Two charged in connection of shots fired in Streator

Two people have been arrested stemming from a report of shots fired Sunday in Streator.

Cedric Bell of Chicago and Brianna Giczewski of Peoria were arrested after police searched a home in the 500 block of Jefferson Street in Streator. The search warrant was served following the investigation of shots fired at about 3:45 in the 200 block of East Kent Street.

Bell was charged with possession of ammunition by a felon and possession of Marijuana. He was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Giczewski was charged with unlawful possession of a switchblade knife. She was released with a court date.

The case remains under investigation by Streator Police.

Two women charged with using counterfeit bills in Ottawa and Somonauk

Two women accused of using counterfeit money in Ottawa and Somonauk have been caught.

Monica Tavira of Aurora and Isamar Ortiz of Oswego are charged with two counts of forgery, a class 3 felony, after the two allegedly used twenty dollar bills in Ottawa and Somonauk in early April.

Tavira was arrested May 23rd by the Aurora Police Department and remains in the La Salle County Jail. Ortiz turned herself in to the County Jail on May 27th and posted bond and was released.

Man from Oglesby goes missing in Chicago

A man with Oglesby roots has gone missing.

Family members say they haven’t heard from 25-year-old Ben Konczak since last Tuesday when he was dropped off in Chicago. He had recently stayed in Oglesby with his brother.

Oglesby Police Chief Jim Knoblauch says Konczak has been entered into the state missing persons report. If you have any information, contact the Oglesby Police Department.

Voting push continues to bring new playground to Ottawa

You’ve heard the saying “every vote counts”. That’s definitely true when it comes to Ottawa having a chance to win $25,000 for playground equipment.

Voting ends Monday to determine the finalists for the Facebook voting contest put on by Kiwanis International. As of this morning, the Ottawa Kiwanis is leading all vote getters with over 11,000 votes.

If Ottawa is picked for the playground money, they would put in a new playground at Lincoln-Douglas Park along East Norris Drive. The space has already been set aside. The driving force behind the playground would be that any child could use it including one with disabilities.

To vote for the Ottawa playground proposal, click https://www.facebook.com/kiwanis?v=app_448952861833126&rest=1

Online fund will help family of late L-P teacher

If you’re looking for a way to help the family of the late Georgia Stohr, one way is to donate money.

A “GoFundMe” account has been set up to help Jeff Stohr and his two sons with medical costs and other expenses. Jeff’s wife Georgia died last week after a battle with breast cancer. She was a teacher at L-P High School for 20 years.

You can find the Stohr “GoFundMe” account here http://www.gofundme.com/vsacps.

Motorcyclist hits curb and tree in downtown La Salle

Accidents happen and sometimes they can hurt if trying to figure out a motorcycle.

Joseph Beavers of Peru was hurt Saturday night after a motorcycle crash that’s blamed on inexperience. Beavers was backing out of a parking spot on First Street in downtown La Salle when he immediately lost control of the bike. He ended up hitting a curb and getting thrown into a tree.

Beavers was taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru. He wasn’t given any tickets and nobody else was involved in the crash.