Category: Uncategorized

Bureau County Metro Center – BCMC Offers New Batting Cage for the Community!
Starting Monday, March 18th through March 29th, the Princeton Park District will offer the community the opportunity to use our new batting cage free of charge for youth BCMC members who show their town pride, and wear a shirt/jersey of their local team. Non-members will just have to pay the $7 day pass, and the batting cage fee will be waived.
The batting cage comes equipped with a tee (if desired), L screen for pitchers, softballs and baseballs, and helmets. The only equipment needed for participants is a bat, and someone to help pitch or operate the pitching machine. Please call BCMC at 815-872-0840 to reserve your time. We look forward to seeing our future baseball and softball athletes showcase their abilities!
Batting cages are designed to aid in the training and practice of batting for baseball and softball players. These enclosures safely contain balls within a designated hitting area, allowing players to focus on improving their swing without the need for extensive field space.
A pitching machine can deliver pitches at various speeds and styles, enabling hitters to practice against a wide range of deliveries. This controlled environment is invaluable for developing timing, hand-eye coordination, and batting technique, offering a concentrated setting for repetitive practice that is difficult to replicate on a traditional field.
Beyond skill enhancement, batting cages serve as an excellent outlet for stress relief and physical exercise. The act of hitting the ball requires concentration, channeling the player’s focus away from external pressures. This immersive experience can provide a mental break, reducing one’s stress level. The physical exertion involved in swinging a bat repeatedly also contributes to cardiovascular health, muscle strengthening, and overall fitness. Whether for serious athletes aiming to refine their batting skills or individuals seeking a fun and active way to decompress, batting cages offer a unique blend of sport-specific training and mental wellness benefits.
For more information, please contact:
Bureau County Metro Center
837 Park Ave W
Princeton, IL 61356
Ph: 815-872-0840
www.princetonparkdistrict.org
Bureau County Metro Center
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

Stephanie Small cuts the ribbon on Friday May 2, 2025, alongside family members and representatives from the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce and its ambassadors during the official opening of Small Memories Meadery and Winery. (Bill Freskos)
Small Memories Meadery and Winery officially joined the local business community Friday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.
Located at 1409 E. Route 6, the new business is the creation of the Small family, who turned a farm shed in their backyard into a quaint space for tasting and producing both traditional wines and meads.
Uniquely, Small Memories uses honey as the base ingredient in its mead, creating an alternative to traditional grape wines.
Rick and Stephanie Small shared that their family has been making wine for many years and saw an opportunity to repurpose the unused shed into something more meaningful.
“We’ve been making wine in our basement for nearly two decades,” Stephanie Small said. “Turning that passion into something we can share with the public is a dream come true.”
Rick and Stephanie Small credit their family’s help as key to getting the business off the ground.
“We really couldn’t do it without our family,” Stephanie Small said.
Although they’ve already been quietly open for soft tastings, the official grand opening is set for Saturday, May 4, coinciding with the Kentucky Derby.
The celebration will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., featuring a food truck from Dig Doug’s BBQ, live music from 5 to 7 p.m. and a live broadcast of the derby.
Small Memories will operate with weekend-focused hours.
The business will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays, and is closed Monday through Thursday.
For more information on events or products, visit Small Memories’ website or Facebook page.
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jay McCracken presents a plaque Friday, May 2, 2025, to the Small family on behalf of the chamber, just before the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Small Memories Meadery and Winery. (Bill Freskos)
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

The property at 603 La Salle Street, the former I. Bell’s Clothing store, is set for redevelopment into a commercial space and apartments after the Ottawa City Council approved a TIF agreement. (Bill Freskos)
Ottawa is set to see more development come to its downtown after the Ottawa City Council approved two TIF redevelopment agreements.
Both agreements approved Tuesday with Ottawa Investment Group, LLC look to redevelop two separate vacant properties in the heart of the city’s downtown.
The first project involves the property at 603 La Salle St., the former site of I. Bell’s Clothing store, which closed in March of last year. The developer plans to turn the space into a commercial area on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floor.
The total estimated cost for the project is $850,000, with TIF incentives covering expenses such as land acquisition, renovations and public infrastructure improvements.
The second project is located at 616-618 Court St., where the developer also plans to build commercial space on the main floor with apartments on the second.
This project has a total estimated cost of $1,110,000, with TIF funds for land acquisition, demolition, renovations and infrastructure improvements.
Ottawa Investment Group, LLC did not return a phone call on Wednesday afternoon for comment.
Mayor Robert Hasty shared his excitement about the ongoing development in Ottawa’s downtown.
“It’s always good to see construction happening in our downtown,” Hasty said. “When you look at other communities around here, you don’t see nearly as much revitalization and development as we have, and we’re proud of that.”
The property at 616-618 Court Street is set to be redeveloped into commercial space on the ground floor with apartments above, following the approval of a TIF agreement by the Ottawa City Council. (Bill Freskos)
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

