Early Voting Begins For March Primary

If you’re so eager to vote that you don’t want to wait until Election Day, you can cast an early ballot starting Monday.

Early voting in La Salle County goes on in the basement of the Etna Road government complex in Ottawa.  In Bureau County, you can vote early in the basement of the county courthouse or at the city clerk’s office in Spring Valley.

You don’t have to give a reason for voting early but you do have to show photo I-D.

Fundraiser Wrapping Up To Send L-P Choir To New York

If you have a passion for singing, there are few venues more appealing than Carnegie Hall in New York City.  With your help, over 30 L-P students will sing at the world famous concert hall in April.

A website has been established where you can donate to the L-P Choir.  This Friday is the last day to donate online.

Choir members are trying to raise $50,000, or roughly $1,500 per student.  The money includes transportation costs, hotel and meals.

To donate, click  http://www.gofundme.com/LP-to-Carnegie

Two People Killed In Earlville Fire

The cause of a fire that killed a man and a woman near Earlville remains undetermined.  The fire started early Sunday morning on Hyde Road. 

Investigators with the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Department say Eric Williams of Lone Rock, Wisconsin was able to escape and call 9-1-1 but he wasn’t able to return inside of the house to save his sister, 49-year-old Dawn Williams of Ripon, Wisconsin or the owner of the house, 53-year-old Matthew Jones. 

Eric Williams was treated for burns at Mendota Community Hospital.  Autopsies were performed Monday on Dawn Williams and Jones.  Investigators say the Williams were visiting Jones for the weekend.  The cause of the fire is undetermined but still being investigated.  It’s not considered suspicious. 

“Non Stop” stops “The Lego Movie”

    Liam Neeson has grounded the “The Lego Movie.”   The action star’s airliner thriller “Non-Stop” arrived in first place at the weekend box office, ending the Warner Bros. animated film’s three-week blockade at the top spot. The Universal Pictures film stars Neeson as a federal air marshal on a doomed flight. “Non-Stop” opened with $30 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
 
     Fox’s “Son of God” debuted closely behind “Non-Stop” in second place with $26.5 million. The film recounts the story of Jesus’ life using footage shot during production of the History Channel’s 10-part miniseries “The Bible.”
 
     “The Lego Movie,” which features the voices of Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks as characters from the blocky toy franchise, came in third place with $21 million, bringing its total domestic haul to $209.3 million.
 

 

Insurance deadline is looming

    Sick of hearing about the health care law?  Plenty of people have tuned out after all the political jabber and website woes.  But now is the time to tune back in, before it’s too late.   The big deadline is coming March 31. 
By that day, for the first time, nearly everyone in the United States is required to be signed up for health insurance or risk paying a fine.
 
     There’s a lot to know about this month’s open enrollment countdown.   Most people don’t need to do anything.       Even before the law was passed in 2010, more than 8 out of 10 U.S. residents had coverage, usually through their workplace plans or Medicare or Medicaid.
 
     If you’re already covered that way, you meet the law’s requirements.

Snow event ending

The National Weather service says snow and freezing rain are beginning to taper off in central and southern Illinois.
 
     About 3 inches fell in the Bloomington-Normal area, and about 2 inches in Champaign and Lincoln by early Sunday afternoon. Meteorologist Heather Stanley says another inch of snow is expected in central Illinois by evening.
 
     She says southern Illinois has seen mostly sleet and freezing rain, and that wintry mix is expected to continue through the early evening.
 
     The weather service had placed much of central Illinois under a winter weather advisory and southern Illinois under a winter storm watch.
 
     The conditions have made roads throughout the state slippery.
 
     Transportation officials say people shouldn’t travel if they don’t have to so crews can clear and salt roads and bridges.

Rural Varna trailer destroyed

A trailer fire doesn’t allow firefighters much time. Ask Varna fire chief, Rich Shanklin.

His men were called to one…. a mile and half east of town about 6:30am Saturday. Shanklin said the 40 year old man living there noticed flames in the bathroom area. By the time firemen arrived flames were through the windows and roof at the north end.

Shanklin said there were no injuries but the trailer is a complete loss. The fire is not considered suspicious. One problem in fighting the fire, according to the fire chief, was the straw insulating the outside of the structure. Firemen had to pull the bales apart while they were burning. The trailer is valued at $10,000.

Accidental shooting claims teen’s life

A teenage boy has been killed in what officials called an “accidental shooting” at the home of Illinois State Police trooper.

State Police Lieutenant Victor Markowski, the interim commander for Zone 2 investigations, says the shooting involved two teenagers an occurred about 11:40 a.m. yesterday.

Markowski says that one teen who was not related to the trooper’s family suffered a fatal gunshot wound.

Republican candidates campaign in earnest

With early voting starting this week, the 4 Republican candidates for Illinois governor are seeking to boost the early voting turnout of their supporters.

Businessman Bruce Rauner, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford, Senator Kirk Dillard and Senator Bill Brady were campaigning throughout Illinois Saturday as they seek the task of taking on Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn.

Ottawa has low price for gas

Some of the cheapest gas around could be a cluster of gas stations at the I-80 Ottawa exit.

Thornton’s, BP and Marathon are at 3.41. Twelve blocks to the south in Ottawa the price is at 3.49.

Prices at the BP on Fourth street in Peru and at the Shell and BP at the Oglesby exit are at 3.59.

You can see prices using the Gas Buddy feature at wlpo am and fm.com