New La Salle Dollar General almost ready

Since July you’ve seen the northwest corner of Route 6 and Gooding Street in La Salle change from an old doctor’s office and parking lot to a new Dollar General.  The new location is tentatively scheduled to open at 8am Saturday.

At the old location on First Street, shelves were growing bare as employees prepared for the move.  The location on First Street will close by 5pm Friday and if everything goes as planned, the new store on Route 6 will open Saturday morning.

The land being used for the store used to be a St. Margaret’s Health doctor’s office, parking lot and apartment buildings.  It’s unclear what will move into the old location.

PetFest 2012 planned for Sunday at Baker Lake

Stray animals need food, shelter and veterinary care and that takes money.  Help the Illinois Valley Animal Rescue raise money while enjoying a walk around Baker Lake Sunday.

Petfest 2012 will feature games for your kids and a micro chipping clinic for your dog.  There will also be a Paw-Rade around the lake, a blessing of the pets, and memorial balloon launch.  Donate $25 for the walk and receive a free T-shirt.

Local vets and businesses that cater to pets will also have booths set up.   Activities begin at 11am.  The walk around the lake is at 1pm and the winners of the pet photo contest will be announced at 2:15pm.

WWI comes to life with encampment in Springfield

Tanks and chemical gas made World War One like no other war that had been fought.  See and a hear what a soldier from Illinois would have experienced during A Great War Encampment this weekend in Springfield.

Stewart Reeve is the director of the Illinois Military Museum.  He says you’ll get a better understanding of the importance of the war setting the stage for the rest of the 20^th century.

Living historians will be wearing uniforms of the different nations that fought; there will be reenactments of skirmishes and a demonstration using gas masks.

The Great War Encampment is from 9am-5pm Saturday and from 9am-2pm Sunday at the Illinois Military Museum in Springfield.  Admission is free.

You can learn more by listening to an interview that’s available at the AM 1220 WLPO news page.

No Pay Raise For Utica Elected Officials

If the mayor and current trustees in Utica seek re-election next year, it’s not because they want more money.

The current Utica Village Board decided last night to not raise the pay of the mayor and trustees.  According to the NewsTribune, Mayor Fred Esmond, trustees Gloria Alvarado, Andy Skoog and Ron Pawlak are all up for re-election.  Skoog won’t be able to run if he win’s November’s county clerk race.

According to Clerk Laurie Gbur, no one has taken out re-election petitions yet.

Streator Teen Hit While Riding His Bike

Make sure you watch for bicycles.

A 15-year old boy from Streator was hurt after being hit while riding his bike Wednesday afternoon in Streator.  Officers say the teen was hit by Andrew Belluomini of Glendale Heights.  The teen was initially taken to St. Mary’s Hospital and then transferred to another hospital for treatment.

Belluomini was ticketed in the crash.  He was pulling out of a car lot onto Route 23 when he hit the boy.

Belluomini was released with a court date.

Map Released For Controversial Power Line

Concerned that the proposed-Rock Island Clean Line will go through your farmland?  You can find out for sure now.

Clean Line Energy officially applied with the Illinois Commerce Commission yesterday to put up a high-voltage transmission line thru Bureau and La Salle County.  The proposed route takes the wind-energy power lines just south of Ohio and LaMoille and then into La Salle County north of Troy Grove traveling along Route 52 before heading southeast towards Morris once it gets into Grundy County.

Many people including members of the La Salle County Board are leery of loss of property value, possible use of eminent domain to take over land without the owner’s consent and no long term local job creation.  Signs have popped up in the area speaking out against the transmission lines.