Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

They predicted that when gas crested $4 a gallon that summer tourism would surge at Starved Rock and Matthiessen. It's happening, too.

A free lunch is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Park Place, 406 E. Hickory St., Streator.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer a free monthly Lunch N Learn Series for adults from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays July 8, Aug. 5, Sept. 9, Oct. 7, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9 at Nell’s Woodland, 2000 Alexis Ave., Ottawa.

Princeton High School coach Patrick Hodge has announced the cross country/fitness runs for PHS for the rest of June, meeting at 7 p.m. on June 16, June 18, June 23 and June 26 in front of the school.

The Illinois Coaches Association this week announced its lists of ICA All-State selections from the recently completed 2026 softball season, with numerous Times-area standouts honored.

This year’s Walnut 5K Run/Walk for ALS is scheduled for Saturday, July 4 starting at 8 a.m. at Bureau Valley North School. All proceeds for the event will go toward research for ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

The Streator Elks Flag Day Ceremony will be at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, June 13 in the Plumb Pavilion in the Streator City Park. As usual, performing for the presentation will be the award winning Joliet American Legion Band.

Here is a look at BCR Softball Players of the Year from out of the past dating back to 1996. Avah Oertel is the ninth different Princeton player chosen, the fourth to repeat.

Keighley Davis will be playing volleyball for William Penn University this fall, but first she will suit up for basketball one more time. Princeton’s all-time leading scorer will be playing for the Class 1-2A North in Saturday’s IBCA All-Star Games in Pontiac.

After a delay, work on the Kelly Street Bridge in Streator has recently resumed and is expected to be completed this summer.

Stage 212 announced tickets are available for its upcoming performance of “Sunday with Elvis Presley” at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 14.

Crowds larger than the population of Ottawa itself are expected to fill downtown this weekend as organizers prepare for the fifth annual Ottawa Family Pride Festival and Parade on Saturday.

A look at the top boys tennis players in the NewsTribune area for the 2026 season.

The Marquette baseball team earned a third consecutive trip to the IHSA State Finals with a 9-6 victory over Brimfield in Tuesday's Class 2A St. Bede Supersectional. The Crusaders entered the season back-to-back Class 1A champions.

The Putnam County baseball team beat Galena 7-4 on Tuesday to win the IHSA Class 1A NIU Supersectional and earn its first trip to state since 2013.

The Streator Public Library recently announced its upcoming programs and events for the fourth week in June.

For every cake sold, $1 will be donated to North Central Area Transit.

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, the city of Mendota is holding an afternoon of patriotic programming on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Four St. Bede players have been added to the ICA 2A All-State Softball team, having been inadvertently omitted in its first release Monday - Ava Balestri, Lily Bosnich, Emma Slingsby and Macy Strauch .

The University of Illinois Extension will partner with Stronger YOU Bureau County to hold a free Stronger YOU Wellness Experience for community members from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, at Princeton High School, 103 S. Euclid Ave.

Hall’s Luke Bryant, Princeton’s Ryan Jagers and St. Bede’s Ava Balestri earn unanimous all-conference honors in the Three Rivers East and Tri-County Confernce.

Princeton's Kristian Wahlgren (front center), who is the only time two-time state wrestling champion from the Illinois Valley, was accompanied by family and friends for his induction into the Shaw Media Illinois Valley Hall of Fame

The following property transfers were recently recorded at the Bureau County Recorder of Deeds’ office in the Bureau County Courthouse:

The following property transfers were recently recorded at the Bureau County Recorder of Deeds’ office in the Bureau County Courthouse:

Streator is considering increasing rental fees for the clubhouse at Anderson Fields Golf Course as officials look to expand use of the recently updated facility.