The Streator Education Association and Streator Elementary School Board are scheduled to meet Tuesday, April 1, for a mediation session in pending labor negotiations. (Scott Anderson)
The Streator Education Association and Streator Elementary School Board are scheduled to meet Tuesday, April 1, for a mediation session in pending labor negotiations.
The parties, however, will have to move forward without the service of a federal mediator.
“This morning, the Trump administration closed the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service,” said Susan Thorson, UniServ director, in a letter to the union. “It is now a defunct government agency and the effects are felt across the nation as labor and management groups are suddenly left without any assistance in settling labor contracts as all FMCS mediators are now on administrative leave and will not be returning to work.”
Richard Murphy, the mediator assigned to Streator Elementary’s negotiations, is on administrative leave and his agency is defunct for the time being.
The SEA bargaining team held an emergency meeting and proposed school board candidates Michael Holcomb and Jan Urbance to act as mediators on April 1.
“We recognize that those two individuals are not members of the association and will, in less than a month, be seated on the school board so their neutrality in this process is not a guarantee,” Thorson said in her letter. “However we have known and worked with both of them, in different roles, for many years. Those experiences have led us to believe they have the interest of the whole school community as their priority.”
The Streator Elementary School Board plans to ask the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board to provide a list of qualified mediators available to meet with the parties on April 1, said Ed Levy, school board vice president.
“The Board has spoken with both Mr. Holcomb and Ms. Urbance about this proposal,” Levy said. “We believe that it is in the best interests of everyone involved that we move forward with pursuing a qualified mediator listed with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.”
Thorson said in her letter that alternatives to having Urbance or Holcomb could be costly to the district.
According to a Streator Elementary district news release, Trump issued an executive order which had the effect of restricting the use of federal mediators appointed by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service only to private sector employers and their unions – “their original intended purpose when the FMCS was first established in 1947,” the district said. With the proliferation of public sector unions, which now represents a majority of unionized workers, the FMCS’s role was expanded to cover public sector negotiations, the district said.
The timing is a challenge for both parties as the Streator Education Association recently gave notice of its intent to strike. The notice means that the union may strike any time beginning April 1. The union has not informed the school board exactly when a strike may occur or if there will be a strike.
“I believe that a qualified mediator is essential to resolving our differences without a strike,” said Angela Risley, school board president. “Our current federal mediator has been extremely helpful in bringing the parties closer to a settlement. Fortunately, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board has similarly qualified mediators available to assist us. If the parties work together, we are hopeful that we can have an experienced mediator available on April 1.”
The teachers and support staff union voted in January to start the 45-day clock on a potential strike. In February, the SEA initiated the public posting process, which is a prerequisite to a strike. As part of this process, the association and the board were required to submit their public posting documents to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.
Both sides’ offers can be found at shorturl.at/NMvUD
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

Virginia Santangelo Obituary (2022) – Malvern, PA – Daily Local News  Legacy.com
source

