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Wednesday, January 14, 2026 • $1.25
LOCAL NEWS
Battling the blaze
FAMILY TIES
Multiple fire departments work to extinguish 2-alarm house fire in Spring Valley / 6
Madeline Piller returns home as president, CEO of Mendota Chamber of Commerce / 3
TODAY’S EDITION: 24 pages • Vol. 148, Issue 2
Guilfoyle &Stevenson LLP Trusted Legal Guidance for Mendota and the Surrounding Communities
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Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
MENDOTA REPORTER
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Rep. Underwood says immigration enforcement increasingly targeting, entangling citizens Cites Minneapolis shooting By FELIX SARVER fsarver@shawmedia.com U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood recently told reporters that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership did “not see the high levels of U.S. citizens being detained as a problem.” During a news conference call, Underwood, D-Naperville, spoke about the escalation of federal immigration enforcement in Illinois. She alluded to an ICE officer’s fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman in a car on Jan. 7. “I think we saw some devastating footage today out of Minneapolis,” Underwood said. “It should never occur, and I hope that those responsible will be fully held accountable.” The Associated Press reported that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, while visiting Texas, described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle.” “An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, [and] shot to protect himself and the people around him,” Noem said. Underwood said the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has an “unprecedented amount of resources” deployed toward immigration enforcement, which she said is increasingly “targeting and entangling” citizens. “In the discussions that I had with the ICE leadership, they did not see the high levels of U.S. citizens being detained as a problem. That was not the vibe [coming from them]. They were not outraged,” Underwood said. She said there’s been no tracking in their central database of citizens who have been either arrested or detained. “Which is a problem because they are obviously documenting everything else because that is a metric that [U.S.
Kelsey Rettke file photo
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, speaks on Dec. 5, 2025, at a groundbreaking ceremony in DeKalb County. President Donald Trump] is very eager to tout on his various social media posts,” Underwood said. Underwood said ICE has insisted that it is not detaining citizens. “Which we know is patently false,” she added. “We continue to get reports through the news media, directly from constituents when they call our office for help, and obviously reports on social media demonstrating that, yes, in fact, ICE and the related agencies are detaining U.S. citizens.” But when pushed on the issue, Underwood said ICE officials will arrest anyone they consider “collateral” who they believe is disrupting their operations. “What happens is U.S. citizens get
detained, they get their constitutional rights violated, they are abused,” Underwood said. “Sometimes they are charged, sometimes they are not, but there is no remedy when they have experienced that abuse of power, and that is a problem.” On Dec. 9, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Illinois Bivens Act into law. The act allows for civil legal action against any law enforcement officer who knowingly violates the Illinois or U.S. Constitution. Trump’s Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of that law and another law prohibiting federal immigration Scantaking here enforcement activities from to get place in state courthouses.
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Madeline Piller, president/CEO of the Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce, poses for a photo on Illinois Avenue on Friday, in Mendota.
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MENDOTA REPORTER Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Mendota Chamber of Commerce has a new president 3 Madeline Piller continues her family’s legacy of working for the people of Mendota By MATHIAS WOERNER mwoerner@shawmedia.com
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Fifteen years after taking home Sweet Corn Festival Queen honors, Madeline Piller is back in her hometown as the president and chief executive officer of the Mendota Chamber of Commerce. Piller says that family ties drew her to this position. “My whole family has been here in the area,” she said. “I come from two pretty well-established farm families in the area. My grandma’s first job was working for the chamber.” A graduate of Mendota High School and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Piller took over in December after more than a decade as an educator. Piller’s grandmother, as well as former presidents of the Mendota Chamber of Commerce, convinced Piller to go for the job. “Throughout my experience and career, I have always been in community organization-type roles. You learn a ton about relating to people,” she said. Some of those roles have been in the area. Piller served as a teacher and track coach at La Salle-Peru High School and as a Conservation Education Representative at Starved Rock. Piller is unrestrained in showing her love and admiration for the area. She credits that in large part for her desire to take on the responsibility of leading the Chamber. “I grew up in Mendota. I got into this because I love Mendota. When my friends and I were kids, we would talk about all the beautiful windows and beautiful spaces in Mendota and what we would do if we could decorate it,” she said. “Now this is the closest I can get to making that fantasy game into an actual reality.” Piller has a vision for what she wants to accomplish in her first year on the job to help out members of the Chamber. “My pet project is working on business spotlights,” Piller said. “I’m working a lot on spotlighting agricul-
Scott Anderson
Madeline Piller, president/CEO of the Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce, holds a photo of a article of her grandfather Kenneth Piller, who owned Kenneth Piller Real Estate, on Friday in Mendota. Kenneth was a member of the Mendota Chamber of Commerce and now his granddaughter Madeline is the director. ture and industry in Mendota.” Piller plans on working with the City of Mendota to possibly put together a Farmers’ Guild, a Business Association and some resourceful classes for members to use. She has faith that people’s belief in the makeup and potential of Mendota can go a long way. “I live here. My family is here. The people that are owning businesses, inheriting businesses or starting businesses are all people that I kind of know,” Piller said. “Everybody loves Mendota and everybody wants to see Mendota thrive and flourish. That’s something we can all agree on.” Piller sees communication as the number one issue that she and the
Chamber have to contend with. She hopes that by engaging with business leaders face-to-face and potentially bringing back “Chamber After Hours” events, in-person communication will be improved. She already has taken some steps to improve virtual communication for the Chamber. She hopes to funnel everything through the Chamber’s website and is working on generating content for social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok. Piller sees procrastination with infrastructure as another problem she hopes will improve in 2026. “Our infrastructure will suffer unless it’s cared for, so upkeep of all our projects is huge,” she said. “Everyone wants to start a project,
but people don’t really think about upkeeping them. We can’t deny that we have buildings that have aged.” Piller touts the efforts of Mendota’s Project Director Annie Short, Project Coordinator Maria Arteaga and City Inspector Justin Boelk in helping to combat this issue. “This is the year you’re going to see things come to fruition. Grants have come through and I just hope to continue being on the bandwagon of action.” Overall, Piller is excited about the prospects for Mendota and hopes that she can be a small part of its success as the Chamber’s CEO. “Mendota’s got a certain heart to it. It’s got that spice,” Piller said. “It’s got a certain panache to it.”
