Author: princetonmays

PRINCETON – Princeton coach Tiffany Gonigam knew she had to try something different.
The Tigresses weren’t getting the job done offensively, making just 3 of 15 shots. They were held scoreless the final 6 1/2 minutes of the first half while falling behind Hall 21-10 at the half.
After a little halftime motivation, Gonigam simply turned to her defense to make things happen. The Tigresses held Hall to four points in the third quarter, just nine in the second half, to score a 34-30 win over the rival Red Devils.
“We just had to fight,” Gonigam said. “I mean we were in a terrible position at halftime. We hadn’t shot the ball very well. We were real happy to hold them to 21 points at the half. At their place, I think they scored 57 total. So we thought defensively we were in an OK position, we just had to start making shots.”
“One way for us to do that is turn up the pressure. held them to nine in the second. Unfortunately, we got ourselves in position where we didn’t have much choice, but to fight and claw and try to create some chaos.”
PHS junior Keighley Davis said the Tigresses knew they had their backs against the wall.
“I think knowing that we were down and needed to win this game and and push back really got us going,” Davis said. “We knew we needed to come back to get conference eventually.”
With the win, and Kewanee’s loss at Newman on Thursday, the Tigresses (17-9) moved into a first place tie atop the Three Rivers East with the Boilers at 7-2. Hall fell to 5-4 in the league, 16-11 overall.
Princeton held Hall to a single field goal in the third quarter with two free throws to cut what was a 13-point deficit to 25-18 at quarter’s end.
The Princeton storm continued in the fourth quarter.
Princeton’s Camryn Driscoll drives baseline on Hall’s Natalia Zamora in Thursday’s game at Prouty Gym. The Tigresses won 34-30. (Mike Vaughn)
Paige Jesse, one of four PHS seniors honored on senior night, opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer. Camryn Driscoll scored off a quick steal, Davis took in a layup before Driscoll dropped a floater on the right baseline to give the Tigresses their first lead since the first quarter at 27-25.
Hall didn’t score until Charlie Pellegrini split two free throws to make it a 27-26 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. The Red Devils managed only one more free throw by Kennedy Wozniak and a late 3-pointer by Wozniak to make it 32-30 Princeton with 17.9 seconds left.
The Tigresses didn’t score a basket in the final 4 1/2 minutes, but got just enough free throws, 4-4 by Driscoll and 3-4 by Reese Reviglio, for the win.
Hall coach TJ Orlandi knew what was coming, but said the Red Devils couldn’t do anything about it.
“We took good care of the ball in the first half and we talked about it at halftime, ‘They’re going to try to speed us up. It’s the style they want to play.’ Somebody on the floor has to get a handle on things,” Orlandi said. “It can’t always be timeouts to try to calm us down. I don’t care if it’s a sophomore, junior, senior. Doesn’t matter. Somebody has to take control out there and get us calmed down.
“It’s a tough one. Outside of the press, for a lot of stretches, we outplayed them. Couldn’t take care of the ball second half.”
Driscoll led all scorers with 15 points for PHS and Davis added 11.
Ella Sterling led Hall with 11 points, but only had two in the second half. Natalia Zamora added six.
“Honestly, I thought we guarded well tonight. Thirty four points is a good defensive effort,” Orlandi said. “And I think a lot of baskets were giveaways. So in the halfcourt, i thought we played really well and played good defense.”
Gonigam said a game like this and others in the past week against Sherrard, Ottawa and Seneca will only prepare the Tigresses for the postseason.
“We’re in a position from last week through the rest of our season, there’s not really an easy game,” she said. “You’re going to be in tough positions. Every game’s going to be a battle, especially in the postseason. And you want to be able to look at your kids and know every time they go out and touch the floor, they’re not going to give up. And that’s what they did tonight.”
Hall’s Kennedy Wozniak and Princeton’s Paige Jesse wrestle for the ball in Thursday’s game at Prouty Gym. The Tigresses won 34-30. (Mike Vaughn)
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Ottawa’s Ella Schmitz runs in for a layup as Princeton’s Reese Revigilo defends on Monday in Kingman Gymnasium at Ottawa High School. (Scott Anderson)
OTTAWA – In Monday’s girls and boys basketball doubleheader at Kingman Gymnasium, the Ottawa girls used a late burst to post a 54-49 win over Princeton, while the Tigers’ boys raced to a 20-point lead early in the second quarter in an eventual 54-38 triumph over the Pirates.
The games originally were scheduled for Jan. 21 but were postponed due to cold weather.
