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Volume 141 No. 23
Friday, May 15, 2015
Single Copy Cost 50¢
Water problems for Lostant
Felton opts for bench trial By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — The recent heavy rains have raised some headaches for the Lostant Village Board. Members discussed the problems presented and possible solutions at the board’s regular meeting Monday, May 11. Among the problems are residential sump pumps that are dumping into the village’s water system. According to public works supervisor Mitch McCaw, water at the village lagoon has nearly topped out and may soon overflow which could cause some damage to the lagoon’s banks. “People don’t realize how much water they’re pumping, but it can overload the sewer system real fast,” McCaw said. “Anyone whose sump pump is flowing into the sewer system, that has to be removed,” Lostant Village President Fred Hartenbower said. “You’ve got to keep the water away from the sewer.” Hartenbower also said he had received a complaint from a resident whose water from the storm drain in her basement had backed up. He suggested there may be a broken tile, and it should be found and fixed. Board member Chris Dose said part of the current water problems stem from the recent rain which dumped about 1.5 inches of rain within 10 minutes on Lostant. “I don’t care what kind of system you have, it’s not going to cope with that much water that fast,” board member Jack Immel said. In other action, the board: • Reviewed the village’s ordinance book at the request of Immel. The current book dates back to 1990 and does not contain many of the ordinances passed since then. Hartenbower directed village attorney Kyle Stephans to submit to the board any ordinances he has written for the village to try to update the book. • Will advertise for bids for tree cutting in the village. • Voted to hire Jack Bade as part-time police officer. • Voted to hire Hopkins and Associates for the village’s 2015 audit. • Learned the village has received its permit for a new pump for the lift station.
OTTAWA — Richard Felton waived his right to a jury trial and decided instead to opt for a bench trial in front of Judge Cynthia M. Raccuglia, according to LaSalle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne. Felton’s trial for attempted murder started Tuesday, May 5, nearly 21
Trial update Results of the trial are available on the Tonica News website at www.tonicanews.com and will appear in the May 22 issue of the newspaper. and robbery of a 92-yearold Ottawa woman. The trial for the break-in was
held before the murder trial out of concern for the woman’s age. Sentencing for the break-in was to be issued at the same time as any penalties for the attempted murder charge. According to Towne, during the first day of testimony, the prosecution called several witnesses to the stand, many of whom were sheriff’s
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Creating a garden oasis Lostant Grade School seventh-grade student Brianna Gorges works on cleaning up soil in the secret garden. The garden, located in a courtyard inside the school, is being cleaned up by Marjorie Archdale’s seventh-grade classes.
Good for one ... good for all EDCNCI talks about mission, vision, future By Goldie Currie Shaw Media Service
© The Tonica News
Wade of Grand Ridge on a bridge over the Vermilion River near Leonore. The bullet struck Wade in the face, knocking him off the bridge where he fell 40 feet into the mostly dry river. Wade crawled to a nearby farmhouse for assistance. Towne said if convicted, Felton could receive a life sentence. He has already been convicted for his part in the home invasion
Tonica News photo/Dixie Schroeder
Vol. 141 No. 23 One Section - 8 Pages
months after the incident and was expected to wrap up Tuesday, May 12, with closing arguments and sentencing. Felton was indicted on charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery stemming from the Aug. 18, 2013, shooting of a Grand Ridge man. Felton, 29, of Tonica — also listed as Chicago — is accused of shooting 28-year-old Jeremy
OGLESBY — During a press conference in Oglesby on Monday, May 4, members of the interim board of the Economic Development Corporation of North Central Illinois (EDCNCI) introduced their mission, talk-
ed about the vision of the group and what they hope to attract to the North Central Illinois regional area. What is EDCNCI? The non-profit corporation plans to pool the individual economic development endeavors and investments to create a unified and more effective marketing effort to bring in job growth, job retention and job expansion to the area. “We are looking at the people that are already doing business here
and trying to help them expand, as well as bring more jobs here through marketing the region in Chicago and beyond,” explained TJ Templeton, a member of the EDCNCI Interim Board. As Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce (IVAC) began looking at what a regional economic development group would look like, it became apparent the region needed a bigger, louder voice over each town’s Chamber of Commerce that would further attract people and
businesses to this area, said Scott Starvrakas, president of IVAC. Working on a $400,000 budget, the board plans to hire a team of individuals who will work with the EDCNCI Board made up of members representing Bureau, LaSalle and Putnam counties, to reach markets nationally and beyond. The idea is if one large business comes to the area, the whole Illinois Valley benefits. Debb Ladgenski, Spring Valley economic devel-
opment director, used the Walmart Distribution Center as an example. “While it’s located in Spring Valley, there are over 100 different area codes represented in that facility,” she said. Joni Hunt of Princeton said economic directors used to look at their neighbor as the competition, but the real competition is other regional economic development corporations. “The goal of the group is
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