Farm Bureau Manager dies

LaSalle County Farm Bureau members are grieving the death of their manager of 21 years, Jeff Hartman.

Hartman died from cancer Friday at University of Chicago Hospital. Farm Bureau President, Monty Whipple said Hartman had been battling the disease for some time.

Hartman is survived by his wife, Janet and 2 sons.

LP is looking for an athletic director

LaSalle Peru High School is looking for an activities and athletic director.

D’Wayne Bates will finish the year at LP and then become Assistant Principal for Athletics at Glenbard East High School. He was hired by LP in May 2012.

Bates attended Northwestern University and played pro ball with the Bears and the Vikings.

Good Samaritan mails missing iPad back to La Salle School District

Spring Break got off to a great start for La Salle Elementary Schools.

School officials say they got a pleasant surprise in the mail, a missing iPad. A student apparently had misplaced an iPad recently and someone found it in a ditch near Ottawa and mailed it to the school district.

The best part is that the iPad still works.

Two men wanted for home invasion in Streator

A home invasion is under investigation in Streator.

Streator Police say they got a call Tuesday after an elderly man said three unknown men came into his house, held him down, and stole cash and other items. A 16-year-old boy from Streator has been arrested and charged with home invasion and taken to the La Salle County Detention Home.

Two other suspects are still at large.

First responders join the St. Baldricks cause

A little friendly competition never hurt anyone, especially if it’s for a great cause.

Ladd, Peru, Utica and Oglesby firefighters and paramedics have challenged each other to raise the most money for this Sunday’s St. Baldrick’s event at Senica’s Oak Ridge. This is the seventh straight year area firefighters have agreed to shave their heads to benefit childhood cancer research.

Utica Fire Chief Ben Brown says they’ve raised over $4,000 online so far. They hope to bring in $15,000 when all is said and done.

Marshall County man accused of stealing vehicle in La Salle

A Varna man’s joyride in a stolen vehicle didn’t last very long.

La Salle Police say they got a call Wednesday night about someone stealing a vehicle. A few blocks away at St. Vincents Avenue, officers allegedly spotted Austin Frank driving the stolen vehicle with no headlights on. He was arrested for possession of a stolen motor vehicle, no valid driver’s license, and driving uninsured.

Frank was taken to the La Salle County Jail.