Traffic fine increases to $500
$75 dollar tickets didn’t stop semitrailer truck drivers from driving on residential streets in Marseilles, so now it’ll cost them $500 dollars.
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Ill. House passes Adopt-A-Park bill
A bill to let regular people help keep state parks open passed the Illinois House this week.
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Candles left burning led to fire
The Ottawa Fire Department says an unattended candle is why there was a house fire in the 2400 block of Cherie Ln. early Thursday morning.
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Crisis drill at Central School today
There’ll be emergency vehicles at Central School in Ottawa this afternoon. The school district’s annual crisis drill is being done from 1pm to 3pm.
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Senator wants to keep Quincy mail center open
Senator Dick Durbin says he's disappointed that the Postmaster General is shutting down the Quincy mail processing center.
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Activist rejected for membership on Ill. Human Rights Commission
A black Muslim activist's nomination to the Illinois Human Rights Commission has been rejected by the Illinois Senate.
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Congressman uses Frank mailings he criticized
U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling spent nearly $300,000 in taxpayer money on mailings in the last nine months of 2011, taking advantage of a benefit he criticized when he was a candidate.
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Lawmakers could eliminate some campaign donation limits
Illinois legislators may change election laws to allow unlimited funding in political campaigns when super PACs weigh in with big money.
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More protestors go to Obama campaign HQ
About 100 anti-war activists have marched outside President Barack Obama's campaign headquarters in downtown Chicago, protesting for an end to NATO operations in Afghanistan.
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Comptroller would support cigarette tax hike
Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka is joining the call for higher cigarette taxes in Illinois, but she has a few conditions.
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Illinois unemployment drops again
Unemployment across Illinois dropped in April for an eighth straight month, but job growth all but stalled.
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Appeals court backs governor on pay raise elimination
A federal appeals court is backing Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn over pay raises his administration canceled for thousands of union workers.
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Military aircraft to fly over Chicago
Air Force F-16s and other military aircraft will scream through the skies over Chicago today as part of preparations for securing the NATO summit.
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Drew Peterson trial set
A judge has scheduled the trial of Drew Peterson in the death of his third wife for late July.
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Ottawa has bicycle plan
The League of Illinois Bicyclists has written a bicycle plan for Ottawa. Ed Barsotti from the League says some roads could have dedicated bicycle lanes.
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Tennis court project still expensive
Cutting out the extras is saving Ottawa about $93,000 for two new tennis courts at Lincoln-Douglas Park, but the project is still costing more than planned.
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Street closures in Ottawa by railroad tracks
There’ll be two street closures in Ottawa the week of May 21 because Ameren needs them to install power poles near railroad crossings.
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Operation Snowflake
The one day leadership training event for middle school students is this Saturday.
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Water softener makes intersection dangerous
A load of water softener pellets spilled from a Culligan truck at Norris Dr. and Columbus St. Wednesday afternoon. The material, with the trade name Cullex, isn’t poisonous. But it’s very slippery.
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Dog wakes woman in house fire
Fire fighters saved a house on Cherie Lane in Ottawa before 2am Thursday.
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Proposal would settle fights over last place
The last person to file for an office is listed last on the ballot. Sometimes, politicians who want last place get into fights over it.
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Money moving around for child care
Illinois is on the verge of halting payments to government-subsidized child care programs that serve about 85,000 parents.
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Big money on the line in Madigan proposal
Illinois cities and schools would lose hundreds of millions of dollars under a pension proposal from House Speaker Michael Madigan.
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Teachers union ousts member for life
The Chicago Teachers Union has ousted a member for life for allegedly feeding information about a union meeting to a public schools official.
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Marseilles operating budget in the hole
The 2012-13 tentative operating budget for the city of Marseilles shows a deficit of over $270,000 dollars.
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St. Sen. Rezin against minimum wage increase
St. Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) says the minimum wage increase passed in the Ill. Sen. Executive Committee Wednesday is well intentioned, but she can't support it.
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Shepherd Middle School to get Title 1 funds
Shepherd Middle School should be getting some more money for at-risk and low income students next year.
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Officer of the Year at Ottawa
Dave Hallowell is the Ottawa Police Department’s Police Officer of the Year. Chief Brian Zeilmann says there wasn’t any particular heroic act he’s getting the honor for.
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Catlin Park reopens most trails
Some trails will still be closed for everything expect hiking and will be marked with yellow caution tape.
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Ameren warns of scam
The St. Louis-based utility company Ameren is urging customers to watch out for a scam aimed at illegally obtaining Social Security numbers.
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Shark fin soup ban proposed
Senator Antonio Munoz says the sale or trade of the fins needs to be outlawed because it contributes to animal cruelty.
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Student Advisory Council seeking members
Student leaders are encouraged to apply for a spot on the State Board of Education's Student Advisory Council.
