IVCH opens its door to keep you warm

Need an escape from the cold? Remember that Illinois Valley Community Hospital is willing to help keep you warm.

The IVCH cafeteria is open around the clock to serve as a warming center.

Department of Human Services offices in La Salle, Princeton and Ottawa are also serving as warming centers.

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La Salle tourist attraction loses popular mule

The beloved mule Larry who has helped pull the La Salle Canal Boat for seven years has died.

Handlers of Larry say he died this month after battling health issues over the past year. The mule who when he wasn’t pulling the boat could often be seen around Lock 14 in La Salle under a shade tree lived to be 34.

He along with fellow mule Moe became the first working canal mules along the I&M Canal in over 100 years.

Dangerous wind chills expected in the Illinois Valley

Valentine’s Day weekend will be a frigid one.

A Wind Chill Advisory  lasts through 9 Sunday morning. While the regular low will be around 7 below Saturday night, when you factor in the wind it could feel like 20 to 25 below zero.

Dangerous wind chills are expected to return the middle of next week.

Some scrambling to meet health insurance deadline

CHICAGO (AP) – A telephone help line is getting thousands of calls ahead of an important deadline under President Barack Obama’s health care law.

Sunday is the final day for signing up for private health insurance coverage for 2015 under the law. Organizers say the Get Covered Illinois help desk has been fielding nearly 5,000 calls each day this week. Hours will be extended over the weekend to answer questions if you want to enroll in a health plan.

The health care law offers subsidized private coverage to people who don’t have access to it on the job.

Serena teenager ticketed and injured after Friday morning crash

A teenager was hurt after a crash south of Sheridan.

According to the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office, Justin Thomas of Serena was on a county road Friday morning when for some reason he drifted into the other lane of traffic and hit Constance Haft of Marseilles. Thomas was taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa while Haft wasn’t hurt.

Thomas was ticketed for improper lane use.

Money, expensive coat and dart supplies stolen out of vehicle in Streator

A car burglar in Streator allegedly took more than just spare change.

A man living on Cleveland Street in Streator called police Thursday to say his car was broken into overnight. The burglar took a $1,000, a leather dress coat, book bag, and dart tournament supplies.

If you have any information call the Streator Police Department.