Author: princetonmays

Eight Princeton High School students from the graduating class of 2025 have been designated as Illinois State Scholars. They are (front, from left) Ellie Harp, Arianne Tirao, Grace Eggers, (second row) Maximus Wilborn, Timothy Lewis, (third row) Ian Morris, Nolan Anderson and Gavin Pinter (Photo provided by Elena Hilmes)
Eight Princeton High School students from the Class of 2025 have been designated Illinois State Scholars.
“Congratulations to our eight outstanding students for being named Illinois State Scholars,” Princeton High School Andy Berlinski said in a news release. “This designation reflects their incredible academic achievement, dedication and hard work throughout their high school careers. Their commitment to excellence has earned each this well-deserved recognition, and we couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.”
The designated Princeton High School Illinois State Scholars are Nolan Anderson, Grace Eggers, Ellie Harp, Timothy Lewis, Ian Morris, Gavin Pinter, Arianne Tirao and Maximus Wilborn.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the state’s college access and financial aid agency, presents this recognition of academic achievement to exceptional Illinois high school students each year. Recipients represent the top 10% of high school seniors from across the state and are selected based on their class rank and SAT scores.
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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CONXXUS completed a roughly $4 million investment in Princeton’s infrastructure to provide high-speed internet to residents using a 100% fiber-optic network and is hosting an event to educate the community. (Christopher Braunschweig)
CONXXUS completed a roughly $4 million investment in Princeton’s infrastructure to provide high-speed internet to residents using a 100% fiber-optic network and is hosting an event to educate the community.
The event scheduled 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Prouty-Zearing Community Building, 435 Main St., Princeton, will provide residents an opportunity to ask questions and sign up for the high-speed internet service.
“When evaluating optimal placement of our fiber internet, we look at several factors. We were impressed with the pride of ownership Princeton residents have in their town,” CEO of CONXXUS and Metro Communications Zak Horn said in a news release. “We want to be a part of that, not only bringing the best internet technology to Princeton, but also investing in causes important to the Princeton community. That is a priority for us.”
With this investment from CONXXUS, Princeton will benefit from faster internet speeds, unlimited data usage, symmetrical upload and download speeds, and 24/7 customer service from CONXXUS representatives, the company said in a news release.
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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Toby Landrus (Photo provided by Bureau County Sheriff's Office)
A Princeton man was charged with multiple counts of possessing child sexual abuse images.
Toby Landrus, 51, was arrested by the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office at 5:42 a.m. Nov. 22 on a warrant.
Bureau County First Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel C. Anderson said Landrus is charged with six counts of possessing child sexual abuse images. The first two counts are Class X felonies, and the remaining counts are felonies. The most severe charges have a potential sentencing range of six to 30 years.
Landrus’ next hearing is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Bureau County Courthouse, 700 S. Main St., Princeton.
Maribeth M. Wilson has been a reporter with Shaw Media for two years, one of those as news editor at the Morris Herald-News. She became a part of the NewsTribune staff in 2023.

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Protesters flood rotary park at the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025 in Princeton. (MaKade Rios for Shaw Media)

