After months of renovations, demolition and installation of new fixtures, painting walls and selecting tiles, Kelsey and Dane Stier were ready to welcome their first guests at the renovated Knox Hotel on North Main Street in downtown Princeton.

Princeton the girls basketball team won the Ottawa Holiday Tournament with a 57-44 win over Metamora on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025 in Kingman Gymnasium at Ottawa High School. Check out photos from the game by Tom Sistak.

OSF Saint Clare Medical Center in Princeton recently notified patients that some of their personal and medical information may have been exposed in a breach involving its former electronic health record software vendor, Cerner.

Check out these decorative Christmas homes and parks throughout the Illinois Valley.

The Princeton Foundation has officially launched operations to support charitable, educational and civic needs in Princeton and surrounding communities.

The Bureau County Farm Bureau will be closed Dec. 23-26 for the Christmas holiday.

Firefighters from Malden, Bureau, Walnut, Princeton, Spring Valley, Ladd and Wyanet responded to a structure fire in the 300 block of South Chestnut Street on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 in Princeton. Flames could be seen when the fire departments arrived coming from the second story. The fire happened shortly after 5:15p.m.

Christmas For Kids received a $7,000 donation from First United Methodist Church in Princeton on Dec. 9.

In addition to antiques, Nellie Roberts Curiosity Shop offers old-fashioned candy, licorice, bubble gum, coffee, and teas.

State Bank of Toulon has contributed $50,000 to Freedom House’s capital campaign for a new domestic violence shelter in Kewanee, Freedom House announced in a news release.

The Illinois State Police is investigating a death in Bureau County.

Churches across La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties have announced their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service schedules for 2025.

Princeton senior Casey Etheridge is the NewsTribune Offensive Football Player of the Year for the third time after running into the record books this fall.

Fireworks were launched during the Christmas Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 at the Bureau County Fairgrounds in Princeton. The fairgrounds also holds a Home for the Holiday Light Show. The show is a family drive-thru experience featuring light displays and a few special guests to greet you. The show is open Friday's and Saturday's generally runs from 5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m. and on Sunday's 5p.m.-8p.m. through Christmas Day.

The City of Princeton celebrated their "Night of Lights" event on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. The event featured the Christmas tree lighting at Veterans Park a lighted Christmas parade down Main Street, Living Windows, a Candy Cane Hunt, and visits with Santa.

The Rotary Club of Princeton recently partnered with the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce and Bureau County Senior Center to hold a drive-thru food drive to support the Bureau County Food Pantry.

Princeton High School has announced that eight seniors from the Class of 2026 have been designated as Illinois State Scholars.

Princeton High School’s scholastic bowl team placed third at the Riverdale Early Season Tournament on Nov. 15 with a 6-2 record.

The OSF HealthCare Saint Clare Medical Center Tree of Lights campaign in Princeton is underway.

he Arukah Institute of Healing has provided space for the center at 1916 N. Main St. in Princeton, but organizers need community volunteers for overnight staff positions, the news release said.

Ladd Mayor Frank Cattani will speak about the Cherry Mine Disaster and his recent trip to Italy at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Bureau County Genealogical Society building.

Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services confirmed the remains as Princeton's Austin J. Rossler in a laboratory report received Friday, Nov. 21, Workman said.

The Princeton-Illinois chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution hosted Rodney Johnson of “Flags of Freedom” at their Nov. 1 meeting.

People strolled Main Street during the Christmas Walk on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 downtown Princeton. The event featured horse-drawn carriage rides, festive food and drinks, carolers, and a Christkindl Market.

Teams from Bureau, La Salle and Marshall-Putnam counties came together to showcase their flying skills during a drone competition on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 at the Second Story Teen Center in Princeton. Second Story Teen Center partnered with the University of Illinois Extension of Bureau, La Salle Marshall and Putnam Counties. Drones and awards were purchased through a grant and donations from Compeer Financial.

The Princeton Moose Lodge will host a Sock Hop Dinner and Dance from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28.

The Princeton High School junior varsity scholastic bowl team recently competed in the Butterfield-Pitz Memorial JV Scholastic Bowl Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Moline.

The Evangelical Covenant Church in Princeton will partner with St. Louis Catholic Church and St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church to serve its 25th annual free Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27.