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Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
MENDOTA REPORTER
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Sublette Fire Department sees record EMS calls in 2025 By JEANNINE OTTO jotto@shawmedia.com The number of calls the Sublette Fire Department handled in 2025 saw an almost 50% increase over 2024. That steep upward growth continues a trend that started about a decade ago and has not abated, according to Nick Dinges, assistant fire chief at the Sublette Fire Department. Kevin Schultz is the fire chief. “This was a record year for us, we ran 265 emergency incidents. We did 181 calls in 2024. We were doing a little over 100 calls over a decade ago. The last few years, that has been significantly more,” Dinges said. In 2025, Sublette volunteers handled 170 ambulance calls, 59 fire calls and 39 vehicle accident calls. For the 30 volunteers on the department, that adds up to thousands of hours of service. “The number of hours we put in as volunteers in 2025 was over 6,000 hours, between calls and training, so we averaged around 200 hours per person last year,” Dinges said.
help us a lot and the same thing with Mendota. If they get three ambulance calls, we are their back-up ambulance so we are heading south quite a bit, more than we really ever have,” Dinges said. Another factor fueling the hike is an increase in the area that Sublette’s EMS serves. “Our district covers the village of Sublette and Woodhaven and we also provide EMS services to West Brooklyn and part of Ohio’s fire district. That has contributed to a few more calls,” Dinges said. Woodhaven is Woodhaven Lakes, a 6,000lot, privately owned resort campground MaKade Rios for Shaw Local News Network located between Amboy and Sublette. Sublette Fire Department’s fire district FILE: Mendota, Troy Grove, Sublette and covers about 68 square miles but with Compton fire departments search for a ambulance service, the district area is missing individual from a rollover accident closer to 80 square miles. Sublette Fire Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, at the intersection of Department also has an automatic mutuRoute 251 and 46th Road in Mendota. al-aid agreement with the Amboy Fire One of the contributors is an increase Department. That pushes the area that in mutual-aid responses to neighboring the department can potentially cover out departments, many of them volunteer to around 200 square miles, from Harmon departments like Sublette. on the west side of the district almost to “We are being relied upon for mutual Illinois Route 251 on the east side. aid, especially on the EMS side. Amboy is Dinges said the increase in mutual-aid partially staffing, which is great, they calls among rural departments highlights
LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS Zearing scholarship applications available for graduates
Applications for the Delyte K. and Robert I. Zearing Scholarship are now available for Bureau County high school graduates planning to attend the University of Illinois. Any Bureau County resident who graduates from a county high school, including the Illinois Math and Science Academy, and has been accepted to the University of Illinois is eligible to apply, according to the Bureau, Henry and Stark Regional Office of Education 28. Completed applications must be received by 4 p.m. May 1. Applications can be submitted to the Regional Office of Education 28 at 107 S. State St., Atkinson, IL 61235, or electronically to Brian Dukes at bdukes@bhsroe.org. To obtain an application, call the regional office at 309-936-7890. The scholarship is administered by the Wealth Management Department of Heartland Bank and Trust Company in Princeton and by Regional Superintendent Kathy Marshall. – Shaw Local News Network
Utica American Legi on moving out of library
Utica American Legion has reached a tentative settlement with the Utica Public Library: the Legion will vacate the library by Feb. 1. As previously reported, the Legion had used the library for meeting space but a dispute arose – the library wants to use the space for expansion – resulting in eviction proceedings in La Salle County Circuit Court. The next court date is Wednesday, but the library’s lawyer confirmed a settlement was reached. Attorney John Fisher said the legion has agreed to move and was given until Feb. 1 to complete the move. “Nothing is drawn up,” Fisher said, “but it looks like it’s a wrap.” Dana Hyson of the Utica American Legion confirmed the pending move but declined to say where the legion will move. “It’s none of your business until it comes out publicly tomorrow,” Hyson said. – Tom Collins
the advantages and challenges faced by those departments. On the plus side, the mutual aid highlights the willingness of fire departments and EMS volunteers to help their neighbors and their neighboring departments. “We are lucky in Sublette. People show up. The mutual aid we get from our neighbors like Amboy and Mendota, West Brooklyn, Compton, these guys and gals really are helpful. We are all in this to help our neighbors and I think that’s what we all go to bed at night thinking about, how do we take care of our family, friends and neighbors and do the best we can with the resources we have available?” Dinges said. It also reflects a continuing and growing problem for fire departments and EMS services, especially rural, volunteer agencies - declining membership. “Mutual aid is becoming relied upon more with all of these small fire departments because the volunteerism has been down. EMS services are really, really hard to keep going because the calls keep going up and the training requirements keep going up. It’s very, very difficult in these little towns to keep EMS and fire services as volunteers,” Dinges said.
