Toulon Teenage Mom To Have Head Tested

The mental health of Kendra Meaker will be checked to see if she’s “fit” to stand trial for allegedly abandoning her 3-week old baby.

Meaker’s case came up in court Friday morning in Stark County Court.  A judge ordered a mental-health expert to see if the 19-year old is mentally fit to stand trial for obstructing justice and endangering the health or life of a child.

Meaker set off an Amber Alert on September 28^th when she told police someone took her 3-week daughter Mia Thompson out of her car parked outside the Toulon post office.  The baby was found several hours later along a county road alive.  Meaker failed a polygraph test and allegedly told police she made the abduction up.

She’s being held on ten thousand dollars bond.  Meaker’s next court hearing is November 16^th.

Mendota Man Pleads Not Guilty To Shooting Bicyclist

Remember the Mendota man who says a he shot a bicyclist thinking it was a skunk?  He’s pled not guilty to reckless discharge of a firearm.

Thomas Divan entered the not guilty plea yesterday in La Salle County Court.  He was arrested late last month after prosecutors say he shot John Bowne of Mendota in the hand.  Bowne was in a ditch of Route 251 repairing his bike.  He was wearing a black and white helmet that Divan apparently thought looked like a skunk, so he fired a shot.  Bowne was treated and released at Mendota Community Hospital.

Divan is out of jail on bond.  His trial date is December 17^th.

Local Senator Wants Controversial Power Lines Stopped

The people have spoken, and according to State Senator Sue Rezin, you don’t like the Rock Island Clean Line proposal.

Rezin sent a letter to the Illinois Commerce Commission Friday saying she opposes the wind energy transmission line because it does more harm than good. Rezin is concerned of farmland lost and believes it only serves Iowa wind farms.

The company Clean Line Energy wants to put transmission lines thru northern Bureau and La Salle counties to transport wind energy from Iowa to points east of Illinois.  They have talked about trying to become a public utility which would give them the power of eminent domain, or to take property from a landowner.

Rezin’s election opponent, Christine Benson has also spoken out against the proposal.

Rain And Thunderstorms In The Forecast

It’s going to be a rainy weekend and maybe even a stormy one.

The National Storm Prediction Center has the listening area under a slight risk of severe thunderstorms today.   Rain is likely throughout the whole weekend with the chance of 2 to 3 inches of rain falling by Sunday night.

The weather service says there is a possibility of flooding in some low-lying areas.