The Graves-Hume Public Library is going to be closed all day Friday, Feb 6.

The car show will be from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 28. To accommodate the car show, the council agreed to shut down portions of 6th Ave and 8th St during the event.

Reed-Custer sophomore guard Matt Kuban finished with a team-high 17 points for the Comets in their 59-57 overtime victory against Streator on Tuesday night.

The Ottawa girls basketball team twice fought back to cut a 19-point disadvantage to eight during Tuesday's game against Moline at Kingman Gym, but the Pirates eventually saw a five-game winning streak halted with a 56-43 loss to the Maroons.

St. Bede Academy, in partnership with Hawk Auto Group, kicked off the Lenten food drive Monday with a Pack the Truck event held during the varsity boys basketball game.

The La Salle County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging residents to explore trap-and-release as a means of dealing with the overpopulation of feral cats.

La Salle City Council has revised its alcohol sales ordinance, removing restrictions on Christmas Eve sales and allowing alcohol to be sold between 2 and 6 a.m. daily.

The Mendota City Council approved the use of Lake Mendota Park for the 9th annual polar plunge. The plunge will be at noon on Saturday, Feb 28 at Lake Mendota.

The La Salle County Recorder’s Office has introduced a new fraud prevention tool designed to protect notaries and the community from the growing threat of notary-related document fraud.

The Oglesby Knights of Columbus, 307 E. Florence St., will host an Ash Wednesday fish and shrimp fry from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18.

In Monday's quarterfinals of the 107th annual Little Ten Conference Boys Basketball Tournament in Somonauk, top-seeded Newark advanced with a win over No. 8 Leland, while No. 4 Serena fell to No. 5 Illinois Math & Science Academy.

Do you believe any conduct of the current administration needs to be investigated? James Marter: None, but we should Investigate the Fraud perpetuated on the American People in Minnesota for start, by the Biden Administration. Read Marter's full questionnaire here

The Peru Public Library, 1409 11th St., will host several programs and events in February.

The Peru City Council sent a message to city firefighters: We mean to make you fully staffed.

The Oglesby American Legion will hold its monthly taco night from 4:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11. 

The suspect in the Streator City Park shooting will not stand trial this week.

A man convicted in an Ottawa home invasion, during which shots were fired, has struck out with an appeals court. Fernando Martinez got no relief and will continue serving his 28-year sentence.

La Salle County Clerk Jennifer Ebner said Thursday she’s looking for election judges for the upcoming primary election on March 17.

Calvert Council Knights of Columbus in La Salle raised just over $3,500 each for Horizon House and Lighted Way during the Knights’ Tootsie Roll drive conducted Sept. 19-21, 2025.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, has introduced legislation that, if passed, could make it easier for local farmers to sell their products to directly to consumers. The proposed bills already have bipartisan support.

A family safely evacuated their rural Triumph home on Saturday, but fire caused an estimated $150,000 damage to their residence in Troy Grove Township.

Amy “Murri” Briel on a top priority: Making healthcare accessible and affordable for all residents. I was elected to bring healthcare back into hospitals and throughout rural communities. Read Briel's full election questionnaire here

Crystal Loughran: I support abolishing the TRUST Act. Public safety must come first. Read Loughran's full eleciton questionnaire here

Liz Bishop: The 76th District’s top issue is the same throughout the state: the ever-increasing cost of living in Illinois. Read Bishop's full questionnaire here

The Streator Public Library recently announced its upcoming events and programs for February.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer a hands-on grow light workshop for gardeners from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Peru Public Library.

The Ottawa girls basketball team used a 3-pointer from senior Mary Stisser in the final minutes to take the lead and held on for a 30-25 Interstate 8 Conference win over rival La Salle-Peru at Kingman Gym on Saturday afternoon.

The Marseilles Public Library will host several events and programs in February.

The University of Illinois Extension will hold its annual Oglesby Agronomy Summit for ag professionals and farmers from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, at Illinois Valley Community College.

The Marquette boys basketball team built on a solid first quarter to eventually earn a 53-29 triumph over Woodland in the championship game of the 99th annual Tri-County Conference Tournament on Friday in Granville.

Rochelle pulled off a dramatic 57-55 home win over Ottawa on Friday night, capped by a half-court buzzer-beater from Hubs' junior forward Brody Bruns to win it late.

Heyworth's girls and boys basketball teams both turned once-close games into double-digit victories over FCW and Flanagan-Cornell on Friday.

A La Salle man was been arrested on La Salle County warrants for arson and home repair fraud.

Prosecutors are close to wrapping up a July shooting in La Salle. The victim, who was found to be carrying an illegal gun, has pleaded guilty to a felony weapon charge.

A western Illinois man was placed on home confinement with GPS monitoring while awaiting trial on charges he visited La Salle County to make illegal contact with a minor.

Cody Calkins, an American country music singer-songwriter from Streator, is playing from 7-10 p.m. on Friday, Feb 6 at R’s All In in Earlville. Calkins plays cover songs from the 1990’s to now with some original songs included throughout his shows.

The Mendota Historical Society will be holding its first virtual program at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Mar 14. Genealogist and historian Peg Kapustiak will be giving a talk entitled “Food of My Forefathers: The Cultural Context of Traditional and Ethnic Foods”.

The Graves-Hume Public Library, 1401 W. Main St., Mendota, will host several events and programs in February.

Six people were charged in La Salle County with defrauding the government with COVID-19 relief funds. The first one to stand for sentencing is going to prison.

St. Bede Academy has entered a partnership with Hawk Auto Group to support local families facing food insecurity across the Illinois Valley.

Immanuel Lutheran Church is hosting a lasagna lunch as part of their Senior Saturday schedule. The lunch will be from 12-2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb 14 in their fellowship hall at 415 S East St in Earlville.

The Mendota High School Athletic Department is adopting a new dual-sport athlete policy. The proposal is being tested out for the rest of the 2025-26 school year and the 2026-27 school year on a trial basis.

Grand Ridge Grade School announced its honor roll for the second quarter of the 2025-26 school year.

A jury convicted him of the 2023 drive-by shooting in Ottawa. Anthony Brito thinks the jury got it wrong. Now, he’s arguing for a new trial – and without a lawyer’s help.

The University of Illinois Extension will host a Sustainability on the Farm winter program series for community members to learn about sustainable agriculture beginning Tuesday, Feb. 3.

The Ottawa girls basketball team topped Kaneland 33-30 in Wednesday's Interstate 8 Conference game at Kingman Gymnasium as the Pirates closed out the contest on an 8-0 run.

A third-quarter East Peoria blitz turned things around in a hurry for an eventual 64-36 Streator loss Wednesday. But before that, the Bulldogs not only held their own but led the state-ranked Raiders at halftime.

La Salle County investigators have apprehended a resident of western Illinois who allegedly traveled to La Salle County to meet a minor.

The Tri-County Opportunities Council recently announced it will award at least 10 scholarships in 2026 to income-eligible students.

Residents are advised to use alternate routes during the closure.