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JACKpots Pub in Streator hands reins to new leadership; Chuck’s Cheese founder dies
EYES ON ENTERPRISE
Stephanie Jaquins
JACKpots Pub owners Jessica and Chad Lucas recently announced that they will be handing their Streator business over to new owners.
“This was not an easy decision, but as our lives have become busier, we’re looking forward to spending more time with our four children and focusing on our other careers,” the couple posted in a social media announcement. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the memories, the friendships, and the opportunity to serve you all these years.”
The Lucas’ final day of operation will be Thursday, Oct. 30. Customers are encouraged to use their gift cards.
Ottawa movie theatre undergoes renovations
Roxy Cinemas is closed while undergoing renovations.
The downtown Ottawa movie theatre will reopen Thursday, Oct. 24.
Founder of Chuck’s Cheese dies
The founder of Chuck’s Gourmet Cheese died Tuesday.
Charles “Chuck” Geiger was 84. Geiger’s one-man business began making cheese in the late 1980s in addition
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
IVCC joins statewide Feed the Need food drive through Dec. 1 Illinois Valley Community College is joining community colleges statewide in the second annual Feed the Need Campus Food Drive to fight food insecurity. The drive, running through Dec. 1, collects nonperishable food and toiletries for local pantries and campus food banks. Participating colleges compete for a plaque awarded to the campus collecting the most items.
to his full-time job as a CSX engineer.
He used a blend of various cheeses, flavoring and spices in his product before packaging it.
Geiger was awarded several ribbons from the Illinois State Fair in the course of his career, shipping cheese to 22 outlets in a 50-mile radius.
According to his obituary, he always had an entrepreneurial spirit.
He opened a deli/market and owned Tequila Eddie’s Restaurant and Bar. Chuck’s Cheese was purchased by Gina
and Allen Stoudt in 2023.
The Ottawa Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
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.
IVCC’s Eagles Peak Food Pantry has seen growing demand since opening in 2023, with a record 430 visits in September. Donations come from partners including Riverbend Food Bank, Hy-Vee, United Way of Illinois Valley, community members and IVCC employees.
Students, faculty, staff and community members can donate items such as rice, canned goods, shampoo, deodorant and dish soap at a collection box outside the
Matt Rowlee, director of outreach and drug technician at Perfectly Flawed, uses a spectrometer used to identify both legal and illegal drugs and their components on Thursday, Oct. 16, at their office in La Salle. Photo by Scott Anderson ON THE COVER
counseling office, CTC 202.
The college with the highest collection total will be honored at the Illinois Community College Board meeting in January.
“Feed the Need represents the mission of community colleges – meeting students where they are, addressing real challenges and building stronger communities together,” ICCB Board Chair Sylvia Jenkins said.
–Shaw Local News Network
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Stephanie Jaquins
Roxy Cinemas is closed while undergoing renovations.
La Salle Overdose Prevention: Perfectly Flawed Foundation fights stigma
Mobile wellness unit and drug-testing technology support recovery efforts in La Salle
By BILL FRESKOS bfreskos@shawmedia.com
Fatal overdoses in La Salle County have dropped about two-thirds over the past three years, Coroner Rich Ploch said.
Although the decline can’t be credited to any one thing, the Perfectly Flawed Foundation believes it is making a difference.
Based in downtown La Salle, the nonprofit leads regional efforts in substance use prevention and recovery support. From its mobile wellness unit to a new machine that tests street drugs’ chemical makeup, the foundation is changing how communities approach addiction.
“The biggest barrier we often see isn’t the drugs themselves. It’s the stigma,” said Matt Rowlee, director of outreach. “People are afraid to ask for help or even be seen walking into a clinic. We try to take that fear away.”
One way the foundation does this is with its mobile wellness unit: A van that travels across 13 northern counties to meet people where they are, hoping to connect with those considering recovery.
“Some folks won’t walk into a clinic or call a hotline, but they’ll talk to us when we pull up in their neighborhood,” Rowlee said. “Approaching us could be their first step in recovery.”
The van’s staff, many with personal recovery experiences, provide harm-reduction supplies, naloxone, sterile syringes, safe disposal and links to treatment.
Perfectly Flawed staff go beyond immediate care, following up with people and connecting them to local resources.
“We meet people where they’re at but don’t leave them there,” Rowlee said. “Sometimes I’ll sit with someone in the hospital to make sure they get treated. It’s about being there for people who may have been written off.”
Rowlee said he believes in the foundation’s philosophy because it’s something he wished existed years ago.
“If there had been something like this 15 years ago, I might still have some friends left at my high school reunion,” he said.
Matt Rowlee, director of outreach and drug technician at Perfectly
fills the free naloxone dispenser on Thursday, Oct. 16, at their office in La Salle.
The foundation also uses Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to analyze street drugs on-site without sending samples to a lab.
Founder and Director Luke Tomsha called the technology a game-changer.
“It’s one thing to know fentanyl is out there; it’s another to know exactly what’s in the local supply this week,” Tomsha said.
The results help identify substances circulating in the community and reveal patterns that can be shared with public health officials, first responders and people at risk.
“The more we know, the better we can respond,” Tomsha said. “It helps us reach people before tragedy happens.”
Although based in La Salle, Perfectly Flawed’s influence extends beyond the county.
Tomsha serves on the Governor’s Statewide Overdose Action Plan Steering Committee, which includes the lieutenant governor, Illinois State
Police and Illinois Department of Public Health leaders.
His role ensures people with lived experience have a voice in shaping state policies.
“Lived experience fills a critical gap,” Tomsha said. “We’re not clinical,
Matt Rowlee, director of outreach and a drug technician at Perfectly Flawed, uses a drug paraphernalia kit before analyzing a spectrometer used to identify both legal and illegal drugs and their components Thursday, Oct. 16, at the office in La Salle.
but we’ve walked that path and can be a trusted entry point to guide and inform programs – something people without that experience often can’t do.”
Shaw Local News Network reporter Tom Collins contributed to this story.
Photos by Scott Anderson
Flawed,
Immigration fears impacting restaurant industry
By DENISE M. BARAN-UNLAND dunland@shawmedia.com
When Margaret Mary Gillespie opened Magpie’s Joy of Eating in January 2024 in the space of the former Thayer Bros. Deli and Grille in Joliet, she kept much of the former restaurant’s staff, many of whom are immigrants.
All are in the U.S. legally – but “they are very fearful,” Gillespie said.
“They also have other jobs and they’ve watched the agents come in and take their co-workers away,” she said.
One employee is a college student from South America who “doesn’t go anywhere without her papers,” Gillespie said, meaning a passport.
She said she could understand if they were criminals. But these are people “who have a right to be here,” Gillespie said.
“They work their tails off doing jobs most of us won’t do,” Gillespie said, “and work 17 hours a day to provide for their families ... but they have to live in fear. These are hardworking people living in fear.”
According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant and foodservice industry is the second-largest private sector employer in the U.S., providing 15.7 million jobs – about 10 percent of the total workforce. The association’s April 2025 data brief reports that 51 percent of restaurant employees are minorities, including 66 percent of chefs, 62 percent of cooks, and 45 percent of managers.
Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said increased ICE activity and National Guard deployments in Chicagoland and nearby suburbs have “disrupted restaurant operations significantly, causing staffing shortages and other challenges.”
He added that these enforcement actions also affect customers. “The presence of ICE and the National Guard creates fear among diners, leading to fewer reservations, less foot traffic, and lower revenue for restaurants already struggling. Consumer confidence is critical, and this additional presence reduces business at a crucial time when restaurants need more support.”
