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A sign reads Long Live Sean is placed on the volleyball float on Sunday Sept. 15, 2024, during the Oswego High School homecoming parade. (David Toney for Shaw Local News /David Toney)
Oswego High School students are remembering fellow student Sean Fader as someone who always had a smile on his face and was an energetic athlete.
Fader, a senior at Oswego High School, died on Sept. 13 after the car he was driving hit a tree in Oswego Township and caught fire. During Oswego High School’s homecoming parade on Sept. 15, signs like “You will be missed Sean” and “Forever in our Hearts” were on display.
Oswego High School color guard members get comforted as the band plays Amazing Grace on Sunday Sept. 15, 2024, before the start of the homecoming parade to honor a classmate who passed away in a car crash. (David Toney for Shaw Local News /David Toney)
“The whole community has been coming together,” said fellow Oswego High School senior Abby Schwab, who participated in the parade. “I think we’re all just trying to celebrate his life. He always had something to say and he was very funny.”
Oswego High School senior Mya Alonzo has known Fader since they were classmates at Traughber Junior High School in Oswego. They were in the same band class in sixth grade.
“He always had a smile on his face,” Alonzo said. “He always made jokes and he was just a down-to-earth person. He lived his life to the fullest.”
Sean Fader, a senior at Oswego High School, died on Sept. 13 after the car he was driving hit a tree in Oswego Township and caught fire. In his memory, his family is creating the Sean Fader Memorial Scholarship. (Photo provided by GoFundMe.)
Fader was a member of the school’s boys volleyball team. Kimberly Reichard, who is on the high school’s girls volleyball team, also helps manage Oswego High School’s boys volleyball team.
“When he came to practice, he was always energetic,” Reichard said. “He never didn’t give his all on the court.”
The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the crash that occurred about 8:51 p.m. Sept. 13 on Minkler Road near the intersection with Reservation Road in unincorporated Oswego Township.
According to a news release from the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, the preliminary investigation indicates that Fader’s car was traveling southbound on Minkler Road when it left the roadway, struck a tree and caught on fire.
Fader was the only person in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The investigation is ongoing and being done in conjunction with the Kendall County Coroner’s Office.
“As a school community, we grieve the tragic loss of Sean,” according to an Oswego High School Facebook post.
In his memory, his family is creating the Sean Fader Memorial Scholarship. To donate to the fund, go to gofundme.com.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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The Streator Fire Department responded Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, to a fire on Stanton Place, rescuing two residents from the home. (Derek Barichello)
Two Streator residents were rescued by firefighters Tuesday morning from the second floor of a burning house.
Firefighters used a ladder rescue to remove two adults who were trapped in the home at 43 Stanton Place. They were taken to OSF Center for Health-Streator as a precaution.
A closed bedroom door saved the residents’ lives, the fire department said in a news release. The door prevented smoke from entering the bedroom and allowed the residents to evacuate to the roof of the home. The residents exited the window onto the roof as firefighters placed a ladder to move them to safety.
The Streator Fire Department responded at 9:40 a.m. to heavy smoke and fire with assistance from Grand Ridge, Reading and Ottawa firefighters, said Fire Chief Gary Bird. Firefighters used a process called vent-enter-search, in which firefighters create openings or break windows to gain access to the house.
Three dogs were found dead and a cat was found alive and rescued, the fire department said.
The fire was controlled in about a half hour, Bird said. The house had heavy smoke damage and the kitchen had heavy fire damage. The American Red Cross assisted the residents.
Bird said he is uncertain how the fire started as of Tuesday afternoon, but the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal was called to assist because the fire involved possible injuries. Bird said, however, the fire is not considered suspicious. He said the residents were alerted of the fire by smoke detectors. The fire marshal has yet to determine a cause, the fire department said in its release Tuesday evening.
“We’re thankful we were able to get them out,” Bird said.
Streator ambulance, Streator police, Vermilion Valley Dispatch, ComEd, Nicor and Illinois American Water also assisted.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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“Wild Bill! An Afternoon with James Butler Hickok,” a one-man show from actor/writer Walt Willey, will be performed Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, at the Hume-Carnegie Museum, 901 Washington St., Mendota, in conjunction with Wild Bill Hickok Day. (Shaw Local News Network)
“Wild Bill! An Afternoon with James Butler Hickok,” a one-man show from actor/writer Walt Willey, will be performed Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, at the Hume-Carnegie Museum, 901 Washington St., Mendota, in conjunction with Wild Bill Hickok Day.
