Heroin Crackdown Continues, Peru Police Arrest 12th Alleged Dealer in 12 Weeks

Peru Police have been sending a clear message this year. If you’re planning on selling drugs in the city, you’d better plan on getting caught.

This morning, Spencer Miskowiec was arrested at his Peru apartment. He allegedly sold heroin to undercover cops multiple times during their investigation, according to police.

Miskowiec’s is the 12^th arrest for heroin and cocaine sales made by Peru Police since the end of January. He was taken to the LaSalle County Jail where he is being held on $2,000,000 bond.

Illinois Valley pair busted for allegedly dealing heroin in Morris

An alleged heroin deal in Morris never happened because police were tipped off.

Deputies from Grundy County were sitting in the Morris Walmart parking lot Sunday afternoon waiting for a man and woman to arrive. Thirty-year-old Chris Cameron of La Salle and 26-year-old Anna Makarczyk of Ottawa showed up and were arrested for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

The couple allegedly came back from Chicago to Morris with the intention of making a heroin sale. Deputies say along for the ride were two young children.

Cameron and Makarczyk were both taken to the Grundy County Jail.

Illinois Valley senator says no to decriminalizing penalties for pot

Do you think someone getting caught with a small amount of pot should get jail time or just a ticket? A proposed bill to “decriminalize” possession of a small amount of marijuana has passed in the state Senate.

Right now, getting caught with just a few grams of pot can get you up to 30 days in jail. If the “decriminalization” idea passes, you would just get a ticket for a small amount of pot.
State Senator Sue Rezin voted against changing penalties for possession of pot because she sees this leading to a bigger topic, legalizing marijuana.

There have also been talks about upping the age from 18 to 21 for anyone to buy tobacco products in Illinois. Rezin says she’s not a fan of any tobacco products so would be okay with raising the age.

Anniversary of deadly Utica tornado arrives

On a national level, you probably remember where you were and what you were doing during the terrorist attacks of September 11th. In The Illinois Valley, the same thing can be said for the 2004 tornado that ripped through Granville and Utica.

Wednesday marks the 12th anniversary of the twister that started in Granville, rolled through Utica before ending shortly after passing Interstate 80. The tornado injured five people in Granville and damaged a school, homes, a bank and drug store.

After crossing the Illinois River, the tornado ripped through the heart of Utica, leveling the Milestone Tap killing eight people who sought shelter in the tavern. A memorial now sits at the old tavern sight.

The National Weather Service says there were nearly 20 tornadoes in Illinois on April 20th, 2004.

Food pantry in Spring Valley gearing up for summer need

Pretty soon, kids will be out of school for the summer. That can bring added stress to some who struggle to put food on the table.

Each year, the Hall Food Pantry does a program called “Second Helpings” where families can get food from the pantry in Spring Valley twice a month instead of the usual limit of once a month. Pantry Director Jan Martin says with kids eating at home during the summer instead of in school, the cupboards get bare a lot faster.

To help raise money for the “Second Helpings” program, the pantry is having a fundraiser Tuesday, May 3rd at Rip’s in Ladd.

AT&T looking to improve coverage in Peru

If you live in Peru and use AT&T for your cell provider, how’s that going?

The company is in the process of putting in new tower equipment in Washington Park. A spokesman for the company says they are continuously working to strengthen their coverage and will upgrade the existing cell site to expand their 4G network in Peru.

Peru Economic Development Director Bob Vickrey says the problem affected an AT&T worker last year when he tried sending a picture from downtown Peru using his AT&T service and it wouldn’t go through. He doesn’t have an exact date of when coverage upgrades will be done other than to say “in the near future.”

Christmas fundraiser pays off with new rehab equipment at Perry Memorial Hospital

Thanks to your generosity over the holiday season, almost five thousand dollars worth of heart rehab equipment is now available at Perry Memorial Hospital.

The hospital used nearly $4,800 raised in the Tree of Lights fundraiser to buy an elliptical machine for the Cardio Rehab Department. For every donation, a bulb on a tree outside the Princeton hospital was lit over the Christmas season.

Since 1990, more than $95,000 worth of equipment has been bought thanks to the Tree of Lights fundraiser.