‘There’s always the fear of the unknown’
Jamie Littell, owner of Moe Joe’s in Plainfield, said she hires mostly stu -
dents. She has one college student employee with a work visa and another immigrant who is legal, along with family members, Littell said.
“They’re here legally and have taxes taken out of their paychecks,” Littell said. “They work so hard for me, and they’re so sweet – but they’re not doing anything wrong. And I’m not letting anyone come in here and bully them. They’re good people who would die for me. So I would definitely die for them.”
Littell said news reports about ICE agents “dragging people away” without due process or allowing contact with family are “terrifying.”
“Before, there were laws and regulations, and people knew what was happening,” she said. “Now they’re just taking people for no other reason than they look suspicious.”
Repeated requests by Shaw Local News Network to the Department of Homeland Security for details on operations in Will County have gone unanswered. ICE has stated it targets individuals with criminal records or final removal orders.
Joe Poretta, owner of Valentino‘s in Ottawa, said, “We have nothing to worry
about that I know of.”
Poretta said he only opened Valentino’s four months ago, and half of his staff are part time and most work for area schools.
“It’s just a lot of local cooks and bartenders in town,” Poretta said.
Bill Dimitroulas, president of the Arkas Restaurant Group, which owns five restaurants and a catering company in Joliet, said most of the immigrants he’s hired are legal, have their paper -
Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, seen in 2014 in Chicago. Toia said increased ICE activity and National Guard deployments in Chicago and nearby suburbs have “disrupted restaurant operations significantly, causing staffing shortages and other challenges.”
AP file photo
work, and have worked for him anywhere from five to 10 years.
Yet they’re still afraid and wonder, “What if they pick me up and ship me out for no reason?” he said.
“No one’s explained how it is, what to watch for or if there’s anything to worry about,” Dimitroulas said. “Nobody’s talking about anything. There’s always the fear of the unknown. They all have
Bill Freskosi
Valentino’s Pasta and Wine officially opened Monday, June 20, 2025, at 104 W. Main St. in Ottawa.
Gary Middendorf – gmiddendorf@shawmedia
Bill Dimitroulas, president of the Arkas Restaurant Group, poses at Cut 158 Chophouse, one of six Joliet area restaurants he owns. He said most of the immigrants he’s hired are legal, have their paperwork and have worked for him anywhere from five to 10 years.
• CRACKDOWN FEARS
Continued from page 4
family and kids. So if they’re picked up for whatever reason, what happens to the family? I don’t think anybody should be scared if they’re doing the right things.”
He called the immigration crackdown “a mess for the state of Illinois.”
“On the one side we allowed immigrants – which is a good thing – and from the other side, we cannot really hire them and pay them legally,” Dimitroulas said. “So how are these people going to live? It’s very rough to people. The government came down with a hammer.”
Dimitroulas said his understanding is that ICE is mostly targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. But undocumented immigrants are also “a big part of the restaurant industry,” he added.
“It affects them; they are afraid to go to work,” Dimitroulas said. “They hear ICE is going to be in Illinois or Chicago on this morning and they take off and go to another state to escape.”
Dimitroulas said the fear has made it slightly more challenging to retain some staff.
“But it’s not the end of the world yet,” he said.
Dimitroulas previously said he came to the “land of opportunity”– the U.S. – in 1996, after he couldn’t find a job in sound engineering. He said most immigrants from “all over the world” would become citizens if the government made the process easier for them.
For now, he said, many workers are simply hoping to be left alone to do their jobs.
“They want to stay and work and start a family,” Dimitroulas said. “They come with good intentions. If you help them, they will do it right.”
QUALITY USED CARS, TRUCKS, SUV’S & VANS
OSF HealthCare to shift ICU, obstetrics services from Ottawa to Peru
By MARIBETH M. WILSON mwilson@shawmedia.com
OSF HealthCare will proceed with its plan to consolidate intensive care unit (ICU) and inpatient obstetrics (OB) services from its Ottawa hospital to the facility in Peru, the hospital announced Friday.The decision follows months of community input and negotiations.
OSF said in the news release it offered to keep ICU services in Ottawa as a concession, but the offer was rejected by the City of Ottawa and Citizens for Healthcare in Ottawa (CHO), who requested additional changes OSF said were not clinically or operationally feasible.
“OSF HealthCare has always approached this work with compassion and transparency,” Bob Sehring, CEO of OSF HealthCare, said in a news release. “Our proposal to continue ICU services
in Ottawa went well beyond what is clinically necessary, but we made that offer because we care deeply about this community and wanted to find a reasonable concession with the city and CHO group. It is unfortunate that offer was not accepted.”
Ottawa Mayor Robert Hasty said OSF did present a proposal to the council on Oct. 1. However, that proposal was to forgo OB to Peru, and then they would keep the ICU.
“When we pressed them about what keeping the ICU or ICU’s meant, they were not going to keep the capacity to keep a full 24/7, 24-hour ICU unit,” he said.
Hasty said the plan presented on Oct. 1 was essentially the same as the one they had offered a year ago.
“They dressed it up to make it sound like negotiating,” he said. “In turn for
OBITUARIES
L. WAYNE WILSON
Born: September 12, 1930 in Hanford, CA Died: October 9, 2025 in Elburn, IL
L. Wayne Wilson September 12, 1930 – October 9, 2025 Wayne Wilson, age 95, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 9, 2025 at BlackBerry Pines in Elburn, Illinois. Born in Hanford, CA, the son of Leslie Verl and Emma LaVern Wilson. Wayne enjoyed growing up in California.
At the age of 17, Wayne joined the Navy and served until November of 1951. Interested in Mechanical Engineering, he received his BA in 1958 from San Jose State University. Wayne continued his education and received his MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX in 1970. Shortly thereafter, he established a successful electrical contracting business.
On February 2, 1963, Wayne married the love of his life, Lois Jean Leffelman. Their loving marriage spanned nearly 63 years. During their marriage, the couple loved to travel the world,
enjoyed boating and camping, and spending family time together.
Wayne is survived by his wife, Lois Jean, and their two daughters, Michelle (David) Johnson and Jacquelyn Casper, his grandchildren Michael (Beth) Johnson, Sarah (James) Levand, Zachary Byler, Travis Byler and his great grandchildren Logan and Ollin Byler and Lily Rose Levand.
He is preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Marjorie Sewell and June Tomasello.
Visitation will be held Friday October 24, 2025 at Horner- Merritt Funeral Home in Mendota from 9:30-11:00am. Funeral Mass will be 11:30AM Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Churhc in Sublette, IL. Burial will follow at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cemetery, following the service, after which there will be a luncheon at the Mendota Civic Center.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor Wayne’s lifelong love of country, freedom, and education by making a gift to Hillsdale College in his memory. Contributions can be made online at Hillsdale.edu/support/ way-to-give/, then scroll to “Tribute/Memorial Gifts”.
that, we were supposed to be silent...not only silent but supportive of their move.”
The decision is pending approval from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.
In August, the board deferred consideration of OSF HealthCare’s consolidation proposal until Nov. 18.
According to the release, the consolidation is part of OSF’s regional care model aimed at improving quality, safety and access for patients in La Salle, Bureau, Putnam and parts of Stark counties.
The Peru hospital will also launch a virtual labor and delivery monitoring service, enhancing inpatient care. OSF said this approach is the first of its kind in Illinois.
Sehring said OSF’s decisions are guided by its mission to provide sustain-
able, high-quality care across the region.
