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SPRINGFIELD – Lee County has been issued a final property assessment equalization factor of 1.0000, according to David Harris, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue.
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Country band 'Sawyer Brown' to headline Sublette's Hops + Harmony on Sept. 6

SUBLETTE – Hosted by Sublette 365, Hops + Harmony is back for its fifth year with an exciting lineup featuring over 15 craft breweries from Northern Illinois and Chicago.

OSF moves Dixon clinic

DIXON – OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center is relocating its anticoagulation clinic from the hospital to the OSF Saint Katharine - Center for Health, located at 102 S. Hennepin Ave., within the Family Health Center in suite LL102.

Illinois wheat check-off referendum passes

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois wheat producers approved a measure to bring a wheat check-off program to the State of Illinois.

Homeschool bill stalls in Illinois House, but sponsor says it’s still alive

SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would tighten homeschooling regulations in Illinois missed a key deadline on Friday. But its sponsor, Rep. Terra Costa Howard, said it’s still alive — and she’s working on changes recommended by fellow lawmakers to get it passed.
Obituaries
OBITUARIES
Robert E. Lewis
AMBOY – Robert E. Lewis (Bobby, Bobby-lou, Bob), 68, of Amboy, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Goldwater Care of Princeton.
Donna A. Etheridge
AMBOY – Donna A. Etheridge, 79, of Amboy, passed away on Sunday April 20, 2025 at Rock River Hospice and Home in Sterling.
Robert "Bob" Kelly
TOPEKA, Kan. – Robert "Bob" Kelly, 94, formerly of Amboy, passed away on April 16, 2025.
Mary L. Hackbarth
AMBOY – Mary L. Hackbarth, 84, of Amboy passed away on Saturday April 12, 2025 at Allure of Mendota. 
Sharon A. Hall
AMBOY – Sharon A. Hall, 67, of Amboy passed away on Thursday March 27, 2025 at OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon.
Daniel "Dan" Jerome Morrissey
MOLINE – Daniel “Dan” Jerome Morrissey, 81, of Moline, passed away April 4, 2025 at Silver Cross Health & Rehabilitation, Rock Island.
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Community
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Amboy High School Report 4-23-25
Amboy High School students in U.S. history class were able to choose a World War II topic they were interested in and explore it by finding relevant people, and other events relating to their topic.
Dixon celebrates Project ROCK construction, expansion
DIXON – The Illinois Department of Transportation and the city of Dixon were recently joined by local officials and community leaders to announce the start of Project ROCK – Revitalizing Opportunities for the Community and Kids.
Awards presented for the Focus on Photography Art Exhibit reception at the Coliseum Museum
OREGON – Awards were presented for the Focus on Photography Art Exhibition at the Coliseum Museum on Friday, April 11 by Judge Rich Ankeney from Galesburg.
Amboy Food Truck Monday is almost here
AMBOY – The first Amboy Food Truck Monday of its second full season will be from 4-8 p.m. Monday, April 28 at the Amboy Depot Museum.
Amboy High School Report 4-16-25
Agriculture math students built birdhouses in class to utilize measurements, fractions, and using tape measures and rulers.
Sports

Softball: Non-conference opponents overpower Lady Clippers

AMBOY – The Amboy softball team couldn’t contend with Morrison and Lena-Winslow before Easter.

Kids’ Free Fishing Expo returns to Baker Lake in Peru

PERU – The 25th annual Kids’ Free Fishing Expo is scheduled for 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 10 at Baker Lake in Peru.

Opinion
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Web Extras

11 iconic mother figures across TV history

Stacker compiled a list of 10 of the most unforgettable maternal figures in television history using information from IMDb and various media outlets.   

What you need to know before becoming a collector of live insects or snails

(BPT) - Insects and snails are a critical part of the planet's ecosystem. Bees, for example, pollinate important crops and provide high-quality food like honey, while snails feed on dead or rotting …

9 lives and more? 60 years of groundbreaking medical advancements have improved cat health and longevity.

Meowtel explored advancements in feline medicine, nutrition, and care that are helping the more than 350 million domestic cats worldwide live longer.

How bird flu differs from seasonal flu − an infectious disease researcher explains

There is currently no bird flu vaccine for people.

Avian influenza infections in the US have been rising over the past year, but there’s no evidence so far that people can infect each other with this strain of the virus.