Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

The City of Mendota is adopting a Trap, Neuter and Release program to address feral and stray cats, working with Safe House Animal Rescue League, a no-kill nonprofit organization.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer community members an Accessible Hike from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at Nell’s Woodland in Ottawa.

Thanks to a $33,892 Project Next Generation Grant from the Illinois State Library, the Putnam County Public Library District will launch “Earth Explorers,” a free, hands-on science program coming this summer.

There will be 14 Bureau County athletes competing in the 1A girls state track & field prelims on Thursday, including return state runner-up Lily Bosnich (hurdles) of St. Bede and Bureau Valley sophomore Elise House (400), both seeded to medal.

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Streator baseball senior Clay Christoff!

Here's a preview of the Bureau County area's boys track sectionals. Amboy co-op and Bureau Valley will run at Erie and DePue, Hall, Putnam County and St. Bede wat El Paso-Gridley in 1A with Princeton and L-P at Galesburg and Mendota at Rochelle in 2A

Princeton Logan Junior High won the eighth-grade 3A boys sectional championship and qualified eight athletes for the IESA State Track Meet this weekend in East Peoria,

Dinner includes chicken (light, dark or tenders), potato, salad and dessert. Dine-in or carryout options are available.

Across our region, industries are struggling to find the qualified workers they need. The roles they are trying to fill require bachelor’s degrees because of the complexity in manufacturing, technology, healthcare, engineering or skilled technical fields.

The University of Illinois Extension will hold a free cyanotype workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 6, at Nell’s Woodland.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer a free Tomato Troubles educational program from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at the La Salle Public Library.

St. Bede senior Lily Bosnich and Henry-Midland senior Daniella Bumber will be in contention for state titles this weekend at the IHSA Class 1A state track and field meet.

Ottawa pitcher Addie Russell and Pirates' pitching coach Sloan Gayan both say having trust in each other's abilities has been the key to the junior having back-to-back solid seasons.

The Seneca baseball team earned a walk-off victory over St. Bede in their Tri-County Conference finale on Monday, while the Ottawa boys tennis team topped Mendota. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Mendota girls soccer team advanced to a regional final, the Princeton and Bureau Valley baseball teams won and more in Monday's NewsTribune roundup.

The Ottawa baseball team scored four runs in the sixth - the big blow a two-run double by Adam Swanson - to defeat Kaneland 6-4 in the Interstate 8 Conference contest at King Field on Monday. With the win the Pirates earned a share the league championship with the Knights.

More than 20 athletes from NewsTribune-area schools claimed medals over the weekend at the IESA Class 1A and 2A state track and field meet.

When the postseason pairings came out, the Princeton soccer team set its sights on having to beat Alleman to win the title. They took the first step Wednesday, defeating Macomb 6-1 with 2 goals each by Bella Clevenger & Olivia Sandoval and 1 each by Ava Kyle & Chloe Ostrowski.

A rural DePue man will stand trial Aug. 3 on charges stemming from a domestic dispute in which a small child was shot and killed.

Within 15 minutes of arriving on the scene, Geiger said that the fire was under control, and the fire was almost entirely extinguished around 12:45 p.m.

The North Utica Police Department is joining law enforcement agencies across Illinois for the 2026 “Click It or Ticket” campaign running May 15-26 during the Memorial Day travel period.

Construction on the future site of the restaurant that is going up at 1209 Washington St., on the corner of Washington Street and 13th Avenue, will begin in late summer.

Fieldcrest senior Layten Gerdes was voted NewsTribune Athlete of the Week after earning a win on the mound and hitting two home runs on the week.

Bureau Valley graduate Landon Hulsing has earned All-American status, placing eighth for Sauk Valley in the discus in the NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Nationals in Hobbs, N.M.

The IESA held its Class 1A and 2A State Meet over the weekend for both seventh- and eighth-graders At EastSide Centre in East Peoria. Multiple Times-area student-athletes earned state medals for top-eight finishes in their respective events.