State Senator Sue Rezin Asks Auditor General Frank Mautino To “Step Aside”

You can count one Illinois Valley state lawmaker among those asking Auditor General Frank Mautino to step aside.

State Senator Sue Rezin issued a statement today saying that, while she and Mautino had a good working relationship, despite belonging to different political parties. However, Rezin says the office of Auditor General is responsible for keeping state government accountable.

She went on to explain that “with this now public federal investigation, I believe Auditor General Mautino can no longer serve in that capacity.” The Republican Rezin then suggests Mautino step aside, without pay, until the investigation is over.

A citizen complaint sparked an investigation by the Illinois State Board of Elections into Mautino’s campaign spending, which included more than $200,000 on gas and repairs at a single service station.

Exelon Moving Forward with Early Retirement of Clinton, Quad Cities Nuclear Plants

A major provider of power in Illinois is planning to move forward with shutting down two plants due to struggles in Springfield.

Exelon announced its plans in a statement today to begin the process of “early retirement” for their Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants. They blame a “lack of progress on Illinois energy legislation” for the move. They say lawmakers were unable to pass the Next Generation Energy Plan which is “critical to the state’s environment and economy.”

Despite being 2 of the company’s best-performing generators, they have lost about $800 million over the past 7 years. The early retirements would take effect June 1^st of 2017 for Clinton, and the same date the following year for the Quad Cities Station.

Exelon employs about 1,500 between the two plants, and said the plants support “about 4,200 direct and indirect jobs.”

Streator Police looking to catch illegal peddlers

A couple guys calling themselves Ethan and Jacob are giving door-to-door salesmen a bad name.

Streator Police say they are getting several complaints about solicitors named Ethan and Jacob who are trying to sell Dish and DirecTV services. The two guys allegedly claim the rival companies have combined services and ask for your credit card information and leave behind a cell phone number. The men are both white and wear picture ID’s around their necks.

According to police, they don’t have a city permit. You’re urged not to give them credit card information.

If you have information about Ethan and Jacob, call the Streator Police Department.

Fire breaks out in vacant Streator home

Another vacant house caught fire in Streator.

A 9-1-1 call went out just before two o’clock Thursday morning about heavy smoke coming from the back of a vacant house at 315 Boys Street. Streator firefighters had the fire out in about 10 minutes and contained it to a bedroom.

Nobody was hurt. The state fire marshal’s office has been called to help investigate what started the fire.

IVCC employees “get to steppin'”

You’ve probably wondered how far you walk on a daily basis when all of your steps are added up. At Illinois Valley Community College, employees tracked that exact amount as part of a national program.

The Walk Across America virtual walk encouraged participants to track the number of steps they take over a six-week span. For IVCC, it turned out to be quite a hike.

The 26 employees who participated in the program took nearly 5.8 million steps in that time. Together, they walked a distance of about 2,900 miles. That’s the equivalent of walking from the college to San Francisco and part of the way back.

After the program ended, prizes were given to the three who trekked the farthest.

More details released in crash involving Peru school bus

Parents who signed on to chaperone a field trip got more than they bargained for in Peru.

A bus carrying 42 students, staff and parents was hit Wednesday morning on its way to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Millbrook. Twenty-three-year-old Jessica Bryan of Ladd is accused of failing to yield in her car and crashing into the school bus driven by 55-year-old Becky Brown of Peru. The crash happened on Route 251 near Walmart.

Two of the students along with both drivers were taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru. The students were taken to the hospital as a precaution according to Peru Schools Superintendent Mark Cross.

Another bus showed up and took the remaining students to their planned field trip.

Manhunt continues for Peru bank robber

The manhunt for a bank robber in Peru rolls into its second day.

Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei says they are looking for a man and believe he is the only person responsible for Tuesday morning’s heist at Centrue Bank on Shooting Park Road. Bernabei says the robber did get away with cash but won’t say exactly how much.

The robber allegedly showed what looked to be an assault rifle in robbing the bank. The thief was wearing a wig, an oversized suit and a mask. He ran out the back door of the bank and could’ve sped away in a small hunter green, 4-door car. There were supposedly sightings of the car on Shooting Park Road prompting Peru elementary schools to go on lockdown.

If you have any information, call the Peru Police Department.

Online donation drive underway to help family of Peru teen

If you’ve been following the story of a Peru teen who died after being pinned underneath a car, his family has some amazing news to report.

Posting an update on a “Go Fund Me” page set up on behalf of the family of 16-year-old Gavin Freeman, family members say Gavin’s donated heart has saved a 15-year-old boy in Kansas City while Freeman’s donated kidneys have helped a 49-year-old man in Chicago. The teen’s organs were donated after he died last weekend at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Freeman was flown to Peoria last week after being pinned underneath a friend’s car that he was working on. Investigators think the car rolled off a jack.

To help his family with the financial burden, a “Go Fund Me” page is set up. In just over a day, nearly $5,000 has been donated.

You can find the page by clicking Gavin Freeman Go Fund Me