Henry-Senachwine defeated Putnam County 61-56 on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 at Putnam County High School.

Space heaters are most often responsible for home-heating fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction in an ongoing lawsuit to block the Trump administration from enforcing the Defund Provision in the federal budget reconciliation law intended for the federal government to end Medicaid payments for one year to abortion providers

Lifting heavy snow quickly increases your heart rate. For people who have heart disease—or don’t know they have it—this can trigger a heart attack, the Silver Cross Medical Group said.

Frozen water pipes aren’t life threatening, however frozen or broken water pipes do cause damage to homes each winter.

To avoid scammers or donating to fraudulent organizations Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul offered the following tips to potential donors.

Snow and ice can create hazardous driving conditions, and extreme cold can make things even more dangerous if your car gets stranded.

Advocates of the SAFE-T Act say the law is not to blame for the arson attack of a Chicago train passenger and the arrest record of the man charged with the attack shows cash bail system didn’t work.

Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is reminding residents to use caution when shopping online or in stores.

Illinois’ seven-day firearm deer season will conclude Dec. 4-7.

The 2025 Putnam County High School volleyball awards night was held on Wednesday, Nov. 19

The donated turkeys will be prepared by the Voluntary Action Center of Northern Illinois and delivered through the Meals on Wheels program to about 200 residents across DeKalb County.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and other attorneys general are asking the federal court to vacate the new SNAP guidance and block its implementation “to ensure that families do not lose critical food assistance,” Raoul's office said

AgriGold agronomist Kevin Gale said yields were fairly good for the northern half of Illinois, but fell short of early season potential.

The Putnam County eighth-grade basketball team defeated host Academy of St. Carlo Acutis 41-22 to capture the Fall Class at JA Happ Gymnasium in Peru on Saturday, Nov. 22. T

State Sen. Sue Rezin. R-Morris, traveled to Washington, D.C. to lead a two-day series of discussions with lawmakers, utility leaders, grid operators, and energy experts from across the country.

Farmers are rebuilding turkey flocks hit hard by avian flu, and overall demand has declined. That combination is helping keep turkey costs down for families this Thanksgiving.

Here are Shannon Jenkins' photos of Tuesday's Putnam County Junior High eighth-grade night.

The Putnam County eighth-grade girls basketball team repeated as Tri-County Conference tournament champions defeating Midland (45-11), El Paso-Gridley (26-19) and Roanoke-Benson (28-10).

The Putnam County seventh-grade boys basketball team won the Academy of Saint Carlo Acutis tournament champions by defeating by defeating Spring Valley JFK (34-16), Marquette (55-21) and Mendota Northbrook in the championship (30-14)

About 1.9 million Illinois residents are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program this year.

Check out our photos from our Thank You Veterans special section in the Illinois Valley for 2025.

Putnam County’s Alex Rodriguez has signed to throw for Culver Stockton. He medaled at state in both the discus and shot put last spring

Fire departments, fire districts across the country are onboarding to the new National Emergency Reporting System.

Studies across the U.S. have tracked white-tailed deer vehicle collision rates in relation to time changes, with some showing a 16% spike in deer-vehicle collisions after the fall time shift.

The Putnam County volleyball team pulled out the first set Thursday, but Orion bounced back to beat the Panthers 26-28, 25-11, 25-10 in the Class 1A Putnam County Regional championship.

Orion defeated Putnam County 28-26, 25-11, 25-10 in the Class 1A Regional final on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 at Putnam County High School.

In the fall, natural areas often become dumping spots for yard waste, pumpkins, straw, and other organic decorations. Many think that a thrown-away pumpkin will break down and disappear. Not exactly.

Each year from 2017 to 2019, an estimated average of 9,200 fires were reported to fire departments in the U.S. over a three-day period around Halloween, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

It appears the peak of the fall color season could be delayed by the recent unseasonably warm temperatures and drought.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has told states it will not fund November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits unless the Trump administration and Congress reach an agreement to reopen the government

Sam Toia, president and chief executive officer of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said, “the increased presence of ICE agents and the staging of the National Guard in Chicagoland and surrounding suburban communities is disrupting restaurant operations significantly."

Harvest began on time in mid-September and moisture early in the season helped the earlier planted pumpkins size up with good weight and color.

The phishing scheme involves text messages claiming that a tax refund has been processed and asking for banking information under the threat of losing their refund.

The Illinois Farm Bureau said August was the driest for the corn belt since 2013, and the Illinois State Climatologist’s office noted that as of Sept. 11, over 30% of the state was experiencing “abnormal dryness” to moderate drought conditions,

The rate spikes of the summer are coming down, but ComEd customers still can expect higher bills through the winter, according to the Citizens Utilities Board.

Military veterans U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and Illinois State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit addressed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth comments on “warrior ethos.”

Putnam County beat Hall 26-28, 25-17, 25-22 in a nonconference match Monday in Spring Valley.

Putnam County captured the Somonauk volleyball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 30, defeating the host Bobcats 25-22, 25-21 for the championship.

The Henry-Senachwine volleyball team opened Tri-County Conference play with a 25-14, 25-15 victory over Putnam County on Thursday.

The tornado Aug. 28, 1990 remains the only F5 rated tornado documented in the United States during the month of August. No advanced warnings or watches were issued for the possibility of a tornado on that day.

Two years after Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail, the Trump administration is threatening to revoke federal funding from local and state governments that allow cashless bail.The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice condemned the action.

Volleyball starts Monday. Here are five players to watch in the NewsTribune area this fall.

The PCJH softball field was named as Walker Field on Saturday in recognition of Chris Walker, who coached PCJH softball from 2001-2020. His PCJH teams made seven IESA state tournament appearances, capped with a state championship in 2009 and a state runner-up finish in 2014

Both full-time temporary and hourly on-call positions are available to help maintain more than 45,000 lane miles statewide during the winter months, according to IDOT.

Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman moderated the town hall, which was part of Underwood’s summer town hall series. The congresswoman has three more scheduled over the next week in DeKalb, LaSalle and Bureau counties.

Severe thunderstorms with the risk for damaging winds and even tornadoes could hit northern Illinois on Monday afternoon and evening, the National Weather Service warned.

ComEd reported nearly 74,000 customers across northeastern Illinois were without power Sunday morning.

Lt. Gov. Stratton led a panel discussion in Joliet on how Trump policy is affecting women's health.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office says a new operation from a multi-state task force is the latest step to crack down on “intrusive and illegal” robocalls nationwide.