Latest improvement to downtown La Salle involves a parking lot fence

Parking lots are needed but they’re usually unsightly. A downtown lot in La Salle is getting a makeover.

According to the NewsTribune, the La Salle City Council is backing a decorative fence around the city lot on the southwest corner of Marquette and 2nd Street. The La Salle Business Association came up with the idea and are selling sponsorships to cover most of the $39,000 cost. The city’s share is expected to be around $6,000.

You can sponsor a pillar supporting the fence for a thousand dollars or donate $250 for a plaque near the new fence which says “Believe in La Salle”.

New principal picked for Hall High School

Hall High School’s new principal is coming from one of the school’s arch rivals.

Princeton High School Assistant Principal and Boys Basketball Coach Jesse Brandt was hired this week to become Hall’s principal as of July 1st. Brandt says Princeton gave him a great opportunity the past ten years and he looks forward to growing personally and professionally at Hall. Hall Superintendent Mike Struna says Brandt has “the strengths we need to move Hall High School from good to great.”

Right now Hall High School is going without a principal with Struna handling both superintendent and principal duties.

Forgery indictments handed down in Peru counterfeit case

Two Chicago men face three counts of forgery after allegedly trying to use counterfeit cash in Peru.

Deander Pulliam and Darnell Mullins were indicted Tuesday by a La Salle County grand jury for the forgery counts. They were arrested on March 12th for allegedly using counterfeit $100 bills at a handful of Peru businesses.

Mullins is still in the La Salle County Jail with bond at $15,000. Pulliam posted bond and is out of custody.

Cocaine arrest made in Streator

A Streator woman is accused of dealing cocaine.

Members of the Streator Police Department and drug group Tri-Dent say Ashley Pierson delivered a gram of cocaine Friday to an undercover informant. She was then arrested for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Investigators say they had been watching Pierson before setting up Friday’s arrest.

State Police say plenty of driver’s still not wearing seat belts

State troopers did a lot more Tuesday than just respond to weather related crashes.

District 17 State Police carried out a seat belt enforcement patrol. They handed out 21 seat belt tickets with seven warnings.

On the positive side nobody was ticketed for child restraint violations.

Retail spending is up in Peru

Are you more comfortable spending money today than you were a year ago?

Sales tax revenues for Peru in 2014 were over 5 percent higher than the year before. The city made over $5.7 million in sales revenue last year, almost $300,000 more than 2013. A half-cent sales tax that was passed to help pay for Parkside Elementary School brought in just under $2 million last year, a 5 percent jump from the year before.

Alderman Dave Potthoff says the increase shows strength in Peru’s retail base.

Peru bowling alley the victim of a burglary

The Illinois Valley Super Bowl in Peru was broken into overnight.

Peru Police got a call around 4:30 Tuesday morning about a burglary at the Super Bowl. Officers along with a K-9 spent the early morning searching around the business for foot prints and other evidence.

They were looking for two men.

Three prison guards stabbed at Pontiac prison

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – State prison officials have identified a former Tamms super maximum-security prison inmate as responsible for a knife attack yesterday that injured three guards.

The inmate is serving time for murder and aggravated battery. Pontiac staff received a tip that the inmate had a homemade weapon in his cell. When three officers entered the cell, he stabbed them with a metal shank.

The officers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a hospital.