“We remain committed to the communities we serve and to doing what’s right for our patients and Mission Partners,” Sehring said. “OSF will continue to invest in the people, facilities, and technology that deliver exceptional care, today and for generations to come.”
Hasty said concerned residents can contact the Citizens For HealthCare in Ottawa advocacy group on Monday, Oct. 27.
“They’re going to have an opportunity for people to write or sign letters that can get to the health board saying they’re not in favor of this move,” he said.
To contact CHO, visit https://saveottawahealthcare.com/.
The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board will hear OSF’s proposal on Nov. 18 in Peoria.
Where Our Paths Meet: Journeys to Mendota
Where: Hume-Carnegie Museum
When: Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm— 4pm or by appointment (815-539-3373) Open now through Dec. 14, 2025
This project is funded by a grant from Illinois Humanities.
Olivero announces candidacy for circuit judge
Peru resident seeks votes in La Salle, Bureau and Grundy counties
By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com
Retired U.S. Administrative Law
Judge Melissa Olivero is running for circuit Judge in the 13th Judicial Circuit, which includes La Salle, Bureau, and Grundy counties.
Olivero announced her bid in a Tuesday news release. The judgeship she seeks is currently held by Michelle A. Vescogni, a recent appointee.
Olivero served 14 years as an administrative law judge for the U.S. government and 23 years as a federal employee. Most recently, she served as a judge for the National Labor Relations Board, hearing and deciding complex unfair labor practice cases. Olivero was merit-selected for her position, meaning she was chosen based on written and verbal
U.S. Army, having served eight years as a military police officer. She is a former assistant La Salle County state’s attorney. She formed and led the county’s first domestic violence prosecution unit and obtained $1 million in federal funding for the unit. She also served in the juvenile division and prosecuted elder abuse and sexual abuse cases in the State’s Attorney’s Office.
She has tried more than 100 bench and jury trials in La Salle County misdemeanor and felony courts. Olivero previously served as a federal field attorney investigating and prosecuting labor-relations cases. Olivero further spent time in private practice, defending individuals, medical professionals, hospitals, nursing homes and municipalities in negligence actions.
IVCC’s 21st Century Scholars Society, Scouting and the American Legion. She is an award-winning member of many bar associations, including the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, La Salle County Bar Association, National Association of Women Judges and Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference, in which she served as the nationally elected treasurer.
“I hope the voters recognize my full commitment to our community and my history of protecting the most vulnerable in our society,” she said. “I understand the impact of judicial decisions on both the parties and the community. I remain dedicated to providing fair and impartial justice for all.”
test scores from over 1,000 candidates.
“It has been a privilege to serve the people of the United States as a judge,” she said, “and I look forward to serving the citizens of the 13th Judicial Circuit as a circuit judge.”
Olivero is a decorated veteran of the
Olivero is a community volunteer. She served 10 years on the Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees and spent four years as board chairman. Olivero has also coached baseball, basketball, bowling, golf, scholastic bowl and mock trial. She is a member of Rotary, Zonta Club of La Salle-Peru,
Olivero holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a juris doctor, magna cum laude, from Northern Illinois University College of Law. She was recognized as NIU’s Alumni of the Year for Law in 2014.
She resides in Peru with her husband, attorney Doug Olivero, and their two sons. For more information about her campaign, visit olivero4judge.com.
Photo provided by Melissa Olivero
Retired U.S. Administrative Law Judge Melissa Olivero is seeking election as a circuit judge in the 13th Judicial Circuit, La Salle, Bureau and Grundy counties.
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF PROGRESS
Illinois Valley Regional Airport charted a flight plan of aviation history in Peru
By SCOTT ANDERSON sanderson@shawmedia.com
Illinois Valley Regional Airport is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of service as a key asset for transportation and economic development in the Illinois Valley.
The airport was created after a fatal plane crash in the early 1980s claimed the life of a young doctor taking off from a small grassy airstrip in Spring Valley. The tragedy prompted community leaders to form a committee dedicated to establishing a regional airport.
Jim Giordano, a retired engineer from Chamlin and Associates, played a central role in designing the airport’s layout and access roads. With support from former Peru Mayor Don Baker, they secured backing from the Illinois Department of Aeronautics in Springfield.
“The department quickly embraced
the idea,” Giordano said. “Don talked to local businesses about donating money to start the airport. It snowballed from there.”
Chamlin and Associates handled most of the work, but hired a firm to design the runway. The committee named the airport’s field after Walter Duncan, a World War I U.S. Army lieutenant who was instrumental in founding the old La Salle-Peru Airport and La Salle-Peru Airways. Duncan died in 1983 but had supported efforts to build a new regional airport.
Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson dedicated the Illinois Valley Regional Airport on Oct. 18, 1985, in memory of Duncan. On Dec. 19 of that year, Federal Express made the first major cargo delivery to the airport, bringing 2,500 pounds of freight despite bitter cold weather.
Shaw Local News Network file photos
Crews clear land for the main runway June 10, 1985, at the Illinois Valley Regional Airport in Peru.
Crews clear land for the Illinois Valley Regional Airport on June 10, 1985 in Peru.
Oglesby man enters partial plea on drug charges
By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com
An Oglesby man pleaded guilty Thursday to felony drug charges and awaits a prison sentence. First, Leeonta Patton plans to fight two charges stemming from a La Salle shooting.
Patton, 28, also listed in Chicago, appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court and settled one of his twin cases.
Patton entered a blind plea to one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class X felony carrying six to 30 years in prison.With the plea, Patton acknowledged his complicity in a Nov. 7 drug raid of his residence, during which agents with the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team seized about 21 grams of fentanyl plus evidence of intent to distribute.
Patton remains in custody with no dates pending on the drug plea. Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. scheduled nei -
ther a sentencing hearing nor a presentation of an agreed sentence. Instead, Patton will next appear Jan. 15 for a bench trial on two gun felonies, both filed after a man was shot and injured July 28, 2024, in downtown La Salle. Patton is charged with being an armed habitual criminal and aggravated discharge of a firearm, and sentencing on the drug charge is being held in abeyance until the shooting case is resolved.
Prosecutors previously disclosed that a “large amount of surveillance video” shows a confrontation at First and Hennepin streets in La Salle.
The targeted individual was struck, treated and recovered, La Salle police previously said, but the person refused to cooperate with investigators.
Imprisoned La Salle killer dead at 51
By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com
A former La Salle man serving a life sentence for murder has died in prison, the Illinois Department of Corrections confirmed Wednesday.
Michael Watson, 51, was serving a natural life sentence for the 1992 murder of Caroline Jensen, an 18-year-old convenience store clerk. Watson kidnapped her at knifepoint and then sexually assaulted and killed her in a nearby yard. A spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections said Watson died Aug. 8 at Lawrence Correctional Center. The DOC did not disclose a cause of death, and a message left at the close of business Wednesday with Lawrence County Coroner Shannon Steffey was not immediately returned.
Notably, the La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office did not receive a notification at the time of Watson’s death. Instead, his passing was suspected after a routine check of local inmates by Shaw Media. Online DOC records are deleted after inmate deaths, and a Tuesday search for Watson came up empty,
prompting a query of the DOC media office. Watson was charged in 1992 after being arrested for an unrelated crime. While in custody, police questioned him about Jensen, and Watson implicated himself in her murder. A year later, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual assault.