Happy 90th Birthday!!! Raymond Lionel Chaon Born on January 7, 1936, he was the firstborn son of Alice and Lionel Chaon of West Brooklyn, IL. He currently resides in Mendota, IL, and has been married to his wife, Lora Jean Chaon, for 70 years. Together, they have four children, Terry, Deb, Kathy, and Juli, along with their families. He celebrated this special milestone with a small, intimate gathering with his wife and children.
By JEANNINE OTTO jotto@shawmedia.com
Alex T. Paschal file photos
Ezra Parker, 17, of Amboy throws a rope on March 15, 2025, during cadet firefighter training. Dinges said. Jake took the cadet class and joined the department, following not only in his father’s footsteps but also of his uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather. Dinges said he is impressed by the continuing enthusiasm of the first cadet class. “Ezra Parker made a ton of calls, Tyler Huggins made a ton, Quinn Leffelman made a bunch. It’s just great to see these young people keep showing up,” Dinges said. Cadet program graduates under the age of 18 who join the department do so as restricted members. “That means they can do all the things the regular members can do within reason and under supervision. They can’t go into fires on an interior structural attack. We are not going to have them climb ladders and cut holes in roofs and things but the younger ones, they can pull hose lines for us, they can operate hose lines from the outside, they can help with extrication, all as long as they are supervised,” Dinges said. One of the biggest benefits of having the infusion of youth comes on the EMS side. “On the ambulance, they are helping us lift patients. One of the toughest struggles right now, with EMS calls up significantly, is patients are getting heavier. When we go into homes, we are lifting patients out of bed, we are lifting them off the floor. I’ve been doing this for almost
Tyler Huggins, 17, of Amboy attends the final weekend of the Sublette Cadet Firefighter Program on March 15, 2025. Cadets go through 45 hours of training over 10 consecutive weekends to become volunteer firefighters.
30 years. I’m not getting any younger. I have a bad back. If we can get these young people to help out, get the patient loaded onto the cot, get them into the ambulance, that is a huge, huge boost for all of us,” Dinges said. The new cadets and the interest in the cadet training program have been a morale boost, too. “The other part that has been neat to see is some of the older members more excited now because these younger people are showing up and showing interest. The younger people are helping with the lifts, which takes some of the pressure
and stress off of the older members,” Dinges said. A benefit for the cadets who take the training is that the training can open a potential career path. Some of the cadet graduates went on to take Emergency Medical Technician training to become certified EMTs and Dinges said more have signed up to take EMT training in March in Amboy. Spaces still are available for the cadet training class at the Sublette Fire Department. For more information about the program, contact Nick Dinges at 815-8495512.
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A successful, regional program to attract and train teenagers in firefighting and emergency medical services is returning for a second year. “It’s hard to be a volunteer these days and we are always looking for solutions on staffing and to get some EMS people in our station,” said Nick Dinges, assistant fire chief of the Sublette Fire Department. Sublette’s officers, led by fire chief Kevin Schultz and Dinges, along with the fire board, developed the idea of a cadet training program for young people ages 15 to 19. The first program, started in January 2025, ran for 10 consecutive Sundays and participants received 45 hours of training. Dinges is pleased with the success of that first-year program. “Out of the 18 people who started, 16 finished and we were really excited about that,” Dinges said. The second cadet training program will start Jan. 18 at the Sublette Fire Department. So far, the program has 23 people enrolled, 10 who were in the class last year and want to repeat it and 13 new participants. With rural fire departments and ambulance services facing a drought of volunteers, and with older members aging out of the service and retiring, the firefighting, rescue and EMS services that residents rely on have been dealing with staffing shortages for years. “We have so many members who have put in so many years and are starting to age out that we knew we needed new blood,” Dinges said. Dinges said teens have enrolled from Sublette and Amboy, Mendota, Franklin Grove and Wyanet. The training consists of mostly hands-on learning and cadets will travel to different departments throughout the training. “I am not one for sitting for hours in a classroom listening to someone talk, so we will be up and moving,” Dinges said. Dinges said one of the inspirations for the course, and the age ranges for it, came from his family. “My son Jake was 16 last year and he was interested. Our officer team talked about how do we get these young people active and engaged. If we are not grabbing them early, they will get jobs elsewhere, interests elsewhere. So we have to get them excited now and we have to get them wanting to volunteer now,”
MENDOTA REPORTER Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Sublette’s teen firefighter training attracts volunteers 5
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Spring Valley residents safely evacuated from house fire By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com A Spring Valley family was safely evacuated late Saturday afternoon after a fire destroyed a home in the 200 block of East Devlin Street. Multiple fire companies were summoned about 5 p.m. and found the twostory house fully involved. Spring Valley Fire Chief Todd Bogatitus confirmed that the occupants had exited without injury. A woman identified as the owner or occupant declined to comment when approached by Shaw Local. A Spring Valley firefighter suffered what Bogatitus called “a minor burn” to his hand. He was treated at the scene. Bogatitus said the fire was “90% contained” at 6 p.m., about an hour after the first crew was dispatched to the scene. Nevertheless, smoke continued to billow out of a second-story window
facing Devlin Street. Bogatitus asked other fire companies to send additional personnel, because the house remained smoke-filled, and he needed a fresh rotation of firefighters with air packs to make entry. A cause or source of the fire could not immediately be ascertained, though Bogatitus said the fire is not deemed suspicious. Though not officially termed a total loss, there was heavy smoke, fire and water damage visible from yards away. There was no immediate report on whether the occupants would be lodged after the firefighters had the blaze under control. Responding fire departments included Peru, Princeton and Bureau. Firefighters cleared the scene about 7:30 p.m. One Spring Valley firefighter was injured but was treated and released at the scene.
