SHAW MEDIA
175 YEARS and Still Telling the Story 1851-2026
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2026
SHAW MEDIA
175 YEARS and Still Telling the Story 1851-2026
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2026
Published by
Saturday, October 10, 2026
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
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Oct. 10, 2026 40,660 copies
Newspapers capture moments that matter
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hen I was 16 and living FROM THE EDITOR in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, M. Eileen Brown I took a walk – and, for reasons I still can’t explain, I just kept serves a moment that otherwise might disappear. going. I wound up at the lake, School championships. Factory clostaking in the crisp fall air. I also wound up on Page 3 of the Chicago Today American. The newspaper ran a huge photograph of me under the caption, “An autumn in the springtime of her life.” On the page, I appear beside a story about five picketers arrested during a General Electric walkout and above an article about LSD use among teenagers. The front-page headline bemoaned “the ecstasy and agony” of the Chicago Bears. It is a clipping I have kept for decades. I know I’m not alone. If you are reading this special section celebrating Shaw Media’s 175th anniversary, chances are you have a newspaper clipping or two of your own tucked away – a story or photograph that takes you back and pre-
ings. Floods. Elections. Births. Deaths. And, of course, ordinary life. For 175 years, Shaw newspapers have recorded the lives of the communities we serve. That is what newspapers do. They capture the momentous and the ordinary, sometimes on the same page. In doing so, they create a community’s memory. The newspaper that became the foundation of Shaw Media began publishing in Dixon in 1851. A year later, Benjamin Flower Shaw took it over, beginning a family connection to community journalism that continues today. Over the generations, Shaw journalists have chronicled wars and homecomings, industrial growth and labor disputes, floods, fires and suburban expansion.
From pages to pixels: Celebrating 175 years of publishing excellence
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They have also recorded the moments that give a community its identity: school plays, weddings, retirements, winning seasons and the lives of everyday people. Generations of reporters, photographers and editors have documented those moments, often without knowing which stories or photographs would become treasured keepsakes. Those of us entrusted with this responsibility today are temporary stewards of a remarkable legacy. We honor it by respecting the past while continuing to evolve so we can serve our communities well into the future. Somewhere in the pages of today’s newspaper – or among the stories and photographs on our website – may be a moment someone will save for decades. Perhaps it will mark a championship, a homecoming or a turning point in a community. Or perhaps, like my long-ago walk to the lake, it will simply capture an ordinary autumn day in the springtime of someone’s life.
• M. Eileen Brown is the executive editor of Shaw Media.
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OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
By PAYTON FELIX pfelix@shawmedia.com
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n 2026, the news increasingly seems to be that another local, fami-
ly-owned newspaper has shut down. But while many are closing their doors, Shaw Media continues to grow. “We’re 75 years younger than the United States. It’s kind of crazy that we’re still around,” Shaw Media CEO John Rung said. “There’s not a lot of companies left like us.” It was born on May 1, 1851, with the publication of the Dixon Telegraph’s first issue. During the 175 years that followed, the company would expand its footprint across northern Illinois to include 32 local newspapers, 12 radio stations and several specialized publications that have reported on myriad pivotal historical events, such as the abolition of slavery and rising tensions with the Soviet Union following World War II, among many others. Today, Shaw Media is known as the nation’s third-oldest continuously owned and operated family newspaper. “It’s this network that allows us to succeed. These papers could not exist on their own,” Rung said. The newspaper business began to decline at the start of the new millennium when the internet replaced the need for print advertising, which was the primary source of revenue for most newspapers. Many companies have either sold or run out of money. “We started getting punched in the face about 2008, and it has been a challenge since then,” Rung said. Rung said he believes many newspaper companies made the mistake of responding to the downturn by focusing on advertising and cutting spending on
Shaw Local News Network file photo
Shaw Media CEO John Rung says, “There’s not a lot of companies left like us.” news, which ultimately led to declining readership. “It almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Rung said. “The turning point for us is when we said, ‘look, the last place we’ll ever cut expense is news.’” On the contrary, over the last few years, Shaw Media has invested in news by adding pages to its print products for national headlines and buying radio stations and newspapers in the region. As a result, its revenue is growing through subscriptions, Rung said.
an anti-slavery platform alongside former President Abraham Lincoln. In 1902, the newspaper’s future was called into question when Eustace Shaw, B. F.’s son and planned successor, died. But his wife, Mabel Shaw, took over the newspaper from Eustace and, in her first year, made business decisions that helped the paper turn a profit for the first time. Mabel served as publisher for 46 years and became known as the “First Lady” of Midwestern journalism. She created the Mabel S. Shaw Family Mabel Shaw: the Trust, which still owns Shaw Media mother of Shaw Media today, and grew the Telegraph from a The Telegraph was founded in 1851 small newspaper with seven employees and sold to Benjamin Flower Shaw in to a media group that owned seven 1854. Shaw is widely remembered for newspapers, a radio station and a pubhelping form the Republican Party on lishing company with over 500 employ-
ees. She died in 1955. Today, the company remains entirely family-owned and its members are “committed to the company staying in business. They love what we do,” Rung said.
The future of Shaw Media
“We want to grow in northern Illinois. That’s where our roots are and that’s where our future is,” Rung said. As part of that growth strategy, Shaw Media sold its two Iowa newspapers, so all its publications are now based in northern Illinois. Its coverage area reaches north to the border of Wisconsin, east to about Route 59, south to the Illinois River and west to the Mississippi River.
See SHAW MEDIA on page 4
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
How Shaw Media is thriving while others fail in the newspaper industry
Saturday, October 10, 2026
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
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By JANELLE WALKER
jwalker@shawmedia.com e in the audinearly 100 peopl n – the With a crowd of to voice oppo sitio ence – many there on Monday approved the cil McHenry City Coun rves of Boone Creek subdiPrese ome 600-h y nearl bers . mem vision cil d 5-2, with Coun The vote passe Bassi, 4th Ward, Ward, and Chris Andy Glab, 2nd votes. 304 on is es the two dissenting Hom from Lennar The development . It was first y and Curran roads acres at Bull Valle cil as a concept in November proposed to the Coun noted it the largest developstaff 2024, when city enry in 20 years brought to McH ment of its kind ing collapse. – since the 2008 hous members last heard from cil McHenry Coun the same ordiwhen ing, meet 1 the agenda. Lennar at its June Monday were on nances approved st the plan, the ng a vote again Rather than riski asked Lennar offiand st reque the Council tabled sal. propo their house cials to tweak ers removed three n to In response, plann s subdivisio the Legend Lake sites adjacent to of the homes r match the size make the lots bette any also added landscape comp The . door next ing Creek and border of the Wind everg reen buffering on the ivisio ns, placi ng g at the fire staBoon e Cree k subd lines. Some existing trees outside of just sittin property would respond, along body trees some ding to the plans He knew NS her enough tion.” tics kept by the National Volprese rved , accor COLLI be whet TOM , also was AZZO ion will Statis but the quest By AMANDA MARR cil’s packet. out: The MA d arrive. On a good unteer Fire Council bear that included in the Coun , for a total of six within the and CHARLENE BIELE rk firefighters woul er ighte rs ghters would answ A park was added Olson of Gary R. Weber of volu ntee r firef shaw local news netwo 0 in day, a dozen firefi fewer num ber Rich ar. ed a low of 635,10 bad day, he’d get community, said nationwide reach working with Lenn than i the call. On a to activate the box volume has more ciates, a consultant when Rick Turr call have Asso times neighborhood and while were five e 2023 Ther d than trails inside the get other companies tripled in the last 40 years. ghters in and aroun While parks and ents, the clubalarm system to would page firefi teer departall McHenry resid only. same time, volun cross his fingers. would be open to ents the then help. At resid and send a for paid to s, r be d Tonic of smal ler town struggles; large ed as fire chief house and pool woul “In some of these better,” Turri ments have had Turri, who retir La on page 5 ’t gotten in southwestern See GROWTH AREA manpower hasn they 8 the village of 750 mbers when getvolun teers , and See SHORTAGE on page Salle County, reme scene could be a said. “The y’re and they have a life s on have other jobs, ting enough bodie crapshoot.
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• SHAW MEDIA Continued from page 3 “The company’s in really good financial shape. We’re debt-free, we have money to invest and we’re looking where best to invest it,” Rung said. One thing Rung said he’s really proud of is Shaw Media’s acquisitions of The Rochelle News-Leader and Ogle County Life in August 2025. The Rochelle company, News Media Corp., abruptly ceased operations on Aug. 6 that year because of financial challenges, according to an email sent to employees by its CEO. “We saved them,” Rung said. “Those papers are part of the Shaw family now.” More recently, the company made a deal to acquire the Arlington Heightsbased Daily Herald newspaper, but it ended up selling to Tribune Publishing in June 2026, which had printed the Herald under contract since 2023, according to the Illinois Press Association. “The Tribune was pushing back on assigning those [printing and distribution] contracts to us. The Daily Herald decided it would be easier to sell to the Tribune, which was disappointing,” Rung said. Currently, Shaw Media is in the process of acquiring a small, weekly newspaper group based in Wilmington, which is expected to finalize in October. Future acquisitions could include broadcast and digital platforms to fill in some gaps in the region that Shaw Local doesn’t
While a lot of other companies are trying to be a mile wide and an inch deep, we’re trying to really get deeper into communities and connect them.” John Rung, Shaw Media CEO cover, such as areas like Rockford or Elgin. “We’ve got to be disciplined,” Rung said. “I think you’re going to see strategic, selective acquisitions now and then, maybe one, two a year.” Rung said that Shaw Media is really interested in acquiring radio stations, which the company views as an opportunity to connect its markets and its readers. “We have this nice network of newspapers and digital assets, and we’d like to have a similar network of radio stations,” Rung said. In June, Shaw Media purchased three Kankakee radio stations from STARadio Corp. It owns nine other stations in the Illinois Valley and Sauk Valley. The company is also working toward building Shaw Local as one brand that’s established, trusted and well known across the communities it covers rather than each community recognizing a different name such as the Telegraph or the Daily Chronicle depending on where
they live. It’s accomplished that in its sports coverage, but it’s still a work in progress when it comes to news, Rung said. “While a lot of other companies are trying to be a mile wide and an inch deep, we’re trying to really get deeper into communities and connect them,” Rung said. One way Shaw Local goes deeper is through its coverage of breaking news events such as the fatal boat crash that occurred July 25 on the Fox River near McHenry. While other, larger outlets may be the first to report what happened, Shaw Local journalists provide more in-depth, continuous coverage that could last years. “I think that’s a real advantage,” Rung said. To connect the communities it covers, Shaw Local has started providing more coverage of state issues and created regional reporting teams that focus on topics such as healthcare and public safety, among others. “These regional stories allow us to take a deep dive into the issues that
affect everyone in northern Illinois – from the fentanyl crisis to teacher retention to Flock cameras,” Executive Editor Eileen Brown said. “We aim to focus on both local and statewide issues.” “There are connections to people in all our communities, and we’d like to provide that, but we’d also like to be very local,” Rung said. “That’s a delicate balance.” The company is also looking at ways its newsrooms can potentially increase their efficiency with artificial intelligence, but it will not be used to create content or replace journalists. “We look at AI as a potential tool to help us,” Rung said. “We do not envision it replacing journalists.” The company is crafting an AI policy, and newsrooms currently use AI software to help speed up repetitive tasks, such as real estate transactions. “Our job is to make these communities better places to live,” Rung said. “We’re participants. We’re not a company that’s from somewhere else just trying to make a buck. We’re part of the fabric of the community.”
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A BRIGHTER TOMORROW.
Celebrating
175 Years of Stories That Connect Communities
For 175 years, Shaw Media has been more than a source for local news. Across the communities it serves, Shaw has been a neighbor, a witness and a storyteller, connecting people through trusted print, digital and radio. designiQ is proud to celebrate this milestone, the communities Shaw serves and the partnership we share. Here’s to the stories still to come, together. With appreciation,
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
LOCAL NEWS. STRONGER COMMUNITIES.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
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OUR PAPERS: NORTHWEST HERALD
From Nunda to now: The history of the Northwest Herald By MICHELLE MEYER mmeyer@shawmedia.com
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o celebrate Shaw Media’s 175th anniversary, the third-oldest and continuously owned and operated newspaper company in the nation is
taking a look back at how its McHenry County newspaper got its humble start over 150 years ago. The local newspaper that eventually printed and he refused to accept liquor turned into the Northwest Herald is advertising,” the archives read. nearly as old as the city it’s based in. The Crystal Lake Herald took great The Nunda Advertiser got its start in pride in its work, celebrating its 75th 1875, back when Crystal Lake was split anniversary with a special edition in into two communities: Nunda and 1950, when the newspaper sold an Crystal Lake. Five years later, the annual subscription for $3. name changed to the Nunda Herald Shaw Media entered the picture in under its first editor, I. M. Mallory. 1985, when the company purchased Mallory started multiple weeklies in the local paper when The Herald became the area and would he bought a press them to create a great paper for the merge machine; he was also the Northwest Herthe owner of a gen- home, news of scandal was ald, covering all of eral store, sold insur- not printed and he refused McHenry County in ance and real estate one paper. to accept liquor and even constructed Shaw broke buildings from time advertising.” ground on what is Crystal Lake Herald archives to time. Often, the now the Northwest newspaper would go Herald’s current on hiatus while Maloffice building in lory was busy with construction, travOctober 1985. The family touted the eling or publishing another paper in 56,000-square-foot building off South Michigan. He died in 1904 at the age of 57. He is Route 31 as a centralized newsroom buried at Union Cemetery with his with a “modern press room.” At the time, Shaw still published the wife, Elveria, who died in 1924, accordCardunal Free Press, Crystal Lake Hering to a newspaper archive from the ald, Daily Sentinel, McHenry PlainCrystal Lake Herald dated Oct. 12, 1950. dealer and the Cary-Grove Clarion. Under the leadership of Nunda HerShaw advertised a shift in its Saturald’s second editor, Justin Vynn Beatty, the newspaper’s name was changed to day edition, promising more photos, national and local news, a focus on the Crystal Lake Herald in 1895. Beatty had newspaper experience local sports, and even a weekly $100 before purchasing the paper and made sweepstakes that included a quiz coverchanges that were “immediately notice- ing current events. Crystal Lake Herald Archive Shaw Media was started by Benjaable,” according to the archives. “The Herald became a great paper min Flower (B.F.) Shaw in Dixon in A reprint of the first edition of the Nunda Advertiser, published in the Crystal Lake Herald in 1950 for the newspaper’s 75th anniversary special edition. for the home, news of scandal was not 1851.
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OUR PAPERS: HERALD-NEWS
Joliet’s first newspaper began in 1839 By DENISE M. BARAN-UNLAND dunland@shawmedia.com
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hen Shaw Media bought The Herald-News in 2013, it
purchased a newspaper 12 years older than itself. The Herald-News has a long history of covering local news, nationally recognized news and local news that generated national interest.
A mistake and a mule
The Herald-News in Joliet began in 1839 after a small printing press was mistakenly sent to Ottawa. Wishing to avoid return shipping charges, the shipper offered a bargain price for the press. A group of 13 Joliet investors purchased it, hauled it to Juliet (as Joliet was called at that time) by mules, and then hired editor O.H. Balch. The first issue of the Juliet Courier – Joliet’s first official newspaper – was published April 20, 1839. According to the Joliet Area Historical Museum, the newspaper went through several name changes and evolutions in the 19th century: Joliet Signal (1843), True Democrat (1847), Joliet Republican (1862), Joliet Record (1870), Joliet Sun (1872), Joliet News (1877), and the Joliet Herald (1904). Col. Ira Copley eventually bought the Joliet Herald, acquired the printing equipment and circulation lists of the Joliet News and published the first issue of the Joliet Herald-News on June 1, 1915. “We play our game on the square and print no harmful gossip and scandal except after one or the other has become a matter of court record,” Copley wrote in the first edition. “And then we print it no matter who is involved.” Copley also wrote in that first edition that the Herald-News had a “general policy of neighborliness.” “Friendliness with the people of Joliet and every other community
Gary Middendorf file photo
Lonny Cain, a writer and former Herald-News city hall reporter, holds up the newspaper he co-wrote with John Whiteside that shed new light on the 21-year-old disappearance of reporter “Molly” Zelko during the Joliet Area Historical Museum’s “Unsolved History: Molly Zelko at 65” event Sept. 24, 2022, in Joliet. where our newspaper is circulated is a careful rule,” Copley wrote. In 1924, the Joliet Herald-News moved into a new building on Scott and Van Buren streets in downtown Joliet. The first floor held the advertising and circulation offices, the second floor had the publisher’s office and the newsroom, and pneumatic tubes carried copy – 20 ads at one time – and messages throughout the building. Publisher John Lux purchased land for The Herald-News at the corner of Jefferson Street and Joyce Avenue before he retired in 1966. Less than a decade later, publisher William Blackburn traded that land to the developers of the Jefferson Square Mall in exchange for advertising commitments and more acreage on nearby Caterpillar Drive, land Blackburn farmed as a boy. Hollinger International, later renamed Sun-Times Media Group, bought the Joliet Herald-News in 2000,
See HERALD-News on page 8
Photo provided by the Joliet Area Historical Museum
This undated photo shows the former Joliet News building, the name adopted by the Herald-News’ predecessor in 1877.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Shaw Media acquired Herald-News in 2013
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• HERALD-NEWS Continued from page 7 three years after the newspaper switched from afternoon delivery by youths to early-morning routes handled by adults. Around 2012 to 2013, the Caterpillar Drive building was sold to Joliet Township High School District 204, now home to District 204’s central administrative office and childcare center. Shaw Media acquired the Herald-News from Sun-Times Media in 2013.
Herald-News coverage of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King
Democrat nominee John F. Kennedy came to Joliet on Oct. 25, 1960, where an estimated 25,000 people waited in the rain at Jefferson and Chicago streets to hear him speak. Kennedy’s motorcade also halted in front of 2,000 people outside a Plainfield theater and made an unplanned stop at Hillcrest Shopping Center, where more than 5,000 had gathered, jamming the parking lot, its entranceway and the roadway. Photo provided by Joliet Area Historical Museum
See HERALD-News on page 10
The Herald-News’ former downtown Joliet building is seen in 1970.
SHAW MEDIA CELEBRATING
The Illinois Press Association and Illinois Press Foundation congratulate Shaw Media on its 175th anniversary! For 175 years, Shaw Media and its employees have been dedicated to informing and improving the communities they serve.
175 YEARS
The Illinois Press Association and Illinois Press Foundation are equally committed to local news in Illinois.
The IPF operates Capitol News Illinois, a nonprofit news
The IPA works to strengthen your access to public records and to government proceedings. It protects public notices being published in Illinois newspapers. And it works with its more than 350 member newspapers to ensure that journalism continues to matter in Illinois communities.
all of the state’s newspapers and broadcast outlets. It provides
organization that provides daily coverage of state government to thousands of dollars in grants to high school journalism programs throughout the state. And it provides training opportunities for Illinois’ professional, scholastic and community journalists.
The IPA and IPF are proud to work with Shaw Media and its publications to continue to serve you, and to make your communities stronger. SM-ST2350597
9 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
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• HERALD-NEWS Continued from page 8 Children from Guardian Angel Home and people in wheelchairs or with Seeing Eye dogs filled the area near Plainfield Road and Theodore Street. Small crowds also clustered at Caton Farm Road, Lily Cache and Sunnyland. On June 4, 1965, Martin Luther King came to Joliet Memorial Stadium as part of the community program “Citizens Action for Racial Brotherhood Day” at the invitation of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. Approximately 10,000 were expected to attend. King arrived late at O’Hare Airport, so he flew into Joliet Municipal Airport in a small private plane, and the planned motorcade through Lockport was canceled. “We’re facing the challenge of a new age,” King said to his audience, according to the June 5, 1965, edition of The Herald-News. “Nobody can doubt that the old order is passing and a new order is coming into being – an order of racial integration.” King also said the integration battle is far from over and urged attendees to “live as brothers and sisters or perish as fools.”
Photo provided by Joliet Area Historical Museum
Publisher John Lux purchased land for The Herald-News at the corner of Jefferson Street and Joyce Avenue before he retired in 1966. Less than a decade later, publisher William Blackburn traded that land to the developers of the Jefferson Square Mall in exchange for advertising commitments and more acreage on nearby Caterpillar Drive, land Blackburn farmed as a boy. The building now houses Joliet Township High School District 204’s administrative offices and childcare center.
The Herald-News’ very own costumed character
In 2013, former Herald-News advertising director Jack Azman, who died in 2020, recalled creating the “Mr. Want Ad” costumed character in the 1960s,
around the time Adam West’s “Batman” was on television. Azman’s “Mr. Want Ad” was likened to Clark Kent of the Daily Planet because Azman was never seen at the same time as the costumed character, who pro-
moted the newspaper’s classified section. “We had some bedsheets printed with want ads on them and a seamstress who made a costume,” Azman, a Lewis University alumnus, recalled in 2013. “Anything for promotion.”
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11 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026 Shaw Local News Network file photo
The Lincoln-Douglas debate statues in Washington Square in downtown Ottawa are a tribute to this chapter in Ottawa’s rich history.