Noah LaPorte take aim on their fourth straight regional championship, which would be a program’s first. The Tigers host their own regional with Seneca (25-5) the top seed. (Scott Anderson)
Bureau Valley and Princeton are just 16 miles apart and yet they will both host Class 2A boys basketball regionals. Here’s a look at those two sites plus all the other area regionals. Records may not reflect all Friday’s games.
Team to beat: (2) Annawan (21-6)
Pairings: Monday, Feb. 24 – Game 1: (16) DePue (2-24) at (2) Annawan, 6 p.m. Game 2: (11) Hiawatha (9-16) at (9) Amboy (12-17), 6 p.m. Game 3: (14) LaMoille (7-24) at (3) Forreston (19-12), 6 p.m. Game 4: (12) Ashton-Franklin Center (7-23) at (7) St. Bede (13-18). Wednesday, Feb. 26 – Game 5: Winners 1-2, 6 p.m. Game 6: Winners 3-4, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 – Title – Winners 5-6, 7 p.m.
Worthy of note: There will be four quarterfinals on Monday all on the home court of the higher seeds with St. Bede hosting AFC. The Bruins have had an up and down season, losing five of their last seven after winning six of eight. The Raiders had lost nine straight heading into Thursday’s game with Fulton. … Annawan was leading the Lincoln Trail Conference ranks at 9-0 before dropping its final two games to Bureau Valley and Abingdon/Avon. The Braves then lost again to Abingdon/Avon in the LTC tournament semifinals before beating the Storm on Wednesday. … Forreston went 6-6 for fifth place in the NUIC with two losses to league champ and state-ranked Pecatonica, including a 102-52 drubbing.
Last year’s regional finals: Fulton 30, Annawan 28.
BCR pick: Annawan over Forreston.
Next: Winner advances to Pecatonica Sectional to face winner of the Galena Regional at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4.
St. Bede’s Jose De La Torre has his shot blocked by LaMoille’s Braden Fischer on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025 at LaMoille High School. The Bruins and Lions will both play out of the Amboy Regional. (Scott Anderson)
Team to beat: (2) Rock Falls (21-8)
Pairings: Monday, Feb. 24 – Game 1: (10) Erie-Prophetstown (8-18) at (8) Oregon (16-14), 7 p.m. Game 2: (11) Morrison (11-20) at (6) Bureau Valley (20-11), 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 – Game 3: (2) Rock Falls vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Game 4: (3) Riverdale (20-9) vs. Winner 2, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 – Title – Winners 3-4, 7 p.m.
Worthy of note: The Storm get all the comforts of home at the Storm Cellar where they are 9-1, their lone loss at the hands of St. Bede. They have won 14 of their last 19 games, but just two wins were over Class 2A teams, including Oregon. The Storm wrapped up an 11-0 run in its first season in the Lincoln Trail, but fell in the LTC tournament semifinals to Princeville and to Annawan in the third-place game. BV and Morrison will meet for the first time in the regional quarterfinals. … The Rockets, who beat Three Rivers East champ Mendota twice in a five-day stretch, have lost to Oregon (55-53), which could be their semifinal foe.
Last year’s regional finals: Riverdale 59, Seneca 54; Princeton 57, Morrison 55.
BCR pick: Rock Falls over Riverdale.
Next: Winner advances to Marengo Sectional to face winner of the Rockford Regional at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4.
Elijah Endress and the Bureau Valley Storm host their own regional. (Scott Anderson)
Team to beat: (1) Seneca (25-6).
Pairings: Monday, Feb. 24 – Game 1: (9) Hall (11-16) at (7) Sandwich (19-11), 6 p.m. Game 2: (12) Aurora Central Catholic (4-27) at (5) Mendota (21-8), 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 – Game 3: (1) Seneca vs. Winner 1, 6 p.m. Game 4: (4) Princeton (18-12) vs. Winner 2, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 – Title – Winners 3-4, 7 p.m.
Worthy of note: The Tigers seek a program-first fourth straight regional championship and will have the luxury of playing on their home court to get it. They have won nine straight heading into Friday’s home game with Sterling and stand 17-7 with senior Noah LaPorte, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer, in the lineup. The Tigers stood 7-3 at Prouty Gym heading into Friday’s game with Sterling. … The top-seeded Irish have won 11 out of their last 12 games for coach Russ Witte, formerly of Hall, losing only to 3A Streator (54-37) without top gun Paxton Giertz (27 ppg). He, like LaPorte, has become his school’s boys all-time leading scorer. Of its 26 wins, the latest over 3A Morris, 18 have come against Class 1A teams. … The Red Devils, who have lost eight straight heading into the postseason, will face a Sandwich team on its home court, playing its best basketball of the season, winners of 13 of its last 15 games. … Mendota won its first ever Three Rivers Conference East Division championship, finishing 9-1. The Trojans are 2-1 against Princeton and are poised to meet for the fourth time. The Trojans seek their first regional title since 2013. Freshman Cole Tillman leads the Trojans with a 16.8 ppg clip.
Last year’s regional finals: Princeton 57, Morrison 55; Riverdale 59, Seneca 54
BCR pick: Princeton over Seneca.
Next: Winner advances to Marengo Sectional to face winner of the Woodstock Regional at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5
Team to beat: (2) Streator (23-8).
Pairings: Wednesday, Feb. 26 – Game 1: (2) Streator vs. (7) Ottawa (9-18), 6 p.m. Game 2: (3) Dixon (22-9) vs. (5) LaSalle-Peru (13-18), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 – Game 3: Winners 1-2, 6 p.m.
Worthy of note: Streator has swept L-P while splitting a pair with Ottawa, winning 48-41 last week. Dixon had won 13 of 14 games, including a 61-50 win at Princeton, but has since dropped three of its last four. Senior Darius Harrington has become the Dukes’ all-time scoring leader.
Last year’s regional finals: L-P 68, Sterling 54.
BCR pick: Streator over Dixon.
Next: Winner advances to Washington Sectional to face winner of the East Peoria Regional at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5
At Roanoke-Benson (1A): Team to beat: (1) Peoria Christian (22-9). Other teams: (4) Brimfield (20-9), (7) Peoria Heights (14-15), (8) Roanoke-Benson (11-16), (9) Lowpoint-Washburn (14-13), (12) Midland (10-18), (15) Henry-Senachwine (5-23), (16) Putnam County (1-28).
At Savanna West Carroll (1A): Team to beat: (1) Eastland (27-4). Other teams: (4) Galva (20-7), (5) Sterling Newman (17-14), (6) Fulton (14-14), (8) Polo (12-15), (10) Milledgeville (8-20), (13) Wethersfield (6-22), (15) West Carroll (5-23). Note: Eastland is ranked No. 5 in 1A.
At Ottawa Marquette (1A): Team to beat: (2) Hinckley-Big Rock (23-8). Others: (3) Newark (17-13), (6) Serena (16-15), (7) Marquette (16-15), (8) Dwight (15-15), (9) Earlville (13-17), (14) Gardner-South Wilmington (6-24).
At Aledo Mercer County (2A): Team to beat: (1) Sherrard (27-3). Other teams: (4) Orion (24-7), (5) Mercer County (12-17), (6) Monmouth-Roseville (11-18), (7) Kewanee (14-16), (10) Alleman (4-25).
At Macomb (2A): Team to beat: (2) Rockridge (20-10). Other teams: (3) Macomb (21-4), (8) Canton (11-18), (9) Farmington (9-19), (11) Knoxville (2-27).
At Fieldcrest (2A): Team to beat: (2) Kankakee McNamara (22-7). Other teams: (3) Fieldcrest (22-9), (6) Clifton Central (16-12), (7) Fairbury Prairie Central (7-23), (8) Herscher (12-18).
At Morris (3A): Team to beat: (1) Kankakee (23-5). Other teams: (4) Sterling (15-16), (6) Morris (10-19), (8) Pontiac (11-17).
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

