Charity store re-opening Tuesday

7 inches of rain in their re-sale shop means a financial hit for “Friends of Strays” Animal Shelter in Princeton.

Tanya Foley is “Strays” treasurer and shop manager. She said the store on North Euclid sits in a low spot, so heavy rains Friday emersed the parking lot and flowed inside the store. Ater cleaning out $10 – $15,000 in damaged items, Foley expects to restock the store Monday and open at 10am Tuesday.

You can help with a financial donation or simply shopping the store at 1225 North Euclid, 7 blocks north of the High School. Mail donations to Box 315 Princeton.

Gas continues to knock on the door of two bucks a gallon

Maybe next week gas prices in the Illinois Valley will finally take the plunge and fall below two dollars a gallon.

According to GasBuddy.com, prices in the valley have gone down a dime or more since last week. You can fill up in La Salle and Peru for as low as $2.03 a gallon. Gas in Spring Valley, Oglesby and Utica is $2.05 a gallon while you can also find it in Princeton for $2.09 a gallon. Mendota continues to have the most expensive gas in the Illinois Valley with the lowest price at the pump being $2.25 a gallon.

Several stations in Decatur are now offering gas for $1.89. The average price of gas statewide is $2.43 a gallon, down about a dime from last week.

Vintage Illinois Wine Festival returns to the Illinois Valley

It’s called Illinois’ largest wine festival and its back at Matthiessen State Park.

Nearly 30 wineries from across the state will show off their goods this Saturday and Sunday at the Vintage Illinois Wine Festival. There will also be two days of food and live music. You’re encouraged to bring your own chairs and you can also bring in your own food.

If you plan on sipping wine, tickets are 25 dollars. If you go and don’t drink, the cost is five dollars.

The wine festival runs Saturday from 11 until 6 and Sunday from noon until 5. For more information, click Vintage Illinois Wine Festival

Hundreds “sign” online petition to get Ottawa High teacher and coach reinstated

The fight to get Tim Burgess his job back at Ottawa High School now includes an online petition.

Christine Miskell of Marseilles has started a petition on Change.org that asks for among other things the Ottawa High School Board reverse its decision to fire Burgess. Burgess was let go earlier this year for a discipline issue. It happened when board meetings became intense with accusations of bullying by administrators and unrest due to a building trades teacher being dropped.

A State Board of Education opinion concluded that Burgess was improperly dismissed. However it’s just an opinion on the school board still has the final say on if Burgess is reinstated.

You can check out the petition by clicking Burgess OTHS Petition