Coal City man dies during construction accident

A man working at a construction site in Grundy County died after being hit by a metal object that flew from a wood chipper.

50-year-old Russell Bull of Coal City was pronounced dead late Tuesday morning at Morris Hospital.  Grundy County Coroner John Callahan says Bull was working at a site in Coal City where trees were being cleared.

OSHA and the coroner’s office are investigating. An examination is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Local nurse leaves large donation to the IVCH Foundation

How will you give back to your community after you’re gone? A woman who graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1948 has left $100,000 to the Illinois Valley Community Hospital Foundation.

Adele Bucar of Peru died February 19.  In her will she left money to the IVCH Foundation.  While Bucar studied nursing in La Salle, she worked as a registered nurse in Elk Grove Village.

Police: Shooter used rifle in Ore. school shooting

TROUTDALE, Ore. (AP) – Officials say a lone gunman armed with a rifle killed one student and injured a teacher at an Oregon school before the shooter was found dead.

Troutdale Police Chief Scott Anderson said Tuesday authorities have tentatively identified the gunman, but aren’t ready at this point to release the name. They are in the process of notifying the family of the gunman and student who was killed.

Anderson said the teacher suffered non-life threatening injures and was treated at the scene.

During the evacuation, another unrelated gun was found and one person was taken into custody.

 

Lake Holiday boat crash injures four young girls

Whether your behind the wheel of a car or boat, driving drunk is illegal.

Todd Halkerston of Naperville was arrested for operating a boat while drunk after causing a crash at Lake Holiday that sent four girls between 10 and 14 years old to the hospital. Conservation Police say the girls who are all from Plainfield were on a tube Friday night being pulled by Halkerston’s boat when he got too close to a boat lift, causing the girl’s tube to crash.

One of the girls was flown to Rockford Hospital. The other three were taken to Ottawa, Sandwich and Aurora hospitals.

Mining moratorium could be lifted in La Salle County

The La Salle County Board will vote in July to approve an updated comprehensive plan.  If they say yes to the plan, a moratorium on new mining developments will be lifted.

Land Use Director Mike Harsted says a gravel company is waiting for the moratorium to be lifted but as of now there are no more silica sand companies wanting to mine in the county.

The mining moratorium has been in place for over a year.

Firefighter joins the La Salle County Board

The newest member of the La Salle County Board is used to being on the hot seat.

Democrat Scott Orban of Streator was sworn in as the new District 26 board member last night. He’s a captain with the Streator Fire Department.

Orban fills a vacancy that was created last year when fellow Democrat Ron Dittmer resigned due to medical issues. Orban will have to run for re-election in November.

Staffing cuts will help balance budget at IVCC

The good news is there should be a balanced budget next fiscal year at Illinois Valley Community College. The bad news is higher tuition and staff reductions are big reasons why the budget will be balanced.

IVCC’s audit/finance committee went over a new tentative budget Monday night that’s expected to be over $21 million, almost 1% lower than the current budget. The budget includes new revenues from a 10%, across the board tuition increase. The college will save money from lower utility rates and not filling 11 full and part-time hiring requests.

Less property tax dollars will be going to IVCC because of a decrease of Illinois Valley property values.