State eases back on number of construction zones for the holiday

To celebrate Memorial Day weekend, the Illinois Department of Transportation is opening up construction zones wherever possible. However some stretches will still be down to one lane.

In Bureau County, Interstate 80 is down to one lane each direction near Sheffield for a bridge replacement. Also Route 6 west of Sheffield is down to one lane because of bridge work.

In Putnam County, Route 71 in Granville has one lane of traffic controlled by signals due to culvert reconstruction.

Summer trial dates given to Dayton murder defendants

Trial dates have been set for two men charged in last month’s murder in Dayton.

William Horman of Dayton and Jonathan Beckman of Wedron both pled not guilty to murder this week and will be tried separately. The 48-year-old Horman will go to trial August 3rd while the 21-year-old Beckman’s court date is July 27th.

They’re accused of killing Robert Dowd and then burning his body north of Ottawa along the Fox River. Both were alleged to have a work history with Dowd who owned a truck wash near the Interstate 80 and Route 71 intersection in Ottawa.

The murder charge brings a maximum of 60 years while the concealing the body charge is 5 years at most.

Holiday weekend and annual music festival has Putnam County deputies on alert

You’ve been warned, speed or haul drugs through Putnam County at your own risk.

Putnam County Sheriff Kevin Doyle says patrols have ramped up since Thursday for not only Memorial Day traffic but for the thousands who are driving through Putnam County on their way to the Summer Camp Festival in Chillicothe. Doyle says the good news so far is that speeds are down and most drug arrests they’ve made along Route 29 have been misdemeanors.

Doyle says they are doing random patrols, not specific check points where everyone is stopped.

Peru woman pleads guilty to DUI in crash that killed a Streator teacher

A Peru woman has admitted to driving under the influence when she caused a crash that killed a well-known teacher.

During a final pretrial hearing Friday, 60-year-old Margaret Insco entered into a blind plea agreement for aggravated DUI resulting in death, a class 2 felony. She will be sentenced July 16th.

The charge stems from last September, when Insco caused a crash on Route 251 in Peru. The crash killed 57-year-old Kim Parsons of Spring Valley, a Streator Elementary School District Teacher.

Insco is being held in the La Salle County Jail on $500,000 bond.