The jury ruled that Watson was eligible for the death penalty but could not agree on whether he should receive a capital sentence. Without a unanimous ruling, Watson was automatically sentenced to life in prison. La Salle County Circuit Court records show Watson still was trying to overturn his conviction as recently as 2024, when an appeals court affirmed a lower-court denial of a petition he’d filed five years earlier.
Watson last appeared in person in La Salle County Circuit Court in 2003. At that time, Watson tried to argue for new proceedings citing a then-new U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Apprendi v. New Jersey) that gutted some criminal convictions. Watson was unsuccessful, and his convictions and sentence were upheld.
Leeonta Patton
Continued from page 8
The airport expanded with a second hangar the following year. Over the years, it has hosted notable events, including the unexpected landing of the Goodyear blimp on Sept. 19, 1996. The airport has also faced challenges, such as a landing gear collapse in 2004 and a fatal mid-air collision during the Illinois Valley Air Show in 2006.
In December 2009, the airport opened a new 4,000-foot east-west runway, providing pilots with an alternative during westerly winds.
From 2010 to 2014, the airport served as a concert venue for Lou’s LaGrotto Concerts for a Cause, featuring artists like Kid Rock and Tim McGraw.
Recent upgrades include the addition of an OSF Aviation base hangar in 2015, a rescue and firefighting truck in 2017, a major taxiway extension in 2022, and five new hangars over the past four years. The annual TBM Airshow celebrated its 10th year, further establishing the airport as a premier event location in the region.
The Illinois Valley Flying Club offers aircraft rental, flight training, and hosts a popular fly-in breakfast.
Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski said the simple fact that a town of 10,000 has an airport is pretty impressive.
Bob Vickery, Peru’s former economic development director, said the airport is a major selling point for attracting businesses to the threecounty region.
“It’s listed on the city website and included in marketing packages,” Vickery said.
Former airport manager Chuck Studer said passenger travel is unlikely to be economical due to proximity to larger cities like Peoria, the Quad Cities, Rockford, Bloomington, and Chicago.
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
Discover Manufacturing Career Expo set for Oct. 21 in Ogelsby
The North Central Regional Betterment Coalition and collaborators will host the 11th annual Discover Manufacturing Career Expo on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Illinois Valley Community College and various regional manufacturing facilities.
More than 300 local high school students will have the opportunity to connect, explore various manufacturing and IVCC career and educational paths, connect with local
Federal Express (FedEx) employees brave bitter cold winds Dec. 19, 1985, to unload
The Federal Express delivery marked the first major delivery by a commercial
“You’ll likely see more corporate aircraft here, though,” he said.
The airport’s longest runway measures 6,000 feet – just 500 feet shorter than Chicago’s Midway Airport. While a Boeing 737 can land there, it would face challenges taking off fully loaded.
Famous actor John Travolta flew into the airport on Oct. 26, 2024, to dine at Uptown Grill in La Salle.
As Illinois Valley Regional Airport celebrates 40 years, it continues to evolve as a vital regional asset with a promising future.
the
Illinois Gov.
on Oct. 18, 1985, to a crowd of people gather during the grand opening of the Illinois Valley Regional Airport in Peru.
industry professionals, take tours, and leave with a clearer understanding of whether manufacturing aligns with their goals. Attendees also will learn about the different types of roles local manufacturers need to fill.
“Learning takes place in different ways for different people,” North Central Regional Betterment Coalition President J. Burt said in a news release. “The expo provides a chance for kids to experience and anticipate what the real world beyond the walls of education
might look like. It has always been true that the most successful people in life have learned that change never stops, and learning never stops. The more we do to improve our students’ chances in life, the better that will be for our current employers and potential future employers.”
“The college serves as a hub for fulfilling the aspirations of its students. It makes perfect sense that IVCC can bridge that connection through the expo.” said Jennifer Scheri, IVCC’s continuing education and
business services director, in the release.
The North Central Regional Betterment Coalition also issued a special thanks to participating manufacturers GAF, Allegion, Black Bros. Co., Carus LLC, Constellation, Epsilyte, HCC Inc., SABIC, Machinery Maintenance Inc., Valley Fabrication Inc., On-Site Repair Service Inc., and Vactor Manufacturing.
For more information, email jburt@ncrbc. net or call 815-223-1222.
–KateSantillan
Bill Wiegand file photo
2,500 pounds of cargo at the Illinois Valley Regional Airport.
airline at
Illinois Valley Regional Airport.
Former
Jim Thompson speaks
Shaw Local News Network file photo
LOCAL NEWS BRIEF
Mendota High School students visit museum’s Mexico exhibit
Mendota High School recently had 65 students visit the Hume-Carnegie Museum to view a screening of the documentary “Where Our Paths Meet.”
The documentary was created from interviews featuring five of the first people to immigrate to Mendota from Mexico. The students toured the museum’s new building and viewed an exhibit of Mexican items on loan from residents. Lincoln Elementary School second- and thirdgrade students also toured the museum, created paper flowers and viewed the exhibit.
The Hume-Carnegie Museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The “Where Our Paths Meet” documentary and exhibit will be on display through November. The project was sponsored by Illinois Humanities and created in partnership with Illinois Valley Hispanic Partnership, Reimagine Mendota and Northern Illinois University.
Kate Santillan
–
Photo provided by Amy Brewer Mendota High School students visit the Hume-Carnegie Museum to view its “Where Our Paths Meet” documentary and exhibit.
Vescogni announces election bid for circuit judge
Vescogni seeks full, 6-year term following April appointment
By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com
Circuit Court Judge Michelle A. Vescogni announced Monday her Republican candidacy to continue her service to the citizens of La Salle, Bureau, and Grundy counties in the position to which she was appointed in the spring.
Prior to her appointment to the circuit judge position in April, Judge Vescogni served as an associate judge in the 13th Judicial Circuit for nearly nine years.
In April 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Judge Vescogni to the position of circuit court judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit from a pool of eleven candidates. In making the appointment,
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary K. O’Brien highlighted Judge Vescog-
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS
Mendota 4-H BB Club accepting fall season
enrollment
The Mendota program’s 4-H BB Club is accepting enrollment for its fall club season.
A 4-H BB gun club teaches children ages eight to 18 firearm safety, marksmanship skills, and responsible firearms use through BB guns.
The Mendota 4-H BB Club is part of the LaSalle County 4-H Shooting Sports program and the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program. The program’s goal will be to help members develop as individuals and responsible citizens. The club is led by certified volunteer instructors.
The program activities and adult leaders support provide youth opportunities to develop life skills, self-worth, and conservation ethics. To enroll in the club and select an air rifle project, visit 4h.zsuite.org/.
The club includes a $20 annual enrollment fee with a maximum $60 per family fee. 4-H club members enrolled in a different club can pay a one-time $20 annual fee. Accepted methods of payment include online credit card or check may
“Prior to joining the bench, Judge Vescogni was a solo practitioner representing families throughout La Salle County for over 16 years,” O’Brien said. “With over a combined 25 years of experience serving as both a judge and practitioner, I have the utmost confidence that Judge Vescogni will continue to serve her community with distinction.”
Vescogni has presided over every type of case at the trial court level. She currently sits in the criminal division in Ottawa.
“It has been my honor to serve the citizens of the 13th Judicial Circuit, and I look forward to continuing my service as a Circuit Judge,” she said. “The community deserves an experienced, impartial judge who considers procedural fairness and the right to be heard. I have dedicated my judicial career to upholding the principles of justice.”
mittee and 3rd District Chair of the Safety & Security Committee of the Illinois Judges Association.
