Oglesby man cashes in six-figure winning lotto ticket

Danny Chasteen’s morning routine of buying an instant lotto ticket along with a cup of coffee on his way to work has paid off in a big way.

The Oglesby man has won $250,000 playing the $5 scratch off game “Cool Cash”. Chasteen bought the big winner at Happy’s Super Service Station in Spring Valley. For their efforts, Happy’s gets $2,500.

Chasteen said he had a feeling he was going to win a big prize so he made buying an instant lotto ticket his morning routine.

Woman indicted for her alleged role in embezzling money from La Salle contractor

A woman from La Salle has officially been charged with joining in with her mom on a million dollar embezzlement scheme.

Twenty-eight-year-old Ashia Steinbach-Kolodziej was indicted yesterday for two counts of theft. She turned herself in on a warrant a couple weeks ago. The daughter is accused of at one point having $300,000 that her mom Connie Steinbach of Oglesby allegedly stole while working at JB Contracting.

Prosecutors think the embezzlement lasted between 2008 and 2014. Both mother and daughter have posted bond and are waiting for potential trials.

Fireworks officially squashed for this year in Peru

It’s official, there will be no city of Peru fireworks display in 2015.

Despite Robbie Novak with Extreme Pyrotechnics proposing a fireworks show August 8th at Baker Lake, the Peru Parks & Recreation Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to cancel fireworks for the year. Board President Ray Zborowski says Baker Lake is a very hazardous place for fireworks with parking a concern too.

After two straight years of flooding along Water Street, board members are open to suggestions for new fireworks locations. They’ve already approached Chuck Studer with the Illinois Valley Regional Airport about maybe using the airport next year.

The city budgeted just under $20,000 this year for fireworks with half of the money for fireworks and the other half for labor costs. The fireworks company already spent the city’s money for the fireworks that won’t be lit this year.

Lane closures on I-80 to start Wednesday.

If you travel on Interstate 80 between Utica and Ottawa on a regular basis, expect it to take a little longer.

Starting Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Transportation will start painting two bridges at East 12^th Road and the Route 23 interchange on I-80. The painting will bring traffic down to one lane at both bridges going in both directions.

The work should be done by the end of September, weather permitting.

Another river rescue on the Vermilion in Oglesby

River levels are dropping but rafting on the Vermilion River is still dangerous.

Douglas Harding of Barrington along with Catherine Harding and Katherine Maus of St. Louis were rafting on the river just before 5:30 Monday evening when a piece of rebar caught their raft at the low head dam near Buzzi Unicem’s property.

As the raft started taking on water, the women were able to safely get to another raft while Douglas Harding tried jumping to another raft but was swept up by the current. The Oglesby River Rescue squad came to his rescue.

Harding was pulled out of the water and taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru where he was treated and released. Nobody was ticketed.

Teen accused of being in a restricted area when he fell over 30 feet at Starved Rock

Anytime you go off the beaten path at Starved Rock State Park, you’re asking for trouble.

Eighteen-year-old Mason Menning of Oswego is in good condition at St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. He was flown there after falling at Aurora Canyon Monday morning.

Menning and two other teenage boys were allegedly climbing and hiking in a restricted area when Menning grabbed a small tree that broke off. He fell 30 feet and tumbled another 20 feet into a creek.

All three teens were ticketed.

Ottawa teen arrested for stabbing two men at a party

A couple stabbings in Millington over the weekend are blamed on a 16-year-old boy from Ottawa.

Investigators with the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office arrested the teen last night for his alleged role in stabbing two other men at a party Sunday morning. The stabbing victims are said to be in stable condition.

Deputies say fights broke out Sunday morning at the party in Millington and two victims were stabbed in their torsos. One of the victims was flown to St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria while the other ended up at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Rockford.

No names involved in the stabbings have been released.