Catch up on the week’s top Illinois Valley news and sports in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The town hall meeting at Oswego High School is part of her summer town hall series.

On Tuesday, the Bureau County Board approved an outside counsel to file a consent order to settle with two solar farms located just north of the Village of Ladd near Ladd Elevator at the intersection of Illinois Route 89 and 1800 North Road. The full board will likely vote to approve the project at the September meeting.

The Bureau County Courthouse will begin a modernization and elevator repair project beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 2, Bureau County Sheriff Jim Reed said in a news release.

A new event has been planned for the 170th annual Bureau County Fair in Princeton: a tractor show from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24. 

The Princeton Junior Woman’s Club Baby Contest has received two new entries for 2025.

The production opens at 7 p.m. Friday to Saturday, Aug. 22-23 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug.24, at Putnam County Community High School.

Read the transcript from our interview: Trace Adkins is coming to the Bureau County Fair, and spoke with Dani Holland ahead of his visit

Shaw Local Radio’s Dani Holland interviews country music superstar Trace Adkins as Adkins prepares to play at the Bureau County Fair on August 21 in Princeton

The University of Illinois Extension will host two upcoming cooking workshops focused on planning and preparing quick, healthy meals using seasonal ingredients, according to a U of I news release.

The Princeton American Legion Auxiliary 125 will be meeting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Legion Post at 1549 W. Peru St.

The city of Henry and the Chief Senachwine Chapter NSDA are set to unveil an Abraham Lincoln historical marker at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, at Henry’s City Park.

Online voting is available through Venmo to @P-Juniors-71. Voters must include the baby’s name in the “What’s it for?” line. Venmo votes will be accepted until noon on Thursday, Sept. 4.

Hall Township Food Pantry will distribute food 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 16 at 500 N. Terry St., Spring Valley to individuals and families in need.  

Scattered showers and thunderstorms could bring heavy downpours Monday evening capable of causing localized flooding across Will, Kankakee and Grundy counties.

Bureau County Farm Bureau will host preventive health screenings from 6 to 9 a.m. on Friday, August 22nd, at its office at 1407 N. Main St. in Princeton.

Protesters gathered on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, at Rotary Park in Princeton to stand against President Donald Trump's policies. Check out these photos by MaKade Rios.

Illinois residents could pay hundreds more for their marketplace insurance plans in 2026, said U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, to dozens of constituents Saturday.

The following property transfers were recently recorded at the Bureau County Recorder of Deeds’ office in the Bureau County Courthouse.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, visited with dozens of constituents Saturday at East Aurora High School as part of her August touring town hall, where she addressed questions on topics from health insurance to the Israel-Hamas War.

Princeton Junior Woman’s Club Baby Contest has received its next six entries for 2025.

The following property transfers were recorded between July 1 and July 15, 2025, at the Bureau County Recorder of Deeds’ office in the Bureau County Courthouse.

Community leaders and residents gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Spring Valley Community Center on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025.

The La Moille Lions Club will host its chicken dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, at 308 Howard St.

The Voluntary Action Center of Northern Illinois will host an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the new facility located at 1702 Fourth St. in Peru.

These marriage licenses were recently recorded at the Bureau County Courthouse.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood told a crowd at a Joliet town hall that she’s received no response from top federal officials regarding a report of a “reckless” immigration enforcement incident in the city. 

Payton Frueh of Ohio, Ill. competed in the 2025 Illinois State Fair Jr. Horse Show Versatility Contest held on Friday, July, 25 in Springfield. Frueh and her gelding, Cooper, won four of the five events and took home the Championship in Jr. Versatility.

Kathy Ballard is the 2025 recipient of the Betty Pretzsch Memorial Volunteer Award given to a 5-year member of the Friends of Princeton Public Library. She has been a member of the Friends of Princeton Public Library since 2016.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, will host a series of town halls in every county in Illinois’ 14th District this month, her office announced Friday.

National Night Out will take place on Tuesday, allowing Illinois Valley residents and officers to meet in a casual and fun setting.

The Pistol Shrimp closed out their 2025 season with a 4-7 loss against the Clinton LumberKings on Thursday, July 31, at Schweickert Stadium in Peru.

Marshall-Putnam 4-H and the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners recently partnered to host a flower arranging workshop at the United Methodist Church in Henry.

American Legion Post 180 will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the Post, located at 209 N. McCoy St. in Granville.

A now-fired La Salle County sheriff’s deputy was indicted Tuesday by a La Salle County grand jury on 10 counts of child sexual abuse images

The River Bend Food Bank will bring its mobile food pantry at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 31, to the Bureau County Fairgrounds, 811 W. Peru St., Princeton.

Princeton Junior Woman’s Club Baby Contest has received its next six entries for 2025.

The Bureau Valley District #340 Board of Education met in regular session on Wednesday, July 23 at the District Office in Manlius.

Shaw Media’s Jeanette Smith has been appointed to Heritage Corridor Destination’s Board of Directors.

Performances continue through Sunday, Aug. 3. Matinees at 2 p.m. take place on Saturday, July 26, Sunday, July 27, Wednesday, July 30, Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, Aug. 3.

Princeton High School has selected Christy Joehl as the newest member of the Academic and Career Hall of Fame. Joehl will be honored during a ceremony with the student body on Friday, Sept. 5.

A free community workshop on tips for packing snackle boxes will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday, Aug 4, at the Bureau County Farm Bureau in Princeton.

The Princeton Police Pension Board will hold a meeting at 1 p.m. Monday at the Princeton Police Department.

Area students have been recognized at Aurora University, Carthage College, Iowa State University and other schools.

Bureau County has secured a grant from the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice to launch a new initiative aimed at expanding access to legal help, Bureau County Circuit Clerk Dawn Reglin said in a news release.

Princeton Junior Woman’s Club Baby Contest has received its first six entries for 2025.

Princeton High School District 500 will hold registration for the 2025-26 school year from July 24 through Aug. 12.

The following cases were considered by the Bureau County Grand Jury on July 18.

Tiskilwa High School “Class of ’75″ will have a get-together for their 50th Class Reunion at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at Bureau County Fairgrounds in Princeton.

The sale will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, and from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 2. A light lunch will be available for purchase on Friday.