Bureau County Fairgrounds in Princeton will host its annual Spring Fling Craft and Vendor Show and Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12. (Earleen Hinton)
Bureau County Fairgrounds in Princeton will host its annual Spring Fling Craft and Vendor Show and Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12.
Admission is free. All three buildings at the fairgrounds will be full, with more than 150 tables of spring decor, Easter presents and handmade craft items, among other items. Vendors will be setting up outside too. All of the inside spaces are sold out but there still is room for outdoor vendors.
See the Bureau County Fair Facebook page or bureaucountyfair.com for more information.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

Registration is open for the Illinois Valley Youth Football League season for kids entering grades 5-8 this fall. Sign-up forms are available at Heartland Bank & Trust in Spring Valley. Deadline to have registration forms in with physicals is June 30.
Got a news tip? Email ntnewsroom@shawmedia.com
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

Princeton Club 56 made an All Night Bus Trip in April, including a group of 48 students and leaders on this trip. (Photo provided by Carmen Grey)
There has been a long standing outreach ministry to teenagers in Bureau County.
That mission is continuing with a new name.
Princeton Club 56 has been launched with a mission of sharing God’s love with students and helping them grow in their faith.
Sue Scruggs, Chuck Warren, Linda Fine and Barb Jesse, the Princeton Club 56′s board of directors, decided that the ministry needed to be supervised by the local board of directors and that all the funding should stay in Bureau County.
To accomplish this, the board left Young Life in late 2022, and created a new, local nonprofit organization. Princeton Club 56 was officially incorporated in the state of Illinois in August 2023 and was officially approved as a 501c3 nonprofit organization by the IRS in October 2023.
The board hired Buc and Carmen Grey on Feb. 1. Buc Grey is full time with Princeton Club 56 as area director, and his wife, Carmen, is the part-time office administrator. The Greys have a history of youth ministry, starting in the 1990s in West Virginia and then continuing in Princeton from 2002-2022 with Young Life.
Princeton Club 56 offers many programs for students in junior high, senior high and college age, including:
Junior High Club: After-school outreach club for students at Logan Junior High during the school year 3 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons.
Senior High Club: For high school students during the school year on Wednesday nights at the youth room at New Hope Church, 30 N. Sixth St.
College/young adult Club: For young adults that meets on Sunday nights.
Weekly small group discussions for all ages that meet throughout the year.
Summer and Fall camping trips.
Khristian Whitfield, a young adult volunteer leader with Princeton Club 56, summed up the ministry.
“We are there to share with students love and open arms just as God has for us no matter who it is that may need it,” Whitfield said. “I want to make sure that everyone knows that Club 56 is going to be a place where people of God will share His Word and love one another for a long, long time.”
Princeton Club 56 Fiscal Year Budget for 2024 is $140,000. There are two main yearly fundraisers for the ministry, a banquet and a golf event. All money that is raised through the banquet and golf outing stays local.
There are many local individual donors and businesses, community groups and churches that support Princeton Club 56.
Those who would like to contribute, may send a check to Princeton Club 56 at P.O. Box 56, Princeton, IL, 61356. Your contribution is tax deductible.
To see more pictures and to follow Princeton Club 56 on social media go to their Facebook page at Princeton Club 56 and Instagram at Club 56 Princeton. For more information about Princeton Club 56, contact Buc Grey at 815-878-5874 or email at princetonclub56@gmail.com.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source

