The Putnam County Historical Society will hold its annual free open house for residents to explore the society’s building from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer free monthly guided nature walks for community members from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, Aug. 15, Sept. 12, and Oct. 17, at Illini State Park, 2660 E. 2350th Road, Marseilles.

Drive along Shooting Park Road in Peru past the middle school and the road gets narrow. Too narrow. The city means to widen it.

The Community Players of Streator’s Engle Lane Theatre has received a $1,750 grant from the Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund to support its upcoming production.

Jean Fox of Wyanet recently attended an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League reunion in Rockford. She played for the Rockford Peaches in 1952 and Kalamazoo/Muskegon in 1953.

Former BCR Runner of the Year Elijah House won the MercyOne Genesis Brady Street Sprints with a time of 1:00.19.

Putnam County freshman to be Anniston Judd advanced to the AAU Junior Olympics in four events.

The Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp have four games left in the season. The Shrimp's season finale is Aug. 1 at home.

Mendota Education Foundation will return to the stage this week with its rendition of Disney’s and Cameron Mackintosh’s “Mary Poppins.”

A Streator man was scheduled for trial Monday for converting a gun into an automatic weapon. William Harris decided not to test his luck with a jury.