Police need help identifying other cops

The police have used Facebook to identified alleged criminals, but Princeton police are turning that idea around.  On their Facebook wall is a 1948 photograph of 6 police officers standing outside next to a car and in front of the department’s garage.

The department is asking for help in identifying the men in the picture.The picture has been posted to the “Classic Hits 103-9 WLPO” Facebook wall.

 

 

Prison time for suburban teen involved in Peru fight

The man accused of firing shots in the air during a summer dust up at 28th Street Park in Peru is headed to prison.

Nineteen-year old Mitchell Hampton pled guilty Friday in La Salle County Court to reckless discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a credit card. By pleading guilty, prosecutors dropped two more serious aggravated weapons charges. Hampton was given over two years in prison but will get five months knocked off the sentence for time already spent in jail.

Hampton admitted to firing shots during a fight at a Peru park earlier in the summer. The fight stemmed from a dust up earlier the same day at the Peru Y.

Area pantry distributes AND receives food Saturday

The Illinois Valley Food Pantry has 2 tons of new food for its shelves, due to our “Fill the Mayflower” event Saturday at Hy-Vee in Peru. The 6 hour collection later delivered 4208 lbs of canned goods and more to the Pantry in downtown LaSalle.  Executive Director Donna Hess provided the numbers and said sorting would begin Monday or Tuesday. $ 180 dollars in cash was also given. Stevenson Transfer provided the trailer. Sponsors include “Classic Hits 103-9 WLPO”, “99-3 WAJK” and “96-6 The Wolf and the Illinois Valley YMCA.

While food was being stored in the Mayflower trailer,  Hesses’ workers were distributing Thanksgiving baskets to their clients during the day.  Zion Church of Christ in Peru and the Peru Boys Scouts Troop 123 helped carry food to client’s cars.

Christmas distribution will be December 17. Hess said they won’t refuse food, but cash helps her agency tremendously.

Chicago lawmaker loses grandson to gun violence

CHICAGO (AP) – U.S. Rep. Danny Davis says his grandson was the victim of an environment where guns “become commonplace, it’s almost, just the way it is.”
The Chicago Democrat told The Associated Press his grandson, 15-year-old Javon Wilson, was a “pretty regular kid” who loved basketball and music and was a “pretty solid student.”
Davis says he has been told a 15-year-old boy had traded slacks for gym shoes with Wilson’s 14-year-old brother and went to Wilson’s house with a 17-year-old woman to reverse the trade when the boy shot Wilson.
Davis wonders how the 15-year-old boy obtained a gun and who allowed him to have it. He says the answer is that “the availability of guns is so prevalent in America you almost can’t tell who has a gun” anymore.

Court case delayed for former L-P coach accused of sexual assault

A shakeup in legal representation has pushed back court proceedings for a former L-P substitute teacher and volunteer coach.

Twenty-four-year-old Kyle Pisano of Peru was in court Friday for a status hearing on his charges of having sexual relations with a student at L-P High School. He was arrested earlier this year for criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault.

Pisano’s attorney, George Mueller has a working relationship with the Karen Donnelly who will soon become state’s attorney for La Salle County. Seeing conflicts of interests, both the defense and prosecution are looking for new lawyers.

Pisano’s next appearance in front of Judge Cynthia Raccuglia is Thursday, December 22nd.

House in rural Ottawa a complete loss after catching fire

A couple living in Wallace need a new place to stay after their home was gutted by fire.

The call about a house fire came in shortly before 6 Friday evening to the Wallace Fire Department. A single-story home on Wood Duck Lane east of the Dayton Ridge Golf Course in Ottawa caught fire. Wallace Fire Chief Dave Parrott thinks embers from leaves and shrubs being burned earlier in the day kicked up the fire.

While the folks living at the home are okay, they’ve been unable to find their cats after the fire. The American Red Cross is involved in helping out the victims.

Half a dozen Illinois Valley fire departments provided mutual aid to Wallace. Parrot says while they had the fire under control in about an hour, the wind made things tough and the last firefighter didn’t leave the scene until five hours after they arrived.