Former Princeton resident and Princeton High School student Joel Klaff (right), now of Chicago, returned home Friday night to help honor his long-time teacher Mary Win Norris. Norris was the guest of honor at the Prairie Arts Council 2010 gala, where she received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award. Not only did Norris teach art at Princeton High School, but also her paintings and other artwork are treasured throughout the area. The event also included a live and silent auction at the Wine Cellar in Princeton.

The Hollowayville pancake and sausage breakfast was held Sunday at the Hollowayville United Church of Christ from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Homemade sausage, pancakes, desserts and more were on the menu. Proceeds from the event go to a variety of projects, including Habitat for Humanity, the homeless shelter in Peru and back into the church to fund future projects, improvements, etc.

MANLIUS — A rural Manlius teenager is raising funds to travel to the United Kingdom next summer through the People to People program.

Andrew Ellis (left) and Mark Yaklich work together during Saturday’s Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon to head their bowling ball down the middle of the lane. The boys were among the bowlers of all ages and skill levels participating in Saturday’s annual fundraiser at Crown Lanes in Princeton. Proceeds from the annual event go to provide Junior Achievement programs for local schools.

PRINCETON — The annual Lincoln Day Dinner will be held Friday at Wise Guys Bar and Grill in Princeton. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Keynote speaker for the event is Adam Kinzinger. Special guests include an appearance by “Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln.” Reservations are required for the event and can be made by calling Marshann Entwhistle at (815) 875-1160 or Christi Warren at (815) 875-1023.

Trooper Jeffrey Nichols of District 17 of the Illinois State Police in LaSalle shows how hard his dog, Qundo, can hold onto anything during a canine demonstration Friday at Allen Junior High School in LaMoille. Nichols said his 2 1/2-year-old German Shepherd from Holland not only finds drugs, but is also trained to find articles, missing people or fugitives hiding from law enforcement personnel.

PRINCETON — Princeton Police Chief Tom Root has released the activity report for January. Officers responded to 848 calls, and handled 39 ambulance assists, 10 fire assists, 19 police assists, 20 alarms answered, five funeral escorts, six thefts, nine criminal damage calls, and 81 motorist assists. Officers made 37 traffic arrests and 28 non-traffic arrests, and issued 81 warnings and 22 parking tickets. There were three arrests for battery, four for domestic battery, four for theft, four for drugs, two for drug paraphernalia, one for disorderly conduct, three for driving under the influence, three for speeding, one for a seatbelt violation and two for driving while license was suspended or revoked.

“A quaint bed and breakfast, chocolate on the pillow, chilled wine and a crackling fire.”

Deb Washo of rural Princeton submitted this photo of their cat Toonsie on her favorite perch. That is ... the back of her buddy, Molly, the Sicilian donkey. Another pal, Josie the pony, watches over the two. Deb says that Toonsie spends a lot of time riding on Molly. She even has a video of the donkey running across the lot with Toonsie along for the ride.

This photo of a very large icicle was submitted by Laura Prendergast of Princeton. She said her neighbor Jean Caldwell took this photo of what she called “King of the Icicles.”

CHICAGO — The Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor chose half-time during Sunday’s Super Bowl to announce he was withdrawing his candidacy.

SPRINGFIELD — More than $28,000 was awarded to Bureau County libraries Friday by Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White. The awards were part of almost $12 million awarded to 612 public libraries serving 11.6 million patrons in fiscal year 2010 Illinois Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants.

PRINCETON — The Princeton Chamber of Commerce plans to host a region-wide tourism outreach to develop the promotion of the entire area as a tourist destination.

PRINCETON — People interested in further developing public transportation in Bureau County are encouraged to attend Thursday’s meeting of the Bureau and Putnam County Transportation Partnership Group (TPG).

SPRINGFIELD — The Lincoln Memorial is going the way of the wheat.

