La Salle water lines remain frozen

Beneath the mud, the ground remains frozen and so are some of the water lines in La Salle.  Frozen services lines and a frozen water main had approximately 43 homes without water as recently as this month.

La Salle Public Works Superintendent Jeff Bumgarner said Friday most of the frozen lines are still frozen.  He says two people have called to say their lines thawed.  There could be more but he hasn’t heard from them.

Bumgarner believes the water main in the 1200 block of Lafayette Street is still frozen.  Homes in that area have been without running water since approximately February 11.

The city and several plumbers tried different strategies to thaw the lines with little success.  These days Bumgarner says they’re letting nature take its course and waiting for the ground to warm up.  He thinks that will take a few more days of sunshine and warmer temperatures.

School bus accident injuries one adult and two children

Swerving when there’s an animal in the road might be your gut reaction but it’s not a good response.  A driver and two students were treated for injuries after a school bus went off the road after the driver reportedly swerved to miss a deer.

It happened before school Friday on Route 52 near Prairie Center.  La Salle County Sheriff’s Deputies say Michael Jones, Sr. of Putnam swerved to miss a deer.  The bus went into the ditch, hit a culvert and turned onto its side.  Jones and two students were taken to Mendota Community Hospital with minor injuries.  The students were treated and released.  He was admitted to the hospital. They were on their way to the Lighted Way in La Salle.

L-P Students Ready to Debate with the Best Around

A rousing argument can turn young passion into a persuasive statement.  The students on LP High School’s debate team have studied their cases and are ready to hold their own against other students at the IHSA State Debate Tournament.  The competition is Friday at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

English teachers Jill Hoelzer and Britney Botero sponsor the team that was reformed this school year after disbanding in the 1960’s.

Eight students are participating in three events.  They’ve had about one month to research and prepare their arguments.  The team’s first experience competing was last week at the Illinois Communications and Theater State Debate Championship.

Learn more about the LP Debate team by listening to an interview that’s available at the WLP AM and FM news page.

Protest Continues Outside Ottawa High School

The protest of cutting building trades at Ottawa High School continues into a fourth day.

Well over 100 people demonstrated for a third day Thursday after the school board’s decision to cut teacher Dave Keely.  One of the protestors is Ottawa Junior Travis Dunham. He’s finishing up a three-day suspension for walking out of class in protest.

Dunham says over 100 students were suspended along with him.  He can’t understand why a class paid for with grants and donations would be an answer to helping a budget deficit.

Head-on crash injuries two people

Two people were hurt after a head-on collision near Ottawa.

Deputies say Todd Richardson of Ottawa drove into the other lane of traffic on Route 71 and hit Loretta Pagakis of Sheridan Thursday afternoon.  Both were taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa.

Richardson was ticketed for failing to reduce speed and improper lane use.