La Salle church to show documentary about poverty in America

You don’t have to travel to the inner-city or the deep south to find families struggling to get by.  Your neighbors, the members of your church and the students in your child’s class could be living in a situation that’s been getting worse, not improving.

A documentary being show next week at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in La Salle looks at poverty in American.  “The Line” is a non-partisan look at people who have been devastated by the economy.

Reverend Bobby Smith says he’s heard from people who have lost their homes and can no longer afford groceries or utilities.  He says the showing is open to everyone, not just church members.

You can watch the documentary next Wednesday at 7pm at the church.  It’s on Joliet Street in La Salle near St. Patrick’s Church and Trinity United Church of Christ.

Learn more about the showing by listening to an interview that’s available at the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

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Peru to record and post videos of city council meetings

Soon you won’t have to set foot into city hall to attend a Peru City Council meeting.  Video equipment is being purchased so council meetings can be recorded and later made available at the city’s website.

It was Alderman Rodney Perez’s idea.  Connecting Point Computers has been hired for a little over $1500 to post and archive the videos.  The city will also have to pay an extra $91 a year for web hosting.

City Clerk Dave Bartley hopes they can begin recording and posting films next month.

Video Gambling Still On Hold In Illinois Valley

Video gambling is up and running at six test sites in Illinois.  None of these places is in the Illinois Valley.

A handful of area establishments have already received video gambling license approval but are still waiting to flip the machines on.  Art Giese’s Tavern and Illinois Valley Super Bowl in Peru, John’s North Star in La Salle, Detorre’s West Lanes and Woody’s Steakhouse in Ottawa, El Zarape in Mendota, Sock’s Place in Wyanet, and Ray’s Place in Hennepin are some of the local businesses that have been given video gambling licenses.

Road Ranger in Mendota and Ottawa and the I-39 Truck Plaza in Mendota have also received video gambling licenses.

Utica Event Will Highlight New Veteran’s Bill

Know a veteran who has come home and has had trouble finding a job?

Congressman Adam Kinzinger and other politicians will be at the Utica fire station Wednesday morning touting a new bill aiming to hire veterans as emergency medical technicians, or EMTs.  The bi-partisan bill is supposed to provide money to streamline the process of returning veterans becoming EMTs, especially in rural areas which see a shortage of emergency responders.

Kinzinger will be in Utica at 11.