LP marching band receives honors at band competition

Being a band kid is more competitive than you might think.  Members of the LP High School Marching Cavaliers spent Saturday at the Geneseo Maple Leaf Classic Marching Band Competition.

They receive awards for second place and best winds awards in the 2A Division with their show titled “Before the Dawn”.

The Marching Cavaliers have three more competitions this year.  You can hear them perform next Sunday at the Burgoo Festival in Utica.

House and fences damaged after a crash in Spring Valley

A driving exam has been ordered for an elderly man that drove through several yards in Spring Valley.

86-year old Robert Levitt of Princeton says he doesn’t remember anything about his crash where he drove through a field, two fences, and hit a car and house in Spring Valley.  It happened Saturday afternoon on Joseph Ruva Drive on the northwest side of Spring Valley.

Levitt was taken to St. Margaret’s Hospital.  He wasn’t ticketed.

Officers say a house was left with major damage.  Also damaged were an electric fence, chain link fence, car and scooter.

Biker Goes Down On Starved Rock Curves

Another biker went down trying to ride thru the Starved Rock curves.

John Stauffenberg of Braidwood was on Route 71 in the park Sunday afternoon when he hit a guardrail.  His passenger Dawn Smith of Connecticut was thrown over the guardrail.  Stauffenberg and Smith were both taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa.  Stauffenberg was flown to Peoria where he’s in good condition.

St. Elizabeth doesn’t release condition reports.

Man Falls 40 Feet At Starved Rock

Climbing on a ledge off the beaten path at Starved Rock turned out bad for a man from the ‘burbs.

Conservation Police say 25-year old Ryan Morris of Tinley Park was climbing off the trails on a ledge in Lone Tree Canyon Sunday afternoon when he fell.  He ended up falling about 40 feet, breaking several bones according to Conservation Sgt. Hank Frazier.

Morris was taken across the Illinois River by Ottawa River Rescue and flown to St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.  He’s listed in good condition.

“Official Opening” Of New Route 178 In Utica Planned Later This Month

Not long after a tornado rolled through Utica in 2004, officials started talking about realigning Route 178.  A ribbon cutting to officially open the new Route 178 in Utica is October 18^th.

State and local officials are expected to attend the ceremony at 5:30 near the La Salle County Historical Society Museum.  Besides realigning Route 178 to take truck traffic out of downtown Utica, crews also rebuilt the 178 and Interstate 80 interchange.

The total project cost was around 12 million dollars.