She is also a faculty member of the Supreme Court’s bi-annual Education Conference, where she teaches her colleagues in the areas of family law and criminal law. She also serves as a new judge mentor, a position that was conferred upon her by the Illinois Supreme Court.
Vescogni has been a long-time member of the Illinois State Bar Association and is currently the secretary of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. She has been a frequent lecturer and guest speaker at various local grade schools and high schools.
Vescogni has been endorsed by the Illinois Valley Building and Construction Trades Council, which is comprised of 19 different union organizations.
ni’s professional accomplishments when announcing Vescogni’s elevation from associate to circuit judge.
Vescogni serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Judges Association, as well as the Board of Directors of the Illinois Judges Foundation. She is the Co-Chair of the Pro Bono Com -
Vescogni resides in Peru with her husband Brian and their two daughters.
For more information about Judge Vescogni’s campaign, visit www. judgeshellyvescogni.com
payable to U of I Extension. The club season practice schedule, days, and times will be emailed after enrollment. To request a waiver, call 815-433-0707.
Club members will not be allowed to participate until payments are received. Participants also must complete online enrollment, medical history and release from liability forms, and equipment fees. The forms and fees can be submitted to the Extension office. Club members also must be eight to 18 years old as of Monday, Sept. 1.
For more information, call 815-433-0707.
Local author to speak at Chicago Women’s Expo Oct. 26 on Rosemont
Local author Dana S. Diaz will speak at the Chicago Women’s Expo at noon Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont.
Diaz will discuss her “You Become What You Believe” presentation. The presentation costs $10 per person.
She published her first novel, “Gasping for Air,” in 2023. Diaz also published two
additional novels as part of her memoir trilogy. She also serves as an abuse and domestic violence advocate.
Diaz speaks at healing- and empowerment-focused online summits and
in-person conferences. She is married to Douglas Stuedemann of Seneca.
For more information, visit danasdiaz. com.
Melissa Mata Photography
La Salle County Circuit Judge Michelle A. Vescogni announced her bid for a full, six-year term on Monday, Oct. 20. Vescogni was appointed to the judgeship this past spring.
– Kate Santillan
Photo provided by Dana S. Diaz
Author Dana S. Diaz’s memoir book trilogy
La Salle man gets prison in case of stolen gun
By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com
A La Salle man pleaded guilty Thursday to two firearm charges. Evan Boswell will go to prison for 18 months and then serve 48 months of felony probation.
Boswell, 18, also listed in Ottawa, appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court and entered a guilty plea to two felonies.
First, Boswell pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon with no firearm owner’s identification card, a Class 4 felony carrying one to three years in prison but with no possibility of probation. He was sentenced to 18 months.
Then, Boswell pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, a Class 2 felony carrying three to seven years in prison. He was sentenced to four years of reporting probation, but that begins after he serves his
prison time. A third count, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, was dismissed as part of the plea.
Boswell declined to address Circuit Judge Michelle A. Vescogni before sentencing.
Boswell was charged after La Salle County sheriff’s deputies, responding to a stolen gun report, found Boswell on Aug. 11 at a Naplate residence. There, police found the stolen pistol along with a 9-mm with its serial number removed in “a hiding hole” in a child’s bedroom inside the residence. Under the terms of the plea, the stolen gun will be returned to its owner. With time served and a shot at day-for-day good time, he could be released in the spring.
Ottawa woman pleads guilty to COVID-19 scam
By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com
Six people were accused of seeking government aid through false claims made during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of them has pleaded guilty.
Amanda K. Rogers, 33, of Ottawa, appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court and entered a blind plea to theft, a Class 1 felony carrying a possible prison sentence of four to 15 years. Additional charges were dismissed.
In exchange for her plea, La Salle County prosecutors agreed to recommend no more than five years in prison when she is sentenced Jan. 15 before Circuit Judge Michelle A. Vescogni.
In open court, prosecutor Laura Hall said Rogers applied for a government loan after submitting paperwork showing that she owned an Ottawa business with gross profits over $100,000. Although Rogers was later found to own and operate no such business, the fraudulent claims
resulted in her obtaining a loan for almost $30,000. Rogers, who will have an opportunity to make a statement at sentencing, is the first of the six defendants to plead guilty in La Salle County.
Earlier this year, La Salle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro announced the filing of felony charges after the Illinois Department of Revenue flagged some questionable applications for COVID-19 relief funds across the state.
The remaining five La Salle County defendants are Amber N. Norman of Streator, Gabriel S. Myart of Glen Ellyn, Larry A. Chandler of Sauk Village, James Z. Forbes of Lacon and Ebony R. Green of University Park.
Each is charged with theft, a Class 1 felony carrying four to 15 years in prison; loan fraud, a Class 2 felony (three to seven years); and forgery, a Class 3 felony (two to five years). Court records show the suspects are alleged to have applied for and received government aid ranging from more than $10,000 to more than $20,000.
Evan F. Boswell
A
Night of Hope and Unity honors Charlie Kirk’s birthday in Princeton
Don Dahlem of Ladd, holds a sign that reads “God Bless Charlie and his Teachings” during A Night of Hope and Unity in honor of Charlie Kirk’s birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at City Hall Park in Princeton. The hour-long gathering paid tribute to Charlie along with standing up against school shootings, violence and division. TOP RIGHT: Supporters stand holding signs during A Night of Hope and Unity in honor of Charlie Kirk’s birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 14. ABOVE: Supporters stand holding signs during A Night of Hope and
Oct. 14.
Oct. 14.
Photos by Scott Anderson
TOP LEFT:
Unity in honor of Charlie Kirk’s birthday on Tuesday,
LEFT: Supporters stand holding signs during A Night of Hope and Unity in honor of Charlie Kirk’s birthday on Tuesday,
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
State lawmakers urged to stand up for immigrants in hospitals
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights held a statehouse lobby day last week to push its far-reaching veto session agenda.
Included in the coalition’s agenda are things like putting strict limits on executing civil immigration warrants in state courthouses. That would likely be challenged in court, but there is some common law precedent going back to the English court system, so we’ll see. Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans recently ordered that no civil arrests be enforced at county courthouses.
Immigration agents generally rely on civil arrest warrants. Illinois law requires judicial warrants before state and local police agencies can cooperate. A federal judge recently clamped down on the use of blank immigration civil warrants that are filled in after people are taken into custody.
The coalition also wants to expand the Illinois Trust Act’s definition of who is considered an immigration agent and cannot officially be cooperated with now that the federal government has conscripted numerous federal law enforcement agencies to its deportation agenda aside from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The definition of state and local law enforcement officers who cannot work with immigration police would be
of immigration enforcement situations.
Rich Miller VIEWS
expanded to include university police, school resource officers and officers at the Department of Juvenile Justice.
The coalition also wants to bar direct ICE access to governmental databases and bar third parties that refuse to swear off giving that info to ICE. It also wants to expand restrictions on allowing ICE access to anyone in custody and sharing information with immigration officers.
But one proposal, the Healthcare Sanctity and Privacy Act, is causing a bit of concern among those who run hospitals in the state.
The measure, which has not been introduced in bill format, would “require hospitals to establish procedures for interacting with law enforcement as a way of protecting patient privacy,” a coalition spokesperson said, adding, “This bill will ensure that hospitals are taking the necessary steps to protect private hospital spaces and sensitive information at a time when the administration is attempting to further chill our communities from accessing care.”
The Illinois Hospital Association is naturally wary of being put in the middle
The association pointed to two situations its members had already de-escalated this month involving ICE and detainees.
