Field trips making at comeback at L-P thanks to donations

Thanks to fundraisers and donations from alumni, L-P teachers will have some new supplies next school year and students will have more field trips.

The L-P Foundation for Educational Enrichment awarded just short of $25,000 in grants. For teachers it’ll mean new software, equipment and supplies. For students, $5,000 is going towards 14 more field trips next school year.

Because of budget cuts including transportation cutbacks, field trips have taken a hit at L-P.

Ottawa Teen Takes Two Days after Getting Out of Jail to Get in Trouble Again

An Ottawa teen has gotten into even deeper trouble just two days after being bailed out of jail for something else.

Ottawa Police were called Saturday night on a complaint of a robbery. Brandyne Cody and a boy and girl under 18 allegedly convinced a boy to meet them, and when he did they allegedly beat the boy and took his money, according to police. Later that night, the 18-year old Cody and the two teens were arrested. Cody was charged with robbery and aggravated battery.

He had just been released last week on bail stemming from a separate charge of possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Last month, Ottawa Police chased down and arrested Cody and three juveniles who allegedly ran when confronted by police in a stolen vehicle.

He initially needed $4,000 to get out of jail on the original charge. This time to get out of the LaSalle County Jail, Cody will have to come up with $7,500.

Crews Spend Nearly 6 Hours Fighting Toluca Fire, Nobody Hurt

Nobody was hurt in a fire that had emergency crews from Marshall County, Streator, and elsewhere busy Monday night.

A mutual aid call went out before midnight for a fire at Calvert-Froelich Funeral Home in Toluca.  According to the NewsTribune, when emergency crews arrived the attic was engulfed in flames. It took crews about 6 hours to put out the fire.

The Toluca-Rutland Fire Protection District had a message on their Facebook page at around 5:00 Tuesday morning saying “a big thank you to everyone involved in the fire last night, it was an incredibly long night but everyone did a great job!”

Toluca-Rutland firefighters’ job didn’t end there, though. They were called back out to the funeral home shortly after 8:00 in the morning to take care of the fire which had rekindled.

Manhunt continues for man who shot Mahomet police officer

“Wanted: for attempted murder of a police officer.” That’s still the message from state troopers as the manhunt continues for Dracy Pendleton of Bellflower.

The 35-year-old is considered armed and dangerous after he got into a gunfight with a police officer Saturday night in Mahomet which is near Champaign. The officer was hit in the arm and has since been released from a hospital. Pendleton could’ve been wounded as well.

Pendleton is white and 5’10”, 155 pounds with blue eyes and blond hair. He could be driving a stolen 2007 GMC pickup truck with Illinois registration. Troopers think he could be carrying an AK-47.

Peru Police send out new warning about IRS phone scam

Even though the tax season is over, scammers acting like they are with the IRS are still trying to steal from you.

The Peru Police Department put out a message Monday that these IRS scam phone calls are happening across the country. The best way to avoid being taken advantage of is to hang up immediately, don’t even give the scammer the time of the day.

The IRS won’t ever request information over the phone.

IVCC President hopeful of more state funding

As state legislators get back to work Tuesday, the House has a chance to vote on a bill that could get public colleges and universities closer to receiving all of the funding they had expected for this past year.

The State Senate agreed Thursday to pass a bill that would provide another $454 million for the schools, who were also the beneficiaries of a $600 million stop-gap bill that was passed last month. This bill would get more money to schools like Illinois Valley Community College, which to date has only received 27 percent of the money they were expecting from the state.

According to IVCC President Jerry Corcoran, if the new bill passes, it would take the university to “about 60 percent” of the amount the school used “for planning purposes.” Corcoran said while they continue to move in the right direction, they are still far away from their ultimate goal for the year which ends June 30th.

High speed chase in Ottawa ends in a farm field

What started out as a hit and run call turned into a high speed chase in Ottawa.

Ottawa Police were called initially to the area of Route 23 and Interstate 80 just after 7 Monday night for a hit and run. Deputies from La Salle County eventually found a Chevy Trailblazer heading north on Route 23 going over 100 miles per hour. The chase was then on.

The chase however ended when the driver of the SUV got stuck in a field near Earlville. Twenty-eight-year-old Jeremy Henry of Ottawa was arrested for aggravated fleeing and eluding police along with aggravated battery to a police officer. More charges are pending.

Henry was hauled off to the county jail.