After almost 11 years, Nonie’s Bakery & Café in Utica has closed. Its last day of business was November 23.

Lane Welch - Thrivent Financial recently moved her office to the second floor of Main Street Market at 317 E. Main St., Streator.

The Boatyard Bar & Bistro, 1130 N. 27th Road, Ottawa, closed for the season.

It’s a long-held tradition for children to visit Santa to tell jolly old St. Nick what they want for Christmas.

Hey Sweetie, a candy and ice cream store in downtown Ottawa will soon close its doors.

The Ottawa Downtown Association was honored with the 2025 Lt. Governor’s Award for Excellence in Revitalization at the Illinois Main Street Awards Banquet.

Established in 2015, Blue Margaritas specializes in serving traditional Mexican dishes inspired by the cuisine of different parts of Mexico, according to its website. 

The Barn at Deer Park recently opened for year-round events in Ottawa.

A Wendy’s spokesperson confirmed the news on behalf of the franchisee. Restaurant team members have been offered employment opportunities at nearby restaurants.

Fajitas Mexican restaurant is moving to the former John’s North Star in La Salle.

Stubbz Galley closed for the season at the South Shore Boat Club in Peru.

Unique Boutique has reopened at the Peru Mall for Christmas shopping.

Roosty’s Chicken & Shakes hopes to be open by the end of the year.

The little castle on Main Street in Ottawa has life once again, as Keely’s Castle recently opened at the site of the former Prince Castle ice cream shop.

The shop at 217 W. Main St. will close in a few weeks. An exact date has not been announced. Current jobs will be finished and new jobs will not be accepted. 

The Wyanet Meat Shop, formerly known as Wyanet Meat Locker, will soon reopen under new ownership.

The Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce and Vintage Vines hosted a ribbon-cutting on Thursday, Oct. 23 to celebrate the continued growth of downtown Spring Valley.

The Mound is a baseball and softball training facility in Oglesby dedicated to helping athletes develop their skills and passion for the game year-round.

The Bean Box Espresso, with locations in La Salle and Spring Valley, has introduced a trailer to offer more opportunities to pick up a cup of joe.

Prairie Fox Books in Ottawa will be closed from Friday through Sunday, Nov. 2, while the building undergoes renovations to its infrastructure. 

A grand reopening at Debo Ace Hardware in Peru is Saturday, following the store’s completion of a remodel.

Roxy Cinemas in Ottawa will reopen this week after undergoing renovations.

The founder of an Ottawa favorite, Chuck’s Gourmet Cheese, died Tuesday. 

Roxy Cinemas is closed while undergoing renovations.

JACKpots Pub owners, Jessica and Chad Lucas, announced they will be handing their Streator business over to new owners.

Applications are available for full- and part-time bell ringers at the Salvation Army office, 516 W. Madison St. The schedule is flexible, but part-time work needs to be consistent.

After seeking an owner by word of mouth without success, Bizzy Bee Activity & Learning Center in Streator is on the market.

They anticipate being open in the spring.

In November, Grateful Clay will reopen in downtown Ottawa at the site of the former Heartland by Hand, 231 W. Main St. 

The Treehouses at Starved Rock is a 26-acre retreat carved into Starved Rock’s border. There are two treehouses available for short stays and two more under construction, with availability beginning in February.

The grand reopening begins at 3 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and will include refreshments and giveaways.

Iniga Pizzeria Napoletana’s last day in Ottawa will be Sunday.

An Oglesby favorite has reopened.

Garden’s Gate is changing ownership, but the new owner is a familiar face to customers of the longtime Ottawa garden center. 

The year-round, indoor-outdoor venue will offer a 4,000+ square foot main room, flexible pre-function areas, and outdoor patios.

Owner Mark Schimek owned Goodfellas as a bar from 2006 to 2016. He had wanted to introduce a pizza menu and the timing was right to reopen.

A buyer is still being sought for Bizzy Bee Activity & Learning Center in Streator. 

Ottawa artist Jeremy Johnson worked on the bowling-themed mural for a few hours a day for about a month.

This is the last week to get your ice cream favorites at a few small businesses across the Illinois Valley.

“After 11 wonderful years with Christine Pellegrini, we are excited to welcome Jenny Peters as the new owner,” read the announcement on the business’s social media account.

The Spring Valley location is among the oldest, if not the oldest, store in Tastee-Freez’s history. The building was constructed in 1949 and served as a pilot store.

La Cocina De Irene in downtown Spring Valley will soon close its doors. 

Mike Lock and Justin Forbes are opening the card store at 1801 4th St.

Nikki Tonioni, owner of Flower Bar, purchased Valley Flowers in 2024.

After 15 years, Diane Kinzer announced her plans to retire at the end of October. 

The Thirsty Mule, a nod to the mules that pulled the boats through the I&M Canal, will open at 541 1st St., the location of the former Social Kitchen that closed in 2019.

Stephanie and Dave Stacy took ownership of Garden’s Gate in 2009.

Marseilles' longtime pharmacy is closing its doors.

Johnsons Carpet Shoppe in Princeton is adding furniture to its inventory.

Clarks Run Antiques and Wine is opening a 1,500-square-foot event center at 215 N. Division St., Utica.