Crash sends car onto golf course in Mendota

Three ambulances were called to a crash at the Mendota Golf Club on Route 34.

The initial 9-1-1 call came in just before 9 Saturday morning about a two-car crash on the west side of Mendota. After the collision, one of the cars ended up on the golf course property.

Mendota and Troy Grove firefighters and paramedics both responded. St. Paul Medical Center in Mendota checked out at least one of the injured.

Man in Ottawa police chase identified

   The man at the center of a dramatic police chase in Ottawa last night has been identified. The County jail said his name is Jeffrey Hankerson of Ottawa. The 20-year old is in the lockup for retail theft, attempting to elude police, reckless driving and no valid DL.

   Officers were chasing Hankerson for a retail theft charge. The report says Hankerson reached speeds of almost 80 mph on East Norris Drive before entering downtown. The chase ended when the car flipped onto its top at Columbus and Madison.

    In 2012, Hankerson was charged with felony robbery when he and a 16 year old Peru boy attacked and robbed a Peru man.

Potential life-changing 50/50 jackpot grows in Amboy

The pot is growing for the famous Amboy Depot Days 50/50.

Over $20,000 worth of tickets have been bought so far with the drawing still over three weeks away. This year’s 50/50 pace is well ahead of last year when a man from Huntley took home over $107,000 by having the winning ticket.

The 50/50 has grown from paying out $8,000 in 2000 to the six figures drawing last year. Half of the 50/50 money goes to charity.

La Salle man gets ticket for starting a grass fire

What you think is a controlled burn can quickly get out of control.

A grass fire in La Salle Friday evening is blamed on a man who decided to start burning stuff at his house on Crosat Street. Both police and firefighters from La Salle ended up coming to see Todd McAllen to deal with a brief grass fire.

He was given a ticket for unlawful burning.

Number of students living in poverty means free breakfast and lunch at Streator High School

The cost of sending your child to school adds up in a hurry. One cost you don’t have to worry about at Streator High School is breakfast and lunch.

The high school will offer free breakfast and lunch to all of its students this school year thanks to a federal program called the Community Eligibility Provision. Streator superintendent Matt Seaton said once a school reaches a certain percentage of low-income students, it becomes available for the free meals program.

The high school district became eligible last year, and the school board voted in April to go ahead and apply for the program. Streator will remain eligible for the program for at least the next five years.

Students can pick from four free lunch options every day. Ale carte items can still be bought separately.