Canine Flu Outbreak may Not be All Bark in The Illinois Valley

With warmer temperatures you may not be concerned about getting the flu anymore, but your dog may actually be at a higher risk than ever.

Progress Park Veterinary Hospital in Peru says they recently found out about outbreaks of canine influenza in Peoria and Bloomington. Dr. Amy Hasty at the hospital says travel to and from the Illinois Valley means that it’s “pretty likely” there will be an outbreak here at some point.

The best way to prevent your dog from getting the flu is to make sure its vaccinated against both forms of the flu that are highly contagious for dogs, according to Hasty. She also says if your dog appears to be coming down with the flu it’s best to call your vet and avoid traveling with your dog if possible.

While the risk of a canine flu outbreak may be a new threat, Hasty says the threat of the flu will be a “long-run concern.” She says that is due to how often dogs interact with each other, as well as how often people travel with their dogs.

Volunteer baseball coach and substitute teacher at L-P facing a sex charges

A substitute teacher and volunteer baseball coach at L-P High School is facing jail time after allegedly having inappropriate relations with an underage girl.

Kyle Pisano was arrested Tuesday afternoon at his home in Peru. The arrest came after an investigation conducted by LaSalle and Peru police into a claim that the 24-year old allegedly had sex with a girl between the ages of 13 and 17 over a two-week span last month..

La Salle County States Attorney Brian Towne does not believe there are any other victims, but says an investigation is ongoing into whether Pisano abused his “position of trust and authority.” If so, the two counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse would be made Class X felonies and carry the possibility of substantial prison time. If convicted Pisano faces anything from probation to 14 years in prison.

He was taken to the LaSalle County Jail, where he posted $7,500 bail and was released. According to a statement released by L-P Superintendent Steve Wrobleski, Pisano has resigned his position effective Friday.

Flint Hills evacuated in Peru after a fire scare

There were some tense moments along the riverfront in Peru Tuesday morning.

A call about smoke showing at Flint Hills Resources came in before 6 o’clock. An initial report had smoke showing from the 6th floor of the plant. La Salle and Oglesby firefighters provided mutual response to help with Peru. Hazardous response workers from Flint Hills also helped contain the issue.

Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei says the fire was contained right away and there’s no public safety threat. He says no one was injured.

Workers at the plant were evacuated.

Number of lawyers in Illinois approaches 100,000

Make more room in the phone book for lawyers.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride will administer the oath to 20 new lawyers including some who will practice in the Illinois Valley. La Salle lawyer Patrick Barry will make the motion to admit the class Thursday morning at the Third District Appellate Courthouse in Ottawa.

After Thursday’s swearing in ceremonies, there will be 96,500 licensed attorneys in Illinois.

Annual Special Olympics Spring Games happening this weekend

Before all the pageantry this summer in Rio, there’s the running of the torch and lighting of the cauldron this Saturday in Spring Valley.

You can head out to Hall High School and cheer on over 200 athletes competing in the annual Spring Games for the Special Olympics Starved Rock Area. Athletes will compete in nearly 20 track and field events with gold medalists advancing to the state Summer Games next month in Bloomington-Normal.

This Saturday’s competition gets going with an opening ceremony around 9.

Construction planned at busy Princeton interchange

If you typically take Interstate 80 to Illinois Route 26 in Princeton, you’ll want to give yourself a few extra minutes to get there starting Monday.

From 8 until 4, the westbound ramp from I-80 to Route 26 will be closed for maintenance, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Crews will be out widening and resurfacing the ramp as part of a nearly $6 million project.

IDOT is suggesting taking U.S. Route 6 West as a detour.

Streator candidate sees similarities between himself and Donald Trump

Could union truck driver Jerry Long of Streator do locally what Donald Trump is doing nationally?

The Republican candidate for State Representative put out a statement soon after Trump’s win in Indiana saying while he backed Ted Cruz, he will support the GOP nominee. He then went on to say Trump has done so well because “so many people are sick and tired of political establishment”.

Like Trump, Long says he is running against a political insider in Democratic State Rep. Andy Skoog. Long says Skoog has “undeniable ties to the Mautino-Madigan Machine”.

Press conference planned to release details about sex crime investigation in La Salle-Peru

With rumors swirling around the Illinois Valley about another case of a teacher or coach having inappropriate relations with a student, a press conference has been called for this morning.

La Salle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne will be joined by Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei and La Salle Police Chief Rob Uranich to talk about a joint felony sex charge investigation this morning. Bernabei says it involves a 24-year-old man from Peru.

You’ll hear more details as they become available.

Water bills going up in Ottawa

If you live in Ottawa, get ready to find another $60 per year for your water bill.

The Ottawa City Council introduced an ordinance that will raise water rates effective this month. According to Commissioner Dan Aussem, the increase is going to offset a deficit the water program has been running for some time. Aussem says even with the increase, the average water bill for a 4-person home is still about $10 a month cheaper than the average for surrounding cities.

The new rate will consist of an $8/month flat fee, and a charge of $2.56 for every 100 cubic feet of water used. According to Aussem, if you use an average amount of water, you can expect your bill to go up by $5 per month.