The Hall softball team returns a strong core of players and adds a solid freshman class as the Red Devils look to improve this spring.

There will not be any data center proposals entertained by the city of Ottawa for the next six months.

A La Salle County grand jury convened Tuesday and returned the following indictments.

Explore the world of reptiles with a live animal program at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 26 at the Starved Rock State Park Visitor Center.

St. Bede Academy will launch its annual Day of Giving, St. Benedict’s Day, on March 20. Alumni, parents, friends and community members are invited to come together in support of the school’s mission and students.

The Bureau Valley Storm had a record-breaking baseball season on the diamond last year, finishing with 22 wins. While the Storm lost a strong senior core, ninth-year Storm skipper Ryan Schisler believes the Storm have the makeup for continued success.

In an area loaded with softball talent and as the season gets underway, here are our picks for five players to watch across The Times coverage area.

Behind a strong group of veteran players, the St. Bede softball team hopes to make another postseason run after reaching a sectional final last season.

The La Salle Public Library will host several programs and events in March.

Registration has opened on Starved Rock’s Eventbrite page for “Nature Sleuths: Spring Break Youth Workshops” to be held April 8-10 at the Starved Rock Visitor Center.