Building in the heart of downtown Ottawa set for demolition

One of Ottawa’s oldest and tallest buildings is likely coming down this summer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told the city this week that they are planning to tear down the Little City Building on West Madison Street because of asbestos and structural weaknesses. The demolition job will cost over a million dollars.

Last summer, the city announced they were working on a deal for the property owner to donate the building to the city and the city would in turn sell it to a developer interested in turning the five-story building into a mix of retail space and a boutique hotel. Ottawa Mayor Bob Eschbach says its disappointing the plan to repair and redevelop the building won’t happen. He says the cost of saving the building is beyond what the city can pay.

While awaiting demolition, the Little City Building has been cordoned off since it’s considered a safety hazard.

Two teens accused of breaking into several cars in La Salle and Peru

If you had your car broken into recently in La Salle or Peru, police think they have who’s responsible.

Saturday morning, La Salle Police got a call about two suspicious men near 11th and Creve Couer Streets. When officers arrived, the men ran away.

19-year-old Tiahmo Draine of Marseilles was tracked down while a 17-year-old boy from La Salle was found hiding in a garage. The pair was arrested on multiple counts of felony burglary to a motor vehicle.

Draine was taken to the La Salle County Jail while the younger teen was taken to the La Salle County Detention Home.

La Salle Police took as many as 15 separate complaints of car break-ins within the last couple weeks with more reported in Peru.

This isn’t the first time Draine has allegedly broke into cars. He was arrested in December of 2013 for several car burglaries in Ottawa.

Streator teen dies from medical complications after November car crash

Funeral services are Friday for a Streator High School senior who has died while recovering from a car accident.

18-year-old Leonardo Cardoza died Sunday at a Chicago hospital. He was getting treatment ever since a crash November 5th outside Streator. Classmate Ben Newton died at the scene. A moment of silence was held for both at Sunday’s Streator High School graduation.

Services for Cardoza are with the Elias Funeral Home in Streator.

Peru City Council listens to opponents and denies a business rezoning request

There are reasons cities try to keep homes out of business districts and businesses out of residential neighborhoods.

According to the NewsTribune, the Peru City Council has said no to a rezoning request by Financial Adviser Jim Spelich. He wanted to rezone property on Shooting Park Road from residential to business. Despite his plans to keep the new business looking like a house, the council denied his request.

A petition signed by over 40 people along Shooting Park Road was turned into the council in opposition of Spelich’s request.

Oglesby City Council looking at ways to cut costs

In order to close a big hole in the budget, the city of Oglesby might return a recently purchased truck.

Finance Commissioner Dom Rivara says the city was three million dollars in debt, and steps have to be taken to close the gap. One of the ideas tossed around is returning a recently purchased truck that the city bought for the electric department several months ago.

The truck cost $172,000 dollars, but electric commissioner Gary Carey said the company would allow the city to return it at no cost. Carey says the electric department badly needs the truck, but sacrifices had to be made.

Other cost-cutting ideas range from reducing the amount of money commissioners could spend from $20,000 to $2,000, to cutting jobs or raising taxes.

The council will talk more about finances during a meeting next Monday night.

Life sentence for man behind Paw Paw rest stop murder

The man who murdered a woman at the Interstate 39 rest stop near Paw Paw will spend the rest of his life in prison.

37-year-old Terence Doddy of Rockford was sentenced to life Monday in Lee County Court. The judge called Doddy a “very dangerous individual that all of us must be protected from”.

Doddy admitted to strangling to death 44-year-old Tonya Bargman of Monticello at the southbound Interstate 39 rest stop near Paw Paw on July 1st. He stole her car and was eventually arrested July 4th in Beloit after crashing during a high speed chase.

Doddy also will be sentenced for a murder in Winnebago County for killing a co-worker the day before the rest stop murder.