May 5, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 13

Open Modal

On Air Now

Up Next

Wall to Wall Country

Sunday: 07:00 AM - 10:00 AM

OTHS finishes third in 2026 IHSA Class A State Music Sweepstakes

The Ottawa Township High School Music Department finished third in the 2026 Illinois High School Association Class A Music Sweepstakes held the weekend of April 18. According to a news release from OTHS, the OTHS bands and choirs participating in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble and Organizational Contests scored a combined 807 points.“One of our biggest goals throughout the contest is providing our students with quality musical experiences,” OTHS Band Director Andrew Jacobi said. “Our main focus is to grow our students into stronger musicians.”The 2026 competition marks the 40th time OTHS has placed in the top three in its class in the 54-year history of the IHSA Music Sweepstakes, according to the release.“Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Concert Choir, Treble Choir and Crimson Choir all got all Division I ratings,” Jacobi said. “It’s the third time that has happened in my 10 years at the school.”High school music programs across 5 different classes compete in the IHSA Solo & Ensemble Contest and the IHSA Music Organizational Contest. 90 OTHS music students competed in 100 events during the Solo and Ensemble Contest part of the competition on March 7 at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School before the full music department headed to Kewanee High School for the Organizational portion that was supposed to begin on Friday, April 17, according to the release. “A challenge that the choirs had to face was that we were suddenly rescheduled to Day 2 of the Organizational Contest due to the weather,” OTHS Choral Director Ali Stachowicz said. “It ended up being all the more exciting and special that all three choirs were awarded Division I’s, because the students rose to the occasion against those circumstances.”Jacobi stressed that the primary goals for the band and choirs transcend how they score in the competition. “The biggest win for us is the quality music we made along the way and the bonds our students made with each other through the process,” he said.Since the IHSA State Music Championship series began in 1972, OTHS has collected 22 total IHSA State Music Championships, six runner-up awards, and 12 third-place finishes.

La Salle-Peru High School honors 11 Renaissance students

Eleven La Salle-Peru Township High School students were recognized as Renaissance Students of the Month during a breakfast ceremony on Wednesday, April 29. The honorees are Clara Vaske, Sofija Dimitrijevich, David Palmer, Alex Monjaras-Aguirre, Radia Thompson, Endrew Sell, Lilah Hauter, Clayton Herz, Addison Dziarnowski, Astrid Blanco, and Madelaine Johns.Teachers, coaches, and staff nominate students for the monthly honor based on academic achievement, character, and service.Addison Dziarnowski also received a $50 gift card from Central Bank Illinois as the Renaissance Student of the Month prize winner.The ceremony was sponsored by the LPHS Renaissance Program and the LaSalle and Illinois Valley Sunrise Rotary Clubs.

Fajitas Mexican restaurant opens in a new location

uyejpl6apnfmtmsnl3vmjhsvcm353083

Fajitas Mexican restaurant opens in a new location

uyejpl6apnfmtmsnl3vmjhsvcm911463

New scholarship available for Illinois Valley students

gad3tx2i6fk6bf3yeqvkonvqyu281736

OTHS finishes third in 2026 IHSA Class A State Music Sweepstakes

e4xq6ywh4ra77dc6zicu7ozoum955416

La Salle-Peru High School honors 11 Renaissance students

und6bvs7sjhkppixfjim3gbnna197018

Ottawa ice cream shops open for season on Main Street

ftr3cczl4vaanijbrf2udzdd3e358421

Tones Cones and Scoops R Us, 523 W. Main St., Ottawa, has opened for the season, serving ice cream.

OTHS finishes third in 2026 IHSA Class A State Music Sweepstakes

e4xq6ywh4ra77dc6zicu7ozoum256942

The 2026 competition marks the 40th time OTHS has placed in the top three in its class in the 54-year history of the IHSA Music Sweepstakes.

New scholarship available for Illinois Valley students

gad3tx2i6fk6bf3yeqvkonvqyu452155

The Dolores J. and Wilbur M. Anderson Joint Trust successor trustee, Sandra Woest and Sally Beebe, announced the launch of the Anderson-Woest Scholarship.

Loading...