Ohio Woman “Not Guilty” of Only Charge Against Her in Underage Sex Case

A former cheerleading coach and school board member in Ohio is a free woman.

After hearing closing arguments, a jury returned a “not guilty” verdict for 40-year old Mindy Ringenberg on Thursday. The verdict was for the only count against her of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. She had been accused of having sexual relations with an underage boy.

The arrest ends a more than six-month case where Ringenberg had been dealing with the court system. She was initially charged in the matter back in February.

Ottawa Comprehensive Plan Wins State Award in Chicago

An Illinois Valley city’s flood plan is earning them statewide recognition in addition to helping keep them dry.

The 2016 State Conference was recently held for Illinois’ chapter of the American Planning Association. A number of awards were given out at the event, and Ottawa is bringing one back to the valley.

Mayor Bob Eschbach accepted the Daniel Burnham Award for Outstanding Comprehensive Plan. The award honored the work the city had put into revamping the Ottawa Comprehensive Plan, which looked to minimize flood impacts as well as improve stormwater management, among other things.

The plan was funded by a $100,000 federal flood recovery grand that had been given to the city by the State of Illinois.

Police Arrest Princeton Man Believed to be Behind Wednesday’s Garage Fire

An arrest has been made in connection with a garage fire that took place Wednesday near Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton.

Police have arrested 26-year old Daniel Hartsough of Princeton for arson. He is accused of starting a fire which scorched a detached garage and the two cars inside of it.

Firefighters had been called to the 400 block of Park Avenue East at around 6:45 yesterday morning for a burning garage owned by Dan and Maria Hartsough.  Crews had the fire out quickly but major damage was already done.

Two Killed in Two Shootings on Interstate 290 Thursday

Shortly after traffic was allowed on an Illinois Interstate after a fatal shooting that took place Thursday morning, a second fatal shooting was reported.

According to State Police, troopers were called to the first shooting which had taken place around 5:30 on I-290 near the suburb of Skokie. A man was killed in the shooting and a female was hospitalized in critical condition.

The shooting had shut down the interstate for about 4 hours before police reopened it shortly before 10:00. Then, according to state police, a second was reported on I-290 eastbound at Central Avenue around noon. A passenger in the vehicle was killed while the driver was not injured in that incident.

Both shootings are still under investigation and anyone with information is being asked to contact the state police. This brings the number of shootings on Chicagoland area expressways this year to 41, 2 more than in all of 2015.

Wait continues on reopening of Route 6 between Ottawa and Marseilles

A one month construction project could turn into a three month ordeal when all is said and done.

Work that has closed Route 6 between Ottawa and Marseilles continues behind schedule. While the main part of the work is done in replacing a culvert over a creek, crews still need to install guardrails and landscaping along with doing some pavement work.

The Route 6 closure started July 12th and at that point the road was only supposed to be closed a month. Because of a rainy late summer, the road may not reopen until mid-October.

Details released on a service to remember Deborah Dewey

While questions remain surrounding her death, friends and family will gather this weekend to remember Deborah Dewey.

A celebration of Dewey’s life is planned Sunday from 2 until 5 at Senica’s Oak Ridge in La Salle. The family written obituary says Deborah “was taken far too soon from her family and friends on September 12th.” That was the day state police say they found Dewey in a shallow grave on a property in Standard along Route 71.

You can see the obituary notice for Dewey by going to Deb Dewey Service

Crash at busy Peru intersection injures two women

A crash between a minivan and truck in Peru sent two women to the hospital.

Thirty-one-year-old Delma Hernandez of Spring Valley was driving the minivan just before six Wednesday evening at the intersection of Shooting Park Road and Route 251. She’s accused of turning into the truck driven by 36-year-old Christopher Piontek of Peru. Hernandez and her 18-year-old passenger Zaneika Norrington of La Salle were taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru. Piontek wasn’t hurt.

Hernandez was ticketed for failing to yield.

Fire alarm system malfunctions at L-P

Whether it’s an old house or school, problems always pop up. At L-P High School the issue is with the fire alarm system.

The main building’s fire panel which controls fire alarms and heat sensors malfunctioned Wednesday, disabling the building’s fire alarms. Until the system is repaired, L-P custodians will be doing hourly fire safety walks throughout the entire building. If there is a fire, students and staff will be told to evacuate using the PA system.

The fire alarm issue is only affecting L-P’s main building and not the career center, east gym or auto shop. Peru and La Salle firefighters were also made aware of the issue.

Elderly woman hits gas instead of the brake before smashing into Peru building

Caution tape and barricades remain up outside a downtown Peru building after an SUV drove into it Wednesday afternoon.

Seventy-eight-year-old Socorro Barnes of Spring Valley says as she was trying to park on 4th Street, or Route 6 she hit the gas instead of the brake. That mistake took her Kia Soul into the office building. The gaping hole in the building has since been boarded up.

Barnes was taken to St. Margaret’s Hospital in Spring Valley. She wasn’t ticketed.