La Salle to demolish two houses

Rundown properties recently have been the topic of conversation in La Salle. As a sign that the city is committed to going after troubled properties, they’ve hired a company to demolish two houses.

For a little more than $11,000, Glens Demolition and Excavating will raze the houses and fill in the basement holes at 228 Crosat Street and 359 Wright Street.

Mayor Jeff Grove says it shows that they are taking action.

The building codes committee has been meeting with people upset about the condition of houses in their neighborhoods. Their next meeting is next Tuesdy at 6pm in the city council chambers.

Semi accident slows traffic on WB I-80

A crash involving two semis had westbound traffic barely moving on Interstate 80 near Marseilles.  It happened just after 2:15pm Tuesday west of the Marseilles exit.  The crash was cleared and traffic was moving around shortly after 4pm.

One truck driver was taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa.  Police haven’t said yet what caused the crash nor have they given out the names of the drivers.

Some neighbors are not fans of Peru pickleball court

The tennis-like game pickleball has grown in popularity in Peru since courts went in during the summer.  But not everyone is a fan, mainly the people who live near the courts at 28^th Street Park.  Several people have gone to the park and rec committee to complain about the noise.  Several people have suggested moving the courts to another park.

Alderman Bob Ankiewicz says the committee is considering moving the pickleball courts to Washington Park where there are tennis courts.

The pickleball courts at 28^th Street used to be a tennis court until it was resurfaced this summer.  Changing it back to tennis courts would cost several thousand dollars.

Cookie Kingdom cookie sales to benefit Cops 4 Cancer

Chocolate chip, vanilla and chocolate cream even walnut and applesauce cookies are on sale at the cookie factory in Oglesby.  Normally you can’t walk into the Cookie Kingdom and buy a package of cookies but you can this week.

The company’s annual charity cookie sale will benefit Cops 4 Cancer.  Cookies will be on sale through Friday between 8am and 6pm.  All of the money from the cookie sales will go to the charity.

You can find Cookie Kingdom on Walnut Street across from Lehigh Park.

Former DePue Scout Leader Included In “Perversion Files”

After media and court pressure, the Boy Scouts of America has released it’s “perversion files”.  One of the files involves a former DePue scout leader.

In 1980, Robert Lambert of Depue was a Cub Scout leader and elementary teacher.  According to files released by court order, things went bad when Lambert was watching scouts at the old Camp Ki-Shau-Wau east of Leonore along the Vermilion River.  A father complained that Lambert developed a close relationship with his son that allegedly included sexual abusive ways to deal with stress.  Other questionable behavior of Lambert included a scout staying overnight in his camper.

Despite the accusations, Lambert’s files end with a council executive saying that Lambert used poor judgment but there wasn’t adequate reason to refuse his registration for the entire country, calling the case weak.  Lambert was put on probation from the local scouts.  More than thirty years later, Lambert is now in prison for sexual abuse.

The Boy Scout abuse files also include cases in Streator and Morris but no names were released.

Stabbing During Brawl In Spring Valley

A bar fight in Spring Valley ended when one of the combatants allegedly broke out a knife.

Problems started inside Knight Ryders Bar last night when Danny Kuesis and another man started fighting.  The brawl was broken up but the two took it outside and began scuffling again.  A Spring Valley officer showed up and found one of the men bleeding from his chest and a knife nearby.

Kuesis was accused of stabbing the one man once during the fight and was arrested for aggravated battery.  He was taken to the Bureau County Jail.

The stab victim was treated and released at St. Margaret’s Hospital.

New Band Shell Opens In Streator

There’s a new venue to take in live music in Streator.

The Streator High School Band played the first ever show at the new City Park band shell on Sunday.  Construction on the new band shell started in August and should be completely done by the end of the year. Streator Building Systems got the job to build the band shell at just under 100 thousand dollars.

The band shell’s being called the “Plumb Pavilion”, named after Col. Ralph Plumb who donated land for the city park back in the early 1900s.