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Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026 MER
MaKade Rios for Shaw Local News Network
Multiple local fire departments respond to a two-alarm house fire in the 200 block of West Devlin Street in Spring Valley on Saturday. The fire was 90% contained by 6 p.m.
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LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS Gloss Society, a local hair salon operated by four longtime stylists, has relocated to 2320 St. Vincent Ave. in La Salle. The now co-owners said the move came together through a combination of timing and opportunity. Three of the stylists previously worked at Gene Arthur Salon, while Lopez was operating out of another shop when her lease ended. “It was kind of a bad thing at first for me, but really good timing for all of us,” co-owner Celia Lopez said. “Everything just lined up.” The four owners, Lopez, Jessica Addis-McLaughlin, Tana Mareta and Brittany Brown, have years of experience working together at Gene Arthur, as well as at JCPenney and Hair Pros, before deciding to combine forces in the new space on Vincent. During the soft opening, family members helped complete the transi-
business. “Our goal is to keep everybody together,” Addis-McLaughlin said. – Bill Freskos
Stage 212 offers children’s theater workshop Jan. 17
Bill Freskos
Jessica Addis-McLaughlin (from left), Celia Lopez, Tana Mareta and Brittany Brown pose for a photo Monday inside Gloss Society during the salon’s opening at its new location, 2320 St. Vincent Ave. in La Salle.
tion to the new location in about a week and a half, making the opening a meaningful moment for the group. Looking ahead, the stylists said their goal is to maintain the close-knit environment that brought them together while continuing to grow the
Stage 212 in La Salle is offering a children’s theater workshop from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 17. “Intro to Theater” is for students in grades two through five, ages 7 to 11. Instructor Isaac Alvarado will guide kids through a hands-on theater experience with games and storytelling. The workshop costs $15 and requires advance registration. Registration information is available at stage212.org. – Maribeth M. Wilson
Illinois Extension offers bread-making workshop at IVCC Illinois Extension will offer a bread-making workshop Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby.
Food and nutrition educator Susan Glassman will teach participants to make coffee cake and lower-sugar quick bread during the four-hour session. The workshop covers basic bread-making techniques, including proofing yeast, mixing dough, kneading and baking. Participants will take home the breads they make. The class costs $20 per person and includes materials, recipes and resources. Participants should bring a hat or hair tie, an apron and a beverage. A light snack will be provided. Registration is limited to 16 adults and is due by Jan. 21. To register, visit go.illinois.edu/ makebread or call 815-224-0894. The workshop will be held in Room CTC-123 at IVCC, 815 N. Orlando Smith Road. For accommodations, contact Glassman at susang@illinois.edu or 815-224-0889. – Shaw Local News Network
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MENDOTA REPORTER Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Gloss Society relocates to St. Vincent Avenue in La Salle
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Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
MENDOTA REPORTER
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IVCC celebrates first dental hygiene graduating class of eight students By MARIBETH M. WILSON mwilson@shawmedia.com Illinois Valley Community College celebrated its first dental hygiene graduating class with a white coat ceremony Dec. 12. Eight students received white lab coats marking their transition to hands-on patient care after completing more than two years of study, according to an IVCC news release. Graduates include Jenna Andersen, Halie Grace, Kaylee Muntz, Morgan Myre, Rebecca Peura, Paige Sons, Madeline Stiegler and Cassie Williams. The ceremony included recitation of
a dental hygiene oath and a pinning presented by family members. Williams served as student speaker. IVCC accepted its first dental hygiene students in fall 2024, becoming one of two community colleges in Illinois to offer a bridge program between dental assisting and dental hygiene, the college said. The program allows local students to advance from a certificate to multiple degrees in dental health training. Enrollment applications for fall 2026 are being accepted through March 1. For more information, visit ivcc.edu/ programsbyareaofstudy/dentalhygiene.php.
