March 9, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 7

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Emily Wright, Storm ‘want to be remembered’: 2026 Bureau Valley softball preview

The Bureau Valley Storm softball team won a regional championship in 2024, but fell in the finals last year.BV coach Dave Shepard is trying to put the pieces together to get the Storm back on top this spring.“I have seven seniors this year so hoping that the leadership will help us through the season,” Shepard said.Senior catcher Emily Wright thinks this season will be a building season for future success.“Our goal is always to hang a banner. To do that we will need to be ready every game no matter the competition. Never letting up and trusting each other will be key,” she said. “I’m excited to see how far our team will go this year. We want to be remembered, and I don’t think we will have a problem doing that.”Wright is one three key returning players from last year’s 17-19 campaign to help get them there along with classmate Kadyn Haage and junior Mallory Maubach.Haage, a steady shortstop, batted .393 with 26 RBIs and seven doubles last year.Wright returns behind the plate as catcher for the fourth season and will bat in the important No. 3 hole in the lineup. The Coe College signee batted .351 last year with 16 RBIs, nine doubles and a home run. Maubach split pitching duties last season with Carly Reglin, going 5-5 in the circle with a 2.40 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 58⅓ innings. She will assume the No. 1 this season with Reglin’s graduation.“Mallory will be our number one on the mound and she has been patiently waiting for this opportunity,” Shepard said.Wright is looking forward to catching Maubach more this spring.“Having Mallory on the mound will also be a big component for us. She’s gotten a lot stronger and I’m excited to see how well she does this year,” Wright said. “Obviously we will need to back her up with fielding, but I’m not worried. We have a lot of returning players that can back our pitchers up. There will always be errors made in the field, that’s the game of softball, but it’s how well we bounce back.”Other senior leaders will be center fielder Abby Jamison and first baseman Kloey Trujillo, joined by classmates Lila Spencer, Addie Crawford and Katrina Wahl.Junior Maggie Besler will round out the outfield and has been waiting for this opportunity, Shepard said.Shepard said sophomores Ali Carrington, Danicka Benavidez and Remie Marshall will play important roles and their “speed and ability on defense and offense will be important to our success.”Junior Tatiana Longmire will get some innings in the circle while freshmen Gabby Trujillo, Avery Bopes and Linden Ferrell will be put in supporting roles which will lead into more responsibilities, Shepard said.“We open with Hall (Monday) so hopefully we can play a clean game and see what things we need to work on to get better,” Shepard said.After playing in Class 2A since the inception of the four-class system in 2008, Bureau Valley will drop to 1A for the postseason this spring.“Being 1A will bring challenges that hopefully we can be successful at and have a good postseason,” Shepard said.Wright said new assistant coach Darcy Kepner, a former Storm standout, has had a big impact on the team as they prepare for the season.“We have been working hard these past few weeks at practice. We are going to need to rely on our base running a lot this year, being smart on the bases will win us games,” Wright said.

Emily Wright, Storm ‘want to be remembered’: 2026 Bureau Valley softball preview

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Emily Wright, Storm ‘want to be remembered’: 2026 Bureau Valley softball preview

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Emily Wright, Storm ‘want to be remembered’: 2026 Bureau Valley softball preview

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Your guide to the March 2026 primary in the Illinois Valley

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March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where La Salle, Bureau and Putnam county voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh

Your guide to the March 2026 primary in the Illinois Valley

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Your guide to the March 2026 primary in the Illinois Valley

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Your guide to the March 2026 primary in the Illinois Valley

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Your guide to the March 2026 primary in the Illinois Valley

