Culver’s of Ottawa received a prestigious Commitment to Excellence award and a Ruth award from the restaurant chain.

Marseilles‘ Tourism and Park Committee hosted its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 14. Parade participants lined up at the Marseilles Elementary School parking lot and marched along Broadway Street to Main Street, with participants dispersing at North Main Street.

If the Streator baseball team's top returning hitter and pitchers are as good as expected, what the rest of the Bulldogs can do around them could be the deciding factor if this spring’s Streator ballclub can reach its lofty goals.

Tuesday will be cold – the daytime high will hover around freezing – which surely won’t boost voter turnout. Even if it were spring-like, however, election officials doubt the polls will be very busy.

At the 2026 State of the City address, Mayor Robert Hasty announced that the city of Ottawa and Financial Plus Credit Union reached an agreement on a 15-year, $750,000 deal for the amphitheater’s naming rights.

The Ottawa City Council took its first steps towards adding a second McDonald’s to the city by granting a conditional use permit to James Bowe & McDonald’s USA after hearing a presentation at a meeting of the Ottawa Plan Commission.

Both Newark and Streator's girls and boys track and field teams were in competition in The Times Saturday Roundup.

The Marquette Academy seventh-grade girls volleyball team over the weekend scored a runner-up finish at the IESA Class 7-1A State Tournament.

The Princeton softball team scored six times in the second inning, then held off a late rally from host Ottawa to earn a 9-7 victory in both team's season opener on Friday afternoon at a cold and windy King Field in Ottawa.

The 2026 Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell baseball team enters to season with just nine players on its roster, but on the positive side eight of them bring in varsity experience.

La Salle County Sheriff’s Office is participating in a campaign to step up DUI patrols from March 13 through March 23.

The Streator Public Library was awarded a a $10K grant from The Pizza Hut Foundation to support its literacy programs.

Seneca No. 9 hitter Aurora Weber's soft-hit single tied it, a two-run Geneseo error gave the Irish the lead, and pitchers Tessa Krull and Hayden Pfeifer made it stand up as Seneca softball came back to top Geneseo 4-1 Thursday.

Pitching and defense are expected to be the strengths this spring of an Ottawa baseball team that has a good mix of experience and talent.

The Illinois Valley Brain Injury Clubhouse has been named the Streator Chamber of Commerce’s Member of the Month for March.

The musical will be performed a total of four times, with a senior citizen dinner and show on Tuesday, March 10 starting at 5 p.m., and three weekend shows starting on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and a Sunday matinee starting at 1 p.m.

The 2026 Streator High softball team doesn't have any seniors, but they do show a lot of encouraging signs for both the now and the future of the program as the spring season gets underway.

Marseilles will host it’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 14.

A team-by-team 2026 season preview for softball teams across The Times coverage area, including Newark, Serena, Earlville, Somonauk/Leland, WFC, Dwight, Fieldcrest and Sandwich.

Photos show storm damage on the north side of Ottawa after severe storms moved through Tuesday evening, including fallen trees and flooding.

NCI ARTworks will host an opening reception for artists Douglas Dalrymple and Jeri Sparks from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 13 at the NCI ARTworks Gallery, Peru.

There will not be any data center proposals entertained by the city of Ottawa for the next six months.

In an area loaded with softball talent and as the season gets underway, here are our picks for five players to watch across The Times coverage area.

Demolition is mostly complete at the former Immaculate Conception Church site in Streator, with the main church building still standing.

A tornado warning has been issued for southeast La Salle County and northwest Livingston County as a severe storm moves toward Streator.

Severe storms were moving through La Salle County as of about 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday night, with multiple weather alerts in effect, according to the National Weather Service.

Mayor Robert Hasty announced the grant at the recent State of the City event, hosted by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.

La Salle County officials are aware that Tuesday afternoon there was an accidental siren sounding in the 10-mile emergency planning zone of the LaSalle Generating Station.

The Streator Chamber of Commerce 112th annual awards dinner saw some of the city’s most community-drive individuals and businesses rewarded for their efforts over the past year.

The Marquette softball team will be young but returns a number of players with experience that will be looking to build off a 26-win, Class 1A regional championship season a year ago.

The Ottawa softball team has a solid mix of talent and experience coming off a 20-10 season in which it captured a third consecutive Class 3A regional championship.

Pi Day falls on Saturday, March 14 and the library’s festivities will go from noon to 2 p.m., with pie entries required to arrive by 11:30 a.m. Organizers recommend registering pie entries in advance.

The Streatorland Historical Society is raising funds to place a historical roadside marker near the grave of Sgt. George Poundstone, a Civil War soldier remembered for his actions during a deadly charge in Mississippi.

The Free Lunch Program, sponsored by Deacon’s and Hardscrabble Lions, serves a free meal the second Saturday of each month at Park Place, 406 E. Hickory in Streator, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Local historian Dave Reed will explore Streator’s connection to the Gettysburg Address at the JOY senior group’s first program of 2026 on Wednesday, March 18 at 1 p.m. at Park Place.

The Earlville softball team fell in its season opener at Orangeville on Monday afternoon.

How are you doing? Really – I want to know, how are you doing this week?

Bill Zens announced Monday he is stepping down as executive director of the Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Streator Family YMCA will host a free wellness program offering tools to manage stress.

The Seneca softball team returns eight starters from last spring's 34-2 ballclub including the 2025 Times Softball Player of the Year, pitcher Tessa Krull, hinting at another stellar season for the Fighting Irish.

The council officially requested permission from the Illinois Department of Transportation to temporarily close southbound La Salle St. from Washington St. to Center St. and portions of various city streets on Saturday, May 9, and to close Albin Stevens Dr. on Friday, May 8.

Morris Hospital - Chronic knee pain can significantly impact daily life. From difficulty walking and standing to disrupted sleep and limited activity, knee arthritis can gradually reduce independence and quality of life.

A dozen of local restaurants in Ottawa will serve up their own creative takes on classic midwest comfort food during Restaurant Week, a two-week celebration of the city’s food scene that will also support those in need.

The hearing was set to take place at Tuesday night’s council meeting, but was scrapped beforehand and is not expected to be considered for the foreseeable future.

While Hasty did not disclose other details, he said that formal announcements about the project will be made in the coming weeks.

McKinley Elementary School in Ottawa announced its February Champions of the Charter students.

Illinois Valley Community College’s Dr. Alfred E. Wisgoski Agricultural Education Center will name a classroom and conference center in honor of Compeer Financial.

The Streator Public Library recently announced its upcoming events and programs for the third week in March.

The Streator Lions Club is gearing up for several community events and service projects this year.

An Ottawa home caught fire and was quickly extinguished due to lightning on Friday morning.