N-word used by village president in public debate

LADD, Ill. (WAND) – The village president in Ladd used the N-word when referring to a local creek with an already derogatory name.

For the better part of the past decade, some local residents in Bureau County have wanted to change the name of Negro Creek to Adams Creek. Adams, an African-American, had settled near the waterway which empties into the Illinois River in the early 1800s. When village trustees were asked to support changing the name, the mayor and a trustee objected, with the mayor claiming some sort of historical naming of the creek.

The Edgar County Watchdogs provided the WAND News I-TEAM with audio from the meeting where the mayor could be heard using the racial slur at least three times:

“It’s been N----- Creek up to 1965. Then after that they changed it from N----- Creek to Negro Creek,” said Ladd Mayor Frank Cattani.  Cattini did not respond to an email request from WAND News for comment.

The Bureau County Board voted unanimously to change the name to Adams Creek. It will now be up to the National Board on Geographic Naming to make any name changes.