Ottawa

Reddick Library in Ottawa will host a wide variety of programs for all ages the week of July 7, including nature story time, a DIY craft and a live-action game.

Bill Walsh Streator will close its doors July 31 after 35 years in business, the dealership announced Tuesday, due to rising operational costs and increased demands from its manufacturer.

Illinois Valley artists had the opportunity to showcase their art during the 67th annual Town & Country Amateur Art Show.

Between Thursday, July 10, and Sunday, July 13, head out to the LaSalle County Fairgrounds at 1578 4-H Rd, Ottawa, to experience 4-H for daytime and nighttime events.

All three city-operated splash pads in Ottawa are now open for the season, the city announced Tuesday.

The Ottawa Plan Commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit for a self-storage facility on Etna Road, the potential first phase of a larger 28-acre development planned on the city’s north side.

Reddick Library in Ottawa will offer a full week of activities for all ages July 21–26, including book discussions, outdoor fun, teen karaoke and the Summer Reading Finale.

Reddick Library in Ottawa will offer a wide range of activities for all ages during the week of July 14, including messy play, cooking classes, gaming and adult crafting sessions.

Reddick Library in Ottawa will host a wide variety of programs during the first week of July, including story times, a cupcake decorating challenge and a special visit from a live sloth.

A remembrance ceremony honoring deceased classmates and educators from Ottawa High School and Marquette High School’s Class of 1988 will be held Saturday, Aug. 2, at Oakwood Memorial Park in Ottawa.

The Jimmy John’s of Ottawa Cardinals defeated the Cam’s Corner Red Sox 9-7 to claim the Ottawa Little League 12U City baseball title on Saturday at Varland Park in Ottawa.

Scorching sun wouldn't keep hundreds of riders and supporters from participating in the annual Freedom Run honoring America's fallen service members.

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

Marseilles Fun Days will kick off on Monday with events focused on community-oriented activities designed for the family

The annual motorcycle run will take off from the Grundy County Fairgrounds in Morris and end at the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles.

Ottawa continues to move forward with plans for a new wastewater treatment plant, a major infrastructure project aimed at addressing capacity concerns and supporting future growth.

The Ottawa City Council moved ahead with annexing seven more properties in the Fields Hill subdivision on the north side of town and bringing in seven surrounded parcels on the south side during its meeting on Tuesday night.

For the spring 2025 semester, the following students were named to the Academic Honors list at Illinois Valley Community College.

La Salle County Court Appointed Special Advocates will host a summer fundraising luau, Hope on the Harbor, on Saturday, July 26, at Heritage Harbor in Ottawa.

Three new volunteers were sworn in last week to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in the La Salle County foster care system.

The museum is located at 1100 Canal Street. Cost is $10 and seating may be limited. Light refreshments will be served.

Young inventors are spending their summer mornings designing gadgets, solving real-world problems and tapping into their creativity at Camp Invention, a weeklong educational program hosted at Central Intermediate School in Ottawa.

Live Well Streator will be hosting a drive-thru prescription drug take back event from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 21, at City Park.

Over 14,000 people gathered Saturday to celebrate Ottawa Family Pride Festival with a morning parade, performances and activities spread across both the Jordan Block and Riverfront/Central Park.

The alley between St. James and Leland streets in the 1200 blocks of Ottawa Avenue and Douglas Street closed to all traffic beginning Friday, June 13.

Ottawa High School announced its honor roll for the conclusion of the fourth quarter of the 2024-2025 school year.

Sixteen awards were handed out to teams and individuals during the 2025 Shaw Media Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at the Auditorium Ballroom in La Salle.

The Ottawa Family Pride Festival is set to return Saturday, June 14, with a full day of family-friendly entertainment, music and games in downtown Ottawa.

The Ottawa Lions Club will host its annual carnival Wednesday through Saturday, June 11-14, at Lincoln-Douglas Park, 600 E. Norris Drive.

A Pride Night of Remembrance will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 13, at Central Park in Ottawa, next to the YMCA.

Rachael Mellen, president of the Illinois State Genealogical Society, will be the featured speaker at the La Salle County Genealogy Guild’s monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 21, in Ottawa.

Engle Lane Theatre in Streator will present "These Shining Lives," a drama based on the true story of the women who worked at the Radium Dial Company in Ottawa, beginning Sunday, June 15.

Residents and community leaders voiced strong opposition Tuesday to OSF HealthCare’s plan to move obstetrics and ICU services from Ottawa to Peru, raising concerns about access to critical care. The decision now rests with a state review board.

The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board hosted a public hearing on Tuesday, June 10, at Central Intermediate School in Ottawa. Over a month ago, OSF officially announced St. Elizabeth Medical Center will seek to close its five-bed intensive care unit and 14-bed obstetrics services, as facilities at OSF St. Elizabeth in Peru prepare to take their place. The healthcare group held a similar public hearing at Central Intermediate School last summer, drawing almost 400 concerned Ottawa residents and numerous community leaders who addressed the state panel.

The Ottawa Noon Rotary Club donated $500 to the Ottawa American Legion Post 33, to support the purchase of new tables and chairs for the recently refurbished upstairs meeting room at the Legion Hall.

Grand Ridge native and Ottawa High School alumni Jim Heth was selected as part of the 12-man crew that umpired the Class 1A and 2A state baseball final four at Illinois Field in Champaign this past weekend.

The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners will celebrate their 50th anniversary with free community garden tours on Saturday, June 29 in Henry, Toluca and Ottawa.

The Ottawa softball team had four of its members named to the Interstate 8 All-Conference team, while the Little Ten and Kishwaukee River Conferences released all-league teams.

Three couples sought marriage licenses in Bureau County through June 4, 2025.

On June 1, the city of Marseilles recognized the Evola family for being in business for half a century, proclaiming the day as “Sam’s Pizza Day.”

Ayana Miller, a graduate of Ottawa High School, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Brian Sember Memorial Scholarship.

Patients headed to the emergency room in Ottawa could end up in Peru instead under certain conditions as part of OSF HealthCare’s two-campus model, Mayor Robb Hasty said in an update of city communications with OSF.

Shaw Local newspapers received a combined 33 awards Thursday, June 5, 2025, in news contest categories that included general excellence, photography, news writing, opinion writing, design, community service and editorial pages.

The Ottawa Special Events Committee has announced the schedule for its 2025 Music in the Park concert series, bringing live music to Washington Park every Saturday evening this summer.

A new Chipotle restaurant is officially coming to Ottawa after Ottawa City Council gave final approval Tuesday night, following a recommendation from the plan commission last week.

Roosty’s Chicken & Shakes, a relatively new fast-casual restaurant is set to open a new drive-thru location at 2749 Columbus Street in Ottawa, the former site of a Dunkin’ Donuts.

The intersection of St. James Street and Island Avenue in Ottawa will be closed to through traffic beginning Thursday, June 5, for curb replacement work, city officials announced on Wednesday.

After months of discussion and revisions, the Ottawa City Council voted Tuesday to approve a solar farm on the city’s south side, greenlighting a project that has been under review since March.

Crews are expected to complete the project and reopen the block to traffic by early afternoon, weather permitting

Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness education Susan Glassman will offer air fryer cooking sessions for beginner and seasoned cooks in Ottawa on June 12, Buda on June 20 and Princeton on June 24