Tax incentives will help a La Salle trucking company expand

If you want to expand your business, the city you’re in will likely do what it can to keep you around.

Central Illinois Trucks wants to expand its business on North 30th Road in La Salle and the city is offering over $800,000 in tax incentives. The La Salle City Council approved a Tax Increment Financing redevelopment agreement where they’ll reimburse the trucking company for over $600,000 in renovation costs and other costs like extending utilities and job training.

The trucking company south of Interstate 80 plans to expand their existing building for a Volvo and Mack Truck body shop and also put up a new building for maintenance bays, parts department and a sales office.

State budget woes putting Oglesby grant in limbo

The city of Oglesby might have to wait a little bit longer for river access.

Mayor Don Finley says the state froze a grant that was paying for the river access project, effectively putting the project in a hiatus for the time being. Finley said the freeze could have come at a worse time though, as Oglesby couldn’t continue with the river access project anyway until the Walnut Street project enters its next stage at the end of July. If the state unfreezes the grant by then, the river access project will continue on as scheduled.

No matter what, Finley said the city would get paid for the work they’ve already done. The grant also was going towards tearing down an abandoned building downtown.

Body of apparent drowning victim found in Illinois River

The body of a 33-year-old Aurora man who disappeared while swimming in the Illinois River on Saturday has been found.

Orlin Geovanny Palma Cruz was pronounced dead shortly after seven Monday morning by the La Salle County Coroner’s Office. His body was found Monday morning in the Illinois River near Ottawa.

Palma Cruz never came back up after swimming off the back of a boat around one o’clock Saturday afternoon, about 3/4ths of a mile east of Seneca.

Conservation Police Sgt. Hank Frazier says four others with Palma Cruz saw him go under. Search teams from all across northern Illinois had spent large parts of the last three days looking for Palma Cruz.

The accident is under investigation by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police and the La Salle County Coroner’s Office.

Streator man arrested for possession of 66 grams of cannabis

A Streator man is in trouble after over 60 grams of cannabis was allegedly found in his home.

Joshua Severins was arrested for unlawful possession of cannabis and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia after TRI-DENT officers conducted a search warrant at a house in the 200 block of West Stanton Street on July 3rd.

TRI-DENT officers found about 66 grams of cannabis in the house. Severins posted bond and was released.

Pageant winners announced for this year’s Marshall-Putnam County Fair

New royalty will preside over the 94th annual Marshall-Putnam County Fair.

Abby Colvin of Varna was crowned the newest fair queen Sunday night. She was handed down the crown from last year’s queen Elizabeth Rice of Henry.

Dayton Maubach of Henry won the Junior Miss title while Genavyve Barnes of Henry was crowned Little Miss.

Over 100 layoffs announced for Ottawa OfficeMax call center

More people are being laid off from the OfficeMax call center in Ottawa.

The company announced that 108 additional layoffs will happen on August 28th. The announcement was in the monthly layoff notice to the state called WARN, or Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification. By law businesses have to give at least 60 days notice of closures or layoffs.

Last year the same OfficeMax center cut around 130 jobs in Ottawa. The call center in Peru closed completely.

These job losses happened after OfficeMax merged with Office Depot.

Big car raffle winner in Streator donates winnings back to 4th of July committee

While it’s not required, winners of raffles often donate back at least a part of their winnings. The winner of “Streator 4ths Auto Lotto Drawing” donated all $14,000 back.

The Dieken Family Foundation made the generous donation after Sunday night’s drawing. The money goes back to the Streator 4th of July Celebration Committee which helps to pay for fireworks and other events during the annual 4th of July party in Streator.

Garage and vehicles burn after fireworks get out of control in La Salle

Fireworks are blamed for burning down a garage on the east end of La Salle.

La Salle police and firefighters were called just after 9:30 Sunday night for a garage fire in the 1200 block of 2nd Street. By time they arrived, the garage was fully engulfed in flames. The garage and two vehicles were gutted in the fire. Nobody was hurt.

Investigators think fireworks started the fire.