The Seneca softball team battled to the very end but came up just short in a 3-1 loss to Carterville in Saturday's IHSA Class 2A championship on OSF Healthcare Field inside the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria. The Fighting Irish ended the season 39-3.

Marquette pulled away from Wilmington for an 11-2 victory in the IHSA Class 2A Herscher Sectional championship on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

Seneca and Carterville clash for the 2A softball title Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Peoria. Carterville took the win 3-1 in a tight game.

The Streator Fire Department is looking to use grant money buy new equipment while some repairs to its training center following damage caused by a burst pipe last winter.

The Illinois Elementary School Association completed its 2025-26 school year with the Class 3A/4A IESA State Meet at Eastside Centre in East Peoria, with multiple area large-school student-athletes capturing all-state honors.

The future of Streator’s Canteen Memorial remained under discussion Wednesday night as city officials continued conversations about whether the memorial should remain near the former Santa Fe Depot or eventually be relocated.

Some unlikely heroes – and some likely ones too – came through when the Seneca softball team needed it most Thursday in the Fighting Irish’s wild 8-6 Class 2A state semifinal victory over IC Catholic at Peoria’s Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

The Illinois Arts Council and the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum will sponsor a concert and program about the Underground Railroad next week.

A Streator man charged with sexually abusing a dog has been granted pre-trial release, albeit with multiple conditions.

The Streator City Council spent part of Wednesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting continuing work on a potential ordinance that would allow golf carts and other low-speed vehicles on certain city streets.

Here is the list of couples who applied for La Salle County marriage licenses from May 14, 2026, through May 31, 2026.

Marseilles will host the traveling “Remembering Our Fallen” memorial from June 16-21 in partnership with Patriotic Productions and the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial Marseilles Middle East Tribute Committee.

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Ottawa boys track and field state qualifier Joey Liebhart!

Longtime physical therapist at OSF HealthCare Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota Jared Wise was recognized for the compassionate care and encouragement he provides to patients recovering from injuries and surgeries.

The Marquette baseball team banged out 15 hits, including four home runs, in a 15-3 victory over IC Catholic Prep in Wednesday's Class 2A Herscher Sectional semifinal. The Crusaders will take on Wilmington at 10 a.m. Saturday in the championship game.

Mediacom Communications recently named Streator Township High School senior McKayla McBride as a recipient of its World Class Scholarship Program.

A Streator man faces up to three years in prison if convicted of sexually abusing a dog.

Tangled Roots Brewing Company, which has businesses in Ottawa and Lockport, is exploring the potential sale of the business, the ownership team said in a Tuesday news release.

The Streator Fire Department announced that firefighter Dustin Holland successfully completed his EMT Basic Course and passed the National Registry EMT examination last week.

The Streator City Council will continue discussions Wednesday night on a potential ordinance that would allow golf carts and certain low-speed vehicles to operate on some city streets.

After a slower start this spring, Illinois Valley farmers say this year’s growing season is beginning to catch up as the summer months are here. With that, rising fertilizer and fuel costs are changing the way farmers are handling their busy season this year.

Demolition is almost complete at the former Immaculate Conception Church site in Streator, with the main church building being taken down this week.

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

The Seneca softball team is looking to take two more steps, starting with Thursday's 2:30 p.m. IHSA Class 2A state semifinal against IC Catholic at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.

The event takes place in the parking lot at 814 Columbus St. and is hosted by the city of Ottawa in partnership with Midwest Computer Recycling Inc. The drive-thru is open to the public.

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

Seneca junior pitcher Hayden Pfeifer scattered four hits, walked one and struck out 11 in leading the softball Fighting Irish to a 3-0 Class 2A supersectional victory over Brimfield at EastSide Centre on Monday.

June is Men’s Health Month—a reminder that taking care of your health is not something you put off for “someday.”

Ottawa senior Joey Liebhart finished fourth in the Class 2A 300-meter hurdles in Saturday's IHSA Boys Track and Field State finals in Charleston, while Somonauk senior Landin Stillwell earned a pair of medals in 1A. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

Twin brothers Case and Caden Christensen handled the pitching, and the whole lineup chipped in on the hitting Saturday to lead Gardner-South Wilmington baseball to a 6-1, Class 1A title win at regional host Dwight.

Marquette claimed a 4-3 victory over Bishop McNamara with a walk-off two-run home run in the IHSA Class 2A Bishop McNamara Regional championship on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

Down to their last out, Marquette's Anthony Couch delivered a walk-off two-run home run to give the Crusaders a 4-3 win over host Bishop McNamara in Saturday's Class 2A regional title game.

The Ottawa baseball team was limited to just three hits by Metamora's Mason Sauder and the host Redbirds put together two big scoring innings in Saturday's 9-1 loss in the Class 3A regional championship game. The Pirates finished the season at 19-13-1, the most wins in 13 years.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer a free Tomato Troubles educational program from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, at the Seneca Public Library, 210 N. Main St.

Behind elite defense and another dominant outing from ace Maddie Simms, Gardner-South Wilmington punched its ticket to the supersectional while ending Serena‘s cinderella postseason run with a 4-1 victory on Friday night.

After Beecher turned a three-run deficit to a one-run lead with a two-out rally in the top of the seventh, Seneca's Emma Mino delivered the walk-off single in the Class 2A Pontiac Sectional championship to give the Fighting Irish their first sectional title in program history.

Ottawa’s Joey Liebhart, Streator’s LA Moton, and Sandwich’s Jacob Ross and Luis Murillo all advanced to Saturday's IHSA Class 2A state finals after Friday's preliminaries at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Mediacom Communications recently named Marquette Academy High School senior Serenity Guzman as the recipient of its World Class Scholarship Program.

The Illinois Valley Community College board of trustees approved the purchase of two vehicles to expand truck driver trainees’ and automotive students’ skills at its meeting Tuesday, May 19.

The Illinois Valley Community College Foundation selected five individuals to be inducted into the IVCC-LPO Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Illinois Valley Community College was recently presented with a $21,000 endowment to establish the IVCC VAC Scholarship by the La Salle County Veterans Assistance Commission.

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Streator girls track and field's Kinslee Sweeden!

Ottawa boys tennis state qualifiers Kaden Araujo and Ayden Sexton earned a win at the IHSA State Finals, a handful of area Class 1A track and field athletes advanced to Saturday down in Charleston, and more in The Times Thursday Roundup.

A large early morning fire on Wednesday damaged a garage, several vehicles and nearby buildings on Streator’s south side, prompting a large emergency response from multiple area fire departments.

The Ottawa Area Farmers and Makers Market is set to debut this weekend for the summer, hosting a variety of local vendors with a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony planned on Saturday morning in downtown Ottawa.

The Streator Lions Club recently held its bi-monthly meeting Wednesday, May 20, at the Oakley Club.

The $500 scholarship honors the legacy of late Ottawa police officer Brian Sember, who passed away in 2022.

The Marquette, Serena and Dwight baseball teams won regional semifinals on Wednesday to advance to Saturday championship contests, while Earlville/Leland had its season come to a close.

Adam Swanson pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout and launched a late three-run home run Wednesday night to lead the Pirates to a four-game season sweep of archrival La Salle-Peru 8-0 in the semifinals of the Class 3A Metamora Regional.

Serena senior pitcher Cassie Walsh blasted a tie-breaking two-run homer in the top of the seventh, then retired Newark in order in the Huskers' wild 10-8 win over the Norsemen in Wednesday's Class 1A Indian Creek Sectional softball semifinal in Shabbona.