Mendota YMCA Director Steve Donnell said Wednesday that the branch is not closing, but moving towards separating from the Illinois Valley YMCA based in Peru.

The park office released attendance figures through March 31 and Matthiessen had more first-quarter visitors (nearly 71,000) than in any year except 2024.

The event will feature youth entrepreneurs from Ottawa Central, Waltham, Dimmick and Peru grade schools with businesses offering baked goods, 3D-printed items, handmade bracelets, slime, handmade crafts and more.

The L-P girls soccer team won a conference game, St. Bede's Ranbir Saini threw a shutout, Fieldcrest baseball earned a walkoff win and more in Wednesday's NewsTribune roundup.

After leading the La Salle-Peru boys basketball team to 58 wins and three regional titles over the past three years, John Senica has resigned as the Cavaliers' coach.

Mobile home tax bills in La Salle County were mailed on Monday, April 13.

The car show will feature plenty of family-friendly activities to attract residents to the one year anniversary celebration of The Coffee Barn’s opening.

Grainco FS - As lawn care season begins, GRAINCO FS is inviting homeowners, landscapers, and local businesses to do something they may not realize they can do—walk right into the Ottawa turf facility and get professional-grade products and advice right on site.

A La Salle County grand jury convened Tuesday and returned the following indictments.

Jerome and Katherine Corcoran contributed $10,000 in support of the new building, which is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2027.

The annual MIMIC lab-to-table project is the culmination of months of development by sophomore Computer Aided Design (CAD) students.

The TBM Avenger and Salute to Veterans event returns to Peru on May 15-16.

The IVCC softball team swept Sauk Valley, the Putnam County baseball and softball teams beat Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell, and more in Tuesday's NewsTribune roundup.

The Ottawa boys tennis team topped rival La Salle-Peru 3-2 in Tuesday's Interstate 8 Conference dual at the Henderson-Guenther Tennis Facility at Ottawa High School.

The Hall and Putnam County softball teams won conference games, the St. Bede and Putnam County baseball teams won by shutout and more in Monday's NewsTribune roundup.

The Market on Mill, Utica’s outdoor retail plaza, will be opened for the 2026 season on Saturday, May 2.

If you’re a trucker hauling a messy or hazardous load, better make sure it’s secured. The City of Peru will now impose fines and costs for any transport that results in a cleanup.

Following a confirmed EF-1 tornado that touched down near Mendota, La Salle County Emergency Management Agency seeks residents to become trained weather spotters.

The Illinois Valley YMCA in Peru and the city of Mendota are in talks about what the future holds for the Mendota facility and its programs.

The La Salle County Board discussed the future of the La Salle County Nursing Home in a special Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday morning.

St. Bede placed larger schools over the weekend, L-P's Anna Riva and Princeton's Avah Oertel are hitting a lot of home runs and more in the NewsTribune softball notebook.

The Rev. Jeffery Windy will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood at a Mass to be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 17 at Holy Family Church, Oglesby.

He was the voice of the news for generations of listeners in the Illinois Valley. Now, Joe Hogan is retired from his last assignment to the City of Peru.

Natalie Naab launched a two-run home run off the scoreboard in the top of the eighth inning to lift Kaneland to a 3-1 victory over La Salle-Peru.

The Marquette baseball team - behind a clutch two-inning save from Jaxsen Higgins after a solid start from Alec Novotney, and homers from Braxton Nelle and Griffin Dobberstein - topped host Roanoke-Benson/Lowpoint-Washburn in Monday's Tri-County Conference game.

Utica has canceled the monthly meetings of the Utica Planning Commission and committee of the whole, previously set for Thursday, April 23.

The Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, in Board Room C-307 at the main Oglesby campus.

Participants will gain the tools to reduce stress, build self‑confidence, manage time, set goals and solve problems, communicate feelings more effectively, make tough decisions and find helpful caregiving resources.

Harbor House by Valentino’s opened last week at Heritage Harbor in Ottawa.

An Ottawa man was ordered detained Monday while awaiting trial on felony charges stemming from a Saturday shooting inside a bar.

An Ottawa man accused of beating a woman over 60 – the victim remains hospitalized – will stay in La Salle County Jail for the time being.

Despite cold and blustery conditions, 110 volunteers got together Saturday morning to cleanup the I&M Canal in La Salle for Perfectly Flawed Foundation’s 10th annual Earth Day cleanup event.

People from all over the Illinois Valley gathered Saturday at the I&M Canal’s Lock 14 in La Salle for the 10th annual Earth Day cleanup hosted by the Perfectly Flawed Foundation. More than 110 volunteers took part in the event, collecting trash along the canal.

There may have been a funnel cloud near Mendota on Friday night. The National Service has dispatched a survey team to confirm it.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation recently announced it elected Derek Barichello to the board of directors in February of 2026.

Connor Hopkins sits down on Classic Hits 106 with Luke Tomsha and Lori Christopherson of the Perfectly Flawed Foundation to discuss their upcoming 10th anniversary Earth Day Cleanup event.

The St. Bede softball team went 2-1 at the Elgin Larkin tournament, Earlville softball won big, Henry baseball earned a nonconference win and more in Saturday's NewsTribune roundup.

St. Bede senior Lily Bosnich set three meet records, the Bureau Valley girls won and the Storm boys took second at the title at Saturday's Rollie Morris Invitational.

Henry-Senachwine senior Alison Mitchell was voted NewsTribune Athlete of the Week after winning 11 of her 12 events across three meets.

Hall beat Putnam County in baseball, St. Bede topped Hall in softball, the Mendota baseball and softball teams each won in five innings and more in Friday's NewsTribune roundup.

After struggling against Morris for the past four years, La Salle-Peru won Friday to take two of three from Morris in an Interstate 8 Conference series.

The class is designed to help individuals better understand advance care planning and make informed health care decisions that reflect their personal values and goals.

Springtime Symphony, a bird hike with the park’s naturalist, will be at 7 a.m. Saturday, May 9 at Starved Rock. Registration is required.

Here is the list of couples who applied for marriage licenses in La Salle County from April 1, 2026, through April 15, 2026.

Illinois’ Native Reptiles, a live animal program, will be at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 26 at Starved Rock State Park Visitor Center.

Mendota's Sebastian Carlos set the school's 400 record, L-P baseball and softball won, Earlville softball edged Putnam County and more in Thursday's NewsTribune roundup.

One of La Salle County’s youngest-ever murderers is back in court. Tamil Adams plans to argue (again) he was wrongly convicted of killing a Streator woman.

A Peru woman charged with possessing nearly 2 pounds of cocaine entered a negotiated plea Thursday. Charnelle Mond is going to prison for six years.

Roads will be closed from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Monday, May 25, between Donahue Street south of 24th Street to the southern edge of the VFW parking lot.

Several gas stations in the city of La Salle are teaming up with the La Salle Police Department to reward safe riding habits on e-bikes and e-scooters in a display of community partnership in action, according to an LPD statement.