The Prairie Arts Council will usher in the holiday season with The Magic of Christmas, a charming community theater children’s musical written and directed by Rachel Gorenz-Johnson. Performances will be held at the Prairie Arts Center, 24 Park Ave East in Princeton, on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., with a matinee on Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children, and may be purchased by calling (719) 290-0954. The production is supported in part by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and The Princeton Closet, helping bring this seasonal tradition to the community.

Citizenship ideals at Logan Junior High School in Princeton emphasize curriculum and extracurricular activities.

Hundreds of people waited in line for free gift bags during the grand-opening of Aldi on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 at the corner of Backbone Road and North Main Street in Princeton. The 12,000 square feet store began construction in May of this year. The first 100 people in line were given a chance to win a golden ticket to win a $100 gift card. The store hours are 9a.m.-8p.m. daily.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days in the Prouty Building on Main St. in Princeton.

Princeton High School and Logan Junior High School students recently participated in the ILMEA District 2 music festival on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Shaw Local Radio's Annie interviews Terry and Rodney Johnson of Princeton. Terry runs local Quilts of Valor and Rodney runs Flags of Freedom I-80.

Students at Lincoln School honored Veterans on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Princeton. A pair of United States Coast Guard commanders, Erin Chlum and Matt Saldivar, were the guest speakers during the event.

Logan Junior High School in Princeton recently announced its high honor roll for the first quarter of the 2025-26 school year.

Open Prairie United Church of Christ will hold its annual Christkindlmarkt, a traditional German Christmas market, on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

OSF HealthCare will hold a free community health event on Friday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bureau County Metro Center, 837 Park Ave. W, Princeton.

The Princeton High School scholastic bowl team recently began its 2025-26 season at the Illinois High School Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association Novice tournament Saturday, Nov. 1 in Bartonville.

When Bureau County native LeeAnn Joyce enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1983, she fulfilled two dreams at once, becoming a nurse and serving in the military.

Illinois lost an estimated 2,936 men in Vietnam – the sixth-highest toll among all states. Dozens were from local communities, and their sacrifices continue to resonate with family and friends

Students at Logan Jr. High School recognized local Veterans during a Veterans Day program on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 in Pannebaker Gymnasium in Princeton.

Region 3 will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at the Bureau Putnam Area Transit, 535 Elm Place, Princeton.

Students and staff held a halloween parade on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 at Jefferson Elementary in Princeton.

The Harlem Wizards played a game against local Princeton Elementary School teachers and principals on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, at Pannebaker Gymnasium at Logan Jr. High School.

Search our table to see what designation your Bureau County school received on the 2025 school report card.

The Bureau County Christmas For Kids is collecting toys and donations to support families in need this holiday season.

Have you noticed excavators moving dirt along May Road in Peru? Work is being done at the The Illinois Valley Reliability Project encompassing a 23-mile stretch of 138-kV transmission line, upgrading and rebuilding the existing Princeton substation in the City of Princeton, and building a new switching station called Lima located near Peru. The transmission line will improve energy reliability for communities in La Salle and Bureau Counties. It includes constructing the new transmission line will connect the Princeton substation to the new Lima switching station. The Lima station will provide electricity to the City of Peru and La Salle County by adding the feed and supporting future growth and development. Currently Bureau County is served by a single radium feed and that is their only energy source. This project promises to change that narrative, introducing an additional feed that will not only enhance the resiliency of Princeton but also provide much-needed support to the entire Bureau County region. As the project progresses, Ameran will submit two final routes of the project with the Illinois Commerce Commission in 2026. Once the certificate is granted, the ICC will approve a final route. Ameran will then contact land owners to collect information, understand the opportunities, easement and compensation will be discussed with each land owner. Access roads will be built throughout the line from Peru to Princeton along Interstate 80. Steel poles will be built from a height of 80-120 feet tall with 7-8 structures (poles) per mile with a average span range of 700-800 of line feet between structures. The plan is to have the project completed and operational in 2029. The Illinois Valley Reliability project will enhance economic growth for now and in the future.

The Harlem Wizards played a game against local Princeton Elementary School teachers and principals on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 at Pannebaker Gymnasium at Logan Jr. High School. The Harlem Wizards began in 1962 by founder Howie Davis. The event was a fundraiser for the PES PTO to support school activities like field trips, assemblies, and teacher stipends. The Harlem Wizards won the game by a score of 87-76.

The Princeton-Illinois chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held its annual Day of Service to celebrate the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution’s 135th anniversary on Oct. 3.