County Lawmakers Urge Springfield Colleagues to Keep Funding Energy Assistance Program

The LaSalle County Board is urging state lawmakers to help the less fortunate in the Illinois Valley stay warm in the winter.

After a presentation by the president of the Tri-County Opportunity Council, the board voted to show support for a bill in Springfield. The bill would continue to give state money to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, even in the event of a state budget impasse like the one going on now.

The LIHEAP program helps people who are well below the poverty line in a number of ways ranging from one-time payments to help those who have fallen behind on their bills, to helping get your heat reconnected if it has been shut off.

Awareness Sale Sunday Looks to Take a Swing at SIDS

You may be heading to the golf course Sunday, but a sale at one golf course will be raising money to fight a tragic disease.

From 12:00 to 4:00 at Senica’s Oak Ridge Golf Course, the Aden Lamps Foundation is holding a “Shop For SIDS Awareness” Sale. There will be retail vendors, homemade crafts, and raffle prizes.

The Aden Lamps Foundation was started by Aden’s parents in 2013 after he died of SIDS at 5 months old. The group raises money to buy sleep sacks which are given to hospitals to give to new mothers.

Fire destroys barn Saturday near Kernan

 

The problem with fighting a barn fire north of Kernan Saturday afternoon?  The fire had a huge start and had about leveled the 30 foot tall old wood structure by the time Grand Ridge firemen arrived. Chief Mike Jaegle focused on saving 2 “out buildings” about 100 feet downwind.

The fire call was at on East 22^nd road, 2 miles north of Kernan and about 8 miles from Grand Ridge. The 40 X 60 ft barn will continue to smolder or burn for a few days, said Jaegle, but it is secure.  Other than some machining tools, it was empty. There were no injuries. Wallace District and Ottawa manned the Grand Ridge station, while Allen township and Reading helped at the scene.

Waltham’s $7 Million Tax Question Likely Not Answered For Good

Despite failing in a big way the first time, a tax referendum question could be coming back to ballots in the Waltham Elementary School District.

According to the NewsTribune, Waltham Superintendent Kristi Eager told the Utica Village Board this week that the Waltham School Board has agreed to ask voters again to pass a referendum to add onto the north school building and close the south campus.  The seven million dollar tax question was turned down by 71% of the voters in last April’s election.

Eager thinks the lopsided result was due in some part at least to an “ill-informed electorate.”

6 hurt near Tonica in wrong way collision

 

Interstate driving can make your mind wander.  But if you saw what some drivers saw late Saturday morning, it would jolt you to reality. Rick Turri, information officer with Tonica Fire Department said a car left the northbound lanes of I-39, south of Tonica, before Noon, crossed the median and struck 2 southbound cars head on. A fourth car was also involved, but how isn’t known now.

Tonica and LaSalle fire/EMS counted 6 injured, but 3  declined treatment at local hospitals. 3 vehicles sustained heavy damage. State Police will  release a report at some point.

Traffic, said Turri, was stacked up from milemarker 47 to the Tonica exit. Other traffic was rerouted for an hour.