Ottawa

New La Salle County Judge Mark Anderson was sworn in Wednesday.

A driver was charged Tuesday for a crash that killed a Princeton man on Thanksgiving weekend near Ottawa. He was using a handheld cell phone, prosecutors allege.

The strike by 25 teamsters is just one of a series of actions that have expanded to involve thousands of workers nationwide.

During their regular meeting on Tuesday night, the Ottawa City Council approved funding for street improvements and authorized HVAC maintenance at several facilities owned by the city.

Collectors, traders and card game enthusiasts will gather on Friday, July 19, at Alfano’s Pizza, 1476 E. Route 6 in Ottawa, for the La Salle County Card Show.

The Starved Rock Regional Center in Ottawa will host a family-friendly drive-in movie night on Saturday, July 19, showing Minecraft: The Movie

Hundreds of miles and four days later, almost 100 bicyclists found ways to grieve, support each other and remember police officers killed while on duty in Illinois in 2024. Cycle Across Illinois benefiting the Illinois chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors concludes Sunday.

Residents will still have access to their properties. Contractors expect to complete the work by the end of the day, when the block will reopen to all traffic.

The next lecture at the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 20.

The 6th annual Ottawa Military Show kicked off on Saturday, recreating the Second World War just outside Ottawa. The show features World War II battle reenactments, military vehicle displays and rides, a vendor market, food and a convoy through Ottawa. Check out photos by Kyle Russell.

Illinois Valley Indivisible held a “Defend Our Democracy” rally on Saturday, July 12, in downtown Ottawa. The event began with a sign-making session at Bold and Curvy Boutique before moving to Washington Square.

Nearly 100 law enforcement personnel from across the state will bike to Northern Illinois University in DeKalb Saturday, their latest stop in an almost 400-mile bicycle journey across Illinois to honor their fallen comrades. Stops also in LaSalle, Kendall, Kane, DuPage counties

State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, held a town hall Friday at Northern Illinois University’s Holmes Student Center in DeKalb. Briel will be hosting town halls later this year in Oglesby and Utica.

4-H'ers from around the region flocked to the La Salle Fairgrounds for this year's La Salle County 4-H Fair.

The two-day fest will feature 12 beverage vendors July 25-26 in downtown Ottawa.

To celebrate turning 75 this year, longtime Child Welfare Guild member Kathy Trager took a leap to raise money for the guild. Literally. On Friday, Trager took her first skydive. She raised more than $2,000 for "Kathy's Big Leap for a Big Cause." Skydive Chicago donated the cost of her jump. “I’ve always dreamed of flying, but I’ve never been an adventurous person by nature,” the grandmother of seven said in a press release. “When the opportunity came to turn this into a fundraiser for the kids, how could I say no?”

Crews have nearly completed the exterior portion of the Amazon last-mile delivery facility on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at the Ottawa Industrial Park. Amazon signage is being assembled along with new landscaping. The 50,800-square-foot warehouse will be an addition to Amazon's regional logistics network, helping streamline package delivery to residents and businesses across the region.

The Infinity Food & Art Festival returns to downtown Ottawa on from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, bringing a mix of food trucks and local art to the Jordan Block.

National Dive Bar Day is Monday, July 7. If you're looking for a local pub to check out, these neighborhood dive bars in northern Illinois are worth visiting.

Harvest Baptist Church will host its annual Vacation Bible School later this month, with the theme of “Wonder Junction – Marvel at Jesus, Live for His Glory.”

The intersection of Congress and Green streets on the east side of Ottawa is scheduled to be closed to all traffic beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, July 11, for a Nicor Gas main replacement project, weather permitting.

Wallace firefighters responded to an overturned sand hauler at the intersection of North 15th Road and U.S. Route 6 on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 in Ottawa. The semi overturned on the train tracks. La Salle County Sheriff and Ottawa Police assisted with the crash.

The HumanKIND Initiative will officially open its community center in Ottawa later this month, offering programs and support for LGBTQ+ residents and the broader community.

Illinois Valley Indivisible will host a “Defend Our Democracy” rally on Saturday, July 12, in downtown Ottawa, inviting the community to unite in support of democratic values.

