Author: princetonmays

(From left) Secretary of State’s DMV IT Operations Manager Andy Simmons; County Administrator Sharon Schallhorn; Vice County Board Chair Keith Cain, Princeton DMV Facility Manager Whitney Mccafferty and Driver Services Director Kevin Duesterhaus cut the ribbon Wednesday, July 31, 2024, on the newly upgraded Princeton One-Stop-Shop DMV. (Photo provided by Erin Henkel)
The Illinois Secretary of State has upgraded its Princeton DMV facility to a “one-stop shop,” allowing customers to access services at a single customer service counter.
The renovation also includes updated signage to create a more logical flow and help customers know where to go, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Wednesday.
The Princeton DMV, 400 N. Main St., is one of the first downstate facilities to undergo the “one-stop-shop” transformation, and it reopened Monday after extensive renovations to allow customers to access services at one single station.
As a part of the Secretary of State’s ongoing modernization efforts, the new DMV experience will save customers time and several steps by offering both vehicle and driver services at a single service counter.
“Since taking office, I have made it a top priority to provide exceptional customer service and reduce lines and wait times,” Giannoulias said in a news release. “Our Princeton facility will be among the first to get this makeover that will give it a modern feel while employing new technology to create efficiencies.”
Driver services and vehicle services employees at “one-stop-shop” DMVs are now cross-trained to provide both sets of services.
At a single service counter, customers will be able experience the following services:
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Entry No. 20 in the contest is Paisley Bonnell, 6 month old daughter of Natalee Theobald and Devon Bonnell of Princeton. (Photo provided by Gail Jagers)
The contestants are in for the 2024 Princeton Junior Woman’s Club Baby Contest.
The contest received four more entries prior to the Aug. 15 deadline, to reach a total of 23 in the contest.
The voting canister will be at First State Bank from Aug. 16-23. The canisters will be moved around noon on Fridays. Each child will have a canister with his/her corresponding photograph in which votes can be placed. The canisters will be at Central Bank (Aug. 23-30) and Heartland Bank – South Branch (Aug. 30-Sept. 6).
The contest will be accepting Venmo to collect votes. To vote through Venmo, send your chosen transaction amount to @P-Juniors-71. Voters must include the baby’s name in the “What’s it for?” line. Venmo votes will only be accepted from to noon on Thursday, Sept. 5.
One dollar equals 100 votes. All votes will be tallied and winners will be notified Sept. 6 and introduced during that evening’s Homestead Festival announcements.
Prizes will be given to the boy and girl winners, as well as the boy and girl runners up. All winners and their parents will have a spot in the Homestead Festival parade on Saturday.
Entry No. 21 in the contest is Emmett Steven McFadin, 8 month old son of Aubreanna Vogel and Kyler McFadin of Princeton. (Photo provided by Gail Jagers)
Entry No. 22 in the contest is Bailey Lynn Buettner, 12 month old daughter of Dan and Katelyn Buettner of Ladd. (Photo provided by Gail Jagers)
Entry No. 23 in the contest is Emryn Howling River Wunderlich, 21 month old daughter of Amanda Galligo and Gregory Wunderlich of Princeton. (Photo provided by Gail Jagers)
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Hot air balloon glow and tethered rides are expected to make their return Saturday, Oct. 12, for Princeton’s first Monster Mash Balloon Bash. (Scott Anderson)
Hot air balloons will be making a return Saturday, Oct. 12, to be a part of Princeton’s first Monster Mash Balloon Bash, Princeton Tourism announced.
The city, Princeton Tourism, the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bureau County Fair reimagined the Scarecrow Festival.
There will be tricks, treats and the haunted house at the Bureau County Fairgrounds. Events for the day include trick-or-treating on Main Street, a kids costume contest, the Bureau County Fair’s annual Halloween Parade followed by a performance of the Hocus Pocus Hags, the Nightmare Haunted Attraction celebrating 21 years, a petting zoo, food vendors, activities for children, and a hot air balloon glow and tethered rides, among other activities.
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An aerial view of the former Midland Bank on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, at the corner of Backbone Road and Main Street in Princeton. The Princeton City Council met to discuss an ordinance approving the final plat of the Michael’s Plaza subdivision with a proposal for an Aldi grocery store and Starbucks. Starbucks expects to break ground in the next 30 days with Aldi slated for spring 2025. (Scott Anderson)
An Aldi grocery store and Starbucks could be coming to Princeton after the Princeton City Council gave the green light Tuesday to the new Michael’s Plaza development at the corner of Backbone Road and Main Street.
The council approved in an unanimous vote the ordinance approving the final plat of subdivision for the new development. The developers sought to reconfigure the existing five parcels into three new lots, with a Starbucks slated for the corner lot and an Aldi for the central lot.
Previously occupied by a bank and an eight-plex apartment building that was demolished several years ago, the area is now set for new commercial growth.
“We’re excited about this development coming to Princeton and appreciate the investment that the developers are making.”
Princeton’s Planning and Zoning Administrator Pete Nelson spoke to council on Tuesday night before they voted on the decision and said the site has been a target for developers for some time.
“Princeton has been on the radar of these developers for a while,” Nelson said. “They’ve reached a point where they believe the city can support more development.”
Mayor Raymond Mabry also expressed enthusiasm about the project.
“We’re excited about this development coming to Princeton and appreciate the investment that the developers are making,” Mabry said.
He emphasized the positive impact of the project on the community, noting that the redevelopment will address a “somewhat blighted area” in Princeton.
“The old bank building has been a tired-looking structure for quite some time, so we appreciate the improvements being made.” Mabry said.
An aerial view of the former Midland Bank on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, at the corner of Backbone Road and Main Street in Princeton. (Scott Anderson)
Mabry also mentioned that the new buildings will eventually be added to the tax rolls, benefiting all local taxing bodies, including school districts, park districts, and libraries.
Nelson highlighted the progress of the project to this point, saying it’s moving swiftly through the design phase and is nearing the point of completion.
“Starbucks aims to break ground this fall, and Aldi is expected to begin construction in the spring, though these timelines may change,” he said.
Bill Freskos is a multimedia journalist based in the Illinois Valley. He covers hard news, local government, sports, business enterprise, and politics while contributing to Shaw Local Radio stations for Shaw Media across La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.

