As Thanksgiving weekend kicks off the holiday season, chambers and downtown groups across the Illinois Valley are reminding shoppers to stay local and support small businesses while buying gifts for loved ones.

Shepherd Middle School in Ottawa has announced its honor roll students for the first trimester of the 2024-25 school year.

The JOY group for senior men and women will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Park Presbyterian Church, 201 N. Vermillion St., Streator.

Marquette Academy Elementary Campus has announced its honor roll students for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 school year.

The La Salle County Board observed a moment of silence Wednesday for Tom Walsh, an Ottawa Democrat who served the county for decades both from his home city and in Springfield. The 80-year-old passed away Nov. 19.

Poco a Poco recently welcomed three new board members to its board of directors for 2025-2026.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank is expected to feed more people this holiday season than in previous years, including the pandemic era, despite government assistance like SNAP reinstated to help put food on the table.

Leland, Marquette, Seneca, Serena all scored boys basketball victories Wednesday, while Seneca saw two girls wrestlers make it to championship matches in Rockford.

Woodland scored the night's opening 10 points and never trailed, besting Flanagan-Cornell and star player Logan Ruddy's 41-point effort 74-58 in the Route 17 Classic late Wednesday night.

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

The Reddick Public Library District, 1010 Canal St., Ottawa, will host several programs and events in December.

The Hall boys basketball team held off a late burst from Newark in Tuesday's late game of the Huskers Hardwood Tip-Off Tournament to open the season with a 54-40 victory.

Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland, Fieldcrest and Somonauk/Leland were among the girls teams to score wins, while Leland's boys earned a title-game opportunity in The Times Tuesday Roundup.

Ottawa's Hezekiah Joachim converted six late free throws to ice a 50-44 Pirates victory and keep the home team unbeaten through two games in the Dean Riley “Shootin’ the Rock” Tournament. Sterling dropped to 0-2.

The Marquette boys basketball broke open a tight game with a game-changing 18-0 first-half run and eventually captured their season opener on Tuesday night with a 75-20 victory over Earlville at the Huskers Hardwood Tip-Off Tournament at Serena High School.

A Servant’s Heart, an Ottawa nonprofit organization, hosted its annual Thanksgiving lunch on Tuesday to feed the community.

Shaw Local Radio recently held its Coats for Kids Drive for community members and listeners to winter clothing including donate mittens, scarves, hats, and coats.

The Streator High School Board endorsed a tax levy request that increases the overall levy by 7.92% but still lowers the district’s tax rate during their meeting on Monday night.

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

The Serena, Seneca and Leland boys basketball teams opened their respective seasons with tournament victories on Monday. Plus, more results from around the Times Area.

The Streator Public Library will host a variety of programs from Sunday, Dec. 1, through Friday, Dec. 6.

The La Salle-Peru boys basketball team broke open a tight game with a spurt in the final minute of the third quarter and eventually registered a 56-44 win over Streator on Monday at the Dean Riley Shootin’ The Rock Thanksgiving Tournament in Kingman Gymnasium in Ottawa.

The Ottawa boys basketball team continued to build its lead after a solid start and eventually posted a 60-36 pool play triumph over Princeton in Monday's Dean Riley Shootin’ The Rock Thanksgiving Tournament at Kingman Gymnasium

Logan Petre could one day walk out of prison, but he’ll be old man after serving his time for killing dad Leo Petre on Father’s Day weekend 2024.

The Ottawa Freedom Association will display 16 paintings of the life of Christ at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in Washington Square Park, 101 E. Lafayette St., Ottawa.

City of Ottawa Commissioner Marla Pearson recently announced Republic Services will remove yard and garden waste bins on Monday, Dec. 1.

Two local high school seniors have been recognized as November students of the month by the Sunrise Rotary Club.

The Grand Ridge Historic Committee will host a Country Charm Christmas House Walk fundraiser to support a veterans’ memorial from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.

Ottawa Township High School hosted its quarterly Student Recognition Breakfast on Nov. 14 to honor students nominated by faculty and staff for exceptional character and classroom work.

Angels are messengers from God. How those messengers take form will always be a mystery to us, but if they bring a sense of hope, peace and goodwill during our darkest days and nights, then it should not be too much of a stretch to believe they are real.

There’s a lot of talent across The Times area this boys basketball season. Here are just five of the players we’re expecting big things from during the 2025-26 season.

The Leland Town and Country Association recently announced the event schedule for its upcoming Christmas in the Village event.

Classes and operations will resume at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1.

With the 2025-26 boys basketball season starting across the state, here’s a look at the seasons ahead for teams across The Times coverage area.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Nov. 16-22. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The Seneca girls basketball squad couldn't overcome a slow start in Saturday's 40-28 loss to Peoria Manual in the championship game of the Falcon-Irish Thanksgiving Tournament at Seneca High School.

Fieldcrest's Macy Gochanour poured in 28 points to help the Knights top Serena in the third-place game of the Falcon-Irish Thanksgiving Tournament at Seneca High School on Saturday. Plus more results from around the Times area.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation hosted an Illinois Valley Quilts of Valor ceremony on Wednesday at the Illinois Valley Community College Ottawa Center.

The Tim Humes Breakout concluded play Friday, with Dwight girls basketball topping host Somonauk/Leland.

OSF HealthCare will move its inpatient obstetrics and intensive care services from Ottawa to Peru by Dec. 3, 2025 - a faster timeline than many in the community expected.

Two fires broke out Friday afternoon at a Utica company and at a cemetery. The former drew firefighters while the latter drew the ire of village officials.

Morris Hospital - Almost everyone has experienced an unsettled stomach after a stressful day or a heavy meal.

The Seneca girls basketball team topped Serena on Thursday to move into the championship game of the Integrated Seed Tournament, while Marquette's Kaitlyn Davis recorded a triple-double in a win over Streator. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation recently celebrated Community Foundation Week from Wednesday, Nov. 12, through Tuesday, Nov. 18.

The Marquette boys basketball team will have to weather the storm early in the season without a pair of senior starting guards, but looks to have a solid mix of experience, size and talent to be a tough team to beat, nevertheless.

The Woodland boys basketball team graduated a pair of 1,000-point scorers, but head coach Connor Kaminke believes the cupboard is far from bare for this winter's Warriors.

Results and leaders from Wednesday's girls basketball action in the Tim Humes Breakout appear in The Times Wednesday Roundup.

Despite drawing a large public turnout, OSF HealthCare’s consolidation plan cleared its final hurdle on Tuesday night - a decision that local officials said left them disappointed and worried about the future of care in Ottawa and surrounding towns.

The 2025-26 Streator boys basketball team will be a new-look Bulldogs squad with no returning starters and seven of the varsity roster's 11 spots manned by juniors.

The Streator Fire Department quickly contained an electrical fire in an attic on Tuesday morning at 313 W. Sumner St., Captain Bryan Park said in a news release.