From Capitol News Illinois: Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, who was convicted last year of shooting an unarmed woman, has begun serving his 20-year prison sentence with the Illinois Department of Corrections in an undisclosed location

Here are Robin Rethwill's photos from Rochelle's sophomore boys basketball game with Byron. The Hubs lost the game 62-61.

From Capitol News Illinois: Surrounded by states with abortion restrictions, Illinois has become a destination for patients from across the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022

Rochelle-area Monmouth College students made the dean’s list for the fall 2025 semester.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point conferred degrees to 534 graduates for the fall 2025 semester.

The Chicago Bears will need to clear up some salary cap space over the coming weeks to get under the cap. Here are a few potential Bears players who could become salary cap casualties.

Byron students at Rockford University were named to the dean’s list for the fall 2025 semester.

A single-family home in Dixon that sold for $390,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Ogle County over the past week.

Funds must be used exclusively for programs benefiting local residents. Applications will be accepted through Feb. 27.

From Capitol News Illinois: The debate over how to regulate data centers in Illinois is intensifying as lawmakers struggle to balance a host of competing interests.

From Capitol News Illinois: Providers warned that flat funding combined with rising operating costs and continuing funding cuts at the federal level could strain services statewide

A single-family home in Dixon that sold for $390,000 is leading the list of the best real estate deals in Ogle County in the past week.

The day after Indiana made a major play to lure the Bears, officials involved in negotiations with the team on this side of the state line played defense, saying the team still is very much interested in Arlington Heights

The Leaf River Soaring Eagles 4-H club had its monthly meeting Feb. 9.

In longtime Ottawa head coach Mark Cooper’s final game at Kingman Gym, the Pirates scored a season-high 74 points in a memorable regular season finale win over Rochelle on Friday night.

OPINION: Another year, another bloated, tone-deaf budget from Gov. JB Pritzker. And once again, working families are expected to foot the bill.

Here's a list of upcoming events at the Byron Public Library.

The Chicago Bears will travel to Indianapolis for the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine next week as they progress through the offseason. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar preview the combine and what they can learn from the Bears in Indianapolis, plus some stadium talk

Camren Hastings, 18, is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, and aggravated use of a firearm as a person under the age of 21, a Class 4 felony.

The Chicago Bears will head to Indianapolis next week for the NFL Scouting Combine as the NFL offseason takes shape. Here are three things that we can learn from the Bears at the combine.

From Capitol News Illinois: Two Illinois high school students worked with a legislator and stakeholders to draft a bill mandating disposal programs for electronic smoking devices like vapes

From Capitol News Illinois: Fidel Marquez, a former executive for electric utility Commonwealth Edison, was sentenced to two years of probation Thursday for his role in a yearslong bribery scheme intended to influence ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan

The Ogle County Master Gardeners invite community members to grow their gardening knowledge through two free educational programs offered in March and May at the Julia Hull District Library, 100 Library Lane, Stillman Valley.

The Chicago Bears made their first cost-saving move of the offseason Thursday. Chicago announced that it released linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga.

The daylong celebration of percussion will feature student solo and ensemble performances, competitive events, awards presentations, and a highly anticipated large group showcase highlighting regional ensembles and collegiate performers.

From Capitol News Illinois: Republicans were less generous in their assessment of the budget picture Pritzker painted. But they found some items to agree on, including slightly less charged rhetoric than his 2025 speech, which was delivered just weeks into Trump’s second term

The following events are happening at the Mt. Morris Senior & Community Center.

The Chicago Bears announced Thursday that they promoted Jeff King to be the team’s new assistant general manager. He'll replace Ian Cunningham, who left to become the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons last month.

The Chicago Bears’ potential move to Northwest Indiana took a key step Thursday morning. The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee passed an amended Indiana Senate bill 24-0 that would set up a framework for a new Bears stadium in the area.

The long-stalled legislation would allow the Bears to negotiate directly with local taxing bodies over the amount of taxes that should be paid on at least a portion of the sprawling property for up to 40 years

From Capitol News Illinois: In his eighth State of the State address, Pritzker focused on affordability issues affecting Illinois residents and blamed President Donald Trump for the state’s tight financial condition

Now that the Bears are good, the payroll decisions only become more of a puzzle, and shedding DJ Moore's salary could impact the defense more than his skillset affects the 2026 team and beyond, Marc Silverman writes

Franklin T. Houston, 28, was found guilty Wednesday of the felony offense of injuring a police officer while resisting arrest and the misdemeanor offenses of resisting a police officer and disorderly conduct.

Byron’s Skylar Palmgren was named to Mount Mercy University’s fall 2025 dean’s list.

From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker is proposing a $56 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 with minimal new spending. Pritzker’s plan does not include major new taxes but would create a new tax on social media companies

Individuals who are passionate about nature, conservation and strengthening their communities are invited to apply for the Illinois Master Naturalist Program, now accepting registrations for its spring 2026 training cohort.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Ogle County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

The Chicago Bears officially announced four changes to Ben Johnson’s coaching staff on Wednesday for the 2026 season.

Illinois residents planning to vote by mail in the March 17 general primary are encouraged to get that ballot in the mail extra early, or use a drop box instead.

From Capitol News Illinois: A Republican lawmaker who introduced a bill to outlaw abortion in Illinois has resigned from his GOP leadership position in the Illinois Senate after conversations with top Republicans

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker will propose a plan during his State of the State address to drastically limit local governments’ authority to restrict the types of structures that can be built on property zoned residential

Nick Westgerdes of Rochelle, an accredited farm manager, licensed real estate broker in Illinois and Wisconsin and Illinois auctioneer, recently announced the launch of New Roots Farm Brokerage, LLC.

A combination of warm temperatures, dry conditions, and strong westerly winds will lead to an increased threat for fire spread on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

The “Those Were the Days” presenter at the Oregon Depot on Feb. 28 will be Highland Community College’s Lifelong Learning instructor, Mark Peterson.

In a letter sent to Chicago Bears season ticket holders Tuesday, team president and CEO Kevin Warren announced that season ticket prices would go up by an average of 13.5% in 2026. Warren cited “detailed analysis and market research” as the reasoning for the increase.

From Capitol News Illinois: Mendrick has been a vocal critic of the state’s SAFE-T Act, and also says public schools should return to focusing on teaching basic skills such as reading, writing and math, and that they should have to compete with private schools for enrollment

Eliminating income taxes on young people, encouraging companies to hire more Americans, and slashing regulations are among the solutions to affordability problems proposed by some Republicans running for U.S. Senate.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles will need to find a way to boost his defensive line this offseason in order to help the Bears build upon a successful 2025. Here's a look back at how Poles has tackled the line during his first four years in Chicago.

From Capitol News Illinois: Lawmakers say a long-stalled proposal to help the Chicago Bears build a domed stadium in Arlington Heights is gaining “positive momentum,” as negotiations intensify over a bill that would freeze the team’s property tax assessment for up to 40 years

Here are Robin Rethwill's photos from a Rochelle seventh grade girls basketball game in DeKalb.