A successful, regional program to attract and train teenagers in firefighting and emergency medical services is returning to Sublette for a second year.

First State Bank will host its 26th Annual Agriculture Conference on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. at the Mendota Civic Center.

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.

The Mendota school board reviewed a potential letter to city officials supporting traffic cameras near school buildings to improve school bus safety.

Two Mendota High School students have been selected for state music honors, and a third received community recognition.

The Mendota Community Unit School District board approved its final 2025 tax levy of $7,101,208 following a public hearing Dec. 15.

Graves-Hume Public Library in Mendota has scheduled multiple programs for January, including story times, book clubs and health screenings.

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.

A diabetes support group will meet on Thursday, Jan. 8, from 9:30-11 a.m. at OSF Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota.

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.

The ordinance stands: Feed a feral cat in unincorporated La Salle County and, yes, you could be fined $75. But there have been behind-the-scenes discussions between between county authorities and the Safe House Animal Rescue League, which opposes the ban on feeding feral cats.

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.

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.

Santa visited The Coffee Barn in downtown Mendota on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. Families enjoyed writing letters to Santa, cookies, hot chocolate and cozy photo sessions during the holiday event.

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 Fort du Rocher Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met Dec. 6 at First Presbyterian Church in Mendota with Regent Beverly Richardson presiding.

The Graves-Hume Public Library in Mendota will host numerous holiday programs throughout December, including book clubs, crafts and special events.

Churches across La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties have announced their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service schedules for 2025.

The Mendota Chamber hosted its annual " A Mendota Christmas" on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. The event featured visits with Santa and the Grinch, free horse-drawn carriage rides, a Touch a Truck experience with police cars, fire trucks, and tractors, and kids’ crafts. The Mendota Lions Club provided free hot chocolate and hot dogs.

Northbrook Middle School recently announced its honor roll for the first trimester of the 2025-26 school year.

Farmers interested in exploring industrial hemp as a grain and fiber row crop can learn from industry leaders Wednesday at the Mendota Civic Center.

The Fort du Rocher Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, of Mendota, met Nov. 8 at Community United Methodist Church with Regent Beverly Richardson presiding.

The family-friendly event will feature a visit from Santa, a coloring contest with prizes, hot chocolate and candy canes.

The Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce will host “A Mendota Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 6, featuring holiday activities and shopping opportunities downtown.

The Mendota Chamber of Commerce has kicked off its annual Shop Local promotion.

Mendota taxpayers could get some modest relief when the property tax bills arrive next spring.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Nov. 9-15. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Here are some of the crimes that remain a mystery in northern Illinois

A former mayor of Mendota is among those pardoned Sunday for federal offenses alleged in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Andrew Roth, a senior at Bureau Valley High School, was named Mendota Elks’ Male Teen of the Month.

Columbia defeated Mendota 3-1 during the Class 1A State title game on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 at Hoffman Estates High School.

As the head of a very young Mendota family, Jason Donahue turned to Uncle Sam to put food on the table. He never regretted it.

Though many Medals of Honor were awarded decades after the Civil War, and some stories grew in legend, the sheer number of Illinoisans honored reflects the courage of those from the Land of Lincoln.

The app’s beta rollout invitations were sent out via email at support@busright.com with “You’re Invited to BusRight” in the subject line. The email included a link to create a BusRight account.

OSF HealthCare will host a “Get the Facts: Health Care Navigation and More” informative session for community members from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the Graves-Hume Public Library, 1401 W. Main St., Mendota.

Founded in 1940, First State Bank has served local families and small businesses for generations. They now serve communities across the region with 19 locations.

It’s done: the old Phalen Steel building is now annexed into Mendota’s city limits.

The Mendota boys soccer team took on Harvest-Westminster Thursday in the Class 1A Indian Creek Sectional championship in Waterman.

As potential cuts to federal free and reduced lunch reimbursements raise concern for schools statewide, Mendota High School officials say they’re preparing for possible disruptions that could impact over half of their students.

The Rotary Club of Mendota recently partnered with United Way of Illinois Valley to install a Born Learning Trail on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Blackstone Park, 300 Fourth Ave., Mendota.

Holy Cross School in Mendota recently announced its honor roll for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 school year.

The Fort du Rocher Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met Oct. 11 at the Illinois Veterans Home in La Salle, with Regent Beverly Richardson presiding.

Local food pantries need cash to meet their holiday demand, but this year they need non-perishable food donations, too. Federal cutbacks are straining the food banks and making it harder for the pantries to buy discounted food.

Dan Znaniecki of H&H Builders applied a fresh coat of paint on the exterior of the Mendota Chamber of Commerce building on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 downtown Mendota.

Crews remove the sidewalk at the corner of Jefferson and Main Street on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025 in Mendota. The City of Mendota is reconstructing sidewalks to comply with ADA accessibility. The project includes 2,100 square feet of sidewalk, 184 feet of curb and gutter, asphalt patching and other miscellaneous improvements.

The Mendota Historical Society has extended its exhibition, “Where Our Paths Meet: Journeys to Mendota”, through Dec. 14, at the Hume-Carnegie Museum.

Heritage Tractor will host a Halloween Howl event from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 25, at all its dealership locations.

Crews with Advanced Asphalt Illinois Route 251 on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 near the intersection of North 39th Road just south of Mendota. Resurfacing work consists of patching and resurfacing, which is expected to be completed in mid-November. The work zone stretches from the BNSF railroad bridge south of Mendota to just north of Interstate 80 in Peru. The construction will continue into the spring with earth work. Motorists are asked to drive with caution through the construction zone. The Route 251 work between Mendota and Peru will lead to daily lane closures controlled by flaggers.

Got a question or concern about Mendota acquiring the old Phalen Steel building? There will be an opportunityto chime in right before the next city council meeting.