OUR PAPERS: THE TIMES
Covering the Lincoln-Douglas Debate By BILL FRESKOS
bfreskos@shawmedia.com
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When Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas met in Ottawa on Aug. 21, 1858, for the first of their seven historic debates, local newspapers gave readers dramatically different accounts of what happened.
ong before television, radio or social media, newspapers shaped Why was Ottawa selected?
how Americans experienced politics. While there are obvious differences in technology today, the way media covered politics back then wasn’t all that different. As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, the Lincoln-Douglas Debate stands as one of the most significant events ever covered by The Times’ predecessor newspapers.
Amanda Carter, executive director of the La Salle County Historical Museum, said Ottawa was selected as the opening debate site because it already served as a transportation hub in northern Illinois. “The railroads were here, the Illinois and Michigan Canal went through Ottawa, so there were a lot of ways for people to get to Ottawa from neighboring counties and cities,” Carter said. “The other reason was because Ottawa had a large space where the debate could be held, which was Washington Park.” Although Ottawa’s population was
about 9,000 at the time, an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people crowded into the city for the debate, with visitors arriving by train, canal boat and horse-drawn carriage. “It was a very hot weekend,” Carter said. “Everybody was in their Sunday best, which was wool clothing.” Locally, readers encountered very different versions of the same debate. The Ottawa Free Trader declared Douglas the victor, while the Ottawa Weekly Republican Times praised Lincoln’s performance, illustrating the openly partisan nature of many 19th-century newspapers. “It was the same debate, but they were both watching it with a different outcome for the political candidates,” Carter said. The rivalry even inspired a new newspaper.
During the debate season, Ottawa surveyor Charles Delano founded The Daily Little Giant, a pro-Douglas publication that printed 45 editions between September and November 1858 before closing. Carter said the differing coverage mirrors modern political media in some ways. “Whoever’s writing the articles had their own views and is going to see things in their light,” she said. “It’s a bit like it is today with political coverage.” Although the debates did not trigger a population boom or economic transformation in Ottawa, Carter said they definitely raised the city’s profile. “It really put Ottawa on the national stage,” she said. “People in different states would have known where Ottawa was in Illinois.”
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On this significant
we congratulate Shaw Media’s continued dedication, growth, and industry leadership.
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13 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026 Shaw Local News Network file photo
The Truesdell Bridge Disaster, occurred on Sunday, May 4, 1873, when the bridge across the Rock River at Dixon, collapsed while spectators were observing a baptism ceremony in the river below.
OUR PAPERS: TELEGRAPH
Documenting Dixon’s triumphs and trials photo of the smiling hometown boy elected the nation’s 40th president, along with the subhead “Dixonites go wild with joy.” he Wednesday, Nov. 5, The headline and the election of the 1980, front page of the second president from Illinois – a local son born in Tampico who spent his boyDixon Evening Tele- hood in Dixon – marked a victory not only for Dixon, but also for the newspagraph carried the news in a per, its publisher and the family that it. massive red headline that owned Benjamin Flower Shaw purchased took up almost all of the space the Dixon Telegraph in 1854 after previously working at the newspaper as its above the fold: “Reagan wins publisher. The Telegraph had been in print since May 1, 1851, and Shaw’s first by landslide.” issue as owner and publisher was published April 27, 1854. Shaw died in 1909 Above the newspaper’s masthead, a at age 78. new claim to fame for the Lee County During B.F. Shaw’s tenure as pubseat – Dixon becomes the new Plains, lisher, the newspaper covered what Georgia. Shaw Local News Network file photo Below the bold red headline was a See telegraph on page 14 President Ronald Reagan reads a copy of the Dixon Evening Telegraph from the Oval Office.
By JEANNINE OTTO
jotto@shawmedia.com
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Saturday, October 10, 2026
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• TELEGRAPH Continued from page 13 became Dixon’s greatest tragedy. On May 4, 1873, the Truesdell Iron Bridge spanning the Rock River collapsed as hundreds of people crowded onto it to watch a baptism. The collapse killed 46 people and injured at least 56 others. The disaster became known as “Dixon’s Darkest Day.” B.F. Shaw’s only son, Eustace, became managing editor and publisher in 1891. When Eustace died unexpectedly in 1902 at age 45, his widow, Mabel Shaw, assumed management of the company as its president. Under Mabel Shaw’s tenure, the company grew to six daily newspapers and one weekly newspaper in Illinois and Iowa, with 500 employees. Mabel Shaw incorporated the company and transferred ownership to a family trust. She died in 1955 and was succeeded by her three sons, George B., Robert E. and Benjamin T. Shaw. In 2010, Shaw Newspapers, which had acquired more newspapers throughout northern Illinois and suburban Chicago, changed its name to Shaw Media. Shaw Media is the third-oldest con-
73rd birthday. But the biggest story the newspaper would cover in the 21st century made the front page of the Dixon Telegraph on April 17, 2012, when the newspaper reported the arrest of Dixon City Treasurer Rita Crundwell at Dixon City Hall earlier that day. She was charged with stealing more than $30 million from the city. Later, federal authorities discovered that Crundwell had stolen more than $53 million over 22 years. In the days, weeks and months that followed, the front and inside pages of the Telegraph were filled with daily updates on the case, including interviews with Dixon city officials, people who knew Crundwell and members of the community. The coverage also documented Crundwell’s lavish lifestyle, including her training and showing of prize quarter horses at her ranch in Alex T. Paschal file photo rural Dixon. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud in Former Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell leaves the Lee County courtroom Oct. 22, 2012, after November 2012 and was sentenced to making her first appearance in Lee County on charges of stealing from the city. 19 years and 7 months in federal tinuously family-owned and operated Telegraph and later the Dixon Tele- prison. Crundwell was moved to home newspaper company in the United graph were dominated by coverage of confinement in 2021 after serving 8.5 States. Reagan’s presidency during his two years. In December 2024, then-PresiIn 1985, the Dixon Evening Telegraph terms, from January 1981 to January dent Joe Biden commuted her senchanged to the Dixon Telegraph. 1989. That included his famous return tence, and she was released from cusThe front pages of the Dixon Evening to Dixon on Feb. 6, 1984, to celebrate his tody.
OUR PAPERS: DAILY JOURNAL
By MICHAEL URBANEC murbanec@shawmedia.com
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he Kankakee Daily Journal has been part of the city’s history since its early years: Kankakee was founded in 1853, and the Daily Journal was established just 23 years later, in 1886. The newspaper’s roots can be traced to the Kankakee County Semi-Weekly Democrat, which was founded in 1856 and suspended publication in 1862 when owners Jerome and Gabriel Durham enlisted in the Union Army. That history was documented by Jack Klasey, a former Daily Journal reporter, columnist and publishing executive who later wrote for the Kankakee County Museum. Klasey detailed the newspaper’s history
while writing about the city’s centennial. Technically, however, the Daily Journal has little direct connection to the Kankakee County Semi-Weekly Democrat. Instead, 24 years later, it took its place as the city’s newspaper when it was founded as the Kankakee Weekly Times. The newspaper that eventually became the Daily Journal then began to take shape. The Daily Times, a rival publication, was renamed the Kankakee Daily Republican in 1903. The Republican later merged with the Kankakee Daily News to form the Kankakee Republican-News. In 1945, the newspaper was renamed the Kankakee Daily Journal. Shaw Media purchased the Kankakee Daily Journal in October 2024, ending 121 years of ownership by the Small Newspaper Group. The Small family owned newspapers across the country, including the Ottawa Daily Times. In many ways, the Daily Journal’s history cannot be separated from the history of the city it has covered for nearly Photo provided by Kankakee County Museum 140 years. On July 15, 1925, the groundbreaking event for the new Hotel Kankakee took place.
From ink and paper to pixels and bytes, congratulations to Shaw Media on being the voice of the community for
175 Years Cheers to a legendary legacy.
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
The Daily Journal grew alongside Kankakee
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17 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026 Photos provided by the DeKalb County History Center Archives
The Daily Chronicle building and Whitney’s Standard Station stood at the northeast corner of Lincoln Highway and First Street in DeKalb. The station was remodeled in 1940.
OUR PAPERS: DAILY CHRONICLE
Daily Chronicle founders still namesakes in town By KELSEY RETTKE krettke@shawmedia.com
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o celebrate Shaw Media’s 175th anniversary, the com-
pany is looking back at how the Daily Chronicle got its start nearly 150 years ago. Community members may recognize the names Clinton Rosette and Joseph F. Glidden. Their legacy is hard to miss in DeKalb. Their names and likenesses can be found throughout the community, from murals and museums to historical exhibits. One man’s name lives on at a DeKalb School District 428 middle school, while another is remembered as the inventor
Editor John Kelleher in 2004 to mark the Daily Chronicle’s 125th anniversary. In its early days, the then four-page newspaper cost $2 a year and was printed on a flatbed press. Rosette was the editor, and Glidden became the publisher. The Chronicle was delivered on horseback. The cover page had advertisements, no photos, and as many columns of tiny type as the page designers could fit. It printed in the basement of Main Street Hotel. In 1899, the paper moved to its home at First Street and Lincoln Highway in downtown DeKalb. The Chronicle printed twice weekly and then six days a week. The paper was published using Linotype. In 1909, EJ Raymond and Frank GreJoseph F. Glidden Clinton Rosette enway purchased the newspaper for of barbed wire, an agricultural tool that newspapers strive for today, the publi- $25,000. They planned to push the then revolutionized the industry. cation was heavily influenced by the 30-year-old paper into the future, one And in 1879, the pair founded The partisan views of its owners. they hoped aligned with their own values. DeKalb County Chronicle. Glidden and Rosette were proud Quite different from the approach Democrats, wrote former Managing See Daily Chronicle on page 19
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19 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026 Shaw Local News Network file photo
The Daily Chronicle building at 1586 Barber Greene Road in DeKalb opened in 1970 was sold in 2020.
• DAILY CHRONICLE Continued from page 17 Raymond and Frank were Republicans, joining nearly a dozen other Republican newspapers serving readers across the county at the time. On Jan. 30, 1969, the Greenways and Raymonds sold the newspaper to the Idaho-based Scripps-Hagadone company. It was acquired by Pulitzer Inc. in 1996 and then by Lee Enterprises in 2005 as part of Lee’s broader acquisition of Pulitzer. Shaw Media acquired the newspaper in late 2007. The newspaper has gone by several names over the years, including The Evening Chronicle and the DeKalb Daily Chronicle. The Daily Chronicle succeeded where all of its once-dozen competitors could not: It remains the county’s only surviving daily print newspaper. Objectivity is at the heart of modern journalism. The Daily Chronicle reserves partisan views for its opinion pages, while local news remains at the center of its mission. Its staff is smaller. Its office is smaller.
The Chronicle’s headquarters has moved around a bit in recent years. Among its longest stints was the office at 1586 Barber Greene Road, complete with a printing press. The Barber Greene building was sold in April 2020, and the paper found a new home downtown at 121 W. Lincoln Highway. Not long after, the newspaper moved again, this time to its current home at 1985 DeKalb Ave. in Sycamore, on the second floor of the Heartland Bank building at Bethany Road. Much like the desire to set up shop on the DeKalb-Sycamore line on Barber Greene Road in 1970, the fall 2024 move centered the paper at the crossing of the two cities. Today, the Chronicle is delivered by mail five days a week. It prints Tuesday through Saturday, while the technology of the digital age allows new stories to be published online around the clock. Mobile apps allow readers to access DeKalb County news at a tap of their fingertips. It’s a far cry from the horse-and-buggy days of Glidden and Rosette.
Newspapers.com
The first Daily Chronicle was published March 8, 1879.
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
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Chronicling LaSalle County for generations By EMILY BEEBE ebeebe@shawmedia.com
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or years, the La Salle NewsTribune has chronicled the events
that have shaped La Salle County, from devastating tragedies to community triumphs, giving residents a record of the news unfolding in their own communities. The NewsTribune can trace its roots to two newspapers: the La Salle Daily Tribune, later known as the La Salle Post-Tribune, and the Peru Daily News-Herald. In 1946, Peter Miller Jr. and his wife purchased the two papers and, in 1947, merged them into the Daily News-Tribune. The Miller family owned the paper for 73 years until 2019. Peter Miller Jr. served as publisher for nearly four decades until his son, Peter Miller III, took the helm in 1984. Under the Shaw Local News Network file photo Millers, the company, Miller Group Surrounded by reporters from across the Midwest on Nov. 17, 1960, Chester Weger, held in chains by Sheriff Ray Eutsey, reenacts the crime in Media, launched Agri-News in 1977, which he confessed to killing three women from Riverside inside St. Louis Canyon at Starved Rock State Park on March 14 of that year. Weger which grew into Illinois AgriNews and later claimed he was physically abused into making those admissions. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board granted his release in 2020. later Indiana AgriNews, major regional farm publications. On Sept. 28, In 2002, Joyce McCullough was 1988, named publisher of the NewsTribune, a President name the newspaper adopted in 1984. George H. W. Following the death of Peter Miller III in Bush made an 2011, McCullough was promoted to presappearance at ident of Miller Group Media, where she the Farm oversaw the NewsTribune, AgriNews Progress and the company’s broadcast operations. Show in West Here’s how the NewsTribune covBrooklin. ered some of the biggest events.
Starved Rock murders
On March 14, 1960, three women were found murdered in a snow-covered cave at Starved Rock State Park. The NewsTribune covered every development, from the search through the conviction of Chester Weger, a 21-year-old dishwasher at Starved Rock Lodge, who was found guilty of murder on March 3, 1961, and sentenced to life.
See NewsTribune on page 22
Shaw Local News Network file photo
21 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
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Shaw Local News Network file photo
A rooftop view of the destruction of the tornado looking northeast downtown Utica in 2004.
The La Salle County Nuclear Generating Station near Marseilles was placed on the highest security level based on a Continued from page 20 recommendation from the U.S. Nuclear For nearly six decades, Weger main- Regulatory Commission, while local law tained his innocence and was denied enforcement increased patrols. The community came together in parole more than 20 times, including in 2012, 2014 and 2018, until Nov. 21, 2019, numerous ways, with candlelight vigils when the Illinois Prisoner Review held in Ottawa, Streator, La Salle and Board voted to grant his release. He Peru. As the tragedy reached its 25th walked out of prison on Feb. 21, 2020, at anniversary this year, the NewsTribune continues to chronicle the loss each age 80. year through its coverage of memorial Weger died June 22, 2025, at age 86. events.
had taken shelter in the basement of the Milestone Tavern when the building collapsed on them, and a stillborn infant whose death was attributed to the extreme stress the storm inflicted on his mother, the village clerk. The NewsTribune covered every aspect of the devastating event, from the immediate aftermath and recovery to the community’s rebuilding efforts. Today, a permanent memorial plaza stands at Church and Mill streets, near the former site of the Milestone. The plaza includes a boulder, plaques bearSept. 11 ing the victims’ names and benches On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks Utica tornado On April 20, 2004, an F3 tornado tore where visitors can sit and remember stunned the nation and put everyone, including LaSalle County, on alert. through Utica, killing nine: eight who those lost.
• NEWSTRIBUNE
Shaw Media purchase
For 73 years, the NewsTribune remained under local ownership. In August 2019, Catherine Miller and Miller Group Media agreed to sell the newspaper, along with Illinois AgriNews and Indiana AgriNews, to Shaw Media. The sale closed Sept. 1, 2019. The NewsTribune was subsequently integrated into the Shaw Local News Network, where it continues to cover La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties. Through murders and tornadoes, celebrations and community milestones, the NewsTribune has remained the thread informing the community.
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T H AT S H A P E C O M M U N I T I E S
Congratulations to Shaw Media on an extraordinary milestone. For 175 years, Shaw Media has continued to evolve while staying true to what matters most: informing, connecting and strengthening the communities it serves. At Naviga, we’re proud to support publishers like Shaw Media as they build on this legacy and prepare for what’s next.
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
YEARS OF STORIES
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Shaw Local News Network file photo
This aerial photo of the Sterling riverfront and the mill was taken during its centennial celebration in 1979.
OUR PAPERS: GAZETTE
Recording Twin Cities’ manufacturing journey These newspapers served Sterling, Rock Falls and the surrounding communities. The Sterling Republican was being published by William Caffrey in 1857 he newspaper now and was renamed the Republican and known as the Gazette Gazette by 1860. The Sterling Standard was being published by 1856 and likely has chronicled the covered a major political rally held in Sterling on July 18, 1856. manufacturing history of the John C. Frémont had been selected by the newly formed Republican Party Sterling-Rock Falls area and as its presidential candidate, and his Whiteside County for more supporters organized the rally to promote his candidacy and anti-slavery than a century. platform. While Frémont did not attend the The Sterling Gazette grew out of sev- rally, a 47-year-old Springfield lawyer eral publications established by differ- did. Abraham Lincoln, who had been ent publishers in the Sterling area. invited by state legislator Robert Lange
By JEANNINE OTTO
jotto@shawmedia.com
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Wilson, spoke at the July 18, 1856, rally in support of Frémont. Frémont ultimately lost the presidential election to Democrat James Buchanan. Four years later, Lincoln would become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee and win the election, becoming the nation’s 16th president. On April 22, 1865, the Sterling Gazette carried the news of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Lincoln died on April 15, 1865, and the Sterling Gazette carried descriptions and background on Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, as well as the nation’s new president, Andrew
Johnson. The newspaper also carried a poem, written by the Rev. William W. Blanchard. “O cruel fate, the good, the great, Our laureled, generous chief – The nation’s guide, The nation’s pride, Is slain, and all is grief.” In 1916, D.W. Grandon consolidated The Sterling Daily Standard and The Sterling Evening Gazette into The Daily Gazette. The Grandons went on to publish The Daily Gazette, under David Washington Grandon and his wife, Marie, and then under their son, Preston Grandon, for 70 years. In 1986, Grandon’s heirs sold the newspaper to Thomson Corp.
See Gazette on page 26
25 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
CONGRATULATIONS
on 175 remarkable years of success, service & commitment to the communities you serve! Stein ProContent Services is proud to be part of your team and honored to celebrate this extraordinary achievement alongside you.
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
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• GAZETTE Continued from page 24 In 1995, the Shaw family, owners of the Dixon Telegraph, purchased the Daily Gazette from Thomson Corp., bringing the newspaper into the Shaw Media network. Throughout its various name and ownership changes, the newspaper chronicled the area’s manufacturing growth, including the rise of Northwestern Barb Wire Co., founded in 1879. The company changed its name to Northwestern Steel and Wire in 1938. Its massive steel mill employed thousands of people in the area and supported generations of local families. Other manufacturers also established roots in the area, including National Manufacturing, Lawrence Brothers, Frantz Manufacturing and RB&W (Russell, Burdsall and Ward) Manufacturing. While the day-to-day operations of the Twin Cities’ manufacturing community rarely made headlines, the final hours and days of one of Sterling’s major manufacturers and employers would become the newspaper’s biggest story. The May 19, 2001, edition of the Daily
Alex Paschal file photo
An aerial view of the former site of Northwestern Steel and Wire. Gazette carried a front-page headline that nobody in the community wanted to see: “SHUTDOWN – NWSW says Sunday shift expected to be end for many workers.” Some 1,400 workers would work their last shift at the mill on May 20, 2001, ending more than a century of steel produc-
tion at Northwestern Steel and Wire. The May 21, 2001, Daily Gazette front page read “Mill goes silent Sunday.” In the days, weeks and months that followed, the newspaper’s front page carried almost daily updates on efforts to reopen the steel mill and provide assistance to its workers and their fami-
Congratulations on your
lies. The grim headlines would not be the last of the year. On Sept. 11, 2001, the Daily Gazette carried news of the attacks that had occurred earlier that day under the headline, “America Under Attack – Blasts rock New York, D.C.”
th
a n n i v e r s a r y. Mather is proud to support you on this historic occasion. Mather provides Shaw Media and other news media organizations with the solutions they need to succeed in today’s marketplace. www.mathereconomics.com
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175 years!!
We at Roxen are proud to have been part of your story for the last 20 years.
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to Shaw Media on
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
28 OUR PAPERS: WEEKLIES
Weeklies carry legacy of local news Record was bought by the Farrens in 1973. They acquired the Oswego Ledger in 1979 and the Fox Valley Sentinel in 1980. The two papers were consolidated and called the Ledger-Sentinel. The Oswego Ledger was started in 1949 by Oswego native Ford Lippold. He then helped create and later lead the Oswegoland Park District as its first executive director. On Nov. 17, 1949, everyone with an Oswego mailing address found the first issue of the Oswego Ledger in their mailboxes. Ford Lippold, the new weekly paper’s publisher, ran the issues off on a Mimeograph machine in his home’s basement on Douglas Street and collated and stapled the 81/2-by-11 pages with the help of his wife and daughters. He would continue publishing the free weekly paper for the next 16 years.
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
F
or 175 years, Shaw Media has grown alongside the commu-
nities it serves. Its newspapers have recorded local history through wars, elections, disasters, celebrations and everyday life. Many of those newspapers have histories of their own, and together they have become an important part of Shaw Media’s long tradition of local journalism. Here are their stories.
