Names released in fatal Mendota fire

The names of two women carried out of a burning home in Mendota have been released.

According to the Mendota Police Department, 62-year-old Cynthia Milliron died Saturday from injuries sustained in the house fire on Burlington Street.  Sixty-six-year-old Mary Boustead is listed in critical condition at OSF St. Anthony’s Hospital in Rockford.

First responders were called at around three in the afternoon Saturday about a two-story house on fire in the 700 block of Burlington Street.  The fire was put out in a couple of hours.  The cause of the fatal fire remains under investigation.

One Mendota Police officer at the fire scene was treated and released from OSF St. Paul Medical Center in Mendota for smoke inhalation.

Huge mushroom hunt returning in Ottawa

From Missouri to Virginia hunters are coming to Ottawa in less than two weeks and they have one thing in their sights: morels.

The city’s 6th annual Midwest Morel Fest will be celebrating that particular mushroom all day on Saturday May 7th. Every year the festival sees an increase in the number of hunters who sign up for the Illinois State Championship Hunt. This year they’ll be after more than $900 in prizes.

Curt Bedei is the Executive Director of the Ottawa Visitors Center, and he says it should be a great day for hunting. Bedei says the area for this year’s hunt is full of hundreds of dead elm, which he says are essential for morels. It’s free to watch and attend, but if you want to hunt it’s $30 for adults and $15 for kids.

You can register and get more information by clicking Morel Fest Information

Alderman in La Salle thinks rentals are ruining neighborhoods

At least one La Salle alderman is apparently having a tough time getting behind the city slogan of “Believe in La Salle”.

Alderman Jim Bacidore is tired of seeing too many rundown rental properties around town. Bacidore told the rest of the city council last night “First Street looks great but the rest of the town looks like s*it”. He’s hoping the city can somehow step up fines to landlords who have renters not keeping up their property.

City Attorney Jim McPhedran says the city does go after nuisance properties with a lot getting fined and that the word is out in La Salle. City Building Inspector Chris Covert says many renters clean up properties when told to but things get messy again two to three weeks later.

La Salle woman accused of leading police on car and foot chases

Some arrests are a lot more difficult then others. A La Salle woman is accused of trying to get away from police a couple different ways.

La Salle Police say 20-year-old Morgan King led them on a car chase Saturday night through the city. The car chase eventually turned into a short foot chase before King was caught.

She was arrested for two felonies, possession of a stolen vehicle and aggravated fleeing and eluding police. King was taken to the county jail.

She was just arrested in February in Oglesby for DUI of drugs.

Revamped Agriculture program ready to roll at IVCC

Surrounded by farm fields it only makes sense for Illinois Valley Community College to offer agriculture courses.

Beginning in the fall, IVCC students wanting to pursue a career in agriculture can enroll in a two-year program that will transfer to the U of I, ISU, WIU and SIU. Field Crop Science and Intro to Ag Mechanics will be offered in the fall with other “Ag” classes added the following years.

“Ag” classes at IVCC are general education classes that count towards getting a bachelors in “Ag” at state universities.