Top stories in 2020 for The Times

No surprise: The COVID-19 pandemic was La Salle County’s biggest story of the year, as there have been 8,442 cases since the first positive case in March and 233 deaths from complications from the virus. Everyone has been affected in some fashion. Beyond those who have become sick or asked to quarantine from possible exposure, businesses have operated under restrictions; schools have opened, closed and changed their formats to e-learning; families have changed how they gather; and workers at hospitals and nursing homes have taken on an incredible task of caring for not only the sick, but also protecting those vulnerable individuals in our communities.

But there were plenty of other stories that captured our attention in 2020.

JANUARY

‘The prohibition has ended’ on marijuana

Ottawa was one of a handful of communities where a marijuana dispensary was approved. On Jan. 1, lines started early in the morning as the state opened recreational marijuana sales.

Police search in Starved Rock for missing Ottawa woman

Police searched Starved Rock State Park after a missing person investigation led them there.

Tina Donovan, of the Ottawa area, was reported to the Ottawa Police Department by a family member as missing. A vehicle owned by Donovan was found in the Starved Rock Lodge parking area as a result of the investigation. Donovan still has not been found, but Ottawa police said they welcome any new information residents can provide.

Ottawa family remembers daughter as ‘ray of sunshine’

Emily Greenberg, 16, died following a vehicle accident south of the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Ottawa. She was a flutist, artist, singer, sister, daughter and best friend, but her mother Cyndi described her best as “a ray of sunshine.”

“She just had this energy where you couldn’t ...” Cyndi said with a pause.

“Avoid it,” her stepfather Troy Zarwell continued. “She’d put a smile on your face.”

“And she didn’t do it purposefully to be the center of attention,” Cyndi said. “She was just a ray of sunshine.”

FEBRUARY

Ransomware attack strikes La Salle County government

The La Salle County governmental offices were infected with a ransomware attack Feb. 23 that took down email accounts, limited access to documents and caused many county services to be provided “the old-fashioned way” with paper. Ransomware is a malicious software attack designed to block access to a computer system until a ransom is paid.

Since the February attack, the county has recovered almost all of the encrypted files without paying the hackers a dime. Lost files were documents saved by county employees to the desktop computers without backing them up on the county’s network. Because the county was insured, it was able to pay a $5,000 deductible for most of the costs.

Chester Weger set free Feb. 21

The 80-year-old man sentenced to life for the killing of one of the three suburban Chicago women found in Starved Rock State Park was released from an Illinois prison about six decades after he was sentenced.

Chester Weger was convicted in 1961 of killing of Lillian Oetting, 50. Her remains were found at Starved Rock State Park in March 1960 along with the bodies of Frances Murphy, 47, and Mildred Lindquist, 50.

Weger has since filed motions to have evidence reexamined in the case to clear his name.

APRIL

Ottawa man, Marine veteran rescues woman from Fox River

An Ottawa man and former Marine walking his dog was in the right place at the right time to help a woman who had fallen into the Fox River.

Jacob Moyer, 26, was walking at Fox River Park in Ottawa with his girlfriend, Cecelia Thomas, and his golden retriever, Freyja, when the couple came upon another woman walking her dog.

After the two groups parted ways, Moyer later spotted the other woman’s dog running alone and whistled to call it over. After getting closer to the river’s edge, Moyer spotted the woman shoulders deep in the water hanging onto a twig.

Moyer, who served with the Marine Corps from 2012 to 2016, felt a natural drive to rescue her.

MAY

Utica, Ottawa, L-P area floods; barge gets stuck under Ottawa bridge

While Utica had the worst flooding, officials chalked up May’s flood to a “close call.” Water flooded Utica streets and forced an evacuation of some residents.

A barge partially loaded with mulch broke away from its dock at Archer Daniels Midland’s terminal in Ottawa and wound up nestled against a pier underneath the Veterans Memorial Bridge before it was towed away. There were no injuries reported and minimal damage to the barge, but the site attracted much attention during the May flood.

