Volume 143 No. 27
Friday, June 9, 2017
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Spring Valley man victim of hit and run By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
PERU — The victim of a hit-and-run fatality has been identified in a joint press release from the offices of the LaSalle County Sheriff and the LaSalle County Coroner. Wyatt K. L. Wyatt, 22, of Spring Valley was identified as the victim killed on June 4 at 70 N. 2551st Road. Sheriff Tom Templeton said investigators have developed a person of interest and have also recovered a vehi-
cle which is being examined for “evidence that may link it to the victim and scene of the hit and run.” Other items of evidence were also recovered from the crime scene. The LaSalle County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call at 9:28 p.m. reporting a man was lying on the road at 70 N. 2551st Road, just east of the August Hills Winery. Deputies and Oglesby Ambulance arrived on the scene and found the man unresponsive.
Investigators from the sheriff’s department and the Illinois State Police crime scene and accident reconstruction teams were on the scene throughout the night, and their investigation continues. According to the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Department, further information will be released as it becomes available. Anyone with information regarding this incident should call the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Department at 815-433-2161.
No clubs required IVCC Disc Golf League attracts players from throughout the Illinois Valley By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
OGLESBY — The pleasure of getting outside to play 18 holes is the goal of all golfers, but more and more are choosing to attempt to shoot par by throwing rather than swinging. There are almost 6,000 disc golf courses across the nation registered on the website DGReview.com, a dramatic increase from the 3,000 listed in 2009. There are local courses in Ottawa, Princeton, Spring Valley, Streator, Marseilles, Lacon, Roanoke, Sandwich, Pontiac and El Paso. There are also several courses in Joliet, Rockford, Bloomington and Peoria. “There are more than 200 courses within 100 miles of Oglesby,” Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) instructor and faculty liaison Wes Black said. Black runs the IVCC Disc Golf League which plays at 4:30 p.m. every Monday from April through September. The course is always open and free to the public and is located behind the track and baseball field. Players park in the south lot and the first hole, or basket for disc golfers, is located behind a large tree. He said the school was approached in 2009 about installing a disc golf course. “We thought it would give students a very inexpensive thing to do in-between classes or after school. The administration was very receptive, and the Student Government Association donated the money for the baskets, and volunteers did the rest,” Black said. The course opened in June of 2010. Tournaments were hosted, and the proceeds from those and from selling T-shirts covered the cost of installing concrete tee pads in 2012. Black said disc golf is more family oriented than traditional golf, and he regularly sees families on the course Tonica News photo/Dave Cook with children of all ages. Joe Vicich tees off during league play on IVCC’s disc golf course. The central location of the course within the Illinois
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Valley helps attract players from throughout the area.
Keeping your head above water Advice for swimming safely By Dave Cook
news@tonicanews.com
PERU — Enjoying water, whether it’s in a pool, pond, river, lake or creek, has always been a popular, if not the most popular, summer activity. Playing in water is fun, but there’s also danger beneath the surface, Vol. 143 No. 27 One Section - 8 Pages
and safety must be considered. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there’s an annual average of more than 3,000 fatal, unintentional, non-boating-related drownings in the United States. About one in five drowning victims are chil-
dren 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency care for nonfatal submersion injuries. More than half of those treated in emergency rooms require hospitalization or continued care. Nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage which can result in long-term memory loss, learning dis-
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abilities and a permanent loss of basic functions. Joshua Noel, aquatic director for the Illinois Valley YMCA, shared advice on how to keep swimmers safe. “It only takes a few seconds for something bad to happen. I’ve had countless parents tell me all they did is look away for a second to watch another child, and they turn back around and
their child is face down or struggling in the water,” Noel said. Drowning happens quickly, so constant supervision must be maintained. Swimming should be done in designated areas, and although lifeguards may be present, it’s still important to watch your children. Put your cell phone away, and don’t think about cruising
Facebook or using social media, where you can become distracted easily. According to the American Red Cross, children who have drowned were often out of sight less than five minutes and under the care of one or both parents at the time of many home pool drownings.
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