Settlement reached in La Salle County Jail lawsuit

Some policies at the La Salle County Jail will be revised after a Grundy County woman sued claiming she was humiliated after being stripped of her clothing.

A settlement between La Salle County and Dana Holmes of Coal City was formalized Tuesday. Holmes hired Ekl, Williams and Provenzale, LLC after she was arrested for DUI last May. Holmes claims she was illegally strip searched at the jail.

Todd Martin, the Chief Civil Assistant in the La Salle County State’s Attorney’s office says the county maintains that deputies weren’t strip searching Holmes when they forcibly removed her clothing and placed her in a padded cell.

Martin says the county is paying $355,000 that will be split between six plaintiffs. The county admitted no wrongdoing but has agreed to revised and tighten their policies for forcibly removing someone’s clothing.

 

Serious gun charges for Streator man

The man who allegedly caused a swarm of police to converge in Streator Monday morning faces serious gun charges.

Richard Russow of Streator is charged with felony reckless discharge of a firearm and felony unlawful use of weapons. He was arrested for allegedly firing shots in his home just after midnight Monday on the west side of Streator.

Russow is in the La Salle County Jail.

Oglesby considering a sales tax increase referendum

Oglesby voters may be asked in November to approve a quarter-percent increase in the city’s sales tax according to the NewsTribune.  Finance Commissioner Paul Danekas says it would be an effort to not rely so much on property taxes. And with sales tax money, anyone who shops in Oglesby pays the tax versus property taxes having only people in Oglesby shelling out the money.

Danekas says Oglesby would still have a lower sales tax rate than other Illinois Valley towns if the referendum were to pass. In the mean time, he’s asking the city to delay any pricey purchases.