring Valley and St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria earned a 43.

Streator 4th of July

A parade and the Elk’s cardboard boat regatta are part of the closing day for Streator’s 4th of July. A carnvial will operate Noon – 6 with a parade through the downtown at 1.  A Lions Duckie race at 3 followed by the regatta at 4 – both along Hop a long Cassady Trail.

Heat related deaths

Authorities in Chicago have tied at least 10 deaths to the heat wave that eased its grip on the region yesterday. The newly reported heat victims are a 65-year-old woman, a 53-year-old man, a 46-year-old woman and an unidentified man about 30 years old. The Cook County medical examiner listed heart conditions and obesity as factors in the deaths, except for the unidentified man.