Princeton High School didn’t have to look far for its next head volleyball coach Libby Boyles, a 2022 PHS graduate who played for and coached under newly retired coach Andy Puck, was officially hired as PHS' new head coach at Wednesday’s school board meeting.

Bureau County Treasurer Joseph Birkey announced he will seek reelection for a third term in office.

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation will host “A Country Night for a Cause” on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Senica’s Oak Ridge Golf Club to raise funds for scholarships, grants and community programs, SRCCF announced in a news release.

The Granville Knights of Columbus donated $2,482.55 to Horizon House from its Tootsie Roll fundraiser.

Members of the Chief Senachwine Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution shared stories of their Revolutionary War ancestors during a Christmas party and potluck Dec. 5 at the Lake Thunderbird Clubhouse.

The Illinois State Police is investigating a death in Bureau County.

Here's a look at upcoming area boys and girls Christmas tournaments at LaMoille, Ottawa, Princeville, Prophetstown, Seneca, St. Bede, Sherrard

Supporters call it Medical Aid in Dying. Opponents call it assisted suicide. The health care network serving the Illinois Valley favors the latter phrase – and pledged to not engage in it.

Santi Slevin scored 16 points, Trustin Crew had 15, Jed Johns 12 and Matthew Gibson 11 as the Princeton Christian Academy Eagles high school team (2-1) won its second straight game Monday. The Hall girls beat Somonauk 61-35

Horizon House in Peru has launched its annual Tree of Hope campaign with a goal of raising $75,000 to support programs for people with disabilities.

Winners have been named in the 2025 Starved Rock Photography Show.

Saturday’s championship game was postponed to Saturday, Dec. 20 and the third- and fifth-place games were canceled due to travel concerns

Saturday’s finals of the Colmone Classic at Hall High School didn’t go as planned. The final three games of the day were not held, and the title game between Hall and Mendota was postponed to Saturday, Dec. 20

L-P senior Marquis Lorenzi took first place in Saturday’s Cavalier Classic at the Super Bowl with a 725 series. The Cavaliers placed fourth as a team, and Mendota was sixth.

Hall defeated two-time defending champion Fieldcrest 61-52 in OT, while Mendota edged IVC 67-60. They will meet for Saturday's Colmone Classic championship at 7:30 p.m.

GROW Spring Valley mounted a drive to assist the Hall Township Food Pantry and the finally tally astounded everyone. More than one and half tons of food arrived this week to meet the holiday demand.

Bureau County Metro Center - The Bureau County Metro Center is excited to bring back its popular Nerf Nights program, offering kids a fun, active, and supervised way to burn off energy during the winter months.

Illinois Valley Community College’s winter break begins next week with campus services operating through 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

Princeton High School girls, Princeton Christian Academy boys win. This and more in Thursday's BCR Roundup

Princeton falls to Eureka 67-57 while St. Bede edges Bureau Valley 59-57 in Colmone Classic crossover games Thursday night at Hall High School

Reserve your booth to one of Northern Illinois’ largest and most complete wedding expos.

Colin Mickow went to San Antonio last weekend for a trade show to represent an Indonesia shoe brand, 910, that’s coming to the US market. Then he showed off their shoes by winning the San Antonio Marathon on Sunday with a top time of 2:22.25, winning the race by five seconds

State rep. Amy Briel, D–Ottawa, will host a mobile DMV event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, at the Richard A. Mautino Memorial Library, 215 E. Cleveland St., Spring Valley.

The Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees will meet at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, in the Board Room (C-307).

Spring Valley jFK defeated Seneca 23-19 to capture the Class 2A Sectional on Wednesday. The Wildcats (20-1) advance to the 2A State quarterfinals on Saturday at Havana High School to face Dieterich (22-2) at 10 a.m.

The Bureau Valley FFA Greenhand Leadership Team will hold a pancake breakfast.

