Music festival leaves behind another long list of drug arrests

Hopefully Marshall County drug dog Flits got some much deserved rest on Memorial Day.

Flits joined dozens of officers who were working overtime with the Summer Camp Festival in Chillicothe. According to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Flits helped to find 150 grams of cannabis, 30 hits of acid, three grams of ecstasy, eight grams of mushrooms and seven grams of cocaine.

Flits helped to seize all those drugs Wednesday thru last Saturday. The festival was Friday until Sunday at Three Sisters Park.

Longtime L-P school board president steps down

The L-P School Board is in need of a new board member and president.

Board President Jim Quesse has resigned from the school board saying work continues to limit his ability to be at meetings and other events. He was first elected to the L-P board in 2005 and has two years left on his term.

The school is now accepting resumes and letters of interest to replace Quesse. The new board member won’t be president of the board since the current board will meet this Thursday to pick a president from existing members.

Police closing in on women accused of using fake cash in the Illinois Valley

The gig is nearly up for two women accused of using counterfeit $20 bills in Ottawa and Somonauk.

Somonauk Police have arrested 19-year-old Monica Tavira of Aurora and have issued a warrant for 20-year-old Isamar Ortiz of Oswego. The ladies are accused of multiple counts of fraud, all Class 3 felonies.

They allegedly targeted several businesses with the fake cash including Casey’s General Store. If you know where Isamar Ortiz is, call the police.

Wind damage knocks out power and takes down trees and barn

Did you get any damage during Tuesday’s storms?

Strong winds are to blame for a barn destroyed about a mile northeast of Ladd. The weather service also says trees were damaged in Ladd. Cherry and Hennepin also had police reports of trees and wires down. The same storms also knocked power out to over 500 customers in La Salle.

A small tornado was confirmed near Atkinson Tuesday morning. It lasted about five minutes.

Suicide prevention walk returning to Princeton

Depression can be a hard thing to understand when it’s being experienced by your friends or family.

The sixth annual Living Works Suicide Walk returns to Princeton Saturday, June 6th. By walking in it you’ll be raising money for training and education to prevent suicide.

You can walk alone or as a group. The walk will begin at 10 on the 6th at Darius Miller Park and end at Zearing Park.

Former abbot of St. Bede Academy passes away

A long time abbot at St. Bede Academy died over the holiday weekend.

Father Roger Corpus died Sunday at the age of 84. He was abbot at St. Bede from 1990 thru 2003. He graduated from St. Bede Academy and after teaching at the school for several years and then becoming pastor for a church in El Paso, Illinois, he retired back to St. Bede last year.

Visitation is at the St. Bede Abbey Tuesday with a funeral mass and luncheon Wednesday.

Uniforms coming to St. Bede Academy next semester

Every school has a dress code but St. Bede Academy is taking it a step further next school year. They are transitioning to uniforms.

Starting in the fall, all boys at St. Bede will have to wear green sweatshirts, green, white or grey polos with khaki shorts or pants. Girls have the same choice in tops while either wearing khaki shorts, khaki skorts, plaid or khaki skirts, or khaki pants. They also can wear black, white or green knee-hi socks or black tights.

St. Bede is using a school uniform company out of Portland, Oregon.

Storms wreak havoc in the Illinois Valley

A line of storms just before noon knocked out power and did other damage across the Illinois Valley.

As of 1 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, Ameren reported over 500 customers without power in La Salle. Cornbelt Energy reported no power outages.

During the noon hour police were also out about a barn being blown over near Ohio and power line and trees down near Cherry and Hennepin.