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State asking how to notify of potential infections by inmates
Lawmakers are looking for ways to notify people who may have had contact with prison inmates infected with an STD or HIV.
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Online gambling expansion
Illinois was the first state to sell lottery tickets over the internet. Now Senate President John Cullerton wants Illinois to embrace all kinds of online gambling.
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Pontiac prison acting warden on leave
The acting warden at a central Illinois prison is on leave pending an investigation and a special prosecutor has been appointed in his case. But officials aren't providing any details.
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Service animals list could soon expand
Miniature horses trained as service animals may soon accompany Illinoisans with disabilities to school or the grocery store.
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IHSA to be sued over disabled athletes' access
The Illinois attorney general's office says it plans to sue to force the Illinois High School Association to allow disabled athletes in its swimming and track and field events.
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Protesters arrested at immigration court building
Four protesters have been arrested after a demonstration outside a downtown Chicago building that houses a federal immigration court.
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State owes over $500,000 to OES
Superintendent Cleve Threadgill says even if the state pays it off next fiscal year, it doesn’t do the district any good this year.
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Ottawa will allow video gambling, if the state does
The City Council Tuesday night approved an ordinance change to allow video gambling.
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More food collected this year by letter carriers
Local letter carriers collected more than 14,000 pounds of food for the annual food drive Saturday.
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Governor may order state insurance exchange
A top adviser to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn says the governor may use an executive order to establish a health insurance exchange that's a key piece of President Barack Obama's health care law.
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Gov. Quinn seeks business support for reforms
Gov. Pat Quinn is urging an influential group of business leaders in Chicago to add their weight to his push for reforms to Illinois' debt-laden Medicaid and public pension systems.
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New federal judge named for northern Illinois
John "Jay" Tharp will fill a judicial vacancy in the Northern District of Illinois. The former captain in the Marines has worked in the U.S. attorney's office, where he prosecuted government corruption in Illinois.
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Democrats forming third party to challenge one of their own
A group of Chicago Democrats led by Secretary of State Jesse White have formulated a plan to field a third-party candidate to challenge indicted state Rep. Derrick Smith.
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Governor wants to legalize gay marriage
The Democrat says he'll work with state legislators to make it a reality. Quinn adds that he doesn't want to wait for the courts to act first.
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Blagojevich's family visits
Patti Blagojevich says she and her two daughters spent the past weekend in Denver visiting imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
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Kids Fishing Expo
The 13th annual Kids Fishing Expo is this Saturday at Baker Lake in Peru.
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Hospice Memorial Service
A Memorial Service honoring those loved and lost will be held this Sunday at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center.
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Drivers could be allowed to leave some crash scenes
A measure that would allow Illinois drivers to leave the scene of minor crashes and move to a safer location is headed to Governor Quinn's desk.
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Protestors charged with trespassing at Obama reelection HQ
At least eight protestors could be facing charges after refusing to leave President Obama's Chicago re-election headquarters.
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Public wants bridge in Spring Valley to stay open
Almost everyone who told the Illinois Department of Transportation what they want when the Illinois 89 bridge in Spring Valley is replaced wants the bridge to stay open.
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University spends millions looking for faculty
The University of Illinois has spent almost $6 million on search firms over the last nine years to fill open positions as it increasingly turns to outside firms instead of relying on faculty search committees to find candidates.
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Sen. Durbin says president's support of gay marriage is matter of conscience
Some lawmakers claim President Obama's support of gay marriage is meant as a distraction, but Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois disagrees.
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Exhibit to honor death penalty opponent
An exhibit dedicated to the life of a nationally known Roman Catholic anti-death penalty activist is opening in Chicago.
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Lottery ticket raises millions for breast cancer research
State officials say a scratch-off lottery ticket launched in 2006 has raised more than$8.5 million for breast cancer research and education.
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Layoff avoidance system in planning
North Central Illinois Works has a plan to help companies in the area avoid layoffs.
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Man in danger of being hit by train flips off the crew
Twenty year old Dustin L. Smith of Marseilles faces charges of underage drinking and trespassing on railroad property after it was thought he’d been hit by a train.
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Prison official arrested
The acting warden of the Pontiac Correctional Center is under investigation by the Illinois State Police and has been placed on administrative leave.
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Police officers raising money
The annual fundraiser for the Ottawa Police Benevolent and Protective Association has started. President Marc Hoster says people who’ve donated in the past are being contacted first through the mail.
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Donald Terry nominated for correctional officer award
The Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice held a ceremony and recognized the departments’ past and present heroes.
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Democrats hoping to draw Republicans into support Rohl for Congress
Some Democratic Party organizers believe Adam Kinzinger is too far right, but Wanda Rohl isn't too far left, for centris Republicans to support.
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