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The 2024 Princeton Junior Women’s Club Homestead Baby Contest winners posed for a photo. They are (from left) Baby Girl Winner Hadley Mecum, daughter of Shane Mecum and Chelsea Mecum of Princeton; Baby Boy Runner Up Austin McComber, son of Joel and Holli McComber of TIskilwa; Baby Boy Winner Everett Eckberg, son of Derrick and Kaelynn Eckberg of Princeton; and Baby Girl Runner Up Everly Hassler, daughter of Cody Hassler and Tara Favia of Princeton. (Photo provided by Gail Jagers)
Winners for the 2024 Princeton Junior Women’s Club Baby Contest were announced.
Hadley Mecum, daughter of Shane Mecum and Chelsea Mecum of Princeton, was the baby girl winner and Everett Eckberg, son of Derrick and Kaelynn Eckberg of Princeton, was the baby boy winner. Runner-ups are Everly Hassler, daughter of Cody Hassler and Tara Favia of Princeton, and Austin McComber, son of Joel and Holli McComber of TIskilwa.
There were 23 contestants. The winners were given a spot in the Homestead Festival parade.
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Smoke billows from a home in the 1300 block of 2500 East Street on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in rural Princeton. Fire departments from eastern Bureau County were called to the scene just before 9:30 a.m. (Scott Anderson)
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The Princeton High School Class of 1956 held its 68th class reunion Sept. 7, 2024, at the AmericInn. They are (front, from left) Judy (Brown) Nordstrom, Ruth (Bell) Hanna, Sandy (Johnson) Vickrey, John Springer and Bob Carlson (middle, from left) Curt Hulteen, Mary Lynn (Stamm) Kelly, Nancy (Sutcliffe) Wolter, Cheryl (Ellberg) Freeburg, Jim Wright, Nancy (Hodkins) Bloomstrand, Phyllis (Bird) Nordstrom, Carolyn (Fiste) Barkley, Donna (Doll) Rott, Mary (Helper) Carloye, Dixie (Pomeroy) Utter, Dan McDonald, (back, from left) Charles (Buzzy) Kuehl, Bradley Pihl, Richard (Hotdog) Brown, Dennis Keheler. (Photo provided by Sandee Halberg)
The Princeton High School Class of 1956 held Sept. 7 its 68th class reunion at the AmericInn. There are 21 members that attended during the weekend of the annual Homestead Festival.
The attendees also had a stag dinner at the Tony’s Butt Shack on Thursday, played some golf Friday in Mendota, shared a luncheon at Underground and many had a pork chop Saturday up on Courthouse Square.
They also had a catered dinner at the AmericInn Hospitality Room, which attendees have done for several years.
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Smoke billows from a home in the 1300 block of 2500 East Street on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in rural Princeton. Several regional fire departments responded to the fire. (Scott Anderson)
A rural Princeton house fire Tuesday morning is believed to be accidental in nature.
The homeowners were on vacation at the time of the fire, Princeton Fire Chief Scott Etheridge said. There were no injuries, but the homeowners lost three pet cats in the fire.
The fire in the 1300 block of 2500 East Street was fully involved with smoke coming from the front and the back at firefighters’ arrival, Etheridge said. The home is uninhabitable from the damage caused by the fire. An official cause has not been determined as the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing its investigation, but it is believed to be accidental originating from a bedroom, Etheridge said.
Nine different fire departments responded to the scene, including Bureau, Wyanet, DePue, Ladd, Malden, Manlius, Sheffield, Spring Valley and Walnut. Peru emergency medical services also responded, and the Dixon and Mendota fire departments helped cover the Princeton fire station during the response.
Derek Barichello is the news editor for The Times in Ottawa and NewsTribune in La Salle, part of Shaw Local News Network, covering La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties. He covers local and breaking news in the areas of government, education, business and crime and courts, among others.

