Family found to move into Habitat for Humanity home in Streator

History has been made with Habitat for Humanity of La Salle, Bureau and Putnam Counties.

Enrique and Ashley Diaz along with their two young children are moving into the first ever rehabbed existing home within the local Habitat chapter. Crews are still putting finishing touches on the house on Hall Street in Streator. It’ll have new electrical, plumbing, insulation, cabinets, air conditioning and appliances.

Applications are still being accepted for a family to move into a second rehabbed home in Streator on Shabbona Street. For an application click http://www.localhabitat.org/homeownership

Former L-P wrestling coach due back in court on child porn charges

The fate of a former L-P wrestling coach could be known Thursday.

Matt Fletcher is due in La Salle County Court for a final pre-trial hearing in front of Judge H. Chris Ryan. He was arrested in December on charges of child pornography and solicitation of a child. If no plea agreement is reached Fletcher has a trial date of next Monday.

Fletcher resigned as head wrestling coach and greeter at L-P soon after his December arrest. He’s currently out on bond.

Each of his felony charges have sentence ranges of two to five years in prison.

Ottawa man accused of shoplifting in Peru

You can’t go into a Wal-mart Super Center without being watched. Police say Peru Wal-Mart security shows Shawn Kennedy of Ottawa trying to shoplift Monday and again Tuesday morning.

Kennedy was stopped outside of the store Tuesday morning after allegedly taking more than $300 in merchandise. He was arrested for two felony counts of retail theft and a La Salle County failure to appear warrant.

Kennedy was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Oral history collection gets a new life at the Peru Public Library

Remember being a kid and hearing your grandparents and parents talk about the way things were? An oral history collection at the Peru Public Library gives you a chance to hear stories about farming in Bureau County, horse pulled buggies in La Salle and the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

Charm Ruhnke is the Peru Library Director. She says the interviews were recorded in 1975 and 1976 as part of an effort the by Starved Rock Library System.  One interview she finds particularly moving is with Celestino Manietti, a survivor of the Cherry Mine Disaster.  She says Manietti’s story about escaping the mine has her in tears.

The interviews have been available for more than 30 years but only recently were they professionally copied to CD’s after the old cassettes began to fall apart.

Each CD is available for checkout along with a transcript. Transcripts are also available at the library’s website.  You can learn more about the oral history collection by listening to an interview that’s up at the WLPO AM and FM news page.

Lostant woman faces battery charges

Felony aggravated battery charges for a woman accused of kicking the officers called to her home overnight. La Salle County Sheriff’s deputies went to Dionna Buchanan’s rural Lostant home after she allegedly roughed up another woman. Police say she kicked the officers trying to arrest her for battery and was additionally arrested for aggravated battery and resisting a peace officer.

Buchanan was taken to the La Salle La Salle County Jail.

Large gift given to nursing program at IVCC

Illinois Valley Community College has a proud history of nursing. A large donation should keep the tradition going. IVCC received a $20,000 gift from the estate of Adele Bucar of Peru. She died earlier this year and was a 1948 graduate of St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing. The money will be used along with a donation from Seattle Sutton to buy an automated medication administration system similar to one hospitals use.

More tweaks to concealed-carry in Illinois

CHICAGO (AP) – A flurry of lawsuits from people rejected for concealed carry permits has prompted the Illinois State Police to require a state review board to explain to applicants why they were denied.

Troopers say the Concealed Carry License Review Board must alert applicants of credible objections to their applications. Under the new rules, the board also must tell applicants the reasons for objections and which agency brought the objections. Applicants who filed the lawsuits say they were never told why they were denied.

You’ll be given ten days to contest a permit rejection.

A second company announces plans for a medical marijuana plant in Peru

The legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois has a second company interested in opening a growing operation in Peru.   Med Farm wants to buy 5.2 acres of land north of Interstate 80.  There it would build a 40,000 square foot high tech greenhouse,  a manufacturing plant and bakery.

Jeff Basler of Med Farm explained the proposal to the city council Monday night.   He emphasized that they are a pharmaceutical company, not a marijuana company.

Basler says if Med Farm receives a state license they will be prepared to immediately begin building.  Initially he says they would have 30 to 35 employees.

Med Farm is competing with at least AgricareLabs for the one cultivation center license that will be issued in State Police District 17.

It’s festival time in Marseilles

The week long Marseilles Fun Days starts Tuesday.

Getting things started at 10:30 is Children’s Story Time at Knudson Park. A senior dinner starts at 5 inside the Marseilles American Legion Hall followed by live music.

Five hundred dollars will be on the line at the Fun Days “Ducky Derby”. At 7 Tuesday night, ducks will race down the river from Snug Harbor and the owner of the winning duck gets $500.

Marseilles Fun Days rolls on Wednesday with a “Welcomeburger Picnic” while the carnival opens Thursday.

Medical marijuana could take big step forward in Illinois

CHICAGO (AP) – Not a single marijuana seed has been planted in Illinois’ pilot medical cannabis program. But medical marijuana is inching closer to reality and a meeting Tuesday will shape the program’s future.

A legislative rules committee is meeting in Chicago to review and possibly approve regulations for the program. Approval would mean the state could launch the application process for marijuana growers, retailers and patients.

The new state law allows 21 marijuana cultivation centers and 60 dispensaries geographically scattered around Illinois. Aspiring marijuana entrepreneurs hope to be growing the plant by later this fall for sale in early 2015 to patients who qualify for a medical marijuana card.

The Marijuana Policy Project estimates more than 10,000 qualifying patients could eventually sign up.