4+ hour, 38+ min ago  (145+ words) Shaw Local Ottawa firefighters Devin Fleming and Brazon Wheeler are hoisted upward into Wildcat Canyon during rope rescue training on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at Starved Rock State Park. (Scott Anderson) Over 15 years covering news, sports and events in the Illinois Valley....

1+ day, 7+ hour ago  (1396+ words) Benet 2-9, Marian Catholic 1-8 Ana Schaefer's two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh of the second game gave the Redwings the doubleheader sweep as Benet rallied with six runs in the final inning. Sofia Heggie also hit a…...

2+ day, 2+ hour ago  (226+ words) The new Morris Fire Station at 200 Armstrong St. (Michael Urbanec) The Grundy Area Vocational Center and Morris Fire Protection District are teaming up to create a pathway for new firefighters directly from high school. Instructor Craig Mateski announced the partnership…...

2+ day, 2+ hour ago  (664+ words) Sterling 8, Rock Island 5: Rosie Cantu hit two home runs and drove in four runs in the road win. Layla Wright pitched four innings and Lily Martinez three hitless frames for Sterling. Lily Cantu had three of Sterling's nine hits. Eastland…...

6+ day, 9+ hour ago  (107+ words) Geneva d. Yorkville 21-25, 25-20, 25-22 Dylan Frieders had six kills, five digs and two blocks and Akon Fongu-Atehnkeng seven kills, five blocks and one dig for the Foxes (15-10). Rockford Lutheran 7, Sandwich 0 Shayla Green had 10 saves in goal for Sandwich. Haylee Lilliebridge and Monica…...

6+ day, 9+ hour ago  (167+ words) Jillian Anderson (Ohio HS) Ohio senior Jillian Anderson has been selected to the Northwest Illinois All-Star Game on June 9 at Highland Community College in Freeport. Game time is 6: 30 p. m. Anderson was a first-team All-BCR selection, named first-team NUIC All-Conference for the…...

6+ day, 18+ hour ago  (151+ words) Shaw Local Putnam County Junior High Volleyball Award winners announced Kevin has been sports editor of the BCR since 1986, covering Bureau County and IL Valley Sports. Was previously sports editor of the St. Louis Daily News and a regular contributor…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago  (733+ words) De Kalb's Juan Lopez scores a point Tuesday, April 21, 2026 during their match against Naperville North JV at De Kalb High School. (Mark Busch) The result, a 25-12, 25-14 loss to Naperville North, didn't matter. The De Kalb boys volleyball played its first…...

4+ week, 1+ day ago  (632+ words) West Aurora logo (Provided) For a very early-season tournament, there was a high level of volleyball being played on the courts Saturday at the West Aurora Invite. Especially from the host Blackhawks and Naperville North. Each team went 3-1 in the…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago  (257+ words) Three Bureau County athletes have committed or signed to take their next step athletically. Hall senior standout Braden Curran has made his pitch to play baseball for Augustana College next year. Curran, who is a returning first-team all-BCR and all-Three…...