LaSalle County news

Shaw Local newspapers received a combined 33 awards Thursday, June 5, 2025, in news contest categories that included general excellence, photography, news writing, opinion writing, design, community service and editorial pages.

The Bureau County Special Schools BEST Program visited Aitken School, a one-room schoolhouse on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at the La Salle County Historical Society in Utica. The schoolhouse was originally established as a school in a deed notarized by Horace D. Hickok, brother of “Wild Bill” Hickok on Aug. 3, 1865. The schoolhouse was originally constructed in Troy Grove and “Wild Bill” Hickok attended school there. The La Salle County Historical Society hosts field trips to over 800 children each spring.

New vote totals on Tuesday show a Joliet candidate has become the third-highest vote getter for one of three seats on the Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees. 

A Joliet Junior College board trustee has appeared to have survived her reelection bid after fellow trustees censured her 15 times since 2024 and released a report a month before the election that claimed she harassed the college president.

A Will County judge has denied an emergency motion from a Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees candidate who wanted to prevent a trustee from casting votes on the board under the claim that he was “illegally appointed.”

Directors from Illinois Head Start centers, the federally supported child care and early education program, said they fear cuts, as it targeted in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.

Joliet Junior College’s president reported he’s been subjected to harassing behavior from two members of the Board of Trustees and the hostility of one of those trustees caused him to feel unsafe.

The Illinois River Valley chapter of the American Red Cross, which serves Grundy, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, and Will counties, has named a new executive director.

Fernando Martinez was sentenced Thursday at the La Salle County Governmental Complex in Ottawa for an armed Ottawa home invasion, during which shots were fired.

The La Salle County Board approved member James Reid during the La Salle County Board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 at the La Salle County Government Center in Ottawa. Reid replaces Beth Finley Smith in the District 4 seat.

Joann plans to close 500 of its 850 craft and fabric stores – including several across northern Illinois – the company announced on Tuesday.

State Sen. Li Arellano Jr., R-Dixon, and State Rep. Brad Fritts, R-Dixon, have been appointed to several key legislative committee roles.

The Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park is among five Illinois Department of Natural Resources areas receiving grants for deferred maintenance projects.

An appellate court upheld the pretrial detention of a former Joliet Outlaws motorcycle club member who for a second time is facing charges of killing a woman and hiding her body.

Heritage Corridor Destinations held an open house on Jan. 8 for its new office at 701 Essington Road, Suite 100 in Joliet. Attendees at the open house included business partners, community leaders and stakeholders.

Unofficial vote totals show a Democrat judge in Will County has a high lead over a Republican judge in DuPage County for the 3rd District Appellate Court race.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning effective from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday indicating possible fire danger for La Salle, Livingston, Grundy, Kankakee, Kendall, Will and DuPage counties.

Motorists traveling in the eastbound direction of Interstate 80 should consider alternative routes to avoid the area, IDOT officials said.

The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees is seeking applicants willing to serve as a trustee until the April 2025 election

The Regional Office of Education No. 47 is piloting a new student mentor program at Amboy Junior High School and Amboy High School during the 2024-25 school year that could help it and other districts ultimately find ways to improve student behavior, grades and attendance.

Shaw Media journalists received dozens of honors at the Illinois Press Association “Best of the Press” awards.

Thank you La Salle County first responders.

You’ll find a delightful array of coffee shops, bakeries and cafes that will kick-start your morning on the perfect note.

Streator Elementary Schools, under the direction of music teacher April Tamulen, Friday and Saturday, March 22-23, 2024, put on a production of "The Wizard of Oz - Youth Edition" at the Streator High School auditorium. Performers were fifth-graders and younger.

Democratic voters across seven Illinois counties delivered an overwhelming victory for Will County Judge John Anderson in his bid to become a justice on the 3rd District Appellate Court.

Despite all of its success over the years, Fieldcrest boys basketball has never been able to punch its ticket to state. It's something this season's Knights, 32-1 and winners of 22 straight, hope to change one win at a time.

Democratic candidates Cohen Barnes, Amy Murri Briel and Carolyn Zasada, all vying for the nomination for the 76th district seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, met Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, for meet the candidates forum at the DeKalb Public Library. The forum was organized by DeKalb Stands and co-sponsored by the DeKalb County Democrats.

The Illinois River was frozen solid upstream of the Starved Rock Lock and Dam on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. Barge traffic was minimal and has been halted upstream of the Starved Rock Lock and Dam because of the frozen river.

Lee, Ogle, Boone and Winnebago counties are now at high for COVID hospitalizations; severals others in the northern Illinois region have moved to medium.

The McHenry County Museum and Historical Society's new director, Wayne Duerkes, talks about need for additional space and love of northern Illinois history in the 19th century.

Here are some of our favorite photos from the Christmas season in La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties.

Daniel Thomas, deputy director of the Illinois State Tourism office, presented the cover of the fall winter 2023-2024 Enjoy Illinois magazine to owners Tim and Jennifer Bias on Monday at Camp Aramoni.

Check out photos of the new La Salle County Forensic Center in Oglesby.

Fire departments from all across the Illinois Valley responded Monday afternoon to a house fire on Dee Bennett Road, less than a mile west of the Starved Rock Marina.

More than 66,000 people can receive up to $5,000 from Illinois’ Unclaimed Property program – and all they have to do is open their mailboxes.

Fifty La Salle County girls and boys earned bids to the 4-H General Project Show at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, with 21 bringing home state fair medals.

The La Salle-Peru football team is changing its offense in 2023 in hopes of taking the next step after three straight playoff berths and first-round exits.

Livestock shows and the Broken Horn Rodeo were some of the events at the La Salle County 4-H Show and Junior Fair on Friday in Ottawa.

The La Salle County 4-H Fair opened Thursday at the fairgrounds in Ottawa with a number of 4-H projects. The fair continues through Sunday.

After hearing from 48 participants in 2022, a total of 195 people responded to the 2023 survey from the Bureau-Putnam Area Rural Transit. The survey was available to riders who made a reservation in 2022 and was also available at public locations and online.

The L-P/Plainfield co-op Rugby Club played La Salette Academy (Georgetown) on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at Howard Fellows Stadium at L-P High School.

A National Weather Service meteorologist said Thursday that areas near and south of Interstate 55 could could receive the most snowfall during Friday's storm.

Defensive pressure is what has made the Comets defense tough to face this season. Tuesday night, in a Three Rivers East battle with visiting Mendota, Newman forced 32 turnovers and allowed just 32 shots in a 66-46 win.

A HAZMAT team cleans up chemicals Tuesday at Carus Chemical in La Salle.

Unseasonably warm temperatures northern Illinois residents have enjoyed so far this winter won’t last as a cold front with plummeting digits is expected to hit the region this weekend, said a National Weather Service meteorologist.

A tractor-trailer semi truck rolled over on the west ramp to Interstate 39 on Friday near La Salle. La Salle and Utica fire and EMS were dispatched to the scene. The incident happened shortly before 9:30 a.m.

A week after suffering statewide losses at the ballot box, Illinois Republicans already are facing another potentially daunting prospect looming two years from now: former President Donald Trump’s third bid for the White House.

Starved Rock Media station WLPO celebrated its 75th anniversary Wednesday, at Senica's Oak Ridge in La Salle. WLPO went on the air on Nov. 16, 1947.

Voters cast their ballots across the Illinois Valley on Election Day.

Crews are paving the eastbound ramp at the Interstate 80 and 39 interchange on Wednesday, Oct. 26, near La Salle. The ramp work is part of a larger construction project to patch 36 miles of I-39 throughout La Salle County.