Historic Highway Hustle Crosses the Finish Line in Dwight for Route 66 Centennial Finale

 July 10, 2026

Historic Highway Hustle Crosses the Finish Line in Dwight for Route 66 Centennial Finale DWIGHT, IL — The finish line is in sight for one of Illinois’ most unique Route 66 celebrations. The Wilmington Park District is excited to welcome…

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Enger Invitational Tournament – July 9, 10, 11, and 12

 July 10, 2026

Dwight, IL — July 10, 2026 — The excitement of youth sports takes center stage this weekend as Dwight Youth Baseball & Softball kicks off the annual Jim Enger Invitational Tournament. Held at Florence W. Garrett Park, the highly anticipated…

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Dwight’s ‘Mr. Baseball’ Jim Enger Has Field Named After Him

 July 10, 2026

Editor Note: The story below was originally posted on May 7, 2018. Dwight’s ‘Mr. Baseball’ Jim Enger Has Field Named After Him Dwight Youth Baseball League Field 1 was named for Jim Enger in a surprise ceremony that featured his…

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Parents Urged to Do Their Homework Before Buying an E-Bike for Their Children

 July 9, 2026

Giannoulias Urges Parents to Do Their Homework Before Buying an E-Bike for Their Children New PSA and Online Buying Guide Help Families Choose Safe, Age-Appropriate Devices View the public service announcement. As electric bikes become increasingly popular, Illinois Secretary of…

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Livingston County Property Tax Reminder – First Installment Due Friday, July 10

 July 9, 2026

Livingston County Property Tax Reminder Property taxes are due Friday, July 10, 2026. Please choose one of the following payment options: • In Person: Treasurer’s Office – 112 W. Madison St., Pontiac (after-hours drop boxes available) • At Participating Local…

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Dwight Police Calls July 9, 2026

 July 9, 2026

Dwight Police Call 7.9.26 Dwight Police Call 7.2.26 Dwight Police Call 6.25.26 Dwight Police Call 6.18.26 Dwight Police Call 6.11.26 Dwight Police Call 6.4.26 Dwight Police Call 5.21.26 Dwight Police Call 5.14.26 Dwight Police Call 5.7.26 Dwight Police Call 4.30.26…

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Livingston County Board Vacancy

 July 9, 2026

Pursuant to the requirements of 10 ILCS 5/25-11, James Carley, Chairperson of the Livingston County Board is announcing that there is a vacancy in Livingston County Board District #1 with the resignation of County Board Member James Blackard effective July…

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Pritzker signs bills on environmental standards, in-state tuition

 July 9, 2026

Pritzker signs bills on environmental standards, in-state tuition by Ben Szalinski and Brenden Moore, Capitol News Illinois June 29, 2026 Article Summary JB Pritzker signed more than 60 bills into law since Friday. They require diaper packaging to list ingredients,…

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Connect Transit and Heartland Community College partner for new service to link Pontiac and Normal

 July 9, 2026

Connect Transit and Heartland Community College partner for new service to link Pontiac and Normal   NORMAL, IL (Jul. 7, 2026) – Connect Transit has partnered with Heartland Community College to provide transportation access for students along the path from Pontiac to…

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Illinois State Police Releases Video of Crash Involving Trooper

 July 9, 2026

Illinois State Police Releases Video of Crash Involving Trooper JULY 8, 2026  SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) is releasing video of a fatal crash involving an ISP Trooper. On April 25, 2026, at approximately 2:30 a.m., a Trooper was…

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Temperature Recap for the week …..