After a 10-all first-quarter deadlock, the Pirates trailed for much of the game, including 27-20 at halftime and 46-39 with just under four minutes to play.
“We were down seven at half, it was going to be an uphill climb,” said Ottawa coach Brent Moore, his team improving to 18-7 on the season. “We knew our energy on the defensive side needed to change, so we put a little more pressure on them in the second half. Another key was we started to make shots and we figured we would, but we needed to be better on the defensive end.
“It was one of the nights where we just found a way. These types of games you don’t ask too many questions about how you did it, you just move on and get ready for the next one.”
A 3-pointer and two free throws by Ella Schmitz and a 3 by Marlie Orlandi with 2:16 on the clock gave the hosts their first lead of the game.
The Tigresses’ Olivia Mattingly’s 3-pointer 10 seconds later gave her team a 49-47 lead.
With just over a minute to play, the Pirates’ Mary Stisser sank the first but missed the second of two free throws. Orlandi snagged the offensive rebound, and the ball eventually found Skylar Dorsey in the left corner where she buried a 3 to give Ottawa a 51-49 lead.
The Pirates then made 3 of 4 free throws in the final seconds to close out the win.
Orlandi led Ottawa with 20 points, including five 3s, five rebounds, while Schmitz netted 16 points with four rebounds. Dorsey ended with nine points and Stisser five points and seven assists.
Princeton’s Camryn Driscoll is stuck in the lane as Ottawa’s Hailey Larsen defends on Monday in Kingman Gymnasium at Ottawa High School. (Scott Anderson)
Princeton (15-9) was led by 18 points from Camryn Driscoll, 10 points from Mattingly and nine points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals from Keighley Davis.
“I thought we played very aggressive on both ends of the floor tonight” Princeton coach Tiffany Gonigam said. “We played Ottawa back in December here at the holiday tournament and we lost 50-something to 20-something. We’ve obviously made progress since then.
“That said, this one stings. We had the game right where we wanted it in the final minutes and then Ottawa made a couple of big plays to take the lead.”
The Tigers (12-12) jumped out to a 20-2 first quarter lead as they made 8 of 9 shots, including all three attempts from beyond the arc, while the Pirates (9-11) missed 11 of their 12 shots.
Noah LaPorte (five rebounds, four assists) had 10 of his 16 points in the opening eight minutes, while Jaden Fulkerson and Jordan Reinhardt, both also finishing with 16 points and four steals, added five each in the early-game blitz.
“We haven’t gotten off to very good starts lately, so the number one thing on the board tonight before the game was to start strong and bring the energy,” Princeton coach Jason Smith said. “We did and maybe that is something I need to have at the top of the list every game.
Princeton’s Noah LaPorte shoots a jump shot over Ottawa’s Owen Sanders on Monday in Kingman Gymnasium at Ottawa High School. (Scott Anderson)
“I thought we played about as well as we can defensively for four quarters, we were very scrappy. Yes, they missed some shots, but I also thought we did a great job of closing out on shots. We also rebounded the ball pretty well, limiting them to one and done.
The Tigers, which finished 23 of 39 (59%) from the floor, held a 32-10 lead at half and 39-21 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Ottawa, which finished 15 of 50 (30%), was led by 13 points and 14 rebounds from Owen Sanders.
Ottawa’s Seth Cooper eyes the hoop while playing against Princeton on Monday in Kingman Gymnasium at Ottawa High School. (Scott Anderson)
“We weren’t able to match Princeton’s intensity,” Ottawa coach mark Cooper said. “I thought they played with a lot of energy and a lot of force, and we weren’t at that level. I need to have us ready to go, and obviously weren’t as sharp as we need to be right from the first quarter.
“We also needed to do a better job of matching their physicality. It just wasn’t a very good night for us. We’ll regroup, and all the credit goes to Princeton. They played a solid all-around game.”
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Some corn leaks out of a grain bin during a partial collapse at River Valley Coop on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Putnam. (Scott Anderson)
The section of Route 29 through Putnam will remained closed into the beginning of next week as crews continue to take down silos.
No commercial traffic will be allowed to use Route 29 in the Putnam area and should be using alternate routes, such as Route 26 and Route 18, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
A grain silo full of corn partially collapsed Tuesday in Putnam. Deputies received the call about the collapse at 8:37 a.m. Tuesday morning.
“There’s two grain silos that are older, and then there’s a grain leg that goes up through the middle of them,” Putnam County Sheriff Josh Boedigheimer said. “They have to remove the grain leg, but they’re in the process of moving the silos – so that process hasn’t started yet.”
