President Signs Off On Federal Flood Aid For La Salle County

Three weeks after historic flooding pounded the Illinois Valley, President Barack Obama has declared La Salle County a disaster area.

Governor Pat Quinn Thursday asked President Obama to declare La Salle, Grundy and nine other counties major disaster areas.  With the president agreeing, La Salle and the other counties can get grants and low-interest federal loans to pay for flood damage.

Bureau and Putnam Counties were declared state disaster areas which makes state resources available.

Leland Teen’s Death Was Allegedly A Drug-Induced Homicide

A woman from Somonauk is being blamed for the overdose death of a Leland teenage.

Nicole Benson was arrested Thursday in Texas for the Class X felony of drug induced homicide.  Investigators say she moved to Texas from Somonauk shortly after her friend 19-year old Kelsey McGuire of Leland died.

Officers say on March 11^th Benson called 911 to say McGuire was at her house and was not breathing.  McGuire was rushed to Valley West Hospital where she was pronounced dead.  A medical examiner’s report showed McGuire had lethal doses of Hydrocodone and Xanax in her system when she died.

Benson is at the DeKalb County Jail on 750 thousand dollars bond.

Repairs At Marseilles Dam Means Boating Restrictions

As of Saturday, recreational boating is off limits around the Marseilles Dam.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to repair the dam that was damaged April 18^th when seven barges slammed into the structure.  The Corps is intentionally lowering the level of the Illinois River at the dam by three feet so they can build a rock dike downstream.  The dike could take up to a week to finish.  When it’s done, the river will be brought up to its regular water level and boating restrictions will be lifted.

Recreational boaters need approval from a port official to be on the river between Seneca and Marseilles.  The lock itself is completely closed to boats.

Heroin Bust In Peru

A heroin bust on the east side of Peru lands a man and woman in jail.

Peru Police Friday afternoon went to a home in the 600 block of 11^th Street and arrested David Ragazincky and Roxanne Griglione.  Ragazincky was picked up for unlawful delivery of heroin while Griglione was arrested for actions that would violate her probation.  Griglione was on probation for a previous drug arrest in Peru.

Both Ragazincky and Griglione were taken to the La Salle County Jail.  Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei says a house on Buffalo Street was condemned and demolished last year that Ragazincky and Griglione used to live at.  Bernabei says their were several police calls to that house.