L-P School Board pursuing multimillion-dollar addition

Following the lead of JFK Elementary in Spring Valley and Parkside Middle School in Peru, the L-P School Board hopes to get a state construction grant to help pay for a major renovations and additions.

The grant would pay for up to two-thirds the cost of a major renovation and addition to the high school that Superintendent Steve Wrobleski thinks could cost 85 to 95 million dollars. Wrobleski says they’ve haven’t decided how they would fund the local part of the construction grant. He thinks they could hear if they get a construction grant or not by late summer.

Around 40 community members including teachers, students, mayors and business leaders came up with the plan to tear down the east gym and industrial tech building and leave that green space. Two major additions would be built with a science and math addition jetting out east from the current building and a gym, band and choir addition going west from the current school covering part of the football and softball practice field.

The additions would be built with a similar architectural look as the current building and everything would be under one roof unlike the current campus. The new school would be air conditioned throughout and make existing classrooms larger.

Couple displaced after a fire breaks out in their rural Bureau County home

A couple and their dog are okay after their two-story home caught fire northwest of Ladd.

The initial 9-1-1 call came in Wednesday morning at 11:30 for a structure fire on 3200 East Street. Seatonville and Ladd Fire Departments were the first responding to the scene and they quickly asked for help from Malden, Cherry, Spring Valley, Peru and Princeton.

Ladd Fire Chief B.J. Liebe says the fire started on a first floor exterior wall. While the cause isn’t suspicious, the state fire marshal’s office will still investigate.

Road work to start next week on Route 251 in Peru

Last year you navigated through road work on Shooting Park Road in Peru. This year you’ll have to adapt to a major resurfacing project on Route 251.

Weather permitting, construction on Route 251 from May Road south to Route 6 will begin Monday. Besides resurfacing the road, crews will also do traffic signal work and rebuild sidewalk ramps. The work should be done by the end of June.

The project is part of a state construction program. Advanced Asphalt of Princeton won the job with a $4.3 million bid.

Mendota Police shoot and kill aggressive dog

A call about a dog at large complaint ended with that dog being shot and killed by police.

Mendota Police say they got a call just before 7:30 Tuesday morning about a dog at large complaint in the 1700 block of Milwaukee Avenue. Investigators say the dog was aggressive to them and other people. Officers say the dog charged them when they tried grabbing it so they tried to find the owner but were unsuccessful.

After not finding the owner, officers shot and killed the dog.

School days will be altered in Ottawa under change in bus schedule

Several elementary students may have to start waking up earlier in Ottawa.

The Ottawa Elementary School Board has put together a plan just in case they stop sharing buses with Ottawa High School. The high school is looking at ways to cut transportation costs. If the split happens, the elementary district will go from having 22 bus routes to 12.

School days for Jefferson, Lincoln and McKinley Elementary would start 20 minutes earlier than now but would then end 20 minutes sooner. Central School would start and end 20 minutes later than now while Shepherd Middle School will have the biggest change with starting 10 minutes earlier but getting out a full half hour earlier than they are now.

Senator representing Princeton is making a bid for Congress

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) – State Sen. Darin LaHood has announced his candidacy for U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock’s soon-to-be-vacant congressional seat.

The Republican from Dunlap made the announcement Wednesday morning. LaHood says he has received “a lot of encouragement” to run and that he’ll campaign on his state Senate record, which includes being a strong advocate for ethics reform.

LaHood has served in the Senate since 2011. His father is former U.S. Transportation Secretary and Congressman Ray LaHood, who preceded Schock in Congress.

A special election will be held to replace Schock. State Sen. Jason Barickman of Bloomington is also considering a bid for Schock’s seat.