NEWS:
Mayor Rob Hasty and the City of Ottawa want to address the troubling anti-Semitic flyers that have been found posted throughout downtown Ottawa recently. Mayor Hasty and the City of Ottawa want to make it abundantly clear: the City of Ottawa stands firmly against anti-Semitism and any form of hate speech. Mayor Hasty said, “This behavior has no place in our community, and we are deeply disappointed by this display of intolerance”. The City of Ottawa is asking that if you come across one of these flyers, please contact the Ottawa Police Department Illinois at (815) 433-2131. The City of Ottawa asks that you do not remove the sign but instead notify OPD so they can address it properly. Your assistance and patience as the City works to resolve this issue are greatly appreciated. Together, we stand for a safe, inclusive, and respectful City of Ottawa.
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The Illinois Department of Natural Resouces is reminding the general public during deer-hunting season, certain public areas in our local state parks will be closed to ensure safety. Shotgun hunting will take place this Thursday through Saturday and again two weekends later, with closures affecting the Starved Rock Nature Preserve, all of Matthiessen State Park, and several nature preserves. Notably, the Starved Rock Campground will only be accessible to hunters with disabilities during these weekends. Additional closures will occur on the weekends of December 13-15, December 26-29, and January 17-19.
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The Village of Seneca is letting drivers know that the Union Street railroad crossing will be closed Today and Wednesday, November 20th for repairs. Please find an alternate route for travel while the crossing is closed.
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A bill making its way through the Illinois House would better protect the rights of cancer patients. All residents with a cancer diagnosis would have access to new treatments at top-rated facilities under the Illinois Cancer Patients Bill of Rights. Chicago Democrat Marcus Evans is spearheading the resolution. Evans was diagnosed with cancer in his early 20s and says he understands the importance of access to quality care firsthand.
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Heating bills are likely to go up this winter for people living in the Midwest, including Illinois. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports the average monthly natural gas bill in Illinois, the increase will be ten dollars and 31 cents more each month. Natural gas prices are expected to be lower in the West, South, and Southeastern U.S. Last year was the warmest winter on record for much of the state. This year, forecasters are calling for “colder than normal” temperatures throughout late December and into the New Year.
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Two children are safe at home after being rescued from a well in Taylorville over the weekend. Taylorville Fire responded to a call about the kids trapped on Saturday afternoon. The kids were about 15 feet down the well which was only between 16 and 18 inches across. The toddler and the teenager were pulled to safety and were evaluated for injuries, but escaped relatively unscathed.
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A holiday lights festival is returning to Brookfield Zoo Chicago. This weekend will be the 43rd year that Holiday Magic will be held at the West suburban Zoo. It features illuminated animals, a tunnel show, and more than two million LED lights. Brookfield Zoo will be open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. during Holiday Magic, which opens this Friday. The event will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
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WEATHER:
Tuesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Breezy, with a west-southwest wind of 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
Tuesday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers after 3 am. Increasing clouds, with a low of around 40. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
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OBITUARIES:
Judith Ann Armstrong, 84, of Ottawa passed away on November 16th, at her home surrounded by those she loved. Visitation will be from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm Today, at Ottawa Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 7:00 pm at the funeral home.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Middle School Boys Basketball
7th grade lost to Morris Grade School 24-21. Leading the way for Shepherd: Jack Markey with 7 points, Judah Morris with 6 points, Colin Heimer had 4 points and Jaxyn Provance added 2. 7th grade is 0-9.
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8th grade defeated Morris Grade School 41-21. Leading the way for Shepherd: Andrew Brink with 11 points and 7 rebounds, Mason Mucci with 9 points, Bryce Ceja and Keandre Miller each had 6 points. 8th grade is 4-5.
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Girls HS basketball
Ottawa 53, Mahomet-Seymour 36: At the Bank of Pontiac Turkey Tip-Off on Monday, the Pirates started out victorious in the Prairie Central Pool.
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Marquette 46, Peoria Manual 34
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Serena 41, Streator 14: In the Seneca Pool of the Falcon-Irish Thanksgiving Tournament
Seneca 60, Herscher 24:
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Harvest Christian 53, Earlville 12: At the Illinois Math & Science Academy McIntosh Tournament,
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La Salle-Peru 57, Newark 11: In Somonauk’s Tim Humes Breakout
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Boys bowling
La Salle-Peru 3,162, Ottawa 2,885: At IV Super Bowl, the visiting Pirates were defeated
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PRO SPORTS:
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus plans to ask the NFL to review Karl Brooks’ blocked field goal that gave the Packers a 20-to-19 win yesterday at Soldier Field. The coach told the media today that he believes Brooks made contact with long-snapper Scott Daly on the play. Eberflus added that action should have resulted in a penalty. The Chicago Bears will spend the week getting ready for a divisional showdown on Sunday. Chicago hosts the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field this weekend. The Bears are on a four-game losing streak following a 20-19 loss to the Packers on Sunday. Chicago is in last place in the NFC North at 4-and-6. Sunday’s game kicks off at noon.
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The Chicago Bulls knocked down 23 three-pointers during a 122-112 win over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. The Bulls hit 50 percent of their shots from beyond the arc, and they led by as many as 13 points in the victory. Nikola Vucevic led the team with 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Zach LaVine and Coby White scored 25 points apiece. The Bulls improved to 6-and-9. Chicago is at Milwaukee tomorrow night.
The Bulls are mourning the passing of legendary player Bob Love. The team announced the three-time NBA All-Star passed away at the age of 81 following a long battle with cancer. Love spent nine seasons with the team, from 1968 to 1976. He is one of four players who have their number retired by the franchise.
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The Chicago Blackhawks aim to avoid their third loss in a row when they host the Anaheim Ducks at United Center tonight. The Blackhawks are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on the road this past Saturday. Chicago is in last place in the Central Division with 13 points and a 6-11-and-1 record. Tonight’s game starts at 7:30 PM.
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The Chicago Cubs are bringing in a pitching guru. The team hired Tyler Zombro as a special assistant within the organization yesterday. The 30-year-old retired from minor league baseball in 2023 after pitching in the Rangers organization. He spent 2024 as a pitching specialist with Tread Athletics. Zombro will work with the Cubs to improve pitching performance throughout all levels of the organization.
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The Chicago White Sox are adding some outfield depth. The team signed Austin Slater to an MLB deal yesterday. Slater spent last season with the Giants, Reds, and Orioles. He hit .209 with two home runs and 18 RBI in 84 total games among the three teams.
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COLLEGE SPORTS:
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish look to stay undefeated when they host North Dakota at Purcell Pavilion tonight. The Irish are 3-and-0 after crushing Georgetown 84-63 last Saturday. Tonight’s game gets underway at 6:00 PM Central time.
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The Northwestern Wildcats go for their third win in a row when they host Montana State at Welsh-Ryan Arena tonight. The Wildcats just beat Eastern Illinois 67-58 in overtime last Friday. Northwestern is off to a 3-and-1 start this season. Tonight’s game begins at 8:00 PM.
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In other college basketball action tonight, DePaul hosts Eastern Illinois, Loyola welcomes Southern Utah, and Chicago State has a home game against Eastern Kentucky.
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Northwestern University is unveiling the first images of the new Ryan Field in Evanston. The state-of-the-art 850-million-dollar sports and entertainment venue is scheduled to open in 2026. Officials believe the new Ryan Field will have a one-point-three-billion-dollar impact on the Chicago area.