Sink hole closes a stretch of the Kangley Blacktop

    If you normally take the Kangley Blacktop, you’ll have to take a detour. The blacktop also known as County Highway 29 is closed to through traffic from Oakley Avenue to the Leonore Blacktop because of a growing sink hole.

The La Salle County Highway Department announced the road closure Friday.

 

SNAP benefits available for some flood victims

If your home or business was damaged by the floods in April, you might be eligible for special disaster food stamps. Starting Monday, the state is offering food assistance in the counties declared federal disaster areas, including La Salle and Bureau.

To qualify, you must have had damage to your home or business, paid disaster-related expenses that were not reimbursed, or loss or reduction of income because of the flooding in April.

Disaster SNAP benefits will be provided to families based on total income and assets available to a household during the flood.  If you already receive SNAP benefits and were affected by the flood you may also apply for the special program.

Applications until June 21.

Oglesby man accused of taking eaglets home

          While eagles are a fascinating creature, they are a protected species.  A man from Oglesby is accused of taking two baby eaglets home. 

Steve Patterson was arrested after an investigation by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.  Conservation Police Sgt. Robert Frazier says the eaglets, which had fallen out of their nest, went missing around June 1. 

Frazier says they noticed fresh tire tracks near the nest not far from Illinois Valley Community College.  Their investigation led them to an animal rehab center and then Patterson.

Frazier says they believe Patterson took the eaglets home and called a rehab center because one of the birds had a broken wing.  How the wing became broken is unknown.

Frazier says they had been watching the nest and had already told Patterson to leave the birds alone.  The birds’ mother and father had been caring for them but have since left.  The eaglets are being cared for at a rehab center. 

Meanwhile Patterson has a July 28 court date for illegally taking a bird of prey and taking a protective species.  Frazier says Patterson also faces charges in Wisconsin. 

Area Red Cross Volunteers help Oklahoma tornado victims

Imagine traveling half-way across the country to help tornado victims only to end up crouched down in the basement of an airport because of another tornado.  It happened to retired nurses Nancy Burress and Kathy Koscielski.  The women from the Illinois Valley traveled to Oklahoma on May 31 to volunteer with the American Red Cross. 

          From the moment they arrived they were surrounded examples of nature’s fury.  Koscielski thought the Utica tornado had prepared her for a disaster, but it didn’t.

          The pair worked 12-hour shifts, sometimes following up with people who had visited their centers.  Burress says it was difficult finding people as many were forced to move from motel to motel and cell phones were going dead.

          Burress says many people saw their red vets and approached them just to talk.  She says the Red Cross gave the people hope and she’s glad she did it.

          Burress and Koscielski returned home Thursday night.  Both plan to continue volunteering but closer to home.

           You can hear the interview with Burress and Koscielski by visiting the WLPO AM and FM news page.

Princeton Theater Group Celebrates Ten Years

Ten years is a great run and that’s what Festival 56 in Princeton is celebrating this weekend.

The theater group is putting on a 10^th Anniversary Cabaret tonight at 7:30 inside the Grace Performing Arts Center.  Broadway actor Robert Petkoff will perform.

Tickets are 26 dollars for adults, 24 dollars for seniors and 13 dollars for students.

Women Will Be Honored At This Year’s Freedom Run

Often forgotten, women in the military will especially be remembered at this year’s Illinois Motorcycle Freedom Run in Marseilles.

“Women in the Military” is the theme of Saturday’s ceremony along the Illinois River.  Of the over 76 hundred names on the Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall, nearly 200 are women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Thousands of motorcycles will leave the Grundy County Fairgrounds in Morris Saturday at 10:30.  They’ll arrive in downtown Marseilles before a 1 o’clock ceremony at the wall.

More on 34 Returns

Are you a bargain hunter?  How does a 100 mile long yard sale sound?

The annual More on 34 sales are back today and tomorrow.  The sales run from Galesburg to Yorkville.  Towns in the listening area taking part include: Sheffield; Wyanet; Princeton; LaMoille; Mendota; Earlville; Somonauk; and Sandwich.

Besides people having sales, many businesses are also having special sales this weekend.  Most sales begin at 8 and end at 5.

Relay For Life Returns To Streator

They’ll be up all night at Streator City Park to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  The La Salle County Relay for Life gets underway at 6pm tonight.

Already, dozens of teams have raised well over 100 thousand dollars leading up to the overnight relay.  Cancer survivors will help to get things started with a lap of their own followed by a caregivers lap.  At dusk will be the always emotional luminaria ceremony.  There will also be live music, food and games throughout the night.

Cowboy will broadcast live from the relay today starting at 4 on 96.5 the Wolf.