One was on Oct. 3, when masked people who refused to identify themselves brought an immigrant with a broken leg to an emergency room who they refused to say was in custody. The agents insisted on accompanying their prisoner to the operating room, which was denied by staff.
“Humboldt Park Health’s legal team rapidly deployed an immigration attorney to go to the hospital to help address and defuse the situation and ensure that proper procedures were followed by all the parties involved,” according to the association’s account.
This was the same situation that resulted in ICE briefly and roughly detaining 26th Ward Alderman Jessie Fuentes, who was checking on the patient.
Another incident a few days later occurred at Rush Oak Park Hospital, when ICE agents upon arrival “were initially uncooperative but did allow hospital staff to provide treatment to the patient unimpeded,” according to the Illinois Hospital Association.
Rush’s general counsel, the association claimed, “was notified and arrived to address and defuse the situation. ICE
agents cooperated by answering questions, including giving their badge numbers. Ultimately, the ICE agents left because the patient was, in fact, a U.S. citizen, and the patient was eventually released from the hospital.”
Yes, you read that right.
When asked about the proposed legislation, an Illinois Hospital Association official said, “We already have protocols in place for law enforcement engagement. And patient privacy is already regulated under Federal HIPAA,” adding, “We will need to review their actual language to determine whether they are just asking to codify our current law enforcement engagement practices or whether they are asking hospitals to police ICE. The latter would be impossible for hospitals.”
Asked about the hospitals’ objections at a press conference last week, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch pointed to Loyola Medical Center in his district. “ICE is just walking in and arresting people who are there trying to get taken care of medically. That’s not right. Hospitals should be a safe space.”
Welch then commended the lawmakers working on the legislation and said he hoped they could get something done by the end of the veto session on Oct. 30.
A critical moment for people committed to feeding neighbors
We open the week with a little behindthe-scenes glimpse at Eye On Illinois headquarters – specifically the email inbox.
Generally communication from readers is positive, perhaps a result of trying to write for information and encouragement rather than rage and inveiglement. Not everyone wants their thoughts turned into column fodder, but everyone gets a personal response. Eventually.
In addition to fruitful conversations about legislation and state policy comes a deluge of news releases. Most are filed away, but a few linger as if waiting for the most relevant moment. That is the case today, but unfortunately not with a positive connotation.
Diane Doherty, executive director of the Illinois Hunger Coalition since 1996, died July 14. Twelve weeks later, the group announced it would cease operations, giving credit to leadership
“marked by fierce advocacy and a deep belief in empowering communities most affected by hunger to lead the fight for solutions.
The Oct. 7 release quoted the Rev. Bill Vanecko, a priest who served as president of the IHC Board and led Doherty’s funeral Mass: “Her vision, persistence and compassion created lasting change in Illinois and beyond. As we close this chapter, we honor her legacy by urging others to continue this essential work.”
Feeding the hungry is never unimportant, but charitable work garners added significance when public aid subsides. Consider Thursday’s report from
WSIU-FM about U.S. Department of Agriculture informing all states the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will not be funded as of Nov. 1 unless Congress resolves its ongoing budget stalemate. In Illinois that means a loss of $350 million in monthly federal funding for 1.9 million residents.
Also on Oct. 7 the White House announced a shutdown plan of directing tariff revenues to sustaining the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, but advocates like Georgia Michelle, who leads the National WIC Association, remain concerned: “Families need long-term stability, not short-term uncertainty. We still don’t know how much funding this measure provides, how quickly states will receive it, or how long it will sustain operations. There is no substitute for Congress doing its job. WIC needs full-year funding, not just temporary lifelines.”
in need
The IHC was more than just Diane Doherty, and the coalition was far from alone in the fight against hunger in Illinois, a truth conveyed through the roster of the the Department of Human Services’ Commission to End Hunger (tinyurl.com/EndHungerIL) and the Coalition’s resources compendium (tinyurl.com/HungerBenefitsIL).
Still, Doherty’s death and the coalition concluding in the shutdown’s shadow remind that people who care are essential to connecting those in need with the help available, importance that grows exponentially when the government withdraws.
Unfamiliar with your local food bank? Now is the time to learn how to help.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state governmentissuesforShawLocalNews Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
Scott T. Holland EYE ON ILLINOIS
Princeton’s Rotary Park hosts Oktoberfest celebration
By SCOTT ANDERSON sanderson@shawmedia.com
The annual Oktoberfest celebration took place Saturday, at Rotary Park in Princeton.
The event featured attractions such as German music from the Heidelberg German Band, food trucks, a sausage toss competition, a stein-holding competition and a lederhosen bike ride.
Photos by Scott Anderson
TOP LEFT: Mike Jamen of Yorkville reacts Saturday after winning the beer stein competition during the Oktoberfest event at Rotary Park in Princeton. TOP RIGHT: Shirley and Larry Hackmann of Washington dance to the music from the Geidelberg German Band during the Oktoberfest event Saturday at Rotary Park in Princeton. The Hackmanns have been dressing up for more than 160 parades and festivals. ABOVE: Chase Depauw of Princeton fails to catch a sausage Saturday while playing the sausage toss game at Rotary Park in Princeton. LEFT: Ladies sing and dance to music from the Heidelberg German Band on Saturday during the Oktoberfest event at Rotary Park in Princeton.
More photos from Saturday’s Oktoberfest at Rotary Park
By SCOTT ANDERSON sanderson@shawmedia.com
Photos by Scott Anderson
TOP LEFT: Luke Marselle of Princeton eyes a sausage toss during Oktoberfest at Rotary Park in Princeton.
TOP RIGHT: Jay Sharez of Princeton and Mike Jamen of Yorkville compete Saturday in a beer stein competition at Oktoberfest in Princeton. ABOVE: People gather Saturday for the Oktoberfest event at Rotary Park in Princeton. LEFT: Participants play the sausage toss game Saturday during Oktoberfest at Rotary Park in Princeton.
STATE
Official: ICE would need more money to expand use of bodycams
By CHRISTINE FERNANDO
The Associated Press
CHICAGO – Many federal officers assigned to immigration enforcement in the Chicago area have body cameras, but Congress would have to allocate more funds to expand their use, officials testified Monday at a hearing about the tactics agents are using in Trump administration’s crackdown, which has produced more than 1,000 arrests.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis last week ordered uniformed agents to wear cameras, if available, and turn them on when engaged in arrests, frisks and building searches or when being deployed to protests. She held a hearing Monday at which she questioned a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official and a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement official about the operation and complaints that agents are increasingly using combative tactics.
Kyle Harvick, deputy incident commander with CBP, said Border Patrol agents who are part of Operation Midway Blitz have cameras. He said 201 are in the Chicago area.
But Shawn Byers, deputy field office director for ICE, said more money from Congress would be needed to expand camera use beyond two of that agency’s field offices. He said no cameras have been worn by ICE agents working at a building in Broadview, outside Chicago, where immigrants pass through before being detained elsewhere. It’s been the site of protests that
“little startled” after seeing TV images of street confrontations in which agents used tear gas and other tactics.
Harvick defended the use on tear gas on protesters in a Chicago neighborhood on Oct. 12, saying residents who had gathered “would not allow agents to leave the scene.”
“The longer we loiter on a scene and subjects come, the situation gets more and more dangerous,” Harvick said. “And that’s a safety concern, not just for my brother Border Patrol agents but the detainee and other people who come out to see what’s going on.”
News media and community groups submitted five pages of proposed topics for Thursday’s hearing. They covered a variety of subjects, from the number of agents in the Chicago area to questions about training, tactics and justification for widespread immigration strikes. It’s not clear what the judge will allow to be asked.
at times have been tumultuous.
