A brush fire stretching a half mile wide near the Hennepin Canal was brought under control after firefighters struck out an alarm box on Tuesday afternoon.

Princeton High School’s scholastic bowl team turned in a strong showing and placed third at the Winnebago Invitational on Thursday, Jan. 29.

Coal Creek Brewing will host a Galentine’s Party A Shop and Sip event at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, as part of its Pop-Up Valentine’s Bar.

Freedom House, a domestic violence nonprofit, has elected Lori Nelson, a longtime leader in behavioral health in McHenry County, to its Board of Directors.

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

University of Illinois Extension is seeking youth participants for a new Horse and Hippology Club in Bureau, La Salle, Marshall and Putnam counties.

Optimal Health is hosting a grand reopening from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday in Princeton.

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

The Evangelical Covenant Church in Princeton will hold an open house for community members to view its new Community Life Center Building from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at the church.

Portions of the former Monterey Mushrooms property in Princeton have been sold, though the main processing plant remains unsold, according to the real estate agent involved in the transaction.

Logan Junior High School recently announced its honor roll for the second quarter of the 2025-26 school year.

Over 60 Princeton residents and business owners attended a community meeting on Tuesday night to learn more about a possible business development district being considered by the city.

The Princeton High School jazz band will hold its annual free Swing Dance at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at the Princeton Moose Lodge.

The Princeton FFA Alumni will host a pork chop and pork burger stand at the Princeton vs. Hall basketball game on Friday, Feb. 13.

The Princeton Police Pension Fund Board will meet at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the Princeton Police Department.

Delilah Gyurkovics was selected during an audition process in October.

The Bureau County Soil and Water Conservation District will hold its annual meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday at The Cliff Event Center in Princeton.

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

Princeton High School sports teams could be playing future games in a fieldhouse. In December, the Princeton City Council amended its zoning ordinances to accommodate a proposed fieldhouse for the Princeton School District. The project is in the beginning stages. The school district is considering purchasing 15 acres north of Liberty Village for a 50,000 to 80,000 square foot indoor sports complex. The facility would also include parking. The fieldhouse concept would serve both youth and high school teams. The site is located behind the Princeton High School softball field, known as Little Siberia.

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.

Two students from Princeton High School have been selected to participate in the ILMEA All-State Music Festival, the highest honor for student musicians in Illinois.

The Hollowayville United Church of Christ in Princeton will hold a pancake and sausage brunch on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The Princeton Closet Resale Shop handed out $200,000 to local nonprofits Tuesday night during its annual Lending a Hand ceremony, with over 60 people from local organizations at their shop to celebrate.

A 78-year-old Princeton man was hurt in train-truck accident early Wednesday, the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office said.

Participants can work on quilt kits and block kits. Lunch will be available for $7, with free coffee, lemonade and water. Door prizes and a silent auction will be held.

Princeton Christian Academy has released its honor roll for the second quarter of the 2025-26 school year.

Over 40 organizations across Bureau County gathered for a group photo during a Lending a Hand funds distribution of checks totaling $200,000 on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026 at the Closet in Princeton. The Closet has donated 2.3 million dollars to area organizations over the past 16 years.

The Rotary Club of Princeton has announced that scholarship applications for 2026 are now open.

The donation will support services and program needs for the nearly 200 people served by Gateway Services in Bureau, Marshall and Putnam counties.

Princeton Logan Junior High School has announced its second-quarter citizenship award winners, recognizing students who demonstrate concern for others, active school participation, responsible leadership, and courage.

Princeton band director Steven Olson will appear on 'Jeopardy!' Tournament of Champions on Friday, Jan. 23

Princeton High School will host the Tiger Cup Scholastic Bowl Tournament on Saturday, with 24 high school teams competing in academic competition.

Princeton’s historic Red Covered Bridge will advance through critical engineering phases in 2026 as the Illinois Department of Transportation works toward repairing damage from a 2023 semi-truck collision.

Protesters hold signs during a "ICE out for good" protest on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 at Rotary Park in Princeton. The Bureau County Democrats organized the event. About two-dozen protesters gathered to protest the ICE officer who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

Princeton Buddy Bags has moved its storage and meal-packing operations to a larger location in partnership with local nonprofit Second Story.

In addition to antiques, Nellie Roberts Curiosity Shop offers old-fashioned candy, licorice, bubble gum, coffee, and teas.

Princeton High School’s Scholastic Bowl team will appear on Stateline Quizbowl in a matchup against Byron.

After months of renovations, demolition and installation of new fixtures, painting walls and selecting tiles, Kelsey and Dane Stier were ready to welcome their first guests at the renovated Knox Hotel on North Main Street in downtown Princeton.

Princeton the girls basketball team won the Ottawa Holiday Tournament with a 57-44 win over Metamora on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025 in Kingman Gymnasium at Ottawa High School. Check out photos from the game by Tom Sistak.

OSF Saint Clare Medical Center in Princeton recently notified patients that some of their personal and medical information may have been exposed in a breach involving its former electronic health record software vendor, Cerner.

Check out these decorative Christmas homes and parks throughout the Illinois Valley.

The Princeton Foundation has officially launched operations to support charitable, educational and civic needs in Princeton and surrounding communities.

The Bureau County Farm Bureau will be closed Dec. 23-26 for the Christmas holiday.

Firefighters from Malden, Bureau, Walnut, Princeton, Spring Valley, Ladd and Wyanet responded to a structure fire in the 300 block of South Chestnut Street on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 in Princeton. Flames could be seen when the fire departments arrived coming from the second story. The fire happened shortly after 5:15p.m.

Christmas For Kids received a $7,000 donation from First United Methodist Church in Princeton on Dec. 9.

State Bank of Toulon has contributed $50,000 to Freedom House’s capital campaign for a new domestic violence shelter in Kewanee, Freedom House announced in a news release.

The Illinois State Police is investigating a death in Bureau County.

Churches across La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties have announced their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service schedules for 2025.

Princeton senior Casey Etheridge is the NewsTribune Offensive Football Player of the Year for the third time after running into the record books this fall.

Fireworks were launched during the Christmas Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 at the Bureau County Fairgrounds in Princeton. The fairgrounds also holds a Home for the Holiday Light Show. The show is a family drive-thru experience featuring light displays and a few special guests to greet you. The show is open Friday's and Saturday's generally runs from 5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m. and on Sunday's 5p.m.-8p.m. through Christmas Day.