Lack of action will cost lawmakers with delayed pay

No budget means delayed paychecks for state lawmakers like State Representative Andy Skoog and State Senator Sue Rezin.

State Comptroller Leslie Munger says pay for lawmakers and elected state leaders will be treated the same as all other delayed government payments to social services and schools. Paychecks will be delayed a month or two.

Salaries for 177 lawmakers and six state officer holders add up to $1.3 million a month. Both the House and Senate is back in session Monday.

Pile up on Interstate 39 sends a half dozen people to the hospital

A head on crash snarled traffic on Interstate 39 just south of Tonica.

Just before noon Saturday, firefighters and police officers rushed to a crash on the interstate that involved four different vehicles. Twenty-two-year-old Jacob Kuzel of Oak Lawn is accused of driving his Dodge Durango through the median and hitting cars driven by 60-year-old Martin Fenton of Bull Valley, 49-year-old Duwayne Jones of Roscoe and 27-year-old Courtney Bregar of Chicago.

Kuzel along with Jones and two of his passengers including a 13-year-old girl were all taken to Illinois Valley while Bregar and one of her passengers were taken to St. Margaret’s Hospital. Three others were treated at the crash scene.

Kuzel was ticketed with improper lane usage and failing to reduce speed. The stretch of I-39 where the crash happened was closed down Saturday afternoon for about an hour.

Rollover crash kills driver from McNabb

Putnam County has its first fatal crash of 2016.

Just before two in the afternoon Saturday deputies were called about a rollover on Route 26 near McNabb. Twenty-three-year-old Max Boswell of McNabb was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was involved in the fatal crash.

Officers looking into the crash aren’t sure why Boswell left the road and crashed.

TBM “birds” attract thousands in Peru

“Fabulous event” and “awesome day” are just a few of the positive responses to Saturday’s warplane reunion in Peru.

The city estimates the crowd at the Illinois Valley Regional Airport to be around 8,000. If you went, you saw hundreds of vintage war planes either flying around the Illinois Valley or just on display on the airport tarmac. A group of torpedo bombers or TBM Avengers were the featured group of planes.

A message on the city of Peru Facebook page says “we look forward to the second annual tribute”.

Future Ottawa playground races June deadline

In Ottawa, the push to finish phase 1 of the “all inclusive playground” is underway.

Mayor Bob Eschbach, city planner Tami Huftel and Commissioner James Less and others broke ground Saturday near Riordan pool. Turning soil over also was fundraising chairman June Steder and  Andrea Medrow and Didi Contreras, founders of “If There’s a Wheel, There’s a Way” and the inspiration for the project.

Kiwanis International awarded $25,000 toward Phase 1, but stipulated a June 1 deadline for installation.  Steder’s committee can cover Phase 1, costing $100,000.  There’s $50,000 in the bank for Phase 2, but another $100,000 is needed for that.

If you want to help, make a check out to Ottawa YMCA and mark “O K Pip” on the memo.  Mail it to Ottawa Kiwanis, Box 2206 Ottawa, 61350.

Rural Cedar Point fire will cost about a million dollars

A rural Cedar Point machine shed and contents are termed a million dollar loss.  The farmer awoke to see his shed in flames at 2:30am Sunday and it became a total loss by the time Cedar Point firemen arrived.  Standard Fire Chief Mike Skowera said the blaze got a big head start.

Inside it were a combine,  several tractors including a 4 wheel drive, grain cart and antique tractors.  Other than the fire’s head start, Skowera said there were no problems in fighting the blaze.  A State Fire Marshall will view the scene Monday to determine its cause. The house on the property was upwind of any embers. The flames inside the 90 by 60 building were seen from at least 4 miles away.

 

Ed Hand bridge closing Monday

If you use Ed Hand Highway Bridge, it’s up for replacement and its closure starts Monday.  According to Larry Kinzer, County Engineer, the Ed Hand bridge on County Highway 23, northeast of Oglesby, will be closed for replacement the rest of the year.

Kinzer’s release says it should be completed sometime in early 2017.   Public access to the Vermillion River will be ONLY from Lehigh Park.  There will be no access from the bridge’s north side.  A detour will not be posted. Motorists will have to use an alternative route.

Otter Creek bridges undergo construction Monday

Otter Creek township bridges are getting serious attention this week by the county. Larry Kinzer, county engineer, says North 14^th road between East 19^th and East 20^th will be closed for repairs on 2 bridges starting Monday.  The work will be completed in about 2 weeks.

And,  1 week’s worth of repairs will be done on a bridge a half mile north of Kernan starting Monday. That bridge is on County Highway 15, known as Kernan road.  A detour will not be posted at any of these sites and motorists are advised to use alternative routes around them.

McDonald’s care mobile coming to the area

How do you know Ronald McDonald?  For his fast food or his Ronald McDonald Houses?  Have you heard of Ronald McDonald Care Mobile? It travels about offering free dental care – like filling cavities – to hundreds of students in the region.

According to the LaSalle County Health Department,  Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will be at Northwest Elementary 1735 Malcolm Avenue in LaSalle April 25 – 28.  The next day, it moves to the Head Start Parking Lot at 1600 Main Street in Streator.

 

Rural shed and contents are million dollar loss

A rural Cedar Point machine shed and contents are termed a million dollar loss.  The farmer awoke to see his shed in flames at 2:30am Sunday and it became a total loss by the time Cedar Point firemen arrived.  Chief Mike Skowera said the fire had too much of a headstart.  The property is 2 miles north of Cedar Point.

Inside it were a combine,  several tractors including a 4 wheel drive unit, grain cart and antique tractors.  The chief said other than the fire’s head start, there were no problems in fighting the blaze.  A State Fire Marshall will view the scene Monday to see if a cause can be determined.  The house on the property was upwind of any embers. The flames inside the 90 by 60 building were seen from at least 4 miles away.