Photos by Photos provided by IVCC
The first class of eight dental hygiene students to graduate from Illinois Valley Community College accept white lab coats and lapel pins Dec. 12, 2025, to signify their entry into the field.
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Henry-Senachwine High School students raised $8,327 through their recent HOPE Week fundraising campaign, supporting two charitable causes. The HSHS Gives Back organization raised $7,568 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois and $759 for “Community for CaiLynn,” supporting a Midland student injured in a car accident. The weeklong effort included T-shirt sales, a piein-the-face event, raffle baskets and a pop tab collection that gathered 198 pounds of tabs, according to the school. Additional fundraising occurred during the Hoops for Homes basketball game versus Midland High School, featuring more raffle baskets and a bake sale. The Ronald McDonald House funds will help provide housing and support for families traveling for their children’s medical care. The additional money for the Midland student came from a 50/50 raffle, Chuck-a-Duck game and concession profits. Event sponsors included LaPrairie Mutual Insurance, Ed Hartwig Trucking and Excavating, GreyBrooke Trucking, The 505 on Edward, Ryan Anderson Law, Dance Central, City of Henry, Swan Lake Duck Club, Knisley Show Pigs, ChooseJoy, Compeer Financial and Mid America National Bank.
Photo provided by Henry-Senachwine High School
Henry-Senachwine High School students raised $8,327 through their recent HOPE Week fundraising campaign, supporting two charitable causes by collecting pop tabs.
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MENDOTA REPORTER Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Henry-Senachwine students raise $8,327 for charity 9
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Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
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Protesters in Illinois Valley support motorist shot by ICE By TOM COLLINS tcollins@shawmedia.com Linda Kulupka of Princeton is used to picketing in Princeton at “No Kings” rallies and to hearing catcalls from passing motorists who oppose Democratic views. Saturday was different. When Kulupka and more than a dozen others waved signs denouncing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, most passing motorists seemed to honk in support. She observed a few people waving a certain finger at her. “Unless people are keeping their windows up because of the cold,” she added wryly. Saturday’s conditions were indeed blustery, but Kulupka may be correct: Passersby might well have been showing support for Renee Good, the motorist shot and
killed Jan. 7 in Minnesota during a hotly disputed confrontation with ICE. “No Kings” rallies were set to resume next weekend, but protesters made an unscheduled appearance to express opposition to Good’s death and to ICE activities that unleashed violence. “I was really upset about the murder,” said Nancy Churchill of Princeton, another protester. “ICE is beyond control, and we need to get rid of it.” Celeste Nagle of Spring Valley said she was spurred to picket Saturday by video showing the gunfire into the sport-utility vehicle that struck and killed Good, a mother of three.
See ILLINOIS PROTESTS, page 15
Photos by Scott Anderson
Protesters hold signs during a “ICE Out For Good” rally Saturday at Rotary Park in Princeton. The Bureau County Democrats organized the event. About two dozen protesters gathered to protest the ICE officer who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis.
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• ILLINOIS PROTESTS Continued from page 10
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“It’s just terrible,” Nagle said. “It’s so sad.” “The Constitution is under fire from this administration,” said Joe Nagle of Spring Valley. “They’re not even protecting people’s rights. They say they are, but they’re not. They took somebody’s life, and it was uncalled for. I mean, they show videos, and then all of their spin and everything. It just ridiculous.” Nationally, a debate is raging over whether lethal force was justified in the encounter. The Associated Press reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.” President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the ICE officer shot the driver in self-defense. Trump said based on that video, “it is hard to believe he is alive.” He said the driver “viciously ran over the ICE officer.” But that view isn’t shared along strictly partisan lines. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, called the videos “deeply disturbing” and called for policy changes, saying the situation “was devastating, and cannot happen again.” Rick Wilkin of Ohio, Illinois, said he wants to see policy changes, as well. He said the videos show ICE is “inadequately trained” and challenged the narrative emerging from the White House. “A well-trained police officer knows that you never shoot into a moving vehicle. So not only did they put the driver at risk,” he said, “they put anybody else that was there at risk. And that is not protecting the people.”
