Illinois Valley Community College recognized three retired professionals with emeritus status during the Tuesday, Oct. 21, Board of Trustees meeting.

Dozens of longtime customers, friends and families gathered at The Rootbeer Stand in Oglesby on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, to say thank you to Sam's Pizza owner Sammy Leone during a meet and greet organized to celebrate his retirement.

The IVCC women's cross country team placed second in the NJCAA Division II Region IV Meet on Saturday and had runners Addyson Miller and Tatiana Serna qualify for the national meet.

The Oglesby Elks will hold their inaugural “Sip and Shop” event on Saturday, Nov. 8.

For more than five decades, if you ordered a pizza at Sam’s Pizza in Oglesby more than once, chances are owner Sammy Leone knew your order when you came in and never had to write it down.

Utica and Oglesby firefighters and paramedics were called to Matthiessen State Park for a 16-year old male who fell approximately 30 feet in the area of Cedar Point overlook on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 in Oglesby. Utica and Oglesby Fire and EMS responded to the park just before 1p.m. The victim from Elmhurst, fell down part of an embankment near the Cedar Point area in the park. Rescuers transported him to the Matthiessen shelter using a six-wheeler and then transferred him by ambulance to OSF St. Elizabeth Peru. The patient suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The North Central Regional Betterment Coalition and collaborators will host its 11th annual Discover Manufacturing Career Expo on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Illinois Valley Community College and various regional manufacturing facilities.

Items on sale include various books, puzzles, comic books, and DVDs. The sale proceeds will support the library’s operations. Accepted methods of payment include cash.

The Oglesby American Legion will hold its monthly steak fry from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23.

Illinois Valley Community College’s fall theater season features an award-winning play, some wacky wordplay, and a new theater department director, the college said in a news release.

During the event, visitors can browse and purchase a wide selection of books, DVDs, puzzles, and comic books. All sales are cash only.

The rural Oglesby farm provides a unique agritourism experience.

Illinois Extension Nutrition Educator Susan Glassman will lead free “Eating for Bone Health” classes this October in Walnut and Utica.

A few cities have opted to keep the grocery tax in place. Oglesby might not be one of them.

The City of Oglesby hosted its annual Boots, Brews and BBQ festival on Saturday, Sept 13, 2025, downtown Oglesby.

Wednesday, a statue of newly-canonized Carlo Acutis was blessed outside the former Holy Family School in Oglesby, merged recently into the Academy of Carlo Actutis and in memory of a longtime teacher.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s drew about 150 to Ottawa and left organizers hopeful of meeting a fundraising goal of $43,000.

An Oglesby man waived his right to an extradition hearing Monday and will go to Minnesota to face charges for allegedly threatening that state’s lieutenant governor.

IVCC women’s tennis coach Julie Milota said the Eagles "should take the region title" this season.

IVCC expects to be competitive due to returning goalkeeper Jabu Mooketsi, who is the all-time leader for shutouts in program history.

Using an Elks National Foundation $1,000 Gratitude Grant, the Oglesby Elks have helped the Ottawa Police Benevolent Association with their 2025 back-to-school shopping program.

Oglesby Elks Lodge #2360 is cooperating with the Illinois Valley Sunrise Rotary Club District 6420 to help fund the Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program.

The IVCC women's soccer team increased its win total by four last season and with several key returners along with impact freshmen, the Eagles look to improve their record again in 2025.

The IVCC women's team returns four runners from last season, while the men's side has just one returner.

Second-year IVCC volleyball coach Kate Vigars landed a big group of freshman, including some of the area's top players during the 2024 season, to go with a pair of returning setters.

The IVCC men’s golf team only returns one starter from last year’s team in Carson Zellers, but the Eagles also return a strong group of freshmen who will contribute.

Oglesby City Clerk Becky Clinard is officially retired. The city council is expected to name a replacement Sept. 2, 2025.

While pickleball remains the fastest growing sport, municipalities across northern Illinois are looking to the latest fads of pump tracks, futsal courts and inclusive playgrounds to add in public park renovations

The Oglesby City Council will meet Monday, Aug. 18, to consider several financial and operational items, including paramedic pay, equipment purchases and upcoming events.

A La Salle County grand jury convened Tuesday and returned the following indictments.

La Salle-Peru graduate Lexi Marx first tried disc golf in college in 2021, but is now a professional competing in the Professional Disc Golf Association.

The City of Oglesby held its National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, at the Oglesby Pool. Oglebsy Police, Fire and EMS, along with Utica Fire, Illinois State Police and OSF Lifeflight helicopter also attended. The event featured food, a foam machine, a bounce house, games and more. National Night Out is an annual community policing campaign held on the first Tuesday of August to create police-community partnerships and build safer neighborhoods.

National Night Out will take place on Tuesday, allowing Illinois Valley residents and officers to meet in a casual and fun setting.

The Dickinson House in Oglesby will host an ice cream social and band concert Thursday, July 31.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer a hands-on food preservation workshop, “Make & Take Canning Class: Fill Your Pantry,” from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 9, in the Illinois Valley Community College Culinary Kitchen, 815 N. Orlando Smith Road.

At her first town hall in DeKalb this month, freshman lawmaker and state Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, spoke about the effects that federal funding cuts could have on rural schools and food banks.

The Illinois Valley Junior League baseball team placed runner-up in the state tournament.

The Illinois Valley Senior League baseball team lost to Ohio in a Central Region Tournament elimination game Tuesday.

The Illinois Valley Senior League baseball team bounced back from an opening round loss in the Central Region Tournament to defeat Missouri 13-5 on Sunday.

The Illinois Valley Senior League baseball team lost 9-3 to Iowa in its Central Region Tournament opener on Saturday in Peru.

The Illinois Valley Baseball League Senior League Team, made up of players from La Salle, Peru, Oglesby and Utica, will represent District 20 in the Central Region Tournament, which begins Friday in Peru.

Oglesby might be ready to loosen its restrictions on short-term rentals.

Briel’s town hall series begins Friday, July 11, at 6 p.m. at Northern Illinois University’s Holmes Student Center, 340 Carroll Ave. in DeKalb.

The Oglesby American Legion will hold its monthly taco night from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 9.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation recently awarded more than $43,000 in scholarships and a new memorial award, according to a news release.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the region, warning of "oppressively hot and humid" weather until early next week.

Oglesby Elks Lodge #2360 performed their Flag Day Ritual at the Illinois Veterans Home at La Salle for 32 residents of the facility on Flag Day, June 14.

Saturday, June 21 is World Martini Day. Check out these top-rated bars and restaurants for the best martini in Kane, McHenry and DeKalb counties and the Illinois Valley area.

Oglesby Washington School issued its honor and high honor rolls for the third trimester of the 2024-25 school year.

The award-winning folk/gospel group ALATHEA will perform a pair of benefit concerts at 7 p.m. Friday, June 13 at Oglesby Union Church and at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14 at First Presbyterian Church, Henry.