Dance and auction raises money for the Red Cross

In between the eating of seafood and dessert, guests at the annual Red Cross Have a Heart Dance and Auction raised thousands of dollars for the organization.

The fundraiser was Saturday night at Senica’s Oak Ridge.  Sarah Stasik directs the Peru branch and says they raised $13,800 during the appeal portion of the live auction.  $5,000 of that came from a matching donation by the Miller Group Media Trust.

More money was raised during the auctions and raffles.  A grand total hasn’t been announced yet.

Miller Group Media includes Classic Hits 103.9 WLPO, 99.3 WAJK, 96.5 The Wolf, The NewsTribune, Agrinews and 815Life.com.

Landscaping on the agenda in Peru

Downtown Peru doesn’t look bad but it will look more colorful this summer.  Plans are underway to have flowers in the planters and baskets along Route 6 and Water Street.  The city council will talk about the flowers Monday night.  Last year the planters were maintained by volunteers which could likely be the case this year.

For other green areas, the city council could hire Specialty Landscaping for $19,000.

The city council meets at 6:30pm for an informal committee of the whole meeting and again at 7:30pm for a formal meeting.

Imposter arranges home burglary

Police say a Des Moines home was burglarized after a woman posing as an Iowa Department of Human Services employee lured the family out of their house.

The Des Moines Register reports that the impostor knocked on the family’s door on Wednesday and told a 13-year-old girl who answered that she needed to speak to the girl’s mother. The woman called the mother the next day, saying a child endangerment report had been filed and that they needed to meet at a restaurant, but no one showed up.

ISU President Flanagan resigns

Illinois State University President Timothy Flanagan has resigned.
 
     Flanagan is being investigated by ISU police after a former campus employee accused him of assault.
 
     He stepped down during a special Board of Trustees meeting Saturday. The resignation took effect immediately.
 
     A statement on the university’s website says Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Dietz was named to replace him.
 
     It includes a brief statement from Flanagan in which he says he appreciated working with students and faculty but that after discussion with the board he’s decided it would be best to “pursue other opportunities.”
 
     The complaint filed against him, accuses Flanagan of assaulting a former employee while complaining about the care of the president’s lawn.
 
     ISU Chief of Staff Jay Groves said the university would have no additional comment.

Walczynski authors new Starved Rock book

Most of us think Starved Rock is named for indians starved out atop the rock by a competing tribe. But, IVCC instructor, Mark Walczynski says, that belief is rooted in numerous questionable accounts written over 50 years. Most, he says don’t stand up against modern day archeaology.

Walczynski new book – the next in a series – is called “Massacre 1769: The Search for the origin of the Legend of Starved Rock”. The book details the indian lifestyle and picks apart the accounts of what happened to a group of indians of the Illinois tribe.

Walzynski says problems arise because the stories don’t agree on the date of the massacre and where it occurred. Some authors place the indians atop the Rock or the base. Another claims some escaped…and still another says a French contingent was attempting a rescue. Walczynski says his book makes a solid case for what he believes happened.

The book is at the “The Book Mouse” in Ottawa, Starved Rock Visitors Center or on Amazon. The former IDNR employee spoke before a Reddick Mansion audience in Ottawa Saturday night.

OHS students end protest

High school students on spring break might be working or just hanging out.

Ottawa High School students are on spring break this week…and some will discuss discipline options with administrators resulting from their week of protests at the school. According to the OHS Building Trades Facebook page, the young people decided to end their protests Saturday and seek a meeting with the school board to convey their viewpoint. The page said students will hash out discipline issues with administrators before returning to school next Monday.

The school board sparked student “sit-ins” and protests when it voted last week to end the “Building Trades” program and put its program head – Dave Keely – out of work at the end of the year.