The city of Ottawa announced Thursday the arrival of a new Amazon Last-Mile Delivery Facility, set to be constructed in the Ottawa Industrial Park. (Scott Anderson)
The city of Ottawa on Thursday announced the arrival of a new Amazon last-mile delivery facility, bringing 100 or more jobs, set to be constructed in the Ottawa Industrial Park.
The 50,800-square-foot warehouse will be an addition to Amazon’s regional logistics network, helping streamline package delivery to residents and businesses across the region.
It wasn’t out of the dark, by any means. It has a lot to do with the hard work that our economic development team does in promoting the sites. They were looking for a facility in this area that meets these requirements, [and] we responded and were able to land it.”
This facility that will create about 100 jobs, with the added positions of contracted drivers of the vans, will operate as a “last-mile” hub, where large volumes of parcels will be sorted and dispatched into separate delivery trucks, allowing for efficient and timely delivery to nearby areas. Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty said there will be less than 15 semitrailer deliveries between 6 and 8 a.m. Anywhere from 100 to 150 vans will leave the site at 10 a.m., and the facility should be empty by noon. Those vans are expected to return at about 6 to 8 p.m.
The construction of the warehouse recently began, marking a milestone in Ottawa’s ongoing efforts to foster economic growth and enhance infrastructure, the mayor said in a Thursday news release.
“We are thrilled to welcome Amazon to Ottawa,” Hasty said. “This new facility will not only create jobs but also place Ottawa at the heart of a cutting-edge logistics network, benefiting both our community and the broader region.
“I’m glad that they chose Ottawa, and we’re looking forward to this being a good stepping stone for other development in our industrial park.”
The Ottawa City Council in August approved the sale of a piece of property at U.S. Route 6/Route 71 and Technology Drive but did not provide any details at the time of the sale. Hasty said at that time that the agreement with Ryan Companies U.S. Inc. contained a nondisclosure clause, and that the city would “hopefully very soon” be able to disclose the nature of the transaction.
Hasty said the city advertised openings in the industrial park on several websites. That caught Amazon’s attention, so the merchandising giant approached Ottawa.
“It wasn’t out of the dark, by any means,” Hasty said. “It has a lot to do with the hard work that our economic development team does in promoting the sites. They were looking for a facility in this area that meets these requirements, [and] we responded and were able to land it.”
Hasty said there were “no incentives that were offered” in the acquisition. As the property is located in both a tax increment financing district and an enterprise zone, there were incentives available. However, Hasty said the city “did not enter into any kind of a TIF agreement with Amazon, nor did they apply for any enterprise zone credits.”
The new facility represents a strategic investment in Ottawa’s industrial sector and is expected to generate a range of employment opportunities, from warehouse operations to delivery services, the city said.
“Since this is a last-mile delivery hub, most of its traffic is lightweight vehicles – delivery vans and so forth – so there will not be an insane amount of heavy trucks coming and going. It will be mostly delivery vehicles.”
Ottawa officials said they are committed to supporting Amazon through every phase of development, ensuring a seamless construction process and integration into the local economy.
“This last-mile facility will allow us to better serve customers in Ottawa and the surrounding region,” said Kyle DeGiulio, senior manager of economic development for Amazon. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the city of Ottawa and look forward to sharing more details about this facility and the good jobs we’ll offer in the future.”
The Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce issued a statement of congratulations Thursday.
“Congratulations to the city of Ottawa on this exciting announcement,” Ottawa Area Chamber Executive Director Jay McCracken said. “Our Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working closely with the city of Ottawa and Amazon as we continue to support business growth and development in our Ottawa area.”
The city of Ottawa on Thursday announced the arrival of a new Amazon last-mile delivery facility, bringing 100 or more jobs, set to be constructed in the Ottawa Industrial Park. Crews were busy at the site Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. (Derek Barichello)
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

source