LP welcomes its athletes tonight

LaSalle Peru High School is welcoming its track athletes home tonight and among them is a state champion. Logan Zeman won a state title in High Jump earlier today in Charleston. Brett Kowalczyk took 8th in shot put. Last week, LP’s Lesly Rocha and Megan Krolak finished 7th and 8th, respectively, in the 3200 meters event last weekend.

According to LP’s Matt Baker, the athletes will be greeted by police and fire trucks at Love’s in Oglesby about 7:30. The route extends through downtown Oglesby on Walnut to Route 71 where it will turn west through Jonesville. It will move into and through downtown LaSalle onto Route 6 and then into Peru. In Peru, the route will turn north on Peoria and then east on Shooting Park Road. The parade will make a right onto Creve Coeur and end at the high school.

Zeman is 1 of only a few Cavalier student-athletes to become a state champion. He earned the top spot today with a jump of 6’8″.

Driver face felony in rollover accident

All three people in a rollover near Leland today went where they did not want to go – the passengers to hospitals and the driver to jail.

LaSalle County Deputies say it happened just after 2 this morning on a county road. One passenger, 18-year old Nathan Vesely of Leland was flown to Good Samaritan in Downers Grove. The other passenger, 22-year old Dayton Brown of Leland flown to St. Anthony’s in Rockford. There is no report available on their conditions.

The driver, 20-year old Josh Bushland of Earlville, ran from the scene but was later found. Bushland is currently in the county jail for leaving the scene of an injury accident – a felony. The crash is still being investigated.

Local senator warns that income tax increase isn’t a dead issue

Do you think lawmakers should be able to make important votes even after they lose an election?

Senator Sue Rezin and other Republican lawmakers think many Democrats are planning to have “lame-duck” politicians help to make the temporary income tax hike permanent.

Rezin says this kind of thing happened in 2011 when the tax hike was supported by politicians who had just lost an election, including then State Representative Careen Gordon who came out against the tax increase then changed her mind and got a state job.

Rezin calls what Gordon did and what other lame-duck politicians may do after the November election unacceptable political gamesmanship. Rezin and other Republicans have signed a resolution pledging to oppose a lame-duck session tax hike.

Congressman and military veteran responds to VA secretary resignation

Your congressman is feeling better about things regarding care for veterans following the resignation of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki.

Republican Adam Kinzinger says “I’m encouraged to know that new leadership will have the opportunity to make the massive changes necessary to clean up the broken bureaucracy at the VA”. Kinzinger calls Shinseki a good man but problems in the VA system required a new direction.

Investigators say at least 23 veterans died as a result of delayed or denied care from VA hospitals.

Men with Airsoft Guns draw attention in Peru

Under an early morning sun, Peru Police officers with their guns drawn went to a car in an otherwise empty parking.

It started shortly after 6am Friday when a man called the police saying he saw several men with guns standing outside of a car in what appeared to be a standoff.

Police went to Route 251 and Interstate 80, where the caller said he saw the men. Nobody suspicious was found but soon the man called back saying it was actually at Route 6 and Route 251 in a business parking lot.

There officers found a car with several men inside. Approaching it with caution they soon found out that the men had Airsoft guns and were horsing around while waiting for a business to open.

Police say they reminded the young men that Airsoft guns and BB guns aren’t allowed to be fired in city limits and everyone went on their way.

Illinois Legislature OKs ‘incomplete’ 2015 budget

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – The Illinois Legislature has approved an approximately $35.7 billion budget that Democrats acknowledge is “incomplete.”

The Senate approved the 2015 budget Friday with no GOP support. The House approved it Tuesday. Democratic Sen. Dan Kotowski calls the plan “incomplete” but says it’s the best budget lawmakers can pass this year. Republicans call the budget irresponsible.

Leading Democrats wanted to stop Illinois’ temporary income tax increase from rolling back in January. But House Democrats didn’t have enough “yes” votes in an election year to do so. That resulted in a budget that doesn’t account for increased costs next year.

The GOP thinkss Democrats are planning to return after the November election and make the tax increase permanent.

La Salle church to hold rummage sale

Books, household items and collectables will be on sale at a charity rummage in La Salle. St Paul’s Episcopal Church on Joliet Street is raising money Saturday to reopen an Episcopal school in El Salvador.

You won’t find clothing on sale but there will be many other items. Refreshments will also be on sale.

Early Bird Sales are from 7am-8am with a $5 entrance fee. The $5 bag sale begins at 1pm.

Man accused of forging prescription arrested

The handwriting on a doctor’s prescription can be sloppy but the pharmacist knows what it says and they can usually spot a fake. A man is accused of altering a prescription in an attempt to get a narcotic from a pharmacy in Peru.

Andrew Scheidt was arrested for forgery Thursday at Illinois Valley Community Hospital and was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Chicago man accused of leading Ottawa Police on high-speed chase

A high speed chase ends with an arrest in rural La Salle County.

Christopher Fields of Chicago is accused of leading police on a chase where he drove at least 40 miles per hour over the speed limit. He was arrested Thursday night for aggravated fleeing and eluding police along with wreckless driving and driving without insurance and on a revoked license.

Fields was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Children in Streator say they were approached by suspicious driver

Is there a creeper on the loose in Streator?

Streator Police say two children were approached Thursday afternoon by a white man in a silver car. He allegedly asked the children if they would get in his car and help him find his dogs. Investigators say after the kids didn’t respond, he drove off.

Police say the man in the car is white, skinny with side burns and blonde hair and was wearing a grey shirt. He was allegedly pulling a homemade brown trailer with some type of lawn care advertisement on it.

If you have information, call Streator Police.