Local Headlines

PERU – An ordinance granting variances for zoning on a future gas station was approved at the Peru City Council meeting Tuesday. Plans were revealed to build a Casey’s gas station at the corner of 251 and Shooting Park Road.

PONTIAC – Scammers are contacting area residents by phone, text message and email in an attempt to swindle victims. That’s according to a release from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office. They say that victims are being sent fraudulent checks and that they are then instructed

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police are tackling safety during the upcoming Illinois Speed Awareness Day. Through enforcement and education their goal is to promote safety for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. According to the State Police 37% of the speed-related crashes result in

PERU – Illinois Valley Community Hospital has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in mammography as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Mammography is a specific type of imaging test that uses a low-dose X-ray system to examine breasts.

HENNEPIN – Phone records for a Standard man was supposed to be the strongest piece of evidence for the defense in the murder trial of Clifford Andersen, however he was found guilty of murdering and burying his sister in law Friday. Defense Attorney Rob Parker strongly believed phone calls

STREATOR – Vandalism was reported over the weekend in Streator with tires slashed and windows broken in two separate incidents.   On Saturday morning Streator Police were notified that a parked vehicle in the 1400 block of Sterling Street had its windows smashed.   In the 700 block of

SENECA -The son of the police chief of Seneca has apparently drowned in the Illinois River. In a release by the Grundy County Coroner’s Office, a call came in Saturday afternoon for a person in the water near the Seneca boat ramp. Around 4:30 p.m. a body was recovered and identified as

DIXON – The Lee County Health Department has confirmed that mosquitoes collected in Dixon and the Amboy/Sublette area during the week of July 17th have tested positive for West Nile Virus. The tests confirmed the continued presence of WNV in the Lee County area. The announcement should

HENNEPIN- A Standard man has been found guilty of murdering and burying his sister in law. Clifford Andersen was found guilty Friday, in a Putnam County Court of the 2016 murder of Deborah Dewey. It took a jury of 9 men and 3 women under four hours to reach a guilty verdict on charges of murder

HENNEPIN- Closing statements were heard by prosecution and defense for the murder of Deborah Dewey at the Putnam County Courthouse, Friday. Clifford Andersen is accused of the concealment and murder of his sister in law. The prosecution used circumstantial evidence as their strongest points in