Here are the winners for Best Taco and Best Mexican Restaurant in the 2025 Best of the Fox, Best of the Illinois Valley and Sauk Valley Favorites contests.

The phishing scheme involves text messages claiming that a tax refund has been processed and asking for banking information under the threat of losing their refund.

Northwest Illinois, eastern Iowa and southwest Wisconsin are home to frightfully fun haunted houses.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 6 of the 2025 high school football season

The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that construction on two Illinois 84 bridges in Whiteside County will begin Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. The project will clean and paint the bridges.

It was another strong week for the teams at or near the top of the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings as three new or returning teams joined the group. Check out this week rankings here:

Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie and state Rep. John M. Cabello are hosting a free paper-shredding event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Freeport.

Dixon's Rachel Drew and Oregon's Sarah Eckardt each advanced to this weekend's state golf meet. Jacob Voss' sectional title helped lead Fulton back to state, Dixon and Sterling fell just short and more in Monday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Whiteside County Sheriff John F. Booker is asking all residents to refrain from outdoor burning activities as the county continues to experience extremely dry conditions.

A Polo man was sentenced Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, to 5 years in prison for a January 2022 crash on a Sterling bridge that killed a pedestrian and injured a police officer.

The Chicago Bears will return to practice at Halas Hall on Tuesday after their Week 5 bye. After a 2-2 start to the season, here are five big questions the Bears will need to answer.

The Dixon American Legion will be serving chicken fried steak from 5-7 p.m.

U.S. District Judge April Perry on Monday declined to grant the state’s request for a temporary restraining order against sending troops, even though Illinois’ attorneys argued Texas troops could arrive by Monday evening

This popular fall craft beer festival will be held at the Sterling Marketplace on Saturday, Oct. 11.

Associates from the Dixon Walmart recently dedicated time and energy to support the Hope Cancer Wellness Center at 1637 Plock Drive in Dixon.

Morrison Park & Rec is playing host to Nightmare on High Street 3K Run/Walk and a disc golf glow in the dark tournament on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

Get caught up with Sauk Valley news, sports and features for the week of Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2025.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, reporting an airplane crash near Apple Hill Road, south of Mount Carroll, according to a news release.

Prophetstown Proud invites all ghouls, goblins, witches, wizards and princesses to join them Oct. 24, 2025, for a night of safe trick-or-treating on Main Street.

A $1,500 grant from the Fulton Community Fund will provide books for more than 40 Fulton children through the United Way of Whiteside County’s LIFE (Literacy is Fun for Everyone) program in partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

"I think the thing we talk about that kind of overarches everything right now is farm income. We’re very concerned as we continue to read the economic reports coming out of the University of Illinois." Brian Duncan, Illinois Farm Bureau president, said

Government aid might be necessary to help farmers get through this year if they cannot sell to China, but farmers say they would rather sell their crops on the market

Dixon golfer Brody Nicklaus took fifth at the Big Northern Conference meet and shot a 73 earlier this season. He is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week after an online vote.

Catch up on the week’s top Sauk Valley news for Sept. 29-Oct. 4 in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Dixon boys cross country topped 36 other teams at the Peoria Invite. E-P volleyball won the Sterling Invite, Sterling girls swimming took second and more in Saturday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Not often does a team score touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams in one game, but Matthew Blackert did that in one half for Newman on Saturday in a 46-7 home win over Mercer County.

There will be games, prizes and fun for all. The event runs from 6-7 p.m.

Pritzker, who called the move “absolutely outrageous and un-American,” said the Illinois National Guard received word from the Pentagon on Saturday morning that the troops would be called up

Odell Library’s annual Book and Bake Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 1, 2025, at Odell Public Library.

Luke Wadsworth, formerly of Dixon, has been promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Eastland-Pearl City beat Forreston, Fulton got in the win column, Oregon won big, E-P held on against Riverdale, Polo won and more in Friday's Sauk Valley football action.

Eastland-Pearl City defeated Forreston 51-24 in a NUIC conference game in Pearl City on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025.

Starters and reserves alike were making plays for Sterling in a 55-13 Homecoming win over Alleman on Friday night at Prescott Memorial Field.

Nathan Sandell, 34, faces charges of aggravated fleeing to elude, theft over $500, and possession of a stolen vehicle, according to a news release issued by Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker

The TALK-LINE interview for Oct. 1 featured Shaw Local News representatives Charlene Bielema and Brandon Clark looking at featured news stories, including a planned expansion at a Sterling business and substance abuse care in Rock Falls

Dixon Public Schools is searching for its next superintendent and is looking for community volunteers to help in the selection process. Want to help choose the best candidate? Here's how you can get involved.

Nationally recognized author Bob O’Connor, a 1963 graduate of Dixon High School, has published his 41st book – a Civil War novel, “John Lower 103rd Pennsylvania and the Christmas Pickle Tradition.”

Watch football and baseball playoff games at one of these lively sports bars in northern Illinois.

The Chicago Bears get a chance to reevaluate the first four weeks of the Ben Johnson era with a Week 5 bye this weekend. Here's how Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar graded the Bears four games into the season.

Dixon High School celebrated homecoming with a parade Friday, Oct. 3, 2025.

Erie-Prophetstown celebrated their homecoming week with a powder puff game, parade and a crowning of a king and queen from their separate high schools. The senior girls were the powder puff tournament winners.

In an atmosphere reminiscent of the postseason, Dixon scratched out a 25-22, 23-25, 25-17 win over a scrappy Newman squad in their nonconference rivalry match Thursday.

Sterling girls tennis had some competitive wins in a 4-1 victory over Dixon. Sterling volleyball beat Moline, Polo topped Oregon and more in Thursday's Sauk Valley roundup.

The program will highlight Brig. General Russell Volckmann, a World War II hero.

The 2025 Dixon High School Homecoming Parade will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3. Motorists should expect the route to be closed off to traffic for about one hour and are asked to use alternate routes.

Check out these delightfully frightening haunted houses in northern Illinois, guaranteed to bring the scares this season.

The Illinois Farm Bureau said August was the driest for the corn belt since 2013, and the Illinois State Climatologist’s office noted that as of Sept. 11, over 30% of the state was experiencing “abnormal dryness” to moderate drought conditions,

Autumn on Parade, Old English Faire happen this weekend in Oregon.

Check out these award-winning pizza places in Kane, Kendall and McHenry counties, as well as the Sauk Valley and Illinois Valley, to celebrate National Pizza Month during October.

Join hosts Eddie Carifio and JT Pedelty as they preview Week 6 in Illinois high school football in the western and southern portions of northern Illinois