High gas prices, big crowds drive traffic at Illinois Valley parks

All good things must end and this has been good

Longtime BCR Sports Editor Kevin Hieronymus has shared the stories of state champions, winning shots and sadness of loved ones lost with his game coverage and weekly sports columns, Hieronymus' Hypothesis. He is retiring after nearly 40 years at the end of July.

2025-26 NewsTribune Male Athlete of the Year: Princeton’s Casey Etheridge

After a standout senior year in football, wrestling and track and field, Princeton's Casey Etheridge is the 2025-26 NewsTribune Male Athlete of the Year.

Free CPR class planned in Mendota

Illinois Valley residents will have the opportunity to learn basic lifesaving skills during a free CPR class later this month.

Psych exam pending in rural DePue police shooting

The suspect in the Mother’s Day police shooting in rural DePue – a 3-year-old was struck and killed by gunfire – will undergo a psychological exam. Anthony Rodriguez’s trial was postponed pending an evaluation.

Two kids rescued from Bureau Creek in Princeton on Tuesday

Two children were rescued from Bureau Creek on Tuesday after strong currents carried them downstream while they were swimming, according to the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office.