Mendota man accused of sexual assault

An investigation into a reported sexual assault in Peru has a man from Mendota facing charges. 18-year-old Juan Cantu was arrested Monday morning on a La Salle County warrant for two counts of criminal sexual assault.

The investigation involved the Peru and Mendota Police Departments. Cantu was taken to the La Salle County Jail with his bond set at $250,000.

Underage compliance check leaves four businesses busted

How good are you at guessing ages? When you’re serving alcohol, you’re sometimes better off checking an ID than guessing.

Four La Salle businesses were accused of serving minors after a check by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission Tuesday. The businesses that failed the test include the Shell Station at Third and Joliet Street, Lucky 7 Slots, Waz’s Bar and Grill and Monari’s 101.

19 businesses in La Salle and Oglesby passed the test, including several that had been busted before.

 

Ottawa church to give away coats

It’s going to get cold eventually and you’re going to want to have a good winter coat. Unfortunately for some in the Illinois Valley that’s easier said than done.

To help the less fortunate, the Ottawa Church of Christ is having a free coat giveaway. Coats will be available Saturday, November 1 from 8am-12pm.  The Ottawa Church of Christ is on Gentleman Road.

History buffs pushing to open a Westclox Museum

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone born and raised in the Illinois Valley who wasn’t related to someone that worked at Westclox.

Michael Wollack runs a flashlight company inside the old clock-making building in Peru. After looking at his grandparents belongings from their days at Westclox, he got concerned that history of Westclox could slip away. Wollack is now collecting anything Westclox-related for a potential museum.

If you have any Westclox history to share, call Wollack at 250-0609. There’s also a Facebook page called Westclox Museum.

Rodent troubles closes La Salle school for rest of the year

It’ll be 2015 before Jackson School is back open in La Salle because of rat issues.

La Salle Elementary Superintendent Dan Marenda says they’ve sealed any places where rodents could get in. To make sure, they’re closing the preschool part of the building until after winter break. Marenda says they’ll do thorough cleaning over the holidays with the hopes of resuming classes at Jackson School in January.

A rat was trapped in the school earlier this month. Jackson has actually been closed since mid-September when a teacher said she saw a rat in her classroom.

Campaigning for governor includes hitting African American churches

CHICAGO (AP) – The two candidates for governor campaigned at African-American churches in the Chicago area in an attempt to appeal to voters.

Republican Bruce Rauner spoke Sunday at New Beginnings Church of Christ on Chicago’s South Side while Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn spoke at Community Covenant Church in suburban Calumet Park.

Rauner told parishioners that he was there “to go to work for you.” The wealthy businessman quoted the Bible, saying “to whom much has been given, much has been expected.”

Quinn continued to call for an increase in the minimum wage. He says no one who works 40 hours a week should have to live in poverty.