In February, Jo-Ann Fabrics announced plans to close 500 of its 850 craft and fabric stores, which included the Peru location.

Kick off the New Year with a winter hike at a state park in northern Illinois.

The open-air shopping venue with portable retail stalls is modeled after Batavia and Muskegon, Michigan.

Amazon opened a last-mile delivery facility in Ottawa in September, bringing in jobs while speeding up deliveries across the Illinois Valley.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois closed four health centers in March, including its Ottawa location.

The closure was announced in late 2024 when the company made plans to move forward with going-out-of-business sales at the remaining 963 Big Lots stores.

The last shoe repair shop in the Illinois Valley, Tino’s Shoe & Boot Repair in Ottawa, shuttered after 40 years this past October.

Illinois Valley businesses large and small closed in 2025. After less than a year in operation, Illinois Food and Deli in La Salle closed on April 30.

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Residents take advantage of hockey opportunities on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at Schweickert Arena's ice rink in Washington Park in Peru. The ice rink provides families and youth with outdoor winter recreation in the heart of the city.