By day, Ryan Jandrey works with bodies. By night, he studies faces. He's chasing through portrait art something most people miss – faces, structure, and the fine line between likeness and feeling.

Leaves of history: A former church in Leaf River now protects the town’s memories. Inside, its dedicated volunteers preserve photos, artifacts and stories that refuse to fade.

Byron senior Caden Considine has committed to continue his football career at the University of Illinois and the Fighting Illini after helping lead his high school Tigers to two state championships. He recently visited Shaw Local for a Q&A on his playing career.

Exxxxxxxxxxxxcellence in execution: An Oregon man has rolled more than 70 perfect 300 games and dozens of 800 series on the bowling alley. From faith to family roots and decades of Monday nights, it’s the people and passion that keep Josh Grove coming back to the lanes.

Sometimes a trip off the beaten path can give people more things to learn and talk about. Take a drive from Mount Carroll to Scales Mound, and there's something for everyone.

Nostalgia overload: Wind through the hills of northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin, from Scales Mound to Lead Mine, and there are scenic views and a time warp back to life – in the form of old-time stores and taverns – from many decades ago.

What some call junk, Melissa Hull calls possibility. Inside her downtown Morrison studio, discarded items become art, and the creative itch in others is inspired.

From sandwich sales to scholarships, Morrison High School’s Key Club is showing how student volunteers are shaping leadership, community and opportunity.

A wrapper or cigarette butt might seem small, but multiplied across blocks of sidewalks, it reshapes how a downtown feels. Once a month from March to October, volunteers step up to change that in Sterling, cleaning it up and building friendships in the process.