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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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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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