Sand mine request to go before La Salle planning commission

Farmland in La Salle could be the next sand mine for La Salle County.  Josh and Dan Voss of Quality Sand Products are asking the city for permission to create a sand mine on more than 100 acres of land north of Interstate 80 and west of Hickory Hollow Campground.  The city council took the request Tuesday night.

Mayor Jeff Grove says he’ll support the proposal if it is in the best interest of the La Salle.  He says the site that’s proposed for the mine is prime property for retail development.

The Voss’s don’t own the property yet.  They are asking for a special use permit to allow mining in an area zoned M-1, light industrial.  The planning commission will consider it before making a recommendation to the city council.  Anyone for or against a mine would have a chance to comment at a public hearing.

New alderman John Duncan the third wonders if the property would have to be rezoned to accommodate a mine.  Coincidentally, Duncan was an attorney representing Illinois Sand during the public hearings held by the Village of Utica last year.

Deer harvest numbers up over last year

Hope you like venison because the first firearm deer season was productive.  The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says that more than 72,000 deer were harvested between Friday and Sunday.  It was 5,000 more deer than the same time last year.

Hunters in Bureau County got 1014 deer, in La Salle County there were 887, and in Putnam County there were 389.

The second portion of the firearm season will be November 29 through December 2.

Peru alderman warns of coyotes

A four-legged predator has been spotted on the north end of Peru.  People living near 32^nd Street and Marquette Road recently have seen coyotes and found dead rabbits.

Alderman Tony Ferrrari says no dogs have been attacked but he wants people to know so they can be careful with their small animals.

Bullet goes through wall and hits boy in rural Princeton

Make sure you know what you’re shooting at.  A 17-year-old boy is lucky to be okay after a deer pellet went through his bedroom wall and ripped through his pants and underwear before hitting his thigh.

Conservation Police Sgt. Hank Frazier says it happened around 5pm Friday in rural Princeton.  The boy didn’t need to go to the hospital.

They’re not sure who fired the shot but are trying to find out.

Area Home Sales Continue To Improve

The housing market continues to have a bounce back year in the Illinois Valley.

According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS, 97 homes were sold in October in La Salle County compared to 68 last October.  Home sales for the year are up by 22 percent in La Salle County.

In Bureau County, 24 homes went off the market last month compared to 20 in October of 2011.  Home sales are up by 19 percent this year in Bureau County.

In Putnam County, four homes were sold last month, down from seven in October of last year.  For the year, home sales are still up by 41 percent in Putnam County.

Feds Continue Selling Off Crundwell Property

DIXON, Ill. (AP) – U.S. Marshals are auctioning a half-dozen vehicles and boats that once were owned by Rita Crundwell.

U.S. Marshals said yesterday that the online auction of Crundwell’s assets in Florida and Wisconsin ends Dec. 6. They plan to add a pontoon boat to the auction soon. Items on auction now include a 1967 Corvette Roadster and a 2005 Ford Thunderbird.

Crundwell pleaded guilty last week to a federal count accusing her of stealing over 50 million from the city of Dixon, where she was comptroller until earlier this year. The 59-year-old Crundwell is accused of using the money to fund a lavish lifestyle and a horse-breeding operation.

So far marshals have raised $7.4 million selling Crundwell’s assets.

Electric Bills Shoot Up In Oglesby

For the second time in under a year, electric bills are going up in Oglesby.

The Oglesby City Council passed an updated electrical rate ordinance that adds a cent and a half charge per kilowatt to monthly bills.  This means ten or more dollars a month extra for electricity.  The new rate goes into effect in January.  It could mean around 330 thousand dollars in extra revenue next year for Oglesby.

Electric Commissioner Dom Rivara says nobody likes to raise rates but without doing it the electric department would be broke in two years.  The city council just raised electric rates in May.

The council paid a consultant out of Missouri almost 20 thousand dollars to do a rate study which is leading to the higher bills.

Peru to take apartment building owner to court

You usually don’t find five-unit apartment buildings in the middle of a neighborhood. But every town has old homes that have been converted into apartments. That’s the story with a building on Cross Street in Peru that was badly damaged by fire earlier this year. The neighborhood doesn’t allow five-unit apartment houses. The one that was there was what the city calls a non-conforming use. And since it’s been damaged it may no longer be allowed depending on what percentage of the building needs restoration.

That’s what the city is taking the owner, Kent Anthony, to court to find out. The building is valued at just under $90,000. A contractor hired by the owner estimated the repairs to cost approximately $42,000 but hasn’t been able to give the city an estimate listing the costs by line-item.

Mayor Scott Harl is one of several city officials that says the estimate is too vague. The city council Monday night voted to take the owner to court so the judge will allow them to have another contract give them an estimate. If the cost of the repairs is more than half of the value of the building the property is looses its non-conforming use status and could not be rehabbed back to a five-unit building.

 

Alderman Rodney Perez was the only alderman who didn’t want to take the owner to court.