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A view of the Red Covered Bridge on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Princeton. On Nov. 16, 2023, a semi truck caused severe structural damage on much of the 149-foot bridge that was built in 1863. (Scott Anderson)
A little more than a year ago, Princeton’s historic Red Covered Bridge was damaged when the driver of a semitractor-trailer tried to pass through it, damaging the 149-foot structure.
The Illinois Department of Transportation said Monday that it doesn’t know the cost of the damage, what repairs need to be done or when it might be opened.
“A team of engineers and technicians has visited the structure and is preparing a bridge condition report,” said Paul Wappel, a public information officer for IDOT. “This report will present the findings of the bridge inspection and identify needed repairs. We anticipate that the report will be completed in the coming months.”
Over the summer, Lin Engineering LTD in Springfield surveyed the Red Covered Bridge.
After the bridge was severely damaged Nov. 16, 2023, bridge maintenance engineer Luis Calderon, of IDOT District 3 in Ottawa, said the impact was so strong that it ripped off the trailer roof of the semi and created a large gash through the bridge’s roof.
The bridge remains closed to traffic. Although the bridge continues to be assessed, IDOT’s in-house construction unit installed temporary shoring last December to maintain the integrity of the roof until a permanent fix can be made.
The Red Covered Bridge’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places requires additional coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office to ensure the historic aspects of the bridge are not significantly changed during the repairs, District 3 program development engineer Michael Short previously said. Compared with a conventional bridge construction project, covered bridges are unique, as they contain many wooden components.
Short also said phase one of repairing the bridge is to finalize the report, which can take up to 18 months. He said construction is not expected to begin for a few years.
The Red Covered Bridge isn’t the first historical project that District 3 has undertaken. In 2019, the district worked with the State Historic Preservation Office to patch a stretch of Old Route 66 between Chenoa and Pontiac in Livingston County. The $640,392 project required colored concrete and special finishing techniques to closely match it to the color and texture of the existing concrete.
The Red Covered Bridge has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975. The bridge had one distinction over the other covered bridges in Illinois: It is the only one open to traffic. According to the most recent statistics, the bridge accommodated an average of 275 vehicles a day.
An aerial photo of the Red Covered Bridge on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Princeton. On Nov. 16, 2023, a semi truck caused severe structural damage on much of the 149-foot bridge that was built in 1863. (Scott Anderson)
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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The ice rink at Alexander Park in Princeton opens Tuesday. (Scott Anderson)
The ice rink at Alexander Park in Princeton opens Tuesday.
Ice skates will be available for rental for $5 at the Bureau County Metro Center, 837 Park Ave. W., although skates must be returned to the facility before closing time. Call at 815-872-0840 or stop in for any questions or skate rentals.
Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday. There is no hockey and skates must be worn at all times on the ice.
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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Grandma Rosie’s Sweet Treats in Princeton announced Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, “with a heavy heart” it would be closing. (Scott Anderson)
Grandma Rosie’s Sweet Treats in Princeton announced Thursday “with a heavy heart” that it would be closing.
“We want to thank every one of you for the continued support we have received over the years,“ the business said on its Facebook page. ”My heart is just not in the right space for the location anymore. My dream for as long as I can remember has been to do what I love in Florida.“
The business ended the post by telling followers to reach out if they wanted to continue to follow the business.
Rosie’s opened in Princeton in 2013, previously called the Tastee Freez.
For more information, visit facebook.com/@GrandmaRosies.
• The Times / NewsTribune / Bureau County Republican is committed to keeping readers up to date with business happenings in the area. Much of our reporting relies on what we see and hear, but we’re also reaching out to readers for tips on business items. If you have a tip to share for Eyes on Enterprise, email newsroom@mywebtimes.com.
Maribeth M. Wilson has been a reporter with Shaw Media for two years, one of those as news editor at the Morris Herald-News. She became a part of the NewsTribune staff in 2023.

