18-year-old killed in Bureau County crash

An 18-year-old Galva man died after a semi and car collided south of Kasbeer in Bureau County Thursday.

Austin Porter was pronounced dead at around 1:30 Thursday in the emergency room at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, according to the Peoria County Coroner’s Office.

According to the Bureau County Sherriff’s Department, Porter was traveling south on Route 26 around noon when his car crossed the center line and collided with a northbound semi-truck.

Porter had to be extricated from the car by Princeton and Ohio fire departments, and was life flighted to OSF Saint Francis.

The semi had been hauling grain and burst into flames after the collision. The fire was put out in under a half hour.

The Bureau County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the accident.

Sandwich man accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from a country club

It’s not to the level of Dixon but a major embezzlement arrest has been made involving a country club in Yorkville.

The La Salle County Sheriff’s Office arrested 50-year-old James Campbell of Sandwich on Wednesday. He’s charged with 20 counts of theft, and single counts of burglary, computer fraud and forgery.

Campbell is accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from business proceeds at the Blackberry Oaks Golf Course in Yorkville. Investigators say they first heard about the alleged embezzlement in January.

Campbell is out of custody after posting $10,000 bond.

Man wanted for alleged sex abuse in Peru is tracked down in Peoria

A man with ties to the Illinois Valley has been tracked down and arrested in Peoria for alleged sex crimes.

Detectives from Peru and Peoria arrested 35-year-old Timothy Hill Thursday night in Peoria on four felony counts. He was taken to the Peoria County Jail awaiting a trip back up to La Salle County.

Hill faces one count of criminal sexual assault and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei says the victim of Hill’s is a minor and the alleged abused happened last year if not sooner.

The investigation continues with Bernabei saying they are looking to see if there are other victims. Hill previously lived in La Salle, Peru and Bureau County before ending up in Peoria.

Ottawa man claims big lottery jackpot

To win the lotto, you have to first take a chance and play it.

Jason Callaway of Ottawa plays a few times a week and it has paid off in a big way. He drove up to the Lottery Prize Center in Rockford this week to claim his $200,000 Lucky Day Lotto jackpot.

Callaway’s ticket matched all five numbers in the June 7th drawing. He says he’ll invest his winnings and plans on still playing the lotto.

For selling the winning ticket, the Express Lane Shell Station on Columbus Street in Ottawa gets $2,000.

Day of fun in Peru benefit’s scholarship named after former fire chief

If you see a lot of firefighters and paramedics in Peru’s Centennial Park this Saturday, don’t worry; they’re just competing in water fights for a good cause.

The water fights are part of the annual Gary Eccles Memorial Water fights and Fun Day. In addition to the firefighters and paramedics; local celebrities will face off in water fights after the pros are done including Rob Edwards from 96.5 the Wolf.

Aside from the water fights, there will also be rides in Peru’s aerial Fire Truck, a vendor and craft fair, an ice cream truck, live music, raffles, and bouncy houses for smaller kids. Food will also be sold.

The event runs from 10 until 4. All money raised goes to the Gary Eccles Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Eccles was a longtime Peru and La Salle firefighter before he died from cancer in 2013.

Price at the pump almost unchanged from a week ago

Hitting the road to see dad this weekend? Gas prices have held pretty steady from last week in the Illinois Valley.

According to GasBuddy.com, you can get gas for under $2.70 this morning in Granville, Princeton, Peru, La Salle, Ottawa, Oglesby and Utica. Most stations in Spring Valley, Mendota and Streator are selling for $2.79 a gallon.

The average price of gas statewide is $3 a gallon, up only a cent from a week ago.