The La Salle-Peru boys basketball team, sparked by an eight-point personal burst by freshman Gavin Stokes in the third quarter, overcame a lackluster first half in a 51-45 victory over Streator at Pops Dale Gymnasium on Tuesday.

Seeds and schedules are set for the 2026 Little Ten Conference Girls Basketball Tournament, hosted by Serena High School.

Stage 212 in La Salle is accepting submissions from directors for its 2027 season.

It’s official: Brad Anderson is now a sergeant with the Peru Police Department.

The Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce announced it will host its inaugural Lift-Her Women’s Empowerment Event this year, a half-day program designed to bring local women together to connect and learn from each other.

La Salle police are seeking information on a three-vehicle crash Monday that injured the three drivers, one of whom was flown to a regional medical center.

A Joliet man faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted of driving under the influence during a May accident near Ottawa that killed a woman.

The Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra has announced the winners of its annual Young Performers Competition held Jan. 3.

Peru Hy-Vee raised $4,308.60 for two local food pantries through a November round-up campaign, the store announced.

The Streator girls basketball team's lead has been cut to one entering the fourth quarter Saturday, but a spark off the bench from Audrey Arambula allowed the Bulldogs to retake control for a 33-28 triumph over Earlville.

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Earlville is having a blood drive from 1-6 p.m. on Monday, Jan 12. The church is encouraging participants to set up an appointment beforehand.

Trailing St. Bede by as many as 16 points in the first half, Woodland's boys basketball team grabbed a three-point lead just before the conclusion of the third quarter and didn’t let it go on its way to a 59-54 Tri-County Conference win.

Marquette boys basketball shook off a slow start and pulled away for a 44-31, rock-fight conference win over Roanoke-Benson on Friday night.

Sycamore senior Grace Amptmann's 3-pointer started a quick-hit, game-changing 13-0 run over a two-minute span in the fourth quarter on Friday to help the Spartans earn a 57-45 Interstate 8 Conference victory over Ottawa at Kingman Gymnasium.

Some pretty second-half shooting and transition play allowed Wilmington's boys basketball team to flip a three-point halftime deficit into a 13-point victory over the Streator Bulldogs on Friday.

Prosecutors allege he tossed a “brick” of cocaine out his car window, sped from the cops, “side-swiped” a truck and then fled on foot. That was too much for a judge Thursday to let Ruemy Duarte Castenada out of La Salle County Jail.

Mendota Chamber of Commerce having Valentine's Baby Contest.

A Master Naturalist volunteer will present “Scales & Tails: Reptiles of the Prairie State” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Utica Public Library.

Thursday’s warm up is due to a low-pressure weather system pulled in from the Gulf region, National Weather Service spokesperson Brett Borchadt said.

The hot-shooting Woodland boys basketball team sank 15 three-pointers in a 69-52 victory over Somonauk at the Warrior Dome on Wednesday night.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood told reporters on Wednesday that federal immigration enforcement leaders did not see “high levels” of U.S. citizens being detained “as a problem.”

Oglesby native and vocalist Erin Shields will hold a benefit concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26 at Illinois Valley Community College.

Stage 212 in La Salle is offering a children’s theater workshop from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17.

Five people have been admitted to intensive care in La Salle County with the flu, health officials said Monday.

The Mendota boys basketball team used a solid defensive effort to push the pace and hot shooting to earn a 77-60 triumph over Ottawa in Mendota on Tuesday night.

Gloss Society, a local hair salon operated by four longtime stylists, has relocated to 2320 St. Vincent Ave. in La Salle.

As the regular season hits the second half and the postseason gets closer, many Times-area girls basketball teams and players are trending up in Brian Hoxsey's girls basketball notebook.

Hunter Handyman Services in La Salle is celebrating five years of serving the Illinois Valley area.

La Salle workers will dig up and replace aging water mains starting shortly before next Christmas and hopefully finish in spring 2027.

NCI ARTworks will host an exhibition opening for international contemporary artist Ken Knight from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at its gallery in Peru.

Horizon House in Peru has surpassed its $75,000 Tree of Hope campaign goal, raising $78,245 as of Dec. 30.

Maze Lumber has announced a leadership change as it enters its 178th year of operations, the company said in a news release.

During the holiday tournaments at Seneca and Plano, many Times-area boys basketball players put together tremendous efforts. A look at their accomplishments and what their coaches had to say about them in Brian Hoxsey's boys basketball notebook.

The Oglesby American Legion will hold its monthly taco night from 4:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14. 

The Oglesby Knights of Columbus, 307 E. Florence St., will host a fish and shrimp fry from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9.

La Salle-Peru High School’s $8 million agriculture center is expected to be mostly complete by mid-May, marking the revival of the school’s agriculture program.

The Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund will award grants totaling $12,575 to eight organizations for nine projects in 2026, according to the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation.

The Marquette girls basketball team held off a fourth quarter rally from La Salle-Peru to earn a 56-55 victory at Bader Gymnasium in Ottawa on Saturday.

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.

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.

A Mendota man said he shot in self-defense. Prosecutors said the Mendota incident was a drive-by shooting. A La Salle County jury will have to settle that.

A La Salle County grand jury convened Tuesday and returned the following indictments.

Mendota’s Oliver Munoz scored the Trojans' final six points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:30 remaining, to capture fifth place with a 46-45 win over Ottawa in the Plano Christmas Classic on Tuesday.

Newark senior center Cody Kulbartz's block in the final seconds helped secure the Norsemen's 59-58 victory over Streator in the 15th-place game of the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic on Tuesday morning.

Peru firefighters soon will answer fire and rescue calls in Dalzell, as well.

Two officers were sworn in Monday to the Peru Police Department – another will join the ranks soon – while a longtime officer was made patrol sergeant.

The top-seeded Kaneland boys basketball team used a game-changing 14-0 run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters in a 67-50 victory over No. 4-seeded La Salle-Peru in Monday's semifinals of the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic.

A Streator man who set fire to the New Brite Spot in Ottawa in 2023 was sentenced Monday to a pair of four years for violating his probation for arson and for theft.

A La Salle man faces up to five years in prison if convicted of damaging eight La Salle police squad cars and an officer’s personal vehicle.