🛒New Grocery Stores, Freezing Weather, and National Popcorn Day

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Happy Saturday morning, Princeton. Which grocery store chain is set to replace the former Midland States Bank building at the southeast corner of Backbone Road and North Main Street? The lot has been cleared for construction following the building’s demolition on Thursday. This store is known for its affordable prices and exclusive brands. Keep reading to find out!

Let’s get it to it.

—Justin Bullington

📬IN THIS ISSUE

💡What You Should Know
☀️Princeton Weather
⛽️Princeton Gas Prices
🏆Princeton Person of the Week
💼Princeton Businesses
📍Outside City Limits
👷Princeton Job Opening
💝The Magi Gala
📚From the Historical Society
🔥PPSF Trivia Night
📧Letter from Lori

💡WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• News Tribune: “An excavator demolished the former Midland States Bank building on Thursday at the southeast corner of Backbone Road and North Main Street in Princeton. The lot will be cleared and an Aldi will be built.”

• Our Quad Cities: Princeton girls basketball comes back to win over Newman on the road, 56-52. Keighley Davis lead the Tigers with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

• Tigers Wrestling got two wins last night over Monmouth Roseville 62-9 and over Kewanee 41-35! They are back at home this morning with Dakota and Coal City starting at 9:00am.

• Tigers Boys Basketball beat Erie-Prophetstown 60-37.

• Fox 32: An arctic cold front will bring subzero temperatures and dangerously low wind chills.

• Ryan Hartman has been Inducted into the Prestigious Marquis Who's Who Biographical Registry

• Princeton Youth Soccer League’s spring registration is open through February 2. Visit pyslsoccer.com for details. 

• Bureau County Tourism is collecting 2025 event details for its Visitors Guide. Submit festivals, concerts, and other events to [email protected].

• The Bureau County Farm Bureau, in partnership with COUNTRY, is now accepting applications for the 2025 Community Impact Grant. This initiative aims to fund local projects that enhance community life in Bureau County. Interested groups can apply until February 28, 2025, with the potential to receive up to $5,000 in funding. For details or to apply, visit the Bureau County Farm Bureau website.

• The Bureau County Fairgrounds is offering rental opportunities for events in 2025. Interested parties can contact the facility (815-303-3905) for details and scheduling. Registration is open for the Model Train Fair and Farm Toy Show which takes place February 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

☀️PRINCETON WEATHER

🌤️Today: The day features partly to mostly cloudy skies with a high of 22°F. Winds are from the northwest at 10 to 20 mph. During the night, clouds dominate early but gradually clear, with a low of 2°F. Winds remain consistent at 10 to 20 mph.

🥶Sunday: A few clouds in the morning give way to mostly sunny conditions with a high of 5°F. Winds are brisk from the northwest at 10 to 20 mph. At night, mostly cloudy skies transition to partly cloudy after midnight, with a low of -1°F. Winds ease slightly, blowing at 5 to 10 mph.

🥶Monday: The day offers intervals of sunshine and clouds, with a high of 10°F. Winds are steady from the northwest at 10 to 15 mph. The night is mostly clear and very cold, dropping to a low of -5°F. Winds persist at 5 to 10 mph.

🥶Tuesday: Sunshine dominates the day but temperatures stay very cold, with a high of 8°F. Winds are from the west-southwest at 10 to 20 mph. The night remains partly cloudy, with a low near 4°F. Winds calm slightly, blowing from the west-northwest at 5 to 10 mph.

🌥️Wednesday: Morning sunshine alternates with clouds later in the day, bringing a high of 28°F. Winds shift to the southwest at 10 to 20 mph. During the night, partly cloudy skies persist, and temperatures fall to a low of 17°F. Winds stay gentle at 5 to 10 mph.

⛽️PRINCETON GAS PRICES

Regular

Amoco, 720 N Main St: $3.19
Sullivan’s Foods: $3.26
Casey’s West/North: $3.29
Beck’s West/North: $3.29
Road Ranger, N Main St: $3.29
Shell, 2225 N Main St: $3.29

Peru Gas 👀

Sapp Bros.: $2.99

🏆PRINCETON PERSON OF THE WEEK

🙂Marissa Mach

Reason for Nomination: “Marissa Mach has started an online support group for parents of special needs children. It provides resources and support for parents navigating a journey they did not anticipate. Despite facing challenges with her own children—including expecting her latest on January 6th after a high-risk pregnancy—she remains a pillar of support to those around her. I’ve never seen her without a smile; she radiates positivity to everyone she meets.”

Wow! Thanks, Marissa. Congratulations, you’ve won the Princeton Person of Week!

