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Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network

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An exterior view of Casey’s General Store near the Bureau County Fairgrounds on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025 in Princeton. A winning $50,000 Powerball ticket was sold at this location. (Scott Anderson)
A $50,000 Powerball-winning ticket was sold at the Casey’s in Princeton but the lucky winner has not yet come forward.
The Illinois Lottery lists the store as the location of the winning ticket, but the winner may remain anonymous.
Candi Bomleny, the store’s manager, confirmed that no one has claimed the prize so far.
Bomleny explained store employees do not receive a bonus for selling winning tickets, however, about 1% of lottery profits go to the store’s overall sales.
The $50,000 prize is one of the mid-level payouts offered by Powerball. Winners can claim their prizes through the Illinois Lottery’s website.
Bill Freskos is a multimedia journalist based in the Illinois Valley. He covers hard news, local government, sports, business enterprise, and politics while contributing to Shaw Local Radio stations for Shaw Media across La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.

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Shaw Local file photo – A tree blown down by Tuesday night’s storms lies on a house on Parkside Dr. in Sycamore Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. Mondays tornado outbreak in DeKalb County was followed by severe weather Tuesday night and Wednesday morning causing more storm damage in the area. (Mark Busch – mbusch@shawmedia.com)
8:12 p.m. Update: As tornado warnings across northern Illinois begin to expire, phototgrapher Scott Anderson captured these storm photos from the Illinois Valley.
A rotating wall cloud appears over western Bureau County near Princeton on Friday, May 31, 2023. (Scott Anderson)
6:55 p.m. Update: Severe storms are entering the area, capable of producing tornados, hail, and destructive winds, according to the National Weather Service.
The next line of storms is starting to move into the area. These storms will be capable of producing destructive winds in excess of 75 mph and tornadoes in addition to large hail and frequent lightning. Storm speeds remain fast so be ready to take action! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/nipWKfdqKi
5:45 p.m. Update: Round 2 of Friday’s storms are set to arrive in northern Illinois as early as 6:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The storms should exit the area by 11 p.m.
The second round of severe weather begins to move into the area near 7 PM this evening and race ENE through 11 PM. While damaging winds and tornadoes are expected to be the main threat, large hail will also be possible in addition to frequent lightning. Stay on guard! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/FICcgZhQ1h
Severe thunderstorms with the potential for 75 mph winds, tornadoes and hail are on the way to northern Illinois Friday early afternoon, and residents should be alert for rapidly moving storm patterns, according to the National Weather Service.
A tornado watch was issued around 11:40 a.m. until 8 p.m. Friday for parts of western and central Illinois, eastern Iowa, northwestern Missouri and southwestern Iowa, according to the NWS. That includes parts of Jo Daviess, Carroll, Putnam, Whiteside, Bureau and Rock Island counties.
At 2:35 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch until 10 p.m. for McHenry, Lake, Ogle, Lee, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, La Salle, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Will, Livingston, Ford, Iriquois and Cook counties. A few tornadoes are likely in this area, along with hail and high winds.
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin until 10 PM CDT pic.twitter.com/NOwSf7kVZ9
A wind advisory also is in effect until 2 p.m. Saturday for much of northwest Illinois, including parts of La Salle, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, Iroquois, Ford, southern and eastern Will counties.
Most of northern Illinois is under threat from potentially significant severe storms, including Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Lake, Ogle, Lee, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, La Salle, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, Ford, Iroquois, Will, and Cook counties.
In its midday update Friday, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center upgraded portions of northwest and north central Illinois to a high risk for severe storms and expanded the moderate risk area to include most of northern Illinois.
Severe alerts such as thunderstorm or tornado warnings or watches could be coming later Friday, said Zackary Yack, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Romeoville office.
“Basically the whole area is under threat to see a couple of tornadoes tonight, some could even be on the stronger side,” Yack said.
