Just after 8:30 this morning, calls went out to police and fire crews about a crash involving a possible car fire.  Once emergency crews arrived, it was found no one was hurt and firefighters weren’t needed.

The crash happened on eastbound Interstate 80 near the Bureau-Henry County line.

Perry Memorial CEO Rex Conger announced yesterday that the Women’s Healthcare Unit will close January 1^st because of a variety of reasons including medical reimbursement losses and shrinking pool of women in Bureau County young enough to have babies.  The dozen employees on the chopping block will get top consideration of any other openings at the hospital according to Conger.  They will be given the chance to use the rest of the year to do training for another medical profession.

The Women’s Healthcare employees who don’t find another job at Perry before 2014 will be eligible for unemployment.  Conger says no severance packages will be available.

Conger says the women’s healthcare department lost 500 thousand dollars last year.

Officials in Troy Grove are planning a “Wild Bill Hickock Day” Sunday at the city park across from Wild Bill’s monument.  Besides food and kids games, organizers plan on offering horse and wagon rides, live shootout re-enactments, historic cemetery tour and gun and photo exhibits.  The event runs from 11 until 3.

Wild Bill was born in Troy Grove on May 27^th, 1837.

Amm lead the school to 18 Illinois State High School Association music championships.  He says he became involved with singing when he was young but it wasn’t always his chosen career.

Amm has inspired many Ottawa students, including Kane Farabaugh who has produced a 30 minute documentary about Amm.  The documentary debuted before the sold-out pop concert.   People waited in line overnight for tickets.

Amm says it’s been a great career but he wants to step back for a little while before another singing project.

An interview with Amm is available at the AM 1220 WLPO dot com news page.

      Cullerton’s comments Thursday came after the Illinois House approved such a measure by a vote of 85-30.

      The measure brokered by House Speaker Michael Madigan also would allow qualified gun owners to carry their weapons in public, with some restrictions.

      Cullerton says another problem with Madigan’s bill is that it would allow people to bring guns into some places that serve alcohol.

      Cullerton says his Democratic caucus will meet Monday to decide whether to vote on the House’s bill.

      He says his chamber also is revising a Senate gun bill that would adopt some of the House’s suggested restrictions.

After bringing out the police dog, troopers say they found the drugs. Timothy Winsall of Racine was arrested for a minor cannabis charge and was released after posting bond.

Another man from Racine, Jon Legue, was arrested for possession of cannabis, possession of cocaine and possession of psilocybin mushrooms.  He was taken to the Bureau County Jail.

CEO Rex Conger says the Women’s Healthcare Unit is no longer able to support itself thanks in part to less state and federal reimbursements and a steady decline of patients of childbearing age.  Hospital officials say baby deliveries at Perry has declined 38 percent in the last decade with less than 100 deliveries the last two years.  Conger says the women’s healthcare department lost 500 thousand dollars last year.

Despite losing its OB, Labor, Delivery and Nursery departments, Conger says Perry Memorial can still deliver a baby in the Emergency Department.

January 1^st is the proposed closing date of Perry Memorial’s Women’s Healthcare Unit.

Streator’s “Parkfest” kicks off today and runs through Sunday.  In the park starting at 5:30 tonight will be the opening of a carnival, food and vendor booths and then at 7:30 live music by the “Blues Brothers Band”.  On Saturday in the park there will again be the carnival, food, vendors along with live entertainment featuring a magician and pro wrestling.  Parkfest wraps up Sunday with firefighter water fights and a movie in the park at dusk.  The movie is the Disney classic “Lion King”.

For a complete schedule, go to http://www.streatorcalendar.com/

According to GasBuddy.com, the cheapest gas in the Illinois Valley is in Streator with stations selling it for $3.62 to $3.69 a gallon.  Most Ottawa stations are selling unleaded for $3.82 a gallon while gas in La Salle and Peru is going for $3.85 to $3.89 a gallon.

You can stay up to date on the latest gas prices by checking out the GasBuddy link on AM 1220 WLPO.com.

Jobless rates went down in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam Counties.  In La Salle County, the April unemployment was 9.7 percent, down from 11.9 percent in March.  Bureau County’s April jobless rate is 8.4 percent, down from 10.3 percent in March.  Putnam County’s unemployment rate went down a full percentage point from 11.9 to 10.9 percent in April.

Only Putnam County has a higher unemployment rate now than they did a year ago.

Starting this afternoon, IDOT is suspending non-emergency road work thru Monday evening.  Some projects though just can’t be picked up and delayed including two in Bureau County.

One lane of Interstate 80 both directions between Princeton and Interstate 180 will be closed this holiday weekend for bridge replacement work.  Also in Bureau County, Route 6 is down to one lane over I-180 because of bridge work.

Fernando Sanchez-Guizar, Nicolas Armando Chavez-Garcia, and Joel Gaytan-Sandoval were arrested last Thursday in Waukegan after an investigation involving the FBI and police departments in several states.

They’re accused of bank fraud and were being held in the Lake County Jail.  They could face more charges.  The Mendota, La Salle, Peru, and Spring Valley Police Departments were some of many departments investigating. 

          Pastorik was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of a weapon by a felon.  He’s on parole for a heroin-related conviction in 2011. 

          Pastorik was taken to the La Salle County Jail.

Superintendent Mark Cross says asbestos in the attic at Washington Elementary presents an immediate health and safety hazard.  To get it removed, the price tag is estimated to be around 50 thousand dollars.

The immediate problem at Northview Elementary School is outdated electrical wiring that if it fails, it could knock power out to the school for a week or two.  Cross thinks electrical upgrades at the school would require boring underneath the school parking lot.  The estimated cost of bring Northview’s electric system up to date is 60 thousand dollars.

Cross hopes to dip into the fire prevention and safety fund for the local matching dollars so they avoid taking on debt.

Since the record flood closed the elementary school, Marseilles 8^th graders will have their graduation outside in the Illinois Valley Cellular parking lot.  The makeshift graduation is planned for tonight at 7 o’clock.

There will be a stage with hundreds of chairs covered under a tent.  Much of the things used during the graduation are being donated.

The after graduation party will be at the Marseilles American Legion Hall.