The Rochelle Lions Club would like to thank everyone who supported the Rose Day event on Saturday, April 25.

From Capitol News Illinois: Documents filed in federal court suggest the agency wants the information so it can purge the names of suspected noncitizens using a federal database that many have criticized for being inaccurate

Stories With Stacey takes place on Thursdays at the library.

Byron Public Library’s creative studio is open on Sunday afternoons and two evenings a week, so stop by for monthly crafts and to use maker space equipment.

The Chicago Bears will enter next season as the reigning NFC North champions for the first time since 2019. Can they make it two straight division titles? Here’s what the other NFC North teams have done this offseason.

The following events are happening at the Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center.

Rock River Center is a resource center in Oregon.

By-Y Badgers 4-H club participated in National Day of Service on Saturday, April 25.

A rural residence in Byron that sold for $470,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Ogle County in the past week

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois State Board of Education is asking lawmakers this year for $200,000 to develop a new way of counting low-income students as participation in federal assistance programs declines.

State Sen. Andrew Chesney will host a free community shred event on Saturday, May 16, at the Machesney Town Center in Machesney Park.

A single-family home in Oregon that sold for $76,500 tops the list of the best real estate deals in Ogle County in the past week.

Illinois 4-H youths from across the state demonstrated their knowledge, communication skills and passion for the equine industry during the 2026 State 4-H Horse Bowl, Hippology and Horse Speaking contests, held April 13 on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.

Caleb Esterday, 19, is charged with possessing and disseminating child pornography.

Zachary J. Popp, 31, received concurrent sentences for the felony offenses of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and possession of cocaine, both from a Dec. 20, 2025, incident.

Prospective homebuyers considering the real estate market had a range of options in various neighborhoods throughout the region in the past week. We outline recent property sales in Ogle County, all of which featured properties at the price point of $200,000 or under.

The Ogle County Solid Waste Management Department is a collection point for both single-use and rechargeable batteries.

The Chicago Bears added to their playoff roster during and after last week's NFL draft. Those additions will create different competitions throughout the roster over the coming months. Here’s a look at the Bears’ post-draft depth chart as of May 1.

Byron Bank recently announced the return of its fourth annual community calendar photo contest, inviting individuals across northern Illinois to help capture and celebrate the places, moments and memories that make local communities unique.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois Accountability Commission is also sending letters to local law enforcement agencies for potential prosecution of federal immigration agents amid Operation Midway Blitz

Sauk Valley Community College announced its 2026 Outstanding Awards recipients Monday, recognizing faculty and staff who have demonstrated excellence, creativity, and commitment to the college’s mission.

From Capitol News Illinois: Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey proposed changes to electronic monitoring rules, but said his plan would not call for returning to the use of cash bail. JB Pritzker blamed the judge in the case for deciding to release the man accused

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill to strengthen privacy protections for transgender and abortion patients in Illinois passed a Senate committee Wednesday in a 9-4 partisan vote.

From Capitol News Illinois: Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said the Senate will not move forward with a constitutional amendment rewriting the state’s redistricting rules after a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday

Charlie Lindquist of Forreston High School was recently named a Whiteside Area Career Center March Student of the Month.

The National Football League is closely following the Chicago Bears stadium saga as it winds its way through the Illinois General Assembly, officials indicated after a meeting on Wednesday

What do you do at those moments or on those days that it seems like time is flying by? Does that dampen your spirit or maybe depress you a little? Time is constant; however, how we observe time in our minds is not.

Lone Star ticks have historically been found in the South and Eastern portion of the U.S., but have been rapidly migrating into the Midwest over the past few years, due to climate change and rising temperatures, health officials said

Freshman Aubrey McConnell went 4 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs to lead Morris to a 17-2 win over Rochelle

The Ogle County Democratic Central Committee held its county convention April 25 at The Village Bakery.

From Capitol News Illinois: A first-of-its-kind apprenticeship program in Illinois launched by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association provides online college coursework and real-life experience

From Capitol News Illinois: In an unexpected move Wednesday, prosecutors said they intend to pursue the dismissal of the main conspiracy charge against a handful of politically active protesters who demonstrated outside a federal immigration facility this past fall

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker announced Wednesday that IBM will bring its FutureNow innovation and delivery hub to Chicago’s South Side, bringing an estimated 750 new full-time jobs in supercomputing fields, such as cybersecurity, AI and data science

A Dixon woman died after she was ejected from a vehicle that overturned April 24 on state Route 38 west of Rochelle, ending a high-speed pursuit across Ogle County fields and through a waterway.

From Capitol News Illinois: U.S. District Judge Rubén Castillo, who chairs the commission, confirmed for the first time that the commission is planning to refer prosecutions of agents who abused their power to Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke

Seismic legislation that could determine the Chicago Bears’ future in Illinois officially arrived in the Illinois Senate on Tuesday, but the big finish is days off.

From cake pops to candles, auto detailing to window washing, 31 students in the Whiteside Area Career Center’s CEO program will be showing and selling the fruits of their labor at the annual WACC CEO student trade show Wednesday and Thursday at Northland Mall in Sterling.

The Union Pacific Railroad’s Big Boy 4014 steam engine will be making a whistle stop at the Rochelle Railroad Park on Tuesday, June 2.

From Capitol News Illinois: The mother of a young woman to whom the Trump administration dedicated Operation Midway Blitz testified to the Illinois Accountability Commission on Monday, saying her daughter would not have wanted this legacy

The Chicago Bears prioritized adding speed to their defense for much of the offseason, including last week's NFL draft. Will that speed lead to better defensive play next season?

Here are Robin Rethwill's photos from Rochelle's baseball game with Sterling. The Hubs won 8-4.

Rochelle boys track won the Rocket Invite at Rock Falls, girls track was third, plus tennis results in the News-Leader weekly sports roundup.

A Timely and Meaningful Consultation and Title 1 meeting for the Byron Community School District will be held in the Mary Morgan Elementary Library.

From Capitol News Illinois: The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld all of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s bribery and other corruption convictions, writing in a 29-page ruling Monday

The Davis Junction Scott Township Historical Society will be hosting a program covering the railroad war that took place between the Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul Railroad and the Chicago Iowa Railroad in late March and early April 1881.

From Capitol News Illinois: A federal agency says Illinois can’t limit credit card swipe fees for federally chartered banks, even though a federal judge earlier this year ruled that it could.

High turnover can mean instability for teachers, making it harder for them to improve student outcomes, research shows. How does your school compare?

The Chicago Bears continued bolstering their roster after the NFL Draft by signing undrafted free agents. Here’s a look at the undrafted rookie free agents who the Bears reportedly are signing.

The Polo Public Library recently released its schedule of events for May.

From Capitol News Illinois: Water supply concerns are furthered by the development of data centers, particularly in regions with depleted aquifers