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Ian Morris (Photo provided by Sydney Markham)
Ian Morris, the son of John and Susan Morris of Princeton, was selected as the Class of 2025 Princeton High School Sons of the American Revolution Outstanding Citizen Award winner.
This award is sponsored by the Captain Zeally Moss-Illinois Chapter of the SAR.
The SAR Outstanding Citizen Award is presented to a student in recognition of high ideals of character and citizenship. Morris was selected for this honor by the faculty and his classmates. He said he is “honored that my teachers and classmates nominated me for this award.”
Throughout high school, Morris has been involved in football, wrestling, track, Scouts, scholastic bowl, Year One, Interact Club and student council. He has been honored with the Board of Education Academic Excellence Award, perfect attendance, high honor roll, Princeton High School Academic Top 10%, College Board National Rural and Small Town Award and the IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award. He has been named first-team all-conference linebacker, first-team all-conference discus, 215 regional wrestling champion and two-time discus state qualifier. Morris has been named senior patrol leader of Boy Scout Troop and two-time football team captain. Outside of PHS, he is involved in Club 56 and has completed more than 130 service learning hours in community activities.
Morris hopes to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy after graduation.
Shaw Local News Network provides local news throughout northern Illinois

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An aerial view of the former Midland Bank on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, at the corner of Backbone Road and Main Street in Princeton. An Aldi grocery store and Starbucks will be developed there. The Plan Commission recently gave its OK for a 70-foot pylon sign for Starbucks. (Scott Anderson)
Starbucks gave a sign to Princeton residents it is moving forward with the development of a new store at Main Street and Backbone Road in the most literal sense – the Plan Commission recommended approval Oct. 8 of the national coffee chain’s request to build a 70-foot sign.
The pylon sign within the city’s northern business district would be tall enough to appeal to Interstate 80 traffic. The sign is comparable to other signs used by Wendy’s and Culver’s. The Motor Lodge had a 70-foot sign across the street from where Starbucks is planning to build before Beck’s remodel of the site, demonstrating a history of these kinds of tall signs within the business district.
The Plan Commission gave its unanimous recommendation, saying that area of the community where Route 26 exits from the interstate is not going to be anything more than car traffic and that the business will depend on appealing to interstate traffic for regular business. The Princeton City Council will give a final vote on the sign.
In early September, an Aldi grocery store and Starbucks said it was interested in developing at the corner of Backbone Road and Main Street. At one of its regular meetings, the Princeton City Council approved the final plat of a subdivision for the new development. The developers sought to reconfigure the existing five parcels into three new lots, with a Starbucks slated for the corner lot and an Aldi for the central lot.
Derek Barichello is the news editor for The Times in Ottawa and NewsTribune in La Salle, part of Shaw Local News Network, covering La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties. He covers local and breaking news in the areas of government, education, business and crime and courts, among others.

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