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The Hall Red Devils defeated the St. Bede Bruins 69-57 on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 at Hall High School. Hall Senior Braden Curran got his 1,000 career point. Hall High School celebrated with its Hall of Fame ceremony before the game.

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The Lady Bruins defeated the Hall Lady Devils 43-31 on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 at Hall High School. Check out photos from the game by MaKade Rios.

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The Penguin Plunge was a successful fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Illinois, with participants taking frigid dives into the water at Skydive Chicago to raise money for the organization.

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Fire crews responded to a structure fire in the 3000 block of East 550th Road on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Mendota. The fire started in the chimney area. Fire departments from Troy Grove, Utica, La Salle, Peru, Mendota, and others across the region were dispatched shortly after 10p.m.

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The W.D. Boyce Council Lowaneu District held a Lowaneu Cub Scout Yukon on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 at Hall Township Echo Bluff Park in Spring Valley. Over 50 Cub Scouts from packs as far as Mackinaw attended the event. Scouts participated in crafts, cooking, cold first aid, slingshots, sledding and more. A Cub Scout Yukon is a Scouting America winter-themed, outdoor adventure event where scouts engage in cold-weather activities.

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Individuals from Amboy, Dixon, Hall-Putnam County, Mendota, Marquette, St. Bede Princeton, and Sandwich all competed during the Class 1A Regional meet on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 at Princeton High School.

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Crews are renovating the Appellate Courthouse on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in downtown Ottawa. The Appellate Courthouse is going through a renovation to make it more wheelchair accessible.

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Mendota defeated Newman 65-46 on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at Mendota High School. The Rockets suffer their first loss of the season as the Trojans improve their record to 20-5.

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The Academy of St. Carlo Acutis celebrated its first-ever all-school Mass on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Peru. As part of the celebration, students participated in a Eucharistic Procession from the school to the church. More than 350 students and staff members attended the Mass, which was held in observance of National Catholic Schools Week.