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Scott Harp of Princeton has had an Anna’s hummingbird, which is native to California, visit his feeder for the past 82 days. It is only the second recorded sighting of an Anna’s hummingbird in Illinois. (Photo provided by Scott Harp)
About 20 minutes before sunrise, Scott Harp gets a visitor at his Princeton home.
For the past 82 days, Harp has been greeted regularly by an Anna’s hummingbird, a species native to the Pacific coast.
His encounter with the hummingbird is only the second recorded sighting in Illinois and has garnered attention in the birding world, attracting a crowd of spectators with cameras to view the rarity.
Harp has kept a log of the visitors, counting 166 spectators since the sighting was confirmed and shared with the birdwatching community. A couple from the United Kingdom visiting the U.S. was among the visitors.
“It’s gained a lot of attention,” Harp said. “Our yard is a certified wildlife habitat, and we’ve had migrating birds pass through before, but nothing like this.”
Harp said he’s not sure how the Anna’s hummingbird ended up 1,800 miles from its home and found his sugar water feeder, but the small bird was fortunate that Harp is always prepared for vagrants. He first spotted the hummingbird Oct. 17 and received an identification of its species Oct. 26.
“We keep our feeder filled until the second week of November in case we get any late migratory birds,” Harp said.
Harp has named his visitor Frost.
The Princeton resident is hopeful the hummingbird, a first-year male, will survive the Illinois winter. Harp keeps a heat lamp on his feeder to ensure the sugar water doesn’t freeze. The hummingbird also enters into a hibernating-like state called torpor during the evenings to conserve energy and heat. Harp said the bird arrives just before sunrise, feeds and becomes full of energy.
Harp said there was another Anna’s hummingbird spotted in Columbus, Ohio, and he’s been in communication with the resident where that hummingbird is feeding to compare notes and share observations.
According to the National Audubon Society, “the Anna’s hummingbird is a permanent resident of the Pacific coast, staying through the winter in many areas where no other hummingbirds are present. It is more vocal than most hummingbirds. Males have a buzzy song, often given while perched. In recent decades, the species has expanded its range, probably helped along by flowers and feeders in suburban gardens; it now nests north to British Columbia and east to Arizona.”
“This has been a blessing in the middle of winter,” said Geraldine Woodlief, a Princeton resident familiar with the hummingbird’s story. “To have it visit for 82 days and to have cars lining up to come out here and see it, it’s been special.”
Harp, who has had Rufous hummingbirds and other broad-tailed birds visit his feeders, acknowledged the unique situation, but also understands the commitment ahead.
“It’s really been something special, but it comes with responsibility,” he said.
Each morning, before sunrise, the bird feeder will need to be ready.
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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The Princeton City Council weighed in Jan. 20 on a Bureau County Board item to house inmates from Cook County, with each council member saying they opposed the idea. (Jayce Eustice)
The Princeton City Council weighed in Jan. 20 on a Bureau County Board item to house inmates from Cook County, with each council member saying they opposed the idea.
Mayor Ray Mabry brought up to the council that the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office is considering housing up to 50 Cook County inmates at the jail in Princeton as a way to generate revenue and keep the jail fully functioning.
“I’ve had a number of residents approach me and say it’s not a good idea, and I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Mabry said. “I’ll say that in fairness to the County Board they’ve tabled this to the next meeting and I’ll be attending that meeting listening and learning.”
Council member Hector Gomez said he attended the Jan. 14 County Board meeting and he wasn’t concerned about the inmates, which he said would be secure in the jail, but any visitors who would come to Princeton to see the inmates.
Council members Jerry Neumann, Michael McCall and Martin Makransky said they spoke to residents not in favor of it, and added that they also were not in favor of the idea.
The discussions is scheduled to resume at a Bureau County Board committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 5. The Bureau County Board sets policy for the jail. The Princeton City Council has no jurisdiction over it.
Sheriff Jim Reed recommended the board postpone final action to study the issue more closely – and to sift through social media feedback that he said was misguided and inaccurate.
Besides bringing in revenue, Reed said additional inmates would be welcome because the Bureau County Jail needs to be occupied and used lest it fall into disrepair. Similarly, the county has entered into food and service contracts and risks losing money by not keeping the daily census afloat.
Leasing overflow space to overcrowded jails is an arrangement that has worked for La Salle County. Jason Edgcomb, superintendent of La Salle County Jail, said intergovernmental agreements with other counties have generated needed revenue. Cook County alone brings in about $15,000 a month and the arrangement has not led to any issues, he said. If it were to enter into an agreement, Bureau County would receive $65 per day for each inmate it accepts.
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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Gov. JB Pritzker (left) announces a $3.6 million in investment in Arukah Institute of Healing on Jan. 7, 2025, in Normal, accompanied by Dr. Sarah Scruggs, founder & CEO of Arukah. (Photo provided by Cory Scott)
The Arukah Institute of Healing Inc., which serves Bureau, La Salle, Grundy, Marshall and Putnam counties, has been awarded $3.6 million as part of Gov. JB Pritzker’s $200 million statewide initiative to expand innovative health care services for underserved populations.
Arukah was one of only 13 recipients selected for this competitive grant through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Capital Development Board.
Pritzker announced the funding during a Jan. 7 news conference in Normal. He called the initiative a “first-of-its-kind collaboration” aimed at addressing root causes of health disparities, providing comprehensive care and strengthening health care infrastructure for underserved communities.
With this investment, Arukah will enhance its headquarters in Princeton while also expanding its reach with the purchase and development of a second location in Ottawa. This expansion reflects Arukah’s commitment to addressing the growing mental health and substance-use treatment needs in the region.
“[It’s] a transformational investment,” said Sarah Scruggs, founder and CEO of Arukah. “This investment is transformational not just for Arukah but for the communities we serve. It affirms our mission to address mental health and substance-use challenges at their roots, providing holistic, comprehensive care where it is needed most.
“At Arukah, we believe that true healing comes from understanding and treating the whole person – mind, body and spirit – while also addressing the social and environmental factors that shape health. This funding allows us to expand access, create lasting impact, and bring healing to more individuals and families.
“We are deeply grateful for the support of Gov. Pritzker, HFS and the Capital Development Board. With this investment, we are not just building facilities – we are building stronger, healthier communities.”
Arukah’s expansion will provide critical services in mental health, substance-use treatment and community-based wellness programs, ensuring that more individuals have access to the care they need closer to home.
For more information, visit arukahinstitute.org.
Tom Collins covers criminal justice in La Salle County.

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