Check out these farmers markets opening for the 2026 season in northern Illinois.

The Chicago Bears will enter next season as the reigning NFC North champions for the first time since 2019. Can they make it two straight division titles? Here’s what the other NFC North teams have done this offseason.

The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated Network of Nations’ new location.

The DeKalb Public Library will offer a salsa tasting for teenagers in sixth through 12th grades to celebrate Cinco De Mayo and Taco Tuesday.

Catch up on the week’s top DeKalb County news in minutes for the week of April 26-May 2. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

A teenager guilty of second-degree murder in the 2023 fatal stabbing of Sycamore 17-year-old Kaleb McCall was denied a request for a new trial, court records show. He's expected to be sentenced May 27.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois State Board of Education is asking lawmakers this year for $200,000 to develop a new way of counting low-income students as participation in federal assistance programs declines.

A residential home in Cortland that sold for $223,000 tops the list of the best real estate deals in DeKalb County in the past week.

Crewe Bartelt helped power Sycamore to a win at the Gib Seegers Classic, Kaneland avoided an I-8 sweep at the hands of Sycamore, Quinn McLane scored three goals for the DeKalb girls soccer team and more from Friday and Saturday in the roundup.

The Kishwaukee Concert Band will perform the final concert of its 24th concert season on May 9 in memory of Dr. Linda K. Liston.

Adults and teenagers can learn how to sew a pin cushion or paper weight at a program at the DeKalb Public Library.

Local activists held a May Day rally on Friday at Memorial Park in downtown DeKalb to advocate for workers’ rights and push for billionaires to be taxed amid cost-of-living burdens they argue are hurting everyday Americans.

Tom & Jerry's held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to kick off the rebuilding of the restaurant in its previous location of 1670 DeKalb Ave. in Sycamore. The restaurant was destroyed by a fire on Jan. 31 and is currently operating at its temporary location at 265 W. Peace Road in Sycamore.

How much rain fell in northern Illinois in April? In some places, it was more than twice the average, swelling rivers in the region beyond their banks.

Downtown DeKalb will play host to the third annual Cinco de Mayo celebration on Sunday. The free, family-friendly event features a wagon parade at noon, a car show, live performances and other activities.

For prospective homebuyers eyeing the real estate market in the area of DeKalb County, here's what sold for $300,000 or under during the past week.

The Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra will perform a “Springtime in Vienna” concert on Saturday to conclude its 49th concert season.

The Rotaract Club of Sycamore will host Pints for Pups on Saturday, a fun, dog-friendly outdoor market on Saturday, designed to bring together pet lovers while supporting impactful local nonprofits.

The Aruna Project will hold its fourth annual Aruna Run and Walk on Saturday to support its mission and victims of human sex trafficking.

Opinion: If enacted, the funding formula would drive an additional $148 million investment to NIU over a decade. This would be transformative, write NIU President Lisa Freeman and DeKalb County Economic Development Co. Executive Director Melissa Amedeo.

Six people, including three minors, were hospitalized Thursday after a two-vehicle rollover crash in Kingston at Pleasant Hill and Baseline roads, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office

Enjoy the outdoors and immerse yourself in nature this spring at these four destinations.

The Chicago Bears added to their playoff roster during and after last week's NFL draft. Those additions will create different competitions throughout the roster over the coming months. Here’s a look at the Bears’ post-draft depth chart as of May 1.

No. 9 hitter Sean Peterson had four hits and four runs as Genoa-Kingston clobbered Oregon, Marshall Ledbetter had a two-hit shutout as Hinckley-Big Rock beat Indian Creek, Ari Rich, Brooklynn Ordlock and Kaylee Luepkes homered for G-K in a win and more in the roundup.

Sycamore Middle School is set to open its spring production, the musical “The Wizard of Oz,” May 1.

Local activists will stage a May Day rally on Friday in DeKalb to advocate for workers’ rights and push for billionaires to be taxed amid rising gas prices, the Iran War and cost-of-living burdens they argue are hurting everyday Americans.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois Accountability Commission is also sending letters to local law enforcement agencies for potential prosecution of federal immigration agents amid Operation Midway Blitz

From Capitol News Illinois: Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey proposed changes to electronic monitoring rules, but said his plan would not call for returning to the use of cash bail. JB Pritzker blamed the judge in the case for deciding to release the man accused

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill to strengthen privacy protections for transgender and abortion patients in Illinois passed a Senate committee Wednesday in a 9-4 partisan vote.

Real estate news: The single-family house located at 295 Larking Avenue in DeKalb was sold on April 15, for $555,500, or $129 per square foot.

From Capitol News Illinois: Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said the Senate will not move forward with a constitutional amendment rewriting the state’s redistricting rules after a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday

The residential property located at 1242 Bristol Drive W in Sycamore was sold on April 14, for $426,000, or $299 per square foot.

The National Football League is closely following the Chicago Bears stadium saga as it winds its way through the Illinois General Assembly, officials indicated after a meeting on Wednesday

Compared with a year ago, prices rose 3.5%, the biggest increase in almost three years.

There’s plenty to like about the Bears’ draft class, but one glaring issue still looms large, and it’s not going away, Marc Silverman writes

Lone Star ticks have historically been found in the South and Eastern portion of the U.S., but have been rapidly migrating into the Midwest over the past few years, due to climate change and rising temperatures, health officials said

From Capitol News Illinois: A first-of-its-kind apprenticeship program in Illinois launched by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association provides online college coursework and real-life experience

From Capitol News Illinois: In an unexpected move Wednesday, prosecutors said they intend to pursue the dismissal of the main conspiracy charge against a handful of politically active protesters who demonstrated outside a federal immigration facility this past fall

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker announced Wednesday that IBM will bring its FutureNow innovation and delivery hub to Chicago’s South Side, bringing an estimated 750 new full-time jobs in supercomputing fields, such as cybersecurity, AI and data science

A program that helps incoming DeKalb District 428 kindergartners get comfortable with their classroom environment before school starts is expanding for the second year.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) DeKalb County and Family Service Agency invite the community to Hands Around the Courthouse, at noon Wednesday in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore to mark Child Abuse Prevention Month.

From Capitol News Illinois: U.S. District Judge Rubén Castillo, who chairs the commission, confirmed for the first time that the commission is planning to refer prosecutions of agents who abused their power to Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke

Seismic legislation that could determine the Chicago Bears’ future in Illinois officially arrived in the Illinois Senate on Tuesday, but the big finish is days off.

Evan Johnson hit a three-run tying home run in the seventh before Caden Smith walked it off in the eighth for DeKalb baseball, Alaynna Johnson had a huge night under the lights for DeKalb softball at Indian Creek, and more in the roundup.

A single-family house located at 1102 Oxford Circle in Sycamore changed owners on April 9.

From Capitol News Illinois: The mother of a young woman to whom the Trump administration dedicated Operation Midway Blitz testified to the Illinois Accountability Commission on Monday, saying her daughter would not have wanted this legacy

Authorities are investigating a reported burglary at a Malta convenience store, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

The Chicago Bears prioritized adding speed to their defense for much of the offseason, including last week's NFL draft. Will that speed lead to better defensive play next season?

Despite limited research and transparency, Illinois counties have continued to launch new mental health courts, and advocates call for more, raising big questions about fiscal accountability and oversight

From the Illinois Answers Project: Mental health courts have proliferated across Illinois in recent decades. Now, the state has 31 courts across 25 counties. There’s at least one in most of the state’s judicial circuits, but about two million Illinoisans are still left out.