This St. Patrick’s Day, La Salle, Bureau and Putnam county voters can head to the polls in addition to sampling a green beer.March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.The deadline for candidates to file was Nov. 3. Illinois governor and lieutenant governor: Incumbent JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has filed to run for reelection. He has named Christian Mitchell as his running mate after Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton announced her intention to run for the U.S. Senate. Conservative research group Wirepoints president Ted Dabrowski, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, former state Sen. Darren Bailey and Gold Rush Gaming owner Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills have filed as Republicans. The only other Democrat to file, Patricia L. Tillman of Chicago, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection as was Republicans Gregg Moore of Broadview and Joseph Severino of Lake Forest. Republican Max Solomon of Hazel Crest withdrew his candidacy.Illinois attorney general: Incumbent Kwame Raoul, a Democrat, has filed to run for another term. Former Chicago alderman Bob Fioretti has filed to run as a Republican.Republican Andy Williams Jr. of Darien was removed from the ballot following a successful objection and JoAnne Guillemette of Chicago withdrew after an objection was filed. Illinois secretary of state: Alexi Giannoulias, an incumbent Democrat, has filed to run for reelection. Walter Adamczyk of Chicago and Joliet Junior College Trustee Diane M. Harris filed to run as Republicans.Illinois comptroller: Incumbent Susana Mendoza, a Democrat, is not running again. State Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim of Mundelein, state Rep. Margaret Croke of Chicago and state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego have filed to run as Democrats and and Bryan Drew of Benton as a Republican. Champaign County Auditor George Danos, a Democrat, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.Illinois treasurer: Incumbent Michael Frerichs, a Democrat, has filed to run for a fourth term.U.S. Senate: Incumbent Dick Durbin, a Democrat, is not seeking reelection. Casey Chlebek, former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy, R. Cary Capparelli of Chicago, Pamela Denise Long of Edwardsville, Jimmy Lee Tillman II of Chicago, John Goodman of Des Plaines and Jeannie Evans of Chicago have filed to run as Republicans.Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, Kevin Ryan of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Lynwood, Steve Botsford Jr. of Chicago, Jonathan Dean of Chicago, Sean Brown of Orland Park, Bryan Maxwell of Urbana, Awisi A. Bustos of Springfield and Christopher A. Swann of Chicago as Democrats. Independents Tyrone Muhammad and Austin J. Mink have also said they are running.Democrats Adam Delgado of Chicago, Anthony Williams of Dolton and Jump Shepherd of North Riverside were removed from the ballot following successful objections as was CaSándra Claiborne of Chicago. Democrat Robert Palmer of Chicago and Republican John Goodman of Des Plaines withdrew as candidates.U.S. House of Representatives: All 17 members of Congress representing Illinois are up in 2026. To find what district you live in, go to congress.gov/members/find-your-member. Illinois State Senate: Like its federal counterpart, only some of its members are up for reelection this year. In the Illinois Valley, that includes:Illinois House of Representatives: All state representative seats are up every two years. Among the races in the Illinois Valley are: County-level races: Also on the ballot will be County Board members, county clerks, treasurers, sheriffs, assessors, and regional superintendents. Some counties also elect their Boards of Review, sanitary districts, and forest preserve district commissioners and president. Three vacancies are up at the Illinois appellate court level, according to an Illinois State Board of Elections list as of Sept. 3. Voters will get to vote on retentions in November.The appellate vacancies include a seat on the Third Appellate District. The district sits in Ottawa and includes Bureau, La Salle, DuPage, Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and Iroquois counties. Margaret “Peggy” O’Connell of Lisle and John Pavich of Frankfort has filed to run as Democrats and Jason A. Helland of Mazon and Mark Senak of Glen Ellyn has filed as Republicans.Also up is a vacancy in the 13th Circuit for one at-large member. The circuit includes La Salle, Grundy and Bureau counties. Melissa Olivero of Peru filed as a Democrat and Michelle A. Vescogni of Peru as a Republican for the vacancy.Leonore Rural Fire Protection District — Creation Proposition: Pulls votes from La Salle County only.LaMoille School District 303 — Non-Binding Question to Deactivate High School: Pulls votes from Bureau and Lee counties.Tiskilwa Rural Fire Protection District — Special Tax Levy: Pulls votes from Bureau and Putnam counties.Sheffield Fire Protection District — Increase Corporate Tax Rate: Pulls votes from Bureau County.Sheffield Fire Protection District — Special Tax for Ambulance Service: Pulls votes from Bureau County.Sheffield Fire Protection District — Special Tax for Emergency and Rescue Crews and Equipment: Pulls votes from Bureau County.Oct. 27 to Nov. 3, 2025: Candidates in established parties can file the necessary documents either at the Springfield office for state-level candidates or at the County Clerk’s Office in the county where they’re running.Among the paperwork required is a statement of candidacy and petitions signed by registered voters. The number of signatures required varies by office.Nov. 10: Last day for objections challenging whether candidates can appear on the ballot to be filed. Nov. 17 to 24: Filing period for candidates seeking to fill judicial vacancies.Dec. 3: Deadline to file objections in judicial vacancy races.Dec. 15: Deadline to file petitions for referendums to appear on the March ballot. This does not include referendum questions authorized by local governments, just ones submitted through voter-signed petitions.Dec. 17: First day to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot. Dec. 22: Deadline to file objections on referendum questions.Dec. 29: Deadline for local government boards – like school boards and city councils – to adopt a resolution or ordinance for a binding referendum.Jan. 8, 2026: Last day for a candidate to withdraw from the race.Jan. 15: Last day for a candidate to file as a write-in.Feb. 5: Early voting starts and county clerks begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots.March 1: Last day to register to vote online through the State Board of Elections’ website. Grace period registration and voting continues through Election Day.March 17: Election Day for the 2026 primary. Polls close at 7 p.m. Voters can request a partisan ballot with either Democratic or Republican candidates listed or a non-partisan ballot, which includes any referendums.

Your guide to the March 2026 primary in the Illinois Valley

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