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Vanished: How IEMA-OHS Erased Apollo’s Chemical Records After the Carus Fire

Search for whats being stored in your town click here: public.iema.state.il.us/FOIAHazmatSearch/T2Search.aspx

investigative Journalist Removed from Public Meetin— City Officials Target jamie Hicks

BREAKING: APPELLATE COURT STRIKES DOWN CITY OF LASALLE’S “GAG ORDER” AGAINST HICKS

LaSalle, IL – August 14, 2025 | By Hicks News Investigations

In a stunning legal victory for First Amendment rights and whistleblower protection, the Illinois Third District Appellate Court has reversed the City of LaSalle’s conBREAKING: APPELLATE COURT STRIKES DOWN CITY OF LASALLE’S “GAG ORDER” AGAINS troversial attempt to silence independent journalist Jamie M. Hicks using a workplace violence restraining order.

The court ruled that the City’s claim—that Hicks posed a “credible threat” to Finance Director John Duncan—did not meet the legal standard under the Illinois Workplace Violence Protection Act.

“We agree with Hicks’s contention that the City’s evidence did not satisfy section 15(2) of the Act... Therefore, we reverse the trial court’s judgment.”
– City of La Salle v. Hicks, 2025 IL App (3d) 240351

“Trust Us, We Wrote It Ourselves”: How Carus Chemical’s Self-Regulated Safety Sheets Endanger LaSalle

When Carus Chemical’s facility exploded on January 11, 2023, a toxic black dust rained across LaSalle. Residents were told not to worry. According to Carus, the released substance—potassium permanganate—was “non-toxic” and “harmless.” Local news repeated it. City officials nodded along. The EPA shrugged.

But that so-called harmless chemical is a Category 2 oxidizer, a known combustion catalyst, and corrosive to skin and eyes. It can spontaneously ignite in contact with fabric or wood. Ask any hazmat technician—they’ll tell you it’s no joke.

LaSalle City Council Violating Open Meetings Act with Falsified Agendas

By Jamie Hicks | Hicks News | August 3, 2025

The City of LaSalle has been systematically violating the Illinois Open Meetings Act (OMA) by concealing deliberations, falsifying meeting minutes, and issuing vague agendas that strip the public of their right to meaningful participation.

And they’ve been doing it in plain sight.

Under 5 ILCS 120/2.02(a) and 2.06(a) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act:

Agendas must set forth the general subject matter of any final action in advance.
Minutes must include “a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated, or decided”—not just the votes or outcomes.

CITY OF LASALLE, LASALLE COUNTY, STATE’S ATTORNEY NAVARRO, AND CARUS CHEMICAL OFFICIALLY SERVED IN FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT

LaSalle, Illinois — July 23, 2025

For the first time in city history, the entire power structure of LaSalle has been served in a federal civil rights lawsuit that accuses top officials of corruption, unlawful surveillance, fabricated police reports, and a conspiracy to silence a local whistleblower.

Every named defendant has now been officially served, including the City of LaSalle, LaSalle County, State’s Attorney Joseph Navarro, and Carus Chemical—marking the beginning of what plaintiff Jamie Hicks calls “a long-overdue reckoning.”

No Bids, No Notice, No Shame: LaSalle's Dirty Habit of Handing Out ContractsNo bids. No notice. No shame.

"Cities have a duty to avoid awarding work without public notice or multiple quotes," said Marseilles City Attorney Christina Cantlin.

"Competitive bidding isn’t optional—it’s essential to ensure taxpayer money is spent fairly and within the law."

Back in the Chamber: Jamie Hicks Confronts City Council After Yearlong Gag Order

In a moment that was both defiant and historic, Jamie Hicks—investigative journalist, civic watchdog, and LaSalle’s most outspoken critic—returned to the LaSalle City Council chambers Monday night, exactly one year after being forcibly silenced under a controversial workplace order of protection initiated by Finance Director John Duncan.

CITY OF LASALLE VIOLATED THE OMA CLICK TO READ

They Didn’t Detect It. They Didn’t Report It.": LaSalle Sewage Spill Into Little Vermilion Exposed by Hicks News — City Blames Inspector, Not Itself CLICK HERE

LaSalle City Council Pushes Vague Ordinance Changes, Retroactive Slot Machine Penalties with No Public Oversight

CLICK TO READ

What Really Happened_ The Story Behind the Restraining Order.mp4

BREAKING: Jamie Hicks Breaks His Silence on LaSalle’s Taxpayer-Funded Gag Order

Jamie Hicks | Hicks Investigative News

Jamie Hicks is officially breaking his silence on the controversial workplace protection order filed against him by the City of LaSalle under the Illinois Workplace Violence Protection Act—a law designed to protect employees from threats at their place of work. However, the alleged incident occurred in a courtroom, not at any city workplace.

