Two Recent Parolees Arrested as Part of Investigation into Heroin Sales

An Ottawa and a Chicago man couldn’t stay clean for 6 months before getting back to their criminal ways.

Ottawa Police arrested Elco Trowbridge Wednesday for two counts of allegedly selling heroin to an Ottawa detective. The sales supposedly took place in November, not too long after Trowbridge’s August parole for felony retail theft.

Thursday, the Ottawa Police picked up Brandon McLaurin on one count of allegedly dealing heroin to an undercover cop. His bad deal was supposedly in October, less than a month after his September parole for dealing.

The two men have been taken to the LaSalle County Jail and each need $50,000 to get out.

Ottawa Police Arrest Man and Woman as Part of Broader Heroin Investigation

An Ottawa man and woman were the latest arrests after an investigation.

Ottawa Police arrested Jeremy Charbonneau Thursday for two counts of Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance. The arrest comes from an October investigation where he allegedly sold heroin to someone working for Ottawa Detectives.

Friday, Katie Fought got a visit from Ottawa Police when she was also arrested for two counts of allegedly selling heroin. Fought supposedly dealt the drug to an undercover cop in November of last year.

They will each need $50,000 to get out of LaSalle County Jail, where they were taken.

Commercial Building Fire in Streator Quickly Handled by Department

Streator Firefighters were hard at work this morning as they dealt with a commercial building fire.

The Streator Fire Department got a call just after 7:30 about a building on fire. They were able to quickly arrive at the smoking metal structure and get the fire under control in less than 15 minutes.

The department believes the fire began in a semi-trailer truck inside the building. Nobody was injured in the fire, but the truck had severe damage. 4 other vehicles and the building itself all had some damage.

Transient pair tied to “smash and grab” burglary in La Salle

Thanks to some heads up police work by the La Salle Police Department, a couple suspected of committing several burglaries is now in custody.

After a La Salle officer found out that Tammy and Randy Sanders were holed up at a Super 8 in Hampshire, they were arrested. The Sanders’ are accused of several “smash and grab” burglaries across northern Illinois including one at the La Salle Shell station.

La Salle Police Chief Rob Uranich says they gathered DNA evidence after the Shell burglary on November 29th that pointed to the Sanders’ involvement. Uranich is now seeking a warrant for their arrests.

Between the two, Randy Sanders is in the most trouble. He’s wanted on warrants out of Winnebago County, Lee County and the city of Rockford to go along with the La Salle case and burglaries in DeKalb and Lee County.

Specifics still being worked out for possible Ottawa Rec Center

The dream of a new recreation center in Ottawa took its first steps down a long road last night.

According to Evan Eleff, Vice President of Sports Facilities Advisory, his group has been “trying to define the top of the mountain,” and over the next 3 months they’ll develop a proposal of what could possibly be built in the city.

Those who went to Thursday night’s open house raised concerns about location, hours, and funding. Eleff said none of those had been decided yet as they were trying to remain flexible. He says if it turns out a Rec center is possible, how it is will be paid for is a “key issue,” as he has seen that step take up to 8 years for similar projects.

The city, Ottawa High School, Ottawa YMCA and St. Elizabeth Medical Center are paying for a Rec Center feasibility study. The idea for a Rec Center was brought to the forefront after the high school swimming pool closed because of structural issues.

La Salle County deputies train on how to use potential life saving antidote

Deputies don’t just spend their time going after bad guys and girls, they also do what they can to save lives.

La Salle County deputies yesterday spent much of their day undergoing training on how to use Narcan. Narcan is an antidote for opiates that can help save someone from overdosing on heroin. It can be given to someone either through a shot or nasal spray.

La Salle County Sheriff Tom Templeton says the training includes both hands-on work and classroom teaching. He called the Narcan training “eye opening”. All county squad cars will be equipped with Narcan kits.

For more information about Narcan and state laws dealing with reporting of heroin overdoses, click Narcan Information

United Way of the Illinois Valley changes office location

You won’t find one Illinois Valley charity at their office in LaSalle anymore, but don’t worry, nothing bad has happened. The United Way of Illinois Valley has moved its office to Marquette Road in Peru.

Despite the state budget problems, the group’s Executive Director, Julie Sloan, says the organization is thriving. Sloan says they’re even on pace to hit their goal for their 2015 fundraising campaign.

They hoped to raise $300,000 by the end of March, and they’ve currently raised more than 70 percent of that amount.

Faulty sensor causes evacuation of elementary school in Lacon

There were some anxious moments at the Midland Elementary School in Varna.

Students were evacuated Thursday afternoon when the fire alarm went off.  The Lacon/Sparland Fire Department responded but didn’t find a fire.  They went ahead and reset the alarm system and set up an inspection.

Midland administrators say the alarm was caused by a faulty sensor.  That sensor has now been replaced.

Plunging gas prices heading into the weekend for the Illinois Valley

Cheers to the weekend and also a big cheer to plummeting gas prices!

According to GasBuddy.com, the cheapest gas in the Illinois Valley is in La Salle and Peru with stations selling unleaded at $1.49 a gallon. For both cities that’s a price drop of over 20 cents from last Friday. You can get gas in Streator, Ottawa, Utica, Spring Valley and Wenona from $1.56 to $1.59. Gas stations in Mendota and Princeton are the priciest in the valley selling for $1.69.

Statewide the average price for unleaded is $1.78, down 13 cents from last week.