Although nothing was actionable, Streator City Council spend part of its meeting this week discussing how to handle golf carts, electric bikes, ATV and UTV’s on city streets.

“When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.”

The Serena girls basketball team defeated Indian Creek 43-22 in Friday's championship game of the 45th annual Little Ten Conference Tournament at Serena High School. It's the Huskers fifth straight title at the event.

Somonauk/Leland's girls basketball team claimed third place, Earlville's girls won the consolation title, and in boys action Dwight topped Seneca. That and more in The Times Friday Roundup.

All activities on Saturday, Jan 24 at OTHS are not cancelled and are currently on schedule.

The Streator Elks Lodge #591 is giving back to the community with donations that support local students, veterans and families in need.

The Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees Facilities Committee will meet at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to review current and upcoming construction projects.

The Ottawa Township High School Wind Ensemble will perform at the Illinois Music Education Conference (IMEC) on Jan. 30 at the Peoria Civic Center.

Uwill Mental Health and Wellness will extend services to evenings, weekends and other periods when the college is closed, and the on-campus provider Transformative Growth is not available.

Shaw Local Radio’s “Day” Jones interviews Derek Barichello from the Streator Chamber of Commerce about their upcoming Bowling Challenge on Jan. 31, their Valentine’s Day Retail event, as well as Caffeinate and Connect on Feb 6

A life-threatening cold is settling across the Illinois Valley this weekend, with warming centers opening to provide relief for those in need.

The Serena girls basketball team defeated Somonauk/Leland in the semifinals of the Little Ten Conference Tournament on Thursday night to advance to Friday's championship game. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The Marquette boys basketball team used a solid game from all five starters, a huge night on the boards and a 16-4 third-quarter advantage to top host Newark 56-41 on Thursday night. It's the third straight win for the Crusaders and eighth in their last 10 outings.

The next club meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Chipper’s Grill. Anyone interested in joining the Lions Club is welcome to attend.

Illinois Valley Community College’s Continuing Education Center will offer a 12-session Private Pilot Ground Training course from 6-8 p.m on Tuesdays beginning Feb 3 at the main Oglesby campus.

School districts across the Illinois Valley have announced full closures or shifts to e-learning on Friday due to the dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills forecast.

After several years of a seller's market, housing in the Illinois Valley, and across the nation, is beginning to show signs of leveling out in 2026.

Northern Illinois Seamless Roofing - Winter weather can be tough on a home and business, and the roof frequently takes the brunt of it.

The city of Ottawa is partnering with the Conservation Foundation to provide its residents with the opportunity to purchase a rain barrel with no delivery fee.

The Ottawa Township High School Educational Foundation is inducting Gale Landers into its 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Seneca and Marquette's girls basketball teams both won to set up the Tri-County Conference Tournament's consolation game, with Sandwich's boys also scoring a win. That and more in The Times Wednesday Roundup.

The Lisle wrestling team came out victorious in eight of Wednesday's nine contested varsity matches at Streator, six of those victories coming via first-period pinfall in a 62-12 Lions triumph at Pops Dale Gymnasium.

The Streator City Council meets Wednesday at 7 p.m. to consider fire department lift-assist fees, a public works union contract and back taxes for the Eagle Theater.

The fast-casual restaurant chain will be building their Ottawa location at 106 W. Etna Rd, between Thorntons and Tapatios.

Concepcion Villa Herrera, 50, was last seen around 6:20 a.m. Sunday after his vehicle was involved in an accident at the roundabout on Route 6 and 178 in Utica.

Marquette, Woodland and Leland boys basketball all scored home wins Tuesday, Streator's boys won on the road, and Serena's girls got a tournament victory. That and more in The Times Tuesday Roundup.

Deer Park School announced its students that qualified for honor roll in the second quarter of the 2025-26 school year.

An Ottawa man was picked up early Tuesday by the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force on multiple charges and violations.

Two people were taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation Tuesday morning after fire broke out in Fire on Fifth, located in the Westclox building.

The Oglesby American Legion will hold its monthly steak fry from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22. 

Congratulations to The Times Athlete of the Week, Streator girls basketball’s Audrey Arambula!

The Seneca boys wrestling squad picked up dual victories over Prairie Central and Streator on Monday, while the Fieldcrest boys and girls basketball teams dropped games in the McClean County/Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament. Plus, more results from around the Times area.

The No. 3-seeded St. Bede girls basketball team used a game-changing 13-0 run in the fourth quarter on the way to a 57-46 triumph over host and No. 2-seeded Dwight in Monday's semifinal of the Tri-County Conference Tournament.

St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School has announced its 2nd quarter honor roll for the 2025-2026 school year.

Trenity Kimes, a senior at Ottawa Township High School, has been named the OTHS Educational Foundation Student of the Month for January.

The Streator Public Library will host a variety of programs for children, teens and adults from Jan. 26 through Feb. 1.

Lin Garden restaurant is temporarily closed for cleanup and restoration following an apartment fire early Saturday in the building.

Jake Siena and Ava Offerman, students at Marquette Academy, have been named Illinois State Scholars.

Applications must be completed and submitted to the Regional Office by 4 p.m. on April 16. Applications are available at roe35.org.

The Rotary Club of Ottawa Sunrise has recognized two high school seniors as January Students of the Month.

At the risk of being labeled naïve and unrealistic, I am exploring in this week’s column a reality I have experienced myself on many occasions.

Seneca’s Raiden Terry at 120 pounds and Sandwich’s Cooper Corder at 150 both captured titles at Saturday’s Comet Classic Tournament in Braidwood hosted by Reed-Custer. Plus, more results around the Times area.

The Seneca boys basketball team - sparked by back-to-back fourth quarter 3-pointers by senior guard Brayden Simek - closed out Saturday's 64-56 win over Sandwich on a 14-0 run at the MLK Shootout at Seneca High School.

Illinois Valley Public Action to Deliver Shelter (IV PADS) will host its 3rd Annual Coldest Night of the Year walk on Saturday, Feb. 28, in Ottawa.

Ongoing search efforts are scheduled to resume with the assistance of the Illinois Conservation Police.

The Ottawa Fire Department extinguished an apartment complex fire in a multi-use building early Saturday, rescuing two residents from the structure.

How many new visitors will the New York campaign bring to Starved Rock State Park? Probably not that many, tourist officials say.

The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association announced that it will be awarding over $58,000 in college scholarships throughout the state of Illinois to students wishing to pursue higher education during the 2026-2027 academic year.

For the first time ever, the Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle is hosting a romantic dinner. The dinner will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Feb 14 on the mansion’s main level.

Playing all 32 minutes, Brennen Stillwell scored 22 of the Bulldogs’ 30 second-half points for a 55-49 Illinois Central Eight Conference victory. The Bulldogs held off a second-half charge from the Tigers and put an end to a seven-game losing streak.