MENDOTA REPORTER Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Photos by Scott Anderson
More than 100 protesters gather during a “ICE Out For Good” rally Sunday at Washington Park in Ottawa. Illinois Valley Indivisible organized the event. Protesters rallied in solidarity with Renee Nicole Good, the woman who was shot and killed Wednesday by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
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Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
MENDOTA REPORTER
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Whiskey Acres Distillery wins Best-in-State award DeKalb distillery takes top prize for second consecutive year By TOM C. DORAN tdoran@shawmedia.com Whiskey Acres Distilling Co., where the corn is grown, harvested and distilled on-site, once again earned top honors at the Heartland Whiskey Competition as Best-in-State for Illinois. The estate distillery located on a family farm in DeKalb was recently recognized at the Illinois Corn Growers Association annual meeting for earning top honors for the second consecutive time in the biennial competition. “We are proud to see Whiskey Acres earn this honor again,” said Rodney Weinzierl, IL Corn executive director. “Their accomplishment underscores the value of corn in adding real value on-farm, supporting local agriculture and showing how quality grain makes an exceptional product.” Whiskey Acres was founded on the fifth-generation Walter family farm. “The distillery is going on 11 years of value-added production. We exclusively use the grains that we grow on the farm to make bourbon, rye whiskey and other artisan expressions of distilled spirits,” said Nick Nagele, co-founder, distiller and farmer at Whiskey Acres. Nagele also helps his father on his family’s farm near Sheldon in eastern Illinois. Nagele’s business partners, Jim and Jamie Walter, own and operate the DeKalb farm. The Walters were looking for ways to innovate and diversify their farming operations, and Jamie suggested creating a distillery using grain from their production to create quality spirits. “The Walter farm is a little less than 2,000 acres, primarily corn and soybeans, and we have added wheat and barley as crops specifically to feed the distillery. Depending on the year, we use about 10% of what we grow to operate the distillery and treat the rest of the crop as a commodity,” said Nagele said in an interview with AgriNews at the recent ICGA meeting. “One important thing to add is that we, as distillers, look at ourselves as farmers first, and the visitor center that we’ve built and the investments
Photo provided by IL Corn
Nick Nagele, co-founder, distiller and farmer at Whiskey Acres Distilling Company, and his son, Gunnar, show the Best-in-State for Illinois award the DeKalb business earned in the Heartland Whiskey Competition. Whiskey Acres was recognized for its accomplishment during the Illinois Corn Growers Association’s annual meeting. we’ve made in the operation are really about becoming sort of a front line of conversation about modern-day agriculture. “We have about 30,000 guests a year come through the visitor center. Most of them have never stepped foot on a farm, and we think it’s important to be able to use the facility and the products as a way to have an open conversation about what we do, why we do it and really tell the story about modern production agriculture.” There has been a boom in agritour-
ism over the past two decades, giving farmers an opportunity to diversify and add value to their operation. “The value of a bushel of corn is much higher in a bottle of bourbon than it is in the back of a semi truck,” Nagele said.
compete. “The foundation of being able to enter is that you have to make your spirits from corn. They have hundreds of distilleries throughout the country enter their spirits,” Nagele said. “Industry professionals blindly taste them, give ratings and then, Corn Groups’ Support based off your aggregate ratings, indiIL Corn, along with corn grower vidual products are given awards. organizations from 12 other states, Then, in aggregate, your products are sponsors the biennial Heartland spir- awarded, as well. Then, you get to walk its competition. Distillers from all U.S. away with the best distiller and the states and territories are eligible to state award like we did.”
OBITUARIES GLEN R. “HILLBILLY” MCSTOOTS
far from West Brooklyn, as it held everything he needed. A fan of Westerns, John Wayne, and Lord Calvert Whiskey, all which he tried to Born: September 10, 1945 in Litchfield, KY watch or use on a daily basis. Died: January 5, 2026 in West Brooklyn, IL He will be forever missed by his son Jason (Cassey) McStoots of Mendota, daughters: Glen R.”Hillbilly” Cindy (Brian) Schultz of Mendota, Teresa LobMcStoots, 80 of West bins of Oglesby, Dawn Sutton of St. Marys, IA., Brooklyn passed away grandchildren: Adam (Brittany Hirsch) Schultz, January 5, 2026, surEvan Schultz, Sarah Kinlund, Megan Rutherrounded by family. ford, Lane Believeau, Matthew Holt, Troy Holt, A memorial visitation Baylee Medlock, and great grandchildren: will be held Friday, January 9 from 12-2pm Aiden, Lainey, Adler, Ledger, Carver, Audree, Troy, Emma, Paislee, Erin and Kristen. and 3 at Wasmer Funeral Home, with a graveside committal service to follow at Holy Cross Cem- brothers: Shelby (Janice) McStoots of NC., etery, putting Glen and Karen to rest together. Earley (Sharon) McStoots of KY., and Henry (Pat) McStoots of Louisiana. He was preceded Rev. Greg Nelson will officiate. The family will be having a Celebration of Life at 3’s Company in death by his parents, wife Karen on 3/21/25, a son Glen Ray Sutton, and 5 brothers: Paul, in West Brooklyn beginning at 4pm. Please Earnest, Thomas, Thurman, Eugene, and come raise a final glass to Hillbilly. Denver Charles. Memorials may be directed to Glen was born September 10,1945 in LeitchOSF Hospice of Ottawa. Condolences may be field, Kentucky to William and Essie (Cook) left at wasmerfuneralhome.com. McStoots. He married Karen Sue Dean in July of 1979 in Ottawa. During his work career he welded for both Motor Wheel and Hart-Carter, retiring in 2008. Hillbilly was a quiet man who let his actions speak for him. He loved his family and his community. He never ventured
