Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Dec. 28-Jan. 3 Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The La Salle City Council will hold its first meeting of the year at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, at City Hall, 745 2nd Street.

The Putnam County Public Library District will host a free screening of “Mozart’s Sister” at 4 p.m. Thursday at its Granville branch.

The Putnam County Public Library District will host a University of Illinois Extension presentation on the state’s Centennial Soil Archive at 6 p.m. Tuesday at its Granville branch.

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The 7th annual Starved Rock Photo Show was held on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at the Starved Rock Visitors Center. A total of 86 entries were submitted. The show is in memory of Tom Williams who was a photographer, volunteer and first judge of the show. Katherine Buckley of Oglesby, won best of show of her jumping spider on a zinnia plant.

Illinois Valley Community College will offer real estate broker and home inspector training courses starting in January through its Continuing Education Center.

First State Bank will host its 26th Annual Agriculture Conference on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. at the Mendota Civic Center.

As La Salle County begins a new calendar year, a theme is emerging among the murder suspects: So far, nobody has pleaded guilty. Three were convicted in 2025 at trial and Joe Navarro anticipates having to bring the remaining suspects to trial.

The Treehouses at Starved Rock is a 26-acre retreat carved into Starved Rock’s border. There are two treehouses available for short stays and two more under construction, with availability beginning in February.