Sunflower Park playground in Yorkville is undergoing a massive rebuild, bringing some first-in-the-city inclusive play features designed to inspire children and break down barriers. The refurbished equipment is being donated to bring joy to kids across the world.

“These kiosks represent an exciting leap forward in our mission to educate and prepare the community,” Plainfield Fire Marshal Ryan Angelus said.

From sandwich sales to scholarships, Morrison High School’s Key Club is showing how student volunteers are shaping leadership, community and opportunity.

Illinois Valley Community College will hold a free “Pages and Passports: Adventures of an Author and Foreign Service Officer” book talk and career discussion featuring college alumnus, author and former U.S. diplomat Gordon Duguid.

St. Bede Academy raised $286,000 from alumni, parents, students and friends during its annual day of giving on March 20.

La Salle-Peru Township High School inducted 63 members of the class of 2026 into the L-P Honor Society this week.

The reason for the decrease in funding is because the district has been moved from Tier 1 to Tier 2 when it comes to evidence based funding. Under the system, the funds flow first to the school districts that need them the most.

Aurora University has named the following students to the dean’s list for the fall 2025 semester.

Grundy County will be well-represented at the annual Illinois SkillsUSA competition in Peoria at the end of April: the Grundy Area Vocational Center is sending six automotive students to compete.

Winter weather has delayed plans to have the new Sterling Public Schools student rec center facility open in time for winter 2026 sports practices.

Leah Mulder of Sterling was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at Bradley University.

The Quad County Urban League champions equal opportunities for all disadvantaged persons and people of color, including African Americans, women and disabled persons.

The Bourbonnais Elementary School Board approved bids last week for three projects aimed at preventative maintenance around the district.

The majority of Oswego District 308 School Board members on Monday voted to approve a resolution transferring the property at 61 Franklin St. to the village of Oswego.

The Academy of St. Carlo Acutis Middle School released its third quarter honor roll for the 2025-26 school year.

Illinois Valley Community College recently announced truck driver trainees Thomas Scholle and Douglas Brue were the first recipients of the Steve Mobley Memorial Scholarship presented through the IVCC foundation.

Chris Spencer, the superintendent of Coal City Unit 1 school district, shares information on the ongoing repair projects at Coal City Intermediate School.

Illinois Valley Community College’s summer and fall classes registration will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 1.

Upper Iowa University is pleased to announce the dean’s list for the fall 2025 semester.

Recycle old or unused bicycles through Forest Preserve District of Will County to benefit Working Bikes, which refurbishes and distributes bikes worldwide.

The presentation, titled “Pages and Passports: Adventures of an Author and Foreign Service Officer,” is free and open to the public thanks to the event’s sponsors, the IVCC Foundation and Alumni Association.

Provided that at least 10 students register and pay for the course by the Friday, April 17, registration deadline, the program will run from Monday, June 1, through Thursday, June 25, and will be priced at $315.

The Grundy Area Vocational Center automotive students are nearing the finish line on a school year-long project that, some day, will be reaching the finish line itself.

A woman has died following a Wednesday crash in Batavia. A GoFundMe campaign, which has so far raised more than $100,000 for the family, identified her as a local teacher and mother of five children.

More than 50 businesses from throughout the region participated in the fourth annual Ottawa Township High School Career Fair, providing students opportunities to connect directly with employers.

Plano Public Library hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The library is closed on Sundays.

Nine students at Ottawa Township High School received first- or second-place ribbons in the Interstate 8 Art Conference at Sycamore High School on Saturday, March 14. Their scores propelled OTHS to first place overall in the competition.

Lee County 4-H is proud to celebrate the successful completion of the third year of its Special Interest (SPIN) Club, Kids in the Kitchen, a hands-on cooking club that builds confidence, creativity and life skills.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County has announced its program schedule for the first week of April.

The Oswego School District 308 board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the immediate dismissal of first-year teacher James Vassalla.

The city of Yorkville approved the 540-acre Project Steel data center, with 16, two-story warehouses. The approval came after hours of residents urging the city to slow down approval for data centers.

Workers with First Student, which provides school bus drivers for DeKalb School District 428 and in Sterling and Rock Falls among other districts, could soon be headed for a strike, effective March 31.

Owen Mandrell plans to attend Sauk Valley Community College for two years and to eventually transfer to a 4-year university.

From Capitol News Illinois: The bill calls for annual increases in university funding of $135 million each year over the next several years, with priority for new money given to schools that are currently the most underfunded.

Students across Ogle and Carroll counties learned how many farmers are behind one of America’s most iconic candies.

The Collaborative PE Program is designed to provide meaningful physical education experiences for students with a wide range of abilities.

Youths ages 14 to 18 can register for the 4-H ServSafe Manager Certification Course. The course teaches food safety principles, proper food handling and sanitation, food-borne illness prevention and leadership in food service environments.

Aidan Brown, a Dixon High School senior, plans to attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study mechanical engineering with a minor in business, and hopes to work as an automotive engineer.

The community-wide event is designed to bring together alumni, families, friends, and local organizations for a morning of teamwork, exploration, and school pride – all while raising funds to support educational field trips for Sterling students.

Kankakee High students were back in the building Tuesday after thousands of holes in the roof were patched. Nine roofs will have to be replaced throughout the district due to damage from the March 10 severe storms.

A program called One Click College Admit offers free admission – without the essays or recommendations needed – to most of the state’s public universities and all of its community colleges

Payge Barger from Davis Junction, who is studying social work at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is a peer mentor for the 2025-26 academic year.

From Capitol News Illinois: A House education committee unanimously approved the latest version of a bill that would require school boards to prohibit public school students from using their cellphones in the classroom

Ottawa Township High School (OTHS) hosted a quarterly Student Recognition Breakfast on Friday, March 20.

A Dixon man who died in a small plane crash Friday afternoon in Whiteside County is being remembered for his positive impact in the community

Donations will go to the Catholic Scholarship Fund.

The grant provided materials that support early reading, storytelling and creative expression through play-based, developmentally appropriate learning.

Oregon music students competed on March 7 at the IHSA solo and ensemble contest in Mount Carroll.

McHenry County College will raise tuition rates by $5 per credit hour starting in the fall semester.

Cole Chesnut was recently named the February Student of the Month at Polo Community High School.