Streator, Peru named two of top 40 commuter cities in Illinois

You don’t usually think of commuters and the Illinois Valley going hand-in-hand, but two IV cities recently were named two of the top 40 commuter cities in Illinois.

Peru was ranked as the 24th best commuter city in Illinois,while Streator placed 37th. The list was recently released by Ombrella Insider, a company that analyzes and reports on consumer behavior and trends.

The list was compiled from traffic data from a recent U.S. Census Bureau Survey. The report used commuter data at a city level, including different methods of commuting and a breakdown of total commuting times.

Peru’s average commuter time was just under 19 minutes, and Streator’s was just over 21 minutes.

Macomb was named the best commuter city, while Bolingbrook was ranked as the worst.

Two men arrested in Ottawa burglary

Two men have been charged with burglarizing a rural Ottawa home.

Jerome Shorkey of Earlville and Pietro Coonts of Ottawa were arrested yesterday and charged with residential burglary stemming from a July 10th burglary.

According to the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office, Shorkey and Coonts stole firearms, jewelry and money from the home. Some of the stolen items were thrown into the Fox River, but Ottawa River Rescue helped investigators recover some of those items.

Shorkey and Coonts were both taken to the La Salle County Jail. Their bond is set at $100,000 each.

The investigation is ongoing and the sheriff’s office said more arrests are coming in the case.

One dead in crash near Long Point

The Livingston County Sheriff’s department is investigating a fatal two-car crash near Long Point.

Police say around 6:30 last night, a 30-year-old was driving east on Long Point Road when she was struck by a car heading north on 300 East Road.

The Livingston County Coroner said the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy will be performed, and the name of the victim is being withheld until the family is notified.