La Salle County

The Peru Police Department is one step closer to beginning the search for a part-time social worker, thanks in part to a grant from the La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Woodland's Nick Plesko has committed to continue his education at Monmouth College and his basketball career with the Fighting Scots.

Three years after an arson investigation was opened at the Kentucky Fried Chicken in La Salle, authorities have charged a former employee of the store.

A La Salle County jury will decide Thursday whether Malcolm Whitfield fired the shots that killed Shaquita Kelly and injured two others.

Here is the list of couples who applied for La Salle County marriage licenses from June 17 through July 15, 2025.

The City of La Salle will be making several sidewalks ADA-compliant, thanks in part to a state grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

A forensic autopsy conducted Tuesday indicated Ronald H. Burkart, 71, died from carbon monoxide intoxication due to smoke and soot inhalation from the fire, Ploch said in the release.

Five days after Shaquita Kelly was shot and killed, Malcolm Whitfield sat for a police interview and admitted being at a fight in Streator – but said he wasn’t the instigator and he wasn’t carrying any gun.

The committee believes the city could fund it with a 20-year bond. However, during Monday’s committee of the whole, some aldermen weren’t convinced.

The exhibit features a historic bedroom set donated by the Ford family of Tonica and a period rug donated by Tim Anderson.

A Streator man charged with shooting three people, killing one, turned down an offer by La Salle County prosecutors. Instead, Malcolm Whitfield plans to argue self-defense.

North Central Illinois Council of Governments' transportation committee identifies needs to improve transportation services for the general public with an emphasis on seniors, people with disabilities, individuals with lower incomes, and veterans.

What once was a sprawling lumberyard on the banks of the Illinois River, is now a place for small business and community events for residents in Seneca.

The Illinois Valley Parkinson’s Support Group will hold its monthly meeting from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, at the Utica fire station on Route 178 just south of Casey’s.

All 16 wines from August Hill Winery and Illinois Sparkling Co. earned medals at the 2025 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition, August Hill said in a news release.

Sidney A. Schiltz, age 42, of Sheridan and Melissa Vissman, age 31, of Ottawa, were discovered cause of death will be withheld at this time pending further forensic testing and court proceedings, Ploch said.

Now in its 23rd year, the free, week-long camp welcomed a new class of sixth-grade students from across the Illinois Valley—bringing the total number of graduates since 2001 to 652, according to a news release.

Two bodies were found burned from a residential fire in Sheridan, but prosecutors disclosed Friday both were shot. Two eyewitnesses told police it was Ronald Martin Jr. who pulled the trigger.

The plan will provide a proactive approach to marketing efforts and cohesive marketing tools as the Mansion expands its reach, drawing more tourists to the area and inspiring more visitors to experience the Mansion firsthand.

A Marseilles man faces up to 12 years in prison when he’s sentenced for setting fire to his brother’s house – and while his brother was trapped inside.

The Sheridan man charged with murder in connection with two bodies found in a burning home Thursday morning in rural Sheridan is in custody, according to the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office.

A Sheridan man has been charged with murder following the day-long investigation into the discovery of two bodies in rural Sheridan – but the suspect is not yet in custody.

A driver was charged Tuesday for a crash that killed a Princeton man on Thanksgiving weekend near Ottawa. He was using a handheld cell phone, prosecutors allege.

Kent P. Koehler, of La Salle, was charged with Possession with Intent to Deliver Heroin (more than 400g but less than 900g), a Class X Felony.

Authorities have confirmed two people were found dead after first responders rushed to an early-morning fire Thursday in rural Sheridan. A suspect is being sought.

At least two people were killed, and a third reportedly was wounded, following an early-morning shooting Thursday in Sheridan

A La Salle County grand jury convened Tuesday and returned the following indictments

New La Salle County Judge Mark Anderson was sworn in Wednesday.

The public is invited to help make Mendota neighborhoods better at one of two training sessions on July 23 and July 26.

Logan Petre argues he killed his father in self-defense, but Tuesday, at Petre’s murder trial, an investigator recovered evidence Petre may have tried to cover up the killing

Hundreds of miles and four days later, almost 100 bicyclists found ways to grieve, support each other and remember police officers killed while on duty in Illinois in 2024. Cycle Across Illinois benefiting the Illinois chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors concludes Sunday.

Will Peru residents get a refund for refuse not collected? The city is looking into it.

Peru’s proposed TIF district isn’t final yet – it’s getting close – but Mayor Ken Kolowski said there already there is burgeoning corporate interest in seeing the TIF created.

It would feature diving boards, a water slide, 25-meter competition lanes and a capacity of 434 swimmers. A committee thinks the City of Peru could fund it with a 20-year bond.

The City of La Salle has invited Peru residents impacted by the recent garbage strike to dispose of their bagged yard waste temporarily at the city’s yard waste drop-off location beginning Monday.

The next lecture at the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 20.

The Illinois Valley Alzheimer’s Caring Friends Support Group meets at 6 p.m. Monday, July 21 at the Peru Public Library.

The Oglesby American Legion will hold its monthly steak fry from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, July 24. 

Mendota residents will begin receiving garbage and recycling services from a new provider, Midwest Disposal of Dixon, starting the first week of August.

State Rep. Murri Briel and labor professor Robert Bruno will be the main speakers at the La Salle County Democrats annual picnic on Saturday, July 19.

Participants will create their own “snackle boxes,” portable containers filled with colorful, nutritious snacks, while learning food safety tips and organization techniques.

NCI ARTworks announced Friday the winners of its juried exhibition of more than 30 emerging artists at NCI ARTworks Gallery.

The first floor of La Salle-Peru Township High School is temporarily closed after a Sunday morning fire in the maintenance shop sent smoke into the first floor.

A lot of heat and little rain is putting stress on crops across La Salle County.

Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch (ValCom) has been officially recognized as a StormReady® Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) by the National Weather Service, marking a significant milestone in the agency’s commitment to emergency preparedness and public safety.

Across small-town landscapes to suburban yards and into the heart of urban cities, Illinois Master Gardener volunteers are passionate about the program’s mission of helping others learn to grow.

Police recruiting numbers are on the upswing with deputies and officers graduating from the academy at a higher rate. La Salle County Sheriff brought on two rookie officers this year.

Families have discovered a new extra-curricular organization for their daughters called American Heritage Girls.

Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch was recognized by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch as an accredited center of excellence for emergency police dispatching, IVRD said in a Wednesday news release.

Nearly 100 cyclists biked from Normal through La Salle County to DeKalb on Saturday, July 12, for Day 3 of Cycle Across Illinois, a charity campaign to honor fallen police officers and raise funds for their families. The group was led into town by DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan. They're expected to bike through the suburbs and end in Chicago Sunday after nearly 400 miles.