This summer, WQPT PBS invites families to join its “Summer of Adventure” tour, featuring guest appearances at library story times and community events throughout the region.

The Whiteside Area Career Center’s Health Occupations students have earned a 100% pass rate on the Certified Nursing Assistant exam, according to a news release.

On this episode of Talk Line, host Brandon Clark talks with Janna Groharing of Sterling Main Street about upcoming summer events, including the Big Boy train stop, the Twin City Farmers Market, and the season’s first Cruise Night in downtown Sterling.

The Sterling High School Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony was held on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at Roscoe Eades Field in Sterling.

Catch up on the week’s top Sauk Valley news for May 10-16 in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

A single-family home in Compton that sold for $320,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Lee County / Whiteside over the past week

Here's a list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle counties' property transfers for May 4-8, 2026.

A Sterling man has been charged with armed violence, weapons and drug offenses, accused of unlawfully carrying a gun while walking on a Sterling city street while toting a large amount of fentanyl.

Construction will begin Monday, weather permitting, on Illinois Route 2’s west-bound lanes in Sterling, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Friday.

Sterling American Legion Post 296 is inviting the public to a Memorial Day ceremony to salute veterans who have died. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. May 25 at the Grandon Civic Center in Sterling.

Movie in the Park will feature “Disney Pixar Cars” at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, at Grandon Civic Center in Sterling.

Sterling’s long-awaited Northwestern Steel and Wire Park will officially open at 11 a.m. June 13. That is the date and time for the official ribbon cutting that will open the park to the public.

On this episode of Talk Line, host Brandon Clark talks with Lauren Metzler of Sauk Valley Voices of Recovery about Tevin’s Tribe and its overdose awareness and prevention event happening later today, focused on education, support and saving lives.

A Whiteside County judge again threw out a jury panel as concerns grow over how jurors are selected and outdated names remain in the system

To graduate from the Honors Program, students must maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average and fulfill specific curricular requirements.

OSF Saint Katharine – Center for Health in Sterling continues to expand access to specialty care in Whiteside County with the addition of Dr. Andrew Feyh, a board‑certified general surgeon, and Taylor Carroll, a nurse practitioner bringing gastroenterology services to the clinic.

Historian Tom Wadsworth will present a historical look at the area's religions Sunday at the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society.

A Dixon man faces a charge of aggravated fleeing alongside several traffic violations alleged to have occurred in March in Sterling and Rock Falls

By day, Ryan Jandrey works with bodies. By night, he studies faces. He's chasing through portrait art something most people miss – faces, structure, and the fine line between likeness and feeling.

A job search workshop will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Sterling Public Library.

Whiteside County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched about 11:45 a.m. Saturday to a traffic crash involving a vehicle and a bicycle on U.S. 30 near Blue Goose Road, Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker said

In the Sauk Valley, disputes over gas-powered bikes have drawn ire from residents and law enforcement in recent years. Taking a clearer, statewide approach to e-mobility rules is a welcome step toward protecting riders, drivers, and pedestrians alike.

A Sterling man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for attempting to traffic methamphetamine from California to Illinois.

Catch up on the week’s top Sauk Valley news for May 3-9 in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Eight Sauk Valley students have qualified for the Youth Equestrian Development Association National Championships, which will be held the first week of June in Lexington, Virginia.

Here's a list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle county property transfers for April 27 to May 1, 2026.

The 10th Sterling High School FFA Farmapalooza introduced nearly 2,000 grade-schoolers to jobs, animals and gear related to agriculture Thursday.

Rock Falls native Remington Collins, a soprano singer, returns to the area to perform with organist Dominic Fiacco.

Residents' concerns over uncontrolled intersections and high-speed drivers in a residential area brought debate to the Sterling City Council on Monday.

A Cook County man faces nine felony charges – including burglary, theft, and forgery – after authorities say he stole merchandise from the Sterling Menards store and paid over $1,600 to the store using a forged check.

The renovation of the new cafeteria, which will open Monday, May 11, marks the final phase of CGH Medical Center’s extensive hospital lobby renovation project that began in 2023.

It will be an open forum meeting with breakfast and hot coffee, as the group discusses topics such as local and abroad news.

Sterling High School's FFA program held its 10th Farmapalooza event Thursday, May 7, 2026, in the high school parking lot.

The three officers graduated April 23 from Sauk Valley Community College‘s police academy, where they completed 16 weeks of training.

A Sterling man was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday after admitting he set a 2023 Sterling house fire in the middle of the night after learning a registered sex offender lived there

National Land Institute’s Legacy Tree Program announces the May Tree of the Month is a tulip tree located on private property in Sterling. It is 65 feet tall, has an average crown spread of 85 feet and a circumference of 18.25 feet.

The annual award seeks to recognize outstanding educators who go above and beyond for their students.

After 11 years leading Sauk Valley Community College, David Hellmich steps away, and leaves behind a legacy shaped far beyond its Dixon campus.

Here's a list of Whiteside County property transfers for April 27 to May 1, 2026.

As the school year winds down, families across the Sauk Valley begin the seasonal shift into summer routines. While the break offers a well-earned change of pace, it also presents a challenge: keeping kids active, engaged and connected.

Naomi P. Chamberlain of Sterling is among 102 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students who will be recognized as Chancellor’s Scholars during the undergraduate commencement ceremonies May 9 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The prayer breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, May 7, at New Life Lutheran Church in Sterling.

Alexandra Setchell plans to attend the University of Iowa to study pre-medicine.

Catch up on the week’s top Sauk Valley news for April 26-May 2 in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The Millie Moo Foundation in Hillsdale has been selected as the first-place recipient of the ninth annual Sterling Federal Bank Charity Challenge, earning the top award of $20,000 to support pediatric cancer families and fund agricultural scholarships.

Here's a list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle property transfers for April 20-24, 2026.

Lucille Oetting plans to attend St. Louis University and continue her athletic and academic career in softball and physical therapy.

Protestors gather at Central Park in Sterling on Friday, May 1, 2026, to rally against the Trump Administration.

From the Sterling City Council to the Riverfront Commission, people are looking for answers about the Northwestern Steel and Wire Park and when it will be open to the public.

Authorities have confirmed that a Dixon man who jumped into the Rock River in mid-April has been found dead in the Rock River near Sterling