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Signs indicate a Papa John’s store is opening soon in Peru next to Dunkin’ Donuts. (Maribeth Wilson)
Papa John’s signs were hung at the empty storefront next to Dunkin’ Donuts on Shooting Park Road in Peru, signaling the national pizza chain is opening a new location soon in Peru.
There are 81 Papa John’s locations in Illinois, but just one other in La Salle County. That store is located in Ottawa.
A sign indicates the store is hiring.
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 .
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Princeton’s Noah LaPorte scores the game-winning basket to lift the Tigers to a 53-51 win over Byron Saturday at Prouty Gym. The basket also broke the PHS all-time scoring record with 1,470 career points. (Mike Vaughn)
Princeton senior Noah LaPorte set the Tigers’ all-time scoring record with the game-winning basket in Saturday’s 53-51 win over Byron. He broke the record of 1,468 set by former teammate Grady Thompson in 2022-23. Here’s all the Tigers’ 1,000-point scorers:
Note: Tiah Romagnoli (1996-99) is Princeton’s girls scoring leader with 1,506 points
Grady Thompson (Mike Vaughn)
Princeton great Joe Ruklick displays one of his famous hook shots for the Tigers’ 1954-55 state squad. He set the Princeton school scoring record with 1,306 career points and became a collegiate All-American for Northwestern and played in the NBA. (BCR file photo/Bill Lamb)
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Princeton’s Cade Odell (left) and Wheaton St. Francis’ Jaylen Torres wrestle at 285 pounds at the 1A Oregon Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Earleen Hinton)
Last year, Princeton qualified a then school-record four wrestlers for the IHSA state individual wrestling tournament, bringing home three state medals.
The Tigers have one-upped that record this year, sending five wrestlers to Champaign with an eye on setting a new record for state medalists.
Making a return trip to state will be junior Augustus Swanson (120 pounds) and senior Ace Christiansen (144), who each placed third at Saturday’s Class 1A Oregon Sectional, and junior Casey Etheridge (165) and senior Cade Odell (285), who finished fourth.
They will be joined by freshman Kane Dauber, who placed third at 132.
“It’s big for the program to get five down there,” Princeton coach Steve Amy said. “These guys have been working hard for a very long time to get to this point. It’s really a testament to our guys’ dedication and determination to continue to compete in tough situations.
“It’s a school record but hopefully we’re not done breaking those. Hopefully we can bring home five medals this weekend.”
Princeton’s Ace Christiansen (top) and Richmond Burton’s Emmett Belson wrestle at 144 pounds at the 1A Oregon Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Earleen Hinton)
The Tigers are excited to go back.
“It is a great feeling to be able to return the same amount of guys as last year and even adding a great talent like Kane,” said Etheridge, who seeks his first IHSA state medal. “We are happy to be able to compete next weekend but our goals and ambitions don’t end with just being there. We have high aspirations for next weekend and we are ready to compete with the best in the state.”
“It’s great having five of us make it out of our sectional which is always one of the toughest ones in the state and is really cool,” said Christiansen, who placed third at state a year ago.
“It’s definitely something special that’s for sure,” said Swanson, who placed fifth at 113 pounds last year. “It is a huge honor being apart of this team with five of us making it. There was definitely people who doubted me since i went up to 120, but I proved to them and myself that I can do it.”
Odell, a fourth-place state medalist last year, had the most tedious ride of the Tigers. He fell to Jaylen Torres of St. Francis 7-1 in the semifinals at 285 and trailed by one point with 30 seconds in his semifinal wrestleback before scoring with an escape and takedown for a 9-6 win over Colin Kraus of Richmond-Burton.
Odell dropped a 4-3 decision to Byron’s Jared Claunch, finishing fourth.
“It’s happiness, fatigue,” Odell said after the sectional. “I was elated. I was here my sophomore year and I lost in sudden death to a Lena-Winslow heavyweight at the time. So it’s nice to come back and do it here and actually make it out this time.
“Earlier this year I dealt with a pretty bad injury and I wasn’t even sure I was going to be able to wrestle at regionals. Just coming back here and just being able to wrestle my butt off, it’s just all glory to God, really. It’s just kind of the bow on my career, you know.”
Swanson lost to Richmond-Burton’s Adam Glauser in the semifinals but bounced back to win by fall in 3:45 in his semifinal wrestleback against Byron’s Jackson Norris and by 13-5 major decision over Oregon’s Isaiah Perez to take third place.
