Ottawa Township High School has selected four students as winners of its annual holiday art card competition.

Ava Offermann has been named Marquette Academy’s 2025-2026 Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens Award winner.

Experience a Victorian Christmas as the Reddick Mansion in Ottawa.

A look at why drivers see a price gap from one end of La Salle County to the other.

United Way of Eastern La Salle County’s Community Investment Program has allocated $20,000 to the Community Food Basket of Ottawa’s Milk Program to support food security in the region.

Churches across La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties have announced their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service schedules for 2025.

Here is the list of couples who applied for La Salle County marriage licenses from Nov. 14 through Nov. 28.

OSF HealthCare has withdrawn its applications to build a replacement hospital in Ottawa and to discontinue services at the current OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, saying the project needs to be re-evaluated.

The Ottawa YMCA has appointed Glenn Haley as its new CEO and executive director, effective on Monday.

Joe Capece, chief executive officer of the Ottawa YMCA, has received the CEO Leadership Legacy Award from the YMCA Illinois Alliance.

The Open Table United Church of Christ will offer a free community meal at noon Sunday, Dec. 14.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Nov. 30-Dec. 6. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Join the Prairie Singers as they celebrate the season with a heartwarming blend of secular and sacred music that captures the spirit of Christmas.

The 17th annual Freezin’ for a Reezin’ event was held on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 outside of the WCMY studios downtown Ottawa. Donations supported the Community Food Basket of Ottawa.

The beloved Chris Kringle Market runs through Dec. 21.

The Ottawa City Council placed its annual tax levy, requesting a 7.2% increase in property tax collections but projecting that the city’s tax rate will continue to decline.

The Ottawa City Council got a closer look at the Illinois & Michigan Canal’s restoration efforts during a presentation by the Ottawa Canal Association on Tuesday night.

The Ottawa City Council approved a series of annexations in the Fields Hill subdivision, bringing several north-side homes officially into the city.

Selection is based on ACT or SAT scores and other academic criteria. Illinois State Scholars typically rank in the top 10% of their graduating class.

OSF HealthCare’s consolidation plan will officially start its inpatient obstetrics and intensive care services from Ottawa to Peru on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Eric Strasser has been in the Will County jail since April 17 on a charge of the first-degree murder of his wife, Rosy Strasser on May 1, 2024, in Lockport.

The Ottawa City Council will take the next steps on bringing parts of the Fields Hill subdivision into the city along with dealing with the city’s tax levy during their meeting on Tuesday night.

Luke McLachlan, a registered nurse with OSF HealthCare Ottawa Hospice, has been honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses after helping calm a distressed hospice patient and her family, OSF announced in a news release.

Milton Pope School in Marseilles has announced its November Students of the Month for Citizenship.

Eight Seneca High School seniors have been named Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Helmar Lutheran Church will host a kumla fundraiser dinner from 4:30-7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at 11935 Lisbon Road.

Seneca High School named its October students of the month.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Nov. 23-29. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Heavy snow continues to fall across the Illinois Valley on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Roads are snow-covered. A total of 7-11 inches of snow is possible for the region with higher amounts further west.

A storm with accumulating snow blanketing Northern Illinois started early Saturday morning and is expected to continue through the evening with peak snowfalls in the late afternoon.

McKinley Elementary School in Ottawa announced its November 2025 Champion of the Charter students.

While police said an Ottawa man was arrested on a charge of attempted murder of a Will County sheriff’s deputy in Joliet, that was not among the charges in an indictment filed on Wednesday.

Shepherd Middle School in Ottawa has announced its honor roll students for the first trimester of the 2024-25 school year.

The JOY group for senior men and women will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Park Presbyterian Church, 201 N. Vermillion St., Streator.

Marquette Academy Elementary Campus has announced its honor roll students for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 school year.

The parade steps off at 6 p.m. in downtown Ottawa.

The La Salle County Board observed a moment of silence Wednesday for Tom Walsh, an Ottawa Democrat who served the county for decades both from his home city and in Springfield. The 80-year-old passed away Nov. 19.

Poco a Poco recently welcomed three new board members to its board of directors for 2025-2026.

Hey Sweetie, a candy and ice cream store in downtown Ottawa will soon close its doors.

The Reddick Public Library District, 1010 Canal St., Ottawa, will host several programs and events in December.

A Servant’s Heart, an Ottawa nonprofit organization, hosted its annual Thanksgiving lunch on Tuesday to feed the community.

Shaw Local Radio recently held its Coats for Kids Drive for community members and listeners to winter clothing including donate mittens, scarves, hats, and coats.

Judge Michelle Vescogni sentenced 23-year-old Logan Petre of Marseilles on Monday Nov. 24, 2025 at the La Salle County Government Complex in Ottawa. In September, Vescogni found Petre guilty of 3 counts of murder after a bench trial.

The Ottawa Freedom Association will display 16 paintings of the life of Christ at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in Washington Square Park, 101 E. Lafayette St., Ottawa.

City of Ottawa Commissioner Marla Pearson recently announced Republic Services will remove yard and garden waste bins on Monday, Dec. 1.

Two local high school seniors have been recognized as November students of the month by the Sunrise Rotary Club.

Ottawa Township High School hosted its quarterly Student Recognition Breakfast on Nov. 14 to honor students nominated by faculty and staff for exceptional character and classroom work.

Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news in minutes for Nov. 16-22. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation hosted an Illinois Valley Quilts of Valor ceremony on Wednesday at the Illinois Valley Community College Ottawa Center.

OSF HealthCare will move its inpatient obstetrics and intensive care services from Ottawa to Peru by Dec. 3, 2025 - a faster timeline than many in the community expected.