Unrest in Mexico after the Mexican army killed a cartel leader led to restrictions and stay-in-place orders being issued for Americans abroad, but is it affecting travelers' plans?

A single-family home in Peru that sold for $700,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in La Salle County in the past week.

Fire on Fifth Pizza will host a free Writers at Westclox author fair from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14.

Peru Police K-9 Haven turns 2! Haven celebrated her birthday by eating a dog cake and having students sing "Happy Birthday" on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 at Students Obtaining Achievement and Responsibility (SOAR) School in Peru. K-9 Haven brings comfort, joy, and smiles to many in Peru and elsewhere.

Largely due to AI, hospitals across northern Illinois face escalating cyberattacks, including data breaches like OSF’s, and ransomware that forces systems offline

Peru’s fire chief said it from day 1: Fast-thinking by a city electrical employee and two officers kept a Feb. 9 residential fire from turning tragic. Monday, the responding trio their due.

Going to an Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp is an affordable, family-friendly activity that every generation can enjoy.

A “Fight Like Hell” rally was held by the National Association of Letter Carriers on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 at the United States Post Office in Peru. The rally is happening just a few days before the letter carriers group is set to open contract negotiations with the United States Postal Service. Employees want higher pay due to staffing shortages and high turnover rates.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Feb. 15-21. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

A residential home in Grand Ridge that sold for $370,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in La Salle County over the past week

Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke in Peru on Oct. 26, 2021, seeking answers in the death of Jelani Day. Jackson, the Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate, helped propel the civil rights movement in the decades following the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He died Tuesday at the age of 84.

Excavators demolish the Bill Walsh Coronet Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM dealership on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Peru.

Peru is shutting down its ice-skating rink Tuesday for the season.

Residents gathered at Washington Square Park in Ottawa on Feb. 15, 2026, for the "Pretti good time for a Protest," an event that drew participants of all ages to voice their concerns and demonstrate for causes important to their community. The gathering featured signs, speeches and peaceful advocacy as attendees exercised their right to assembly and free expression.

OSF HealthCare will host two community blood drives later this month in eastern La Salle County.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Feb. 8-14. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Crews are making significant progress on the La Salle-Peru Township High School’s new Agriculture Center on the southeast corner of Sixth and Creve Coeur streets in La Salle. The $8 million agriculture center is expected to be mostly complete by mid-May.

Would a sports complex work for Peru? It did for Kokomo, Indiana. One of the hoteliers serving Kokomo visitors is interested in Peru’s project.

Klein is a decorated photographer, videographer and entrepreneur from the Illinois Valley who has already done a lot for the park and the foundation, both as a visitor and as a board member.

Firefighters responded to a garage fire in the 1900 block of Shooting Park Road on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 in Peru. La Salle, Peru, Utica, Oglesby and Spring Valley fire departments were dispatched around 12:15p.m. to the fire. Two occupants were evacuated safely.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Feb. 1-7. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Zane Trumann interviewed Mike Lock with Cowzah Cards. They spoke about the events planned for the La Salle County Card Show this Saturday, as well as a Trade Night scheduled for after the event at the Cowzah Cards shop in Peru

Illinois Valley Community College recently announced its Presidential Honors List for the fall 2025 semester.

OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa will host a free educational class later this month focused on advance care planning and informed healthcare decision making.

Today marks the first of a two-part series about the use of automated license plate readers, commonly known as LPRS or Flock cameras, in northern Illinois. Today’s installment focuses on how cities use the cameras and the successes they have noted

Illinois Valley Community College recently announced its academic honors list for the fall 2025 semester.

Peru Police, Fire and EMS responded to the scene of a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Illinois Route 251 and 38th Street in Peru. The crash happened shortly after 12p.m.

The Peru City Council sent a message to city firefighters: We mean to make you fully staffed.

Liz Bishop: The 76th District’s top issue is the same throughout the state: the ever-increasing cost of living in Illinois. Read Bishop's full questionnaire here

Crystal Loughran: I support abolishing the TRUST Act. Public safety must come first. Read Loughran's full eleciton questionnaire here

The University of Illinois Extension will offer a hands-on grow light workshop for gardeners from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Peru Public Library.

A residential home in Peru that sold for $450,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in La Salle County during the past week.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Jan. 25-31. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The Academy of St. Carlo Acutis celebrated its first-ever all-school Mass on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Peru. As part of the celebration, students participated in a Eucharistic Procession from the school to the church. More than 350 students and staff members attended the Mass, which was held in observance of National Catholic Schools Week.

Rugby. Ultimate frisbee. Flag football. Lacrosse. Peru’s vision is to offer a vast sports complex that would draw competitors from four hours away. But it won’t happen in 2026.

ImpactLife will be having a blood drive from 12-5 p.m. this Friday, Jan 30 at OSF Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota.

Peru will get a hotel designed for extended stays.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Jan. 18-24. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Graduates and their degrees or certificates are listed by hometown. The students are eligible to participate in the college’s spring commencement.

A single-family home in Ottawa that sold for $608,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in La Salle County in the past week

Two men await detention hearings after a Wednesday traffic stop in Peru yielded more than 2 ounces of cocaine -- and after a pair of search warrants yielded guns and another 4-plus pounds of cocaine.

School districts across the Illinois Valley have announced full closures or shifts to e-learning on Friday due to the dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills forecast.

Unique Boutique offers products from more than 25 local vendors.

After several years of a seller's market, housing in the Illinois Valley, and across the nation, is beginning to show signs of leveling out in 2026.

As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages from January 22, including a 1929 cover focused on a “Federal Grand Jury” call for city officers following a “liquor ring” hearing involving Al Capone and the city of Peru

Two intersections in Peru will be closed on Thursday morning for road repairs.

Donors who give blood through Sunday, Jan. 25, will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LX in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Two people were taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation Tuesday morning after fire broke out in Fire on Fifth, located in the Westclox building.

Kyle and Josie Quick had an outdoor wedding at Senica's Oak Ridge on May 24, 2005.

Firefighters responded to Fire On Fifth inside the Westclox building on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026 in Peru. A working fire started in the storage room inside of Fire on Fifth. The fire started at 10a.m. Fire departments from Utica, Oglesby Peru and La Salle all assisted on the scene. La Salle and Peru EMS were also dispatched. The entire Westclox building was evacuated. Two employees were transported by ambulance for smoke inhalation. A smoke detector inside Star Union Spirits triggered an alarm, prompting a fast response from firefighters.