Storm damage assessments have preliminarily confirmed an EF-1 tornado caused damage in northwestern Lee County on Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Investigator's report indicates Justin Wiggins of Dixon was a student pilot on an instructional flight at the time of the crash, which happened shortly after 3 p.m. March 20 in the area of Thome and McNeil roads near Rock Falls.

Illinois Wesleyan University’s dean’s list for the fall semester of the 2025-26 academic year consisted of 885 students from 31 states and 23 countries.

Disney’s “Newsies” takes center stage at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 18 and at 2 p.m. April 19 as Chadwick-Milledgeville School District’s spring theater department production.

A Lee County judge set an April 15 hearing for Plano man facing several drug and domestic battery charges in Lee and Dupage counties.

A Sterling man has been charged in Whiteside County with possessing child sexual abuse material.

The Illinois Retired Teachers Association Foundation has announced the availability of $42,000 in grant funding to support Illinois public school teachers.

The Polo Women’s Club brings public awareness by annually planting blue and silver pinwheel gardens at the Paul Grahling Park (Division and Mason) each April.

A Dixon man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to several aggravated domestic battery charges, including some that accuse him of strangulation and great bodily harm.