A Mendota man is being held in La Salle County Jail for allegedly tossing a kilo of cocaine out his window as he sped from the cops, who caught him and then seized more cocaine at his home.

The Princeton girls basketball team — led by a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds from MVP Keighley Davis — defeated Metamora 57-44 in the championship game of the Ottawa Girls Holiday Tournament on Tuesday at Kingman Gymnasium.

The Ottawa girls basketball team defeated Pontiac 51-46 in the third-place game of the Ottawa Girls Holiday Tournament on Tuesday night in Kingman Gymnasium.

A Marseilles man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for possessing a stolen gun.

University of Illinois Extension will host its second annual Agronomy Summit Feb. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby.

The La Salle Public Library has scheduled multiple events for January, including a video game tournament, movie screenings and writing activities.

A look at boys and girls tournament opening day pairings at Plano, Seneca, LaMoille, Normal and St. Bede.

La Salle County farmers completed harvest with average to above-average yields despite dry conditions and concerns about input costs for the upcoming year.

Holy Cross School students in grades K-8 took a ride on the 61342 Christmas Express on Wednesday, Dec. 17 in collaboration with the Mendota Museum and Historical Society.

The Peru Township Republican Central Committee announces its official formation, marking a renewed commitment to grassroots organization, voter engagement, and the long-term strength of the Republican Party in Peru Township.

University of Illinois Extension will host a five-part educational series on conservation practices for farmers and landowners beginning Jan. 22.

Senior Watchdog, a Medicare and retirement planning company, has moved to a new location at 910 Shooting Park Road in Peru.

Seventh and eighth-grade students at Northbrook Middle School in Mendota raised $850 for the Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry through a donation campaign before Thanksgiving.

Accused killer Joshua Casey doesn’t have a firm trial setting, but attorneys said Friday they’re aiming for May 4.

The Woodland boys basketball team scored the first five points against Marquette and never trailed on its way to a 58-43 victory in Tri-County Conference play at the Warrior Dome.

The Ottawa and Fieldcrest girls basketball teams each opened Friday's Ottawa Girls Holiday Tournament with strong starts and eventually victories over Newark and Streator respectively.

Shaw Local Radio Station’s Christmas Cheer Toy Drive concluded Monday with the delivery of hundreds of toys to local organizations.

Tyshawn Doyle allegedly relayed a message to associates around Streator: He wanted witnesses silenced – either with gunfire or tainted drugs – and he named names.

Two men were charged following an investigation into a break-in early Thursday in the 700 block of West Madison Street, Ottawa police said.

Mai brings 15 years of library experience to the position and currently lives in Ottawa, the library said in a Friday news release.

Two teens were charged with weapons violations after a burglary investigation, Streator police said in a Thursday news release.

The La Salle-Peru Township High School Board of Education appointed Principal Ingrid Cushing as assistant superintendent during Wednesday night’s regular meeting, the board announced in a news release.

Stage 212 will hosting a special entertainment event at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, when Her Majesty’s Radio Theatre presents Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol: The Ghosts of Christmas.”

Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 81,225 deer during the seven-day 2025 Illinois firearm deer season that concluded Dec. 7

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

Stage 212 is bringing friends together for their annual child-friendly New Year’s Eve event. “New Year, New Friends: A Children’s New Year’s Eve Event” will be presented at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 27, at the theater, 700 First Street in La Salle.

The ongoing work will cause some disruptions to campus parking and traffic over the second semester.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation will host “A Country Night for a Cause” on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Senica’s Oak Ridge Golf Club to raise funds for scholarships, grants and community programs, SRCCF announced in a news release.

The Seneca Fighting Irish boys basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 45-37 victory over the St. Bede Bruins in a Tri-County Conference game Tuesday night.

Streator's Joe Hoesktra put together an eye-popping 19-point, 24-rebound double-double, and the Bulldogs needed it to hold off young and scrappy Reed-Custer 50-39 Tuesday night at the Pops.

The suspect in the 2024 shooting at Streator City Park allegedly tried to silence would-be witnesses through murder and threats, prosecutors alleged Tuesday.

Mendota awarded a contract Monday to an engineering firm to design a walking-cycling path using $3 million in funding the city received this spring.

Supporters call it Medical Aid in Dying. Opponents call it assisted suicide. The health care network serving the Illinois Valley favors the latter phrase – and pledged to not engage in it.

The Grundy County Board approved a $6,500 monthly contract with SKK Consulting to help bridge the gap while the county seeks a new supervisor of assessments.

The Fieldcrest boys basketball team — behind 53% shooting, a game-high 27 points from Kash Klendworth and 21 more from Layten Gerdes — topped Dwight 75-55 on Monday night in Minonk.

Horizon House in Peru has launched its annual Tree of Hope campaign with a goal of raising $75,000 to support programs for people with disabilities.

This holiday season, the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office is joining state police and local partners to keep holiday travel safe.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Democrat representing parts of Bureau, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Putnam and Will counties, has opened a new constituent office in DeKalb, according to a news release.

Coming off their first loss of the season, Marquette bounced back in dominant fashion in a 72-27 thrashing of Lowpoint-Washburn on Friday night in Ottawa.

The Woodland boys basketball team's lead Friday over Roanoke-Benson looked as if it it might reach 20 points. Then it looked like it might disappear, but in the end the Warriors held on for a 44-35 home victory.

Trinity United Church of Christ, La Salle, will hold its annual Christmas cookie walk from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

The Marseilles Public Library, 155 E. Bluff St., will host several programs and events in December.

Five individuals and one team have been selected as 2026 inductees to the Ottawa Township High School Hall of Fame.

He choked his girlfriend with a shirt wrapped around her neck. Mendota police went to arrest him and a three-hour standoff ensued. Now, Shaquille Jones likely is going prison.

The Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund will award grants to nine projects during 2026.

Mendota High School counselors Mitch Landgraf and Rachel Tarr were recently honored by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for their efforts to support students and families during the financial aid process.

The Women Inspired Network recently awarded $8,000 in grants to local nonprofits during its ninth annual Celebration of Giving Sunday, Dec. 9.

Because of Dwight's aggressive defense, the Trojans held an early lead, even as Marquette showed them a defensive look they haven’t seen this season. The Trojans soon figured out things offensively on their way to a 61-31 win at Bader Gym.

Four La Salle-Peru Township High School students were selected to participate in the Illinois Music Education Association’s 2026 All-State Student Programs, LP announced in a news release.

The La Salle-Peru Township High School Renaissance Students of the Month were recognized during a breakfast ceremony on Wednesday.