New truck stop creates a boost in Oglesby’s quarterly building report

Take a drive passed Oglesby on Interstate 39 and you’ll see work moving along for a new Love’s Travel Stop.  Building permits from the construction site also added $6 million to the city’s quarterly building report according to the NewsTribune.

Mayor Don Finley says he wishes Oglesby had more of these.  The truck stop in Oglesby will be larger than the Love’s in Utica.

It’s not the only building project in town.  Someone also took out a permit for a $240,000 home.

IDOT scheduleds open house for Rt 34 improvements

A lot of people take Route 34 to work.  If you’re one of them you could be affected by major changes being proposed by the Illinois Department of Transportation. 

Engineers would like to create two lanes in each direction between Plano and Sandwich.  Traffic signals would be upgraded and sidewalks would be built.   They would also like to see a bridge carrying a shared-use path over Little Rock Creek.

You can learn more about the changes and share your thoughts during an IDOT open house from 4-7pm Wednesday at the Sandwich City Hall. 

Splash pads explained to the Peru City Council

Remember a few months ago when it was 85 degrees by noon and schools were dismissing early because of the heat?  The swimming pools were already closed for the season because the teenage lifeguards were also back in school.  Some towns with splash pads don’t have this problem.

Friends for Peru Pool, a fundraising group for a new Peru pool, made a pitch for a splash pad to the city council Monday night.  Claudia Mikyska, widow of the late alderman Joe Mikyska, showed photos of a splash pad Chillicothe had made for about $100,000.  She says in Chillicothe the splash pad is open May 1 until sometime in the fall, it’s accessible and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and doesn’t require lifeguards.

The group hopes they could apply for a state grant to receive partial funding and continues to hold fundraisers.

The aldermen seemed genuinely interested after hearing the presentation.  Mayor Scott Harl says he wants to hear a budget before they agree to submit a grant application.  The Public Property and Recreation Committees will meet together along with Friends for Peru Pool before coming back to the council with more numbers.

You can learn more about the fundraising effort by visiting Friends for Peru Pool’s website.

Lawmakers: Tax-break deals need more scrutiny

     CHICAGO (AP) – Once again Illinois lawmakers are considering a list of tax breaks and other incentives to keep some companies in the state and attract others.

      The most widely publicized proposal is a $24 million tax break aimed at persuading Archer Daniels Midland Company to keep its new global headquarters in Illinois.

      Legislators at this week’s fall session in Springfield also could be asked for a tax break to retain the company that emerges from a merger between OfficeMax Inc. of Naperville and Office Depot Inc., among others.

      Some lawmakers say the state’s bad finances make timing difficult for new such breaks.

      Others say the state needs to take a harder look and adopt a more comprehensive way to scrutinize such incentives in the future.

Man killed in farming accident

Farming is a dangerous business.  71-year-old Roger Freeman of Oglesby died during a farming accident Saturday southeast of Grand Ridge.

Investigators say Freeman was hit by grain box truck and died in the field.   The La Salle County Coroner and Sheriff’s Department are investigating but haven’t said who was driving the grain truck.