JUNE

Racial equality movement goes local

Ottawa resident Angel Patterson wants everyone to be equal.

She and Streator resident Sandy Brown teamed up to organize protests in Streator, Ottawa and La Salle to speak out against inequality in their communities after the killing of George Floyd while he was in Minneapolis police custody.

Their June 1 march in Streator drew about 75 people, and the June 2 demonstration in Ottawa drew more than a hundred supporters. Later in the summer, Patterson hosted a cookout open to the community for residents to get to know each other.

JULY

Gov. visits Ottawa for executive warning

They were not meeting to announce a grand opening. They were not smiling or holding shovels, nor waiting to break ground for a new, exciting business coming to town.

Instead, local leaders met with Gov. JB Pritzker on July 30 to discuss the “wrong direction” La Salle County is heading with its COVID-19 numbers.

AUGUST

More than a derecho, tornado too

An eyewitness watched as a vortex ripped off the roof of Floor to Ceiling Tile in Ottawa, said a contractor for the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service in Chicago confirmed a brief EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 100 mph and a path about three-quarters of a mile long hit the north side of Ottawa during the derecho.

Winds reached almost 75 mph in the Ottawa area, causing significant tree, utility pole and wire damage throughout the community that took months to clear away. The storm shut down Matthiessen and Starved Rock state parks for a period of time.

SEPTEMBER

Truck wash search

A serial killer named Dellmus Colvin said during the podcast “Where the Bodies Are Buried” that he killed and disposed of as many as 52 female victims, including one at a truck wash near the La Salle-Peru city limits. Nothing was found, and the search for human remains outside an abandoned truck wash has been halted – maybe for good, but that doesn’t mean authorities don’t believe Colvin. They believe his statements are credible.

Gov. Pritzker honors Illinois Gold Star mothers

Gov. JB Pritzker visited the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles for a ceremony honoring Gold Star mothers and families.

“(Their) humility and service to community truly are inspirational to us all,” Pritzker said during a ceremony honoring Illinois Gold Star mothers and the Illinois National Guard.

After the passage of a joint congressional resolution in 1936, the U.S. has recognized the last Sunday of September as Gold Star Mother’s Day. A Gold Star family is the immediate family members of a service member who died while serving in a time of conflict.

OCTOBER

Teddy bear lost at Starved Rock

When Gracie Smith was on a family vacation in Illinois, her great aunt bought her a teddy bear at an antique shop in Sandwich. While visiting Starved Rock State Park, the 5-year-old put her new teddy bear “in the perfect hole to rest.” Unfortunately, she left the bear at Starved Rock.

After her grandmother made a post on Facebook, current and former Starved Rock Lodge staff were able to locate the bear and send it back home to Gracie.

Route 178 bridge opens

Utica’s new Route 178 bridge opened to traffic Oct. 7. With construction of $27.4 million project nearing completion, “We have enhanced the quality of life in one of Illinois’ great regions,” Osman said, citing the improved access to Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks from Utica.

NOVEMBER

New state’s attorney, county officials elected

While the GOP still has an appeal active, Todd Martin bested Karen Donnelly in the Nov. 3 election to gain the La Salle County state’s attorney seat. County Board Chairman Don Jensen defeated incumbent Jim Olson, and a new county auditor was elected in Stephanie Jo Thompson. In the 76th District state representative race, Lance Yednock retained his seat over challenger Travis Breeden, which also is being appealed by the county’s GOP.

La Salle County shows support for Donald Trump

After a few rallies in the summer in favor of Donald Trump, 56.6% of La Salle County voters placed their ballot for the incumbent president – the highest percentage since Barack Obama’s tally in 2008.

DECEMBER

Wallaroo in Peru

In one of the most fun stories of the year, Wally, a pet wallaroo, broke loose from his owner in Peru and led police on a chase throughout the city. The wallaroo ended up getting into the Illinois River and was rescued by fishermen.