Touching Ceremony In Memory Of Hall Football Player

Hundreds wore red and white, carried signs and balloons in remembering a Spring Valley teen that those who knew him say he was caring, smart and loving.

A memorial walk Friday night to the home of 17-year old Daniel Lule drew a huge crowd that covered a few blocks.  People of all ages were there to show support to Lule’s family as they grieve his shocking death on Wednesday.

Lule’s aunt Lupe Puente drove from California once she heard her nephew had died.  She spoke on behalf of the family saying it was a great gesture and they expected maybe 40 to 60 people, not well over a thousand. Puente says the support will not be forgotten.

Many in the huge crowd placed balloons, cards, and stuffed animals in the yard of the Lule’s.  Daniel’s older brother David wrapped up the ceremony by thanking the crowd for its emotional support and letting them know they were all invited to his brother’s services.

You can hear details of Daniel Lule’s services on AM 1220 WLPO’s In Memoriam.

Coroner Says Daniel Lule Died Because Of An Enlarged Heart

Daniel Lule died of an enlarged heart, that’s according to autopsy findings of the Bureau County Coroner.

Janice Wamhoff says for being 17-years old, Lule’s heart should have weighed 450 grams.  Instead it weighed nearly twice that.  Wamhoff says more tests are being done on the heart to see if there were more problems.  She says Lule’s enlarged heart was something that would not have shown up in a routine check-up.

Wamhoff says more testing will also be done to show that heat wasn’t a factor in his death.  Temperatures were in the low 80s when Lule collapsed on Wednesday.

Area Woman Officially Charged With Lying About Sexual Assault

A woman from Sandwich has been arrested for allegedly lying to police about being sexually assaulted.

Annette Brown is charged with three felony counts of disorderly conduct.  Investigators say Brown lied about being approached by a man impersonating a police officer Tuesday night.  She claimed the man put on a mask, pointed a gun at her head and then sexually assaulted her in a cornfield.  Officers say they came to their conclusion after interviewing Brown, talking to witnesses and gathering physical evidence.

Brown is in a hospital right now.  She will be taken to the Kendall County Jail when released.  Her bond is 10 thousand dollars.

Union Pickets Matthiessen School Demolition

The inflatable union rat made its way to La Salle.

The Local Laborers 393 is upset that an out of state, non-union contractor was hired to demolish Matthiessen School.  Dore & Associates out of Bay City, Michigan is doing the job.

According to the NewsTribune, the union protest has slowed down the school demolition.

Memorial Fund Set Up For Daniel Lule Family

Want to support the Daniel Lule family? You can help defray costs of funeral and burial services.

An account has been established at Spring Valley City Bank.  If you can donate make checks out to “Daniel Lule Memorial”.  Cash is also accepted.

You can drop off donations at the bank on North Cornelia Street in Spring Valley.

No Cause Of Death Yet For Lule

An autopsy on 17-year old Daniel Lule is scheduled for today.

Bureau County Coroner Janice Wamhoff says there are no outward injuries for Lule but she is declining to give a preliminary reason on why she thinks the Hall football player collapsed and died Wednesday afternoon.  According to the NewsTribune, Lule complained to teammates about chest pains during Wednesday’s practice  but didn’t mention it to coaches or trainers.

Funeral services are pending with the Barto Funeral Home in Spring Valley.

Electric Supply Question Going On La Salle County Ballot

The November 6^th ballot is starting to fill up in La Salle County.

Besides school districts wanting a ballot question to raise the countywide sales tax, people in rural La Salle County will be asked if they want to do electric aggregation.

The board unanimously approved the ballot question asking people and small business owners in unincorporated La Salle County if they want to allow the county to negotiate lower prices for electricity.  Ameren and ComEd would still be the electricity deliverer and bill collectors.

This is the same question that people in La Salle, Marseilles, Ottawa, Spring Valley and Utica said yes to in the March election.

Sexual Assault Story A Lie In Sandwich

What would cause a person to make up being sexually assaulted?

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office says a woman was lying when she told them she was sexually assaulted Tuesday night near Sandwich.  Police put out a community alert after the woman claimed she was pulled over by a Crown Victoria with flashing red and blue lights.  She went to say a man wearing a police style uniform pulled a mask over his face, pointed a gun at her and forced her into a cornfield where he attacked her.

The Kendall County State’s Attorney’s Office is working on potential charges for the Sandwich woman who made the story up.