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Poco a Poco hosted two events April 5 at Park Presbyterian Church in Streator – its annual sampler fundraiser, selling $100 tickets to attend an intimate afternoon of mini concerts, visual arts displays, interviews and sampler desserts, and a public jam session for musicicians.

Streator High School honored its students of the month for April 2025 during its regular school board meeting Tuesday. 

Ottawa firefighters said a Tuesday afternoon fire at 1617 Sycamore St. was an accident. No injuries were reported.

Three people were injured, one critically, following a multi-vehicle crash Tuesday on Route 71 near Hank’s Farm restaurant in Ottawa. The crash pulled away some first responders tending to a fire.

The annual Bunny Fun 3K Run will take place at 9 a.m. on April 19 at Knudson Park in Marseilles.

Nicolaus Phillips says police had no business questioning him about an Ottawa shooting death without a lawyer present. Prosecutors say it’s a moot point because Phillips waived his rights. Who is correct? A La Salle County judge will settle that Friday, May 16.

Streator native 1st Sgt. Aaron Paus retired from the Illinois Army National Guard after 23 years and four deployments.

An original piece of history is on display at the Seattle Sutton Marseilles Museum, donated by Roger & Ruth Close –  the Nabisco factory’s time clock.

Let me answer some modern-day questions about Easter.

The Ottawa City Council recognized National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, honoring those who work with Ottawa Central Dispatch for their years of service.

The Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell baseball team - behind a three-run fourth and the pitching of Connor Dodge - defeated Putnam County 4-3 in a Tri-County Conference game on Tuesday. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

St. Bede got dominant pitching from starter Alan Spencer and big hits, including a grand slam from Gus Burr, as the Bruins topped Dwight 8-1 in Tri-County Conference action Tuesday afternoon.

The Marquette baseball team, led by three hits from Jaxsen Higgins and five shutout innings with 10 strikeouts from Alec Novotney, defeated Roanoke-Benson/Lowpoint-Washburn 10-0 in six innings in Tuesday's Tri-County Conference game.

An Oswego man found guilty in a deadly two-car crash that killed a Somonauk man in November 2021 is set to be sentenced in June.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation recently played a role in the 38th Annual Teen Showcase at Illinois Valley Community College.

The Streator Family YMCA will host its annual Healthy Kids Day from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 26, at 710 Oakley Ave.

A garage fire on St. James Street between Douglas Street and Ottawa Avenue in Ottawa was extinguished without any injuries on Monday night.

A community tuna drive benefiting the Marseilles Food Pantry will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27, outside the pantry at 200 Broadway St.

The buds on the trees, the layers of greens, the sprouting of spring flowers – the sense of renewal in nature is a powerful metaphor for the rejuvenation in our lives.

The Earlville baseball team scored five times in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Serena in a Little Ten Conference game on Monday. Serena, Newark and Somonauk softball teams claimed league wins. Plus more results from around The Times area.

The Ottawa softball team bounced back quickly from a two-run deficit against Kaneland in Monday's 5-2 Interstate 8 Conference victory in Ottawa.

Coal City scored seven runs over the opening two innings, only two of them earned, and stranded more than a few Streator baserunners in a 10-5 ICE Conference win Monday.

Rivalry games are never easy for teams. Throw in eight missing La Salle-Peru players and a talented Ottawa team made quick work of its Interstate 8 rival in a 7-0 victory over the Cavaliers Monday.

Ottawa’s Green Street will be reduced to one lane of traffic Wednesday, April 16, as contractors continue with construction of the box culvert.

The Streator Leading Ladies will host a pulled pork sandwich fundraiser this summer.

Seneca head boys basketball coach Russ Witte announced late last week he'll be retiring from coaching to spend more time with his family.

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Marquette baseball’s Griffin Dobberstein!

Laborers Local Union 393 members participated in the spring beautification project at the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Marseilles, cleaning out old mulch and installing new mulch, trimming trees and replacing old flowers.

The next Starved Rock Civil War Round Table is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, in Room 420 at Ottawa High School, 211 Main St.

The La Salle County Board wants to regulate wind and solar farms and has asked Springfield to tear up an existing law that limits its authority to do so.

The Streator Key Club raised $350 for the Thirst Project with its Walk for Water on Saturday.

Local quilter Becky Berry was honored with the Best of Show Award at the Hands All Around Quilt Guild Quilt show April 5.

Third through sixth graders will have an opportunity to make yarn wrapped birds at a program 4 to 4:45 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at Reddick Library, 1010 Canal St., Ottawa.

The Streator Public Library will host a sea creature scavenger hunt the week of April 14.

The Serena baseball team threw a combined no-hitter against Seneca on Saturday, while the Ottawa softball team earned a pair of one-run wins. Plus more results from around The Times area.

Hardscrabble Lions in Streator hosted Battle of Bars on April 4 at Jackpots, Eagles and Teke’s.

Ransom Grade School announced its honor roll for the third quarter of the 2024-2025 school year.

Ottawa Sunrise Rotarians welcomed the April Students of the Month.

Seneca junior pitcher Tessa Krull pitched a complete-game, one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in a 6-0 victory over Serena on Saturday. The Fighting Irish are now 10-0.

If I’m getting sentimental about libraries, I must start there, when I borrowed my first book.

The tree outside our window reminds me this morning of how the grounding aspects of the natural world have guided me through life.

The Streator softball team, behind homers by Joyce Walkling and Mya Zavada, and pitching of Makenna Ondrey, slipped past Sandwich 3-2 on Friday. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Seneca baseball team, which has recently dropped a number of close games, exploded with 14 hits and took advantage of eight Beecher errors in a 15-6 victory on Friday in Seneca.

The Streator Family YMCA was awarded Praesidium Accreditation by Praesidium, the leader in abuse risk management.

Ottawa Mayor Robert Hasty and the Historic Preservation Commission will host a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, at the City Council Chambers to present the final report on the South Bluff Historic Building Survey.

Residents near the Marseilles Training Area can expect noticeable explosions next weekend as the Illinois National Guard conducts Breach Range training, tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 12–13.

Longtime Seneca head boys basketball coach Russ Witte announced Thursday he'll be retiring from coaching after recording 284 wins at Seneca and over 300 in his career.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation recently awarded a $1,500 community grant to the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network for suicide intervention training.

A tentative labor agreement was reached Thursday between the Streator Elementary Association and the Streator Elementary Board of Education, according to a union official.

The Marquette and Seneca softball teams stayed unbeaten in Tri-County Conference play with wins on Thursday. Plus, more results from around the Times area.