More Streator homes get smoke alarms

The push to have working smoke alarms in every house continues in Streator.

Streator firefighters along with members of the American Red Cross and Lions Club installed 55 more smoke alarms Tuesday night in the Prafke addition on the northeast side of town. Since November, more than 1,100 smoke alarms have been installed in Streator homes.

The smoke alarms are free thanks to the Red Cross.

Online donation drive for Oglesby city pool

The latest effort to raise money for repairs at the Oglesby swimming pool is a crowdfunding website.

A “Go Fund Me” page called “Save the Oglesby Pool” has raised over $600 in about a week. The nearly 50-year-old pool needs an estimated $90,000 in repairs. A group called STOP, or “Save the Oglesby Pool” is leading the fundraising effort and has brought in over $7,000 so far.

The pool closed for the season on Friday. If you want to donate to the repair fund, click Save the Oglesby Pool

Tax referendum to renovate and repair L-P coming to the November ballot

Whether L-P High School gets air conditioning and other improvements is now up to voters.

By a vote of 6 to 1, the L-P school board is putting a referendum on the November ballot to borrow $38 million for renovations and repairs. The work would include renovating classrooms, putting in air conditioning, making more secured entrances, improving handicapped accessibility and removing asbestos.

Board member Dennis O’Keefe voted an emphatic no towards the referendum question. He says there is too much taxing and spending going on. O’Keefe also claims he had two people telling him to vote for the referendum compared to hundreds saying he should vote no.

Free Oil and Anti-Freeze Collection Saturday Morning in Ottawa

Do you have any used oil that you’ve been looking to get rid of? You’ll have a chance to do that this weekend.

The LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District is teaming up with Environmental Services to have a free used oil and anti-freeze collection this Saturday. All you have to do is bring it to the USDA Service Center parking lot at the corner of Route 23 and Dayton Road.

The collection will run from 8:00 to 10:00. If you have any questions you can call the LaSalle County SWCD or Environmental Services.

State Police Caught More Criminals, Handled Fewer Crashes in July

Illinois State Police handled fewer calls overall last month than they did in June.

Unfortunately, that didn’t mean criminal activity was down. State Police say they made 32 arrests for criminal offenses last month, more than twice as many as they made in June. DUI arrests stayed even with another 11 arrests made in July. There were about 450 tickets given out last month compared to more than 480 in June.

Finally, although troopers handled fewer crashes last month, the news wasn’t entirely positive. Of the 39 crashes they responded to in the Illinois Valley last month, two of those were fatal.

La Salle County Board looking at easing liquor restrictions on Sundays

If you’re planning on tailgating on Sundays this football season, you may be able to stock up on beer earlier in parts of LaSalle County.

The LaSalle County Board put a resolution on file that will move up liquor sales in unincorporated parts of the county. Currently, you can’t buy booze until 10:00 on Sunday. If passed next month, the board will move that time up to 8:00.

Last week the County Board also approved a move that will ban music after midnight at beer gardens in unincorporated parts of the county. Previously music had been allowed to go until 1:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Gun opponents and supporters gather in Princeton

There was a peaceful protest involving guns Tuesday in Princeton.

The group “Peaceful Communities” out of Northbrook travels around asking for support in repealing the 2nd Amendment so that “America can solve its gun problem.” They brought their message to L.W. Schneider of Princeton and were greeted by supporters of the 2nd Amendment. L.W. Schneider was picked as a protest site because they manufacture rifle components.

The anti-gun group is planning stops Wednesday in Geneseo and Oregon. Their trek is called the “Merchants of Death Protest Tour.”

Ottawa woman killed in Monday night crash

In just an instant, a 23-year-old’s life ended in a crash south of Grand Ridge.

Alexandria Stevenson was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash just after 10 Monday night at the intersection of Route 23 and the Leonore Blacktop.  Deputies say Stevenson was driving north on Route 23 when she was hit by 39-year-old Miguel Alvarado of Streator.  Alvarado was eastbound on the Leonore Blacktop.

While Stevenson was killed, Alvarado is in fair condition at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.  The crash is still being investigated.

L-P School Board to address ballot question Tuesday night

Tonight could be a big night for the future of L-P High School.

The school board is expected to vote on whether or not to ask voters in November to approve a $38 million dollar tax referendum to make repairs and renovations to the school. The $38 million is down from the initial $67 million tax proposal which would’ve included a new addition to the high school.

A citizen’s task force urged the board to take the lower priced route and survey results from mailers and phone calls showed voters weren’t interested in the $67 million referendum. If voters say yes to the $38 million tax increase, you’re yearly tax bill would go up by $139 a year if you’re home is valued at $100,000.

Illinois Valley police departments continue working towards consolidation

Consolidation doesn’t mean closure for police stations in La Salle and Oglesby.

Both city councils Monday night approved an agreement with the Peru Police Department to hold prisoners overnight when there will no longer be a dispatcher working in Oglesby and La Salle to watch over the prisoner. With a regional dispatch center set to start September 1st in Peru, dispatchers will only be working in La Salle and Oglesby from 6am until 10pm.

There will still be police officers at their stations and if you have an emergency in La Salle, it will be a La Salle officer responding. Your 9-1-1 call though would be answered in Peru.