Did someone go the extra mile? Did a Princeton Person bless you or someone else you know? Nominate them, give me the details, and they may be chosen as the Princeton NOW Person of the Week. Nominate your Princeton Person of the Week by emailing your nomination to [email protected].

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💼PRINCETON BUSINESSES #SHOPLOCAL

• The Knack is hosting Kid’s Valentine Clay Days from January 23-25, teaching kids aged 6+ to create handmade gifts. Classes cost $30 per child and include all materials and snacks—sign up at theknackprinceton.com/events.

• Mavolan’s is running a winter sale with 40% off all coats, hats, and sweaters. Stop by to grab stylish winter essentials at a great deal.

• True Leaves Bookshop announces the closure of its west entrance for renovations but invites customers to explore its refreshed inventory and new bargain book section. Hardbacks are $3, and paperbacks are $1.50.

• The Neighborhood Ace Hardware introduces new Dr. Squatch products, including shaving items and themed deodorants. Items like the “Diamond Sticc” deodorant and “The One Ring Rinse” soap are available for $11.99 each.

• Sisler’s Ice Cream celebrates National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day with a special cinnamon roll donut sundae. Enjoy this indulgent treat featuring a glazed donut, cinnamon caramel sauce, and whipped cream. Sisler’s is now booking their mobile ice cream cart for 2025 events, perfect for weddings, birthdays, and more. Interested parties can email to secure this sweet treat for their next celebration.

• Optimal Health now offers a variety of cold-pressed and high-pressure juices, along with real fruit sodas. Stop in to try these refreshing and health-conscious beverages.

• Corner Chair Market announced the arrival of beautiful antique furniture, including a vintage hutch and a classic chest of drawers. These unique pieces will soon be available for purchase.

• A downtown commercial space is available on Princeton’s historic South Main Street, offering 1,400 square feet of beautifully renovated storefront and an additional 1,000 square feet in the back with restrooms and storage. For inquiries or to set up a tour, call 218-360-1425.

• Wild Honey Boutique highlights their newly restocked Kit-sch products, including body scrubs and spa bands. These items are also available on their updated website for easy browsing and shopping.

• The Apollo Theater celebrates National Popcorn Day on January 19 by offering free small popcorn for moviegoers. Guests can also purchase collectible popcorn buckets for a limited-time price.

• Once Upon A Craft announced an exciting Galentine’s Night event featuring shopping deals and a paint party. The festivities kick off with special shopping hours and conclude with a creative workshop.

• Meadows On Main invites visitors to explore their evolving spring decor filled with floral arrangements and seasonal accents. Stop by to see their delightful updates and find inspiration for home decoration.

• Registration is now open for Session Two of the Youth Basketball League at the Bureau County Metro Center. The league, for K–5th grade students, starts on Saturday, February 15, with games at 8:15 a.m. Registration ends Friday, January 24, and entry fees range from $45 to $55.

• The Bureau County Senior Center is selling tickets for a chili dinner fundraiser on February 13. Tickets cost $7 and are available on-site.

Upcoming Events:

• Nate Rector Live at Barrel Society - January 18 at 7 PM at 930 N Main St. Enjoy country tunes with a rock twist while sipping your favorite drinks.

• Karaoke and Open Mic Night - Weekly Saturdays starting January 18 at 7 PM at Downtown Pub (432 S Main St). Join for music, laughs, and showcasing your talents.

• Scouts BSA Info Night - January 21 at 4:30 PM at Prouty Building (435 S Main St). Learn about the program for youth ages 11–17, emphasizing leadership and outdoor skills.

• Princeton Swap Meet - February 9 from 6 AM–12 PM at The Fair Grounds. Find unique treasures; admission is $10, and vending spots are $50 (call 630-985-2097).

• Galentine’s Day Pop-Up - February 8 from 9 AM–1 PM at 535 S Main St. Discover gifts, treats, and crafts from local vendors for a day of festive fun.

• Brushville at Hawg House Saloon - February 22 at 7 PM at 18066 US Highway 6. Enjoy their dynamic, high-energy performance with unforgettable music and harmonies.

💝THE MAGI GALA

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📍OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS

•  Man Dies After Jumping From Bridge In Spring Valley

• The Amber Alert has been canceled after Blessing J. Aoci was found safely. More coverage here.

• Counties with the highest unemployment in Illinois

• Go Fund Me Set Up for Man Severely Injured in Auto Accident

• Larson Leaves Hall Football Program After Just One Year

• Illinois residents looking to buy a used car from out-of-state are encouraged to take extra precautions after an uptick in a recent scam involving fraudulent vehicle purchases.

