“It’s very exciting to have more retail invest in the city of Peru,” Mayor Ken Kolowski said when the store opened. “Our goal is to continue to create more retail and more jobs for our community.”

The Illinois Valley welcomed a few new coffee businesses this year.

Cajun Connection closed in 2023, but the loss of the nearly 30-year-old restaurant was softened with plans for a food truck.

If there’s one thing the Illinois Valley does well, it’s pizza, and in 2025, Peru lost two of its favorites.

Downtown La Salle welcomed new businesses in 2025 thanks to a renovation project.

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.