The claim? That Hicks made a threatening statement toward Finance Director John Duncan during a legal hearing. Despite the serious nature of the accusation, no criminal charges were filed. No courtroom sheriffs intervened. No judge called for removal. Instead, the city pursued a civil workplace protection order—an unprecedented move in LaSalle.

What LaSalle Taxpayers Were Promised—And How Two TIFs Were Quietly Emptied

It all sounded good at first. The City of LaSalle promised to bring new life to downtown using a tool called TIF—Tax Increment Financing. It's supposed to help cities fix up older buildings, attract new businesses, and boost the local economy using property taxes that are set aside for these special projects.

But instead of boosting our economy, the City of LaSalle used those TIF dollars on projects that never got finished—or never even got off the ground. Now, according to city records, just one of those TIF funds (TIF District V) is nearly $90 million in the hole (2024 TIF Records, p. 11). And the biggest chunk of that is tied to a hotel that still hasn't reopened.

What LaSalle Taxpayers Were Promised—And How Two TIFs Were Quietly Emptied

City of La Salle Threatens Public With FOIA Fees After Years of Compliance”

By Jamie Hicks, Hicks News

4/7/2025

For years, the City of La Salle honored public records requests under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) without charging residents a single dollar. As an independent journalist and longtime requester, I’ve submitted hundreds of FOIA requests to the city since 2023—and never once was I told I had to pay.

That changed on March 31, 2025.

Altered by Design: How LaSalle’s Police Chief Rewrote History to Target a Political Critic

By Jamie Hicks | Hicks News | April 2025

In the months following the February 8, 2023 alarm incident at Carus Chemical’s Apollo Building, LaSalle Police Chief Michael Smudzinski did something that should raise alarms of its own:
He quietly altered his official police report — half a year after the fact — to frame a local activist as a potential terrorist.

Let that sink in....

EPA DELAYS RECORDS UNTIL THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION — FOIA MANIPULATION EXPOSED

April 3, 2025

Let’s be clear: this was not an innocent delay. This was information suppression—plain and simple.

Back in October 2024, I submitted a formal FOIA request to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. I was seeking records related to docket CAA-05-2024-0002, tied to the City of LaSalle’s Public Water Supply—records that could expose environmental violations, internal communications, and federal enforcement actions. In short: the kind of evidence voters deserve to see before they head to the polls

Health Risks and Community Concerns Following Styrene Release at Epsilite’s

March 28, 2025 | Hicks News

A power disruption at Epsilite’s Peru facility on March 28, 2025, led to the release of styrene into the surrounding atmosphere, sparking concern among residents of Peru and LaSalle. While the company has assured the public that air monitoring has shown no immediate health risks, the presence of the strong styrene odor has prompted questions about the safety measures in place and the potential health effects of the release.

MAYOR JEFF GROVE FAILED US: 20 Years of Power, $17 Million in Debt, and a City Left in Ruins

LaSalle, IL — Over a decade after construction, LaSalle residents are still paying the price for a failed wastewater treatment plant—a $17 million mistake that barely functions, drains public funds, and stands as a symbol of Mayor Jeff Grove’s broken promises and financial mismanagement.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAYOR JEFF GROVE FAILED US: 20 Years of Power, $17 M

Budget 'Wish List' and TIF Maneuvers Raise Red Flags in LaSalle's 2024 Appropriations

LaSalle, IL — March 21, 2025

A detailed review of the City of LaSalle's Finance Committee meeting held on June 18, 2024, reveals a troubling pattern of budgeting tactics, legal gray areas, and structural financial instability that could spell long-term trouble for the city and its residents.

The true deficit

LaSalle's $2.7 Million Budget Mirage Revealed Ahead of April 2025 Election

LaSalle, IL — March 21, 2025 In a bombshell discovery with major implications for transparency and fiscal accountability, the City of LaSalle's FY2024 audit reveals that over $2.1 million was quietly transferred into the General Fund from a patchwork of TIF districts, utility accounts, and even library and playground funds. These inter-fund transfers effectively masked a real operating deficit of approximately $2.7 million just ahead of the city's critical mayoral election on April 1, 2025.

The true deficit

Fact-Check and Response to Mayor Jeff Grove's February 2025 Campaign Letter

March 4, 2025

Written by J.Hicks

LaSalle, Illinois - A thorough review of city audits, financial reports, and meeting minutes reveals significant discrepancies in Mayor Jeff Grove's February 2025 campaign letter. The mayor's claims of financial responsibility, pension funding, and infrastructure improvements fail under closer examination. Documents indicate inconsistencies in debt reduction, TIF allocations, pension liabilities, and transparency practices.

Fact-Check and Response to Mayor Jeff Grove's February 2025 Campaign Letter