From the archives of Studstill Media UTICA – On April 20th, 2004 a tornado swept across Putnam and LaSalle County, injuring dozens and claiming 8 lives in the village of Utica.

STREATOR – Questions remain unanswered in what happened to 7-year-old Dalton Mesarchik, who was reported missing on March 26th, 2003. The next day his body was found along the Vermillion River south of Streator, but no suspects

OTTAWA – The American Red Cross is reminding residents nationwide that with the time change set for this weekend, that you should take the opportunity to test your smoke detectors. If they fail to respond after installation

STREATOR – Today is the anniversary of the discovery of Pluto by a man born in Streator.  It was February 18th, 1930 photographic evidence of Pluto was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff,

SPRINGFIELD – The Office of the State Fire Marshal of Illinois, in an effort to keep residents safe, wants to remind those in the state this winter to have their furnaces checked and to make sure carbon

OGLESBY – A teen walked out of his Oglesby home fifty years ago and vanished. In the five decades since 16-year-old Dermot F. Kelly went missing authorities have had no clues to his whereabouts, aside from his

OTTAWA – Area health departments are reminding everyone responsible for cooking holiday meals or dishes to be mindful of proper food handling procedures. The CDC notes that although anyone can get a foodborne illness, pregnant women and

MARSEILLES – Another grant has been given by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to expand a LaSalle County off-road park. It was announced Friday that a $350,000 grant was given to James W. Lowry, Jr for

OTTAWA – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is reminding those along the I&M Canal Trail that motorized vehicles like ATV’s and Side by Sides are not allowed. They note that operating an off road vehicle on

CHICAGO – The American Red Cross is offering safety tips to prevent house fires over the holidays. They suggest besides testing your smoke detectors each month, that you should also use caution when heating your home, especially

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Treasurer has announced a campaign to try to locate the owners of important unclaimed property, Purple Heart medals.  Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs says that eleven Purple Hearts are being held by the

OTTAWA – An investigation into an alleged burglary in rural LaSalle County in November led to the arrest of an Ottawa man on Tuesday. The LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office say that on November 17th a Fall River

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced the names of their two newest snowplows, Orange Crush and Scoopy Doo.  The winning names were submitted by fairgoers at this year’s Illinois State Fair. The event drew

GRAND RIDGE – The mayor of Grand Ridge is asking for village residents to write a short letter or email in support of a project to improve the community. The North Central Illinois Council of Governments could

SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State Jesse White announced that Secretary of State Police will be conducting parking stings at shopping malls statewide throughout the holiday season and ticketing individuals who illegally park in spaces reserved for persons

CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will be offering low-income families utility relief. The Help Illinois Families program will have $295 million available for households across the state and is accepting applications now

OTTAWA – With Thanksgiving approaching the CDC wants to remind those in charge of cooking to be aware of some tips to keep the holiday safe and healthy. They say that you should thaw your turkey in