Bank of America marked a milestone in Lake County, cutting the ribbon on its first financial center in Gurnee and its 12th location countywide.

Bob Smith of Morrison has joined Sauk Valley Bank as a VP commercial and agriculture lender.

On this episode of Talk Line, host Brandon Clark talks with Courtney Ligtenberg from the 1st National Bank in Amboy about private banking, and how they can help customers leverage those services to enhance their financial portfolio. 

The First National Bank in Amboy invites residents to take part in National Consumer Protection Week from March 1-7.

Travis Howell and Mandi Ballard have joined Sauk Valley Bank.

Sauk Valley Bank is pleased to welcome Warren Laube as its new chief credit officer.

Central Bank Illinois recently announced a series of executive and officer-level promotions.

Breanna Cisketti, ag/commercial lender at First State Bank Shannon Polo Lake Carroll, recently attended the Community Bankers Association of Illinois Ag Lenders Conference.

Stillman Bank recently welcomed Kelly Pospischil as a commercial lender, according to Thomas R. Hughes, president and CEO.

Headquartered in Sterling, Sauk Valley Bank is a locally owned, community financial institution that offers solutions that fit customers' personal, commercial, and agricultural financial needs.

Cassandre Mlakar, wealth adviser at FSB Wealth Group, Shannon, has earned a place among LPL Financial’s Institution Ascent Club Program for 2025.

Officials are investigating an armed robbery at a BMO Harris bank branch in Lisle on Tuesday morning

Stillman Bank recently welcomed Jennifer Whiteman as senior vice president and chief credit officer, according to Thomas R. Hughes, president and CEO.

Stillman Bank recently welcomed Monica Meyers as director of loan operations, according to Thomas R. Hughes, president and CEO.

Sauk Valley Community College’s Impact Program has announced a 3-year, $15,000 pledge from The First National Bank in Amboy.

Stillman Bank held its 61st annual Holiday Giveaway drawing Dec. 22. The bank had a total of six winners throughout its six locations.

Stillman Bank recently held its annual Christmas coloring contest for children up to 10 years old.

Janel Cabadas, a lifelong Oswego resident, becomes the new Earthmover Credit Union CEO on Jan. 1

The month-long initiative took place from Oct. 24 through Nov. 24 at both the Bank’s Main Branch in Morris and its Wilmington Branch.

Community bankers around the country gathered in Washington in November to discuss the latest challenges currently facing community banks across the country, according to Sally Scanlan, president of Community State Bank of Rock Falls.

These devices can detect and alert the officer using them of the presence of card skimming apparatus, which are used to steal credit and debit card information.

Agricultural conditions remained strained but slightly improved over the last six weeks, according to a survey across the Corn Belt’s Federal Reserve Districts.

Sterling Federal Bank has announced President and Chief Executive Officer Dean Ahlers will retire and that Bo Mays will take over that role next month.

Cassandre R. Mlakar has been promoted to senior vice president, FSB Wealth Group. Mlakar joined FSB Wealth Group and First State Bank Shannon-Polo-Lake Carroll in 2009.

Collection bins are located at Silver Spoon Restaurant, 1701 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet and Busey Bank, located at 2801 Black Road, Joliet.

First State Bank Shannon-Polo-Lake Carroll recently announced the promotion of Allyson Roling to lending officer.

Financial stress is severe and persistent across farm country, according to a new Market Intel report from the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Ashley Speed began he career at Grundy Bank in May 2008.

Agricultural conditions across the Corn Belt are strained in part due to concerns about China’s elimination of soybean purchases and low crop prices, according to a Federal Reserve survey.

Byron Bank is proud to once again participate and be a drop-off location for the Ogle County Toys for Tots program during the 2025 holiday season.

The Joliet Noon Lions are collecting items for Cornerstone Services group homes.

Stillman Bank recently promoted a key member of its team in northern Illinois. Kaitlyn Jones has been promoted to the position of treasury relationship manager, according to Thomas R. Hughes, president and CEO.

Sterling Federal Bank, a trusted icon in Sterling, was named one of the nation’s most extraordinary banks on Sept. 25, 2025, by The Institute for Extraordinary Banking.

Stillman Bank is proud to announce that Kathy Yocum, vice president and director of retail banking, has been named the 2025 Woman of the Year by the Illinois Bankers Association.

CSB of Rock Falls opened for business in 1975 at 1801 First Ave. in Rock Falls, and today has grown to serve four additional communities: Sterling, Dixon, Morrison and Fulton.

Sterling Federal Bank has announced the retirement of Steven Brewer from its executive team.

Former Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School board candidate Christopher Borchardt was recently arrested in Sarasota, Florida.

First Secure Community Bank has been in the Joliet community for seven years and recently celebrated with an outdoor party at the bank.

A Sterling man is accused of producing a note at Community State Bank in Morrison, demanding money and threatening to kill the teller, before leaving with $2,000, a prosecutor said Monday.

Commerce Bank has opened a new commercial banking office at 2730 Caton Farm Road in Joliet.

Anthony Pens, 27, and Alyssa Pens, 15 of Coal City both have heredity spastic paraplegia type 35, a disease is so rare that only 51 people in 19 families are documented in medical literature.

Peoples Bank of Kankakee County recently announced the promotion of Matt Olszewski to executive vice president/chief operating officer.

Midland Wealth Management, a division of Midland States Bank, recently announced that Peter Riskind has joined as Senior Wealth Advisor, based in Midland’s Chicago office and serving clients throughout Chicagoland and across the country.

The bank provides lending, deposit, trust and wealth management services throughout northwest Illinois from locations in Prophetstown, Geneseo, Morrison and Mount Carroll.   

A man charged with robbing with a bank in downtown Joliet claimed he needed the money to repair a vehicle and that the “universe owed him money,” prosecutors said.

Held throughout March, the long-running contest encourages Sterling Federal employees to nominate and select local charities for a chance to receive financial support.

The BMO bank in downtown Joliet was robbed on Monday afternoon, police said.

The Midland States Bank Foundation has committed to providing $25,000 over the next two years to help offset construction, furnishing and equipment costs associated with the construction of the Dixon Family YMCA’s new Lovett Child Development Center, which opened in January.

a Glendale Heights attorney has been sentenced to six years in prison for using his girlfriend’s personal identifying information to defraud banks out of more than $82,000.

Courtney Ligtenberg has graduated from the Future Leaders Alliance Program offered through the Illinois Bankers Association.