Mendota Reporter
Kane County Chronicle
The recorded history of printed news in Kane County goes back to well before the Civil War: The St. Charles Public Library’s archives include four pages from the Feb. 5, 1842, edition of the St. Charles Patriot and Fox River Advocate. That publication was founded the previous year by John Thomas and was the first newspaper in the county, according to the 1908 book “The History of Kane County, Ill.” The newspaper was also at times known as the Kane County Herald, and after the press was “burned out” in 1842, it regrouped and continued publishing as the Fox River Advocate. Shaw Media, which this year celebrates its 175th birthday as the third-oldest continuously operating family media company in the country, didn’t acquire the Kane County Chronicle until 1989. But its antecedents included publications like the St. Charles Chronicle, which began around 1900 and had various names over the years, as well as the Valley Chronicle, which started publishing in 1881 by Samuel W. Davis. The latter is according to Warwick Publishing, a promotional products company that’s based in St. Charles and also grew out of the original Valley Chronicle. Early on, the paper was pioneering, in that a woman named Lina Paschal joined her brother-in-law in the business.
“Lina would go on to do something that, at the time, was quietly radical. In 1903, she bought a newspaper, took outright ownership of The St. Charles Chronicle, and stepped into a role few women occupied at the time. Even more, she didn’t just run the paper; she used it,” according to a Warwick Publishing blog post, writing about politics, patriotism and women’s suffrage. “But running a successful newspaper company wasn’t enough to quench her ambitious spirit. Lina became a postmistress, one of the area’s first. She also spent her free time sending copies of her newspaper to American troops during WWI. It was a philanthropic act that gave the boys overseas a sense of home,” the Warwick blog said. Shaw Media’s history has a similarly trailblazing woman in Mabel Shaw, the daughter-in-law of company founder B.F. Shaw. Because her husband, Eustace, preceded his father in death in 1902, Mabel became the one to take over the company when B.F. died in 1909. She would go on to run it for decades.
Like the Shaw family, later generations of the Paschal family ran the newspaper business until the two families’ histories converged in 1989, when Shaw Media purchased the operation. Under Shaw’s leadership, various smaller publications were unified as the Kane County Chronicle.
Record Newspapers
In 2015, Shaw Media purchased Record Newspapers Inc. from Jeff and Kathy Farren. Based in Yorkville, The Record Newspapers included the Kendall County Record in Yorkville and the Ledger-Sentinel in Oswego. “We are proud to welcome The Record Newspapers to our growing portfolio of family-owned, community-focused media operations,” Shaw Media President John Rung said about the purchase. “We look forward to continuing the Farrens’ tradition of quality local journalism, while expanding the Ledger-Sentinel’s and Record’s presence through digital formats.” Founded in 1864, the Kendall County
News coverage followed soon after Mendota’s founding in 1853, with the first organized newspaper, the Mendota Weekly Press, launching in 1855. The newspaper chronicled major national events throughout its history, including the Lincoln-Douglas Debates in 1858, the armistice ending World War I in 1918 and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Following the war, the Reporter covered the birth of one of Mendota’s signature traditions: the Sweet Corn Festival. In 1953, coinciding with the city’s Centennial Jubilee, the Reporter covered many of the hallmarks of summer, including the crowning of Debby Heltness as Sweet Corn Queen and Ray Zuend as the winner of the Sweet Corn Fest Grand Parade Car Contest, receiving a 1908 Lambert. The Mendota Reporter also covered stories that have rippled to the present day. On Sept. 26, 1990, the first issue after Veronica Blumhorst’s disappearance, the Reporter detailed the efforts of law enforcement units across the region to try and get ahead of the 21-year-old’s mysterious absence. “A massive weekend ground and aerial search for the Mendota woman reported missing last Thursday turned up no clues as to her whereabouts, despite the efforts of close to 200 volunteers who combed the area in a 15-20
See WEEKLIES on page 29
Continued from page 28 mile radius of the city,” managing editor Jim Dunn wrote. Mendota’s recent efforts to revitalize the downtown area stem from a pair of fires that occurred within months of each other in 2022: on the 800 block of Main Street in August, and on the 700 block of Illinois Avenue in December. The Mendota Reporter and its readers closely followed the fires. The city’s recovery and rebuilding efforts in the aftermath have remained a staple of the newspaper’s coverage. In 2025, Shaw Media purchased the Mendota Reporter, the latest iteration of the city’s newspaper, building on a tradition of local coverage that dates back nearly as far as Shaw itself.
Bureau County Republican
Morris Herald-News
As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, the Morris Herald-News is nearing a milestone of its own. Although it did not become part of Shaw Media until 1952, the newspaper was founded in 1862 as the Grundy County Sentinel. That makes the Morris Herald-News 164 years old. In that time, the paper has undergone more than a few name changes. Starting as the Sentinel, it eventually became the Morris Daily Herald before becoming the Morris Herald-News in the 2010s. Unfortunately, few of the Morris Herald-News archives still exist. The remaining material can be found on the Morris History Club Facebook page, where local historian Matt Laker spent years posting clippings that document the history of both the city and the newspaper through the 1960s and ’70s. Morris has changed significantly since Shaw purchased the paper. It’s no longer simply a small town, with power plants to the east and west, a Costco facility to the north and extensive suburban development. What still looks largely the same, though, is Liberty Street. The storefronts up and down the road are still mostly full, and there’s plenty of foot traffic.
Rochelle News-Leader
The Rochelle News-Leader has provided local news and sports coverage and more to the greater Rochelle area for over 160 years. This year, Shaw Media marks its 175th anniversary. The first issue of the Lane Register was published in 1863. The newspaper was renamed the Rochelle Register in 1865, the same year the city changed its name.
Photo provided by Mendota Museum And Historical Society
Debby Heltness, 1953 Sweet Corn Fest Centennial Jubilee Queen, received the crown from Carol Loach (center), the reigning queen of 1952. Carol Calderwood (left) and Peggy Booth (right) were the judges’ selections for queen attendants. The Rochelle News was established as a second newspaper in Rochelle. In 1922, John Millar purchased both the Rochelle Register and Rochelle News and merged them into a single newspaper, the Rochelle News. In 1932, the Tilton family began in the news business with the Rochelle Home Journal. The paper became the Northern Illinois Democrat in 1933. In 1938, the paper became the Hub City Leader. The name was again changed, this time to the Rochelle Leader. The Rochelle Leader and Rochelle News competed until 1943, when the News was sold to Tilton Industries. With both papers under his ownership, John Tilton published the News on Wednesdays and the Leader on Fridays. Tilton Industries sold the publications to John Tompkins in 1975. The Tompkins family owned the Rochelle
News-Leader until 2025, when it was purchased by Shaw Media. The Rochelle News-Leader has long served the communities of Rochelle, Hillcrest, Creston, Steward, Ashton, Chana, Lindenwood and Esmond, while also featuring stories from the greater Ogle County area. In 2015, the Rochelle News-Leader’s staff covered an EF4 tornado that hit rural Rochelle, bringing 200-mile-perhour winds that damaged 179 structures and demolished 30 homes near Rochelle. There were no fatalities in the local area, and most injuries were minor. The tornado first touched down in Lee County west of Ashton before destroying most of its 30 homes in a subdivision northwest of Flagg Center. In the days, weeks and months that followed, the News-Leader covered the “Hub Strong” recovery efforts, with volunteers descending on the commu-
When the Bureau County Republican was formed, Illinois was at the center of a growing national conflict – slavery. Chicago abolitionists resisted the Fugitive Slave Act, Underground Railroad stations helped freedom seekers move north, and the legacy of abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy was carried on by his brother Owen in Princeton. As Shaw Media celebrates its 175th anniversary, the newspaper’s coverage of the abolitionist movement through Lovejoy and Frederick Douglass stands among its most influential reporting. Jim Dunn, president of the Bureau County History Center and former Bureau County Republican editor, said newspapers played a major role in the abolitionist movement. “The newspapers of that era were very political, and you could tell by their names,” he said. “They would announce who they were supporting in the upper corner ... so you had no doubt who they were supporting.” Frederick Douglass arrived in Princeton in December 1871 as part of a lecture tour advocating for U.S. annexation of part of Hispaniola, then known as Santo Domingo, according to a Dec. 21, 1871, article in the Bureau County Republican. “This lecture is historical, descriptive and political,” the paper wrote, urging readers not to miss “a literary entertainment that Princeton seldom enjoys.” Tickets cost 50 cents. Dunn said he believes, according to news reports at the time, that Douglass received a friendly reception from Princeton residents. “He was given good coverage,” he said. “He was introduced by the son of Owen Lovejoy – Lovejoy had died in 1864, and it sounds like his son was a bit nervous given the responsibility.” Owen Lovejoy was an abolitionist, pastor and congressman who had sheltered freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. According to news reports, Douglass was about 54 when he took the stage and asked the audience to think beyond American self-interest: “It may, indeed, be important to know what Santo Domingo can do for us, but it is vastly more important to know what we can do for Santo Domingo.”
See WEEKLIES on page 30
29 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
nity and hundreds of thousands of dollars raised to aid those who saw losses. In a year of major milestones, the News-Leader and Shaw Media aim to continue to build on their pedigrees of providing local coverage that matters to their communities.
• WEEKLIES
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• WEEKLIES Continued from page 29 Publisher J.W. Bailey was impressed, Dunn said. In a Jan. 11 follow-up, the Republican reported that Douglass’ lecture closed “with a glowing paragraph describing the contest between conservatism and progress, and paying a high tribute to this country, upon which the hope of the oppressed in all parts of the globe rests.” “As far as we have been able to learn, the people were not only highly entertained but much edified by his masterly effort,” the Republican concluded. For Frederick Douglass, that legacy endures: abolitionist, orator, journalist, diplomat. For the Bureau County Republican – founded in 1847 and now part of Shaw Media’s 175-year history – the memory of his visit, preserved in its pages, is a reminder of the newspaper’s role in documenting pivotal moments in American history.
Ogle County Life
Ogle County Life has provided local news and sports coverage and more to the Ogle County area for over 55 years.
Ogle County Life started in 1971. In 1985, it became a free publication, as it incorporated the Rock Valley Shopper. The Tompkins family owned Ogle County Life from 1975 until 2025, when it was purchased by Shaw Media. Ogle County Life has long served the communities of Byron, Oregon, Mt. Morris, Forreston, Polo, Davis Junction, Monroe Center, Esmond, Lindenwood, Leaf River, Chana and Stillman Valley, along with featuring stories from Rochelle and the greater area. In early 2026, the Ogle County Life merged with its four sister newspapers: the Oregon Republican Reporter, Mt. Morris Times, Tri-County Press and Forreston Journal. Those four longtime publications were published for the last time on Feb. 27 and consolidated into the Ogle County Life. The Oregon Republican Reporter was founded in 1851 as the Ogle County Reporter. In 1889, the competing Ogle County Republican was established. In March 1951, Reporter owner Paul F. Behan joined with E.D. Landers and his son, E.G. “Tim” Landers, to merge the two newspapers as the Republican Reporter. E.G. Landers eventually became the newspaper’s sole owner and, in 1985, sold it to B.F. Shaw Printing of Dixon, publisher of the Sauk Val-
ley Newspapers and the company now known as Shaw Media.. The Forreston Journal was founded in 1865 by C.E. Slocum as the Forreston Herald. He later changed the name to Forreston Journal. In 1927, John J. Wagner and G.C. Terry, co-owners of the Tri-County Press, Polo, purchased the Forreston Journal. Terry bought out Wagner’s interest in 1930, and the newspaper stayed in the Terry family until 1977, when Danny C. Terry sold out to B.F. Shaw Printing, Dixon. The Tri-County Press was founded in 1857 as the Polo Transcript and renamed the Polo Advertiser a year later. In 1865, it became the Ogle County Press, a name it retained until 1901, when it was renamed the Tri-County Press. C.H. Hemingway sold the newspaper to G.C. Terry and John Wagner in 1926. Terry bought out Wagner in 1930, and the newspaper remained in the Terry family until 1977, when it was sold along with the Forreston Journal. The Mt. Morris Times was founded in early 1967 by co-publishers Earl Blevins and John Drew. In 1970, it was sold to Tri-County Press Publications of Polo, owned by G.C. Terry. Shaw Media acquired the newspaper in 1977 along with the Forreston and Polo publications.
Along with coverage of local government, education, public safety, business, health, community events and sports, Ogle County Life became known for its lively opinion page and intimate relationship with readers, relying on a free model with support from a voluntary pay program. Over the years, the Ogle County Life has covered the construction and operation of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station. Construction began in 1975 at a cost of $4.5 billion, with Unit 1 coming online in 1985 and Unit 2 following in 1987. The nuclear plant is the state’s second-largest employer and pays one of the highest annual property tax bills in the country, providing funding for local taxing bodies for more than 50 years.
Suburban Life
Shaw Media acquired Suburban Life in October 2012 when it purchased the weekly newspapers from Gatehouse Media. Following the purchase, Shaw Media moved some of the Suburban Life newspapers to other properties. The three Republican newspapers became part of the Kane County Chronicle. The two Farmside newspapers
See WEEKLIES on page 31
From the printing press to the digital frontier— Shaw Media has been headlining the industry for 175 years.
Congratulations on an incredible milestone! SM-ST2350598
• WEEKLIES were combined into McHenry Farmside and moved under the Northwest Herald’s umbrella. Lake County Suburban Life became the Lake County Journal. But Suburban Life has a long and storied past as a key weekly newspaper group that capitalized on the post-World War II boom in westward migration. As more and more people moved into the growing western suburbs, they relied on Suburban Life Newspapers for important local news they couldn’t find in Chicago daily newspapers. Suburban Life was rooted in the Suburban Leader, founded in Cicero in 1933 by John F. Kubik, who expanded the papers significantly in the decade as he launched weekly editions in growing areas such as La Grange and adjacent Cook County communities. Earl D. Eisenhower, the younger brother of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, joined the paper in 1954 as general manager. His familial ties to the White House brought national attention to the chain, enhancing its visibility and credibility. Eisenhower oversaw a period of growth in the 1950s, as the newspapers expanded their operations and improved efficiency, further establishing themselves as community staples. At the time, the newspapers relied entirely on advertising from local businesses to sustain their operations. As the decade progressed, Suburban Life grew and added multiple western suburbs in Cook County to its coverage area. The strategy was simple: the paper prospered, and circulation rose along with the growth of residential developments in west suburban communities. In January 1999, the chain was sold to Liberty Group Publishing, which added Suburban Life to its portfolio of over 60 Chicago-area papers. In 2006, Liberty Group was acquired by Fortress Investment Group and rebranded as GateHouse Media, which continued to own and operate the Suburban Life group until the Shaw acquisition in 2012. Soon after acquisition, Suburban Life was reorganized under the name Suburban Life Media. J. Tom Shaw, who was publisher of Shaw’s Kane County Chronicle, was appointed to oversee the group. Today, Shaw is the company’s vice president and chief revenue officer. In October 2013, Shaw Media revamped the Suburban Life newspapers, unifying 18 titles across DuPage,
Cook and under a singular branding strategy. Each paper was renamed to incorporate “[Municipality] Suburban Life,” such as Downers Grove Suburban Life or Elmhurst Suburban Life, to emphasize local identity. This redesign included updated layouts, expanded local news and high school sports sections. More recently, Suburban Life Media was integrated into Shaw Media’s broader operations, including the 2020 rebranding of the company’s news network to Shaw Local, which unified digital and print platforms under mysuburbanlife.com.
Whiteside News, The Review
Whiteside County is home to two Shaw Local weekly newspapers: Whiteside News and The Review. Shaw Media acquired four local newspapers in 2019 – The Whiteside News Sentinel, Fulton Journal, Prophetstown Echo and Erie Review. In April 2026, the first three merged into Whiteside News, while The Review remains a standalone weekly. Morrison’s newspaper, the Whiteside Sentinel, was founded by Alfred McFadden on July 23, 1857, two years after the first train arrived. The community soon grew as an agricultural and manufacturing center and became
See WEEKLIES on page 32
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Continued from page 30
the Whiteside County seat in 1858. Morrison’s manufacturing history included Climco, Volckmann’s Furniture and Herman Nelson. General Electric opened a plant in 1949 that eventually employed 2,600 people at its peak in the late 1960s – more than half the city’s population. Production later moved overseas, and the plant closed in 2010. Demolition was completed in 2022. Morrison also was the birthplace of Robert Andrews Millikan, who won the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the elementary charge of electricity and the photoelectric effect. Fulton was home to Whiteside County’s first newspaper, the Whiteside Investigator, founded by Judge James McCoy and John Phelps in May 1854. The newspaper later was renamed The Fulton Journal in 1863. Like Morrison, Fulton’s growth was fueled by the arrival of the railroad, with the city expanding rapidly in the 1850s. Located along the Mississippi River, Fulton developed into an industrial center but also faced devastating flooding. In 1965, the Mississippi reached a record 24.85 feet, inundating more than half the city, forcing residents from their homes and shutting down local businesses and schools. The disaster eventually led to the construction of a protective levee, dedicated in 1984. Fulton also has ties to President Ronald Reagan. His parents, John “Jack” Reagan and Nellie Clyde Wilson, were born in Fulton and married there in 1904. The city remains home to sites connected to the Reagan family, including a former millinery shop operated by Reagan’s great-aunts and a family burial plot. Prophetstown residents established the town’s first newspaper shortly after the railroad was completed. The Prophetstown Spike debuted Sept. 2, 1871, with A.D. Hill as manager and editor. A second newspaper, The Prophetstown Echo, was founded in 1892, and the Spike, later renamed the Whiteside Bulletin, merged with the Echo in 1910. One of the newspaper’s major stories came in 2013, when a fire destroyed eight buildings in downtown Prophetstown’s 300 block of Washington Street. The July 15 blaze began at Cindy Jean’s Restaurant and spread to neighboring businesses. Two additional buildings sustained smoke damage, but no injuries were reported. Erie’s first newspaper, The Erie Bulletin, was founded in 1875-76. The Erie Plaindealer followed in 1879, later becoming the Erie Independent. In 1950, the Whiteside Sentinel purchased the Albany Review and renamed
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• WEEKLIES Continued from page 31 it The Review, which eventually became a newspaper serving Erie alone. Like other Whiteside County communities, Erie grew with the arrival of the railroad. One of the community’s biggest stories came in February 1997, when record flooding on the Rock River breached levees and a 200-foot section of railroad trestle. More than 200 people were evacuated, and Whiteside, Rock Island and Henry counties were declared state disaster areas. The flooding drew national media attention and prompted boat and helicopter rescues.
AgriNews
AgriNews will celebrate its 50th year in 2027. It joined the Shaw Media family in 2019. Since its inception, AgriNews’ goal has remained the same. It still focuses on reporting events, both big and small, that impact the lives of farm families. With field editors working throughout Illinois and Indiana, AgriNews readers receive news and advertising tailored to their farm areas every week. Staff members report on topics including crop and livestock manage-
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Alex T. Paschal file photo
The rubble of burned-out buildings in Prophetstown was a reminder of a July 15, 2013, fire that destroyed nearly a quarter of the historic downtown. Eight buildings were lost in the blaze, which required an estimated 30 fire departments to put out. ment, agribusiness and new products, market information, and national and state political issues. The newspaper, which received the Meritorious Service in Communications Award from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Apprais-
ers in 2007, was first published as Ag-News, initially covering a threecounty area. A year later, it had expanded to three editions serving 24 counties. By the end of 1980, the newspaper circulated in every county in Illinois. It
also shifted from publishing two to three times a month to a weekly schedule, with its three editions consolidated into one. AgriNews management started planning a newspaper for Indiana in 1982. It was modeled after the Illinois publication, but the Hoosier newspaper is independent. Distance has never been an obstacle for AgriNews when it comes to gathering the news. Editorial staff members have traveled across the country to cover events such as the National FFA Convention, North American International Livestock Exposition, National Farm Machinery Show and Commodity Classic, as well as annual meetings of the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association and other agricultural organizations. Reporters have also gone to Washington to cover changes in farm legislation, but AgriNews’ coverage of important agricultural stories has extended well beyond the continental United States. Over the years, reporters have traveled to Argentina, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, Japan, Mexico and the former Soviet Union.
