La Salle County receives grant for nursing home flood wall

When the Illinois River floods enough, it’s hard to reach the La Salle County Nursing Home and Highway Department. A levee is being extended behind the buildings to handle future flooding.

A good chunk of the project is being paid for with a state grant worth $450,000. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced the grant recipients Thursday. La Salle County Engineer Larry Kinzer had estimated the wall to cost $750,000 and was hoping the county would receive a grant.

Also receiving grant money to prevent flooding and water problems is Tonica. They are receiving $350,000 for a lift station upgrade.

Unemployment numbers continued to improve in September

Gasoline prices aren’t the only numbers declining. Local unemployment figures continue to improve. The Ottawa-Streator Area September unemployment rate was 7.6%, down more than three percent from last September.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says the last time the unemployment rate was lower was in 2008. Jobs were added in professional-business services and transportation-warehousing. Jobs were lost in manufacturing.

La Salle County’s September unemployment rate was 7.6%, down three percent from last September.

In Bureau County, unemployment improved to 7.7%, down from 8.6% and Putnam County was at 7.3%, down from 9.7%.

 

Investigation looking into what caused a garage fire in Peru

The state fire marshal’s office is looking into what caused a detached garage in Peru to go up in flames.

The 911 call came in around noon Wednesday about a garage fully engulfed at 1409 14th Street, just east of Centennial Park. With power lines over the garage, a call was quickly was also put in to the electric department. La Salle helped Peru firefighters put the fire out and keep it from spreading to any homes.

Nobody was hurt.

Cheapest gas in Illinois being sold in Streator

Streator can boast something that no other city in Illinois can right now. They have unleaded gas for $2.69 a gallon.

According to GasBuddy.com, that’s the cheapest gas in all of Illinois. Just up the road in Ottawa you can get gas from $2.84 to $2.86 a gallon. In the La Salle-Peru area, gas is going for $2.85 to $2.89 a gallon.

The statewide average today for unleaded is $3.16 a gallon, down a dime from a week ago.