La Salle committee named a finalist for a Governor’s Hometown Award

You’ll often find some sort of celebration or community event going on in La Salle.  A group that is active in the community is a finalist for the Governor’s Hometown Award.

La Salle Promotion and Advisory Committee, or LPAC, was nominated by Economic Development Director Don Aleksy.  They found out they were a finalist this week and will have to travel to Springfield to make a presentation in September.

Art and music celebration returns to Peru

Peru’s first recording artist wasn’t a rock star but she left a lasting impression on her hometown.  Violinist Maud Powell is remembered every year with during the Maud Powell Arts Celebration.

Chris Coughlin is with the celebration.  She says they have a combination of guest artists and local performers playing in a relaxed environment perfect for families.

Performances begin Friday night at Maud Powel Plaza.  The Peru Municipal Band plays at 6:30pm.

The music continues Saturday morning at the Municipal Building with performances by children playing strings and flutes.  A drum circle is at 12p,  The celebration culminates with an outdoor concert behind the Municipal Building at 6:30pm.

All of the performances and activities are free.

La Salle comprehensive plan meeting rescheduled

          If you have ideas for La Salle’s comprehensive plan, hold on to them a little longer.  An open house that was scheduled for Thursday night at Uptown Bar and Grill has been rescheduled to Wednesday, August 28 so they can have more information available. 

The meeting is open to anyone with an idea for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, transportation and community appearance.  It will begin at 6pm.

Starved Rock Looking To Become “8th Wonder Of The World”

What do Starved Rock State Park and Niagara Falls have in common?  They’re both nominees in a tourism contest to be named the “8^th Wonder of the World”.

VirtualTourist.com is asking you to vote once a day for the “8^th Wonder of the World”.  Besides Starved Rock, Cahokia Mounds, Galena’s Main Street and Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul represent Illinois.  National nominees include: Badlands National Park; Empire State Building; Bellagio Fountains in Vegas; the St. Louis Arch; Golden Gate Bridge; Mt. Rushmore; the Ocean City Boardwalk and the Hollywood Sign.  Some other interesting nominees include a Bass Pro Shop’s store in Missouri, Wisconsin Dells, the I-80 Truck Stop in Iowa and Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.

To vote go to http://www.virtualtourist.com/8thwonder.  You can vote up until September 30^th.

Starved Rock officials have been told they’re in the top 100 vote getters so far.

Area Gas Prices Getting Lower By The Day

Here’s a trend that you can get used to…gas prices going down.

The price at the pump across the Illinois Valley continues to inch down with prices as low as $3.38 a gallon at stations in La Salle, Ottawa, and Marseilles.  Many other places are selling unleaded for under $3.50 a gallon now.

The lowest gas in the state right now is in Dixon where it’s being sold for $3.16 a gallon.  According to GasBuddy.com, the average price in Illinois is $3.65 a gallon, well above the national average of $3.56 a gallon.

Peru Police Drug Dogs Out Of Commission

In times of need, it’s nice to know you can reach out to a neighbor for help.  This is what’s happening with Peru and La Salle Police Departments.

The Peru PD currently has both of its drug dogs out of commission and is turning to La Salle for help when needed.  Peru needs to replace not only Kali who died in a car accident but they’re also dealing with the other K-9 officer Matt Heiden having brain surgery.  Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei says it’ll be a few months before Kali is replaced and even longer before Officer Heiden is back at work.

Kali’s handler by the way, Art Smith is back working with the police department.