Students from JFK School, Putnam County Junior High, La Salle-Peru Township High School, LaMoille School, Ottawa High School and DePue, attended the 20th annual Edible Car Contest on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby. IVCC's Edible Car Contest always coincides with National Engineering Week.

Rockridge defeated Hall 68-58 in the Class 2A Regional quarterfinal game on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026 at Hall High School.

Crews are building the exterior for a new Jersey Mike's Subs location on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 in Princeton. The business is located at the corner of Illinois Route 26 and Backbone Road. The restaurant is expected to open in late spring.

Check out photos of the potential site of the new Chicago Bears stadium in Hammond, Ind., by photo editor Scott Anderson. The sites include Wolf Lake Memorial Park in the 2300 block of Calumet Avenue and Lost Marsh Golf Course

Class 1A, 2A and 3A wrestlers compete for the state title Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at State Farm Center in Champaign.

Images from the IHSA Girls State Gymnastics Meet on Friday, Feb. 20, 2025, at Palatine High School.

Rock Island Alleman defeated St. Bede 42-40 during the Class 2A Regional final game on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 at St. Bede Academy.

Just weeks after winning Super Bowl XX, members of the Chicago Bears brought their talents to the hardwood in the Illinois Valley. On February 20, 1986, IVCC hosted the “Good News Bears,” a charity basketball team made up of Chicago Bears players for a United Way fundraiser

Firefighters responded to a large brush fire in the 26000 block of 2500 East Street on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Ohio. A Mutual Aid Box Alarm call was elevated to the second-alarm for the brush fire. Bureau County Fire departments from Princeton, Ohio, Malden and others assisted with the fire.