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By MICHELLE MEYER mmeyer@shawmedia.com The string of tornadoes that hit Crystal Lake and a large portion of the Midwest on Palm Sunday in 1965 shaped the future of storm tracking and warning systems. The F4 Palm Sunday tornado touched down in Crystal Lake about 3:30 p.m. April 11, 1965, destroying more than 100 homes, killing five residents and injuring at least 95 more before moving on to Island Lake, where it dug a trench in the bottom of the lake, destroyed more homes and killed a 5-year-old boy. Longtime Crystal Lake resident Jim Heisler recalled the historic storm that flattened the city within minutes last year. The Crystal Lake Historical Society marked the 60th anniversary with a presentation of all the documentation, photographs and firsthand accounts the society has gathered throughout the decades. “It was just like standing at the train station a step away from a roaring-through freight train, that big, heavy, low, rumbling sound. That’s just what the tornado sounded like in ’65,” Heisler said. “And the sky turned yellow.” The tornado cut through from the southwest and traveled northeast, hitting Crystal Lake’s Colby subdivision the hardest. The historic Barlina Barn was spared, despite being in one of the first areas hit by the storm, and the structure remains standing today. The tornado took the lives of Rae Goss, Louis Knaack, Richard “Dick” Holter, Rosalie Holter, John Holter and 5-year-old Charles Pokorny. Survivors remembered the prompt response from the community immediately following the destruction: banding together to clean up debris, feeding each other and sheltering those who lost their homes. In total, almost 50 counties in six states, including McHenry County, saw tornadoes touch down in a 12-hour period. As described by the National Weather Service, the twister occurred during a half-day-long storm event “that stretched from Cedar County, Iowa, eastward 450 miles to Cuyahoga County,
Photo provided by John Enright
John Enright’s family home after the Palm Sunday tornado on April 11, 1965, at the 300 block of Keith Avenue in Crystal Lake.
Photo provided by Crystal Lake Historical Society
Neisner’s department store in the Crystal Lake Plaza was destroyed on April 11, 1965, during a tornado outbreak. The tornado damaged or destroyed large portions of the city. Six people were killed and 75 were injured. Ohio, and from Kent County, Michigan, southward 200 miles to Montgomery County, Indiana.” The twister outbreak is known as one of the deadliest in recorded history, with 271 deaths and more than 3,400 injuries, according to the NWS. The series of tornadoes was covered extensively by local media and was
studied by the National Weather Service and multiple meteorologists. It even inspired a short instrumental song by musical artist Sufjan Stevens called “The Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake” on his 2006 album “The Avalanche.” Crystal Lake Historical Society President Diana Kenney described it as the
most devastating natural disaster in recent history to hit Crystal Lake. At the time, Crystal Lake did not have a tornado warning system, according to the Crystal Lake Historical Society. Within a year of the disaster, that changed. The storm affected how weather forecasters warn about incoming tornadoes to this day, with improvements in public preparedness, radio broadcasting, storm-spotting and warning systems, according to the NWS. After the Palm Sunday outbreak, the term “tornado forecast” was changed to “tornado watch,” a term used to this day. An article published in 1967 in The New York Times reported the government responded to the tornado tragedy by purchasing more “modern” weather radars to cover the entire country. “Creation of such a system grew out of studies that began after the 1965 Palm Sunday tornadoes in the Midwest. These storms killed 272 persons and caused more than $250 million in property damage,” the archived article reads. A weather wire network was also introduced, designed to bring together weather predictions and warnings and was distributed to government agencies, newspapers, radio and television.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Palm Sunday 1965 tornadoes devastated Crystal Lake on deadly path across Midwest
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The Fabyans: More than a name in Geneva By DIANA WALLACE dwallace@shawmedia.com
These days, if people have heard of the Fabyans at all, it might just be because a road and some attractions are named after them in Kane County. People might not know how much the Fabyans contributed to the area’s history – and even had involvement in ending World War I. When Chicago Gilded Age tycoon “Col.” George Fabyan and his wife, Nelle, set up home on the Fox River in Geneva 1905, that didn’t just eventually give us Fabyan Parkway, Fabyan Forest Preserve and Fabyan Villa Museum and JapaNelle Fabyan nese Garden. The villa that the in 1885 couple hired Frank Lloyd Wright to renovate, and the surrounding 300 acres they acquired, “soon became a lavish showplace complete with fountains, gardens, a Romanstyle swimming pool, a Dutch-style windmill, a private zoo, a working lighthouse, a boathouse, greenhouses, tennis courts, laboratories and more,” according to Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, which runs what is now the Fabyan Villa Museum. But the Fabyans were interested in far more than showing off their wealth. “Colonel” Fabyan “inspired a ‘community of thinkers’ who advanced science in such fields as acoustics, cryptography, genetics and physiology,” according to the book “George Fabyan: The Tycoon Who Broke Ciphers, Ended Wars, Manipulated Sound, Built a Levitation Machine and Organized the Modern Research Center,” by author Richard Munson, excerpted in Northwest Quarterly Magazine. “Considering himself an ‘ideas man,’ Fabyan changed how we wage wars and keep secrets, how we transmit sound and design buildings, and how we stimulate scientific advances,” Munson wrote. “He created perhaps the first independent research center, laid the foundation for the top-secret National Security Agency, and even helped end World War I by ... breaking German codes.” A 1993 history of signal intelligence,
Shaw Local News Network file photo
Fabyan Villa (pictured) was the home of Col. George and Nelle Fabyan from 1908 to 1939. The house is notable because of its remodelling in 1907 by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was the centerpiece of the Fabyans country estate, which they named Riverbank. But starting in June 1916, “a considerable amount of work along these lines was conducted purely as a patriotic enterprise at his own expense by Mr. George Fabyan, whose Riverbank Laboratories at Geneva, Illinois, organized a small group of fairly welltrained cryptanalysts to work upon such codes and ciphers as were forwarded by the War, Navy, State, and Justice Departments.” This work ceased at the Geneva compound in 1919 after the end of World War I, but it was an antecedent to what eventually became official signal-breaking Shaw Local News Network file photo work in the intelligence sector that also played a role in the Allied victory in The Fabyan Windmill, located at the Fabyan World War II. Forest Preserve near Geneva. “Colonel” Fabyan’s wide-ranging published by the U.S. Army’s Center for interests took him in other unusual Military History, said no agency of the directions, such as his attempts to prove federal government was doing the type William Shakespeare didn’t actually of code breaking called cryptanalytics write the plays attributed to him – a before 1917. debate that continues to rage.
His interest in acoustics research led to the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories, which continues to operate adjacent to Fabyan Forest Preserve today. Nelle Fabyan, who married George in 1891, “was very passionate about animals and flowers. She had kennels for her prize-winning dogs and greenhouses for flowers she grew and sold to hotels and restaurants in Chicago,” according to Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. At a September event the organization hosted in Nelle Fabyan’s honor, Geneva History Museum Executive Director Terry Emma shared information discovered through a 1920 magazine interview that, according to Preservation Partners, “unveils four important parts of Nelle’s life as a socialite, a farmer, a sculptor, and a philanthropist.” George Fabyan died in 1936 and Nelle three years later, both in Geneva.
OUR STORIES: NEWS
By DENISE M. BARAN-UNLAND dunland@shawmedia.com Amelia “Molly” Zelko was the single, 47-year-old editor of The Spectator, a weekly print newspaper in Joliet that often reported on area corruption. Her tagline was, “If they get me, I’ll kick off my shoes.” Zelko vanished on the night of Sept. 25, 1957. Her car was found the next day in front of her apartment, with her black shoes nearby. The Herald-News sparked national interest in Zelko through stories by former Herald-News reporter and columnist John Whiteside and Lonny Cain, former Shaw Local reporter, retired manager editor for The Times in Ottawa and current Shaw Local columnist. Whiteside always hoped to solve the mystery. He died from cancer in 2005. In 2020, Cain, along with Joliet Area Historical Museum executive director Greg Peerbolte, created an eight-part
has never been in print,” Cain said during the presentation. “I think it’s time that the Joliet public knows what I know and decides whether it matters.” Cain also wrote in a 2021 column in The Times that he’d like to write a book. His challenge is that “the Molly story is a living, fluid, breathing thing,” he wrote. “How do you write about a mystery when you keep finding clues?” Cain wrote in 2021. Former Herald-News assistant city editor Sue Merrell – then known as Sue Wallace – fictionalized the Zelko story in her novel “One Shoe Off.” Gary Middendorf file photo Merrell’s novel “Great News Town” The shoes of “Molly” Zelko, found outside her residence during a wellness check, are displayed also fictionalized another Herald-News with the newspaper that first reported the missing journalist at the Joliet Area Historical investigative piece that attracted Museum’s “Unsolved History: Molly Zelko at 65” event on Sept. 24, 2022, in Joliet. national attention: the ceramic shop murders. podcast on the continued search for vided him and the late John Whiteside On Aug. 20, 1983, Milton Johnson Zelko. with information credible enough to fatally stabbed four people inside the D u r i n g a p r e s e n t a t i o n a t t h e look for Zelko’s remains in the street Greenware by Merry ceramics shop museum in 2022, Cain told the 200 outside a house at 103 Stryker Ave. and craft supply store on Cass Street in attendees that three witnesses pro“I have a lot of new information that Joliet.
Congratulations
on this momentous milestone of 175 years of dedication and distinction. Proud to be part of your organization for 11+ years and counting..
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
The disappearance of Joliet reporter Molly Zelko
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Congratulations on 175 years! Riverside Healthcare congratulates Shaw Media on its 175th anniversary. Thank you to the generations of dedicated journalists, editors, and every team in between for sharing countless remarkable stories. Riverside thanks Shaw, the Daily Journal, and STAR Radio for all it has done - and continues to do - for Kankakee County and beyond.
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By PAYTON FELIX pfelix@shawmedia.com Throughout the city of Dixon, there are many reminders of its former resident, Ronald Reagan, who went on to become a Hollywood star and president of the United States. Perhaps the most prominent is the “Begins the Trail” statue, which is the centerpiece of Dixon’s Heritage Crossing Riverfront Plaza and depicts Reagan on a horseback ride he took through the city’s downtown during a summer festival in 1950. The statue was created by sculptor Donald L. Reed and made possible by 13 donors who each contributed $13,000 to fund the project. One of those donors was former Shaw Media President and CEO Tom Shaw. Shaw was one of three close childhood friends of Reed who gathered community support for the project. Shaw first went to Jim Burke, who was Dixon’s mayor at the time. He showed Burke a picture of what the sculpture would look like, and said Reed wanted “a prominent place for it somewhere in the community.” Burke and other city leaders were in the early phases of their riverfront development master plan and had drawn up blueprints for the construction of Heritage Crossing, which was completed in 2009. In those blueprints, officials planned a fountain in the center of the plaza, but Shaw said that when he discussed Reed’s plans with Burke, Burke wanted to swap it out with the sculpture “because of what it would mean for Dixon.” The group began strategizing the best way to raise the money since it was going to cost about $170,000, Shaw said. “How do we raise that money? We didn’t want to have $25 potlucks ... because you’ll never get it done,” he said. Shaw said they decided to find 13 people who could donate $13,000. “There are a lot of people that support it, but they wouldn’t have the resources over that level,” Shaw said. “We went out, and it was just a matter of a couple weeks. It just kind of sold itself.” Donors were Janet Brown Colman; Bud, John and Barbara Gerlach; Chris
Alex T. Paschal
Retired Shaw Media CEO Tom Shaw talks about Ronald Reagan’s legacy and his love for Dixon during an interview Aug. 26, 2026. and Linda May (Green) Hanson; Dr. Jim and Whitni Hey; and the families of Rick and Barb Curia, Richard and Donald Lovett, Ken and Carol Nelson, Tom and Tammy Shaw, and Chuck and Karen Stephenitch. KSB Hospital, which is now OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center, Raynor Garage Doors, and Shaw Media also donated, according to the statue’s plaque. The 13th donor was the Lee County Republicans, which included community members who contributed various amounts. Burke, chairman of the Lee County Democrats, donated through that group, Shaw said. “This was so important to him [Burke] that he put his name in the Lee County Republicans,” Shaw said. Reed created the wax molds for the sculpture in his living room. Then they had to be cut apart, cast in silicone, and shipped to California. There, Reed had some friends who cast the pieces. Those
pieces were brought back to the Sauk Valley area, where they were assembled, and the statue was completed, Shaw said. The 9-foot-high bronze statue was stored in a warehouse until it was time to erect it on the riverfront, Shaw said. “It was a big day in Dixon,” Shaw said. Reed completed the statue in 2006, two years after Reagan died of Alzheimer’s disease. The statue was dedicated on Aug. 14, 2009. “It was kind of cool too because the statue was placed on what we now call Reagan Way ... which is kind of a nice stretch of things that Reagan, in one way or another, was involved in,” Shaw said. That includes the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home and First Christian Church, where he was a member. The group also authorized the production of 93 smaller statues representing each year of Reagan’s life.
A portion of the proceeds from each sale was donated to an organization chosen by the buyer, Shaw said. “The Dixon connection is not only Reagan to Dixon, but it’s Dixon to Reagan,” Shaw said. “It was just mutual, and he had a good heart. He saw the good in things.” Reagan lived in Dixon from 1920 to 1933, and Shaw said he believes one reason Reagan loved the city so much was because of the opportunities it offered him. When Reagan was growing up, he got involved in various activities at Dixon High School, such as football and drama club. He also spent seven summers working as a lifeguard at what used to be Lowell Park Beach. Over the years, Reagan came back to visit Dixon many times, and a couple of times Shaw would be in charge of getting the crowd together, but organizing those types of events was very much a communitywide effort, Shaw said. “Reagan was just so friendly,” Shaw said. Shaw said that one of the times he met Reagan was when he was campaigning for the presidency in Peoria. Shaw and two other members of the Shaw family were in line to meet Reagan. Staff working Reagan’s campaign told him he was taking too much time and needed to move along to the next person. Shaw said that Reagan responded, “basically, ‘cool your jets. These people are from Dixon.’” Reagan “was genuinely like that. When there was somebody from Dixon, he would just make the time. He loved the relationship he had with Dixon and vice versa,” Shaw said. Shaw served as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention when Reagan was elected in 1980 and 1984. He worked as publisher and general manager at the Dixon Telegraph during those years. Leading up to the election, the Telegraph pre-printed its paper with the headline that Reagan won. They waited until a national media outlet called his victory and became the first newspaper in the country to announce his presidency, Shaw said. “They were fun times for the community. Just really special as you might imagine,” Shaw said.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Telegraph has many ties to Ronald Reagan
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Five students die in NIU mass shooting By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
and CAMDEN LAZENBY
clazenby@shawmedia.com On Feb. 14, 2008, a gunman opened fire inside a Northern Illinois University lecture hall in DeKalb, killing five students and wounding dozens of others. The lasting impact of that day – a school shooting that has become part of a long and grim legacy as mass gun violence in schools grows nationwide – has woven into the careers, lives and memories of those who survived it. Each Feb. 14, bells chime five times at 3:06 p.m. outside Cole Hall on NIU’s campus, one toll for each of the five students killed when a former NIU graduate student opened fire inside the lecture hall. Catalina Garcia, 20; Daniel Parmenter, 20; Ryanne Mace, 19; Julianna Gehant, 32; and Gayle Dubowski, 20, were killed in the shooting, and more than 30 others were injured. Kevin Stromberg, a 2008 NIU graduate, was in the lecture hall when the shooter opened fire. He wasn’t wounded, but said he recalls the proximity of the two was too close for comfort. “I was in the classroom for the duration of the shooting, and at one point, the shooter was probably 10, 15 feet away from me,” Stromberg said in a 2023 Shaw Local interview to mark 15 years since the shooting. Stromberg was a senior in 2008 and decided to pursue a master’s degree in counseling, his own experience surviving a mass shooting informing his career decisions. He now works as clinical director, specializing in trauma counseling. Stromberg said the shooting prompted him to use the trauma he experienced to help others. He said it’s important to help others find their voice in the midst of pain. “The shooting made me really want to work with folks dealing with trauma and complex trauma,” Stromberg said. “It’s not always easy. It’s hard sometimes to find, especially in trauma. It’s not like I disclose it all the time with clients, but just to have that deeper understanding, I think, sometimes can enrichen the therapeutic relationship.” For first responders, the shooting came with another layer: emergency
response to a horrific event was part of the job. In the years since, DeKalb County area police and fire agencies have used that day to evolve critical response to mass casualty incidents. Radio towers and communication responses are more succinct. Training focuses on neutralizing a potential threat while balancing vital medical care to injured people. Months before the DeKalb shooting, a Virginia Tech undergraduate student killed 32 people and wounded 17 others with two semi-automatic pistols in Blacksburg, Virginia. It remains the deadliest school shooting in American
history. Virginia Tech’s standing as the largest mass shooting in U.S. history was surpassed June 12, 2016, after a gunman fatally shot 49 people and wounded 53 others at Pulse, a gay night club in Orlando, Florida. Former NIU Police Chief Darren Mitchell was serving as a lieutenant for campus police on Feb. 14. He said the university officials used what happened at Virginia Tech to inform campus emergency response, not knowing what would befall NIU 10 months later. “What’s changed mostly, I think, is the community’s expectations on police as it pertains to active shooter circumstances,” Mitchell said in 2023. “Back
then, it was one of those phenomenons that you think this is very, very tragic.” DeKalb firefighter and paramedic Pat Eriksen, a 1995 NIU graduate, said he met his wife in the same Cole Hall classroom where, years later, a gunman would kill five people. Eriksen was on his way to the hospital with a child in an ambulance who’d hurt himself on a coffee table when he got the call. His crew got the child to the hospital and then warned the emergency room doctors: More trauma patients were on the way. “We did hear a couple of gunshots and then dead silence,” Eriksen said in 2023. “We walked into Cole Hall at that time and there was book bags everywhere, blood everywhere – like trails of it, footprints of it, etc.” For Jim Killam, a Rockford resident who was staff adviser for the university’s student newspaper, the Northern Star, the line between reporting and living through the shooting was a challenge for students. “We were getting calls from the national media that [was] there,” Killam said in 2023. “The Northern Star students were the only students on campus after that first day. Everybody had gone home. Any media outlet looking for student voices they were often talking to the Star editors or the Star reporters. So, it was a weird experience of them covering the story and also being part of the story.” Former Daily Chronicle City Editor Kate Schott, who resides in Springfield, said the lives of the shooting victims were practically etched in her brain that first year of reporting on them. “I thought of them quite often that first year,” Schott said in 2023. “As a journalist, it’s terrible to have to talk to parents about their children who are lost in such a manner. But when they trust you with their memories and their stories, that’s also just something I took very seriously. I wanted to cherish those memories. I always wanted to share with our readers more about how those people lived instead of how they died.” In the wake of tragedy, DeKalb came together. Whether it was building Huskie statues across town to show solidarity with the campus community, community members baking thousands of cookies to hand out to students as they returned to campus, or providing comfort and support.
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By JESSIE MOLLOY jmolloy@shawmedia.com On Aug. 28, 1990, an EF-5 tornado touched down in Plainfield, forever changing hundreds of lives and the way meteorologists handle severe storm forecasting. The storm, the only EF-5-rated tornado ever to touch down in the U.S. in August, was never predicted before it tore through Plainfield, Joliet and Crest Hill. The first tornado warnings were not issued until after it had left 29 people dead in Will County and Plainfield High School (now Plainfield Central High School) and St. Mary Immaculate Church destroyed, alongside hundreds of homes. The storm first touched down in Oswego and went on in an unusual northbound path, causing severe damage in Joliet and Crest Hill – leveling apartment buildings – after devastating Plainfield. At its peak, the funnel cloud produced wind gusts over 260 mph. It injured 353 people and caused $165 million in property damage, yet 36 years later, no photos or videos of the actual tornado exist because of the scale of the destruction and the way the twister was completely obscured by rain. The unprecedented late-summer storm remains not only the largest natural disaster ever to strike Will County, but one of the most significant weather stories in the history of storm forecasting. The National Weather Service notes that the Plainfield tornado, as it is commonly known, led to significant changes in how meteorologists look for tornadoes and issue warnings. “There have been a lot of changes since then,” Mike Bardou, a warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS office in Romeoville, said as the Plainfield area commemorated the tragedy’s 35th anniversary in 2025. The office was created after the Plainfield disaster. “A lot of those are due to advancements in technology, but there was also a greater emphasis put on creating a network of storm spotters,” he said. Storm spotters are civilians trained to observe weather issues, report them
Shaw Local News Network file photos
A rescue worker walks through the devastation at Plainfield High School, which was hit by the tornado that spun through the village Aug. 28, 1990. Two fatalities were reported at the school and one nearby in the administration building. Friends try to comfort a woman as they wait for word on those who survived the tornado that struck the Crest Hill Lakes apartments Aug. 28, 1990.
to weather authorities and call in damage after a storm passes. In the aftermath of the Plainfield tornado, DuPage County and the College of DuPage worked with the NWS to create training seminars for residents interested in becoming storm spotters and to improve community emergency preparedness. Doppler radar became more commonplace two years after the storm. The technology can “see inside” storm fronts, an ability that may have made the tornado more visible to forecasters had it been available at the time. The Plainfield storm spurred more widespread adoption of the technology
at the federal level after the National Weather Service was heavily criticized for not issuing warnings until after the worst of the storm had passed, highlighting the need for more high-quality imaging equipment. The storm also led to what became known in meteorological circles as the “Plainfield effect”: the belief that it is better to err on the side of caution and issue too many warnings than to dismiss a storm and fail to issue a warning that could save lives.
