Dangerous heat hits the Illinois Valley

Monday could be the hottest day of the year so far.

There’s a Heat Advisory from until 10pm Monday in the Illinois Valley. It’ll be in the low to mid-90s but when you add the humidity it could feel like 105 or hotter. If you have to work outside today wear light-colored clothes and drink plenty of water.

Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru is offering its cafeteria as a cooling center.  The Department of Human Services office on Centennial Drive in Ottawa is also open as a cooling center.

High temps should be back in the low-80s by Wednesday.

Woman rescued from the Vermilion River

The Vermilion River is great for kayaking but recent rains have made it dangerous. 

A woman kayaking with a friend had to be helped out of the river near Lowell after flipping over.  The Reading Fire District and other departments used a boat to pull Karen Hichborn of Streator from the water.

Conservative Police Sgt. Hank Frazier says the women got on the river south of Streator Sunday morning.  Both were wearing life preservers but Hichborn reportedly removed hers after becoming hot. Frazier says soon after she collided with a log.

Her friend was able to call for help. The rescue was completed in about one hour.

Frazier says the river was moving swiftly and probably was unsafe.

Delayed Peru fireworks coming Saturday

     This week, Peru catches up with the other city fireworks you saw around July 4. As you may recall, heavy rains forced the City of Peru to reschedule their sky show until this Saturday. The city’s Facebook page says everything is the same as what was scheduled almost two months earlier.

     There will be an alcohol free area, kids inflatables, food, drink and shuttle service between Water Street and Fourth Street. The bus schedule is available on the cities website under resident news. Music for the fireworks will be synchronized with “Classic Hits 103-9 WLPO”. If rain interferes – and there is that chance – festivities will be held the next night.

White House reps to attend funeral

President Barack Obama is sending 3 White House officials to the funeral service of the Missouri teenager whose death from a police shooting has sparked days of racially-charged unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.   Leading the group for Monday’s service will be the chairman of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, Broderick Johnson.

My Brother’s Keeper is an Obama initiative that aims to empower young minorities.

Hot weather predicted for Sunday and Monday

The National Weather Service says temperatures will hit the lower 90s across all of northern Illinois Monday. A “feel like” temperature of 105 is  expected with a 30% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Sunday promises to be quite warm in the lower 90’s with a “feel like” temperature of 101. Temperatures back off to the middle 80s by Wednesday.

Robbery ends in LaSalle parking lot

A bowie knife is what police say a man used to rob the LaSalle Casey’s General Store. Police were called to the store around 7:30pm Friday.

Police say they got 28-year-old Chad Heroux in the parking lot. Police say Heroux was wearing a ski mask when he went inside. They also say he had a large bowie knife when they found him. Heroux was arrested for armed robbery and was taken to the La Salle County Jail.