Students from St. Bede Academy earned top honors at a Feb. 27 regional academic competition hosted by Illinois Valley Community College. They finished first overall against several area schools.

St. Bede Academy will launch its annual Day of Giving, St. Benedict’s Day, on March 20. Alumni, parents, friends and community members are invited to come together in support of the school’s mission and students.

Oglesby Washington School released its honor and high honor rolls for the second trimester of the 2025-26 school year.

Five Ottawa Township High School juniors participated in state Sen. Sue Rezin’s Youth Advisory Council at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on March 3.

Ninety students across the Ottawa Township High School music department will compete in the 2026 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Solo and Ensemble Contest Saturday, March 7 at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School.

Illinois Valley Community College’s Jazz and Wind ensembles will perform concerts on Tuesday, March 3, and Thursday, March 5, in the Dr. Mary Margaret Weeg Cultural Centre.

Illinois Valley Community College will be closed to the public on Friday, March 6, to allow employees to participate in professional development sessions. There will be no classes that day.

St. Bede Academy announced Thursday the top 10 students of the Class of 2026.

The musical revolves around a school spelling championship and the eclectic group of six tween competitors who spell their way through each round hoping to survive, while candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their lives.