As Expected, Deer Hunt Numbers Way Down

Was it bad weather? Perhaps disease or maybe just less deer around than there used to be?  Whatever the reason, deer hunting numbers are way down.

La Salle County hunters took down 214 deer last weekend for a seven-day firearm season total of 802.  That’s more than 400 less than last year.

In Bureau County, 253 deer were gunned down last week bringing the firearm season total to 983.  That’s over 400 less than 2012.

Putnam County hunters killed 83 deer last weekend for a season total of 361.  That’s over 150 less than last year.

Statewide this year’s firearm season fell short of last year’s harvest by over 25 thousand deer.

Kinzinger votes in favor of Bipartisan Budget Act

Republicans and Democrats in Congress have finally agreed on something involving the federal budget.  Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger was one the lawmakers that voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013.  It passed the House 332 to 94 Thursday. 

It was created by a congressional odd couple of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray.  The plan would reduce the federal deficit by $23 billion over 10 years. 

Kinzinger says he wanted to see the country’s long-term fiscal problems more fully addressed but the bill takes important steps to replace cuts to national security and reduce the deficit. 

The Senate is expected to pass it next week and President Obama is expected to sign it.

Peru man arrested for heroin

An undercover drug deal in Peru left a man arrested on heroin related charges.  Officers with TRIDENT say Shaun Petre of Peru sold a small amount of heroin to someone working with the police Tuesday.

Petre was charged with unlawful possession and delivery of a controlled substance and was taken to the La Salle County Jail.  His bond was set at $1 million.

Peru hires company for the sewer diversion structure project

Shifting sewage flowing towards Peru’s west side wastewater plant to the east side plant instead is going to take an underground diversion structure.  That structure is going to cost at least $71,000 to build. 

The city council Wednesday night hired Stott Contracting, LLC for the sewer diversion structure.  It will be placed at North Peoria Street and Midtown Road though all you’ll see above ground will be a manhole.

The city is diverting the waste away from the west side plant because it’s near capacity and the east side plant is not.

They say this way is less expensive than expanding the west side plant.

Frigid temps become the norm in the Illinois Valley

Everyone knows it was cold Wednesday night into Thursday morning.  But just how cold was it?

According to the National Weather Service, Mendota’s low hit -8 F while it was -7 in Marseilles and Streator.  Ottawa’s low overnight was -3 while it bottomed out at -2 at the Illinois Valley Regional Airport in Peru.

The coldest spot in northern Illinois was Aurora with a low temperature Thursday morning of -16.

Traffic Continues To Be Hot Topic With Peru Elementary School

If everything goes as planned, Peru will downsize from three to two  elementary schools by August of 2015.

Superintendent Mark Cross hopes groundbreaking for a 40,000 square foot addition to Northview Elementary happens next summer.  He went over plans with neighbors of Northview Wednesday night.  The plan includes almost doubling the size of the school off Shooting Park Road so that 2nd thru 4th graders could be moved over from aging Washington School.

About a half-dozen neighbors showed up to the informational session.  Most are still skeptical that the district’s plans for more entrances and exits and expanded parking spaces will cut down on traffic issues.

Greg Sheedy lives just west of Northview on Crescent Drive and says some parents drop students off in his cul-de-sac and they just walk through his yard to get to school.

The plan right now would create three drop-off points for parents and they would all be on school property, not clogging up Plum Street which happens now.  Plum Street would only be for buses.

The elementary district plans to use an $11 million state construction grant to build Northview’s addition.

Taxes Going Down In Utica

Merry Christmas Utica taxpayers, the village part of your tax bill is going down.

According to the NewsTribune, the tax rate in Utica is going down about a nickel per 100 dollars assessed valuation.  The village is asking for about two thousand dollars more in property taxes but that will be covered mostly by Unimin Corporation thanks to their building expansion which added $8 million to the village tax roll.

Trustees unanimously approved the lower tax rate.