Performances are scheduled for noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m.
Willey will be performing the “Special Edition,” emphasizing Hickok’s time in Mendota, Troy Grove and Utica areas. The first-person narration follows Hickok’s life from his birth in 1837 and adventures in Illinois as a youth to his return to the area in 1869.
Willey, a La Salle County native (born in Ottawa) who played Jackson Montgomery on “All My Children” for almost 25 years, had been looking for a one-man show to take on tour.
“And here was this legend, right in my own backyard,” Willey said in a news release. “I began to research this man’s life and I was fascinated. Even with the myth and fable surrounding him stripped away, his life is as exciting as any of the fiction written about him. And he was six-foot two, blonde and blue, so it wasn’t much of a stretch.”
“This is a man who was, in his lifetime, a farmer, a teamster, a trapper, a scout, a spy, a marshal, a sheriff, a gunfighter, an actor and a gambler – and a legend in his own time. And he died at thirty-nine! In Western movies, when we see gunfighters step into the street for a showdown, it’s because Wild Bill did!”
Willey performs Hickok’s life story from the legend’s own words.
“The sources I’ve used are the ones that lean on provable truth,” Willey said. “Now whether Hickok could separate his truth from legend … well, that’s part of the journey.”
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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The Village of Oswego is warning residents that the stoplights at the intersection of Route 34 and Douglas Road will not be working for the next eight to 10 hours.
The non-functioning lights are the result of a crash earlier in the day, according to a post on the village’s Facebook. Meade Electric is working to restore the lights.
“In the meantime, police will deploy lighting towers at the intersection, as the stoplight flashers will be non-operational,” according to the post.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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The Princeton Tigers wrestling team defeated Rockridge and Sherrard on the Prouty Gym mats Friday, clinching its first conference championship in 14 years. (Kevin Hieronymus)
PRINCETON – Fourteen years is a long time in wrestling years.
Most of the Princeton wrestlers were either in diapers or just coming out of them the last time the Tigers won a conference championship in 2011.
The Tigers wrestling team put up a new marker on the Prouty Gym banner Friday, sweeping a pair of Three Rivers dual matches to claim the conference championship.
The Tigers first defeated Rockridge 40-35 and then took down Sherrard 58-21 to wrap up the Three Rivers championship.
It was Princeton’s first conference title since 2011, in an abbreviated NCIC conference field, and their first in the Three Rivers. PHS also won the NCIC championship in 2007, its only other conference title.
“It means a lot. Looking up at that board, we last won it in 2011. This is the first time in the TRAC, That’s sweet,“ said PHS senior Ace Christiansen, who was one of five Tigers to sweep two matches Friday.
“We knew they were pretty solid teams. They didn’t have anybody over the top, but we knew they were going to be pretty tough. I think we did very well.”
PHS junior Casey Etheridge, who took both of his matches moving up a weight to 175 pounds, was glad the Tigers could get what eluded them in football.
“It feels great to get a conference championship in wrestling because it’s been that long. And in football, we didn’t get it done, so it feels nice to get it in another sport,” he said.
“We didn’t wrestle our best against Rockridge, but I thought we wrestled better against Sherrard. Sherrard beat Rockridge and we wrestled real well against Sherrard.”
Tiger coach Steve Amy knew he had the makings of a champion when they hit the mats this season bringing back four state medalists.
“We knew we had a pretty special group. As long as everyone fit in the right weights, we’d be pretty good,” he said. “Hats off to these guys. They’ve worked hard all year and they deserve it and hopefully next week (at regional) they’re ready to go.”
Of the double winners on the night, Amy especially praised freshman Andrew Giaquinto for stepping in at 165 to fill in for Mike Kurth, who was ill.
He pinned Rockridge’s Isaac Bull at 0:47 and Sherrard’s Jaydon Wilson at 3:29.
“He did a great job filling. Had a guy sick, so we moved the lineup around a little bit and he came away with two wins. It was great,” Amy said.
“He did a great job,” Etheridge said. “He’s been working really hard. He stepped up tonight and got both those pins.”
Etheridge took care of business with two falls on the night, at 0:25 against Rockridge’s Levi Junis and at 0:30 against Sherrard’s Alexander Buckner.
Christiansen scored a 10-0 major decision over Rockridge’s Thomas Sowards and an 18-2 technical fall over Sherrard’s Andrew Knox.
Augustus Swanson scored two falls, at 0:27 over Rockridge’s Cooper Larson and at 0:36 over Sherrard’s Tavian Strauss.
