Local Headlines

CHICAGO (AP) — A white Chicago police officer charged with murder in the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald testified that he opened fire when the black teenager kept advancing toward him while waving a knife, adamantly sticking to his version of events even when confronted with video that showed

OTTAWA, IL – Health Department officials have recently received a report indicating a bat submitted from Ottawa tested positive for rabies. The LaSalle County Health Department and LaSalle County Animal Control would like to remind the public to avoid contact with bats. Bats are more active

CHICAGO (AP) — The murder trial of Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke will likely resume after an unexpected day off. Van Dyke’s attorneys are expected to continue calling witnesses on Tuesday after Monday’s testimony was called off by the judge because a juror was ill. The

CHICAGO (AP) — A Kane County man has been given a 16-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting four children that he knew. A judge sentenced 53-year-old Martin L. Beyer on Monday after the former Aurora resident agreed to plead guilty to four counts of criminal sexual assault. A statement

PERU – The City of Peru city council says residents will get to use waste bags of their choice, using a city sticker.  City Clerk Dave Bartley said in a meeting on Monday that procuring problems in Public Works has led the city to allow any biodegradable waste bags, as long as a designated

CHICAGO (AP) — Police say there have been 102 fewer homicides and nearly 500 fewer shooting victims in Chicago this year, compared to the first nine months of 2017. The department said in a news release Monday that the drop continues a nearly two-year trend. The department says the falling

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois State Fire Marshal is offering tips for a fire-free fall . Fire Marshal Matt Perez says leaves and sticks should be removed from gutters so they don’t fuel house fires. Bonfires should be confined to a pit with side walls and should be limited in

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear former Chicago-area police officer Drew Peterson’s appeal of his murder conviction in the drowning death of his third wife. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the high court refused Monday to take up Peterson’s bid to have his

CULLOM – A woman from Champaign County has died after vehicle collided with a semi in rural Livingston County. In a release from the Livingston County Coroners office, the 58-year-old was in a car near Cullom, Illinois when she was in a crash with a semi-tractor trailer on Sunday afternoon.

OTTAWA – Certified letters will be issued to LaSalle County residents if they don’t pay their taxes by Friday, according to the LaSalle County Treasurer’s Office. In a letter from LaSalle County Treasurer James Spelich, real estate taxes must be paid on or before Friday at 8