BBQ Drive-Thru Raising Money to Replace Zion Church Chimes

Who doesn’t like the sounds of church bells?

Saturday is the last day to get your advanced tickets for the “BBQ Drive-Thru” at the Zion United Church of Christ in Peru. Money raised by the event is going to help replace the church’s community chimes.  The church hopes to replace their outdated chimes with a digital set up that will have the chimes ringing again.

The actual event isn’t until November 10^th, but if you buy a ticket you’ll get quite a meal. Each $12 ticket includes a pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, cheesy hash brown casserole and more made by Stone Jug Barbeque.

If you’d like tickets, call the church at 223-2671.

Representative Skoog to Answer Questions at Tea Party Forum in Ottawa Wednesday

With only two weeks until Election Day, do you feel like you need more information on some of the candidates?

If you’d like to learn more about State Representative Andy Skoog, you’ll have a chance to tomorrow in Ottawa. Starting at 7:00 at Ottawa’s Pitstick Pavilion, Skoog will be answering questions on a number of issues.

He’s is seeking his first full term in office, having been appointed after Auditor General Frank Mautino left to take his current job. He’s running against retired truck driver Jerry Long, who cited an out-of-state family obligation as the reason he can’t participate.

Doors open at 6:30 on the 26^th for the event, which is being held by the LaSalle County Tea Party. Classic Hits 103.9 WLPO’s Brad Spelich will be moderating the event.

Marshall County man falls to his death

If you’ve been following the story of a fatal skydiving fall near Ottawa, the victim’s name has been released.

Forty-eight-year-old Michael Collins of Lacon was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon after being flown to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. The preliminary cause of death is “massive traumatic injuries.”

A 9-1-1 call went out a little before 10:30 Sunday morning about a skydiver who fell and had a head injury. Paramedics and police noticed Collins suspended about a foot off the ground from a billboard sign. He had collided with the sign and his parachute got tangled up in it.

Toxicology tests are still pending.

Ottawa making plans for a Dairy Queen

You could soon enjoy a blizzard in Ottawa. That’s a reference to ice cream and not the winter storm.

The Ottawa Planning Commission meets Monday night and on their agenda is a vote to approve a conditional use for a Dairy Queen restaurant on Columbus Street south of Hardees. The restaurant will include a drive-thru.

This isn’t the first time Dairy Queen had eyed Ottawa for a location. In 2008 they briefly had plans to build a store where Culvers is now.

Cub fans rush to swoop up history

Few things capture big moments in history better than newspapers. If you were able to get a Sunday paper featuring a recap of the Cubs pennant clinching win, count yourself lucky.

News stands across the Illinois Valley were bare early Sunday morning as Cubs fans swapped up history. Sonya Konczak of Oglesby was working at Shell in Peru and said she had never seen anything like it.

Konczak says most days they end up recycling the regional newspapers after not selling their entire shipment.

Electronics drop-off draws huge crowd

Were you one of the lucky ones to get your old electronics recycled in Peru Saturday?

A line along Plank Road near the Illinois Valley Regional Airport began forming more than an hour before the scheduled electronics recycling pick up. Many were turned away an hour into the event once the 40,000 pounds limit of electronics was reached.

Ruth Safranski took to the WLPO Facebook page to say she was disappointed in how it turned out. Kris Schmidt said they need to do it more often while Billy Crane says they did an excellent job.

Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei says Peru and La Salle will look to do more electronics drop-offs in the future.

Mendota man hurt in Saturday fire

Mendota firefighters spent much of their Saturday afternoon dealing with a house fire.

A 9-1-1 call went out just before 1 in the afternoon about a fire in the living room of a two-story home in the 1200 block of 2^nd Street.  Firefighters put it out in about 15 minutes but a second fire than worked its way up the attic.

A man living at the home was taken to OSF St. Paul Medical Center.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.