A major severe weather outbreak is expected today from the Midwest to the Mid-South. The greatest risk for strong, long-track (potentially violent) tornadoes exists across SE IA, western IL & far northeast MO as well as portions of eastern AR, northern MS, & southwest TN. pic.twitter.com/8sYRg64fLg
The key message Yack said area residents should be aware of: The storms will be moving fast, so people should be prepared in advance.
“The speed of these storms will probably be moving pretty quickly, at like 60 to 70 miles per hour,” Yack said. “So it’s not going to give people a lot of time for action.”
Cold weather coming south from the upper Midwest and the Plains states where temperatures Friday are in the 20s and lower 30s will clash with the near-60 degree weather that has settled into northern Illinois Friday morning.
Damaging winds and heavy rain are capable of causing downed trees and power lines, structural damage to homes and can impact motorists, Yack said.
“Often it makes it very hard to maintain control of a vehicle, especially when you’re adding the heavy rain,” Yack said. “You can try to get home or not be out and about when these storms come through, especially 6 to 11 p.m. The sooner you can get home and yourself off the roadside is probably best.”
For motorists who have to be out Friday evening, it’s best to slow down and maintain distance between vehicles, or find a safe spot to pull off the road, Yack said.
The first wave is expected to start around 1 to 2 p.m. Friday, Yack said, and the second around 6 to 11 p.m.
“With the initial wave we’re basically looking at damaging wind gusts upwards of 75 miles per hour or higher, definitely some tornadoes possible and even a damaging hail threat,” Yack said. “The tricky part with this though is the northwest extension is uncertain at this time. There’s a chance the worst might be confined to I-80 and southward, but we’re definitely looking at those potential storms getting into the north part of the region, so those areas are not out of the clear yet.”
The second set of thunderstorms is coming from a line pushing across eastern Iowa, which is tracking across the Missouri River, said NWS meteorologist Mike McClure out of the Quad Cities office.
“As that moves through here tonight, we’re going to switch winds around to the northwest and that’s going to bring in some of that colder air,” McClure said.
Quad Cities residents should expect winds about 60 mph and large hail.
“We anticipate super cell storms to develop from central and eastern Iowa here,” McClure said. “It’s possible as time goes on these super cells could form into a line that could move eastward across Illinois and be predominantly a damaging wind threat.”
The National Weather Service recommends Illinoisans have an emergency preparedness plan ready to go in the event of severe weather threats Friday. If a tornado or high wind alert is issued, residents should head to the lowest floor of their home or a sturdy building and away from windows. Those in a vehicle should pull off the road and get into a sturdy building.
Severe weather alerts can be followed on smart phones, in area media outlets, and on the National Weather Services’ social media pages, including live updates on Twitter.
Kelsey Rettke is the editor of the Daily Chronicle and co-editor of the Kane County Chronicle, part of Shaw Local News Network.

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The candidates for Princeton Elementary School Board are newcomers Katie Dye (from left) and Blake Jacobs and incumbents Judd Lusher and Elizabeth Arkels.
The race for a seat on the Princeton Elementary School Board is not contested in the April 6 consolidated election. Four candidates, newcomers Katie Dye and Blake Jacobs and incumbents Judd Lusher and Elizabeth Arkels, are running for the four full four-year terms on the ballot. There is one unexpired two-year term on the ballot, however no candidate filed a petition for that seat.
The Bureau County Republican and Voices from the Prairie felt now was a good opportunity to meet the candidates, especially the two newcomers. Here is a further glance at who these candidates are, their goals and reasons for running for school board.
The Bureau County Republican partnered with Voices from the Prairie to present the following questionnaire. Voices from the Prairie is a local transpartisan organization that promotes the importance of well-informed, involved citizenry.
Katie Dye
Catherine (Katie) Dye
Education: Associate of Science from Illinois Valley Community College, currently completing a bachelor’s degree in accountancy at Western Illinois University.
What is your employment: Princeton High School Athletic Department Administrative Assistant.
