Follow up meeting and open house to talk about contamination clean up in La Salle

A zinc plant that’s been closed nearly 40 years in La Salle is still on the minds of many.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is hosting an open house and public meeting Thursday at L-P High School to explain a proposed plan to clean up soil pollution at the Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc site. The 160-acre property is on the east side of La Salle along the Little Vermilion River with homes around much of the polluted property and the Carus Chemical Company along the south side of the site.

Environmental concerns include a 6-acre slag waste pile with metals like copper, lead, and zinc. Runoff from the pile has washed into the river.

According to the EPA, a final cleanup plan will finish next year. You can see and hear their plans Thursday between 4 until 5:30 and again from 7 until 9.

Santa’s Mailbox Arrives in Oglesby

If your kids are already looking to send their letters to Santa, his mailbox has popped up in downtown Oglesby.

Starting today and lasting through the 18^th, kids can use the mailbox to put in letters to Santa, and could hear back if the envelopes are addressed and have their name on it. Letter forms are available at the Oglesby City Hall.

If they don’t want to mail the letter, they can hand-deliver it during the “Santa Claus is Coming to Oglesby” event taking place on December 11^th.

Dangerous intersection south of Peru the scene of another crash

Despite all the improvements made, there are still crashes happening at the intersection just south of the Illinois River bridge in Peru.

Becky McDonald was stopped trying to turn left onto Route 251 when she allegedly turned in front of John Baker of Oglesby who had just crossed the bridge heading from Peru to Oglesby. The crash happened Monday just before five in the afternoon.

Both McDonald and Baker were taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru. McDonald was ticketed for failing to yield.

Chicago looking for a new police chief

CHICAGO (AP) – Controversy surrounding the Chicago Police Department has cost the city’s top cop his job.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has fired Garry McCarthy after a public outcry over the handling of the case of a black teenager shot 16 times by a white police officer. Emanuel announced at a news conference Tuesday morning that he has dismissed McCarthy, who only days ago insisted to reporters that the mayor had his “back.”

Protesters have been calling for McCarthy’s dismissal for days in response to the handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting. The black 17-year-old was shot 16 times by a white police officer in October 2014.
The city released police dashcam video of the shooting only after a judge ordered it to be made public.

McCarthy has been chief since May 2011.

La Salle and Marseilles sites are part of Wreaths Across America tradition

On the morning of Saturday, December 12th, a thousand wreath laying ceremonies will happen simultaneously across the country. Two of the ceremonies will happen in La Salle and Marseilles.

In La Salle, a “Wreaths Across America” ceremony will start at the veteran’s home with the scene shifting to Forest Lawn Memory Gardens. Wreaths will be laid on over 700 veteran’s graves at the cemetery.

The other ceremony in the Illinois Valley takes place at The Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial. Thirteen wreaths for each panel of the wall will be laid. The Wreaths Across America idea started in 1992 with wreaths being laid at Arlington National Cemetery.

For information on how you can volunteer or maybe sponsor a veteran’s wreath, click Wreaths Across America

St. Bede Academy part of “Giving Tuesday” national movement

You ate on Thanksgiving, shopped on Black Friday and Cyber Monday now its time to donate on Giving Tuesday.

The statewide “#ILGiveCampaign” has a goal of $6 million to be donated to nonprofits. St. Bede Academy has been raising money awhile for Giving Tuesday, calling it “#BruinPridgeChallenge”.

So far Bruin students, staff and parents have raised over $5,000 towards a Giving Tuesday goal of $12,500.