Byers also explained that while there are surveillance cameras outside the ICE facility, they record over previous footage every 28 days. Ellis expressed surprise when Byers said that meant footage from before Sept. 18 was gone. The Broadview facility became a focus of protesters after Operation Midway Blitz began in early September.
“All of that needs to be preserved,” Ellis said.
Near the end of the hearing, Ellis said she would allow attorneys to question
additional federal officials, including Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief who is leading CBP’s Chicago operation and also was central to the immigration crackdown in Los Angeles.
The hearing was part of a lawsuit by news organizations and community groups witnessing protests and arrests in the Chicago area. Ellis said earlier this month that agents must wear badges, and she banned them from using certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists.
Then last Thursday, she said she was a
The government has bristled at any suggestion of wrongdoing.
“The full context is that law enforcement officers in Chicago have been, and continue to be, attacked, injured, and impeded from enforcing federal law,” U.S. Justice Department attorney Samuel Holt said in a court filing Friday.
Separately, President Donald Trump’s administration has been barred from deploying the National Guard to assist immigration officers in Illinois. That order expires Thursday unless extended. The administration also has asked the Supreme Court to allow the deployment.
A combination of challenges on U.S. farms has pushed turkey prices higher as the calendar nears Thanksgiving, with wholesale prices up about 40%.
American Farm Bureau Federation economist Bernt Nelson pointed to economic challenges and increased disease pressure as the leading causes in a recent Market Intel analysis.
“Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza [HPAI] has had a major impact on the turkey industry, affecting about 18.7 million turkeys and accounting for 10% of all birds affected by the virus since 2022. This includes 2.2 million turkeys affected so far
in 2025,” he said Oct. 1.
The next day U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed another 42,000 turkeys were impacted by HPAI on a commercial turkey farm in Calhoun County, Iowa. With fall waterfowl migration in full swing, the industry faces the likelihood of additional HPAI cases in coming weeks.
Avian Metapneumovirus also is infecting turkey flocks, and while it is far less fatal than HPAI, it threatens future production.
“One of the greatest impacts of AMPV is a reduction in egg sets for breeders producing the next generation of turkeys to replace losses from HPAI,” Nelson said. “Breeders face a tough road with the risk of egg-laying birds becoming infected
with either HPAI, AMPV or both.”
The intensity of the two diseases is causing contraction in the nation’s turkey flock.
As of Sept. 26, USDA estimated turkey production this year could total 195 million birds, which is down 3% from 2024 and marks the lowest estimate in 40 years. The agency predicts total 2025 turkey production will be 4.84 billion pounds, down 1.8 billion pounds, or 5%, from 2024 and down 11% from almost 5.5 billion pounds in 2023.
But Nelson said although turkey supplies are lower than historical averages, demand is also down 12% over the past decade, so there will be plenty of turkey for the holiday season.
USDA recently predicted the 2025 national average composite wholesale price for a frozen whole hen turkey will be $1.32 per pound, up 38 cents per pound, or 40%, from the 2024 average price of 94 cents.
“It’s important to remember prices are still 32% lower than just three years ago,” Nelson said. “These production challenges shouldn’t have any impact on consumers’ ability to get turkey, but they may translate to higher retail prices this holiday season.”
This story was distributed through a cooperativeprojectbetweenIllinoisFarm BureauandtheIllinoisPressAssociation. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.
AP photo
Jeanette Mancusi holds an American flag Monday outside an ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) processing facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview.
PUZZLES
ACROSS
1. Remark
5. Upper body part
8. Expression of dismissiveness
12. Alternate name
14. Popular beverage
15. Swiss river
16. Step-shaped recess
18. Rocker Stewart
19. Bright shade of color
20. Popular “street”
21. Wrath
22. Heat units
23. Nocturnal omnivorous mammals
26. Fall back into
30. Remove from the record
31. Sound a splash made
32. Popular Dodge pickup model
33. Jamaican river
34. Notable event in Texas history
39. Cool!
42. Subset of Judaism
44. Newly entered cadet
46. Duct in urinary system
47. Exterminator
49. Snatch quickly
50. Have already done
51. Less healthy
56. Therefore
57. What couples say on the altar
58. Mysteriously
59. Look angry or sullen
60. Bird’s beak
61. Taco ingredient
62. Square measures
63. Google certification (abbr.)
64. Singer Hansard
DOWN
1. Pubs
2. Wings
3. Popular BBQ dish
4. Small sponge cake
5. Open-roofed entrance halls 6. Organize anew 7. Type of wine
8. Forums
9. North Atlantic islands (alt. sp.) 10. Pond dwellers 11. Large integers
Brief
Type of student
Tibetan monasteries
Revolutions per minute
NY Giants great Manning
Local area network
Residue from burning
Illuminated
Wood sorrel
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Chose
Hovel
Stood up
European city
Works ceaselessly
13. Signaled
36. Vasopressin
Notable space station
47. Mistake
48. Sun-dried brick 49. Sicilian city
A steep rugged rock or cliff 53. Murder
Other
“Deadpool” actor Reynolds
Virtual Online Only Auction
Thursday, November 20, 2025 - 10:00 a.m.
± total tax acres of Lee & Bureau Co., IL Farmland
Offered in 2 Tracts
Tract 1: 132.30± total tax ac. in part of Sec. 25, WyomingTwp., Lee Co., IL Tract 2: 76.47± total tax ac. in part of Sec. 17, Hall Twp. Bureau Co., IL
Seller: Illinois Valley YMCA, Not for Profit Corporation
Timothy A. Harris, IL Licensed Auctioneer, Designated Managing Broker 815-875-7418 timothy.a.harris@pgim.com
IL Lic. Auctioneer #441.001976 22263 1365 N. Ave., Princeton, IL 61356 Details on Auction & Services at www.capitalag.com
COUNTY, ILLINOIS
The J&J Farms real estate is located in between Princeton, IL and Ohio, IL approximately 10.5 miles north of Princeton, IL along County Rd 2600 N. (hard surface) and is further described as being located in Section 22, T18N-R9E, Ohio Township, Bureau County, Illinois. The farm represents productive tillable farmland with Class A soils in Bureau County, IL. A great opportunity for farmers to expand their operation or investors to add to an existing portfolio.
J&J FARMS
Representing Attorney: Mike Guilfoyle | Guilfoyle & Stevenson LLP 1316 Meriden St, Mendota, IL 61342 | (815) 539-6711 Auction Managers: Isaac Taber (309) 335-8081 & Dan Sullivan
DI LLER ANTIQUECOLLECTIBLE AUCTION
SATURDAY, OCTO BE R 25, 2025
HELD AT THE TRI COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS (FIRST AVENUE), MENDOTA, ILLINOIS
START TIME 9:30 CT
THIS IS A LIFE TIME OF COLLECTING, LARGE VARIETY OF ANTIQUES
NOTE START TIME WILL SE LL HO USEHOLD RA CK ITEMS AT 9:30 THEN START ON THE CO LLECTIB LE RA CKS AT APPR OXIMAT ELY 10:00
GO TO AUCTIONZIP.COM FOR OVER 250 PICTURES AND FULL LISTING
1913 PA CKARD PED AL CAR MURRAY FIRE CH IEF PEDA L CAR
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Aucti ons
Aucti ons
Erie-Prophetstown makes big plays on Senior Night
Blocked punt for TD a difference-maker
By DRAKE LANSMAN dlansman@shawmedia.com
Battling a scrappy Mendota team on Senior Night, big plays helped Erie-Prophetstown pull away in a 27-14 Three Rivers crossover win in Erie.
