Brew pub coming to downtown Ottawa

There are plenty of places to drink in the Illinois Valley but there’s one thing missing, a brew pub.

Plans are moving ahead for a brew pub and restaurant called The Lone Buffalo to open in downtown Ottawa on La Salle Street. The Ottawa City Council Tuesday night put on file a Tax Increment Financing redevelopment agreement with developer Peter Limberger.

Mayor Bob Eschbach says the brew pub is a $3 million investment and should open by early fall. It’s going into two empty storefronts one that most recently was the Odeum Main Stage.

A feature-length film, documentaries and shorts included in Ottawa film festival line-up

If you’ve spent any time living, working or just hanging out in Ottawa you’ll notice familiar buildings and faces during many of the 11 pieces being shown in the River City Film Festival.

Most notably in the line-up is River City Panic, a film by Tyler Amm.   The movie shot entirely in Ottawa opens later this month. Amm’s father and grandfather are also the topics of two documentaries included in the festival though Amm says the festival wasn’t his idea. He credits Mayor Bob Eschbach.

Amm says from there the Ottawa Visitor’s Center and Roxy Theater became involved along with filmmaker, Kane Farabaugh. He says they wanted to do something small in its first year but they plan on making in larger next year.

The festival will run just one day, Sunday, March 22 at the Roxy Cinemas in downtown Ottawa. For $20, you’ll get an all-day pass. Amm’s movie plus several shorts and documentaries will be showing in two auditoriums throughout the day and evening. There will also be Q and A with filmmakers.

You can buy tickets through the Ottawa Visitors Center. Only 300 tickets will be available and Amm predicts tickets will quickly sellout.

Learn more by listening to an interview that’s available at the Classic Hits 103.9 WLPO news page.

Scheduled for for annual Midwest Morel Fest announced

Whether you do it for the thrill of the hunt or because you enjoy the taste, mushroom hunting is a popular spring activity in the Illinois Valley.   Mushroom hunting has grown into a full weekend of activities in Ottawa where organizers are getting ready for the 5^th Annual Midwest Morel Fest.

Plans for this year’s festival were unveiled Thursday at Ottawa City Hall. The festival will be May 2 and 3 and based in the Jordan Block. Saturday will include the Morel University seminar that gives you an introduction to mushroom hunting.

You’ll also be able to shop at the craft and food market, buy mushrooms during a mushroom auction and sample beers during a Home Brew Fest. The big hunt is Sunday, May 3 and includes cash prizes.

Tickets to participate in the hunt and related programs are available through the Ottawa Visitors Center.

Peru and Ottawa RadioShacks on the list of possible closures

A technology store that has been in the Peru Mall for years could be one of many closing. RadioShack announced Thursday that it had filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

The chain has 4,000 stores in the Unite States. A long list of possible closures includes a store in Ottawa and many others Illinois. The company wants to sell as many assets as possibly.

As many as 1,700 stores would remain open thanks to Sprint. The mobile phone company thinks it would be a way to be more competitive with Verizon, AT&T and other cell phone services.

Billboard designs earn Ottawa second consecutive marketing award

For the second consecutive year, Ottawa has brought home a statewide tourism award. The Ottawa Visitor’s Center was awarded the Best Marketing Campaign award at the Illinois Tourism Conference in Chicago Monday night. Visitor’s Center Executive Director Julie Johnson and the tourism center’s graphic designer Curt Bedei were on hand to accept the award. Bedei’s designs of billboards promoting Ottawa led to the marketing award. Last year Ottawa was picked for the award based on a TV ad featuring Walt Willey.

Oglesby site one of 18 given medical marijuana permits by Gov. Rauner

The wait to find out which companies will be allowed to grow and sell medical marijuana in Illinois is over.

Governor Bruce Rauner Monday awarded the permits to cultivation centers and dispensaries after taking steps to fix what his aides said were legal flaws in the license award process under former Governor Pat Quinn.

GTI Clinic Holding, LLC received the one permit being issued for a cultivation center in State Police District 17. The company plans to build near the Love’s Travel Stop in Oglesby.

Oglesby Mayor Don Finley spoke with GTI officials shortly after the permits were announced. Finley says he’s happy to see the area getting new jobs. The cultivation center is expected to use a lot of electricity, which Finley says is also good for the city since they lost their biggest electric customer several years ago.

The one dispensary being allowed in District 17, Pharmacann, LLC plans to open in Ottawa.

In all, 18 businesses were given cultivate center permits, but three applications are being reviewed. 52 businesses were awarded licenses for dispensaries while five applications are being reviewed.

Leigh joins the Cantlin Law Office of Ottawa

It’s the end of an era for an Ottawa law firm according to one of its members. Attorney Keith Leigh of Pool, Leigh and Kopko and Jim Cantlin of the Cantlin Law Firm announced that Leigh has joined the Cantlin Law of Office of Ottawa.

Leigh says he reached out to the Cantlin Lawfirm after realizing he would need assistance since his partner Anita Kopko has a serious illness.

Leigh has been the attorney for the City of Ottawa for many years. He says the Cantlin Law Firm will now be the city’s corporate counsel.

Ottawa offering scrap metal pickup

Getting rid of an old washer or dryer is easy if you live in Ottawa. As they have for the past seven years, the city is working with Ace Auto Salvage in Tonica for appliance and scrap metal pickups.

Commissioner Dale Baxter says 139 people used their free metal and appliance pickups last year. If you live in Ottawa, you can sign up to have your stuff take from your curb every Wednesday.  To sign up, call city hall or visit the City of Ottawa website.

Teen runaway still being sought

Ottawa police are still looking for a teenage runaway last seen Friday night in her father’s home.
17-year-old Katie Leake is 5’ 7”, 110 pounds, with short, wavy blonde hair and wears glasses. Leake was last seen wearing a hot pink coat over a maroon sweatshirt with black, Chuck Taylor shoes. If you have information on the whereabouts of Katie Leake, please call Ottawa police.

Ottawa theater group to produce “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

A popular book that was made into an award winning movie is also a drama that will be performed in Ottawa this spring.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is the next play by WilleyWorld Community Productions. The theater group is run by professional actor Walt Willey.

The play is about a group of patients at a mental hospital, particularly one street-smart patient and his ongoing power struggle with the head nurse.

The cast calls for 12 men and four women. You don’t need to have theater experience to try out. Auditions will be from 3-5pm Saturday and from 1-4pm Sunday at the Ottawa Dance Academy in Ottawa.

The play will run sometime in March or April.