The Streator City Council approved updates to its financial policies while raising spending limits during its meeting last week.

Each bus, a 2025 Blue Bird Vision Gasoline 71-passenger bus, costs $114,900.

Zion United Church of Christ, Peru, will host a special Living Lord’s Supper at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 29.

Blackouts are not a problem in Peru, but city officials still think they can reduce outages and improve overall efficiency. They’re getting state help to do it.

From Capitol News Illinois: Raw milk advocates saw Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as Health and Human Services Director as a win, but it hasn’t translated to loosened regulations in Illinois

Here’s a look at the top girls bowlers in the NewsTribune area for the 2025-26 season.

The Chicago Bears could go in multiple directions with their first-round selection in next month's NFL draft. Here's Shaw Local’s Michal Dwojak first mock draft as he tried to figure out how the first round of this year’s draft will unfold.

Marquette softball won a wild one at Newark thanks to six Kelsey Cuchra RBIs, with other area winners including Streator, Ottawa Dwight and Fieldcrest baseball. That and more in The Times Monday Roundup.

Marquette defeated Newark 21-1 on Monday, March 23, 2026 at Newark High School.

The Mendota City Council approved the closures and gave the organizers of the race extra time on the front end of the event for set up and coordination.

Illinois Department of Public Health reports that Illinois fire departments responded to 9,860 carbon monoxide-related calls across the state in 2024 alone.

The Putnam County Public Library District’s Granville Branch invites the public to join a Citizen Science project, “Do NASA Live – Cloudspotting on Mars,” at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 2.

The Mendota High School District 280 Board of Education announced a number of personnel moves that are to take effect in the 2026-27 school year, according to documents from a closed and executive session.

The Putnam County Public Library District’s Granville Branch invites the public to attend a free screening of “Radioactive: The Women of Three Mile Island” at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 31.

State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, will hold weekly mobile office hours beginning in DeKalb this month to discuss issues and meet with community members.

A team from Fehr Graham Engineering and Environmental showed up on the morning of Tuesday, March 17 to start to tear down the buildings at 805 and 807 Illinois Avenue. This is the future site of the pavilion.

“The Play That Goes Wrong” will be presented April 17-19 and 24-26 at Stage 212 in La Salle.

The Putnam County Public Library District’s Granville Branch will hold its monthly hybrid meeting of “Chapter 250: Reading America’s Story Together” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31.

Crews are moving materials in place on the site of a future Chipotle Mexican Grill on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 in Ottawa. The Ottawa City Council approved the project last June, and the construction has been ramping up this month. It is located on Etna Road next to Thorntons.

The statewide portion of youth wrestling season culminated earlier this month with various state tournaments including dozens of participants from the extended Ottawa/Streator/Morris area.

Spring is almost here, and that means the return of some of the area's most popular beer and wine festivals of the year.

The Princeton-Illinois chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held its annual luncheon on Friday, March 6, to honor area high school Good Citizens and American History Essay contest winners.

Illinois Valley Community College will sponsor a blood drive on April 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the gym.

As many of us grew up, we heard from the world around us that whatever we were doing, it wasn’t enough. We could always do more.

A 1,412-square-foot single-family residence, built in 1952, has changed hands.

Shaw Local has compiled mock drafts from across the NFL media landscape. Here’s who experts think the Chicago Bears will select in the first round.

Illinois Valley Cursillo will hold an evening of food and fellowship Saturday, April 11 in St. Patrick Catholic Church, Ottawa.

Two teens have been charged with felonies after a stolen vehicle investigation, Mendota police said Friday.

From Capitol News Illinois: As large data centers burn electricity as fast as some small cities, utilities and advocates are looking for ways to ensure they’re not passing the buck for related infrastructure costs to everyday ratepayers

There was no double shooting Sunday north of Marseilles, the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office said.

Some candidates seeking seats in the Illinois House of Representatives in Districts 70 and 76 raised more campaign dollars than others, according to new spending records recently released by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for March 15-21. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Northern Illinois offers a vibrant international food scene ready to tantalize your taste buds.

Sandwich resident Brighid Reid, 14, a member of the National Society of the Children of the American Revolution, will participate in the National Spelling Bee inside Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., in two months.

“Immigration is a huge part of the American story,” history teacher Troy Woods said. “We want our students to know where they fit in the history of this country.”

The Leland Town and Country Association will host “Hop into Easter,” an Easter bunny and vendor event on Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Leland School, 370 N Main Street.

A single-family home in Somonauk that sold for $780,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in La Salle County during the past week

A single-family home in Princeton that sold for $325,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Bureau County over the past week

The IVCC baseball team earned two walkoff wins, plus high school results in Saturday's NewsTribune roundup.

The single-family residence located at 205 West Wilson Street in Streator was sold on Feb. 27, for $170,000, or $68 per square foot.

About 97% of Illinois schools show a proficiency gap where students overall outperform English learners, 2025 Illinois State Report Card data shows.

Woodland Elementary and Junior High schools south of Streator have announced their 3rd quarter honor rolls, recognizing students for academic achievement.

Serena, Streator, Ottawa and Marquette baseball as well as Ottawa, Newark, Seneca and Marquette softball were winners on an unseasonably beautiful Saturday. That and more in The Times Saturday Roundup.

Illinois Valley Community College will host a spring open house on Tuesday, March 31 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

A former La Salle woman avoided prison Friday for leaving the scene of a 2023 crash that injured an elderly motorist.

A single-family home in La Salle that sold for $123,000 is leading the list of the best real estate deals in La Salle County in the past week.

A look at the top boys bowlers in the NewsTribune area for the 2025-26 season.

Todd Volker of Ottawa was recently appointed to TeamIllinois by the Illinois Economic Development Corp.

The HumanKIND initiative will be holding a fundraiser from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Friday, April 24 at the intersection of Norris Dr and Columbus St in order to raise money for the 5th Annual Ottawa Family Pride Fest.

Bureau Valley preschool programs will hold screenings for the 2026-2027 school year on May 13-14 at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Manlius