Maribeth M. Wilson

Coincide, a boutique shop at 225 N. Mill St. in Utica, will donate 25% of select item sales to Chicagoland Pig Rescue through Sunday, Dec. 21.

The La Salle-Peru Township High School Renaissance Students of the Month were recognized during a breakfast ceremony on Wednesday.

Four La Salle-Peru Township High School students were selected to participate in the Illinois Music Education Association’s 2026 All-State Student Programs, LP announced in a news release.

Putnam County Methodist Churches will host a community blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, at McNabb Fire Department, Goldasich Hall, 391 N. Route 89, McNabb.

A free lunch is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at Park Place, 406 E. Hickory St., Streator.

The Illinois Valley Community College Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2026 IVCC-LPO Hall of Fame class.

The Illinois Valley Alzheimer’s Caring Friends Support Group will host its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, in the upper level of the Peru Public Library, 1409 11th St.

The event is free and open to all children and families.

The link to apply for scholarships is open through Feb. 5, 2026, at ivcc.awardspring.com.

A decade-long tradition ended in Peru earlier this week after the city misplaced its former 15-foot Christmas tree.

The show is a fundraiser supporting the recent renovation of the auditorium. It will feature local performers singing and dancing to a variety of holiday favorites.

Dr. Dale J. Young has stepped into his new role as Illinois Valley Community College’s theater instructor and director, bringing decades of stage and teaching experience to the campus, IVCC said in a news release.

Selection is based on ACT or SAT scores and other academic criteria. Illinois State Scholars typically rank in the top 10% of their graduating class.

Get into the holiday spirit with Cavalier performers with choir and band concerts this month.

Luke McLachlan, a registered nurse with OSF HealthCare Ottawa Hospice, has been honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses after helping calm a distressed hospice patient and her family, OSF announced in a news release.