👷PRINCETON JOB OPENING

Medical Assistant

• Location: Illinois Urologic Health Surgeons

• Position Type: Full-Time (40 hours/week)

• Schedule: Monday–Friday, daytime hours (with 6 paid holidays)

• Overtime: Saturday overtime opportunities available

• Travel: Travel required to multiple clinic locations, including Dixon, Princeton, Peru, Ottawa, and Streator

• Contact: Email your resume to [email protected]

Position Summary:

Illinois Urologic Health Surgeons is seeking a dedicated and skilled Medical Assistant to join our growing practice. The Medical Assistant will perform a variety of clinical and clerical duties in a busy urology clinic. This role involves direct patient care and supporting clinic operations, including maintaining accurate documentation, administering injections, assisting with medical procedures, and managing inventory.

Key Responsibilities:

• Patient Flow Management: Room patients promptly to minimize wait times.

• Medical Records Management: Ensure patient records are accurate and up-to-date before and during appointments.

• Clinical Tasks: Administer IM injections and assist with basic laboratory and medical procedures as directed by clinicians.

• Insurance and Lab Processing: Verify insurance details and manage lab processes efficiently.

• Daily Task Management: Respond promptly to tasks assigned by providers and assist with patient scheduling as needed.

• Inventory Management: Conduct inventory checks, manage travel supplies, and prepare orders for necessary items.

• Travel: Travel to various clinic locations as required.

• Confidentiality: Maintain patient confidentiality in compliance with HIPAA regulations.

• Facility Maintenance: Report building or equipment issues promptly.

• Other Duties: Perform additional department-related tasks as assigned in a dynamic medical environment.

Required Qualifications:

• Medical Assistant Training: Completion of relevant courses and/or certification.

• Recordkeeping Skills: Ability to read, write, and maintain accurate medical records and charts.

• Basic Computer Skills: Proficiency in Electronic Health Records (EHR) management.

• Office Equipment Proficiency: Comfortable using standard office equipment.

• Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to interact professionally and warmly with patients, visitors, and team members.

• Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain a well-organized workflow.

• Reliability: Must be dependable and committed to the role.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.

If you’re interested, please email your resume to [email protected].

We look forward to hearing from you!

💪KATE BUTLER: R3 EXPERT

The holiday season is in full swing, and with it comes lots of food temptations and goodies. It's easy to overindulge, but let's make good choices and stay healthy. That way, we can get a head start on our New Year's resolutions! 

How many of us resolve to start a new diet in January, only to fall off the wagon and gain back all the weight we worked so hard to lose? I can help you break that cycle with a sensible plan that helps you enjoy the blessing of good food, resets your metabolism, and helps you break the cycle of overeating, dieting, and regaining weight. 

For more info: https://mylastweightlossprogram.com/kate or just call me at 815-878-3278 and we can chat in person..which I prefer!

💝MAGI BABY CHEST

The Magi Baby Chest in Princeton has set the date for its Magi Gala, a Valentine’s evening celebration, on Saturday, Feb. 15, at the barn at Hornbaker Gardens.

This formal fundraising event will feature dinner and dancing in support of the Magi Baby Chest. Guests can enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres starting at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. The Steve Sharp Band will provide live music, and the evening will include a small silent auction and additional activities. The nonprofit describes the event as a mix of fun and sophistication, designed to help babies and toddlers in need.

Proceeds from the gala will fund baby supplies for families. The event’s aim is not only to generate financial support for the Magi Baby Chest but also to engage the broader community and highlight the services the organization provides to local families.

The Magi Baby Chest hopes to expand its donor base and inspire ongoing support beyond the St. Louis parish community. The nonprofit encourages attendees to invite friends interested in learning about and supporting a pro-family initiative.

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be purchased online at magibabychest.com or at the St. Louis parish office. Open seating will be available unless a table of eight is reserved. Tickets are priced at $75 per person or $600 for a table. Quantities are limited. Donations can also be made online or by mailing a check to St. Louis Church, with “MBC” noted in the memo line.

The deadline for purchasing gala tickets is January 31st.

There will be some great silent auction items, as well as vacations available, to purchase that night. You can buy a vacation and also benefit the Magi Baby Chest.

📚FROM THE BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

“Some time ago we received a large donation - over 400 items, in fact - belonging to 5 generations of a single family dating back to the Civil War. Pocket watches, jewelry, war letters and a diary, and a large volume of photographs, all telling the unique and moving story of this one Bureau County family through the years.