PRINCETON — The future of Soil and Water management in agronomic settings will be the focus of a Soil and Water Management Workshop sponsored by University of Illinois Extension – Bureau County on Wednesday. The workshop will be held at the University of Illinois Extension – Bureau County office located in the Becker Professional Suites Building, 850 Thompson St. in Princeton. Educators will be on site to deliver presentations via PowerPoint and teleconference from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

Jerry Boers carefully hangs a freshly-made sausage at the Hollowayville United Church of Christ Thursday. Boers and a roomful of other men made the pork sausage in preparation for the church’s 58th annual pancake and sausage brunch, which will be held Sunday. The brunch, which also includes French toast, applesauce, fruit and homemade pie for dessert, is served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at a cost of $6 for adults and $3 for children.

Gina Nelson (left), Bureau County United Way co-chairperson and owner of Bead Buzz Jewelry Design, and Quinta Morton assemble United Way bracelets to be sold during the Bureau County United Way’s second annual comedy dinner auction. The event will begin at 6 p.m. March 6 at Wise Guys Bar & Grill, 2205 N. Main St., Princeton. The evening includes a comedy improv show by Comedy Sportz of Rock Island, dinner buffet, silent auction, live auction, dessert auction, prize drawings and 50/50 drawing. Tickets are $35 per single, $65 per couple and $200 for a reserved table of six. For more information, call the BCUW office at (815) 872-0821.

This photo of Lech Walesa (right), submitted by Christine Arndt of Princeton, was taken at a recent rally at the Federal Plaza in Chicago. Walesa, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, served as president of Poland from 1990-1995 during the country’s transition from Communism. He was in Chicago to endorse Adam Andrzejewski for governor.

Kendra Walters of Buda submitted this photo of a deer in the cornfield. Kendra said, “I caught this deer out the corner of my eye while driving down Prairie View Road Monday at about 8:30 a.m. It watched every move I made, but never attempted to get up and run away.”

TISKILWA — Members of the Tiskilwa Historical Society are preparing to relocate its museum one block east from its current Main Street site.

PRINCETON — SafetyPup is headed to Princeton with a message for area children.

SHEFFIELD — Does the Sheffield Village Board want its old school building or not?

PRINCETON — The “To Save A Life” movie has been extended for another week at the Apollo Theater in Princeton, but the message of the film will hopefully be felt for years to come.

Gov. Pat Quinn has been declared the victor of Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

PRINCETON — The Bureau County Republican and Bureau County Metro Center will present their second annual Weddings and Celebrations Expo.

PRINCETON — A Citizens Police Academy will be offered by the Princeton Police Department beginning in April. The academy is open to residents of the city of Princeton, 21 years of age or older, who are interested in learning more about how their police department operates and the policing challenges facing the city of Princeton.

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Supreme Court ruled this week that capping jury awards for non-economic damages is unconstitutional.

Gov. Pat Quinn has been declared the victor of Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

WYANET — The cause of the Dec. 19 train derailment in Wyanet has been determined to be "buff forces generated by improper train handling."

Van Orin kindergarten students (from left) McKenna Klein, Austin Polite and Kylee Brown show off some of the dozens of colored clips which they will sort and count to observe Wednesday as Van Orin's 100th Day of School. Van Orin houses kindergarten through third grades, and each class was doing a variety of activities for Wednesday's celebration.

ZEARING — While most people are still reviewing the results of Tuesday’s primary election, some area residents are focused on the Nov. 2 general election.

This photo of the Malden train depot, submitted by Kay (Nord) Elmore, was taken by her mother Bernice Nord in the late 1940s. The depot was torn down in the 1960s.

Jane Kunkel of Spring Valley submitted this photo of the recent hoar frost on oak leaves in her back yard. Jane is a member of Photography Unlimited.

PRINCETON — Princeton customers will see a rate increase in their sewer service, starting in May.

SHEFFIELD — Sheffield Village Board members heard Ben Wilson, community development coordinator for North Central Illinois Council of Government, present an estimate for the village's water and sewer project at its meeting Monday night.