 July 9, 2026

Thank you to the Village of Dwight Water Treatment Plant Crew for reporting these numbers to The Paper: 

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Local youth take center stage at Livingston County 4-H Show

 July 8, 2026

Local youth take center stage at Livingston County 4-H Show   PONTIAC, Ill. – The Livingston County 4-H Show continues to be a cherished community tradition, offering community members the chance to attend and support our 4-H members while celebrating their accomplishments. The…

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Obituary – Linda “Joyce” Grotevant, Pontiac

 July 8, 2026

Linda “Joyce” Grotevant, age 84, passed away on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at OSF St. Francis in Peoria. Services for Joyce will be held on Monday, July 13, 2026 at Pontiac United Methodist Church, 219 N Chicago Street, Pontiac, IL…

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Dwight Police Department Receives Universal Pet Microchip Reader from Subies of the Corn

 July 8, 2026

Dwight Police Department Receives Universal Pet Microchip Reader from Subies of the Corn DWIGHT, IL – The Dwight Police Department was one of three Illinois law enforcement agencies to receive a universal pet microchip reader from Subies of the Corn…

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Obituary – James Gerald Phelan (“Jim”), Kinsman

 July 8, 2026

James Gerald Phelan (“Jim”)August 30, 1947 – June 28, 2026James Gerald Phelan, affectionately known as Jim, was born on August 30, 1947, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, to Hugh E. (Ed) and Geraldine Phelan. He was raised on the family farm…

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GEDC HOSTS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES IN GRUNDY COUNTY

 July 8, 2026

GEDC HOSTS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES IN GRUNDY COUNTY The Grundy Economic Development Council (GEDC) was proud to welcome the National Association of Counties (NACo) Rural Energy Academy Peer Exchange to Morris from June 30 to July 2. The event…

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Recap – Special Joint Meeting of Dwight Boards of Education – June 24

 July 7, 2026

SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE BOARDS OF EDUCATION OF DWIGHT COMMON SCHOOL DISTRICT #232 AND DWIGHT TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #230 Held in the Dwight Township High School Library On June 24, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Board President Jaime Mallaney…

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Gas Prices Continue to Drop – Week of July 6

 July 7, 2026

    **Editor’s Note: If you find the story here of value, consider clicking one of the Google ads embedded in the story. It costs you nothing but Google will give the website owner a few cents. This is a…

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Summer fun continues at Prairie Creek Public Library

 July 6, 2026

Summer fun continues at Prairie Creek Public Library Prairie Creek Public Library in Dwight has planned several events in July to keep members of our community busy, entertained, and learning. These events are free and open to the public. However,…

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Illinois State Police Arrests Suspects in Lake Mattoon Death Investigation

 July 4, 2026

Illinois State Police Arrests Suspects in Lake Mattoon Death Investigation July 2, 2026  LAKE MATTOON – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation arrested two suspects as part of a death investigation after human remains were found in Lake Mattoon….

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Slammers Kick Off Independence Celebration With A Bang

 July 4, 2026

Slammers Kick Off Independence Celebration With A Bang By Tori Zalewski JOLIET, IL – The Joliet Slammers opened their Independence Celebration weekend in thrilling fashion, rallying from an early deficit to defeat the Evansville Otters, 8-5. Joliet wasted no time…

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Livingston County Coroner Release Details on Accident with Fatalities

 July 3, 2026

Livingston County Coroner Release Details on Accident with Fatalities On Thursday, July 2, 2026 at approximately 1:15 a.m. police and fire rescue were sent to 70 East Road a 1⁄4 mile north of 1100 North Road in rural Gridley,Il. for…

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Happy Wedding Anniversary to Dave and Carol Siebert!

 July 3, 2026

Happy wedding anniversary to Dave and Carol Siebert! July 3, 2026

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Public advised to remain alert for pavement failures during heat wave

 July 2, 2026

Public advised to remain alert for pavement failures during heat wave IDOT closely monitoring road conditions; on standby for emergency repairs SPRINGFIELD – With extremely high temperatures and humidity impacting the entire state, the Illinois Department of Transportation is cautioning the public…

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Eastern Illinois Foodbank – Donate Today

 July 2, 2026

DONATE   1 out of 6 kids in eastern Illinois faces hunger. For millions of kids across America, when school is out, meals disappear. Weekends, holidays, and summer break can bring uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. Today,…

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