Big Money Scam Avoided In Streator

Thanks to bank workers being on their toes, an elderly Streator man was spared losing a big chunk of money.

Police were called Thursday afternoon to Streator National Bank after an elderly man tried cashing a 26 hundred check to pay a man for paving and tree trimming work that he hadn’t even started.  Investigators say the scammer who called himself Gus Collins initially tried cashing the check but was denied.  After the elderly man was denied cashing the check in the drive-thru, he went inside the bank, was again denied and the scammer drove away.

The scammer’s truck was described as having tinted windows, gray, full-size, with a ladder and branches in the bed.  If you have information call Streator Police.

Route 89 Replacement Meeting Scheduled

You can find out the latest plans for replacing the Route 89 bridge in Spring Valley in a couple weeks.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is hosting another meeting on replacing the bridge over the Illinois River on Tuesday, January 15^th at the Spring Valley City Hall.  There will be no formal presentation, instead there will be drawings of bridge options and IDOT reps to answer questions.

Replacing the aging Route 89 bridge is on IDOT’s long-term construction plan.  Past surveys have resoundingly told construction crews to keep the current bridge open while they build a new one.

Crash closed Rt 23 south of Ottawa

A stretch of Route 23 south of Ottawa is open after a near collision between a semi and a car.   It happened just after 3:30pm Thursday on the bridge over Covel Creek,  two miles south of the city.  AM 1220 WLPO news talked with the Sheriff’s office. The Sheriff’s office believes the car entered the semi’s lane forcing it to swerve.  The driver was successful in avoiding the car.  Each vehicle ended up in opposite ditches.  The driver of the car,   a woman from outside LaSalle County, went to St. Elizabeth Medical Center.   St. Elizabeth does not release condition reports to the media. More details are expected sometime Friday.

Illinois Senate delays gay marriage floor vote

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois Senate Democrats are delaying a vote on a plan that would make the state the 10th in the nation to legalize gay marriage.

A spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton tells The Associated Press the proposal to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples will get a committee hearing Thursday but there aren’t currently enough votes to pass it on the floor.

Spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon says she doesn’t know how many votes there are for the plan or when it might be called. Some Democrats were not in attendance Thursday. Phelon says no Republicans supported it.

Cullerton’s Democrats have 35 seats in the Senate – five more votes than needed for passage.

The Legislature is in lame-duck session until Jan. 9, when the new session is sworn-in.

 

Baby New Year Arrives At St. Elizabeth Medical Center

The first baby of the New Year in Ottawa goes to a couple living in Ottawa.

Just after noon New Year’s Day, Carmela Crotty gave birth to a baby girl named Elena.  The baby girl weighed 9 pounds and is 21 inches long.

Patrick Crotty is the father.

More Crundwell Property Being Sold

DIXON, Ill. (AP) – The U.S. Marshals Service says it will raise more than $3 million from the sale of three properties in Lee County belonging to former Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell.

The properties sold include the horse ranch, a house outside Dixon and about 80 acres of farmland. So far marshals have raised about $8 million from auctions of Crundwell’s belongings. That money will go toward restitution.

Crundwell pleaded guilty in November to federal charges alleging she stole more than $53 million from Dixon during her time as comptroller. She’s accused of using the money to fund a lavish lifestyle.