Government experience: I have not previously held an elective office. I have been employed by both the Princeton Elementary School District (as a paraprofessional) (2018-19) and Princeton High School (2020 to present).
Community involvement: Princeton Jaycees — I served as chapter president, vice president, treasurer and Northwest Region director. I have been the Homestead Festival parade chairperson for the past four years after serving on that committee since I was in high school. I am active at St. Matthews Lutheran Church where I serve as a council member and former congregation president, I have also coached PYSL soccer and served on the committee for the annual KurtFest soccer tournament.
Why are you seeking this position? When I learned that there were multiple current PES School Board members that would not be seeking re-election, I felt that participating with the school board would be a great opportunity to serve the community in which I live. I love our Princeton schools and would like the opportunity to continue to make our district a positive and safe educational experience for our youngest community members.
What do you feel you have to offer that makes the board better able to meet community needs? I have three daughters that currently attend PES schools, so I feel that I have a good perspective on the needs of parents and families in our district. I previously worked for Jefferson Elementary School as a paraprofessional. This is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. It gave me great insight into the daily lives of our PES students while at school and also the hard work and dedication that our amazing staff provides each and every day. In my position at PHS, I work daily with the athletic/organized activities’ finances. This has provided me with an insight into the daily happenings of a school and more about how school finances work.
What do you believe is the greatest issue District 115 will face in the next few years? I think that the greatest issue every school district in Illinois faces is finances. School districts need to plan and deliver as best they can to provide for the best possible education and school experience for today’s students and tomorrow’s all while being good stewards of public assets, including funds and property.
What are your thoughts about the district buildings and infrastructure improvements? Our district’s buildings are aging and are in need of upgrades and repairs. The needed improvements will continue to be a major financial concern of our district in the coming years.
What can be improved upon? I am proud of our school board and our district and the work that they have done during recent years. I hope to be a part of continuing the positive work that has been done for our district.
What have you learned from the school’s COVID experience and remote learning? Since last March, parents and school staff have had to make many adjustments as we worked through the COVID-19 pandemic regulations. Parents have had to adjust to trying to help children remotely learn at home, many times while trying to help multiple children all while working from home themselves. With a change in the schedule parents have had to work to arrange childcare. With having children in the district, I have seen first hand how hard our educators have been working for our children each day. Teachers have been working with in-person students during the morning and then working to record videos, prepare remote learning lessons and meet with remote students during the afternoon. This year has been a learning curve for everyone, but I have learned that our staff and our students are incredibly resilient. Throughout this last year I have been extremely thankful for our PES staff and their dedication to our students and their educational success.
Why should voters elect you? I will work hard to continue to make our district the best it can be. I will dedicate my time to learning all that I can that is involved with helping the district function to the best of its ability. I hope to have the opportunity to serve a community that I am proud to call home.
Blake Jacobs
Blake Jacobs
Education: Health and safety compliance, regulated facility security, building fire systems, EMT-basic, contractor safety coordination and information technology.
What is your employment: Digital Transformation Specialist at a chemical manufacturing facility.
Government experience: Experience working with state and federal regulating entities.
Community involvement: Board member on the Princeton Youth Football League, youth football coach, assistant coach for Logan Jr. High STEM Club and active member in my local church.
Why are you seeking this position: I have an interest in serving our community and working to provide the best schools we can have for our children.
What do you feel you have to offer that makes the board better able to meet community needs? I have a genuine interest in helping to make our schools the best they can be.
What do you believe is the greatest issue District 115 will face in the next few years? The greatest issue will be recovering from the pandemic and any learning losses our students have experienced. We need to consider supports such as summer school and after-school programs in order to close the learning gaps.
What are your thoughts about the district buildings and infrastructure improvements? I will work hard to understand district building needs as I grow in my role as a board member.
What can be improved on? I come to the board with no agenda. I want to help improve the district but will study district needs to best prioritize needed improvements.
