Catch up on the week’s top Sauk Valley news for Jan. 4-10 in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The Chicago Bears pulled of the comeback of all comebacks on Saturday night when they came back to beat the Green Bay Packers 31-27 in the NFL Wild Card. Here are the five big takeaways from an unforgettable win.

The Chicago Bears overcame a late 11-point deficit to beat the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night in the NFL Wild Card at Soldier Field. Here's how Caleb Williams' sparked the comeback with a key fourth-down completion.

Has a new era finally arrived? The Bears were used as a throw rug during a pitiful first half Saturday but somehow climbed back into it and actually beat Green Bay in a playoff game 31-27. This could be the start of a special rivalry between quarterbacks – and coaches.

Dixon wrestling took third at Princeton as Riley Paredes and Jack Ragan each won their bracket. Newman's Blair Grennan and Fulton's Kerby Germann were champions at E-P and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Wrestling teams from Dixon, Princeton, Richmond-Burton and Coal City competed during the 62nd annual Lyle King Princeton Invitational boys tournament on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 at Princeton High School.

Morgan Hargrave hit a 3-pointer just before halftime to give Dixon the lead and momentum in a 48-31 win over St. Francis on Saturday.

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon will be active against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night in their NFL Wild Card matchup at Soldier Field.

Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling has announced its honor and high honor rolls for the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year.

From Capitol News Illinois: Nicor Gas on Friday filed a $221 million rate hike request with the Illinois Commerce Commission, less than two months after state regulators approved a $168 million rate hike for the utility

Three Chicago Bears players earned AP All-Pro honors Saturday. Left guard Joe Thuney and safety Kevin Byard each received First Team honors while right tackle Darnell Wright was named to the Second Team.

Chance Munroe, who is the former director of the Oregon Chamber of Commerce, is now at the helm of The Next Picture Show in Dixon.

Dixon girls basketball hosted and beat Wheaton St. Francis 48-31 Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will make his playoff debut Saturday night when his team hosts the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Wild Card at Soldier Field. After a season of turning the improbable into possible, the Bears believe in Williams heading into Saturday.

Newman boys basketball beat Kewanee 54-44 to improve to 18-0 and 2-0 in conference. Sterling boys fell to Alleman, Polo's Carlee Grobe and Cam Jones each scored 18 points, and more in Friday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Confidence and aggressiveness were the name of the game Friday night for Dixon, as it used a huge third-quarter run to break open a tie game and pull away for a 53-37 victory over Stillman Valley at Lancaster Gym.

Eleven jurors have so far been selected to hear the case against Duane Meyer, 43, who is accused of killing his ex-wife and setting fire to her Byron home on Oct. 19, 2016, with their 3-year-old son inside. A third jury pool is being summoned for selection Monday.

Fulton's Breleigh Hayton is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week. The sophomore scored 19 points in a comeback win over Stark County and helped the Steamers go 3-1 at the Cliff Warkins Memorial Classic. Here is a Q&A with her.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois and the four other Democratic-led states that were subject to the Trump administration’s freeze on $10 billion in federal funding for child care and family services secured a restraining order on Friday in their lawsuit seeking to block it

Fulton Presbyterian Church will play host to its annual fundraiser for Mission Starfish Haiti at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1.

Shaw Local’s Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar share the latest news from Halas Hall and break down the third matchup between Green Bay and the Bears this season

Short of approval of state legislation granting the NFL franchise a long-term property tax break at Arlington Park, Pritzker went on to say it’s up to the Bears to seek help from individual taxing bodies in and around the 326-acre site

Dixon and Stillman Valley face off on the basketball court Jan. 9, 2026, in Dixon. Dixon took the win 53-37.

As Shaw Media continues to celebrate its 175th anniversary, we explore six front pages: In the midst of the early Great Depression, the January 9, 1930, edition of the Sterling Gazette led with “Wintry Symphony Sounds Again Today,” detailing a massive snowstorm gripping 20 states

A Lee County judge ruled Tuesday, Jan. 6, in favor of Dixon’s defense attorney’s motion to pause the information-gathering pretrial process in a lawsuit that alleges the city did not comply with the state's public records' law.

The Chicago Bears will host their first playoff game since 2018 on Saturday at Soldier Field when they host their longtime rival, the Green Bay Packers, in the NFL Wild Card. Here are the top five storylines to watch.

Chance Munroe is the newest director of Dixon's The Next Picture Show.

Sterling girls basketball fell by two at Moline, Dixon and Newman rolled on the road, Sterling boys bowling beat Dixon and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

From Capitol News Illinois: At the core of the law is a structure to incentivize energy storage, or battery, projects. It will result in new charges to ratepayers, though supporters of the bill say that those costs would be offset by cost savings from greater energy efficiency

When most people have put away the Christmas decorations, wrapping paper and ribbons, the director of the Whiteside County Toys for Tots program already is thinking about Christmas shopping.

The GOP field of candidates running for governor in the March 17 primary is down to four, after an Illinois State Board of Elections vote Thursday.

From Capitol News Illinois: A new poll shows Darren Bailey holds a commanding lead in a four-person Republican primary for Illinois Governor

The Chicago Bears will get back one and could get back two playmakers for Saturday’s Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers. The team ruled slot cornerback Kyler Gordon as questionable for the game while wide receiver Rome Odunze had no designation.

Country music band Roseland will perform at The Idle Hour on Jan. 10.

Attendees will explore what’s new in politics, and how it affects people.

You don't need to travel too far to enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing.

Candidates in a pair of statewide races are off the March 17 primary ballot due to successful objections to their nominating petitions, Illinois State Board of Elections officials ruled Wednesday.

Rain will likely start in the afternoon, with the heavier rains and thunderstorms moving in by 6 p.m., the National Weather Service said

Check out the Favorite Breakfast and Favorite Brunch winners in the Sauk Valley Favorites contest!

In almost 125 minutes of football this season, the Bears have not held a lead against the Packers, Marc Silverman writes. On Saturday, Ben Johnson’s offense must come out with urgency and get back to playing physical football

State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, will host a series of upcoming office hours events, including one in Byron.

Sinnissippi Centers announced Wednesday, Jan. 7, that it will again offer up to four $1,000 college scholarships for individuals seeking a career in the human services field.

The Sterling PADS Shelter is seeing the need for the shelter at an all-time high.

Stillman Valley's Mike Lalor is stepping away as head football coach after 28 years.

After three days of jury selection, a total of eight jurors have so far been seated to decide the fate of a Stillman Valley man charged with killing his ex-wife in 2016 and setting her home on fire. Their 3-year-old son, who was inside the home, also died.

A Chicago man was sentenced Wednesday to up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in Whiteside County court to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm

Chicago Bears coordinators met with reporters Wednesday at Halas Hall as the team prepared for Saturday’s NFL Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Here are three of the most interesting things the Bears said Wednesday.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze and slot cornerback Kyler Gordon practiced Wednesday as the team returned to the field ahead of Saturday’s Wild Card matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Trump administration announced late Tuesday that it was freezing distribution of about $10 billion in federal child care and family assistance funds to five Democratic-led states, including Illinois.

The grant from the William & Beverly Burkardt Family Foundation will help fund improvements to Heritage Square Dixon's rehabilitation room, outdoor gathering areas and entertainment center.