La Salle County

Hundreds of miles and four days later, almost 100 bicyclists found ways to grieve, support each other and remember police officers killed while on duty in Illinois in 2024. Cycle Across Illinois benefiting the Illinois chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors concludes Sunday.

Will Peru residents get a refund for refuse not collected? The city is looking into it.

Peru’s proposed TIF district isn’t final yet – it’s getting close – but Mayor Ken Kolowski said there already there is burgeoning corporate interest in seeing the TIF created.

It would feature diving boards, a water slide, 25-meter competition lanes and a capacity of 434 swimmers. A committee thinks the City of Peru could fund it with a 20-year bond.

The City of La Salle has invited Peru residents impacted by the recent garbage strike to dispose of their bagged yard waste temporarily at the city’s yard waste drop-off location beginning Monday.

The next lecture at the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 20.

The Illinois Valley Alzheimer’s Caring Friends Support Group meets at 6 p.m. Monday, July 21 at the Peru Public Library.

The Oglesby American Legion will hold its monthly steak fry from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, July 24. 

Mendota residents will begin receiving garbage and recycling services from a new provider, Midwest Disposal of Dixon, starting the first week of August.

State Rep. Murri Briel and labor professor Robert Bruno will be the main speakers at the La Salle County Democrats annual picnic on Saturday, July 19.

NCI ARTworks announced Friday the winners of its juried exhibition of more than 30 emerging artists at NCI ARTworks Gallery.

Participants will create their own “snackle boxes,” portable containers filled with colorful, nutritious snacks, while learning food safety tips and organization techniques.

The first floor of La Salle-Peru Township High School is temporarily closed after a Sunday morning fire in the maintenance shop sent smoke into the first floor.

A lot of heat and little rain is putting stress on crops across La Salle County.

Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch (ValCom) has been officially recognized as a StormReady® Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) by the National Weather Service, marking a significant milestone in the agency’s commitment to emergency preparedness and public safety.

Across small-town landscapes to suburban yards and into the heart of urban cities, Illinois Master Gardener volunteers are passionate about the program’s mission of helping others learn to grow.

Police recruiting numbers are on the upswing with deputies and officers graduating from the academy at a higher rate. La Salle County Sheriff brought on two rookie officers this year.

Families have discovered a new extra-curricular organization for their daughters called American Heritage Girls.

Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch was recognized by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch as an accredited center of excellence for emergency police dispatching, IVRD said in a Wednesday news release.

Nearly 100 cyclists biked from Normal through La Salle County to DeKalb on Saturday, July 12, for Day 3 of Cycle Across Illinois, a charity campaign to honor fallen police officers and raise funds for their families. The group was led into town by DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan. They're expected to bike through the suburbs and end in Chicago Sunday after nearly 400 miles.

Republic Services will be running trash pickup over the weekend after it did not complete its Thursday stops, according to City of Peru.

A Streator man charged with shooting three people, killing one, will stand trial for murder on July 21.

A longtime prosecutor will be adviser to the La Salle County Board.

Contestants gulped down watermelon during the watermelon eating contest, a dog show and judging kicked off the the La Salle County 4-H Fair on Thursday, July 10, 2025 in Ottawa. Check out photos from Kyle Russell.

An Ottawa man pleaded guilty Thursday to firing a gun through his floor – and through his neighbor’s ceiling. Nicholas Snyder is going to prison for seven years.

With the former Kaskaskia Hotel site heading to auction later this month, La Salle officials have released preferred redevelopment options looking to guide potential buyers.

The Handle with Care initiative helps bridge the gap between law enforcement and schools to assist children and adolescents impacted by trauma.

A Sheridan man charged in 2022 with firing shots at two men, injuring one, before mounting an armed standoff has been found fit to stand trial.

A Streator woman charged with arson, and while she wore an ankle monitor, will undergo a mental health evaluation.

The skydiver fatally injured Monday at Sky Dive Chicago has been identified as Dr. Noel Liu, a 48-year-old resident of East Peoria and a dentist with a practice in Peoria.

The American Red Cross is urging all donors to give blood or platelets to keep the blood supply strong this summer. Several donor events are scheduled throughout Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle and Will counties.

Plans to turn the shuttered Illinois Valley Food & Deli into another venue moved forward on Monday night, as the La Salle City Council discussed ways to make the proposed sports bar and grill family-friendly.

The Marseilles Tourism and Park Committee will host a summer celebration this Saturday, July 12, with an afternoon of activities at Knudson Park followed by an outdoor movie at the Illinois River.

Illinois Valley Indivisible will host a “Defend Our Democracy” rally on Saturday, July 12, in downtown Ottawa, inviting the community to unite in support of democratic values.

The Peru City Council may be nearing a consensus on how to adorn the water tower, but a final vote is pending.

"Legally Blonde" comes to Stage 212 this weekend.

NCI ARTworks will announce the winners of the juried art exhibition at the opening reception from 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 11 for more than 30 “Emerging Artists” at the NCI ARTworks Gallery, 400 Fifth St., Peru.

The La Salle County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday it is participating in a campaign to crack down on speeding. The campaign begins Tuesday, July 8.

Fireworks are being blamed for a minor fire in Mendota -- extinguished before firefighters arrived -- on the Fourth of July.

A Peru man was ordered detained Monday after prosecutors charged him with possessing nearly 8 ounces of cocaine plus two firearms.

The first installment of LaSalle County real estate taxes is due Wednesday, July 9, according to a press release from La Salle County Treasurer James L. Spelich.

The Illinois Valley Food Pantry is launching a $750,000 fundraising campaign to assist in covering the cost of its new building in Peru and a walk-in cooler and freezer.

La Salle City Council will consider a request from the Starved Rock Runners to host the “Boo” Milby Memory 5K on Aug. 16 at its Monday meeting.

The Utica Fr. Marquette Council of the Knights of Columbus donated $2,000 to the Illinois Valley Food Pantry’s “Feeding the Future” fund drive as they begin their move to a larger facility on Tuesday, July 1, in Peru.

The Illinois Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra (IVYSO) will present a special summer concert, “Echoes of Maud: A Tribute to Maud Powell,” celebrating the legacy of world-renowned violinist Maud Powell ahead of what would have been her 158th birthday.

The Illinois Valley YMCA has announced the addition of two new pre-kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Boltz and Mrs. Little, for the 2025–26 academic year.

OSF HealthCare has added Sydney Lebahn-Franks, APRN, to its primary care team in Sheffield to expand access to local health services.

AARP Tax-Aide is seeking volunteers for the upcoming tax season in DeKalb, Genoa, Sycamore, and La Salle.

La Salle County farmers are reporting low rainfall totals, but getting ready to harvest second hay this week.

A Streator woman charged with multiple felonies led by possession of a stolen gun will stand trial Aug. 25.