What have you learned from the school’s COVID experience and remote learning? I have learned that remote learning is tough for students and families and that nothing can replace a classroom with a caring teacher.
Why should the voters elect you? Because I care about our community and schools, and I want to serve in the effort to make a positive impact.
Judson Lusher
Judson E. Lusher
Education: B.S. English/Speech – Illinois Wesleyan University; M.S. Education/Speech – Northern Illinois University; C.A.S. School Administration – Northern Illinois University; Illinois Administrators’ Academy – 20 Seminars, Associate.
What is your employment: Retired PES School Administrator.
Governmental experience: Elected four terms to the Princeton Elementary School Board.
Community involvement: Community Partners Against Substance Abuse Coalition (CPASA) – Board of Directors; Bureau County United Way – Past Board of Directors; North Central Regional Betterment Coalition – Board; Princeton Rotary Club; Bureau County Retired Teacher’s Association.
Why are you seeking this position? I understand school governance and know how critical it is to listen, gather data, set goals and timelines for accomplishments, evaluate progress, work cooperatively and collaboratively with others to alter goals as needed, and to utilize available resources for success.
What do you feel you have to offer that makes the board better able to meet community needs? I am proactive, and in working with others, I find it more positive and successful to always think creatively in addressing the challenging issues that school systems often face.
What do you believe is the greatest issue District 115 will face in the next few years? It is unfortunate that the Princeton community failed to pass a much-needed building referendum for District 115. The problem/issue of replacing old, outdated buildings is not going to go away. It still remains. Other nearby districts have met the needs of their students by replacing aging infrastructure. As a board member, I would encourage the rest of the board to give thought to running another building referendum.
What are your thoughts about the district buildings and infrastructure improvements? We can spend a lot of money on improvements and you still have old, outdated buildings that don’t meet the needs of 21st century learning.
What can be improved upon? School buildings. Please reference my answers to the previous two questions.
What have you learned from the school’s COVID experience and remote learning? What people out in the public are telling me is that the teachers, staff and administrators have been doing a fantastic job this school year with the education of our PES students. I am very proud of them!
Why should the voters elect you? I am a strong advocate for quality education and excellent schools. Nothing is more important to the shared future of society than the well being of children. As a board member, I will continue to work for the students of Princeton Elementary District 115.
Elizabeth Arkels
Elizabeth Arkels
Education: PHS, St. Ambrose, Illinois Valley Community College and multiple Red Cross training certificates.
Government experience: Two terms on the school board.
Community involvement: Volunteered for multiple fundraisers and school events.
Why are you seeking this position? I have spent the past eight years on the board and feel it is important to share my knowledge and experience as we transition to a new superintendent and board members.
What do you feel you have to offer that makes the board better able to meet community needs? I can offer an open mind and the knowledge I have obtained in the past eight years.
What do you believe is the greatest issue District 115 will face in the next few years? The transition to a new superintendent and board members can always potentially pose issues. I am confident we will all work together in a respectful and open-minded way so we do what is best for not only our students and staff but our community as a whole.
What are your thoughts about the district buildings and infrastructure improvements? Our buildings are in poor shape. Some worse than others. We have done what we can with the current updates that have been made. Unfortunately, those are only temporary solutions.
What can be improved upon? There is always room for growth and improvement. I, personally, would like to work on my own community outreach and grow the numbers of public attendants to our meetings.
What have you learned from the schools COVID experience and remote learning? As a parent, I have seen some really great things and not so great things with remote learning. I have seen our admins and staff go above and beyond to do the best they can to make this challenging time as smooth as possible for students and their families. No one ever expected to have be a part of a pandemic, everyone has adapted incredibly to the unknowns we were/are faced with.
Why should the voters elect you? I have served two previous terms. I look forward to supporting our new superintendent and mentoring new board members. I have learned so much in the last eight years and want to learn more, while supporting our students and staff and doing what is best for our community as a whole.
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