The 2026 Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 2. Celebrate at these events in Kane, Will, Cook and McHenry counties.

Forecasters warn of an all-hazards severe weather threat on Monday, including tornadoes, hail, and flooding rain

In dueling appearances Friday, Gov. JB Pritzker and his Republican rival in the Nov. 3 election, Darren Bailey, outlined fixes for legislation intended to anchor the Chicago Bears in Illinois

Seneca and Somonauk/Leland softball, Fieldcrest baseball and girls track and field standouts Lila Coleman, Abbi Armstrong and Isabella Markey are among the winners in The Times Friday Roundup.

The Bureau Valley girls track team won the Rock Falls Invite, the Mendota baseball team earned a walk-off win and more in Friday's NewsTribune roundup.

Seneca's baseball club weathered a late surge and held off Streator for a 10-9 victory Friday in a tense back-and-forth game that ultimately ended up favoring the Fighting Irish.

The Chicago Bears used their second third round pick of the NFL draft Friday night to boost their wide receiver room, selecting LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas at No. 89 overall.

The Chicago Bears used their first third-round pick of the NFL Draft on Friday night to select Stanford tight end Sam Roush at No. 69.

AJ Hermes stuck out 10 and allowed just two hits to lead St. Bede baseball to a 2-0 win over Serena on Friday.

The Chicago Bears boosted their offensive line to start the second round on Friday by selecting Iowa center Logan Jones with the No. 57 overall in the NFL draft.

Mendota police have made an arrest in the Friday morning shooting of an unidentified man. Police say the victim has been treated and released.

St. Bede defeated Serena 2-0 on Friday, April 24, 2026 at St. Bede Academy.

The course covers navigating age-related changes, reviewing driving strategies, understanding new vehicle technology and learning how aging affects driving ability.

Six mayors from Spring Valley, Utica, Ottawa, Peru, La Salle and Oglesby spoke at the 2026 Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce State of the Cities Luncheon on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at Grand Bear Lodge at Starved Rock in Utica.

Chicago Bears first-round draft pick Dillon Thieneman proved he can be a difference-maker at Oregon. Now he'll try to bring his versatility, speed and winning traits to the NFL. Here's how.

The single-family residence located at 540 Pearl Street in Ottawa was sold on April 6, for $465,000, or $141 per square foot.

For the first time in 2023, her former high school soccer team came together for the Tammy Zywicki Memorial Game, marking 30 years since her disappearance and death. They will play another memorial game at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, April 25.

Bureau Valley Junior High's Stevie Davis, Kinley Gruber and Leah Donnelly took part in the 67th Student Council State Convention on April 17-18 in Springfield.

A Leland man could face up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty Friday to setting his own house on fire.

From Capitol News Illinois: Proponents of BUILD argued that the primary driver of the current housing affordability crisis is a lack of supply caused by legislative hurdles and different municipal priorities

A man in Mendota was shot in the leg early Friday. The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

For prospective homebuyers eyeing the real estate market in the area of La Salle County, here's what sold for $200,000 or under during the past week.

For prospective homebuyers eyeing the real estate market in the area of Bureau County, here's what sold for $150,000 or under during the past week.

The Chicago Bears drafted Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Thursday night. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar break down the pick and preview what's left to do in the draft

From a massive warehouse of vinyl deep dives to shops that stock the latest releases, four Starved Rock Country record stores have something for every music buff.

For months, the Bears had sought property tax concessions, which drew pushback from local governments, and financial aid with stadium infrastructure like roads

The first round of the NFL draft is in the books. But the Chicago Bears still have needs to address in the draft. Here are some players Poles could target Friday in the second and third rounds.

Mendota's Esten Otero hit two homers in a win, the Putnam County baseball and softball teams had walkoff wins and more in Thursday's NewsTribune roundup.

The Marquette baseball team defeated Henry-Senachwine to improve to 18-0 this season on Thursday while the Seneca softball team rolled past Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell to move to 20-0 on the campaign. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Ceyton Urbanski hit a single to score Adan Pantoja in the bottom of the seventh inning to give La Salle-Peru a 5-4 victory over Sycamore in an Interstate 8 Conference game Thursday.

The Chicago Bears used their first-round pick of the 2026 NFL draft to boost their secondary by selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 overall on Thursday night.

Ottawa's Kennedy Kane gave up a home run to the first batter she faced Thursday, but she and reliever Addie Russell didn't give up anything else as the Pirates defeated the host Bulldogs 5-1.

One swing of the bat by Braden Shaw lifted Princeton to a 2-1 win over Erie-Prophetstown in Three Rivers East battle Thursday in Princeton. But it took a throw to home by second baseman Hunter Spiegel and game-ending strikeout by reliever Jack Oester to finish off the Tiger win

At the 2026 State of the Cities conference, Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski sprang the surprise announcement of the group effort that is providing $12,000 to fund the needed repairs on the skate park.

A Streator man was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a girl.

Marquette defeated Henry-Senachwine 13-2 on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at June Cross Field in Ottawa.

The Streator Lions Club recently held its bi-monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 15, at Chix.

The projects across the 14th Congressional District, which would come under federal Community Project Funding initiative, range from protecting clean drinking water to strengthening access to quality health care in rural communities to public transit systems.

Burris, a native of the Illinois Valley, most recently served as assistant general manager of the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp and manager of digital and strategic content for the Prospect League.

From Capitol News Illinois: Lawmakers emphasized the need for transparency about how much water data centers use to cool their facilities at the final of three data center-focused hearings in the House Executive Committee

The Streator Fire Department has added a third ambulance to its fleet in an effort to improve service response times during periods of high demand.

La Salle-Peru High School’s Agriculture Building won’t be ready until Aug. 1, Interim Superintendent Ingrid Cushing announced Wednesday.

From Capitol News Illinois: It’s looking increasingly likely that Illinois voters will not see an amendment about creating a “millionaire tax” on the ballot in November

Illinois Valley Cursillo will hold an evening of food and fellowship Saturday, May 16 in Peterstown, south of Mendota.

Jerron Fisher was shot in La Salle and, yes, he was carrying a gun – a no-no for a convicted felon. But did he return fire? And did he flee the state? A judge seemed to give him the benefit of a few douts.

The River Valley Players will perform Steel Magnolias April 30 – May 3. Steel Magnolias is a perfect mix of humor and heart, following six women as they navigate life, love, and loss together.

The Chicago Bears will start an important weekend when the NFL draft opens in Pittsburgh on tonight. Shaw Local will be covering all things Bears throughout the three days of the draft. Here are all the latest updates.

Friday Night Drive has had its eye on some of the expected top returning players for the 2026 football season. The focus shifts to the secondary this week with 10 defensive backs to keep an eye on this coming fall.

Enjoy sweet treats from Utica businesses and play some carnival-themed games at Utica's Sweet Stroll: The Sweet Escape Carnival on Saturday, April 25.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, has proposed $1.2 million in federal funding which, if approved, could support efforts to expand Metra rail from Elburn to DeKalb.