Local Headlines

MENDOTA – A local Mendota woman is turning 100-years-old tomorrow, January 24th. Vern Sommerville, was born and raised in Peru and raised her three sons with her husband Glenn on a farm in Mendota. Somerville taught at Blackstone Elementary in Mendota for 27 years, frequently donating

UTICA – Starved Rock Bald Eagle Watch Weekend at the Illinois Waterway Lock and Dam Visitor Center, Starved Rock Visitor Center and Starved Rock Lodge will begin Saturday January 26th through the 27th. Hikes leave the Visitors Center at 9:30 a.m. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on both days. Chose from

LASALLE – LaSalle City Council members voted to move forward with a new convenience store and truck stop. The council voted to approve preliminary plats for the Thornton’s truck stop as set forth by the Planning Commission. The Thornton’s truck stop will tentatively break ground

PERU – Six brothers from one family who served in World War II will be honored with a sign and a stretch of road named for them in Peru. Tuesday State Senator Sue Rezin, along with Peru Mayor Scott Harl and Spring Valley Mayor Walt Marini presented Alex Kaszynski Jr with a copy of the

LASALLE – Mail price changes for the United States Post Office will take in effect on January 27th. In a release by the The United States Postal Service (USPS), the new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue. 1 ounce letters, and

CHICAGO – The national gas price average is the lowest since December 2016, according to the American Automobile Association. As of today, the national gas price average is at $2.25 per gallon. On a statewide level, gas has decreased nearly ten cents compared to last month, averaging $2.17

MORRIS – A Morris resident reported a scam last week in which he was contacted by a man requesting money. The resident told police that he had contacted a woman on Craiglist and inquired about meeting her before she refused. Days later, the man was received a call from someone claiming to

PERU – Peru City Council voted to purchase 70.61 acres of land on May Road at their Monday night meeting for $1.2 million. The now farmland is east of Illinois 251.  Mayor Harl explained that the farmland would eventually go towards economic development, with the success of the

MENDOTA – Motor fuel tax revenue for the city of Mendota is down nearly 2 percent compared to last year. In a city council meeting yesterday, it was announced that the shortfall of revenue could be a product of lower gas prices. According to the American Automobile Association, gas prices

OTTAWA – An early Friday morning domestic altercation involving a gun resulted in the arrest of a 29-year-old Ottawa man. According to the Ottawa Police Department, they say that in the early morning hours they were called to the 700 block of Westwood Drive for a report of a man with a gun.