The Panthers (6-2) won their fourth straight game. The Trojans fell to 2-6.
E-P’s Gaven Adams caught two touchdowns from fellow senior Keegan Winckler, with his second TD coming with 3:22 left in the game to help put it away. He also intercepted an Aden Tillman pass in the end zone to seal the win.
“It was a dogfight,” Adams said. “They’re way better than we thought, and we just pushed every single play, execution on every single play. And that’s what mattered.”
Adams’ first TD was a 92-yarder in the first quarter. Mendota’s Corbin Furar helped tie it at 7 with a rushing score late in the first quarter.
As the game shifted to a defensive battle, E-P made arguably the biggest play of the game on special teams.
After a sack to make it fourth-andlong, E-P junior Derek Naftzger blocked the Mendota punt, scooped up the ball and ran it in for a score.
“We’re about to go in for the punt, and [coach Tyler] Whitebread goes, ‘Go on the outside, try to get that block,’ ” Naftzger said. “I go outside, put my hands up, and it hits me right in the gut.
“I tried to get it, but I fumble it, then I kick it and it goes an extra 20 yards. ... And then it perfectly just bounced back into my hands and I was in the end zone. It was really exciting.”
The big play came with 1:42 until halftime.
“I’d say it definitely built our momentum up,” Naftzger said, “and really helped us get excited for the rest of the game.”
Adams said the score was a turning point.
“It helped us get the pressure off our heels and refocus and get the offense back,” he said.
Tristan Hovey started the second half with a bang, using a 64-yard rush to set up a 1-yard plunge to put the Panthers up 20-7. Mendota’s Thomas Corrigan had an
he said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be here.”
Winckler credited an improving Mendota team. The Trojans snapped a 16-game losing streak earlier this season.
“They’re a good program that’s on the come-up,” he said. “I think they’re going to be tough. Teams definitely shouldn’t take them for granted and need to come ready to play because they’re a solid team.”
“The last couple of years, Derek’s had a blocked punt and ran it for six, but they’ve called him back the last like two or three years,” he said. “It’s awesome that he finally got it.”
Mendota coach James Eustice was proud of his team’s effort.
8-yard TD with 7:34 in the fourth quarter after Furar exited with an injury. E-P answered again as Adams’ second score was a 27-yard catch on third-and-14 with 3:22 left.
The Trojans’ final drive ended with the Adams interception.
Winckler credited his linemen for assisting in E-P’s big plays.
“We really stressed winning up front,”
Winckler’s only completions were the touchdowns to Adams.
“Gaven’s from Prophetstown, and I’m from Erie, so I really didn’t know him until we started playing in eighth grade,” he said. “We really built a connection, and he’s been one of my best friends on the team. He’s a great player and does a lot of unbelievable things.”
Winckler said Naftzger’s punt block TD was “huge.”
“That was a really nice high school football game to watch,” he said. “Both teams played very well with a lot of hard hitting going on. Nothing to hang our heads about, that’s for sure.”
Furar finished with 70 yards and a score before he had to be helped off the field. Tillman threw for 161 yards.
The game came down to a couple of big plays for E-P.
“We had one mistake on the punt and that ended up being a huge difference in the game,” Eustice said. “I’m proud of our kids. We’ve done a lot of good things here this year trying to turn this thing around.”
Jessie Otten for Shaw Local News Network
Gaven Adams celebrates Erie-Prophetstown’s first touchdown of the game Oct. 17 against visiting Mendota.
Derek Naftzger Gaven Adams
Princeton tops Mendota in last Three Rivers East match
By KEVIN HIERONYMUS khieronymus@shawmedia.com
Caroline Keutzer and her classmates had business to take care of on senior night at Prouty Gym Tuesday night, and that’s exactly what they did.
Princeton celebrated its six seniors in a dominating way, defeating Mendota 25-15, 25-12 in its final Three Rivers East match of the season.
For Keutzer, she thought it was pretty much business as usual for the Tigresses (19-13, 7-3).
“We usually play good,” Keutzer said. “I felt like our transition was good, our defense was good. They’re pretty unpredictable where they hit, but I feel like our defense was very good.”
Senior setter Makayla Hecht served for four straight points with junior Danika Burden and senior Kathy Maciczak teaming up for a block for a 15-4 Princeton lead.
Camryn Driscoll, Princeton’s senior libero, served up an ace to send the Tigresses to a 19-7 lead.
Mendota made a five-point run with Eva Beetz on the line, and Elana Koch contributing a block and Layle Denault a perfectly placed hit on the back end to draw the Spikers within 19-12.
After a Keighley Davis block, Ava Kyle served for three points before kills by Davis and Keutzer wrapped up the 25-15 opener.
The Tigresses opened up a 20-7 lead in Game 2 with a nine-point run on the serving of Keutzer, with Maciczak making good on a kill and a block.
Two hits by Davis and one by junior Josie Sierens sent the Tigresses to a 24-9 lead with Mendota hitting deep to end the set at 25-12.
“We wanted to have five or less unforced errors and two or less missed serves,“ said Princeton coach Andy Puck, noting they accomplished that goal in the second set and not quite in the first. ”That’s seven points you can keep in your favor, and hopefully they’re serving balls your way that you can terminate points. That theory worked out tonight against a young and inexperienced team.”
Mendota coach Demi Salazar, whose Spikers played Princeton to a 21-19, 21-12 match at the Princeton tournament on Saturday, wasn’t sure what to expect coming in.
“I think a lot of times on senior night it
can go either way,” Salazar said. “If your kids get the lead right away and play really well, you’re going to do well. And they did. They got a lead on us, and we missed a serve and then missed another one.
“They [Princeton] were pretty relaxed through the whole thing. And they have a lot of good hitters. If you’re relaxed and you’re hitting, it’s hard to stop.”
Each of the six seniors played their part in the Tigresses’ victory with Driscoll posting a team-high seven points, two aces and five digs, Lawson leading the team with five kills, Hecht dishing out 10 assists, Davis delivering three kills, and Keutzer and Maciczak contributing two kills apiece.
Denault led the Spikers with four kills, with Mariyah Elam contributing three kills and two blocks, Beetz eight assists and Zariah Escatel nine digs.
Puck said this senior night win was especially rewarding for him.
“A lot of these kids have been with me since their sophomore year. They took their lumps and now it’s fun to watch to see them have some success,” Puck said. “It’s bittersweet. It’s been a pleasure to watch them grow not only
as athletes on the floor but as young ladies, too, and getting to know their families over the years, and them just accepting me as a coach and also as a person, and my wife (Gina) and our coaching staff.
Princeton senior Kathy Maciczak takes a swing against Mendota’s Kaylie Denault and Elana Koch on Tuesday night at Prouty Gym in Princeton.
“It’s been wonderful. It’s a great, great group.”
Keutzer feels like the Tigresses are in good shape for the postseason and that the upcoming matches with Geneseo and Morris will help get them ready.
Photos by Mike Vaughn for Shaw Local News Network
Princeton senior Keely Lawson makes a play at the net against Mendota on Tuesday night at Prouty Gym in Princeton.
SPORTS
SENIOR NIGHT SUCCESS
Tigresses top Spikers 25-15, 25-12 / 23
Mendota’s Abby DeLao (left) and Princeton’s Keighley Davis (right) battle at the net Tuesday night at Prouty Gym.
