Elderly burglar in Peru was carrying a knife

If you’ve been following the story about the 72-year-old who was caught stealing a vehicle from a Peru dealership, he was armed when a police dog took a bite out of him.

Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei says Roy Cope had a knife on him when he was arrested after a car and foot chase early Sunday morning.  Bernabei says Cope never threatened anyone with the knife.

Cope was in La Salle County Court yesterday and was given bond of $100,000 for the felony charges of burglary and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.  He’ll be back in court August 11^th.

Bernabei says Cope has no ties to the Illinois Valley.  He ended up in the Illinois Valley after getting a bus ride from Iowa where he served time for burglary.

Congressman Kinzinger Contributes to Bill Aimed at Fighting Drug Addiction

While it may seem like there are fewer and fewer things politicians can agree on these days, fighting drug addiction is a common goal. Thanks to some input from your Congressman, a recently signed bill looks to do just that.

Congressman Adam Kinzinger was part of a conference of both Republicans and Democrats that hammered out the details of the “Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.” The bill outlines six areas that drug abuse and addiction can be treated in, while taking steps to help lower the rate of addiction as a whole.

Kinzinger issued a statement, saying there is “no question” the bill will “save lives.” It also included parts of another bill he had previously introduced which will make it easier for veteran EMTs to transition into civilian EMT jobs.

The statement comes as the Congressman makes plans to make a trip back to the Illinois Valley later this week.

Republican Candidates for Illinois Valley Offices in Favor of Term Limits

Odds are you want to hold on to your job for as long as possible, but should elected officials be allowed to think the same way? Some Republican lawmakers and aspiring lawmakers are speaking out on behalf of capping the amount of time one person can spend in Springfield.

State Senator Sue Rezin is among the group looking to curb what she calls “career politicians.” Rezin went on to say in a statement that term limits would “bring sanity to state government.” She’s advocating that an amendment that would establish the limits be put on the ballot in November.

General Assembly hopeful Jerry Long issued a statement Monday in favor of term limits for state lawmakers. The union truck driver from Streator said limiting the time politicians could be in office would “empower voters” and “restore public trust.”

Senator Rezin’s name is already among the things that will be on November’s ballot as she looks to win re-election against Democrat Chris Benson. Meanwhile Jerry Long is running against Andy Skoog as both look to win their first full terms in office. Skoog was appointed after Frank Mautino left the office to become the Illinois Auditor General.

Almost simultaneous crashes snarl interstate traffic near Utica

Emergency crews have spent Monday afternoon cleaning up a couple crashes that snarled traffic on Interstate 80 east of Utica.

Shortly before noon, the first call came in about a semi and car colliding in the westbound lanes. In that crash at least one person reportedly had a head injury.

About 5 minutes later, paramedics and police were called to a crash involving a semi and an RV about a mile further down I-80 also in the westbound lanes. Initial calls mentioned two elderly passengers who may have needed help getting out of their car.

While the crashes happened early in the afternoon, State Police said the cleanup efforts would take most of the day. Of those involved in the accidents, at least 1 person was reportedly taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital.

 

Maintenance work means boil order in Dalzell

You need to boil your water if you live in Dalzell.

Crews are cleaning out the village’s water reservoir. The boil order will be until further notice.

With the reservoir out of service, the water tower is providing water.

Legendary sports official gets dedicated sign in Walnut

Larry Wilcoxen is now forever memorialized in Walnut.

A dedication ceremony was held yesterday for a new sign featuring the message “Wilcoxen Field: In Memory of Larry Wilcoxen”.  The sign is at the west ball diamond in Walnut and also features a blue “W” flag symbolizing Wilcoxen’s love of the Cubs.

Wilcoxen died earlier this month.  He was the president of the Walnut Park District since it started in 1973.  He was an IHSA official for 55 years, working over 6,700 games.

Cardboard boat races to raise money for Oglesby swimming pool

Could you make a boat that floats using only cardboard, duct tape and rubber cement? Put your engineering skills to the test this Friday in Oglesby.

The city is hosting a “Cardboard Cup Race” at the city swimming pool with races starting at 4:30. Trophies will be handed out to the fastest boat, most creatively designed boat and to the boat which has the most spectacular sinking. That award is called the “Titanic Award.”

It’s $20 per boat with proceeds going to pay for repairs at the Oglesby pool. For more information about the cardboard boat races in Oglesby, click Oglesby Cardboard Boat Races

Fires break out in Streator and Marseilles as storms roll through

As storms rolled through, a garage caught fire northeast of Streator. Lightning could’ve been the cause.

Firefighters from Streator, Grand Ridge, Leonore and Reading showed up to the garage fire at around 6:30 Sunday night on North 1590th Road. At least one car was inside the garage when it started burning. No one was hurt in the blaze.

Just a few minutes before the garage fire in Streator, Marseilles firefighters were called to a structure fire on Drew Street after a neighbor reported smoke showing.

La Salle animal shelter seeking bottled water donations

During the dog days of summer, the dogs at Illinois Valley Animal Rescue in La Salle aren’t the only ones needing refreshing water.

The shelter is asking for donations of bottled water to keep their human volunteers hydrated while watching over the animals. You can drop off bottled water at the IVAR Store in Peru, at the IV Food Center in La Salle or at the shelter.

There’s a large, blue bin outside the dog building where you can drop off donations.

Popular cancer fundraiser returning to Cedar Point

One of the biggest fundraisers of the year in the Illinois Valley is this Saturday in Cedar Point.

It’s the 16th annual Cops 4 Cancer event which has raised thousands of dollars over the years for people in the Illinois Valley battling cancer. There will be live music, plenty of food and drinks along with raffles. Tickets are $20.

Cops 4 Cancer starts at noon and goes until around 11. For more information click Cops 4 Cancer