Community impact
While the storm made national headlines and changed the way meteorolo-
gists do their jobs, the impact on the local community was profound. While students had not started school for the year yet at Plainfield High School when the storm started, timing which likely reduced the death toll of the event significantly, several teachers who were in the building preparing for the start of school were killed, as was the principal at St. Mary Immaculate. Survivors of the storm have noted that “everyone knew someone who was gone or severely injured,” and first responders from the area recall never having seen anything like the damage that was done. In the days and weeks following the storm, hundreds of volunteers from the surrounding area descended on Plainfield to assist with cleanup efforts and to provide aid to neighbors displaced by the storm. Today, a memorial stands across the street from the rebuilt Plainfield Central High School at 24101 W. Fort Beggs Drive, which reads, “At 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 28, 1990, a tornado swept through this area, cutting a 12-mile path of destruction. This memorial is dedicated to the 29 people who died as a result of tornado-related injuries. We miss them and cherish their memories,” with the names of the victims.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Plainfield 1990 tornado: The storm that changed a community and meteorology
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Dennis Hastert: Rise and fall of a Speaker From Yorkville to Washington, D.C., he left a complex legacy By JOEY WESLO jweslo@shawmedia.com Ten years after Dennis Hastert first reported to prison, Shaw Local looks back on the former Republican Speaker of the House’s stunning fall from grace and the legacy of the highest-ranking elected official in U.S. history ever to be locked up behind bars. Hastert reported to federal prison on June 22, 2016, eventually serving 13 months of a 15-month sentence after pleading guilty to banking withdrawal violations. The withdrawals involved trying to cover up hush-money payments to a former Yorkville High School student he was accused of sexually abusing while Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at the school. Hastert was indicted in May 2015 on federal charges. During court proceedings, federal prosecutors alleged Hastert molested at least four boys during his time as wrestling coach. Hastert was employed at the high school from 1965 to 1981. The news stunned small-town Yorkville, which affectionately referred to the man once second in line to the presidency as Coach Hastert. He coached the Foxes to the state wrestling title in 1976. The evangelical U.S. congressman of the 14th District was instrumental to the foreign and domestic policy priorities of the Republican George W. Bush administration. Hastert was Speaker of the House from Jan. 6, 1999, to Jan. 3, 2007. During his 2016 sentencing hearing, Hastert first publicly admitted he sexually abused some of the boys he coached. Hastert said, “I want to apologize to the boys I mistreated when I was their coach. What I did was wrong, and I regret it.” Because of the then-statutes of limitations for sexual abuse, Hastert, 74 years old at the time of the hearing and in a wheelchair after a recent stroke, was not charged for the offenses that allegedly occurred decades in the past. Federal District Court Judge Thomas Durkin, brother of then-Republican
ness partners when Hastert earmarked the 2005 Prairie Parkway project onto a congressional highway bill. Land the partners previously purchased skyrocketed in value, making them millions, according to The Washington Post. The victim filed a report with the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office in 2016, but it was dismissed because of the statute of limitations, according to the Chicago Tribune. Following Hastert’s 2015 federal indictment, the local fallout was swift. On May 29, 2015, the Yorkville School District 115 released a statement saying it had “no knowledge” of Hastert’s alleged misconduct and first learned of it when the indictment was released. The district said no one had contacted the district to report misconduct, according to the Chicago Tribune. In 2015, Hastert’s alma mater, Wheaton College, removed Hastert’s name from the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy, inaugurated in 2007. Also in 2015, the Kendall County Shaw Local News Network file photo Courthouse removed a ceremonial Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert talks with supporters of his son, Illinois House District 14 candidate Ethan Hastert, during election night festivities at the Hotel Baker in St. Charles in 2010. plaque listing Hastert’s accomplishments. Partly inspired by Hastert never minority leader of the Illinois House, Hastert countersued the victim, serving time for the sexual assaults, the Jim Durkin, seized the opportunity to alleging the victim violated their confi- state of Illinois in 2017 removed the statchastise Hastert for the harm he placed dentiality agreement by speaking with ute of limitations for all felony child upon the lives of the boys who trusted federal prosecutors about the sexual abuse and sexual assault offenses in the him. abuse. Hastert sued to recover the $1.7 state. It was expanded to include adult “Nothing is more stunning than hav- million he had already paid the victim victims in 2019. ing ‘serial child molester’ and ‘Speaker between 2010 and 2014, as previously of the House’ in the same sentence,” reported by Shaw Local News Net- The Hastert Rule and Durkin said. work. the Speaker’s gavel During the hearing, the sister of one In September 2021, after five years of Hastert’s rise to the Speaker’s gavel of Hastert’s victims, who died of AIDS in legal jockeying, the case was dismissed was almost as stunning as his downfall. 1995, told Hastert, “You took his inno- by Kendall County Judge Robert Pilmer. The now 84-year-old grew up on a family cence and turned it against him.” Attorneys for both the victim and Hast- farm near Aurora and attended Oswego Another victim told the courtroom, ert declined to provide details of the High School. He received deferment “I felt intense pain, shame and guilt” in likely financial settlement that ended during the Vietnam War because of a the years following the sexual abuse and the court proceedings. wrestling injury. called what Coach Hastert did to him his Another lawsuit was brought against Hastert served in the Illinois House “darkest secret,” according to The New Hastert in May 2016 by a man who of Representatives from 1981-1987 with a York Times. claimed he was in fourth grade when solid conservative Republican voting After being released from prison in Hastert assaulted him in a Yorkville record. While in Springfield, Hastert July 2017, Hastert returned to reside in community building. helped prevent the Equal Rights AmendKendall County. It wasn’t long before he The victim said he reported the crime ment, which would have banned disfound himself in court again regarding to then-Kendall County State’s Attorney crimination based on sex, from ever the hush-money payments. Hastert was Dallas Ingemunson, who was also the coming to the floor for a full vote. He sued in April 2016 by a former Yorkville Kendall County Republican chairman, also opposed bills banning discriminaHigh School wrestler who alleged Hast- who allegedly threatened to charge the tion against gays, according to the Chiert owed him the remaining $1.8 million victim with slandering Hastert’s name, cago Tribune. of a total $3.5 million hush-payment according to the Chicago Tribune. promised by Hastert. Ingemunson and Hastert were busiSee Hastert on page 41
• HASTERT Hastert was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986. One of his first roles for the Republicans was helping block President Bill Clinton’s health care plan of 1993, which proposed universal health care. While in Congress, Hastert voted against abortion rights, for lower taxes, against federal background checks on gun purchases, and against a federal assault weapons ban. He was a strong advocate for the “war on drugs,” and supported the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He became chief deputy whip to the caustic Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich in 1995. Following Gingrich’s resignation, Hastert was seen as the safe choice by Republicans to lead the caucus in 1999. Hastert would go on to become the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House. Hastert served as Speaker during most of Bush’s administration. Hastert fiercely championed Bush’s foreign and domestic priorities, working closely with both the president and Vice President Dick Cheney. He helped both of Bush’s tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 get across the finish line. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hastert was a significant supporter of the USA Patriot Act, which expanded surveillance and permitted the indefinite detention without trial of noncitizens. Hastert also supported the establishment of Homeland Security and both the invasion of Afghan-
CONGRATULATIONS on years of exceptional service & enduring commitment!
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Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hastert generated controversy by opposing spending money to rebuild New Orleans, saying “a lot of that place could be bulldozed,” according to The Washington Post. One of Hastert’s defining legacies was the “Hastert Rule,” which held that the U.S. House Speaker would not bring a bill to the floor for a vote unless it had the support of a majority of the majority party. The rule reduced bipartisan debate on the House floor, making it more difficult for legislation to advance with support from both Republicans and Democrats. The rule gave factions within the majority party greater influence over legislation by allowing them to block bills from coming to a vote, even when those bills had broad bipartisan support. While in Congress, Hastert’s net worth went from around $300,000 to between $4 million and $17 million when he resigned, largely from lucrative land deals he made while in Congress, according to ABC7 Chicago. Hastert resigned after Republicans lost control of Shaw Local News Network file photo both the House and Senate in the 2006 midterms. Then Lt. Gov. George Ryan (left) and state Rep. J. Dennis Hastert soon returned to Washington, D.C., makHastert at a ceremony in 1983 marking the transfer of a ing millions as a lobbyist for the coal industry, ethaformer state-owned highway rest area on Route 34 in nol, and candy-flavored tobacco and electronic cigaOswego to the village. Ryan went on to become governor rette companies, according to The New York Times. while Hastert went on to become U.S. Speaker of the House. While back in Yorkville, an FBI and IRS investigaBoth later served time in prison. tion into Hastert looked into the alleged misappropriation of $1.9 million in federal funds for his istan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. At the time, Hast- post-speakership office for personal use. The investiert said Saddam Hussein’s regime would provide gators digging into Hastert’s finances discovered the weapons to al-Qaeda, according to congressional hush-money payments that led to Hastert’s 2015 records. indictment and future prison sentence.
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A small house, a big moment in Sterling history By JEANNINE OTTO jotto@shawmedia.com A small, unassuming brick house played a big role in Sterling’s historical lore. On July 18, 1856, a tall, middle-aged politician traveled to Sterling to speak on behalf of the first presidential candidate representing a new political party in the United States. His overnight stay in Sterling earned him the top spot on a list of famous people who have visited the city. “Lincoln did sleep here,” said Carolyn Keller, trustee of the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society. Keller and her late husband, Tim, were among a group instrumental in obtaining the house where the man who would become the nation’s 16th presiAbraham Lincoln dent spent the night. They also led the house’s renovation and restoration, now known as the Lincoln-Manahan Home. Tim Keller died in September 2022. Lincoln, a former Illinois state legislator and U.S. representative, was working as a lawyer in 1856. In May of that year, he spoke at the Bloomington Convention, held May 29, 1856, to formally organize the Illinois Republican Party. Lincoln was a friend of Col. Robert L. Wilson, who served with Lincoln in the state legislature. Lincoln and Wilson were part of the “Long Nine,” a group of nine members of the state legislature, all of the Whig Party, representing Sangamon County. Each member of the Long Nine was at least 6 feet tall. The Long Nine successfully passed legislation to move the Illinois state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. After serving in the state legislature, Wilson moved to Sterling, where he served as clerk of the circuit court, and he remained friends with Lincoln. In 1856, after Lincoln’s impassioned speech at the Bloomington Convention, Wilson invited Lincoln to speak at the Sterling rally for John C. Fremont, the first Republican presidential candidate. Several days before Lincoln arrived, Wilson’s wife, Eliza, was critically
Alex T. Paschal
In July of 1856, Abraham Lincoln spent the night in this house on Third Street in Sterling. Lincoln was in town stumping for then presidential candidate John C. Fremont. injured in a horse-riding accident. Eliza was not expected to survive her injuries. “Wilson had to find another place for Lincoln to stay,” Keller said. Wilson went to Whiteside County Sheriff William Manahan. In 1855, the Manahan family had purchased a small brick house on East Third Street. The house was new, having been built in 1847. “When William Manahan became sheriff, they thought it better that he live in town, close to where the action was,” Keller said. The little house was a tight squeeze. “It’s a small house and Manahan, his father, two of William Manahan’s children and Manahan’s sister Mary were all living there at the time,” Keller said. Manahan readily agreed to host Wilson’s guest. But when they returned
home after the rally, they discovered the accommodations came up short – literally. “Lincoln did sleep on the sofa, and it was about a foot shorter than he was, so they had to put two chairs at the end of it for his feet and legs,” Keller said. Lincoln returned to his duties as a lawyer and continued his speeches. His seven debates across the state in 1858 with Stephen A. Douglas as they campaigned for the U.S. Senate seat brought Lincoln national attention. On May 18, 1860, he was nominated as the Republican Party presidential candidate, and he was elected president on Nov. 6, 1860. Lincoln never returned to Sterling. Col. Robert Wilson enlisted in the Clay Guard, which patrolled Washington, D.C. He returned to Illinois when the unit was relieved by an infantry company. Wilson helped raise Company
A of the 34th Illinois Volunteer Regiment. Wilson would return to Washington, D.C., where his old friend, now president, appointed him a paymaster. Wilson was promoted to colonel in 1863 and was mustered out in 1865. He died in 1880 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Sterling. Eliza Wilson recovered from her injuries and lived to the age of 93, dying in 1907. She is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Sterling, alongside her husband. Sheriff William Manahan died in 1886 and is also buried in Riverside Cemetery. Keller said one important piece of Lincoln’s visit survives. “We have been able to trace the history of the sofa that Lincoln slept on. It still exists, and it is still in the Manahan family and is privately owned in Michigan,” Keller said.
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By BOB OKON bokon@shawmedia.com The state prison opened in Joliet in 1858 and shaped the city’s identity for more than 160 years, influencing the future of Illinois while gaining cultural recognition across the nation. “The prison and the city grew up together literally and figuratively,” said Greg Peerbolte, CEO at the Joliet Area Historical Museum. “The city was incorporated in 1852. The prison was built in 1858.” The prison was built on 20 acres along the west side of Collins Street, not far from downtown Joliet. But the property includes another 160 acres on the east side of Collins Street, some of which was later used to build a women’s prison but most of which remains undeveloped today. “The interest in the state penitentiary started almost immediately with the construction of the prison,” Peerbolte said. “When you consider the vastness and grandeur of the property, it attracted both regional and national attention.” The main prison, now a tourist site, opened in a time when it was believed it could hold every criminal the state of Illinois would produce. “The intention when it was built was it would be the only penitentiary the state would ever need,”
Peerbolte said. But only 20 years later, the Joliet prison would be filled, thanks to a crime wave that followed the Civil War. A second state penitentiary would be built in Chester. But the Joliet prison would continue to have a claim to fame that would endure through most of the 20th century. Going to Joliet would become synonymous with a prison sentence, thanks to countless television and movie references. The Joliet Area Historical Museum, which now manages the prison and conducts tours, once tried to create a list of the movie and TV references to the Joliet prison. But the project was never completed. In addition to the opening scene of “The Blues Brothers” movie filmed at the prison, those references include a “Three Stooges” episode and a Bob Dylan song. The state closed the prison in 2002, when it was known as the Joliet Correctional Center. The state owns the property, but the city holds a lease allowing for tours and events at the site. The prison is now known as the Old Joliet Prison for tours and special events held there, including an old-time baseball game, a car show, and a Texas steak-eating contest in 2026.
Gary Middendorf file photo
Thousands of fans line up for a preseason baseball game played by the Joliet Slammers, the city’s minor league team, at the Old Joliet Prison in April 2026.
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Prison’s impact on Joliet and Illinois history
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Kathy Halle was killed in 1979 in North Aurora. 45 years later, her murder was tied to serial killer By DIANA WALLACE dwallace@shawmedia.com When Bruce Lindahl died in 1981 – by accidentally stabbing himself while fatally attacking a man in Naperville – it seemed likely that questions about his suspected involvement in other killings might never be answered. Like that of Pamela Maurer, 15, of Woodridge, whose body was found by the side of a road in Lisle in 1976. Or 25-year-old Debra Colliander, whom Lindahl was accused of kidnapping and raping in 1980, and whose remains were found in a farm field in Kendall County months later, just before he was due to stand trial. And Kathy Halle, 19, found dead in 1979 in the Fox River weeks after disappearing from her North Aurora apartment complex, where her blood-stained car had been left in the parking lot. But time, new attention to unsolved cases and, above all, the evolution of DNA technology to reveal things long thought buried, would eventually bring at least a measure of closure to Kathy, Pamela and Debra’s loved ones. Pamela’s case turned out to be the turning point when, in 2019, as Lisle police were reexamining the evidence, they had DNA collected from semen on her clothing compared to samples in a genealogy database, and it was linked to relatives of Lindahl. With that, authorities exhumed Lindahl’s body and retrieved a direct DNA sample. That not only tied him directly to Pamela’s murder, but it meant police could put the call out to other departments to investigate Lindahl’s potential ties to other long-cold cases. Now any other DNA samples out there could be compared to Lindahl’s. North Aurora police had such a sample in the presumed murder of Kathy Halle – who’d worked at the same Aurora shopping center from which Debra Colliander was kidnapped. Halle was supposed to be picking up her sister there the day she disappeared. But North Aurora police had been down the genetic testing road before. They tested a DNA sample from Halle’s case in 2000 and again in 2020, but the first was inconclusive, and the latter
Photos provided
ABOVE: North Aurora Police Chief Joe DeLeo speaks during a press conference in 2024. The North Aurora Police Department and the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office announced that they determined that the late Bruce Lindahl, who is suspected in several other 1970s murders, is the person who killed 19-year-old Kathy Halle in March 1979. BELOW: Bruce Lindahl’s Downers Grove North High School yearbook photo (top left), the sketch authorities made based on DNA found in the clothing of murder victim Pamela Maurer, and other photos of Lindahl. found the sample too degraded to determine identity, though it did indicate it was a mix of two different people’s genetic material. Within a couple of years, though, local detectives learned of a different type of DNA analysis and received a grant from the nonprofit Seasons of Justice to try it. In 2024, Kane County authorities announced they’d matched the sample to Lindahl, and would have pressed murder charges against him were he still alive. In Colliander’s case, authorities said her remains were too degraded by the elements for DNA sampling by the time her body was discovered in Oswego Township. But there were strong similarities to the other cases – the shopping center abduction, the dumping of the bodies. Coupled with the fact that Lindahl was already charged in Colliander’s abduction and rape when she was killed, and that someone reportedly told author-
ities Lindahl had offered them money to kill Colliander, firmly pointed to Lindahl’s culpability. Soon after Colliander disappeared in 1981, Lindahl reportedly met an 18-yearold in Naperville named Charles Huber, and the two went to a local apartment together, where police said Lindahl stabbed Huber more than two dozen times, but was wounded by his own weapon when Huber fought back. Both were found dead at the scene. Whether Lindahl got his just deserts, authorities still hoped to be able to bring him to justice for the killings of Huber and the three young women in the Aurora and Naperville areas, and potentially others. “This was a tough one for us,” North Aurora Detective Ryan Peat said in 2024 when authorities announced they’d identified Lindahl as Halle’s killer. “It doesn’t save Kathy. It doesn’t bring any justice to Bruce.”
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Nearly 400 houses damaged; two dozen a complete loss in 2021 By BOB RAKOW brakow@shawmedia.com Woodridge residents were celebrating Father’s Day and preparing for a new week on the evening of Sunday, June 21, 2021, when disaster struck. At 11:10 p.m., an EF3 tornado ripped through the community. Moments later, people’s lives were upended, and the community faced the formidable task of meeting residents’ immediate needs and overcoming long-term challenges. “Truly, what resonates with me is our response as a village, as neighbors,” Mayor Gina Cunningham said earlier this year, reflecting on the tornado’s fifth anniversary. “People immediately came out and offered their help.” The tornado struck hundreds of homes and trees as it tore through the village’s Rosewood neighborhood along Woodridge Drive, south of 75th Street. Roofs were sheared off houses, mature trees were uprooted and debris was scattered everywhere. Emergency vehicles descended on the community as residents tried to sort out what had happened in just a few moments. “There was just no time to process. We left our house in the middle of the night and didn’t come back for eight months,” Woodridge resident Alexis Reeder said one year after the tornado. “We’ll never be the same as we were, and we just want to be as prepared as possible going forward.” The Reeder’s daughter Violet celebrated her first birthday on June 19. The following day, the roof of her nursery was torn off her home by the tornado. Violet and her parents took shelter in the laundry room, but they quickly realized a gas pipe had been torn from the ground, leaving their home no longer safe from the whipping winds around them. About 400 homes were damaged by the tornado, with more than two dozen homes considered to be a “complete loss,” village officials said. A total of 28 homes in Woodridge were deemed a “complete loss,” and 156
Shaw Local News Network file photo
Volunteers help clear up debris on Woodridge Drive in Woodridge following a tornado on Father’s Day 2021. homes in the community suffered “major damage,” officials said. The tornado also impacted portions of Naperville, Darien, Burr Ridge and Willow Springs. The following day, cleanup efforts had begun. Many residents were outside assessing damage and cleaning up their property while others sought help from the Red Cross, which had set up at nearby Thomas Jefferson Junior High School Theresa Grzenia and several others felt compelled to devote most of the day following the tornado to lending a helping hand. “We’ve been pulling things together since 10 o’clock this morning,” Grzenia said. Grzenia is the executive director for 4 K.I.D.S. Sake, a Bolingbrook nonprofit organization whose mission is to assist and advocate on behalf of children in difficult situations. She led a group around the neighborhood distributing items to help people
get through the week. “After the storms hit [June 20], we had a lot of families reaching out to us with requests for candles, flashlights with batteries, some water and some snacks for the house,” Grzenia said. “A few families reached out for diapers, wipes and formula. So we collected what we could, and we started reaching out to a lot of the families that were impacted.” Nicole Rivera walked around the neighborhood with her son, Antonio, 7, so they could see firsthand the damage left behind by the storm. “I told him it’s not too often you see things like this and how unfortunate it is,” Nicole Rivera said. Rivera wasn’t displaced by the storm, but she knew people who lived in the apartment building next to her house who were forced to leave. She described the scene along Woodridge Drive as “crazy,” saying “everybody is in shock right now.” The help that neighbors offered one another evolved into lasting organiza-
tions committed to meeting the longterm needs of community members. The nonprofit group Neighbors Helping Neighbors Disaster Recovery was formed just two months after the tornado and remains active today. “It took about five years to get everybody back in their homes,” said Dianne O’Donnell, co-chair of Neighbors Helping Neighbors. “Our goal going forward now that most of the folks are back safe and sound in their homes is to be there for future crises,” she said. “You know there is going to be something,” she said. “God forbid, you hope there won’t, but the plan is to be there at the ready.” For some, the tornado had an even greater impact than property damage or being displaced from their home. Katie Wilson was severely injured after a tree crashed through the roof of her in-law’s home from the impact of the tornado. Wilson, who was seven months pregnant at the time, and her husband, Bryan, lost their unborn son, Jordan. She spent weeks in the hospital, followed by a period at a rehabilitation center, and only returned home around Labor Day. Five years later, Wilson said, “I am OK – as good as I could be.” “Physically, I am about where I am going to be. I still have deficits. But I am about 95% of what I am going to be. If anything, it is strengthening what I have, but that could go for anybody, too,” she said. Not everyone was able to rebuild and move on with their lives in a timely fashion. Some residents of the Woodridge County Club condominium complex remain displaced from their homes long after the disaster. But Neighbors Helping Neighbors Disaster Recovery provided compassion and service through the long-term disaster recovery process by sponsoring numerous fundraisers for the families. “I am so inspired by our neighbors in terms of their strength and compassion,” Cunningham said. “Both those that have been hit so hard and those helping.” “There are beautiful stories here that have happened in the midst of a disaster,” she said.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Tornado devastates Woodridge on Father’s Day
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
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Memories of Oswego Drag Raceway live on By ERIC SCHELKOPF eschelkopf@shawmedia.com
Big Rock resident John Rogerson has fond memories of watching cars spinning their tires at the Oswego Drag Raceway. “My grandparents lived up on Washington Street in Oswego,” Rogerson said. “On Sundays, we’d go to their house when I was little. You could hear the drag strip from Washington Street. A few times, I went there with some buddies that actually raced there. But I never actually raced there myself.” Rogerson brought his 1940 Chevrolet Master 85 to the 19th annual Oswego Drag Raceway Reunion held last September in the parking lot next to the village’s Venue 1012 amphitheater. The popular raceway was located on U.S. Route 34, a couple of miles west of the Route 34 bridge. It operated from 1955 to 1979. Rogerson began attending Oswego Drag Raceway as a high school student in the 1970s. He was already a fan of classic cars when he started going to the raceway. “My dad had a turquoise and white 1955 Chevy,” he said. “I always wanted a turquoise and white ‘55 Chevy. Some years later when I was 20, I bought one.