Dauber lost 20-15 Riverdale’s Dean Wainwright in the semifinals but earned his state berth with a 12-6 decision in a semifinal wrestleback over Newman’s Landon Blanton and a pin at 4:45 over Oregon’s Nelson Benesh in the third-place match.
Christiansen lost by 15-3 major decision to Richmond-Burton’s Emmett Nelson in his semifinal. He won a 7-1 decision over Rockridge’s Tomas Sowards in his semifinal wrestleback and won by medical forfeit in the third-place match.
Etheridge dropped a 5-4 decision to Wheaton Academy’s Tyler Jones in the semifinals then won by 16-4 major decision over Marquette’s Reily Leifheit in his semifinal wrestleback to earn a return trip to state. He lost a 7-2 decision Newman’s Daniel Kelly in the third-place match.
Sterling Newman’s Danny Kelly and Princeton’s Casey Etheridge wrestle at 165 pounds at the 1A Oregon Regional on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Earleen Hinton)
Princeton freshman Jacob Paull (113) saw his season end in wrestlebacks.
Prior to last year, Princeton’s best medal take at state had been two medalists which it did six times – 1990, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2019.
All of the Tigers will be wrestling in opening round Class 1A matchup starting at noon Thursday at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
Swanson (28-8) will face Coal City senior Culan Lindemuth (33-11) at 120; Dauber (46-3) drew Brenden Rayl (34-1), a senior from Belleville Althoff at 132; Christiansen will square off with Logan Riggs (35-12), a junior from Roxana at 144 and Etheridge (44-4) will face Adam Haddad (36-2), a senior sectional champion from Northridge at 165 while Odell (31-3) will wrestle David McCarthy (28-2), a senior sectional champ and returning state medalist (fifth) from Chicago De La Salle.
Lindemuth, Rayl and Riggs were all sectional runners-up.
“We have some matchups. At this point in the season, everyone is good so we just have to stick to doing what we’re good at,” Amy said.
Princeton’s Augustus Swanson (right) wrestles Byron’s Jackson Morris in a semi-final wrestleback match at 120 pounds at the 1A Oregon Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Earleen Hinton)
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An aerial view of the former St. Margaret’s Hospital on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, in Spring Valley. (Scott Anderson)
A new owner of the former St. Margaret’s hospital in Spring Valley has emerged, and the city is hopeful that the owner will reach out to the city soon to share more details on its plans for the building.
Spring Valley Mayor Melanie Malooley-Thompson said Wednesday that the new owner is the University of Veterinary and Animal Wellness LLC of Palm Springs, California. She said the city has been in contact with its real estate agent and attorney to get more information.
The hospital, which closed June 16, 2023, was sold as part of a bankruptcy sale. The facility at 600 E. First St. spans 226,352 square feet, and an adjoining medical office is 5,400 square feet, according to a listing from Hilco Real Estate Sales.
Shaw Local News Network has not been able to contact the new owner.
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The Streator Police Department and Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating a suspicious fire Sunday morning on the 600 block of North Sterling Street. (Scott Anderson)
The Streator Police Department and Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating a suspicious fire Sunday morning on the 600 block of North Sterling Street.
All occupants in the home were able to escape the fire, according to the Streator Fire Department.
The fire was said to have occurred after two reports of shootings in Streator, including gunfire on that block Saturday, in which 17 bullet casings were found by police.
Streator firefighters arrived at about 1:20 a.m. and found fire in the rear of a two-story home. The fire was controlled in less than 5 minutes, the fire department said.
In the process of completely extinguishing the fire, firefighters found potential causes and called in the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office to help with the investigation. Streator firefighters assisted in the investigation.
There were no injuries reported as seven firefighters responded. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The home had minor fire damage on the exterior and the American Red Cross is assisting the family.
Along with Streator police and fire departments, Vermilion Valley Dispatch, Streator ambulance, Nicor and Illinois American Water assisted in the response.
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A Newark man died Saturday following a single-vehicle motorcycle crash near Belle River Drive and East 30th Road in Northville Township in La Salle County.
A Newark man died Saturday following a single-vehicle motorcycle crash near Belle River Drive and East 30th Road in Northville Township in La Salle County.
Warren J. Kaforski, 24, was identified as the motorcyclist, the La Salle County Coroner’s Office said Tuesday in a news release. A forensic autopsy was conducted Sunday with preliminary indications Kaforski died from fatal injuries from the crash.
