Ottawa Planning To Make Route 23 More Pedestrian Friendly

If you’ve ever tried walking across the street from Krogers to Aldis in north Ottawa, it was likely a scary experience.

The city council is asking the Illinois Department of Transportation to move ahead with putting in sidewalks along Route 23 on the north side of town.  The plan is to put in sidewalks, crosswalks and landscaping on the west side of the busy road from Kain Street north to Etna Road.  The city is using around 200 thousand dollars of TIF money for the project with the state agreeing to match that amount.

City Engineer Dave Noble says it’s simply a matter of public safety.  The city has done studies showing a high accident count on this stretch of Route 23.

IVCC Trustee candidates to participate in forum

          You don’t have to be a student at Illinois Valley Community College to care about who is elected to college’s the Board of Trustees.  Three people running for board seats in April will answers questions about the job during a candidate’s forum Wednesday afternoon at the college.

Candidates include Laurie Bonucci of Princeton, Brandon Evans of Oglesby and Jane Goetz of Ottawa.  Two six-year terms are available.

The forum will run from 12 -1:30pm Wednesday in the Fireplace Lounge.

The forum is sponsored by several student organizations.

Fatal Crash In Rural Marshall County

Well after the freezing rain moved out, a Toluca woman was killed in a car crash.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office says 93-year old Helen Kemnitz was killed after she ran a stop sign and hit Christalynn Jenkins of Rutland yesterday afternoon around two.  The crash happened west of Rutland in rural Marshall County.

Kemnitz was pronounced dead at the scene.  Jenkins was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Streator with non-life threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.

Spring Arrives With Winter Like Weather

Tomorrow is the official first day of spring but it won’t feel like it.

A cold snap has settled in over the Illinois Valley.  Wind chills the next three mornings will be in single digits with overnight low temperatures the next three nights in the teens.

Temperatures aren’t expected to break 40 again until the weekend.  On a positive note, there is no snow in this week’s forecast.