since 2006. “We’ve actually been all the way to Custer, South Dakota, in this car,” he said. “It’s been a really dependable car. We have air conditioning and cruise control in it, so we’re riding in an old car with the two things that you want.” Glendale Heights resident Ken Smith brought his 1964 Pontiac GTO to the event. He bought the car in August 1999. Smith, who grew up in the Quad Cities, never made it to the Oswego Drag Raceway when it was open. “I always wanted to,” he said. “I went over to the Cordova Dragway and watched people like Arnie Beswick run.” His car is known for its speed. “I’ve not quite buried the needle in it,” he said. “I don’t do that in town. I take it out on blacktop out in the middle of nowhere. It probably can top out at Photo provided by Little White School Museum around 140 or 145 mph.” On a Sunday in 1957, just a couple of years after the Oswego This is the first time Smith has brought his car to Drag Raceway opened, two new ’57 Chevys burn off the line the event. during a race at “The Strip.” “I’ve heard that they have quite a variety of cars here, which is very true,” he said. Fifty years later, I still have that car. I’ve always been Smith likes answering questions about his car. a Chevy guy, right out of the box.” “I get all kinds of interesting questions,” he said. Rogerson has had his 1940 Chevrolet Master 85 “This is known as the first muscle car ever built.”
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OUR STORIES: SPORTS
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com As we celebrate the 175th anniversary of Shaw Media, we are recognizing the top 10 high school sports moments. Here they are, as voted on by staff.
1. Montini beats Joliet Catholic football in record-setting final
Montini beat Joliet Catholic 70-45 in the 2011 Class 5A state championship game for Montini’s third straight title. The teams combined for 115 points and 1,644 yards of offense, both IHSA records. Montini quarterback John Rhode completed 29 of 45 passes for 587 yards and seven touchdowns, both title-game records. Joliet Catholic running back Ty Isaac ran for 515 yards and six touchdowns in the loss.
2. Tyler Vasey breaks IHSA rushing record
Nobody could stop Prairie Ridge quarterback Tyler Vasey during the 2022 football season. The 6-foot-7, 170pound senior rushed for an IHSA record 3,878 yards, which also was the most in the nation that season. Vasey ran for 52 TDs and helped the Wolves to the Class 6A state championship game. He entered his team’s quarterfinal against Harlem 198 yards short of the IHSA record and gashed the Huskies for 481 yards and eight touchdowns in the snow.
Mark Busch file photo
Prairie Ridge’s Tyler Vasey tries to get by East St. Louis’ Michael Tillman during their IHSA Class 6A state championship game Nov. 26, 2022, in Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
for her clutch heroics in state championship games. Hart made the biggest shot in Geneva history, a 2-footer in the final seconds for a 41-40 win over Edwardsville in the 2017 Class 4A state championship game. 3. Streator softball shocks the state She did it again the next year. Hart’s It would be hard to convey 43 years 18-footer with two seconds remaining later just how big of a deal the 1983 Stre- capped an improbable comeback and ator softball team became statewide lifted the Vikings to a 28-26 win over during its Cinderella run to the one- Montini for Geneva’s second straight class IHSA state championship led by state title. diminutive ace pitcher and media darling Alexandra “Zami” Mogill. 5. Brian DuBois’ postseason heroics The Bulldogs made headlines across give Reed-Custer baseball 1985 state Illinois during a memorable run that title, first of two in program history culminated in the Chicago White Sox The Comets secured the first of their celebrating the team with “Streator two state baseball titles in 1985, thanks Day” on June 26, 1983, at old Comiskey in large part to the postseason heroics of Park. senior pitcher Brian DuBois. He threw a no-hitter in the quarterfi4. Geneva’s Stephanie Hart nals, earned a save in the semifinals, hits game-winning shot in final and then tossed a one-hit shutout in the seconds of back-to-back state state championship game, allowing just championship games a bunt single. He struck out 262 batters Stephanie Hart’s name will forever be etched in Geneva girls basketball lore See high school on page 48
Geneva’s Stephanie Hart goes up for a shot on Edwardsville’s Myriah Haywood in the third quarter during their Class 4A championship game at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals in 2017. The Vikings defeated the Tigers 41-40 to win the program’s first girls’ state basketball title in school history. Shaw Local News Network file photo
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Top 10 moments in high school sports
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• HIGH SCHOOL
9. Wheaton Warrenville South beats Joliet Catholic in 2OT in state championship
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Phil Adler’s 10-yard touchdown run, the third touchdown of the game by the All-State running back, sealed Wheaton Warrenville South’s 40-34 win over Joliet Catholic in double overtime in the 1992 Class 5A state championship game. The win capped off a perfect 14-0 season for coach John Thorne’s Tigers. It clinched the first state title in program history, and the first of four state championships for Wheaton Warrenville South in the 1990s under Thorne. The Tigers won three more championships in the following decade under Ron Muhitch.
that season, still an IHSA record, while 626 career strikeouts rank second. He was drafted out of high school by the Baltimore Orioles and went on to have a brief MLB career across two seasons with the Detroit Tigers.
6. Christian Bentancur’s record
Marian Central’s Christian Bentancur, who graduated in 2024, did something no other Illinois athlete ever has by catching 200-plus passes in football and scoring more than 2,000 points in basketball during his high school career. His 231 receptions in football still rank sixth all-time in IHSA history. Gary Middendorf file photo
7. Benet boys basketball has longest St. Charles East’s Ben Davino defeats Hononegah’s Thomas Silva in the 132-pound Class 3A home winning streak in state history state championship match in 2024 in Champaign. Benet’s boys basketball team won the program’s first state championship in 2025. But it wasn’t the first time Benet 8. Rock Falls boys basketball made history. rallies from 11 down in final Between Nov. 26, 1975, and Jan. 24, minutes to win 1999 state title 1987, Benet won 102 consecutive home The Rock Falls boys basketball team games in its “old gym.” The streak ended won the 1999 Class A state championwhen Naperville North beat Benet 47-46, ship in dramatic fashion. but the record still stands as the longest Brian Vance’s 3-pointer with six sechome winning streak in IHSA history. onds left lifted the Rockets to a come-
from-behind 45-43 win over Waterloo Gibault. Rock Falls trailed 41-30 with under five minutes left before mounting its rally. It was Rock Falls’ first state basketball championship. The program finished as state runner-up to Chicago Marshall in 1958 in the then single-class era.
10. St. Charles East’s Ben Davino wins four straight state wrestling titles
St. Charles East senior Ben Davino became the 15th four-time state champion in the 88-year history of the state wrestling tournament in 2024. Davino closed out a 50-0 final season in style with a 20-5 technical fall victory over Hononegah two-time state champion Thomas Silva. Davino finished with a 181-1 career record in high school and finished with a 136-match consecutive winning streak.
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SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com As we celebrate Shaw Local’s 175th anniversary, our sports staff is recognizing the top 10 high school sports teams. Here they are, as voted on by staff.
1. Joliet Catholic football
The Hilltoppers have brought home 15 IHSA state championships in football, second only to Mount Carmel’s 17. JCA’s 15 titles include the first in 1975 to begin a run of four straight in Class 4A and three consecutive state championships from 1999-2001, the last of those being the first of the Hilltoppers’ four 5A state titles.
2. Providence football
The Celtics football program won 50 games in a row from 1994-97, winning state championships all four years. Providence has won 10 state championships in total and finished state runner-up five times.
3. Alden-Hebron basketball
The 1952 Alden-Hebron boys basketScott Anderson file photo ball team became the smallest school Members of the Joliet Catholic football team hoist the Class 4A first-place state trophy after defeating Springfield (Sacred Heart-Griffin) 56-27 in ever to win an Illinois state championthe Class 4A state title game at Huskie Stadium on Nov. 26, 2021, in DeKalb. ship with an enrollment of 98 students. The nationally famous Giants were ranked No. 1 most of the season and back-to-back Class 3A championships in Glenbard West played most of their games on the road, 2022 and 2023 under head coach and basketball players where they would routinely pack gymnalongtime Kopec assistant Lisa Ston. St. hoist the championsiums. A-H finished 35-1 and beat Quincy Francis’ 14 total titles are second to ship trophy after 64-59 in overtime for the state title. Mother McAuley’s 17. their 56-34 win over
4. Wilmington baseball
Led by future MLB nine-year veteran pitcher Tanner Roark, the Wildcats went a combined 96-10 and won two Class A state titles in 2003 and 2005 and a third-place finish in 2004. The Wildcats allowed just three runs in the first five games of the 2003 postseason before beating a then 40-1 Harrisburg team 7-5 in the state title game. Harrisburg came back to beat the Wildcats in the 2004 semis, with Wilmington earning third place with a 7-5 win over Pleasant Plains. The 2005 team returned on a mission, going 41-1, posting the fourth-most wins in IHSA history and beating Montini 12-0 in the title game.
three straight Class 3A titles, the most dominant stretch for legendary coach Rich Zinanni, whose 371 career wins are third in IHSA history. The 1985 team went 14-0 and put up 525 yards of offense in a 34-7 win over Olympia in the title game, at the time the most yards ever in an IHSA championship game. The 1986 5. (tied) Bishop McNamara football team won 30-12 over DuQuoin, capping From 1985-87, Bishop McNamara an 11-3 season. The 1987 team went 12-2 football went a combined 37-5 and won and had perhaps its most dominant title-
Whitney Young in the Class 4A championship game at State Farm Center in Champaign on March 12, 2022, in Champaign.
5. (tied) Glenbard West boys basketball
Led by future Division I players Braden Huff and Caden Pierce, Glenbard West was No. 1 all season during the 2021-2022 season and led wire-to-wire Young, 56-34, to win the Class 4A state Gary Middendorf championship. file photo The margin was Glenbard West’s closest in seven playoff games, and the game performance yet, beating Rock- Hilltoppers’ 30th win by more than 20 ridge 45-14. points. They went undefeated against Illinois opponents, their only loss on a 5. (tied) St. Francis volleyball buzzer-beater to Bronny James and Led by legendary coach Peg Kopec, Sierra Canyon at Wintrust Arena. who amassed a state record 1,248 wins over a 42-year career, St. Francis won 12 8. Driscoll football IHSA state championships, including Driscoll Catholic in Addison closed four titles in a row from 2012-2015. Kopec its doors after the 2008-09 school year retired on top after that 2015 season, and St. Francis returned to the top with See Teams on page 50
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Top 10 teams in high school sports
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• TEAMS Continued from page 49 due to low enrollment and financial difficulties. Its history on the football field lives on in the record books. Under Tim Racki and then Mike Burzawa, Driscoll won 37 consecutive playoff games and seven straight state football championships from 2001-2007, Racki directing the first four and Burzawa the last three. The seven consecutive titles are a state record.
9. York cross country
Under legendary coach Joe Newton, who coached cross country at York for nearly six decades from 1960 until his retirement in 2016, “The Long Green Line” dynasty was built. Newton’s Dukes won 28 state cross country titles, 12 runner-up titles and four third-place trophies. In 1988, Newton was named to the U.S. coaching staff for the Seoul Olympics, the first U.S. high school coach to earn that distinction. The 1976-77 Sterling girls basketball team won the first girls state championship sanctioned by the IHSA.
Photo provided by Sterling High School
10. Sterling basketball’s ‘Golden Girls’
sports in Illinois, the Sterling girls bas- were called, finished the 1976-77 season Horton Fieldhouse to become the first Five years after Title IX was passed, ketball team became a true trailblazer. with a perfect 21-0 record and beat girls basketball Illinois state champipaving the way for girls’ high school The famed “Golden Girls,” as they Washington 52-38 at Illinois State’s ons.
175 YEARS OF TRUSTED JOURNALISM. A REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT. Huge H uge ccongratulations ongratulations tto oS Shaw haw M Media edia o on n rreaching eaching aan n extraordinary milestone! e xtraordinary m ilestone! Since S ince 11851, 851, y your our ccommitment ommitment tto o kkeeping eeping llocal ocal ccommunities ommunities iinformed, nformed, and has excellence. cconnected, onnected, a nd sstrong trong h as sset et tthe he sstandard tandard ffor or e xcellence. We W ea are re h honored onored tto o ccelebrate elebrate tthis his m milestone ilestone w with ith y you. ou. llocalmediaconsortium.com ocalmediaconsortium m.ccom
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SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com As we celebrate Shaw Local’s 175th anniversary, we are recognizing the top 10 professional or college sports moments in Illinois. Here they are, as voted on by staff.
1. Cubs win 2016 World Series, break 106-year drought
The Chicago Cubs’ World Series drought was the longest championship drought in the history of professional sports. Episodes such as the “Curse of the Billy Goat” and “Bartman Game” only added to the lore. It ended epically. In a 10-inning game that took 4 hours and 45 minutes, the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, breaking a 106-year championship drought. The Cubs rallied from a 3-1 series deficit. Ben Zobrist drove in the eventual game-winning run in the 10th inning, after the Indians tied the score with a home run in the bottom of the eighth. AP file photos
2. Bears win Super Bowl XX
Evan Jager of Algonquin competes in a men’s 3000-meter steeplechase heat at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. His second-place finish in The Chicago Bears capped one of the the heat qualified him for the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final in London, where he earned a silver medal.
greatest seasons in NFL history – with one of the most colorful teams – with a 46-10 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX on Jan. 26, 1986, at the New Orleans Superdome. It was the second most lopsided result in Super Bowl history. The Bears finished the regular season with a 15-1 record. The famed “46”defense shut out the New York Giants in the divisional round and the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game, the only team in NFL history to post back-to-back playoff shutouts.
beat the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
4. White Sox win 2005 World Series, break drought
The Chicago White Sox, like their counterparts on the North Side, broke their own epic championship drought this century. The White Sox won the 2005 World Series, sweeping the Houston Astros in four games, to secure the organization’s first World Series championship in 88 years. 3. Bulls win six NBA titles in 1990s The White Sox, managed by Ozzie The Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Guillen, went wire-to-wire in the AL Jordan and a supporting cast that Central. Chicago’s 11-1 playoff run is included Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant tied for the second-best in Major League ning goal in overtime in Game 6. and later Dennis Rodman, put together Baseball history. The Blackhawks went on to win three one of the greatest dynasties in NBA hisStanley Cup titles over six years, beattory in the 1990s with two separate 5. Blackhawks win 3 ing the Boston Bruins in 2013 and Tampa three-peats. Stanley Cups in 2010s Bay Lightning in 2015 in six games. The Bulls won three consecutive The Chicago Blackhawks had a domchampionships from 1991-1993. After inating run in the 2010s. The Black- 6. Jordan Lynch and Jordan returned from a stunning first hawks in 2010 defeated the Philadelphia NIU reach Orange Bowl retirement, the Bulls won three more Flyers in six games to end a 49-year The 2012 season started with a onetitles in a row from 1996-1998, the last championship drought, with Patrick point loss at Iowa. But the Northern Illione sealed by Jordan’s “Last Shot” to Kane providing a dramatic game-win- nois University Huskies, with Jordan
Dennis Rodman (from left), Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Ron Harper and Toni Kukoc were big parts of the Bulls teams that won three straight NBA titles from 1996 to 1998. Jordan and Pippen were members of the first “threepeat” team, which won titles from 1991 to 1993. Lynch at quarterback, future NFL defensive back Jimmie Ward and Dave Doeren as coach, wouldn’t lose again and would make history, crashing the BCS and becoming the first Mid-American Conference team to qualify for a major bowl. They’d close the year with a loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Lynch was seventh in the Heisman race,
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Top 10 pro or college sports moments in Illinois
• PRO OR COLLEGE
52 SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
Continued from page 51 foreshadowing his third-place finish the next year,
7. NIU and George Bork win 1963 national title
Saturday, October 10, 2026
The Huskes, playing out of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, went 4-0 against Western Illinois, Central Michigan, Eastern Illinois and Illinois State and 10-0 overall with George Bork at quarterback, with the Associated Press recognizing the team as the small college national champion. The UPI went with Delaware as its national champ. Bork, who died in May 2026, was the first NCAA quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in a season. He was the first NIU player to receive any Heisman votes and the first Huskie inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame – Lynch enters this year.
AP file photo
Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch (6) looks to pass during the first half of the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game against Florida State, Jan. 1, 2013, in Miami.
an award to honor the best fielders in Major League Baseball. The Rawlings Gold Glove Award debuted the next year and continues to this day.
9. Evan Jager wins Olympic silver
Evan Jager, a 2007 Jacobs High School graduate who grew up in Algonquin, earned a silver medal in the 3,000meter men’s steeplechase at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics – the first U.S. medal in the event since 1984. Jager, who retired from competition in 2025, still owns the fastest time in the event for an American and is widely considered the most accomplished steeplechaser in American history.
10. Black Sox scandal
A scandal that rocked the baseball world more than a century ago involved eight Chicago White Sox players accused of conspiring with professional gamblers to intentionally throw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. 8. Streator native invents The eight “Black Sox” players were the Gold Glove award acquitted by a jury on charges of conIn 1956, 18 years after graduating spiracy to defraud, but newly appointed from Streator High School, Rawlings Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw sporting goods employee Elmer Blasco Mountain Landis banned them from suggested his company should sponsor Major League Baseball for life.
Celebrating of outstanding achievement and steadfast commitment! 975 Lutter Dr., Crystal Lake, IL 60014 | 815.477.1800 SM-ST2350248
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OUR BEGINNING
burg. Dixon was probably Fisk’s next stop in 1851. But after only five months, he sold the Dixon paper to J.F. Hopper and M.T. Bull. Fisk then drifted to several other small Illinois towns, pioneering or operating newspapers there and sometimes organizing a Presbyterian church. Specifically, Fisk started the Little Rock Press (Kendall County) in 1854, the Mendota Press (La Salle County) in 1855 and the Delavan Advertiser (Tazewell County) in 1868.
By TOM WADSWORTH Shaw Local News Network correspondent The year 2026 marks two major milestones: the 250th anniversary of our nation’s birth in 1776 and the 175th anniversary of the Dixon Telegraph. Born on May 1, 1851, The Telegraph is one of the oldest institutions in the city and throughout northern Illinois. As a local historian, I have relied heavily on The Telegraph’s coverage of local events over those 175 years. Since the history of Dixon is so deeply intertwined with the history of The Telegraph, this column will reveal some enlightening details of the beginnings of The Telegraph itself.
Morse code and the telegraph
No newspapers served Lee or Whiteside counties in 1850. But Samuel Morse’s famous invention of the telegraph system had a role in bringing a newspaper to Dixon. In 1843, Morse persuaded Congress to fund the construction of the nation’s first telegraph line, running from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. Transmitting messages by Morse code, the telegraph system could send news and information instantaneously over long distances. By 1851, telegraph lines had recently connected Dixon with Peru, Illinois, as part of a larger project to build a transcontinental network of telegraph lines. So, when the weekly Dixon Telegraph and Lee County Herald printed its first issue on May 1, 1851, the name “Telegraph” conveyed to readers its promise of using this revolutionary technology to deliver the latest national news. Initially, the promise exceeded reality. During the paper’s first four weeks, the telegraph lines from Peru were down about half the time. Consequently, it appears these early Telegraph issues gleaned their national news from the Chicago Democrat, a newspaper that came to Dixon via the stagecoach.