This incident is under further investigation by the La Salle County Coroner’s Office and the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office.
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A Hennepin man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Thursday for pulling a gun during a 2021 argument at the Peru YMCA. (Derek Barichello – dbarichello@shawmedia.com)
A Hennepin man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Thursday for pulling a gun during a 2021 argument at the Peru YMCA.
Mark J. Judd, 42, was awaiting trial in La Salle County Circuit Court on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 4 felony carrying up to three years in prison. When he appeared Thursday, however, the felony was dismissed, and Judd instead pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon.
Judd pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years of conditional discharge, a nonreporting form of probation, plus 90 days in jail. He is to report Nov. 4 and, with three days of credit and day-for-day good time, could be home before Christmas.
Assistant La Salle County State’s Attorney Jeremiah Adams said in open court that Peru police responded Oct. 23, 2021, to the Illinois Valley YMCA. There, a man with a gun had called 911 to say that he was attacked and pulled the weapon to defend himself. The gun, Adams said, was confiscated and will be destroyed.
Surveillance, Adams said, showed that Judd was approached by two men, and he pulled a gun. Judd did not have a valid concealed carry permit. When interviewed, Adams said, Judd admitted to pulling and pointing the loaded gun.
Judd has no previous criminal history, Adams said.
When reached for comment, Judd provided a lengthy statement in which he said he was acting not only in self-defense but also to protect a minor whose name is redacted.
“I truly had no choice to protect myself and [the girl’s] life but to draw my firearm,” Judd wrote. “I had my concealed carry for five years, and it expired during COVID and that timeframe. I’ve never pulled it besides to safely store it at night.”
The two men involved in the altercation also were charged. Andrew L. Martinez, 38, of Utica was placed on conditional discharge after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery in 2022. Joshua M. Martinez, 40, of DePue was charged with misdemeanor assault, but the charge was later dismissed.
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Princeton vs. Rock Falls logo
The path to the Class 2A sectional championship game at Marengo was not an easy one for either Princeton or Rock Falls.
The Rockets got a buzzer-beater from Ryken Howard to slip past Winnebago 42-40 on Tuesday.
The Tigers had to rally from a 12-point deficit, fueled by a 17-0 run, to overturn Byron 46-42 in Wednesday’s semifinal.
The Tigers (21-12) and Rockets (24-8) will meet for the championship at 7 tonight at Marengo High School.
Princeton is riding a 12-game streak after standing 9-12. The Tigers own a 60-52 win over Rockets on Jan. 4 at Rock Falls.
Tonight’s winner will face the winner from the Chicago Christ the King Sectional in Monday’s Class 2A supersectional at Sterling High School. No. 2 Christ the King (24-9) meets No. 1 Montini Catholic (20-12) for the sectional title in Chicago.
Princeton will make its 13th sectional final appearance dating back to 1936, winning six of the first nine, but losing its last three. The Tigers last won a sectional championship in 2009 at Chillicothe, defeating Peoria Manual 71-65. The Tigers have also won sectional championships in 1954, 1955, 1992, 1994 and 2003.
Rock Falls has won nine sectional championships, its last in 2006 in Class AA.
Rock Falls won the 1999 Class A State championship with a state runner-up finish in 1958 in the one-class system. Princeton’s best state showing was a fourth-place finish in 1955, also in the one-class system, following a Sweet 16 run in 1954.
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Princeton senior Noah LaPorte celebrate their 59-53 regional championship victory Seneca at Prouty Gym Friday night. It was Princeton’s fourth straight regional title. (Mike Vaughn)
PRINCETON – The Princeton Tigers stood 9-12 on Jan. 27 after losing to Dixon.
There may have been some doubters outside the Tigers’ camp believing they would not go far in the postseason, and Princeton’s regional streak would come to an end.
Look at them now. The Tigers have not lost since, stringing 11 straight wins including Friday’s 59-53 triumph over Seneca to claim the Class 2A regional championship on their home floor.
“I think we had a lot of hope. We all knew we play together good, and we’ve done it in the past years, so we knew we could do it,” Princeton senior Jayden Fulkerson said.
“I always believed,“ Princeton senior Asa Gartin said. ”Toward the beginning, we didn’t have that chemistry set. As we continued to build in practice and games we’re winning, our chemistry got better, and we were confident after that. We were like, ‘We got this.’
