Local State Senate Race Brings In The Cash

With the election just a few weeks away, your candidates for state senate are raking in some last minute campaign donations.

Republican Sue Rezin has brought in 20 thousand dollars in campaign donations so far this month according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.  The biggest donor is D Construction at 5 thousand dollars.  Rezin’s campaign received 2 thousand dollar contributions from political action committees of Ameren, Illinois State Medical Society, and the Illinois State Dental Society.  The Morris Republican also got cash from Exxon Mobil, Anheuser-Busch, and Miller and Coors Brewing Company.

Rezin’s opponent, Democrat Christine Benson, has taken in over 81 thousand dollars in contributions this month.  Over 76 thousand dollars is from the Democratic Party of Illinois.  The other donation for 5 thousand dollars is from the political action committee for Education in Illinois.

Marquette High School Still Closed

It’s going to be another shortened week for Marquette Academy high school students.

School officials are still dealing with a water main that burst Tuesday night.  So the high school is again closed today.  Only the high school is closed.  Marquette Academy’s Pre-K and elementary buildings are still open and class is in session for them.

The high school was also closed much of last week because of the plumbing issue.

Area Man Attacked, Robbed And Arrested Same Night

It was a rough morning for a man from Sandwich.

John Hagens was in Plano Thursday morning when according to police he was hit with a blunt object and robbed of almost 50 dollars.  After he was treated at the scene, Hagens was arrested because he was wanted on a DuPage County warrant for failing to appear on a charge of possession of paraphernalia.

Hagens was taken to the Kendall County Jail.

Stormy Way To Wrap Up Weekend

How stormy did it get where you live?

A tornado warning was issued yesterday afternoon for northeast La Salle County but the weather service says there was no twister.  Instead the warning was issued because of “rotation on the radar”.

One weather spotter in La Salle reported slightly bigger than pea size hail around 1:15 Sunday afternoon.

Shadows of Blue and Gray

See and hear a recreation of the Civil War era today north of I-80 at Princeton. It’s Day 2 of the “Shadows of the Blue and Gray” annual festival in “City-County Park”. Actors will recreate the roles of some key players in the Civil War and music from Bob Welch and the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Regimental Band. Battle reenactment and medical scenarios after the battle, plus the “Windy City Wizard” – an expert in con games and fire eating. A Baked Goods auction is planned along with story tellers. City County park is slightly better than a half mile north of I-80.

weather observers needed

If you are fascinated by storms and the precip they leave behind, the National Weather Service needs you. The Chicago office of the Weather Service says it needs observers in LaSalle and Bureau county and is willing to train you this Saturday. You’ll be expected to measure rain, hail or snow with an official Weather Service rain gauge you’ll be required to purchase. Training will take about 90 minutes and will be in the LaSalle County ESDA building adjacent to the governmental complex on Etna Road at 10 AM Saturday. There’s no charge but registration is required by calling Bill Morris at 815 834 0600 ext. 493.

Illinois resident with Fungal Meningitis?

An ill Chicago resident is the first person in Illinois to be linked to the fungal meningitis outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the case Saturday. Melaney Arnold with the Illinois Department of Public Health referred to it as a “probable” case and said authorities were still waiting on laboratory confirmation. She said the person received an epidural injection from one of the lots recalled by the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts and is showing signs of meningitis. The drug has sickened about 200 people in 13 states, killing 15..

attacks men with his car

Police say a suburban Chicago man drove his car into two people and ran them over after they laughed at his female companion. The two men were struck and critically injured last weekend outside a nightclub in the city’s River North district. Alejandro Escobar is being held on $800,000 bond after his arrest Friday and being charged with attempted first-degree murder.

about the rain

It’s a start…but the area needs a lot more rain to make up the moisture deficit that developed this summer. Adding Saturday’s .44 to the .54 that fell early Sunday…gives us about an inch of rain so far. More rain is expected on Wednesday. If you’re traveling East this afternoon, beware the I-57 corridor south of the Kankakee River is in line for super cell thunderstorms. Our area will not be affected.