Southern sympathizer Photo provided by Tom Wadsworth
The first Telegraph to come off the press was dated May 1, 1851. Electric lighting and kerosene lamps did not exist at that time. In one of the Telegraph’s early issues, the editor posted a request for “a few pounds of lard to burn in lamps at this office.” These lamps were constructed of “tallow candles stuck into scooped out potatoes.” Dixon then had no reliable bridge across the river, even though as many as 11 bridges had been attempted. The Telegraph’s first issue reported, “Measures are … being taken to construct a bridge over Rock River at this point, which is now crossed by a good rope ferry boat, which is in operation night and day.”
The 9-block village
In the census of 1850, Chicago’s population reached 30,000, becoming the state’s largest city. Dixon, the second-oldest city in northwestern Illinois, claimed 1,000 residents. John H. Moore was “the paper boy” who delivered the first Telegraph to every home in Dixon. He later recalled the extent of the village on May 1, 1851. He said that if you stood on the northside bluffs just west of today’s armory, “nearly every house in town could be seen at a single glance.” Primitive provisions Moore added that Dixon “reached Transportation in 1851 was primitive but little beyond the nine blocks and slow. It typically took two or three bounded by Peoria and Ottawa avenues days for the Chicago newspaper to reach east and west, and River and Third Dixon. All roads were little more than streets north and south.” Outside of dirt paths for horse-drawn stagecoaches, those boundaries, there were a few carriages and wagons. Dixon had to wait houses to the west and eight to 10 houses until 1855 for the railroad to arrive. on the north side.
South of the courthouse was nothing but “a wilderness of brush.” The Nachusa House was only “a hole in the ground,” where construction had been halted since 1837. Only the Baptists and Methodists had built meeting houses. The Telegraph editor bragged that Baptists even had a bell. But no other denominations had yet organized. The business district was mostly on River Street, as was the newspaper office, above the general store of Ayres & Barnes. Dixon then boasted a land office where settlers could buy local land from the government, a courthouse, a telegraph office, three hotels, a livery stable, a market and eight to 10 stores.
The Johnny Appleseed of newspapers
I always assumed the acclaimed B.F. Shaw was the first proprietor and editor of The Telegraph. He was not. That honor goes to Charles R. Fisk, an enterprising 48-year-old “Presbyterian clergyman of the old school,” who had arrived in Dixon only a month earlier with his wife and son. Fisk might be called the Johnny Appleseed of northern Illinois newspapers, having established the first newspaper in several Illinois towns. But after planting the seed, he typically sold the newspaper and moved on to start another paper elsewhere. In 1849, before coming to Dixon, Fisk launched the Knox Intelligencer, the first newspaper in the village of Gales-
Even though he ran the Telegraph as a politically independent paper, Fisk was later known to lean Democrat on the slavery question, the hot issue of the day. “Old school” Presbyterians like Fisk generally opposed abolishing slavery. When Fisk ran the Mendota newspaper, he was described as “a warm sympathizer with the South.” When he died suddenly at age 66, a competing paper noted that Fisk had “published papers in several other parts of Illinois, but never made them profitable to himself – never having a genius in that direction.” Fisk was buried in 1869 in Delavan, Illinois, 20 miles south of Peoria.
If only he had stayed …
When Fisk launched the Telegraph in Dixon in 1851, the paper was “the only newspaper then existing between LaSalle and Galena and between Naperville and Rock Island.” Even though it became Fisk’s only newspaper that survived, it faced an uphill battle. The Telegraph changed hands four times in its first nine months. But if Fisk had stayed in Dixon a little longer, he would have seen the village experience rapid growth. The Nachusa House rose out of its hole in 1853, and the railroad arrived amid much excitement in 1855. By the end of 1855, Dixon’s population had tripled to 3,000, and its dozen businesses exceeded 120, as The Telegraph’s subscribers and advertisers skyrocketed.
• Dixon native Tom Wadsworth, PhD, is a writer, speaker and occasional historian. His book, “Distinctive Dixon: Fascinating Stories of Dixon’s Rich History,” is available at Books on First in Dixon.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
The Telegraph: A cornerstone of local news
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
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B.F. Shaw and the beginnings of The Telegraph The mass meeting in Amboy
By TOM WADSWORTH
On March 15, Shaw reported in the Telegraph about the Decatur meeting and the growing Republican movement. Six weeks later, at a “mass meeting of the citizens of Lee County” in Amboy on April 26, 1856, the attendees declared their “adherence to the Republican Party” in opposing “the accursed institution” of slavery. In the May 3 Telegraph, Shaw published all the resolutions passed at the Amboy meeting, urging “an attentive perusal by every reader of the Telegraph.” He then openly declared, “We intend to fight during the coming [presidential] campaign” for these “fundamental principles.”
Shaw Local News Network correspondent Contrary to some reports, Benjamin Flower Shaw was not involved with the Dixon Telegraph when it first came off the press on May 1, 1851. At that time, Shaw had been working in Rock Island since 1847, learning the printing and newspaper business with the Rock Island Advertiser.
Shaw and Patrick
But in the fall of 1851, 20-year-old B.F. Shaw came to Dixon to visit his sister, Phoebe, who had married a Dixon attorney, Shepard G. Patrick. Shaw then became involved with the new Dixon newspaper and its owner and founder, Charles Fisk. Even though Shaw was only 20, he brought four valuable years of newspaper experience. In October 1851, Fisk sold the paper to M.T. Bull and J.F. Hopper. Bull happened to be a relative of S.G. Patrick, B.F. Shaw’s brother-in-law. On Jan. 10, 1852, Hopper left the business, and Shaw became co-publisher with Bull, his shirt-tail relative.
Lincoln in Dixon
Shaw and Eustace
But two weeks later, on Jan. 24, 1852, 30-year-old John V. Eustace, an attorney in partnership with S.G. Patrick, bought out Bull. Eustace then became the proprietor and editor of the newspaper, while Shaw became the publisher (the general manager), working daily with Eustace. For the young and single B.F. Shaw, his collaboration with Eustace provided an additional personal benefit. John Eustace had a little sister, “the beautiful Anna Eustace,” who was only 15 and living with her brother. We know no details of the courtship of Ben Shaw and Anna Eustace, but they were married in November 1853 when Ben was 22, and Anna had just turned 17. To their union, three children were born: Fred (1855), Eustace (1857) and Lloyd Shaw (1864). Side note: Eustace Drive in Dixon likely was named after Eustace Shaw by his widow, Mabel Shaw, who bought and developed that area in the 1940s. By April 1854, the demands of John V. Eustace’s legal career led him to sell the Telegraph to B.F. Shaw. The paper has remained in the Shaw family ever since.
Shaw Local News Network
B.F. Shaw Dixon area, which had been largely settled by people from abolitionist states In Benjamin Shaw’s first issue as in the Northeast, was strongly anti-slaveditor and publisher on April 27, 1854, ery. he likened his editorial role to that of “a watchman upon the walls of a city … to No longer neutral By 1856, the Telegraph – and other warn you of a coming enemy … of any Illinois newspapers – could remain neuunscrupulous politicians, who would tral no longer. On Feb. 22, 1856, 24-yearsell you for the sake of self-aggrandizeold Ben Shaw was one of 12 Illinois ment.” He promised, as did his predeces- newspaper editors who held an “Editosors, that the paper would not align rial Convention” in Decatur to forge an with either of the two major political effective opposition to the expansion of parties, the Whigs or the Democrats. slavery. Abraham Lincoln, the only non-ediShaw wrote, “We shall not be ruled or dictated to, by any party or faction, but tor in attendance, addressed these edialways endeavor to expose the follies or tors “for some half hour, in his usual advocate the wise principles of either.” masterly manner, frequently interHowever, only one month later, the rupted by the cheers of his hearers.” Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress The assembled editors then resolved passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which that a state convention be held on May effectively allowed the expansion of 29 in Bloomington, which became slavery in new Western territories. known as the state’s first convention of Anti-slavery citizens were irate. The the newborn Republican Party.
Nonpartisan watchman upon the walls
Two months later, Lincoln came to Dixon in July 1856, speaking on the courthouse lawn in support of John C. Fremont, the first Republican candidate for president. Shaw then reported that Lincoln “took the stand and for over two hours held that vast audience in breathless silence, save when interrupted by an uncontrollable outburst of applause.” “Mr. Lincoln … proved the Democratic party to be a slavery-extending party and a sectional party,” said Shaw. “We only regret that every voter was not present to [hear] his convincing arguments.” The Telegraph thus ended its position of neutrality in politics. For the next 150 years, the Telegraph would be widely known as a Republican-leaning newspaper, yet still retaining the freedom “to expose the follies or advocate the wise principles of either.” The story of B.F. Shaw reveals his remarkable role in Illinois’ opposition to slavery, the history of the Republican party and Dixon’s relationship with Abraham Lincoln. Shaw continued his leadership of The Telegraph until he died in 1909 at age 78. To this day, Shaw Media is known as “the third oldest, continuously owned and operated family newspaper company in the United States.”
• Dixon native Tom Wadsworth, PhD, is a writer, speaker and occasional historian. His book, “Distinctive Dixon: Fascinating Stories of Dixon’s Rich History,” is available at Books on First in Dixon.
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Headed Shaw Media for 46 years; loved by all By TOM EMERY Shaw Local News Network correspondent Mabel Shaw probably did not plan to have a career in journalism. But few did it better. Shaw is one of the extraordinary figures in the history of Illinois journalism, as she headed the B.F. Shaw Printing Co., a forerunner to Shaw Media, for 46 years until she died in 1955. Her towering legacy still touches nearly everyone with the company today. Born on Sept. 17, 1870, in the southwestern Wisconsin town of Darlington, Mabel came to Dixon to attend the now-defunct Dixon College. While in the city, she met her future husband, Eustace E. Shaw. He was the son of Benjamin F. Shaw, who had taken over as publisher of the Dixon Evening Telegraph in January 1852, eight months after its founding. Eventually, Eustace joined him in the business. Mabel and Eustace married on May 22, 1889, and had three sons. Eustace assumed the roles of managing editor and publisher in July 1891. His father remained active in the company, working closely with Eustace. However, the family was stunned by Eustace’s sudden death on Sept. 5, 1902. He was just 45 years old. Though she was a new widow with three young children – and the newspaper was not on solid financial ground – Mabel chose to take her late husband’s place at the Evening Telegraph, working alongside her father-in-law. When Benjamin Shaw died at age 78 on Sept. 18, 1909, Mabel assumed leadership of the Evening Telegraph herself. Through her tireless efforts, Shaw Printing grew into one of the Midwest’s dominant media companies, earning her and her beloved newspapers widespread acclaim. At the time of her death, Shaw Printing included the Dixon Evening Telegraph (which many consider the company’s flagship paper at the time), the McHenry Plaindealer, the Morris Daily Herald, and the Woodstock Daily Sentinel in Illinois, as well as the Newton Daily News, the Creston News-Adver-
Shaw Local News Network file photo
Mabel S. Shaw with her three sons, George (rear), Robert (left) and Benjamin. tiser, and the Daily Freeman-Journal in Iowa. Mabel Shaw also controlled the Dixon Publishing Co., a large commercial printing company, along with other printing enterprises connected to newspapers in the Shaw chain. She also served on the boards of several corporations and financial institutions. Thanks to her remarkable business sense and practicality, the company grew exponentially under her leadership, though she often seemed embarrassed about taking any credit. In her early days, Shaw Printing had just seven employees, including typesetters, advertising representatives, editors and writers. By the time she died, the company had grown to 500 employees across its various offices. She did all this from her antique rolltop desk, which actually became part of her persona. The desk was never in private quarters; it was in a corner of the business office, accessible to everyone.
Shaw never had a private office or a secretary, choosing instead to handle a large volume of correspondence herself. Upon her death, a tribute in the Evening Telegraph stated that this “ancient desk remained her headquarters throughout most of her publishing career. There she met the great and humble alike. From that desk she penned letters to presidents, senators, and business leaders.” Another of her papers, the McHenry Plaindealer, echoed those thoughts, writing that her correspondence included “many letters to the great and near-great of our nation.” Indeed, the desk, in the words of the Telegraph, “personified her independent nature.” It also reflected her modesty and personal humility, for which she was also known. •••• In addition to her unyielding work ethic, Mabel possessed a remarkable capability for overseeing even the small-
est detail in daily operations. She frequently collected news tips and tidbits that she handed over to her editors and writers for further investigation. Shaw proudly kept watch over the editorial department, constantly making suggestions and watching how other papers covered news events, for comparison to the Evening Telegraph. In many cases, she recited details off the top of her head, with a memory that was called “astonishing.” Like many newspaperwomen of the time, Shaw was particularly interested in the society section. A former employee wrote that the society pages were “her personal province” and where “she wielded her greatest influence,” as she “maintained a kindly and warm regard for the news of women’s activities throughout the area.” True to her character, Shaw disliked so-called “modern” journalistic writing, as she strongly preferred a more personal approach to her stories. Even more, though, she “deplored laziness,” as the Evening Telegraph once wrote of her. Described as Dixon’s “greatest booster,” Shaw lived at 100 Dement Ave. in town and kept apprised of the whereabouts of many local citizens, particularly those who had found success in the city and elsewhere. She was especially proud of former employees who made a success of themselves, such as newspaper boys who went on to bigger things. Her keen interest in local history inspired her to purchase and renovate the historic Nachusa House hotel, a Dixon landmark that became one of her pet projects. Shaw spent large sums to refurbish the hotel, driven, as one tribute noted, by her “desire to recapture some of the genteelness of the past.” Her “crowning achievement,” however, came at the 100th anniversary celebration of the Evening Telegraph’s founding in 1951. The paper produced a 272-page commemorative history volume that was called “a tribute to her energy and to her faithfulness and devotion to journalism.” Mabel headed a true family business, as all three of her sons held management positions in the company. When she died, the oldest son, George (1890-1962), was editor of the Evening Telegraph and vice president of the
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Mabel Shaw’s enduring impact on Illinois media
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• MABEL SHAW Continued from page 55 publishing company, while Benjamin (1892-1986) was the company secretary and Robert (1899-1969) was general manager of the Telegraph and treasurer of the printing company. In the centennial history, George Shaw called his mother “an entirely and completely wonderful, remarkable and admirable woman.” •••• Even though she hailed from smalltown Dixon, Shaw’s engaging, downto-earth personality won friendships and acquaintances nationwide, though she rarely bragged about it. She also knew several celebrities, including former President Herbert Hoover, businessman and U.S. ambassador James Kemper, and movie starlet Elizabeth Taylor. Shaw frequently corresponded with the president of the Philippines, as well as the mayor of Honolulu. Some of these individuals were people Shaw met during her travels, as she occasionally stepped away from the newspaper to travel abroad. She visited Europe, South America and the Pacific, often with close friend Myrtle Walgreen, the
widow of Charles Walgreen, founder of the nationwide drugstore chain. Even on vacation, however, the urge to write never left her. She spent hours in her room during these trips, writing letters to mail the following day, and produced extensive articles on her travels for the Evening Telegraph. Shaw immersed herself in the places she visited, taking in their history, architecture and horticulture while also being deeply affected by the poverty and suffering she witnessed. As she did with her famous friends, Shaw corresponded with many individuals she met in her travels, always from her rolltop desk. Among her pen pals was a taxi driver she met on a trip to Jamaica, who had been particularly courteous to her. After returning to Dixon, she sent him a letter of appreciation, sparking a months-long exchange of correspondence. It was typical of Shaw, who often wrote letters of respect and encouragement to people from all walks of life. She customarily brought gifts from her travels to her employees, particularly the women around her. Each Christmas, she hosted a luncheon for the female office staff, an event she
cherished. As she connected with everyday people, photos of celebrities she knew or admired also surrounded her rolltop desk. Among them were World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker and baseball star Stan Musial. •••• Shaw never retired, working nearly up to her death. At age 82, she was in press row at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, writing articles for the Evening Telegraph with her byline. Along with her sons, she was actively planning a new printing plant for the Telegraph, with the goal of bringing the latest technology to the newspaper. In January 1955, Shaw suffered a mild stroke while at her rolltop desk. After a 10-day stay in a Chicago hospital, doctors prescribed an extended vacation, and she headed for Florida, where she had traveled each winter for the previous 15 years. She was accompanied by her son George and his wife. On March 3, Shaw was visiting a nephew in Palm Beach when she suffered a second stroke. She died five days later, with her three sons nearby. Burial was in Oakwood Cemetery in Dixon. Tributes to Mabel Shaw poured in
from around the state. The day after her death, the Illinois House passed a resolution stating “her distinguished contribution to the citizens of this state through her own life ... will be sorely missed by her many friends.” Countless newspapers across the state offered words of praise on their editorial pages, including the Freeport Journal-Standard, which called Mabel “a remarkable person, in her vitality, in her industry, and in her spirit of adventure.” That paper also lauded her “good intuitions” in business, though she was “devoted to her family, whose gentle, kindly matriarch she remained to the end of her life. The whole newspaper fraternity of the Middle West knew and respected Mrs. Shaw, and will miss her as a real friend.” Other poignant words came from the Rockford Register-Star, which described her as “one of the most remarkable women of our times.” It was an apt tribute to Mabel Shaw, a force in Illinois journalism whose life and career were truly extraordinary.
• Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Illinois. He may be reached at 217710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
Cheers to
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OUR ADVERTISERS
By DENISE M. BARAN-UNLAND dunland@shawmedia.com For more than 170 years, Shaw Media Marketing has created advertising campaigns and delivered results for thousands of clients throughout northern Illinois and parts of Iowa. Silver Cross Hospital, an independent hospital in New Lenox, is one of Shaw Media’s longtime advertisers. The hospital was named after the Maltese cross, “a symbol of hope and healing,” according to Silver Cross Hospital. Silver Cross Hospital celebrated its 130th anniversary in November 2025. Strategic partnerships include UChicago Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Rush University Medical Center and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. In 2025, Silver Cross contributed $57 million in charity care and community benefits. Through its Healthy Community Commission, Silver Cross has awarded more than $3.5 million in scholarships and workforce development grants. 1890-1895: Planning and groundbreaking by the Will County Union of King’s Daughters & Sons (now known as the Silver Belles Circle); hospital opens in Joliet on Thanksgiving Day 1895 as a 33-bed hospital. 1897: Silver Cross School of Nursing established; nearly 1,000 nurses graduated before its closure in 1970. 1940s-1960s: Expanded to 175 beds; introduced physical therapy, portable X-ray and disaster planning. 1970s-1990s: Made advances in dialysis, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, trauma care and cardiac catheterization. 2012: Moved from Joliet and opened a new state-of-the-art campus in New Lenox, featuring private rooms and advanced technology. By 2025, Silver Cross had 348 beds. 2019: Added open-heart surgery to its list of services 2022: Opened Will County’s first and only Level III Amy, Matthew & Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 2023: Introduced the Advanced Heart Failure Clinic at Silver Cross for patients with advancing heart failure, providing symptom management and education. 2024: Named No. 1 in Surgical Care in
Photos provided by Silver Cross Hospital
Silver Cross Hospital celebrated its 130th anniversary in November 2025. Illinois by Healthgrades and debuted the region’s first da Vinci 5 robot for robotic-assisted surgeries. 2025: Named No. 1 in Surgical Care for Illinois for the second year running and No. 2 in Cardiac Surgery by Healthgrades; earned a three-star open-heart surgery program rating by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons; 22nd Straight A for Safety by the Leapfrog Group; and named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional Hospitals with Distinction in 9 Clinical Areas. 2026: Named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Care 2026 by Newsweek; the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awarded Silver Cross its 5-Star rating; recognized on Forbes Top Hospitals by State 2026 list; and opened urgent care services at its Orland Park Medical Pavilion at 17047 S. LaGrange Road. For more information, visit silvercross.org. Silver Cross opened in 1895 in Joliet with 33 beds and admitted its first patient on Thanksgiving Day.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Silver Cross Hospital marks 130 years of care
Little Traveler continues to enchant shoppers By EARLEEN HINTON Shaw Local News Network correspondent One woman’s passion to share unique items from around the world with her friends continues today – 100-plus years later – inside a Geneva landmark where that passion is now shared with thousands of visitors. The Little Traveler, a cornerstone of the historic Geneva shopping district, began when Edmond and Kathryn Raftery purchased an impressive Victorian home at 404 S. Third St. in Geneva. The lovely, two-story home, built by banker A.B. Moore in 1862, included four rooms on each level and fireplaces in the parlor and dining room. It was a perfect match for Kathryn, the daughter of a Mississippi riverboat captain, and her husband, Edmond, when they moved from Kentucky to the Fox Valley, where Edmond was employed at the foundry. The couple entertained a wide circle of friends in their home, sharing the gardens and walkways that graced the
Shaw Local News Network file photo
The Little Traveler, seen in 2022, is home to The Atrium Café in downtown Geneva. home’s exterior. About 1922, one of those friends, Lucy Calhoun, moved to Peking, China, and began shipping unique items to Kathryn in Geneva. Kathryn, delighted by Impe-
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rial Tribute silks, fur robes, jade ornaments, festival lanterns and other items, decided to showcase and share the Oriental treasures, and displayed them on the grand piano in the living room.