“We had that burning in our hearts and that chip on our shoulder.”
“I think after last year, coming in .500 or below, we knew it was possible. We knew what we’re capable of,” senior all-stater Noah LaPorte said. “We battled some injuries early in the season. We got everyone back and healthy and started playing good.
“We’re on a streak right now, and it’s a great feeling. Having everyone being a part of it is great.”
Tigers coach Jason Smith was always a believer.
“I believed in these guys. I never once doubted them,” he said. “I thought once we got consistency, they got it rolling really quick.”
Princeton’s Noah LaPorte and Seneca’s Grant Siegel battle for a loss ball in Friday’s regional finals at Prouty Gym. The Tigers won 59-53 to claim their fourth straight regional title. (Mike Vaughn)
The streak of four straight regionals matches the run of four from 1992-95 as the most in PHS history.
“Senior year, you’re on a three-year regional win streak, you want to get that fourth,” Princeton’s Jordan Reinhardt said.
The Tigers (20-12) advance to the Marengo Sectional to face No. 2 Byron (21-9) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Byron beat Rockford Lutheran 64-51 at the Woodstock Regional. Princeton beat Byron 53-51 on a last-second basket by LaPorte on Feb. 8.
The Tigers led by as much as 14 points (43-29) late in the third quarter and by 10 when LaPorte gave them a 47-37 lead on a putback with 6:48 left in the game. LaPorte followed a 3-pointer by Seneca’s Paxton Giertz with a spin move in the post to keep the Tigers up by nine at 49-40 with six minutes to play.
The Irish kept charging back. Grant Sigel scored on a putback, James Zydon hit a 3-pointer, and Giertz scored again to cap a 7-0 Irish run to make it 49-47 with 4:24 left.
Zydon connected for another trey to draw Seneca within 51-50.
Seneca’s Cameron Shirley twists and shoots in Friday’s regional championship at Princeton. The Tigers won 59-53 to claim their fourth straight regional title. (Mike Vaughn)
LaPorte scored in the post and missed his free throw, but Asa Gartin hustled after the rebound. He passed to Luke Smith, who was fouled and swished two free throws. Reinhardt and Fulkerson each followed with a pair of charity tosses to run the Tigers to a 59-50 lead.
“I don’t know which (regional championship) is sweeter than the next. Maybe this one feels better because it was at home,” Smith said. “Lot more pressure than I thought it was going to be. Seneca’s a heck of a ball team. We knew we were in a battle, but our kids fought, had heart and grit and fight like they always do and had that determination that they don’t want to lose and they’re winners. Those kids are winners.”
The Irish (26-7) forced the Tigers’ hand with defensive pressure at times, helping them use a 11-4 run to close within 26-23 at the half.
“We wanted to press and wear them out. I thought that worked to an extent, but you can’t press if you don’t score,” Seneca coach Russ Witte said. “We had too many long stretches where we couldn’t put the ball in the hole. We had open looks. We just couldn’t consistently knock anything down.
“I thought our kids played outstandingly hard. You get a stop and a conversion on the other end, now you flip the switch.”
LaPorte poured in 27 points, including 16 in the second half, to lead all scorers, with Reinhardt adding 11.
Giertz netted 26 points in his last game in the Irish Green and White, finishing with 2,506 career points as their all-time leading scorer.
The Tigers knew they had their hands full with Giertz.
“We just had to play really hard,” Reinhardt said. “13 (Giertz) is a great player. He was obviously the main guy we focused on, but we stuck to our plan and it worked out.”
“He’s a great player. He can score from anywhere,” Fulkerson said.
Princeton’s Noah LaPorte gets a helping hand from Seneca’s Zeb Maxwell in Friday’s regional finals at Prouty Gym. The Tigers won 59-53 to claim their fourth straight regional title. (Mike Vaughn)
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FILE – “I Voted” stickers rest on a ballot machine at a voting site in Ottawa. (Scott Anderson)
Voters this week in La Salle and Bureau counties determined who will make the important decisions regarding their communities, schools, townships, fire departments, parks and libraries.
Write-in ballots may not be tallied on election night.
Results include early voting, all mail-in, provisional and Election Day ballots as of the time last reported by county.
Mail-in ballots have two weeks to arrive as long as they were postmarked by Election Day. Provisional ballots also can be addressed and counted during that time.
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