Amidst this family’s greater story was a smaller one, that of the bright, brief life of a sweet and beloved child. Among the items was a small jewelry box and within was a handwritten note indicating the brown lock of hair it contained was cut from the head of Ida May Allen, age 9, who died of typhoid fever October 13, 1881. Her younger brother, Burlyn, age 7 at the time, was unable to attend her funeral because he too was sick and in the care of a nurse.

Ida May died in Lexington, McLean County, and her father, John Goshin Allen, and her mother Margaret, pulled together what must have been an enormous sum of money - especially on a harness maker’s salary - for their little girl to have a beautiful gray obelisk gravestone, which still stands today. Within the family collection was a small cameo portrait of Ida May and Burlyn. Burlyn kept this single picture of himself and his sister among his prized possessions all his life. Also among his items was a torn, stained, and barely readable poem, three stanzas long and unsigned.

Taking together the content of the piece of writing and the lock of hair, we believe the poem to be written about the devastating loss of little Ida May. Sometimes this era preceding antibiotics and advanced medical care may give off the impression that death was so commonplace that everyone was used to it. They lost someone they loved, but they moved on because they had to. Not the case for this family. When John G. Allen died in Princeton in January 1917, his obituary listed the names and death dates for every one of the children he and Margaret lost years prior.

This poem speaks to their grief.

No. I

Put away the little gladthings that the dearling used to wear
She will need them on Earth never
She has climbed the golden stairs
She is with the happy angels and I long for her sweet kiss where her little feet are waiting in the realm of perfect bliss

No. II

Say aside her little gladthings wet with mothers pearly tears
How we shall miss our dearling all the downing weary years
Fold the dainty little dresses
That she never more will wear
For her little feet are waiting up above the golden stair

No. III

Kiss the little curly tresses cut from her bright golden hair
So the angels kiss our dearling in the realm so bright and fair
Oh we pray to meet our dearling for a long - long sweet embrace
Where the little feet are waiting and we meet her face to face up above the golden stair.”

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❓PPSF TRIVIA NIGHT

The Princeton Public Schools Foundation will hold its annual Trivia Night fundraiser on February 22 at The Cliff Event Center in Princeton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with trivia starting at 7:00 p.m. Teams can have up to 8 participants, and the cost is $160 per team. This 21+ event features free snacks, prizes, and raffles. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase at The Cliff. To participate, register by February 14 at www.ppsf.gives. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. For more details, visit the website or contact the Princeton Public Schools Foundation directly.

📧LETTER FROM LORI

I love receiving inspirational emails. As a girl, many of them are focused on encouraging us uniquely feminine creatures. One of my favorites compares women to apples and men to monkeys—or some other sort of climbing creature.

The analogy explains that women are like apples, with the best ones at the top of the tree. Men (or monkeys, in my playful spin) are often afraid to climb too high for the best fruit because they fear falling or getting hurt. Meanwhile, the shiny apples at the top of the tree begin to doubt their worth, thinking they aren’t valuable enough to climb for. At the same time, the ravenous monkeys settle for the easy apples—those wormy ones that have already fallen to the ground—simply because they’re convenient.

The story concludes with a reminder for women to recognize their value. Instead of worrying about the lazy monkeys on the ground, they should wait patiently for a bold, strong monkey willing to climb to the top and choose them. It’s the monkey who shows effort, strength, and grace who deserves the best apple.

I wish I had heard this fable when I was younger. My mom told me countless times to stay away from lazy, worthless monkeys, but I often found myself throwing myself to the ground just to be chosen. I became wormy, rotten, and a little mushy on the underside. But lazy monkeys don’t care—they’ll take whatever is easy, as long as they don’t have to work for it.

When I tried to tie this analogy to something biblical or spiritually meaningful, I struggled to reconcile how those rotten apples could be restored to their rightful place at the top of the tree. My own life is proof that restoration is possible, but it didn’t fit the monkey-and-apple framework—until I thought of grace.

Grace is God’s unearned, inexplicable gift. Through grace, anything is possible. I don’t have to figure out how to put wormy apples back at the top of the tree. God can do that effortlessly, in an instant. He allows me to share this silly story and wrap it up with the truth that with Him, all things are possible.

So, if you’re feeling like a bruised or mushy apple, grab onto grace. See yourself restored at the top of the tree, full, shiny, and vibrant. Wait for that bold monkey to realize that the sweetest fruit is worth the climb. Swing in the breeze, reflect the light of the Son, and trust in God’s timing.

And if you’re a monkey, stop settling for rotten fruit. Grab a branch and climb. When you reach the top, savor the apple you choose. Appreciate all its sweetness and nourishment, and never let it go.

Lori owns the Book-el-ZOO in Princeton. It’s not just a pet shop — it’s an experience!

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