April 21, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 16

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Princeton outlines next steps for business development district

The Princeton City Council received an update on the recently approved business development district during their meeting on Monday night.A BDD serves a similar role to a tax increment financing district by providing funding for business and redevelopment projects in Princeton, although it relies on sales tax revenue instead of property taxes.If created, the district would be paid for through an additional sales tax on certain retail purchases made within the district.Notably, the tax would only apply to items meant for “immediate consumption,” such as meals at a restaurant, snacks or drinks, but would not apply to groceries, prescription drugs or titled items such as vehicles.The city would use the money to support projects inside the district, such as infrastructure/building improvements and new business development.With the district getting officially approved in March, the city is still in the early stages of implementing both the business development district and its overall plan going forward.Cole McDaniel, with Hometown Consulting, gave a presentation to the council on how the city plans to move forward, outlining a strategic action plan along with introducing other tools the city will utilize to make Princeton a more attractive option for future businesses.“We didn’t just want to create a business development district- we wanted to set goals and have active plans for how we’re going to implement this funding going forward,” McDaniel said.He said that groundwork has included identifying the district’s boundaries, gathering community feedback and outlining priorities, but the city is now shifting toward how projects will actually be selected and funded.“It’s one thing to have ideas- we also want to understand how we’re going to fund them and measure whether they’re actually working,” he said.That includes developing a formal application process for businesses and a scoring system to evaluate proposals, along with tools to track how funds are spent and what impact they’ll have over time.At the same time, McDaniel said a five-year strategic action plan is being built to guide those decisions, using input from community meetings, business owners and local officials.“Our goal is to have a true five-year strategic action plan with priorities, the timeline and how we accomplish them,” he said. “We want to understand in order to implement this, here’s how we’re going to have to pay for it.”McDaniel said his goal is to have a draft of that by “sometime in the middle of the summer,” with the intent for the council to review and adopt the plan later this year.Once completed, the plan will serve as both a local roadmap and a tool for securing outside funding.“It’s going to be one of the most important scoring metrics when we go after grant funding,” he said. “We want to make sure it’s there, it’s adopted and we can include it with our grant applications.”McDaniel emphasized that the effort is designed to ensure results are measurable over time.“I don’t want to just hand you a plan and help you implement a BDD and then never see you again,” he said. “I want to be here by your side to help you implement these things and be a part of the progress.”

