State task force visits Area Career Center

          When local high school students take classes for computer aided drafting, culinary arts and graphic design, they attend the Area Career Center.  And though the building is at LP High School, the career center isn’t funded like the high school. 

          A state task force that’s supposed to research Area Career Centers and recommend to the governor and lawmakers how to fund them visited the Corner Café at the Area Career Center at LP Thursday. 

          They heard from career center Director Mary Stouffer.  She says the center receives 80% of its funding from the high schools that send students there.  One percent of their money comes from federal funding and the rest comes from the state. 

          Stouffer says the materials and software the students need at the Area Career Center are expensive and she appreciates the donations they receive from local companies.

Kinzinger begins his re-election campaign

          The campaigning season has arrived for the congressman representing the Illinois Valley.  Republican Adam Kinzinger announced Thursday the start of his 2014 re-election campaign.  Kinzinger is in the midst of his second term representing the 16 ^th District in Washington D.C. 

          He was first elected to Congress after defeating Democrat Debbie Halvorson in 2011.  For his second term, Kinzinger had to defeat longtime Republican Congressman Don Manzullo in the primary because redistricting radically changed the boundaries of the 16^th District.

          At least one person in the northern part of the district has hinted that they would like to challenge Kinzinger in a Republican primary.     

          The Primary Election is next March.  The General Election is next November.

Donation to help Utica Fire Department buy new ambulance

$25,000 will buy a solid car or truck but it’s only a fraction of what it takes to replace an ambulance.  The Utica Community Fire Protection District is nearly ready to order a new ambulance after receiving a $25,000 donation from the company running the new sand mine along near the Osage curves, Northern White Sand, LLC.

The fire department has been fundraising since April to replace its oldest ambulance.  They just about have the $160,000 to order the new ambulance next month.

Peru Council Talks About Smoke Shop Issues

Don’t let the name synthetic marijuana fool you into believing it is a fake drug. The new popular way to get high comes in packages that may or may not include chemicals considered illegal according to Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei. He explained the drug to the city council Wednesday night.

Alderman Rodney Perez was wondering what they could do to put the Peru Smoke Shop and other stores that could be selling it out of business. Last week the owner of the store was arrested for allegedly selling synthetic marijuana.

Bernabei says his suggestion is to continue having police investigators look for who is selling it. He didn’t believe that a tobacco license ordinance would be needed.

City attorney Doug Schweikert agreed, saying any ordinance would have to allow for due process and legal appeals. If not the city could end up in court for closing down a business and be stuck with large legal bills even if they were right.

The Spring Valley city council this week revoked the tobacco license for a smoke shop that was part of a drug bust but according to Schweikert it does not allow for due process and could be a liability for the city.

Renewed Call For Child Safety Seat Checks

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – About 90 percent of child passengers on Illinois roads are riding in car seats, but only three out of five of those car seats are being used correctly. That’s according to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Transportation officials are especially concerned about the finding because automobile crashes are a leading cause of death for children under the age of 13.

This Saturday, parents and caregivers can get free advice on child safety seats as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week. There are safety checks happening at Coronet Dodge in Peru and at the Ottawa Head Start.