LP High School joins Facebook

You’ll find your children, old classmates and favorite businesses on Facebook.  Now you’ll find LP High School on the social networking site.

The school’s page was recently created and includes a few photos from around campus and information about upcoming events.

IVCC theater performance being held at the Hegeler Carus Mansion

Would you like to do something a little different with your family Saturday?  You can take them to a performance based on a Nordic folk tale, “The Snow Queen.”

Performances are at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm Saturday at the Hegeler Carus Mansion in La Salle.  It’s a production of Illinois Valley Community College.

Reservations are required and can be made here. Tickets are $8 for adults; $5 for children, and $2 for IVCC students who have an ID.

Peru settles payment dispute with sewer contractor

The storm and sanitary sewer separation project that had an older neighborhood in Peru torn up for two years ended nearly one year ago, but the dispute between the city and the contractor about how much the city should pay has just been settled.

The city council Wednesday night agreed to make one last $375,000 payment to T.J. Lambrecht Construction and to call the project completed.  The city refused to sign off on the job because of what Mayor Scott Harl called deficient work.  There were problems with catch basins settling and manholes.

The $6.6 million project also included many unexpected costs.

Harl says with the settlement they aren’t paying as much as Lambrecht was asking and the local contractors get paid.  The total cost to the city is less than $6.1 million and they received extra materials such as water mains.

Oglesby parolee arrested one month after being released

Fresh out of prison, a man from Oglesby could be headed back behind bars after a visit from his parole officer.

Nathan Zuchora was arrested Wednesday morning at his home for possession of drug paraphernalia. Oglesby Police say he had several pieces of paraphernalia.

Zuchora was released with a court date.  He was just paroled last month for a possession of a controlled substance conviction.

Amtrak Expects Tracks To Be Busy On Thanksgiving

CHICAGO (AP) – Amtrak is gearing up for a busy Thanksgiving holiday.

The rail service thinks Thanksgiving will be the busiest travel period of the year, and officials expect trains to sell out for the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Saturday and Sunday after the holiday. Amtrak says the less-busy times may be the Monday before or the Friday or Monday after Thanksgiving Day.

Passengers on long-distance trains will find a special menu option this holiday: a Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

Jump In Price At The Pump

So much for three dollar gas.

The price at the pump went up in most of the listening area the past couple days.  Stations in Streator were still selling gas for $3.12 to $3.15 a gallon yesterday but they’ve jumped to $3.49 a gallon now.  Prices in Ottawa have also made the jump to $3.49 a gallon at several stations.

The increase has been smaller in Peru and La Salle with the price at the pump now between $3.23 to $3.29 a gallon.

Utica Officials Hear Complaints About Sand Mine Project

If you’ve driven from Utica to Ottawa on Route 6, you’ve probably noticed work is well underway for a new sand mine past the Osage curves.

According to the NewsTribune, a packed house urged the Utica Village Board to do something to halt the noise, traffic, mud and surprise road closures as Illinois Sand digs a quarry.  Mayor Fred Esmond says he also wasn’t told about road closures and got an apology from contractors.  Esmond says he’s sympathetic but there isn’t much the village can do.

Village Attorney Herb Klein reminded the fired up sand quarry neighbors that Illinois Sand agreed to annual monetary compensation to affected homeowners.  The deal though is on hold since homeowners and Illinois Sand are caught up in litigation.