Chase In Peru Involves Stolen Car

A chase in Peru was by car and by foot.

Peru Police say Phillip Dalvallee was driving a stolen car.  He allegedly led them on a chase where he drove through people’s yards.  Officers say Dalvallee eventually ditched the stolen ride and tried running away on foot.  He was caught on 4^th Street and arrested for aggravated fleeing and eluding, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, DUI, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.

Dalvallee was taken to the La Salle County Jail.  La Salle officers helped Peru in the chase.

Driver-less SUV Crashes Into House In Spring Valley

A runaway Jeep Cherokee damaged a house and gas line in Spring Valley.

Micheal Mateika of Spring Valley told officers he parked his SUV Saturday afternoon, at least he thought he had.  He says after he got out, the SUV started rolling backwards, hitting his Dodge Durango and then crashing into the house of Robert Navaressi on Richards Street.  Mateika says he tried running after the rolling SUV but couldn’t catch it.

No one was hurt but Mateika’s Jeep Cherokee was heavily damaged.

Pellet Gun Causes Standoff In Marshall County

Some very tense moments during a domestic call in Lacon.

Marshall County deputies got a call Friday night about a domestic problem east of town.  A woman left with her kids but deputies found Joshua Jones sitting inside with a gun.  Officers say Jones walked outside, pointed the gun at deputies and then himself, pulling the trigger twice.

The gun was empty and turned out to be a revolver-style pellet pistol.  Officers grabbed the gun and arrested Jones for aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

He was taken to the Marshall County Jail.

Public Comments Still Accepted On Starved Rock Area Sand Mine

If you don’t like the idea of a sand mine just east of Starved Rock State Park, you have a few more days to try and stop it.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is taking public comments in support of or against Mississippi Sand’s last needed permit.  The comment is supposed to be specifically about whether the sand company’s discharge plan is inadequate, not whether you like the sand mine idea or not.

Mississippi Sand already has received construction and storm water permits from the EPA.  If they get the discharge permit, they’ll likely start blasting for sand next year.

The Sierra Club of Illinois is leading the charge to prevent mining near Starved Rock.  They say well over three thousand people have signed off on an online-petition opposing Mississippi Sand’s discharge permit.

Annual Holiday Tradition Back In Ottawa

Ottawa will be lit up with Christmas cheer later this week.

The city’s annual Festival of Lights Parade starts at 6 Friday evening at Lincoln Place.  Around 30 floats are expected in the parade.

Once the parade is over, lighting of Washington Square will happen around 6:45.  There will be live music featuring Christmas tunes leading up to the park lighting.  Mr. and Mrs. Claus will also arrive in Washington Park.

Jaimie London will broadcast live from the Festival of Lights starting at 5 on Friday on 96.5 the Wolf.

Donate Food To Erase Overdue Book Fines

Have you driven up fines for overdue books?  You can solve the problem while also helping a good cause.

Libraries in La Salle, Peru, Spring Valley, Putnam County, Mendota and Oglesby are holding their third annual “Food for Fines” amnesty program for charity.  From December 3^rd through the 15^th, you can drop off a non-perishable food donation to any of the libraries and get a dollar knocked off your overdue fines.  You can get a maximum of 25 dollars of fines erased.

The food will go to the Illinois Valley Food Pantry, Hall Township Food Pantry, Putnam County Food Pantries and Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry.

Governor Launches Pension Grassroots Campaign

CHICAGO (AP) – Gov. Pat Quinn has launched a website that outlines the history of public pensions, its problems and ways to discuss solutions through social media.

It’s part of Quinn’s long-awaited campaign to build support for an overhaul to Illinois’ pension systems. It’s called the “Thanks in Advance” campaign, which is supposed to be a message from the next generation to today’s politicians.

The website includes pictures of young children and a video, along with links to Twitter and Facebook. The website says there’ll be online town hall meetings on the issue.

Lawmakers have failed to come up with a plan to deal with the roughly $85 billion funding gap, which is the worst of any state. Legislators meet this month.