The 6th Annual Ottawa Military Show is set for Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13, at 3277 E. 18th Road, just outside Ottawa.

A new partnership with two Illinois museums will bring hands-on activities to this year’s La Salle County 4-H Show and Junior Fair, which returns this week with growing participation.

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 City of Ottawa will receive $1,243,270 to clean up the former Beer Depot site at 429 W. Lafayette Street, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood's office.

Illinois ValleyCursillo will hold an evening of food and fellowship Saturday, July 12 at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Peterstown, south of Mendota.

The Ottawa City Council will meet at 10 a.m. Monday in the Council Chambers at 301 W. Madison St.

A free lunch serving tellerini, salad, dessert and a beverage will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at Park Place, 406 E. Hickory St., Streator.

The City of Ottawa held their annual Independence Day fireworks celebration on Friday, July 4, 2025 in Ottawa. Check out photos from Kyle Russell.

Ottawa took another step toward fully incorporating the Fields Hill subdivision by annexing a new batch of properties into city limits, part of an effort that already brought several homes into the city over the last few months.

The Reddick Library held a Stella the Sloth program on Thursday, July 3, 2025 in Ottawa. Kids learned about sloths from Animal Quest, meet Stella up close, make a sloth craft, and enjoyed a snow cone.

During their meeting on Tuesday night, the Ottawa City Council approved invoices totaling nearly $93,000 for the purchase of a 2025 Ford F-150 and a 2025 Ford Explorer.

Ottawa will celebrate the Fourth of July on Friday with an ice cream social and a fireworks show at the high school.

Edge played the Warriors during the Ottawa Girls Fastpitch Association 11U City Championship on Wednesday July 2, 2025 at Peck Park in Ottawa.

Members of Teamsters Local 179 went on strike Wednesday morning at Republic Services in Ottawa, disrupting trash collection for thousands of residents across La Salle County.

Workers with Republic Services and Teamsters Local 179 picketed in front of the west entrance to Republic Services on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Ottawa. The strike involves 25 employees at Republic Services at the Otawa facility. The action will disrupt waste collections for tens of thousands of residents throughout LaSalle County. Republic Teamsters are demanding a contract with improved wages, better benefits, and stronger labor protections. The Illinois strike comes after 450 Republic Teamsters in Boston went on strike on Tuesday. Hundreds of additional Teamsters across the country are having similar contract disputes with Republic.

Local master naturalist volunteer Chris Woeltje recently had the unique opportunity to spend a day in the field with archaeologists from Wisconsin, assisting in the survey of two potential Native American sites at Belrose Farm in Wedron.

A self-storage facility is set to anchor the first phase of a larger development on the north side of Ottawa, after Ottawa City Council approved a conditional use permit for a 4.5-acre project along Etna Road.

The next phase of Ottawa’s sewer separation project will begin Monday, July 7, and will require the closure of multiple blocks of Canal Street for the next several months.

OSF HealthCare is relocating its Maternal-Fetal Medicine services from Ottawa to Peru, OSF said in a Tuesday news release.

The veterinary office opened in 1998.

Nominations for the 2026 class of the Ottawa Township High School Hall of Fame are being accepted through July 31, 2025.

Mayor Olson announces a hiatus for Seneca’s Shipyard Festival and Cruise Night.

The Ottawa City Council is set to vote on a conditional use permit for a self-storage facility on Etna Road on Tuesday, one of several development-related items on the agenda that also includes a series of annexations in the Fields Hill subdivision, police vehicle purchases and p

Top high school baseball players from around the state will take the field one more time as prep players during the 48th annual Illinois Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games on Monday at Schweickert Stadium in Peru.

The "Run Today for Tomorrow" 5k was held in on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at River Front Park in Ottawa. The event benefits Starved Rock Country Community Foundation and provides mental health resources and a scholarship for local students.

Runners and walkers will lace up their shoes for a meaningful cause on Saturday, June 28, as the 6th annual Run Today for Tomorrow 5K returns to the Ottawa riverfront, 234 Albin Stevens Dr.