Boedigheimer said Thursday that he believes crews could be completed with their work by Monday or Tuesday.
River Valley Coop did not return requests for comment on the grain silo collapse.
Some corn leaks out of a grain silo during a partial collapse Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, at the River Valley Coop Grain Elevator in Putnam. (Scott Anderson)
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No trial this year for Malcolm Whitfield. The Streator man made an unscheduled appearance Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, before Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. to request a continuance, which was granted. His trial now is set for Jan. 21, 2025. Whitfield is charged with murder for firing shots that killed Shaquita Kelly and injured two others on May 6, 2023, in Streator. (Scott Anderson)
A Streator man charged with shooting three people, killing one, will stand trial Jan. 21.
Malcolm Whitfield, 31, also listed in DeKalb, made an unscheduled appearance Tuesday in La Salle County Circuit Court. He was set for jury trial in Oct. 28 for the spring 2023 shooting of three people including Shaquita Kelly, who died from her gunshot injuries.
At the surprise hearing Tuesday, Whitfield and Public Defender Ryan Hamer requested a continuance and Whitfield agreed to continue waiving his right to speedy-trial. Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. ordered Whitfield to appear Jan. 3 for a final pre-trial conference.
Whitfield, who faces a complicated sentencing range up to 145 years, remains held in La Salle County Jail pending trial. Murder cases are complex and Whitfield’s trial has been postponed before.
An accessory in the shooting pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to four years in prison. Rachael N. Carter of Streator had entered a blind plea late last year to one count of unlawful possession of a weapon (ammunition) and one count of aiding and abetting a fugitive. She was paroled Sept. 20.
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Stephanie Jo Thompson
As Mr. (La Salle County Board Finance Chairman) Brian Dose is fully aware, the outside audit has been late all three years of their contract, due to the firm he recommended to hire as finance chair in 2019. The firm was not fully vetted nor did we have the full scope of our audit listed when we went out for bid.
After the three years (La Salle County Board) Chairman (Don) Jensen and myself went out to bid to get a reputable firm that we knew could do the job. The new auditors auditing our 2023 audit received the 2022 audit on Aug. 22, 2024, and have been working diligently to get it completed so we are back on track for the 2024 audit to begin in November.
The county’s financial position is still the same as there has been no fraud or mismanagement of funds.
As Mr. Dose stated this morning, we are on a stop pay, however no services in the county will be affected by that stop pay as he mentioned this morning. The stop pay will be removed by the 18th of October. We are not the only county currently on a stop pay due to late audits. We were also on a stop pay in 2021 but that was not an election year.
We do have a grant tracking program currently in place, however, our new auditors gave us some suggestions on how they would like to see it improved.
Mr. Dose speaks of transparency, transparency is telling the whole truth not just bits and pieces to what fits his agenda.
I did not run a negative campaign in 2020 and I will not run one in 2024. We are not here for our own agendas, but here to serve the people. It’s sad Mr. Dose has made this political and only gives half truths and not the entire story.
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The Phase 2 cosmetic project will restore the stairwell and top floor to a functional status, said Lex Poppens, executive director of the Bureau County History Center. (Julie Barichello)
Restoration of the Sash Stalter Matson Building in Princeton continues.
The Bureau County Historical Society was awarded a $3,500 grant from Landmarks Illinois to pay for a structural study to determine the number of patrons the auditorium on the top floor can hold. This is part of the Phase 2 cosmetic renovation project.
The Sash Stalter Matson Building is Princeton’s former library that opened in 1913. It is being converted into a county history and learning center that also houses True Leaves Bookshop.
The Phase 2 cosmetic project will restore the stairwell and top floor to a functional status, said Lex Poppens, executive director of the Bureau County History Center. In January 2014, a water pipe burst on the top floor and lower level. The west entrance stairwell and a portion of the main floor ceiling was damaged, Poppens said. There was additional damage to the auditorium from a water leak around the chimney.
Phase 1 repaired the water damage to the main floor and allowed the historical society to welcome True Leaves, Poppens said.
After Phase 2, the historical society will gain full use of the building. Poppens said the historical society has raised more than 30% of the total funds.
The structural study and architectural renderings will set the stage for Phase 3 and help the historical society determine the best manner in which to provide disabled access to all floors of the facility, Poppens said.
“We are very thankful for the grant from Landmarks Illinois,” he said. “It will really help keep the forward momentum on the future of the iconic Sash Stalter Matson Building.”
Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund grants provide monetary assistance to significant structures or sites in Illinois that are under threat of demolition, in imminent deterioration, in need of stabilization, in need of structural or reuse evaluation or need to be evaluated for landmark eligibility.
A total of $29,000 in matching grants has been awarded to seven Illinois preservation efforts, including the history center project, in this latest round of grant funding.
The Bureau County Historical Society was awarded a $3,500 grant from Landmarks Illinois to pay for a structural study to determine the number of patrons the auditorium on the top floor can hold. This is part of the Phase 2 cosmetic renovation project. (Julie Barichello)

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Daddy Hack batter Eli Ozburn takes a cut at a pitch during the Not-So-National Blitzball World Series at Zearing Park in Princeton. (Charlie Ellerbrock)
When the season of the game you love comes to an end, you can grin and bear it or find another way to keep playing.
And that’s where the Not-So-National Blitzball League in Princeton came to be.
The NSNBL is the product of Jack Ellis and 14 of his friends, Princeton Youth Baseball players between the ages of 10 and 16 who – as their baseball seasons were coming to an end – decided they wanted to keep playing.
They ended up forming a small but well planned and executed league in which to play their modified version of wiffle ball.
The league had its World Series on Sunday at Zearing Park in front of a sizable crowd of family members, interested parties and baseball fans, capping a season that may provide the groundwork for a bigger league in the future.
“It’s been really well done,” said Brittany Walter, mother of Daddy Hacks captain and another founder Logan Walter and operator of the World Series’ concession stand. “It was the perfect thing for them between the end of their baseball season and the start of football
“The parents haven’t had a hand in any of it. It’s all them. They’ve thought of everything and they’ve put in a lot of hard work doing this and we’re really proud of them.”
The group had seen games online from Como Blitzball, a league down in Missouri, thought it looked fun and decided to replicate it locally. Not only did they go out and play the game as they saw it, they made up an entire league, altering the rules to fit their play.
The NSNBL rules are similar to wiffle ball, but on a smaller field and with a different, more active ball. It takes three innings to play a game, five balls to draw a walk, there are no leadoffs and if a player rounds third base, he must go home. To get that runner out, a fielder can “tag” him by hitting the strike-zone stand behind home plate.
The group divided their number into three teams and devised a schedule of games (each would play twice a week for two months) to be played in the yards of four of the participants’ homes. They even collected a participation fee used to purchase personalized jerseys, their team name on the front and player surnames on the back, for each one.
The Daddy Hacks roster includes captain Logan Walter, Eli Ozburn, Atticus Spiegel, Dominick Strouss and Ethan Meyer, while playing for the Huckledoos are captain Hunter Spiegel, Jack Heaton, Gabe Heaton, Tucker Cain and Luke Ozburn.
The Chimney Makers are made up of its captain, Ellis, plus Jonah Taylor, Carter Grey, Tristan Salazar and Paxton Knudsen.
The NSDNBL also kept statistics on each player and recorded all of their games, posting them on Youtube, with clips of outstanding plays posted on Instagram.
With the 16-game regular season completed, the league came down to its World Series, which was predictably performed in a professional manner.
Ellis, whose team did not make the final, played public address announcer and umpire from his place behind home plate, introduced all the players, playing the “Star Spangled Banner” and introducing Gary Polson, a friend of the league who threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
When the Series began, it was supposed to be a best-of-3, but when the opener went more than two hours, it was halted there with the Huckledoos taking a 14-3 decision over the Daddy Hacks.
Even as this season was ending, there was still more. A group of players will represent the league at a Blitzball tournament in Freeport on Aug. 10, and enough new players have signed up to give the loop more teams next summer.
“It’s been a lot of work,” Ellis said, “but it’s been a lot of fun, too.”
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Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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A Utica ambulance was involved in a two-vehicle crash Monday morning on Norris Drive in Ottawa when police said a driver failed to yield for its lights and sirens.
Got a news tip? Email ntnewsroom@shawmedia.com
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
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The city of Mendota is among the “Powering the Holidays Program” grant recipients designed to support community-led holiday light events and celebrations (Scott Anderson)
The city of Mendota is among the “Powering the Holidays Program” grant recipients designed to support community-led holiday light events and celebrations
Mendota officials on Wednesday announced the city was named one of 24 communities to receive grants of up to $2,500 each through the annual ComEd Powering the Holidays Program.