The Storm outscored the Bullets 13-2 in the third quarter to pull away to a 62-46 victory in their Lincoln Trail opener at Knoxville. Libby Endress had 21 points. Keighley Davis scored 18 points, Camryn Driscoll and Payton Brandt added 13 each to lead Princeton past Rock Falls

Hall wrapped up the Red Pool of the Colmone Classic with a 40-23 win over Putnam County. In other games Tuesday, St. Bede lost to Eureka and Princeton fell to IVC

Hall High School will host a Kids’ Night Out event for children ages four through fifth grade from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22.

The Illinois Valley Community College Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2026 IVCC-LPO Hall of Fame class.

Churches across La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties have announced their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service schedules for 2025.

While Bureau Valley and Princeton lit up the scoreboard for 169 points in Saturday's double overtime thriller, it fell short of the Colmone Classic record of 176 combined points set by Bureau Valley (92) and Putnam County (84) in 2019.

The Illinois Valley Alzheimer’s Caring Friends Support Group will host its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, in the upper level of the Peru Public Library, 1409 11th St.

The 2025 Colmone Classic is underway Saturday at Hall High School. Here’s all you need to know

The Mendota and L-P boys bowling and the L-P girls basketball teams all won on Monday. This and more in tonight's NewsTribune roundup

Spring Valley celebrated the Christmas season with the Spring Valley Lighted Christmas Parade, the Christmas tree lighting at the Mini Park, and other activities on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.

The holiday performances are scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at La Salle-Peru Township High School District 120.

The Colmone Classic is the only place for Princeton and Bureau Valley basketball fans have to watch their teams play out their rivalry this year and they sure got their money’s Saturday with the Tigers winning 86-83 in 2 OTs. Other winners were Hall, Fieldcrest and Mendota

The Bureau Valley Storm seventh-grade girls basketball team took two steps closer with one game left to capture a Class 2A state championship. The Storm defeated Riverdale Washington 37-20 in the quarterfinals and edged Greenfield 16-14 in a low-scoring semifinal.

Vivi Verucchi banked in a 3-pointer from half court with 1.8 second left to lift the Spring Valley JFK Wildcats to the Class 2A McNabb Regional championship. St. Bede defeated the Trojans to capture the Tri-County Conference opener on the Academy hardwood Friday night.

The City of Princeton celebrated their "Night of Lights" event on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. The event featured the Christmas tree lighting at Veterans Park a lighted Christmas parade down Main Street, Living Windows, a Candy Cane Hunt, and visits with Santa.

The Princeton Logan and Bureau Valley seventh grade girls basketball teams will take a similar trek toward an IESA state championship on Saturday. The Storm play at 1 p.m. at Riverton while the Lions head a little further south to play at 2:30 p.m. at Auburn.

The link to apply for scholarships is open through Feb. 5, 2026, at ivcc.awardspring.com.

Bishop Louis Tylka has renewed the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation Advisory Board amid growing public interest in the venerable’s legacy and canonization cause.

St. Bede Academy announced Thursday seven members of the Class of 2026 have been named Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

The Rotary Club of Princeton recently partnered with the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce and Bureau County Senior Center to hold a drive-thru food drive to support the Bureau County Food Pantry.

Princeton Logan captured the Class 3A Morris Saratoga Sectional seventh-grade championship on Wednesday, defeating Lisle 24-12. The Lions (17-3) advance to the IESA Class 3A State quarterfinals to face Hillsboro (23-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Auburn High School.

The Bureau Valley Storm captured the Class 2A Fieldcrest Sectional on Wednesday, defeating Seneca 35-22. The Storm (21-1) advance to the IESA Class 2A State quarterfinals to face Riverdale Washington (19-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Riverton High School.

You’ve seen one of the film adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” – maybe you watch one every year – why not make the traveling radio show a Yuletide tradition, too?

Bureau County Chorus and Princeton Community Band will perform a joint Christmas concert Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Community Life Center at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Princeton.