Kane Dauber also went 2-0 with a forfeit against Rockridge and a 16-1 tech fall over Sherrard’s Jacob Fratzke.
Jacob Paull (1:08) and Eli Berlin (0:54) both contributed falls against the Rockets at 113 pounds and 190, respectively.
Other PHS winners against Sherrard were Jaydon Cooke (126) by fall at 0:26, Brennen Emmett (157) by fall at 3:29 and Brayden Bickett (106), Corbin Brown (138) and Daniel Gilbertson (285) by forfeit
Amy doesn’t want the Tigers to be satisfied as they gear up for the Class 1A St. Bede Regional next week.
“They had a good year, so far. Looking forward to adding to it at regional next week, hopefully,” Amy said.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Princeton junior Casey Etheridge is congratulated by Tiger coach Steve Amy after recording his 100th career victory with a pair of wins at home Thursday night over L-P and IVC. (Photo provided)
Princeton junior wrestler Casey Etheridge joined the Tigers’ coveted 100-win club on Thursday.
With a pair of wins at home over L-P and IVC, he now has 101 career wins.
Etheridge (38-2) looks to add to his win totals in tonight’s duals against Sherrard and Rockridge and contribute to the Tigers’ quest for the Three Rivers Conference championship.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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The Princeton Moose Lodge will host a Valentine’s Dance from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. (Scott Anderson)
The Princeton Moose Lodge will host a Valentine’s Dance from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14.
Enjoy oldies music from the Generic’s Goodies Band. The dining room will be serving food from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Moose is located at 1339 N. Euclid Ave.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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A Marseilles man has been arrested on a complaint of aggravated arson following a Thursday morning fire, Captain James Buckingham said in a Thursday news release.
Got a news tip? Email ntnewsroom@shawmedia.com
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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Here are the La Salle County marriage licenses for April 1 to 12, 2024. (Shaw Media file photo)
Here are the La Salle County marriage licenses for April 1 to 12, 2024.
Froilan Ramon Gracia Guzman of La Salle and Yenifer Melisa Calix Farret of La Salle
Tanner Austin Swartz of Ottawa and Alexis Marie Sodaro of Ottawa
Cole Richard Johns of Oglesby and Kendra Reyne Arjes of Oglesby
Mit Bipinkumar Patel of Canton, Mich. and Bhoomi Rajendra Patel of La Salle
Jordan Louis Kiley of Cedar Point and Danielle Darlene Missel of Cedar Point
Eric Nihyun Chung of Bourbonnais and Julia Ann Hancock of Bourbonnais
Jacob John Plochocki of La Salle and Alyssa Leanne Marcum of Peru
Coleman David Mauch of Mendota and Molly Anne Torman of Mendota
Timothy John Cole of Marseilles and Elizabeth Ann Zemann of Marseilles
Luis William Velasco Pillo of La Salle and Janneth Amparo Villarreal Quenguan of La Salle
Ryan Anthony Koons of Marseilles and Heidi Lin Chapman of Marseilles
Steven Michael Tordai of Earlville and Mackenzie Van Harris of Earlville
Peter James Vignali of Sheridan and Morgan Bryann Olesen of Ottawa
Liam Wayne Bogle of Mendota and Giuseppina Piccolo of Spring Valley
Alec Daniel Townsend of Naperville and Jennifer Lynn Prokop of Mokena
Nolan Paul Baumbach of Aurora and Rena Ann Jones of Aurora
Nathan Gilbert Lawrence Klema of La Salle and Brooke Marie Reutner of La Salle
Andrew Timothy Dresen of Ottawa and Kylie Anne Keeney of Ottawa
Tristan James Hout of Ottawa and Nicole Renee Oelschlager of Ottawa
Mack Joseph Colt of Bondurant, Iowa and Amber Nicole Schiffbauer of Bondurant, Iowa
Kristopher Michael Brown of Hanover Park and Jasmine Estela Cotts of Aurora
Pietro Joseph Mautino of Ottawa and Emily Ann Kurtz of Ottawa
Conor Eugene Shukstor of Mendota and Avery Judith Barrett of Mendota
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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The city of Ottawa will collect Christmas trees through Friday, Jan. 31, at the Riordan Pool parking lot. (Photo provided by the Lake County Forest Preserves)
The city of Ottawa will collect Christmas trees through Friday, Jan. 31, at the Riordan Pool parking lot, 500 East Norris Drive.
Residents are advised to drop off trees at the designated location at the northeast corner of the parking lot.
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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