New Contract Approved By Mendota Grade School Board

As expected, the Mendota Elementary School Board has approved a new three-year contract with its teachers.

The contract includes a two-percent raise in year one and a one-percent raise in year three.  Teachers won’t get a base salary increase in the second year but the board will in exchange pay towards the Teacher Retirement System.

With insurance, Mendota Elementary teachers will pay 10 percent for single coverage and up to 18 hundred dollars for family coverage.  The old contract had teachers paying a set dollar amount for insurance.

Teachers had been working under terms of an expired contract since August.

Eight departments fight house fire

One person was sent to the hospital after a house fire between Grand Ridge and Streator.

A 911 call came in just before six Thursday night about a two-story home ablaze on North 17th Road, also known as Richards Road.  Grand Ridge Fire Chief Michael Jaegle says two adults and four children lived at the house which is now unlivable.  The chief says one of the adults living at the house was taken to an area hospital.

At least eight fire departments helped to knock down the fire in about three hours.  The cause is under investigation and a representative from the state fire marshal’s office is coming to check it out.

Jaegle doesn’t consider the fire suspicious.

Village-Wide Boil Order Reaches Three Days

It could be another day before water service is back to normal in Tonica.

Crews are repairing a damaged pipe in the village’s water tower.   A boil order is in effect while they make the repairs.

The village-wide boil order has been in effect since Wednesday.