She eventually decided to send invitations for an afternoon tea and sale. The collection continued to grow, and other friends began sending treasures from around the world. Soon, a portion of the home was formally opened as a shop and showcased items that included Georgian china and silver, Elizabethan and Regency furniture, as well as other English antiques. Items also arrived from France, Spain and Italy. According to the Little Traveler’s website, “By 1925, the shop, dubbed “The Little Traveler,” was frequented by the carriage trade. The small shop expanded into a regency of arcades, Victorian corridors, captains walks and wings, green gardens, and courtyards.” Kathryn invited her carriage trade friends from the North Shore to come to Geneva for the day. Most of them were driven by their chauffeurs, so while the ladies dined amidst the latest acquisitions from Europe and the Orient, their
See Little traveler on page 59
175years Countless front pages One unwavering commitment to local news
! a i d e M w a h S , s n Congratulatio Proud to be part of your story. Here’s to the next chapter!
• LITTLE TRAVELER drivers were served simple fare of homemade sandwiches, soups and pies in the courtyard, which is now The Atrium Café. The Little Traveler has grown considerably since the original Italianate Victorian residence to 36 rooms of treasures, promptly declaring “Around the World in 36 Rooms!” The shop is locally owned and operated by Mike Simon, who carries on the tradition of welcoming guests as they step into the Little Traveler world to peruse its departments that include gourmet foods, housewares, bath and body, apparel and Fair Trade. And just as Kathryn did 100 years ago, Simon always is on the lookout for what’s new. “The biggest trend in the toy business is squishy toys. We have an ever-growing assortment, and it’s constantly changing as we find out about new items,” Simon said. Learning what the newest trends are and then determining if it will sell in the Geneva market falls to many years of experience and constantly listening to customers’ requests.
Shaw Local News Network file photo
Patty Thorsen of Geneva (right) and Irene Allen of Yorkville shop at The Little Traveler in downtown Geneva on Feb. 5, 2021, after the store reopened for in-person shopping following a period of curbside pickup during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are part of a wonderful co-op consisting of more than 100 unique stores all over the country. The group has a very active email discussion board where we share what’s selling
well for each of us,” Simon said. “We take seriously what we hear so often, that you find things at The Little Traveler you simply won’t find anywhere else,” he said.
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Continued from page 58
The Atrium Café has developed unique recipes over the years, and while developing a following of its own, growing into an important part of The Little Traveler experience. Located at the center of The Little Traveler shopping boutique, the Atrium Café is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Simon is considering retirement and is on the lookout for the right person to continue The Little Traveler’s tradition and guide it into the future. “We’re in no hurry. The store is thriving and we’re enjoying every day of it. We’re waiting for the right person or the right people who feel the same pull toward this place that we’ve felt for more than 50 years,” he wrote in his blog. Simon’s family is the fourth owner of the iconic shop. “Each owner before us brought their own signature vision, finding new ways to surprise and delight our customers. That spirit of reinvention is why we’re still here 104 years later and why we’re looking for a fifth owner with a fresh perspective, eager to write the next chapter of shepherding The Little Traveler into the future,” he said.
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Tiffany Blanchette file photo
Berkot’s Super Foods was founded in 1990 by John Kotara in Mokena and has grown to 20 locations.
OUR ADVERTISERS
Berkot’s offers fresh options, friendly faces By EARLEEN HINTON Shaw Local News Network correspondent
Fresh, high-quality products in a customer-focused neighborhood grocery store have been the hallmark of Berkot’s Super Foods for 36 years. Founded by John Kotara in Mokena in 1990, Berkot’s Super Foods has grown from a single grocery store to 20 locations. Kotara, a former A&P manager, saw an opportunity to bring a fresh, customer-focused shopping experience to the local community when he started his first store in Mokena. The company has grown steadily through the acquisition of existing stores across Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, while maintaining Kotara’s primary objective: ensuring a reputation of offering high-quality, fresh meats, produce and deli items. “Our growth has never been about chasing scale for its own sake. It’s been
disciplined, market-by-market expansion where we knew we could serve the community better than anyone else,” said Ken Szudy, marketing and sales director for Berkot’s. “Being family-owned in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin means every store decision gets made with a long-term view, not a quarterly one. “We’ve grown by staying close to our vendors, our associates and the neighborhoods we serve, and only adding a location when we’re confident that we can deliver the same quality and service people expect from us on Day 1,” he said. The emphasis on quality coupled with a one-to-one relationship with customers has been key to Berkot’s success in a world cluttered with big-box expansions. “The big boxes compete on price and selection. We compete on relationship, convenience and experience. You can’t get a real conversation with an associate
who knows your name at a warehouse club,” he said. “We’ve invested heavily in our digital and loyalty capabilities – personalized offers, a real loyalty program, e-commerce – so customers get the convenience they expect without losing what makes us different.” Berkot’s focuses on perishables, particularly USDA grade meats and fresh produce (locally produced when possible), while remaining price competitive. Community involvement is a key aspect of the brand, with frequent participation in local events and charitable initiatives. Szudy points to Berkot’s responsiveness to customers as another marker for success. “It comes down to two things: relevance and consistency. Relevance means listening to our customers – loyalty, digital engagement, customer questions and requests – to make sure our offers and communication actually matter to each of them, that they’re not
just generic blasts,” he said. “Consistency means every store delivers on the promise, every week, so trust compounds over time. New customers come in because of a great promotion or a friend’s recommendation; they stay because the experience matches what they were told to expect.” Another Berkot’s favorite is its deli and hot food section, known for fried chicken that is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The deli also offers a variety of fresh-baked goods, homemade sides and premium cuts of meat. And when life gets too busy, Berkot’s offers online shopping, home delivery and curbside pick up services. Berkot’s has more than 1,000 employees across 20 stores, warehouses and trucking and commissary operations. It is now a trusted neighborhood grocery chain and part of Associated Wholesale Grocers, a cooperative that serves more than 3,500 independent grocery retailers across the United States.
OUR ADVERTISERS
By EARLEEN HINTON Shaw Local News Network correspondent What’s been the key for success at Ken Nelson Auto Group for 61 years? Key people, key products and, most importantly, a true commitment to the people of the Sauk Valley region. “We believe our longevity in many key store positions contributes significantly to why we are successful,” said Mandy Hinkey, marketing manager. The dealership has entered it 61st year of business, starting in Dixon in 1965 and eight employees have been with the business for more than 30 years. Those employees are Rick Curia, dealer principal; Todd Ogan, technician; Ron Stephenitch, sales department; Steve Fassler, technician; Pam Ehredt, office manager; Dennis Bellows, sales department; Jeremy Jahn, fixed operations director; and Mike Freeman, general sales manager. With 10 manufacturers to choose from – Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Jeep, Nissan, Toyota
Cody Cutter file photo
The Ken Nelson Auto Group has entered it 61st year of business, starting in Dixon in 1965. and Ram – these dedicated employees continue to make sure that the locally owned dealership is the perfect place to find that perfect ride in the Sauk Valley area. From rugged RAM trucks and iconic Jeep SUVs to fuel-efficient Toyota and Nissan models, Ken Nelson is arguably the most versatile automotive destination in the Sauk Valley. The dealership also offers electric vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
“And we still have plenty of good gas mileage cars,” Hinkey said. The dealership also offers a variety of pre-owned vehicles, with a seasoned finance team to help customers with financing or leasing. Certified pre-owned vehicles with warranty protections and high-quality standard-use vehicles from a wide variety of manufacturers also are offered at competitive prices. And a crew of professional technicians stands at the ready when maintenance or repairs are needed. The service department offers everything from oil changes and filter replacements to power-train and drive-train repairs. Parts can also be bought at the dealership if customers want to handle maintenance and repairs on their own. “I think we’re the only locally owned-and-operated new car dealership around here. We’re lucky to have so many great products,” Hinkey said. That longevity and commitment to community has been recognized by the automotive industry.
Rick Curia was nominated for the 2025 TIME Dealer of the Year Award and honored at the 108th annual National Automobile Dealers Association Show. The TIME Dealer of the Year Award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. It recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Curia was chosen to represent the Illinois Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 49 auto dealers nominated for the 56th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide. Hinkey is proud of the company’s successes and points to its long-time employees as the secret to Ken Nelson’s continued success. “I think that’s what makes us a trustworthy place to do business. We really, really have really good people,” she said. “We also received the Discover Dixon business of the year for 2025. We are very proud of that.”
Celebrating 175 Years of Truth, Community, and Ink. Honors Shaw Media’s Historic Milestone: 1851 – 2026
As your printing and production partner, Topweb LLC is deeply proud to run the ink that keeps this vital history moving forward. Printing billions of words over the years requires a shared devotion to craft, precision, and community.We salute the journalists, editors, operators, and the entire Shaw family for 175 years of unparalleled local impact.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Community commitment fuels Ken Nelson Auto
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Community remains vital to CGH Medical Center By EARLEEN HINTON
I think the biggest key to CGH’s success is that we never lose sight of who we are and who we serve.”
Shaw Local News Network correspondent Thirteen doctors founded Whiteside Public Hospital in 1909 to make sure Sauk Valley residents received the medical care they needed. That mission continues 117 years later through the community of people who comprise the CGH Medical Center. In 1912, the city of Sterling purchased the hospital for $1 and renamed it the Public Hospital of the City of Sterling. In 1929, the hospital gained financial independence and eliminated the need for funding through local property taxes. The name was changed in 1950 to Community General Hospital, and 30 years later, it was changed to CGH Medical Center. Although the name has changed through the years, the commitment to healthcare has been paramount. “I think the biggest key to CGH’s success is that we never lose sight of who we are and who we serve. We are a community hospital, and we’ve been part of this community for generations. That creates a very strong sense of responsibility to our patients, our families and the communities throughout the Sauk Valley,” said Dana McCoy, CGH marketing director. Faced with constant challenges and changes in the healthcare field, CGH has managed to keep in step, as evidenced by recent additions and renovations. “We’ve made some significant investments in recent years, including robotic-assisted surgery, our new Epic electronic health record and MyChart, expanded services and improvements to our facilities. Those investments are important, but they’re really tools to help us accomplish our larger goal: providing excellent care and a great experience for our patients,” McCoy said. Serving patients remains the center point at CGH. “Healthcare is changing incredibly quickly, so we have to be willing to change with it. That means investing in new technology, expanding access to specialty services and finding more convenient ways for people to receive care. But at the same time, we can’t lose the personal connection that is so important in healthcare,” McCoy said. “Our people are really at the heart of everything we do. Recruiting and retaining talented
Dana McCoy, CGH marketing director
Alex T. Paschal file photo
Sterling’s CGH Medical Center, seen Oct, 7, 2025, is entering its 118th year of providing healthcare to the community. physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals is critical, and we’re putting a lot of emphasis on developing the next generation of healthcare workers, as well.” McCoy believes CGH’s not-for-profit status helps leaders with their healthcare mission. “Being a not-for-profit, independent community health system gives us an important perspective. We can look at decisions through the lens of ‘What does our community need?’ Our investments are ultimately about making sure people can receive high-quality care close to home.” Recent facility upgrades include new main entrances and renovations to the hospital’s lobby, admitting department, auxiliary gift shop and cafeteria. In addition to the hospital, CGH is also comprised of 16 satellite facilities. “We’ve just completed a very significant period of investment in our hospital facilities. The renovations to our main entrance, lobby, registration and admitting areas, discharge area and cafeteria have made a noticeable difference in the patient and visitor experience. But we’re certainly not finished when it comes to improving healthcare in our community,” McCoy said. “We’re con-
tinuing to look at where there are opportunities to expand access and bring additional services closer to home.” McCoy points to CGH Hometown Pharmacy as one example, saying it will provide another convenient option for patients and the community. “We’re also continuing to advance the clinical care we provide. The introduction of the da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system has given our surgeons another important tool, and we’ve continued to add specialized procedures, including our first total ankle replacement in 2025,” McCoy said. “We’re continually evaluating our facilities, technology, equipment and services based on where we see the greatest needs in the community. That’s really the approach we want to take – make thoughtful, strategic investments that have a meaningful impact on the people we serve.” Like healthcare providers and institutions across the nation, CGH also faces challenges as it enters its 118th year and prepares for the future. “There are several challenges that healthcare organizations across the country are facing. Workforce is probably one of the biggest,” she said. “That’s why workforce development is so
important to us. We need to introduce young people to healthcare careers, provide opportunities for education and training, and create an environment where people want to build their careers here at CGH.” Remaining financially stable is another key focus. “As a not-for-profit community hospital, our responsibility is to provide care to the people who need it. At the same time, the cost of delivering healthcare continues to increase, and reimbursement doesn’t always keep pace with those costs,” she said. “And then there’s the broader question of access. We have to continually ask ourselves what services do our communities need, and how can we make those services available locally? Behavioral health, specialty care, preventive care and convenient outpatient services are all important pieces of that conversation,” she said. McCoy sees CGH ready to meet all those challenges head-on. “The good news is that these challenges also create opportunities,” she said, pointing to CGH’s legacy of commitment. “We’ve been serving this region for 118 years because we’ve been willing to evolve. I think that’s going to continue to be our story. We’ll honor the things that have made CGH successful while continuing to invest in our people, our technology and our facilities. “At the end of the day, our goal is pretty simple. We want people in the Sauk Valley to know that they can come to CGH and receive excellent healthcare close to home, from people who genuinely care about them and their community.” CGH employs more than 1,600 people in the Sauk Valley and has been the recipient of Top Workplace Awards, the United Way 2026 Company of the Year, and other numerous local and national accolades.
OUR ADVERTISERS
By EARLEEN HINTON Shaw Local News Network correspondent For 178 years, Maze Lumber has helped build the Illinois Valley. Today, that legacy continues in Peru, where members of the Maze family guide the state’s oldest operating lumberyard into the future. “Maze Lumber has spent 178 years focusing on two things: quality products and great customer service,” said Andrew Kreofsky, general manager. “One of the phrases that has been passed down through the generations is, ‘The customer is king.’ We’ve always believed that if we take care of our customers, provide good products and stand behind what we sell, everything else follows.” Samuel Nesbitt Maze started Maze Lumber in 1848 at 1100 Water St. along the banks of the Illinois River. He was an Irish immigrant from Castleblayney, County Monaghan, who arrived in the United States in 1836. He worked as a masonry contractor for several years before establishing a lumber business.
Scott Anderson file photo
An aerial view of Maze Lumber on Aug. 12, 2025, in Peru. Maze started with a modest yard in Peru on the banks of the Illinois River, just a few hundred yards from the south end of the then-new Illinois and Michigan Canal that would link Peru and the Illinois and Mississippi rivers to Lake Michigan. Using a mule-powered barge named Elk, he hauled loads of local grain to Chicago by way of the canal. Before making the 96-mile journey back to Peru, the Elk was loaded with white pine from huge timber stands in Wis-
consin. He then sold the wood to contractor friends, farmers and others, thus creating the lumber yard. That legacy is alive today, with the fifth and sixth generations of the Maze family providing quality construction materials and advice to homeowners and businesses from Samuel’s original Water Street location. “Consistency has been a big part of our success,” Kreofsky said. “We’ve seen many small and large competitors come and go over the years, but we’ve remained focused on taking care of our customers and doing things the right way.” A modern 15,000-square-foot showroom offers customers a safe, relaxing environment to explore displays and products whether they are looking for a new kitchen or bath, fireplace or stone, decking or windows, siding or roofing, flooring or backsplashes. “We are the ideal place to start and finish your project. Our staff is ready to assist, whether you’re designing your dream home or simply updating your
kitchen countertops,” Kreofsky said. Quality materials and outstanding customer service are two of the reasons for the company’s continued success. A wide variety of home improvement services and products are offered for windows, interior and exterior doors, millwork, roofing, decking, stone veneers, countertops, cabinetry for kitchen and bath, bath fixtures and long-length framing lumber. “We’re not trying to be the biggest. We’re trying to be the company that people know they can count on,” Kreofsky said. Kreofsky said Maze Lumber is ready to serve future generations of customers. “Our fifth, sixth and someday seventh generations have some large shoes to fill,” Kreofsky said. “Fortunately, each generation has been raised around the business and understands what Maze Lumber means to our family and our community. We’re excited to continue building on that history while adapting to the way the industry and our customers are changing.”
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
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Woodstock Willie is held by handler Mark Szafran as Willie looks to see if he can see his shadow Feb. 2, 2024, during the annual Groundhog Day Prognostication on the Woodstock Square.
Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd of the Blues Brothers perform Aug. 19, 2022, at the Blues Brothers Con 2022 at the Old Joliet Prison in Joliet.
Local journalism. Lasting impact. Congratulations, Shaw Media, on a remarkable anniversary. For 175 years, you have informed, connected, and strengthened the communities you serve. Your commitment to local journalism has made a lasting difference. We’re honored to celebrate this milestone with you.
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OUR PHOTOS
Mark Busch file photo
Tiffany Blanchette file photo
Aroma Park resident Patricia Kime adjusts a giant teddy bear on March 12, 2026, in front of her home on Strasma North Drive, which was destroyed by the March 10 EF-3 tornado. She pulled the teddy bear from her former living room in hopes to put a smile on her neighbors’ faces, she said. The bathroom she was sheltering in was the only intact room of her home.
Alex T. Paschal file photo
Veterans and attendees sing the national anthem Nov. 4, 2022, during the opening ceremony for Local officers tend to a mourner June 30, 2008, at the scene of a quadruple murder in Rock Falls. the DeKalb County Courthouse 24-Hour Veterans Vigil. A veteran will stand guard at the Nicholas Sheley was convicted of killing eight people during a six-day, multistate crime spree. courthouse from 4 p.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Saturday in honor of Veterans Day.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Shaw Local News Network file photo
Dixon High School was packed with well-wishers on Feb. 6, 1984, when President Ronald Reagan returned with his wife, Nancy, to celebrate his 73rd birthday. Also on hand was Neil Reagan, the president’s brother, Gov. Jim Thompson, U.S. Sen. Charles Percy, U.S. Rep. Lynn Martin and Dixon Mayor James Dixon.
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Tiffany Blanchette file photo
Fairgoers take a spin on the swings at the carnival during the 2023 Kankakee County Fair. The fair has been a staple in Kankakee County since 1856, moving to the current fairgrounds in 1948.
Scott Anderson file photo
Peru Police officers and other volunteers help corner Wally on the train tracks behind Maze Lumber in Peru. Wally the Wallaroo escaped from his owner Nathan Drewel in Peru on Dec. 2, 2020. Wally jumped into the Illinois River right after this photo. He was rescued by a random fishing boat who scooped him up in a fishing net and was transported to Bridgeview Animal Hospital in Peru for treatment.
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Ottawa Times file photo
Firefighters shown during the March 18, 1998, fire in the Jordan block downtown Ottawa.
Alex T. Paschal file photo
An honor guard stands at attention next to the caskets of Ashton firefighters Clint Talley and Mike McKean, who were killed fighting a fire in Ashton on Feb. 17, 2001.
Mark Busch file photo
The casket of former DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott is brought out of the church by a detail of law enforcement officers March 7, 2025, following his memorial service at Bethany Road Bible Church in DeKalb. Scott was the county sheriff for 36 years.
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Herald-News file photo
Drew Peterson leaves the Will County Courthouse in Joliet after his arraignment on charges of first-degree murder in the 2004 death of his former wife Kathleen Savio, who was found in an empty bathtub at home.
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Gary Middendorf file photo
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe celebrates his win at the NASCAR’s eero 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway on July 5, 2026, in Joliet.
Honoring a Legacy That Has Connected Generations
Congratulations to Shaw Media on celebrating
175 years of INFORMING,
CONNECTING, and STRENGTHENING their communities.
Daily Journal file photo
Kankakee girls track athletes celebrate winning the IHSA Class 2A Girls Track and Field Kankakee Sectional on May 10, 2023. The Kays would go on to win the 2023 IHSA Class 2A Girls Track and Field State Championship, capturing back-to-back state titles.
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SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, October 10, 2026
Mark Busch file photo
Mariyah Ofei (left) and her daughter, Jahnora Sturges, 2, along with Haniyyah Woods (right), all of DeKalb, enjoy a ride on the slide Aug. 26, 2022, during Corn Fest in downtown DeKalb.
Gregory Shaver file photo
Young adults watch the fireworks show from a pier on July 2, 2023, at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach during the annual Independence Day celebration.
To 175 years...
...of turning pages & shaping perspectives.
Thank you, Shaw Media, for broadcasting the past, publishing the present, and pioneering the future of multimedia.
www.wrscpa.com
Saturday, October 10, 2026
SHAW MEDIA 175TH ANNIVERSARY
72
HAPPY
ANNIVERSARY S H AW M E D I A Thank you for many years of partnership! Creating a legacy of community involvement and collective growth.