Here's a list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle county property transfers for Jan. 19-23, 2026.

Victoria Onorato on the SAFE-T-Act: This law needs to be completely rescinded. Read her full election questionnaire here

The Sterling School Board has approved a collective bargaining agreement that gives Sterling teachers 5.5% raises the first two years and 5% raises in years 3 and 4.

The charges, all Class X felonies, were filed on Monday and are alleged to have occurred in May of 2025

A Sterling man has been charged in Whiteside County with aggravated battery of a police officer, accused of throwing a rock at a deputy on Wednesday during his third run-in with law enforcement that day

Here's a list of Whiteside County property transfers for Jan. 19-23, 2026.

These students rank in approximately the top 10% of graduates from Illinois high schools, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the state’s college access and financial aid agency.

Sterling’s Shepherd Premier Senior Living, an assisted living and memory care center, was evacuated Tuesday after a broken sprinkler head led to water coming out of the ceiling and caused hazards with the building’s wiring, light fixtures and water heaters.

Sterling High School and Challand Middle School recently announced honor rolls for the first semester of the 2025-26 school year. The high honor roll is all As and the honor roll is As and Bs.

From breezy afternoon games to tournament wins and travel-ready paddles, more people are embracing the growing sport of pickleball – whose quick learning curve and social energy keep drawing more players to the net. There are many places to play throughout northwest Illinois.

A Sterling man was sentenced to 8 years in prison after pleading guilty in four separate felony cases, including one accusing him of setting a Galt home on fire

While winter weather can limit outdoor activity, the Sterling Park District offers a wide variety of indoor programs and recreational opportunities that keep residents active, social and engaged throughout the colder months.

Middle schoolers from Dixon, Sterling and Rock Falls' Catholic Schools competed Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in a head-to-head dodgeball tournament in celebration of Catholic School Week.

Sterling Federal Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Bo Mays has announced the addition of two new executive officers, Courtney Randall and Belinda Miller.

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

Here's a list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle county property transfers for Jan. 12-16, 2026.

Darren Bailey and running mate Aaron Del Mar stopped in Sterling this week as part of their “Take Back Illinois” bus tour through suburban Chicago and northern Illinois.

The Kiwanis Club of Sterling will host a fun, friendly trivia night Sunday, Feb. 1. The event will take place at Sterling High School’s cafeteria from 3-5 p.m.

Second Street is on track to reopen to traffic Friday from Fourth Avenue to First Avenue, the Sterling city manager told the Sterling City Council.

“Can a Republican win for governor? Can a downstate farmer win for governor?” Those were the questions that former state senator and former and current GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey had for a crowd of around 30 supporters in Sterling on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

After high school graduation, Ian Hilty will attend Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to study pre-physical therapy and will also play soccer for the Bethel Royals.

Woodlawn Arts Academy in Sterling has been awarded a $1,500 grant from Prairie Brome Solar to support the Academy’s outreach theater program with Dixon Public Schools.

Here's a list of Whiteside County property transfers for Jan. 12-16, 2026.

Catch up on the week’s top Sauk Valley news for Jan. 11-17 in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The Sauk Valley Diversity Alliance plays host to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace and Justice Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 18, at Open Door Community Church in Sterling.

Here's a list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle county property transfers for Jan. 5-9, 2026

A Dec. 28 windstorm wasn’t strong enough to defeat the Sterling community’s giving spirit - or one family’s determination to keep the giving going.

Myles Newberry, the director of the Twin Cities Homeless Shelter, has seen the suggestions on social media from well-meaning residents proposing that empty nursing homes, rehab facilities and even storefronts be opened for temporary housing.

The Second Street project in Sterling is making progress and part of the street could be open by the end of January.

The Sterling City Council recently approved issuing $41.9 million in General Obligation Bonds to enhance hospital services and facilities within the Community General Hospital (CGH) Medical Center network.

Eight students have been honored for their academic achievements at the Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling.

On Monday's episode of Talk Line, host Brandon Clark chats with Sterling Mayor Diana Merdian about the city's upcoming events, rental inspection program, and updates on the East Second Street road construction project.

Here's a list of Whiteside County property transfers for Jan. 5-9, 2026.

Here is a list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle county property transfers for Dec. 29 to Jan. 2.

After 10 years of business, Kunes RV in Sterling is closed.

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.

The top item on the wishlist for Twin Cities Homeless Shelter is available just a few minutes’ drive from the shelter. “Right now, what I’d really like, and they are on sale at Menards, are those 27-gallon storage totes,” shelter director Myles Newberry said.

Dollar General has announced its store at 2603 Locust St. in Sterling is now open. To celebrate, the company plans to host a grand opening event at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10.

Sterling Today filed a complaint for eviction papers in Whiteside County Circuit Court against The Mercantile Ballroom & Cocktail Lounge and business owners Ryan Nares and Ashley Nares, who dispute the allegations made in the filing

While the appearance of the Twin Cities Homeless Shelter could be a single-family home, the face of homelessness has been changing over recent years, creating challenges for Myles Newberry and his two-person staff. 

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

Reconstruction on Second Street in Sterling continues to be hampered with delays.

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

Hope Cancer Wellness Center is hosting a golf tournament fundraiser March 1 at X-Golf Sauk Valley at 13464 Galt Road in Sterling.

The former Snyder’s pharmacy in Dixon, now a convenience store, will close by Jan. 31 after being sold to CGH Medical Center.

Here's a list of Whiteside County property transfers for Dec. 29 to Jan. 2, 2026.

Trustees of the Sterling-Rock Falls Community Trust encourage applications from upcoming and past graduates from Sterling and Rock Falls for a broad range of college scholarships to be awarded in mid-April.

Here's a list of property transfers for Lee, Whiteside and Ogle counties for Dec. 22-26, 2025.

Saying he wasn’t comfortable with forcing the county to pay, a Whiteside County judge has denied the public defender’s office's request to hire an expert to watch consumptive DNA evidence testing in a case accusing a Sterling man of sexual assault and abuse.