State Troopers Say “Drop It And Drive” When it Comes to Cellphone Use

Do you plan on doing a lot of driving over the holiday weekend? If you are, Illinois State Troopers have some reminders for you, and they’ll be out in force making sure you follow them.

While construction season is coming to an end, State Troopers say you should be mindful of the few work zones that remain. They also say they’re planning to step up patrols in those areas this week.

Also, while it may be tempting to call your loved ones from behind the wheel, you’ll have to have a passenger do it. State Police want to remind you that it’s illegal to use a hand-held cellphone while driving. Texting and other electronic communications are also against the law.

According to police, distracted driving is one of the most common factors related to fatal crashes. The other 3 most common are speeding, driving under the influence, and not wearing a seat belt.

Final Pre-trial Wednesday for Woman Accused in La Salle Child Pornography Case

A case involving a La Salle woman potentially sharing child pornography across the country could go to trial on Monday.

Forty-eight-year-old Eva Morris is due back in court for a final pre-trial hearing Wednesday. She faces two counts of aggravated child pornography.

La Salle Police were first told about several possible incidents of child pornography and the FBI eventually joined the investigation.  Investigators said early on that the pornographic images tied to Morris were shared throughout the country.

Morris is in the La Salle County Jail being held on $150,000 bond.

Nobody Hurt in Train, Maintenance Truck Crash South of Lacon

There was no derailment, but an accident involving a maintenance truck and BNSF train snarled both car and train traffic south of Lacon.

Just after 11 Monday morning the train hit the truck on railroad tracks about a mile east of Route 26. Immediately train traffic and car traffic on Route 26 was stopped. Traffic wasn’t completely back flowing until past five in the afternoon.

Nobody was hurt in the crash. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office also says there was no leakage from the train.

Non-violent Offender Program Saves State $75 Million over First Five Years

A state program designed to help non-violent criminal offenders has saved the state more than $75 million.

The Adult Redeploy Illinois program was started in several counties, including LaSalle, back in 2011. The point of the program is to work with offenders to address unmet needs, like addiction or mental health issues, which may play a factor in their criminal behavior.

According to the 2015 report which was released last week, more than 2,500 offenders have been assigned to the program instead of prison. Redeploy costs the state about $4,400 per person, per year, as opposed to prison, which costs more than $23,000.

The program is funded via more than $15.5 million in federal grants which have been given to local jurisdictions to pay for programs related to that community’s needs. As of the end of last year, there were 24 of these programs in 39 counties, including LaSalle.

Critter leads to power outages in Spring Valley

You can blame a squirrel for a Monday morning power outage in Spring Valley.

A police officer told a dispatcher that a squirrel zapped a transformer around 8:30 this morning in an alley along Devlin Street. Ameren was immediately notified. Not longer after that, police were called about a school bus incident involving a downed power line. Nobody was hurt.

At the height of the problem, Ameren reported 60 outages in Spring Valley. All the power was back on by noon.

Conservation Police stay busy during opening weekend of firearm deer season

The opening weekend of firearm deer season came and went without any major problems in the Illinois Valley.

Conservation Police Sgt. Phil Wire says they wrote 42 tickets to hunters and also gave out 41 written warnings in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam County. The main problems were hunting using illegal bait and not having licenses or using another hunter’s permit. Wire says they had some trespassing conflicts but they were all worked out without tickets being issued.

Wire also says there were no accidental shootings or tree stand injuries during the opening firearm weekend.

New details come out with Aaron Schock saga

CHICAGO (AP) – More accusations are surfacing against former Congressman Aaron Schock.

The Republican is accused of allegedly using government and campaign money to subsidize a lavish lifestyle, as well as pocketing thousands of constituents’ dollars. An indictment unveiled this month says the 35-year-old hosted annual Washington tours and meet-and-greets, charged a special fee and secretly kept some of the cash. He’s also caught flack for spending thousands of dollars to decorate his office in the style of “Downton Abbey.”

Schock said in a Nov. 10 statement responding to the indictment that “we might have made errors” but that “no one intended to break any law.”

New movie theater coming to Streator

The holidays are a big time for the movie industry. Starting December 2nd, there will be a new theater to check out in the Illinois Valley.

That’s the grand opening day for Streator Eagle 6 on Dannys Drive. Folks running the new theater will give you a sneak peak this Saturday with an open house from one until seven.

According to the theater’s Facebook page, they will offer stadium style luxury seating in their six theaters. The Eagle 6 opening comes as work is also underway to reopen the Majestic Theatre in Streator.

Turkey Trot back for another run in Oglesby

Things that go hand in hand with Thanksgiving include food, football and running in Oglesby.

The annual Oglesby Turkey Trot starts at Holy Family School at 9 this Thursday morning. Registration for the three mile trot starts at 7. A free kid’s race – for those 10 and under – will happen after the Trot. The first 1000 paid entrants will receive a cap.

You can find more information here Turkey Trot Information

Illinois Valley congressman says he’s excited to work with President-elect Trump

Have you come to terms yet that Donald Trump is the next president of the United States? Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has apparently changed his tune.

The rising star in the GOP went on Fox News Friday and seemed excited about working with a man that in August he said he wouldn’t vote for even as a fellow Republican. Kinzinger added on his Twitter page that he and Trump share a commitment to renew America and a commitment to keep “our families safe.”

Back in the primary campaign, Kinzinger first supported Jeb Bush for president. When Bush dropped out, he backed Marco Rubio.