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17 MENDOTA REPORTER Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
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22 BOYS BASKETBALL: MENDOTA 77, OTTAWA 60
Mendota sets pace, tops Ottawa for 2nd time in week By BRIAN HOXSEY bhoxsey@shawmedia.com A week ago, Mendota nipped Ottawa by a point in a low-scoring fifth-place game at the Plano Christmas Classic. Despite the win, Trojans coach Steve Wasmer would have liked the pace of the game to have been a little faster. The pace was exactly what he wanted in the rematch in Mendota. The Trojans used a solid defensive effort, which allowed many transition chances and open looks throughout a 77-60 victory over the Pirates. “I thought our defense was really good tonight,” Wasmer said. “We had a ton more energy than last week against Ottawa, but that was also the fourth game in five days. Our defense tonight really helped us get in transition and keep the game at the pace we like to play at. Last week, Ottawa kept the tempo where they like it.” Mendota (12-4) – which shot 52% from the field, including 10 of 29 from beyond the arc, and held a 36-23 advantage in rebounds – was led by Dane Doyle (16 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals), Cole Tillman (15 points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals), Oliver Munoz (14 points, six rebounds, two assists), Johan Cortez (10 points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals) and Drew Becker (nine points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks). “The No. 1 thing coach talked about coming into this game was that we had to
and were very unselfish,” Wasmer said. “When we do those two things, I feel we are a tough team to stop. We also moved well without the ball and set good screens, which allowed us to get open looks. Most of our shots tonight were in rhythm, and because of that, we shot a pretty good percentage.” Ottawa (7-5) – which hit 24 of 54 (44%) from the field, including 7 of 22 from 3-point range – was led by Owen Sanders, who scored a game-high and career-high 26 points to go along with a game-best 10 rebounds and four steals. George Shumway added eight points and four rebounds, while Rory Moore and Hezekiah Joachim (six assists) each chipped in seven points. “Mendota had better pace and energy than we did right from the start and throughout,” Ottawa coach Mark Cooper said. “We turned the ball over too many times, in which Mendota was able to get into transition. They are a very tough team to stop if you’re going to give them a ton of chances in the open floor. If you let Scott Anderson Mendota play in a free-flowing game with the offense talent they have, you saw Mendota’s Alex Beetz drives to the basket against Ottawa on Jan. 6 at Mendota High School. tonight what they can do. push the tempo,” Mendota senior Aden fourth quarter. “We just never were able to get our Tillman said. “We feel when we can cre“The second half, it just felt like when- teeth into them defensively like we did a ate turnovers and run the floor, that is ever and whoever was putting a shot up, week ago. We just struggled to get defenwhen we are at our best. I feel as a team it was going in,” Aden Tillman said. “I feel sive stops, and a lot of that was due to we can score points, but it’s making our like at any time we have five guys on the them having more energy than we had.” identity as a team that is going to defend floor that can hit a shot, so we all know if Both squads are back in action Friday. you tough is what we’re trying to estab- were not open we have to find a way to get Ottawa is at La Salle-Peru in an Interstate lish.” a teammate open. It’s like every option is 8 Conference game, while Mendota hosts The hosts led 15-10 after one quarter, a good option.” Erie-Prophetstown in a Three Rivers East 37-26 at halftime and 58-44 heading to the “Offensively, we moved the ball well Division contest.
MENDOTA SPORTS ROUNDUP
Karson Doyle scores 36 in Mendota girls basketball win Denault added eight points and six assists. Kewanee 57, Mendota 35: Elam had 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks GIRLS BASKETBALL as the Trojans lost a Three Rivers Mendota 71, Indian Creek 46: Karson Conference East Division game in Doyle lit up the scoreboard for 36 Mendota. points, including 25 in the first half, as Doyle contributed 10 points, five the Trojans earned a nonconference rebounds, three steals and two assists victory Tuesday in Shabbona. for Mendota. She also had 14 rebounds, seven steals and two blocks. BOYS BASKETBALL Mariyah Elam had a triple-double Mendota 70, Erie-Prophetstown 60: – her second of the season – with 17 Cole Tillman scored 22 points to lead points, 12 rebounds, 12 steals, five the Trojans to a victory Friday in a blocks and two assists, while Laylie Three Rivers Conference East Divi-
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sion game in Mendota. Oliver Munoz had 17 points for Mendota (13-4, 2-0 TRC East), while Dane Doyle added 16 points. Mendota 72, La Salle-Peru 63: Tillman scored 29 points as the Trojans picked up a nonconference victory in La Salle. Doyle made four 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 16 points for Mendota (14-4).
BOYS BOWLING
Mendota 3,517, Rockford Christian 2,761:
Paxton Bauer rolled a 776 series with games of 265, 234 and 277 as the Trojans picked up a victory at the Elks Lodge in Mendota. Alex Holland bowled a 657 series for Mendota, while Caeleb Ensor added a 560 series. Mendota 3,246, Streator 2,772: Bauer bowled a 661 series to help the Trojans to a victory at the Elks Lodge in StreBOYS WRESTLING ator. At Oregon: Mendota split a pair of Holland rolled a 644 series for Mennonconference duals, beating Harvard dota, while Kooper Novak added a 631 40-36 and losing to Oregon 72-12. series.
