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.

Many Illinois communities are adding back a 1% grocery tax that will otherwise expire on Jan. 1. Is your town among them?

The Mendota 4-H BB Gun Club is a youth program focused on teaching firearm safety, the responsible use of firearms, and marksmanship skills through BB guns.

Mendota High School recently had 65 students visit the Hume-Carnegie Museum to view a screening of the documentary “Where Our Paths Meet.”

The Mendota program’s 4-H BB Club is accepting enrollment for its fall club season.

Forty years ago, Interstate 39 opened from Mendota to Rockford. On Friday, Oct. 18, 1985, Former Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson stepped out from a stagecoach and was escorted about 100 yards in the coach to speak to a crowd of over 500 people.

The old Phalen Steel building will be annexed into Mendota, though city officials still aren’t quite sure what the new space will be used for.

A longtime first-responder in Mendota is now a full-time member of the Mendota Fire Department.

The final contract will be signed at the board’s regular meeting on Oct. 20 and posted on the school’s website.

Mendota High School held its annual homecoming parade on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, downtown Mendota.

Graves-Hume Public Library in Mendota is inviting local middle schoolers to join a lineup of engaging October activities designed just for “Tweens,” kids in fifth through eighth grades.

A diabetes support group will meet from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9, at OSF Health Care’s Saint Paul Medical Center, 1401 E. 12th Street, Conference Room C, Mendota.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Sept. 21-27. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Mendota senior golfer Jonas Fitzgerald was voted NewsTribune Athlete of the Week after winning the Princeton Invitational.

The program will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, and Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the center,1901 Tom Merwin Dr., Mendota.

Mendota beat Sherrard 14-10 on Friday for its first victory since Sept. 20, 2023, snapping a 16-game losing streak for the Trojans

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

On Thursday evening, Mendota Police responded to reports of a shooting at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Sixth Street.

What began in the 1930s as a small garage in West Brooklyn, IL has grown into a large dealership group serving Mendota, Peru and Spring Valley. This weekend, Schimmer’s Automotive will celebrate its 80th anniversary in business.

A Chicago man was charged with aggravated domestic battery after a Tuesday morning incident in Mendota that led to a three-hour standoff with police. There were no injuries.

The workshop runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the library, 1401 W. Main St. No library card is needed to attend, but registration is required.

No library card is required to attend, but registration is necessary. To sign up, call 815-538-5142.

The 21-year-old never entered her home — and vanished without a trace. Her purse, keys, VHS tapes and her red smock from the Super Valu supermarket, where she worked for five years, were never recovered.

The Fort du Rocher Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met Sept. 13 at the Graves-Hume Library, with Regent Beverly Richardson presiding.

Mendota is applying for an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant, a program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for improvements to Lake Mendota Park.

It doesn't happen often when competing in sports gives kids an experience of earning a medal in national competition, but Dixon's Lily Haws has one in the sport she enjoys playing. The 13-year-old recently brought home silver from a national curling competition.

Princeton's Payton Frueh, Ruby Acker and Alexandra Waca placed top 10 to lead the Tigresses to the team title at their own Gary Coates Invitational on Saturday.

Hall-Putnam County held Mendota under 100 yards and scored three times of plays of 45 or more yards in an 18-6 win Friday.

The event is free and open to the public; no library card is required.

The session starts at 1 p.m. at the library, 1401 W. Main St., Mendota. Bring your iPhone and login information. No library card is needed, and the event is open to the public.

The following marriage licenses were recently recorded at the Bureau County Courthouse.

Mendota High School graduate Larry Gies donated $100 million to the University of Illinois athletic department.

The Mendota boys soccer team beat Yorkville, Princeton edged L-P in boys golf and more results in Monday's NewsTribune roundup.

Dancers showcase 'Costa' at Mendota's 'Where Our Paths Meet' event, Sept 7, 2025. Check out these photos by MaKade Rios.

L-P honored graduate and former NFL Pro Bowler Joe Rutgens on Friday, area teams have stumbled out of the block and more in the NewsTribune football notebook.

Junior Sam Nauman led the L-P co-op to the title at the Sterling Invite, the L-P volleyball team won the Rock Falls Invite and more in Saturday's NewsTribune roundup.

Preston, 25, of Mendota, said he has always had a passion for helping others, originally centering his interest on becoming a teacher. But life had other plans.