Peru sand processing and loading hearing to continue Thursday

A public hearing for sand processing and transferring facilities proposed for Peru was to continue Wednesday, but the discussion won’t resume until Thursday. Because too many members of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission won’t be available Wednesday night, the hearing will open at 6pm and recess until 6pm Thursday.

Northern White Sands and Illinois Rail want to annex and develop land west of Plank Road and north of Interstate 80. Most of the land is in Bureau County. Company representatives and people opposed to the project were able to testify and ask questions during the first three and a half hours of the hearing last Wednesday.

They will need to make recommendations to the Peru City Council. The council has the final say.

Mendota Police investigate a home burglary

After a month’s worth of investigating, Mendota Police are asking for your help in solving a residential burglary.

Officers say someone broke into a home November 11th on Lincoln Avenue. They allegedly stole a handgun, two men’s watches, an Xbox 360 system and an iPad Mini.

If you have information call Mendota Crime Stoppers. A tip that leads to an arrest and conviction could mean a thousand dollar reward.

Report: Overcrowding after Dwight prison closing

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – A new report from a prison watchdog group has found that moving about 1,000 female inmates from a now-closed prison in Dwight into a prison in Lincoln has exacerbated overcrowding and failed to generate meaningful cost savings.

The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises newspapers btained a copy of the report expected to be released Monday by the Chicago-based John Howard Association. Gov. Pat Quinn ordered the closing of the Dwight Correction Center last year as a cost-cutting move.

But the report from the association found nearly 2,000 inmates are now residing in the Logan Correctional Center, which was built to house about 1,100 inmates.

Illinois Department of Corrections officials say the state’s financial situation has created challenges but they called the transfer a “relatively smooth transition.”

City of Peru to auction off old trucks

A pickup truck capable of plowing snow, commercial lawn mowers and a big, old van are a few of the things up for auction in Peru. The city is using a sealed bid auction to clean house.

You can get a look at the trucks and mowers Tuesday when they’re available for inspection outside of the parks and rec garage on the south side of Washington Park.

Bids must be turned into the City Clerk’s office by nine next Monday morning.

April 2015 candidates begin filing Monday

It might feel like election season just ended but a new one is brewing. Monday is the first day to file petitions for the April 7, 2015 election.

Many towns will be voting for city council members and mayors. You’ll also be voting for school boards and the Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees.

The final day to file a petition is Monday, December 22.

Peru City Engineer to offer Venture Drive intersection update

Surveying crews have been taking measurements near a busy intersection in Peru that’s about to get an overhaul. City Engineer Eric Carls two weeks ago presented options to improve the 38^th Street and Venture Drive intersection. A follow up meeting is Monday night.

The plan was to move the intersection west into the Hobby Lobby parking lot. Monday’s meeting begins at 6pm in the community room at City Hall.