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BEARS 31, PACKERS 27 By MICHAL DWOJAK mdwojak@shawmedia.com
Mark Busch
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams looks to get by Green Bay Packers safety Javon Bullard as he scrambles during their NFL Wild Card game Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago. seemed to land the knockout punch with just under seven minutes left in the game when Packers quarterback Jordan Love hit on a 23-yard touchdown pass to give his team a 27-16 lead. But despite the odds, the Bears remember what Johnson had said during halftime when they trailed 21-3. He went back to training camp when he talked about how the New England Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit to win Super Bowl LI. “He said, ‘When we do this, it’s going to be the biggest one in Bears history,’” rookie tight end Colston Loveland recalled. The first chapter happened on that Williams fourth-down throw to Odunze. Williams felt pressure from his side right away and started running toward the Bears sideline, where the play was designed. Before the Packers pass rush could get him down, Williams floated the ball up and it sailed perfectly into Odunze’s hands. “Caleb made a tremendous play honestly,” Odunze said. “He put it up for me, put it right where it needs to be and I was able to come down with it. So kudos to him for making an extraordinary play.
It was able to put the icing on the cake on that one to get some points on the board.” Chicago went on to make it a threepoint Packers lead a few plays later when Williams completed a touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus and then hit on a two-point conversion to Loveland. “I think when he hit that, we’re all like, we’re winning this game,” tight end Cole Kmet said. Then the defense responded to a terrible first half by stopping the Packers from taking a two-score lead. Green Bay got down to the Chicago 26 but kicker Brandon McManus missed the field goal attempt to give the Bears a chance to win or tie the game with 2:51 left in the game. Williams and the Bears seemed to move the ball down with ease from that point. The Bears picked up three first downs before they went ahead for good. Chicago’s offense had set up a screen pass on the left side previously in the game. The Bears gave a similar look and when Williams looked at how the Packers’ defenders’ eyes moved, he knew he had a touchdown. He faked the throw to the screen as soon as he received the snap and instead
found a wide-open DJ Moore for a 25-yard touchdown to take a 31-27 lead with 1:43 left in the game.” “Just had a feeling that that was going to be the one,” Williams said. “Guys did a great job. [offensive] line did a great job blocking. Guys did a great job selling the fake, and then obviously DJ going up the sideline.” The defense responded with one more stop to seal the game. Green Bay had one timeout left and drove the ball back down to the Chicago 28. But with seven seconds left, Love fumbled the snap and couldn’t find an open receiver. The ball dropped to the ground on Love’s pass toward the end zone and the party was on. “We’re built for moments like this,” linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. “And that wasn’t just today. Like I’ve known that since we overcame a lot of things [during] the regular season. So we knew we just had to keep fighting. Game was never over on the sideline. Just one play at a time, one drive at a time and we’re gonna figure out a way to win the game.” There doesn’t seem to be a deficit or stage big enough for this season’s team.
MER
Caleb Williams stood on the Soldier Field grass on Saturday night as the anxiety of an entire city seemingly surrounded him. The Chicago Bears faced their ultimate do-or-die moment, one where it seemed even they couldn’t find a way to escape. They had a fourth down at their own 43-yard line as they trailed the Green Bay Packers by 11 points late in the fourth quarter of their NFL Wild Card game. Williams carefully listened in his helmet as Bears head coach Ben Johnson read over the play call as fans in the stands grew slightly louder with anxiety. Before Johnson’s microphone was cut off, he had one last message to his quarterback. “I need you right here,” Williams recalled Johnson saying, “and go make a play, kid.” He responded by making what could be considered the greatest throw of his young career. Williams completed a throw that has been his go-to in tense moments. He scrambled out of pressure as a Packers defender almost had him and completed a 27-yard pass to Rome Odunze to pick up the first down. But it wasn’t just the first down that Williams picked up. The throw sparked what would eventually become the greatest comeback in a season full of greatest comebacks. The throw set into motion the Bears’ 31-27 comeback win over the Packers. “It’s really who those guys are now at this point,” Johnson said afterward at Soldier Field. “We’ve got a group of guys that just, they don’t waver. The odds are stacked against us, and despite the fact we don’t like the score at halftime, nobody does, no one envisioned the first 30 minutes going that way, yet we just keep plugging along and keep fighting. You know, we have proven that this year, that’s who we are and what we do here at this point.” It had been something the Bears had done for most of this season to get to Saturday night. Williams and the Bears had put together six comebacks when they trailed with two minutes left in the game, the most since the 1970 merger. But even this one seemed unlikely. Chicago struggled for most of the game. It seemed like its fairytale run would come to an end. The Packers
MENDOTA REPORTER Mendtoa Reporter / shawlocal.com • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
How Williams sparked the Wild Card comeback thriller over Packers
SPORTS
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY 1951: The first NFL Pro Bowl is hosted at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The American Conference beats the National Conference 28-27. Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Mendota’s Drew Becker slides between Ottawa defenders Hezekiah Joachim and Jack Carroll to score on Jan. 6 at Mendota High School. Photo by Scott Anderson
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