Resolution filed to oust Frank Mautino

Republicans in Springfield continue putting pressure on Democrat Auditor General Frank Mautino.

State Representative Dwight Kay filed a resolution Wednesday calling on both the House and Senate to vote to remove Mautino as Auditor General assuming his ouster would get three-fifths approval in both voting groups. The resolution says taxpayers “deserve an Auditor General beyond reproach who is not the subject of an ongoing federal investigation.”

Mautino is under investigation for alleged improper campaign spending before he resigned as state representative to become auditor general. All co-sponsors of the resolution are Republicans.

Basement explosion rocks house in Sandwich

Things could’ve been a lot worse when a home exploded in Sandwich.

Firefighters were called just after four Wednesday afternoon for a basement explosion. The homeowner, Mark Mikyska says he had a company working on a propane tank in the front yard before the explosion. He thinks with some propane in the basement, it ignited when a sump pump turned on.

While no one was hurt the American Red Cross is helping out the Mikyska family.

Recap of Wednesday’s severe weather

There were no tornadoes during Wednesday’s severe weather but damage was still done.

Tree limbs of all sizes were knocked down in Mendota, Streator, Princeton, Spring Valley and throughout Putnam and Marshall Counties. In Peru, the canopy above the gas tanks at the clock tower Shell twisted with the wind.

As for the heavy rain, two inches fell in just a half hour in Ottawa. The Spring Valley curves took on a lot of water while several intersections in Oglesby were flooded. Marble to quarter size hail was also reported in Ottawa.

In Marshall County, many people at the Marshall-Putnam Fair sought shelter at the Henry fire station during the storms.

Congressman Kinzinger Cleveland Bound for GOP Convention

You can count your Congressman among those who will be headed to Cleveland next week for the Republican National Convention.

He first endorsed Jeb Bush, then Marco Rubio, and US Representative Adam Kinzinger hasn’t officially thrown his support behind Donald Trump. However, Kinzinger confirmed via Twitter that he will be at the convention, which gets underway Monday.

While he is going to be in attendance, other Republican leaders have decided to pass. Both Governor Bruce Rauner and Senator Mark Kirk have said they will not be in attendance.

Kinzinger is up for re-election this November, but he is currently running unopposed.

Morris Woman Commits Suicide in Front of City Police

The woman who committed suicide last night as two Morris police officers approached her car has been identified.

Forty-nine year old Shari Raad of Morris was pronounced dead just after 8 near Main and Liberty Streets in the city, according to Grundy County Coroner John Callahan.

Callahan also says a friend of the woman called police to check on the woman before she killed herself.  He believes the woman suffered from depression and other health conditions.

State’s attorney looking to see if alcohol was a factor in Utica crash

Could alcohol have played a role in Monday’s fatal crash north of Utica?

La Salle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne says his office is awaiting blood-alcohol test results for 53-year-old John Goldone of Cherry.  Towne says he’s asked the state police to “put a rush on” getting the results back quickly.

Goldone is the lone survivor of a crash that killed an elderly married couple from Mendota.  He has been released from OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

La Salle County deputies haven’t said how or why the crash happened.

Stickers showing support for law enforcement made available in Marseilles

It’s been a trying month for police officers. You can show you support law enforcement by slapping a sticker on your car.

The Marseilles Police Department and the city of Marseilles are offering free car stickers that include a blue stripe with the message “I’ve Got Your Back.” You can pick up a sticker at city hall or the police department.

You can also contact City Commissioner Jim Hollenbeck on Facebook to show your support.

Illinois Valley senator tasked with coming up with education funding solutions

A voice from the Illinois Valley will be a part of the group that will look at ways to change how schools are funded throughout the state.

Governor Bruce Rauner announced his Illinois School Funding Reform Commission which will be tasked with looking at changes to the school funding formula that was first adopted in 1997. State Senator Sue Rezin was among the state lawmakers chosen by Rauner to be on the committee.

Rezin is already on the Senate’s Education Committee. She says she’s excited because this approach to reform has worked elsewhere before:

She went on to say being on the commission is critical to making sure that schools in her district are always funded and that the new formula as a whole is “equitable.”

Marshall-Putnam Fair kicking into high gear

The 65th annual Marshall-Putnam Fair is underway in Henry.

Wednesday’s schedule of events includes a kickoff dinner, harness racing, wine tasting, and live music. There’s also a hat contest and cookie stacking contest.

The grandstand lineup for the rest of the fair includes a rodeo, demo derby, truck and tractor pull and a BMX Motocross show. You can find out all about the Marshall-Putnam Fair by clicking Marshall-Putnam Fair.

Young Streator girl earns Hero Award after house fire

Heroes can come in all shapes, sizes and ages. A seven-year-old girl is being called a hero in Streator.

Lilly Wonders was presented a Hero Award by the Streator Fire Department for alerting her mom about a fire on Union Street. Back on June 29th, Lilly told her mom she smelled smoke. Her mom noticed a neighbor’s house across the street was burning.

Firefighters knocked the blaze down in about five minutes and thanks in large part to Lilly, the home is still livable. Nobody was hurt in the fire.