Amy Anthenat, 50, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to the Class 4 felony of aggravated driving under the influence, with cocaine detected in her urine, and was sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections through an open plea agreement.

An Illinois appellate court has ordered a new hearing in a 2011 Sterling shooting case, ruling that a man convicted of attempted murder has possibly presented credible evidence of self-defense that was unavailable at trial.

An Amboy woman was taken into custody Thursday night in Dixon on an outstanding warrant for seven felony drug charges and subsequently charged with four additional felony drug offenses.

An Illinois appellate court has upheld the conviction of a Rock Falls man in connection with a fire at a Sterling apartment complex that killed three people in June 2020.

Shanna M. Hillers of Sterling is charged in Lee County with aggravated battery in a public place, a Class 3 felony; official misconduct of a public employee, a Class 3 felony; and abuse/criminal neglect of a resident of a long-term care facility, a Class 4 felony.

A Rochelle man has been charged with battering a pregnant woman after an April 13 incident in Rochelle

Nine criminal charges filed against a Rock Falls man in connection with shots fired at a Rock Falls party last summer were dropped Monday as part of a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to burglary in an unrelated case

A Rochelle man was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a warrant issued Feb. 17 for nine charges filed that day alleging he sexually assaulted, abused and exploited children.

A 22-year-old Chicago woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges tied to the October 2025 crash on Interstate 88 that resulted in the death of a 27-year-old Rochelle woman.

A Compton man has pleaded not guilty to charges that include attempted first-degree murder filed against him in the wake of an altercation April 12.

A Sterling landlord has been charged after an investigation into living conditions at an apartment complex discovered pest and rodent infestation and no smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, city officials say

A Whiteside County man has been charged with three counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and four additional traffic-related offenses following an incident March 20.

A Sterling man has been charged with aggravated fleeing or eluding a police officer and multiple traffic violations following a March 3 incident in Whiteside County

A Compton man is charged with attempted first-degree murder, weapons, and battery offenses after a fight near Compton, according to the Lee County sheriff

A Rock Falls man convicted in late 2025 of severely beating his 61-year-old neighbor is challenging his guilty verdict and 7-year prison sentence, arguing he was denied a fair trial due to Whiteside County’s previous systemic exclusion of qualified jurors from the jury pool.

A Lee County judge Thursday granted pretrial, conditional release to a Rock Falls woman facing nine sex-related charges that accuse her of sexually assaulting, abusing and exploiting minors.

A Lee County judge Thursday denied the release of a Dixon man charged with the sexual exploitation and assault of a child, despite his attorney’s arguments that prosecutors did not meet their burden of proof.

A Sterling man with a history of speeding convictions is now accused of fleeing police and driving over 100 miles per hour on Riverdale Road on March 31 near Rock Falls.

A Rockford man faces a multitude of charges after Byron police say he fled in his vehicle after being pulled over Saturday for suspected reckless driving, jumped into the Rock River and tried to swim to an island to avoid arrest.

Two people have been charged in connection with a residential break-in in Stillman Valley.

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.

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

A Dixon man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to one count of criminal neglect/abuse of an elderly person, a Class 3 felony.

A Lee County judge sentenced a Wisconsin man on March 19 to a maximum of 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two felony charges tied to a 2022 police chase in which an Illinois state trooper was shot at, but not injured.

The defense attorney for a Chicago woman accused of falsely reporting a shooting in Ogle County during a rodeo near Rochelle last year argued Tuesday that the charges were filed in retaliation over controversy about such events and should be dismissed.

A Mount Prospect teen accused of possessing a firearm and fleeing from police will be detained until at least his next court appearance, prosecutors said

Three Dixon residents have been charged in connection with an investigation into a theft at the Nelson Township Building on Sunday night.

Christopher L. Lindsley, 42, was taken into custody on a warrant around 3 a.m. Monday after police spotted him riding a bicycle while wearing a wig on the Peoria Avenue bridge in Dixon.

A Woodridge man charged with leading police on a high-speed chase Wednesday will remain in jail until at least his next court appearance, prosecutors said

A 38-year-old Dixon man was sentenced Wednesday to 120 days in the Whiteside County Jail and four years of probation in exchange for his guilty plea to a 2023 charge of possessing an image of child sexual abuse.

Duane “DC” Meyer, 43, was found guilty Jan. 29 of murdering Maggie (Rosko) Meyer, 31, and the couple’s 3-year-old son, Amos, in their Byron home Sept. 19, 2016.

Two men accused of leading police on high-speed chases will remain in jail until at least their next court dates, prosecutors said

A judge has ruled that Whiteside County may have been improperly excluding jurors for years, raising questions about whether the county’s jury selection process violates state law and defendants’ constitutional rights

Editor’s note: Today marks the second installment of a two-day series about the growing number of women charged with domestic assault.

A Lee County judge on Thursday denied a furlough request made by a 65-year-old Dixon man charged with attempted murder and home invasion.

A Sterling man is jailed in Whiteside County as a result of an investigation into a criminal sexual assault allegation

Editor’s note: Today marks the first installment of a two-day series about the growing number of women charged with domestic assault

A Rock Falls woman has pleaded not guilty to nine sex-related charges, several of which accuse her of sexually assaulting, abusing and exploiting minors

A Monroe Center man was sentenced to prison Friday after pleading guilty to identity theft and aggravated fleeing.

A Rock Falls man was sentenced to 7 years in prison Thursday for severely beating his 61-year-old next-door neighbor in August 2022 after months of feuding

A Lee County arrest warrant is being issued for a Georgia man who failed to appear in court Wednesday on a drug charge related to a stranded vehicle check in rural Amboy two months ago.

Trent Schafer, 21, of Kasbeer, is charged with one count of arson in connection with the 5-alarm fire that firefighters from nearly a dozen departments fought throughout Friday

A judge will hear arguments May 15 on a defense motion asking for a more detailed explanation of the charges filed against a former Carroll County sheriff’s deputy in connection with the 2024 death of a Mount Carroll teen.

David D. Lowtharp, 57, was sentenced to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections through a plea agreement.

Camren Hastings, 18, is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, and aggravated use of a firearm as a person under the age of 21, a Class 4 felony.

A Cedar Rapids man who served prison time for joining rioters entering the U.S. Senate on Jan. 6, 2021, and taking video of sensitive documents, will be sharing his story and answering attendees' questions at the Twin City Conservatives’ Feb. 28 meeting in Rock Falls

Franklin T. Houston, 28, was found guilty Wednesday of the felony offense of injuring a police officer while resisting arrest and the misdemeanor offenses of resisting a police officer and disorderly conduct.

A Sterling man has been sentenced to 4 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to a 2024 aggravated battery charge – a Class 2 felony because it involved a police officer – and a separate 2023 aggravated battery charge.

Three people have been charged in Carroll County in connection with several local agencies’ investigation into the theft of two utility vehicles and tools