St. Bede hopes facing bigger schools pays off: NewsTribune softball notebook

The St. Bede softball team faced some larger schools on Saturday at the Elgin Larkin tournament.The Bruins defeated Larkin 8-2 and Geneva 13-7 to advance to the championship game, where they lost 12-1 to Hampshire.Larkin and Hampshire are Class 4A teams and Geneva is a Class 3A team. Hampshire won a regional title last season.St. Bede will play in Class 2A this postseason.“I thought we played Larkin and Geneva very well,” St. Bede coach Rob Ruppert said. “We hit well and played good defense. Hampshire is a good hitting team. We had a young pitcher throw, and I think she learned a little. I think we learned we can play and beat some good teams. I think the third game, we were a little tired. It was our seventh game of the week and third on the day, all in a row. But seeing better pitching and hitters will definitely help later in the year when regionals start.”When La Salle-Peru played at Princeton on March 24, L-P coach Randy Huebbe saw some familiar faces in the opposing dugout.First-year Princeton coach Jessica Strauch is Huebbe’s future daughter-in-law. Huebbe’s son, Ryan, is an assistant coach for the Tigresses.“One of my biggest thrills this year was coaching a game with my son and his fiancee coaching the opponent,” Randy Huebbe said. “I’m double excited that they are making me a grandpa.”L-P senior Anna Riva and Princeton junior Avah Oertel have been launching home runs often during the first half of the season as both have sent seven balls over the fence.Riva now has 15 for her career, which is the most of any player during coach Randy Huebbe’s tenure, which began in 2015. Oertel, meanwhile, has already tied Princeton’s career home run record with 25.Last season, Oertel led the area in home runs with 12, while Riva was tied for third with seven. Oertel’s teammate, senior Keely Lawson, could also be in the mix for the area home run lead as she has already slugged five this spring.Oertel also leads the area in batting average (.608), doubles (12), RBIs (30) and runs (24).Senior Jillian Pinter is intelligent on the softball field and in the classroom for St. Bede.St. Bede coach Rob Ruppert said she plays a key role for the Bruins as the team’s first baseman. Academically, Pinter ranks sixth in her graduating class.“She is outstanding on defense,” Ruppert said. “She’s one of the best fielders at the position I have seen. She’s very smart on the field. She’s in the game all the time. She’s like the quarterback of our team. She is the first one on the fence to cheer her teammates on. Jill also is ranked No. 6 in her graduating class this year.”Fieldcrest junior TeriLynn Timmerman is off to a hot start.In five games, Timmerman is hitting .778 (7 for 9) with three doubles and two triples.Timmerman has over half the team’s total hits (12), and she’s scored seven of the team’s nine runs.“TeriLynn is having a great start to the season,” Fieldcrest coach Elizabeth Kay said. “It is a true testament to the work she puts in during the offseason. She is patient at the plate and is able to consistently put a good swing on a good pitch.”A couple of freshmen have made a big impact this spring.Hall’s Bernie Larsen is hitting .394 with two home runs and a team-high 10 RBIs.At St. Bede, Hannah Heiberger has recently gotten more time on the varsity. She’s hitting .700 with a home run, a triple, nine runs and seven RBIs.Year in and year out, the Interstate 8 Conference is among the strongest Class 3A conferences in the state, and 2026 is no different.In the latest Illinois Coaches Association state rankings, five of the six teams in the league are ranked in the top 15 in Class 3A.Sycamore (10-1) is ranked No. 7, La Salle-Peru (13-8) is No. 11, Morris (14-3) is No. 12, Kaneland (6-5) is No. 14 and Ottawa (9-6) is No. 15.

Hogan praised for decades’ service to Peru

He was the voice of the news for generations of listeners in the Illinois Valley. Now, Joe Hogan is retired from his last assignment to the City of Peru.Monday, the Peru City Council accepted and filed, with thanks, Hogan’s retirement. Hogan served for decades on the city of Peru’s 911 board and helped bring enhanced 911 service to the city. He then represented Peru on the Illinois Valley Regional Dispatch Board and the La Salle County Joint Emergency Telephone System Board. While Hogan was not personally present – he has returned permanently to his native Wisconsin – his April 15 retirement letter was read aloud by Lt. Doug Bernabei of the Peru Police Department.“Working together to help bring enhanced 911 services to prove and improve public safety across the region was truly a team effort, and I’m proud of what we accomplished together,” Hogan wrote. “I’ve been blessed to work alongside so many dedicated individuals who care deeply about their neighbors and their community.”Bernabei praised Hogan and said his many years of service were completely selfless.“It was never about Joe Hogan,” Bernabei said. “Joe Hogan was always worried about, ‘Is the call going to get answered?’, and, ‘Are we taking care of our employees?’ “Those were the two most important things: taking care of the citizens and taking care of the employees down at the Peru Police Department.”Mayor Ken Kolowski chimed in and extended his thanks, as well.“Joe Hogan has been a pillar of this community for a long time.”

Rev. Jeffery Windy celebrates 30 years as priest at Holy Family Church

The Rev. Jeffery Windy will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood at a Mass to be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 17, at Holy Family Church, Oglesby.A light reception will follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 307 E. Florence St., Oglesby.Attendees are asked to RSVP by Jennifer at 815-883-8233 by May 11.

St. Bede hopes facing bigger schools pays off: NewsTribune softball notebook

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Hogan praised for decades’ service to Peru

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Logan’s Oasis playground begins installation at Marilla Park in Streator

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La Salle County Board debates future of county nursing home

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Princeton outlines next steps for business development district

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The Princeton City Council received an update on the recently approved business development district during their meeting on Monday night.

Rev. Jeffery Windy celebrates 30 years as priest at Holy Family Church

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The Rev. Jeffery Windy will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood at a Mass to be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 17 at Holy Family Church, Oglesby.

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