Here is the Week 9 Illinois Media Poll for football, which was released Thursday for all eight classes.

For nearly 20 years, Sterling United Soccer has been teaching valuable lessons both on and off the pitch.

The single-family residence located at 704 14th Avenue in Fulton was sold on Sept. 24. The purchase price was $160,000.

The Hoyle Road Bridge, which passes over the Reagan Memorial Tollway on I-88 in Lee County, is closed for repairs through November, the Illinois Tollway said. The closure began Thursday.

On this episode of Talk Line, host Brandon Clark chats with Shaw Local editor Charlene Bielema about recent stories including Flock safety cameras, the SAFE-T Act, the pair’s favorite Halloween movies and more.

The free, substance-free "Voices Night Out: Haunted Haven" will feature a costume contest and prizes on Oct. 23.

Where do they go from here? That is the question Sterling City Manager Scott Shumard is addressing in regard to ongoing complaints made by business and property owners about the city's customer service.

The Amboy Junior Tackle and Junior Tackle Cheerleading program will host its first Bingo Night to raise funds for the program.

Here are previews and picks for each Sauk Valley area game in Week 9. Sterling can win a Western Big 6 Conference title with a win over Rock Island, Dixon has a big challenge at Du-Pec, Newman is at Mendota, Forreston is at Stockton and more.

The condominium located at 1315 4th Avenue in Fulton was sold on Sept. 22. The purchase price was $155,000.

The county 4-H Federation named its 2026-2027 officers after a gathering at Franklin Creek State Natural Area and invited local youths to upcoming leadership training.

A single-family house located at 3606 East 20th Street in Sterling has a new owner since Sept. 22.

Dixon artist Nora Reuter of Nora Kate Paints unveiled her latest mural on Wednesday that depicts native plants and animals on the city water department building along the Rock River.

The 1973 Milledgeville football team finished the season 9-0, one year before the IHSA playoffs began. The team will be induced into the Northwest Illinois Sports and Milledgeville Hall of Fame this weekend.

A single-family residence located at 614 6th Avenue in Erie changed owners on Sept. 23.

Sterling and Lasalle-Peru faced off against one another in the pool Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, at Duis Rec Center in Sterling.

Sauk Valley Community College's Grace Ferguson and Addison Arjes qualified for the NJCAA DII women's tennis tournament in both singles and doubles over the weekend. The national tournament takes place on May 1-5 in Tyler, Texas.

The students in Matt Hicks’s building trades classes at Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling aren’t just learning to work with hammers and chalk lines, concrete forms and conduit; they are learning to work with each other.

I wonder why President Trump is so sure that there is election fraud in this country when he won the last election.

University of Illinois Extension invites the community to compost post-Halloween pumpkins at its annual event in Dixon.

Fulton girls volleyball claimed its 22nd victory to highlight a full slate of area volleyball games that and more in Tuesday's Sauk Valley roundup.

Visitors to the Amboy Depot Museum will have the chance to step back in time and meet and greet some familiar faces as the Amboy Depot Museum hosts its second Spooky Night from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.

Sterling senior running back Cobey Shipma is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week, presented by Loescher Heating and Air Conditioning. He is the team's leading rusher and has 14 touchdowns in eight games this season.

Scarecrow Festival is Saturday, Oct. 17, in downtown Dixon.

Yard waste pickup resumes Oct. 22 in Amboy.

As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, we looked back at four front pages across our archive

Here's a list of Whiteside County property transfers for Oct. 5 to 9, 2026.

Sweet potatoes are low in fat and calories and provide a good amount of fiber. They are a good source of potassium, which we need to regulate fluids in our bodies and support healthy blood pressure.

Oregon's Anya Anaya took eighth and Madeline Rogers was 14th as the Hawks took third as a team at Amboy's Columbas Day cross country invite. Rock Falls' Ashley Rodriguez was 22nd and Newman's Grace King was 23rd. Erie-Prophetstown was fifth as a team.

Amboy's Henry Nichols took fifth at the Columbus Day cross country invite as the Clippers took fourth. Erie-Prophetstown was third as Braedene Punk took eighth.

Henry-Senachwine girls volleyball pulled an upset in the Tri-County Conference Tournament, the La Salle-Peru and Princeton boys soccer teams posted victories at home and more in Monday's NewsTribune/BCR Roundup.

A campaign spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood told Shaw Local on Monday that the congressman was absent from a Dixon candidate forum last week because he was hosting an event in Peoria.

Staff members and volunteers will be at Second Avenue and Second Street in Sterling.

United Way of Whiteside County has received a $10,000 grant through the Quad Cities Community Foundation’s 2026 Operations and Program Grants.

Ten family farms were highlighted at the Ogle County Farm Stroll on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. The self-guided tour, hosted by the Illinois Extension's Ogle County Master Gardeners, allowed visitors to stop in at each farm, see animals, and talk to farm owners and operators.

Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling has named its September 2026 students of the month.

Campbell Benjamin Dambman of Rock Falls is a new junior member of the American Angus Association.

For many people in the Sauk Valley, knowing where you are going to sleep tonight, or tomorrow night, isn’t a given. It’s a real question. Tri County Opportunities Council has programs to help people experiencing or who may be facing homelessness.

A single-family home in Steward that sold for $520,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Lee County / Whiteside during the past week.

Antique John Deere tractors, activities for kids, blacksmithing demonstrations, and tours of John Deere's home were all part of Fall Fest at the John Deere Historic Site in Grand Detour on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

The following is a listing of all commercial property transfers in Lee County / Whiteside reported in September. There were 18 transactions posted during this time

The single-family residence located at 15207 Henry Road in Morrison was sold on Sept. 15, for $450,000, or $166 per square foot.

The FBI is repeating its warning, first issued in 2022, about scammers impersonating law enforcement or other government officials to lend their scams some appearance of authenticity.

More than 1,500 students earned scholarships – including four area students – from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for the 2026-27 academic year.

The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Sauk Valley Community College will host two events on Thursday, Oct. 22, to strengthen connections among small businesses, lenders, and economic development resources and to help entrepreneurs better understand financing options.

EP lost to Riverdale Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, by a score of 37-6.

Here's a list of Lee, Whiteside and Ogle county property transfers for Sept. 28 to Oct. 2.

Autumn, which we are beginning to see the start of here in the Sauk Valley, is what I would classify as one of those “in-between” times.

The prefabricated structure includes burn rooms, stairwells, fire escapes, standpipes, balconies and a simulated elevator shaft.

On this episode of Talk Line, host Brandon Clark chats with Clara Harris for the latest news and updates from the Goodfellows of Lee County.