Plans push forward for La Salle County Nursing Home flood wall

Plans to build a flood wall protecting the La Salle County Nursing Home are moving forward.

The La Salle County Board has hired North Central Illinois Council of Governments for $30,000 to handle the paperwork involved in getting a $450,000 grant. The plan is to build a flood wall along the Illinois River on the south side of the nursing home in Ottawa extending to Dee Bennett Road.

The total cost of the flood wall is expected to exceed one million dollars. The nursing home has been evacuated three times in the last five years because of flooding.

No prison time for Illinois Valley attorney caught with meth

A 77-year-old attorney from Peru is avoiding prison time for having meth.

Charles Helmig pled guilty Friday in Will County Court to possession of a controlled substance. He was given two years’ probation and six months in jail but can avoid the jail time if he stays out of trouble during probation.

Helmig was arrested in Joliet back in October for having syringes containing meth. He already had his law license suspended before that for misappropriating money from an elderly client.

Digital upgrade underway at Ottawa movie theater

Roxy Cinemas in Ottawa may be an old theater but its screens are getting updated.

Three of the theater’s six screens have been upgraded to digital. The rest of the screens are expected to go digital within a month.

Small town theaters have also been making the switch to digital projectors.

Mega Millions winner in Illinois still a mystery

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – The speculation continues as Illinois Lottery officials say they’ve set up a phone number so the winner of last week’s $270 million Mega Millions drawing can come forward.

Lottery Director Michael Jones says whoever is holding the winning ticket should “please call 217-524-5158 immediately.” It’s the largest jackpot in Illinois Lottery history.

The winning numbers drawn Friday were 26, 32, 44, 45 and 58 – plus the Mega Ball of 11. It was the first jackpot win of 2015 and the first by an Illinois player since May 2012.

The winner has up to one year from the drawing date to claim the prize. The ticket was sold at a Bucky’s Express in Glendale Heights.