Food and vendors lined up for Utica’s Burgoo

Come for the stew and stay for the music and crafts.  You’ll find a little bit of everything cooking and on sale at the annual Burgoo Festival in downtown Utica.

You’ll be able to browse and buy things from the more than 200 vendors that will be set up.  You’ll also find restaurants serving food, music and Burgoo stew.

Events begin at 9am and wrap up at 5pm though the stew has been know to be gone before the day is over.

Burgoo is a fundraiser for the La Salle County Historical Society and Museum.  You can learn more about it by listening to an interview that’s up at the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

Cardboard boat races planned for Columbus Day

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.  Boats will be sailing across the lap pool at the Illinois Valley YMCA this Columbus Day for the cardboard boat building contest.

The contest has teams of children using nothing but cardboard and duct tape to build a boat that will hold at least one person as they paddle across the pool.

Prizes will be given for the best looking boat, best dressed team and most spectacular sinking.

Kids will have to bring their own supplies and be wearing swimming suits.  Boat construction begins at 11am.  The race starts at 12:30pm.  More rules are available at the YMCA.  It’s $4 for Y members and $6 for non members per boat.

Oglesby’s Version Of Amazing Race Is This Saturday

Want to win 300 bucks?  Sign up today to be a team in the 3^rd annual Scarecrow Scramble in Oglesby.

The scramble is like TV’s Amazing Race with a scavenger hunt mixed in.  Teams of two people race across Oglesby in costumes and try to complete challenges before all other teams.  Cash prizes are 300, 200 and 100 dollars.

The scramble starts at the Dickenson House at 1.  Sign up today at the Oglesby City Hall.

The cost is 25 dollars today or 30 dollars tomorrow.

Vaccinations Available In Peru For Parvovirus

Scared that your dog could get parvovirus?  There’s a mobile vaccination clinic this Saturday outside Culvers in Peru.

Dr. Allison Spayer of the McNabb Vet Clinic will give vaccinations for parvovirus, rabies and Lyme disease from 2 until 4.  The parking lot used for the vaccinations will be disinfected after Saturday’s clinic.

Several dogs in the area have come down with the virus that can cause heart or respiratory failure.

Illinois Deer Hunters Again Asked To Help Feed The Needy

If you come across a hunter hauling a dead deer, don’t assume it’s going to be mounted at home.  The hunter could be taking it to a meat locker to feed the needy.

Hunters in Illinois are again urged this year to donate their deer to lockers that are teaming with the state to help food banks and charities.  A locker doing this in La Salle County is Freedom Sausage in Earlville.   The state provides incentives for the program by helping to pay the processing cost.

The Youth Firearm Deer Season starts Saturday.  The firearm deer season for everyone else starts November 16^th.

West Nile Virus Cases Rising, Except In The Illinois Valley

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Six people have died of West Nile virus in Illinois as the number of human cases continues to climb.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is tracking cases of the mosquito-borne disease and updated its count Wednesday. The agency says the virus has sickened 179 people in Illinois this year, none in Bureau, La Salle or Putnam County. Illinois saw 34 cases last year when three people died.

This year’s mild winter, early spring and very hot summer created excellent breeding conditions for the mosquito that carries West Nile.

Most people infected with West Nile won’t get sick, but about one in 150 will develop the severe form of the illness.

Robbery At Streator City Park

City parks are supposed to be fun and safe places right?

A young boy was robbed of seven dollars and a watch while he was in Streator’s City Park Tuesday night according to police.  Two young teens were arrested for robbing the boy by showing a bb gun.  They were picked up for aggravated robbery.

The accused teenage robbers were taken to the La Salle County Detention Home.