WALNUT — Assistant Village Superintendent Carl Minks approached the Walnut Village Board Monday evening with concerns he has about a recent power outage the village incurred.

MANLIUS — Now that the village of Manlius has survived the battle of funding, their long awaited water and sewer project will begin, which means increases in residents' water bills, additional sewer rates, and an increase in all property taxes within the village limits.

Feb. 13 — Real estate, L. Williams, 640 S. Main St., Sheffield, 10 a.m., Johnson Auction Service, auctioneer.

PRINCETON — Voter turnout in Bureau County for a primary election sunk to a record low on Tuesday, according to Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus.

Many Illinois residents went to bed Tuesday night not knowing who would be the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor, and they woke up to the same situation Wednesday morning. As of press time, both elections were considered still too close to call.

PRINCETON — In Tuesday’s only local contested primary race, Sheffield Mayor Bill Rosenow won the Republican Party’s nomination for Bureau County Sheriff, beating out challenger Joe Bertetto by a 1,405 to 1,102 vote.

PRINCETON — Only 17 percent of Bureau County’s registered voters went to the polls on Tuesday’s primary.

PRINCETON — Jill R. Nickelsen, 35, of Wyanet was sentenced to serve two months in the Bureau County Jail after pleading guilty to the Class 4 felony of unlawful use of a debit card.

A postage stamp will honor Elijah Parish Lovejoy, one of the most outspoken anti-slavery advocates in Illinois' history.

Princeton resident Danny Sissel prepares to cast his vote early Tuesday morning at the polling place located at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church on Dover Road. Voter turn-out for Tuesday's primary election is expected to be slight, especially since no referendum questions are on the ballot, and there is only one contested county-wide race.

PRINCETON — The Princeton Park Board doesn’t see the park district building new designated tennis courts any time in the near future.

James Peacock flips a pancake during Sunday morning’s pancake and sausage breakfast at St. Louis Catholic Church in Princeton to kick-off off Catholic Schools Week.

Illinois voters are making history today, Tuesday, as the state is holding the earliest congressional primary in midterm years in U.S. history.

SPRING VALLEY – Monday’s Spring Valley City Council meeting began with a lengthy challenge to the aldermen by Mayor Cliff Banks.

New Executive Committee members for Church Women United of Princeton were installed Saturday at the 2010 annual meeting held at Open Prairie United Church of Christ. They are Debbie Rabe (front row, from left), president; Trisha Schafer, vice president; Bonnie Bangert, ecumenical planning leader for celebrations; Carol Gunberg (back row, from left), treasurer; Cinda Kierski, ecumenical planning leader for public relations; and Julie McCutchan, secretary.

The annual Manlius Fish Fry was held Friday and sponsored by the Manlius Sportsman's Club. For only $8, event-goers were able to eat all the Alaskan walleye they could, along with a variety of side dishes. Pictured at the fish fryer are Gary Graham (from left), Drew Baker, Larry Rowland, Kenny Stier and Bob Hansel.

"When I see the rhubarb coming up."

Kathy Casstevens, director of marketing at Starved Rock Lodge in Utica, submitted this photo to show how some hungry deer will come closer than usual if free food is offered.

Al Erickson of Princeton submitted this photo of a snowman his children, Trace and Hanna Erickson, built “with a little help from dad” after the big snow. Those who traveled the 300 block of Peru Street were able to enjoy it.

PRINCETON — The investigation into Rock Island County's county clerk has nothing to do with Bureau County, according to Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus.

PRINCETON — Thomas D. Ogaard assumed the position of president and CEO of Princeton National Bancorp, Inc. and Citizens First National Bank effective today, Tuesday. He replaced Tony J. Sorcic, former president/CEO, who retired on Monday. Ogaard joined the company in August 2009 as executive vice president and banking group manager and is currently serving on the board of directors of both the holding company and the bank.

