Sterling

Theater manager Lori VanOosten said that when the work is finished later this week, both of the theater’s two viewing rooms will each feature 165 seats, including 20 recliners, 117 rocker-back lounge chairs and seating for 28 people in the tabletop area.

Teen charged with attempted murder is accused of shooting two other teens shortly before 6 p.m. July 23 in the area of 13th Avenue and East Fifth Street in Sterling. A 17-year-old boy was shot in the head, and a 14-year-old boy was struck in the leg, police said.

The contest play entry took second place and group interpretation took third in their respective events at the Huntley High School Sectional. 

A Sterling woman has pleaded guilty to mob action and been sentenced to probation in connection with a December 2024 home invasion in Sterling.

Rock Falls Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Sommers said the departments are losing $825,000 in federal Community Project Funding appropriations they had planned to use to build a burn tower where firefighters from both communities could train in live-fire conditions.

A Whiteside County judge has ruled that enough evidence exists to move forward with a criminal case that accuses a Sterling man of setting an October fire that destroyed a Galt home.

State Rep. Bradley Fritts, R-Dixon, will host a prescription drug drop-off event from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 12, in the parking lot of the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, 211 Locust St., Sterling. 

Dixon Rural and Dixon City firefighters, along with Advance EMS, were dispatched to a residential structure fire at 4:41 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at 8259 S. Main St. in Grand Detour.

Beginning May 12, donated pasta items can be delivered to New Life Church at 702 W. Lynn Blvd., Sterling, during office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Candidates Julie Aitken, Pamela Capes, Tyler Holesinger and Savannah Mussington answered questions, some of which were submitted by the public.

Property transfers for Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties for March 3-16, 2025.

Nearly three years ago, Sterling Public Schools decided to release its students early once a week to find a way to help those who were struggling academically. According to district officials, the move is paying off with rising proficiency scores.

Janette and Chris Garza have owned and operated B’lush Salon for 8 years.

Residents are reminded to have their yard waste placed by the edge of the road no later than 6 a.m. each Monday, or Tuesday if Monday is a non-working day due to a legal holiday.

This spring, Whiteside, Lee, Ogle and Carroll county voters get to decide who will make the important decisions regarding their communities, schools, townships, fire departments, parks and libraries.

Shaw Local reporter Brandon Clark spoke with Jim Wise about his vision for Sterling leading up to the Sterling City Council election on April 1.

Ryan Nares, a candidate for Sterling City Council in the April 1 election, sat down with Shaw Local reporter Brandon Clark to discuss the biggest issues in Sterling.

Allen Przysucha, a candidate for Sterling City Council, answered questions from Shaw Local reporter Brandon Clark on the key issues facing Sterling ahead of the April 1 election.

Jon Mandrell, Sauk Valley Community College vice president of Academics and Student Services, moderated the 2025 candidate forum at Sterling City Hall, where candidates Jim Wise, Ryan Nares and Allen Przysucha answered questions.

This is the second such project Morningside has put together, the first benefitting the Rock Falls Police Department.

The TALK-LINE interview for March 19 featured Shaw Local News representatives Charlene Bielema and Brandon Clark covering stories in our area featuring the rental housing situation that the city of Sterling is facing and how the city council is dealing with it.

According to the new ordinance, inspections will begin after June 1, 2025, and registration forms and a complete inspection checklist will be developed and provided to all landlords in advance of the implementation of the program.

The decision to waive the bid process and accept a proposal from Jefferson Fire and Safety for the purchase of a customized Rosenbauer King Cobra firetruck with a 101-foot articulating aerial ladder came after a series of reports on the state of the department’s apparatus.

Sixteen fire departments were involved in the fire call.

Property transfers for Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties for March 3-9, 2025.

PFLAG Sauk Valley is a community of LGBTQ+ individuals, their family members, and allies. We find strength in sharing the certainty that – despite current political rhetoric – society actually benefits from building each human’s sense of belonging.

A group of veterans is “jumping out of a perfectly good airplane” to honor their brothers- and sisters-in-arms.

Booker: I am writing to you today to strongly urge your support for the upcoming public safety tax measure. As the sheriff of Whiteside County, | have witnessed firsthand the growing demands placed on our law enforcement, fire and emergency services.

The Dixon Rural and City fire departments and Advance EMS were called around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2025, to a barn fire at 2124 Sink Hollow Road, according to a news release.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office will increase its efforts to focus on stopping alcohol- and cannabis-impaired driving, unbuckled driving, speeding and distracted driving.

The child care crisis continues to roil the workforce while employers and managers still struggle to hire skilled job applicants, according to a statewide poll of business leaders

This is a free event but donations will be accepted at the door for the Concerns of Police Survivors organization.

Nearly 300 people gathered in front of Sterling’s Grandon Civic Center and post office Friday to protest President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk. However, not everyone at the protest disagreed with Trump’s policies.

Classical Blast in Kilts concert, Dixon Family YMCA Shamrock 5K and annual St. Patrick's Day parade on slate of things to do.

Representatives from Business Employment Skills Team, Inc. (BEST, Inc.) and Illinois Department of Employment Security will be on hand to share information and resources for area job-seekers.

Wise: We must create a new revenue source to cover a deficit of operating the county's 911 call center. That new revenue source is the Public Safety Sales Tax, and the referendum question will be on the April 1 ballot. 

Allen Przysucha: Even though I don't necessarily want to pay more taxes, I do support the public safety tax. It is unfair that Sterling and Rock Falls are funding the 911 Center for the entire county.

Pam Capes: Continuing education and honest conversations with our students regarding cyber bullying and inappropriate content is ongoing. Removal of the cell phones during the day could potentially reduce those types of interactions significantly.

Julie Aitken: At the end of the day, we want each of our schools to have the necessary tools to reach the best educational outcomes for our students.

SHS English teacher Lauren Fritz said the Knitty Gritty Project teaches students how to knit scarves, which are then donated to local elementary schools. Fritz’s students recently donated 105 scarves to Franklin Elementary School — enough for every first-grade student.

Here is a list for property transfers for Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties for Feb. 24 to March 2, 2025.

Eleanor Aitken plans to earn her degree in environmental education and interpretation from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and hopes to become an interpretive National Park Ranger.

Tom Wadsworth will present his program on Charles R. Walgreen on March 9 at the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society, 611 E. Third. St., in Sterling.

Teams have six weeks to design, build and test a robot that can complete the competition goals. The robots must meet specific guidelines and perform various tasks during the competition, such as picking up and placing objects while navigating obstacles.

In 2023, the City Council approved donating an out-of-service firetruck.

The Sterling High School robotics team works on the team's robot Wednesday, March 5, 2025, as it prepares for an upcoming competition.

The TALK-LINE for March 5 featured Shaw Local News Network reporter Brandon Clark covering a story out of Sterling concerning rental homes and how the city council is trying to work with those in need of help with their units.

Sterling Deputy Fire Chief David Northcutt said the new truck is needed to replace Truck/Tower 4, the department’s only truck with an aerial ladder.

Students at Sterling's Challand Middle School and Dixon's St. Anne's School spent Thursday, March 6, 2025, exploring Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Sterling Knights of Columbus Council No. 662 fish fries will be March 7, 14, 21 and 28 and April 4, 11 and 18.