Majestic Raising Money To Go Digital

The Majestic Theatre in Streator prides itself in offering an old school movie experience.  Part of the old school experience is films off a projector.

A fundraiser is underway called “Dollars for Digital”.  Katie Troccoli of the Majestic says they need 121 thousand dollars to update their two screens from 35 or 70 millimeter projection to all digital.  If they don’t turn digital, they may go dark.

Troccoli says projection film companies are going bankrupt with movies now being filmed on digital cameras.  She says distributing digital film versus projection is a lot cheaper and easier to ship.

If you want to help Majestic, you can donate at the Streator Pizza Hut tonight from 5 until 8 or go to a website set up for the digital fundraiser.  The website link is http://hereandagain.com/home.cfm

Trial Set For Streator Teen Involved In Fatal Motorcycle Crash

A Streator teen will go to trail in September for his alleged involvement in a crash that killed a motorcyclist.

19-year old Mason Erschen was arrested May 11th and was officially indicted for leaving the scene of an accident involving a death.  Prosecutors say he was also driving with a suspended license.

Deputies say 41-year old William Zadkovich of Streator was on his motorcycle last month in south Streator when he was hit by a car driven by Erschen.  Zadkovich was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital where he died.

Deputies say Erschen fled the crash scene and was later tracked down by Streator Police.

He’s in the Livingston County Jail on 150 thousand dollars bond.

La Salle readies for sewer work

You’ll see sewer work starting soon on the north end of La Salle.

The three- phase project will add a detention pond to the Walnut and Sobieski Streets area, improvements to a detention pond at the end of Washington Street, and sewer separation for a few blocks of Crosat. The city council Tuesday night hired Gensini Excavating for $381,000.

Engineer Mike Furlan says a CDAP grant will pay for 80%.  He expects work to begin in two to three weeks.

New Name In Illinois Governor’s Race

CHICAGO (AP) – Republican venture capitalist Bruce Rauner says he’s running for Illinois governor in 2014.

In a video posted on his website, Rauner says Illinois is in a financial mess. He says the state needs a political outsider to fix things.

Rauner will face state Treasurer Dan Rutherford in the GOP primary. Republican Sens. Kirk Dillard and Bill Brady also have expressed interest.

Gov. Pat Quinn has said he’ll run for re-election. Former White House chief of staff Bill Daley and Attorney General Lisa Madigan are considering a Democratic primary challenge.

Ottawa Buying Another Flood Damage Home

Four years after dozens of homes were flooded beyond repair, the Ottawa City Council has cleared the way to demolish all of them.

The city has used grant money to buy nearly 80 homes on the “flats” along the Fox River that were unlivable after the September 2008 flood.  During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, Mayor Bob Eschbach says a home on stilts on Superior Street is the last one the city’s buying for the purpose of demolishing.

The city is clearing the flood prone homes to expand Fox River Park.

Former Alderwoman Gets New Gig In La Salle

One of only a few women to have been a La Salle alderwoman is now the city treasurer.  Virginia Kochanowski was sworn in last night after winning the April election.

Kochanowski took an oath she administered many times as city clerk, an office she won after having served on the council.

New City Clerk Carrie Brown served her first council meeting Tuesday night.