The Mendota Christmas event on Dec. 7 will include free horse-drawn carriage rides, hot chocolate, Santa rides on a firetruck, a book giveaway and free crafts for children. Funds will be used to purchase high-quality, energy-efficient LED lights for the large Christmas Tree in Veteran’s Park and lights for a tree decorating contest.
“Holiday light displays have a unique way of bringing people together and creating shared moments of wonder and joy,” Senior Vice President of Customer Operations and Strategic Initiatives at ComEd Melissa Washington said in a news release. “Through our partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, we’re proud to help create experiences that are not only visually remarkable but that also create deep, meaningful connections between our neighbors.”
Since 2021, the Powering the Holidays grant program has celebrated the unique character of local communities by supporting holiday events that promote cultural exchange and foster inclusivity. With the latest 2024 grant recipients, ComEd has now provided a total of $172,000 in funding to 70 communities and organizations for holiday light displays since the program’s launch.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with ComEd through the Powering the Holidays Program,” Executive Director of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Neil James said in a news release. “It’s always inspiring to see the creativity and diversity of the light displays that these grants help bring to life year after year. These events do more than brighten our communities; they create opportunities for people to come together and share an appreciation for the rich cultural traditions that make our communities unique.”
Communities will use these grants to power holiday light events taking place between Nov. 1, 2024, and Feb. 13, 2025. Municipalities, townships, counties, and other local government entities within ComEd’s service territory were eligible to apply for funding.
Powering the Holidays is part of ComEd’s ongoing commitment to supporting holiday light events across Chicagoland including popular holiday attractions at Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, The Morton Arboretum and Chicago Botanic Garden. To learn more about Powering the Holidays, visit the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus website.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Peru residents may be another step closer to a municipal swimming pool as voters passed a referendum Tuesday to use hotel/motel tax dollars to the construction and operation. (Shaw Local News Network)
Peru residents may be another step closer to a municipal swimming pool, as residents voted in favor of a referendum Tuesday to use hotel/motel tax dollars for the construction and operation, according to unofficial results.
Former Alderwoman Sherry Mayszak began working on the referendum last fall because she believed a pool would be a great addition to the community.
The referendum had 2,415 votes in favor (68.9%) to 1,090 against (31.1%) with all precincts counted Tuesday. It asked residents if the city should construct and operate a municipal swimming pool funded by the use of the hotel/motel tax. All results are unofficial until they are certified.
Mayszak said she was so excited and grateful to the residents of Peru who voted yes for a new swimming pool. She said she couldn’t thank enough the people who helped her along the way, either by gathering signatures, putting signs in their yards, showing up to a town hall meeting, hanging flyers, or sending her an encouraging text or Facebook message when she needed it.
“Since August 2023, I’ve been working on this referendum, but I’ve been in support of a pool since 2011, and it was because of the demolition of the old swimming pool that I got involved in Peru politics,” she said.
The referendum stated “Shall the city of Peru construct and operate a municipal swimming pool funded by the use of the hotel/motel tax?”
The hotel/motel tax was increased in June 2022 from 4.7% to 7%.
Mayszak said Peru is an amazing town.
“The mayor along with the City Council are trying to bring growth, more retail, more housing and more jobs, but Mayor Ken Kolowski has brought a sense of community back to Peru with the Taste and the Lighted Christmas Parade,” she said. “Although, we were still missing something big for the kids and families to gather and not only learn to swim, but to have fun, to relax and unwind, get some exercise and build lasting memories.
“We now know how the residents of Peru feel – they want a pool. If it wasn’t for Mayor Kolowski, the swimming pool would still be a dead issue. … I did the legwork to give the citizens a voice, and they responded with a resounding yes.”
However, even though it passed, the referendum is nonbinding. This means Peru still may not construct a pool, but it may put political pressure on the council.
Kolowski said he thinks the residents of Peru have sent a clear message: They want this amenity, and he has a plan.
“I believe it’s time to move this project forward,” he said, “to make memories for the citizens of Peru.”
Alderman Tom Payton, who is the finance chair, requested a town hall on the referendum so residents could be informed before the election.
The special meeting was held Sept. 26, with the residents in attendance largely supporting the construction of a pool with the use of hotel/motel funds, and City Council members objecting to the cost.
Payton said he would accept the results of the voters.
Mayszak said the next step will be presenting this win to the aldermen and asking them to vote yes for a new swimming pool, like the voters of Peru did Tuesday.
“This is a huge win and a great moment for the entire Peru community because it will have lasting effects for generations to come,” she said.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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