BUREAU — The Leepertown Board of Education will have a Meeting of the Whole to customize board policy with an Illinois Association of School Boards representative at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in the cafeteria at Leepertown School in Bureau.

UTICA — Local artists announce the establishment ArtWorks, an organization created by a group whose mission is to inspire artistic growth among artists through education, exhibition and competition.

PRINCETON — For 90 years or so, the life of Mary Win Norris has been captured and illustrated through her art.

SPRINGFIELD — One year ago, history was made in Illinois when a Senate Tribunal voted to make Gov. Rod Blagojevich the first Illinois governor to be impeached and removed from office.

SPRING VALLEY — Amid a budget crunch that’s raised the specter of spending cuts at Hall High School, Hall’s band program could be in trouble.   

When it comes to organizations who rely on the generosity of people’s donations, Friends of Strays No-Kill Animal Shelter is no different. But in a struggling economy, a substantial increase in tenants at the shelter in Princeton coupled with considerably fewer donations has caused a serious situation for the four-legged friends who call the place home. Check out Thursday’s Bureau County Journal to learn about the ongoing battle to care for the stray animal population in Bureau County.

PRINCETON — The state’s budget woes are hitting University of Illinois Extension offices across the state, and now Extension leaders are seeking public input on ways to cut costs and still provide high-impact programming.

PRINCETON —The Princeton High School Board is considering three improvement projects for the school’s athletics department.

Ed Herrmann of Spring Valley captured this photo of a squirrel who found a walnut to take home for dinner. Ed says, “The walnut must have been hidden somewhere, the nearest walnut tree is over a block away.”

LAMOILLE — The Operation Teen Safe Driving program at LaMoille High School got a boost Thursday with a $1,000 grant presentation from Allstate Insurance.

PRINCETON —The annual Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon in Princeton is set for Feb. 6 at Crown Lanes.

DEPUE — The DePue/Bureau County Democrats will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the VFW Hall in DePue. Primary election results, along with upcoming fundraisers, will be discussed. Anyone wishing to attend is welcome. Refreshments will follow the meeting.

PERU — Citing the state’s massive budget deficit, Sen. Gary Dahl, R-Granville, has discontinued his office’s participation from the state’s General Assembly Scholarship program.

PRINCETON — Have you ever just wanted to go out with your friends for a few hours and enjoy some relaxing entertainment and not spend a ton of money? If so, the Gateway Café is for you.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, has announced the launching of FedHireVets.gov, a Web site run by the Office of Personnel Management, which will help veterans find jobs in the federal government. The Web site offers a straightforward portal to help veterans learn about federal employment opportunities available to them.

SPRINGFIELD — Several one-of-a-kind original artifacts will be displayed for a limited time in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield during the days surrounding Lincoln’s 201st birthday, including a special after-hours viewing vigil that will offer the Emancipation Proclamation and the inkwell Lincoln used to write his first inaugural address.

LASALLE — Illinois State Police District 17 Commander Captain Daniel Roach announced a summary of district activity for 2009. District 17, headquartered in LaSalle, includes the counties of LaSalle, Bureau and Putnam.

CHICAGO — Under normal circumstances filing a tax return can be time consuming and confusing. But for military personnel and their families, tax season only adds to the stress of trying to maintain a sense of normal life.

SPRING VALLEY — Faced with a mounting budget deficit officials say could total $300,000 over the next two years, Hall Superintendent Mike Struna says he’ll press the school board to decide by February if the district should borrow money or make spending cuts.

PRINCETON — The Princeton Elementary School Board has approved issuing $2,010,000 in general obligation bonds to help with reserve cash for expenses.

Karsyn Brucker (left) and Jenna Williams share the gluing responsibilities during Wednesday’s morning craft time at the Zearing Child Enrichment Center in Princeton. With colder temperatures outdoors, the children at the center are kept busy with indoor activities. Temperatures around Bureau County are expected to remain unseasonably cold into the weekend, according to WQAD News 8 meteorologist Anthony Peoples.

