Representative Andy Skoog Holding Open House to Hear from 76th District

While he may not have had to win an election to become a representative, Andy Skoog is trying to make good on his promise to put the Illinois Valley first.

The new 76^th District representative is hosting an open house on Saturday, January 16 from 10 AM to noon at 221 East Saint Paul Street. Skoog says anyone in the district is welcome to stop by his constituent service office in Spring Valley and voice their opinion. He says your feedback can help him push comprehensive and balanced solutions in Springfield.

The 76^th District includes all or portions of LaSalle, Bureau, Putnam, and Livingston counties. If you have an idea you’d like to submit to Skoog you can do that by calling 664-2717 or emailing RepSkoog@gmail.com

Mitten Tree Sprouts Many Donations at St. Bede

Before heading their separate ways for Christmas break, students, faculty and staff at St. Bede Academy came through for the less fortunate.

The academy’s student government put up a “Mitten Tree” at the school. Students, faculty and staff were asked to bring in mittens, hats, scarves and gloves to put on the tree. More than 100 donations were placed on the tree.

The mittens, hats, scarves and gloves were delivered to shelters in Ladd and Peru.

Christians uneasy in Bethlehem

Christians from around the world have gathered in the biblical city of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations at the traditional birthplace of Jesus. A visitor from England said there are lights and music, but tension because of recent deadly violence between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters. In Manger Square, an uprooted olive tree was wrapped with barbed wire and decorated with spent tear gas canisters.

Feds tightening ID requirements

An expert on a post-September 11 law that tightened requirements for state-issued IDs says people in Illinois and Missouri may want to think about getting a passport. Homeland Security is telling states with waivers from the law that time’s up and there will be no more extensions. That means a driver’s license alone might eventually not be enough to get into a federal building or on an airplane.

Protesters briefly blocked the entrance to a Michigan Avenue Apple Store, chanting, “No justice, no profits.” Police on bikes slipped behind the protesters to secure the store’s entrance. Most shoppers on the street Thursday seemed undeterred, some walking through groups of protesters.

The release last month of police dashcam video showing the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald has led to weeks of sporadic protests. Organizers were hoping the Christmas Eve demonstration will be a repeat of another Michigan Avenue demonstration in which a few hundred people disrupted shopping there on Black Friday.

Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first-degree murder in McDonald’s death.

Trident arrests 2 after investigation

   Trident has been investigating heroin sales in Bureau County – specifically Spring Valley. On Christmas Eve afternoon, they presented Bureau County arrest warrants to 2 LaSalle men – one of whom is already in jail. According to a release, 40-year old Juan Flores and 30-year old Reynaldo Godina were charged with a Class 2 felony of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. Flores was presented the warrant in LaSalle County jail where he’s been since November 3 after Trident agents found heroin, cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms in his pad on St. Vincent’s street. Godina was arrested at his residence in the 500 block of Creve Couer. Both men, it’s alleged, sold heroin to Trident agents. Both men have bond at $70 thousand for the Bureau County warrant. Flores also needs $50,000 for the charges levied against him November 3.