Rock Valley Credit Union opens new spot in DeKalb

Northern Rehab Physical Therapy Specialists will host a coat drive this month to collect items for the Sycamore United Methodist Church Coat Ministry. The coat drive runs through Oct. 17.

The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed the Children’s Learning Center to its membership.

Catch up on the week’s top DeKalb County news in minutes for the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

The DeKalb County History Center will partner with the Ellwood House Museum to host the second part of its “Dessert and Dialogue” discussion series.

DeKalb School District 428 has launched a community survey as it embarks on a search for a new superintendent, and district stakeholders are encouraged to weigh in.

The public is invited to celebrate centennial manufacturers and farms on Oct. 8 when the “Makers on the Move” Bus Tour rolls into DeKalb County.

Adults and teenagers who want to learn various ways to edit photos for Halloween are invited to a DeKalb Public Library workshop this month.

Rooted For Good released a list of October locations for Grow Mobile, a mobile food pantry that offers free food and household items to all who visit, no requirements necessary. To receive Grow Mobile alerts, text FreeGroceries to 844-727-2012.

The DeKalb Public Library will host a fiber arts club meeting for adults and teenagers this month to practice sewing and other activities.

Tails Humane Society will hold its annual Mutt Strut 5K Walk and Run fundraiser to benefit its homeless animals adoption services on Saturday.

Column: With grass growing slower and leaves starting to drop, our lawn care shifts from beautifying to cleaning up and preparing for the cold winter ahead, writes Rob Srygler of DeKalb's Citizens' Environmental Commission.

The DeKalb and Sycamore townships will hold a drive-thru shred and recycle event this week for township residents.

DeKalb man Jeremy Westbrook was sentenced by a judge Thursday to almost 100 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a child. The sentence came about a decade after his arrest and years of questions over his mental fitness, records show

Northern Illinois University continued its homecoming celebration with the Huskie Homecoming Block Party Thursday in downtown DeKalb.

Join DeKalb Mutual Aid on Oct. 25 for a fundraiser supporting transgender individuals.

Downtown DeKalb has a new spot for steaks and other food, after Florentino’s Charhouse opened this month.

KVAL’s “Things I Love About DeKalb County” juried art show’s artist reception and awards ceremony is Oct. 3. That, glass blowing demonstrations and other programming await in October at the Kishwaukee Valley Art League in Sycamore.

The DeKalb County History Center will host its annual “Etched in Stone” Cemetery Walk, touring a local cemetery next month.

Safe Passage is encouraging DeKalb County community members to use purple decorations or paint storefronts purple in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Successful golf outing benefits Kishwaukee Cancer Center, showcasing community support.

Column: Homecoming is just around the corner, and as Executive Director of the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau and an NIU alumnus, I can barely contain my excitement, writes Cortney Strohacker.

Column: On Wednesday, Oct. 8, the public is invited to join the “Makers on the Move” Bus Tour as it stops in DeKalb County to celebrate centennial manufacturers and farms, writes Melissa Amedeo.

Skylar Weiland did everything right: Graduated with honors, completed internships and networked extensively. Yet the Northern Illinois University economics graduate spent months unemployed applying to as many as 50 jobs per day before landing a job outside his field.

Across northern Illinois, dozens of cases remain unsolved, leaving behind grieving families, unanswered questions, and a lingering pursuit of justice

With no appointment necessary, adults and children can now walk into the DeKalb County Health Department and receive a flu vaccine five days a week, the department announced Monday.

Residents are invited to swap houseplants and lightly used clothing during a monthly sustainability swap at the DeKalb Public Library in October.

DeKalb area agencies recently got some local funding, including Oaken Acres Wildlife Center for a new racoon rehab center and Rooted for Good which is fundraising for a new community health and food facility.

The initiative provides Kishwaukee College nursing students funds for textbooks and class materials.

The DeKalb Public Library will host a Safe Passage informational booth for community members to learn about the organization’s services which include help for those suffering from domestic violence.

The DeKalb Police Department renewed a $1.2 million five-year contract this week for body cameras, police car cameras and new tasers, according to city documents.

The University of Illinois Extension will partner with Purdue Extension to host two workshops in Sycamore next month for people to learn about stormwater runoff pollution reduction.

Mayor Cohen Barnes said this week that the city is considering expanding its local support for networks and groups that help those facing homelessness in DeKalb. Homelessness, including among youth, is on the rise across Illinois, data shows.

Catch up on the week’s top DeKalb County news in minutes for the week of Sept. 21-27. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

Check out some of the top pictures captured by Daily Chronicle photographers for Shaw Local News Network the week of Sept. 20-26, 2025.

It’s spooky season, and the public is invited to a Universal Pictures classic horror film series at a DeKalb Public Library program featuring William Pack.

This year’s Sycamore Pumpkin Fest Historic Homes Tour’s theme is “Whimsical Homes” and includes various homes with intriguing stories. Get a sneak peek at the next Brown Bag Lunch lecture on Oct. 2.

Want to learn how to prevent yourself from falling victim to online scams or identity theft? State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, and Cortland Mayor Mark Pietrowski will cohost an informational prevention session Sept. 29 with experts from the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

St. George Greek Orthodox Church will hold a “Taste of Greece” fundraiser dinner on Saturday to support the church’s philanthropic commitments.

A DeKalb man pleaded guilty this month to stabbing another man in 2024 after an argument about peanut and jelly, part of a deal struck with prosecutors that downgraded an attempted murder charge to aggravated domestic battery, court records show.

A DeKalb man who recently was charged with animal cruelty after police said he struck a cat in the face with a hammer was ordered by a judge this week to forfeit his dogs, Mochi the Shiba Inu and S’Mores, a Yorkshire Terrier, court records show.

The Friends of the Sycamore Library will hold a used book sale this weekend to support the library’s services, resources and programs. The sale runs Friday and Saturday.

Fall is in the air and so is the season’s latest Back Alley Market, a downtown DeKalb shopping experience featuring more than 150 area vendors on Saturday.

The Egyptian Theatre will host a performance of the World Ballet Company’s “The Great Gatsby Ballet” as part of the company’s fall 2025 tour.

A new grocery store is expected to open on the ground level of the former Fanatico Restaurant building in DeKalb, with financial aid awarded this week from the City Council. The old restaurant was the site of a fire, and later arson charges, in 2023.

The DeKalb County Community Foundation announced that the Karsten Larson Fund has been reclassified and renamed as the YEP Alumni Endowment Fund, meant to bring more focus to youth-centric charity.

Multiple DeKalb area agencies will host a free informational session for the public next month to learn more about a new law that prevents housing discrimination based on income sources.

School spirit was in full display on Wednesday as crowds lined up along West Dresser Road for the annual DeKalb High School Homecoming Parade featuring Barbs students, athletes, clubs and more.

In an apparent about-face, DeKalb city leaders this week moved to reconsider plans for a data center and solar array after one alderwoman expressed a change of heart, only for a series of related council votes to fail again.

The Friends of the Sycamore Library will host a used-book sale this month to support the library’s facilities, services and resources.