OHIO — To what lengths should a school district go to protect its students?

TISKILWA — The quiet streets of Tiskilwa are a long way from the broken and ravaged streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in more ways than just distance.

DEPUE — The village of DePue is suspending its tree waste removal service, village officials said this week. The reason? There’s nowhere to take the waste.

PRINCETON — Bureau County has received a $21,348 grant awarded by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA).

Name: Deborah Rowland

Brian and Tami Jones of Ohio submitted this photo of their year old Yorkie, GeeGee. They said GeeGee does not seem to mind when Momma dresses her up ... all the time. This picture is from the summer of 2009. She is all decked out in one of her summer outfits.

Karen Newby of Princeton submitted this photo of her toy poodle, Besse, covered in snow after the last big snowstorm. Newby says this photo is a cross between a pet and a snow sculpture. Besse just loves the snow.

Do you have a health condition that you’d like more help for?

SPRINGFIELD — Scherrie V. Giamanco, state executive director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Illinois, wishes to remind eligible producers with livestock, forage, honey bees or farm-raised fish losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2009. Producers have until Saturday to submit an application for payment for 2009 losses for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program and the Livestock Indemnity Program.

PRINCETON — The Bureau County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee will host a cooking class fundraiser to raise money for the Bureau County Farm Bureau Foundation. The classes will feature Chef Monika Sudakov of the Chestnut Street Inn and will take place in Princeton on Feb. 16 and 18. The series will focus on heart-healthy cooking. The fee is $40 per class or $50 for both classes. The classes will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at Someone’s in the Kitchen, 1619 N. Main St., in Princeton. Recipes and samples are included in the price.

TRIUMPH — The Bureau County Farm Bureau Young Leader Committee will take part in the annual District 4 YL Curling outing from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Feb. 20 — Bauer Collection, gold coins, coins and currency, 1 p.m., 599 Canaan Drive (Midwest Center for Christian Living), LaSalle, Sonny Henry, auctioneer.

Once you finish college, you usually have a six-month grace period before you need to start repaying your loans. These tips from The Student Loan People may help.

LASALLE — On five nights in November and December, 120 people came together with the Canal Corridor Association to articulate a vision for the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor in 2020. This was the beginning of a public process to produce a management plan for the first designated corridor in the country.

PRINCETON — Artists and art collectors alike will have the opportunity to display their artwork at the Princeton Public Library.

Area residents who rely on their local libraries for getting books and other materials from across the state can thank librarians for their efforts last week.

William Stuepfert turns another griddle filled with pancakes at Sunday’s pancake breakfast at the LaMoille Lions Club. Stuepfert is a junior at LaMoille High School, and members of his class worked the sale and received the benefits.

PRINCETON — While there’s some debate whether January or February is the official National Bird Feeding Month, for Marilyn Eckberg of rural Princeton, there’s no doubt. Every month is National Bird Feeding Month, at least at her home.

PRINCETON — With the recent events in our economy, it is more important than ever to take care of your biggest investment – your home.

“Yes, because I think this country is due for a change before we go broke. There’s too much government in our lives.”

Ruth Hix of Malden submitted this photo of the old vs. the new. The farm is northwest of Tiskilwa.

Ruth Hix says she fashioned these snowmen out of old fence posts off her father’s farm. She also said, “I’ve had it. If it gets any deeper, I’m out of here.”

PRINCETON — The city of Princeton has been commended for its work to bury overhead electrical utility cables.

SHEFFIELD — With just a week under their benevolent belts, the Western Bureau County Food Pantry (WBCFP) deemed its first week a success. The WBCFP Board held a meeting last week to discuss its new endeavor — a food pantry serving residents in Sheffield, Buda, Mineral and Neponset.

PRINCETON — Bureau County registered voters have just a few more days to cast their votes early or to request an absentee ballot for the Feb. 2 primary.