Sixteen girls basketball teams from across the area gathered for the Braidwood Shootout hosted by Reed-Custer on Tuesday, playing four games apiece to gain some valuable in-game experience this summer.

From Capitol News Illinois: Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, plans to file an amended megaprojects bill that would create new requirements that were not included in the original plan passed by the House. Gov. JB Pritzker says he’s open to a special session on the issue

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter is expecting to play as a whole different person next season as he enters the final year of his contact. Plus more notes from the Bears' first day of mandatory minicamp.

The HOT ROD Power Tour launched Monday morning from the Route 66 Raceway in Joliet.

From Capitol News Illinois: There were some high-profile caveats that underscored the limits of Gov. JB Pritzker's clout among his fellow Democrats who run the state legislature

Grab a flashlight and a friend to experience the Kankakee County Museum after hours during the new Night at the Kankakee County Museum event on June 20.

A Kankakee man charged with killing a 15-year-old boy in June 2021 will now be facing federal charges.

Led by six first-team selections, a total of 29 Kankakee area softball players were named Illinois Coaches Association All-State players.

Kankakee families with a valid city ID can get free admission to the local pool on three Tuesday afternoons this summer, but they'll need to grab tickets in person during a one-week window each month.

Forecasters warn Thursday could bring tornadoes, destructive winds, large hail, and flash flooding to northern Illinois as a dangerous weather pattern takes shape

Bourbonnais Township trustees and its highway commissioner are at odds over the purchase of a street sweeper.

Family, friends, teachers and community members gathered as Lincoln Williams, a 2026 Kankakee High School graduate, made his commitment to University of Illinois to play basketball on Monday, June 8, 2026, during a celebration at Kankakee High School.

After the Chicago Bears announced last week that they’re advancing a new stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, a suburban Republican state lawmaker is trying to provide a new framework to keep the team in the Prairie State.

The old prison in Crest Hill will be demolished and rebuilt. The state plans to build two new prisons: one for men and one for women.

The Illinois State Police’s Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (KAMEG) arrested 58-year-old Douglas P. Moore, of Kankakee, on multiple charges Friday.

Beecher District 200U concluded the school year at the end of May with a staff recognition assembly recognizing years of service, featuring several retirees with decades of work in Beecher.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois lawmakers gave hospitals and community health centers much of what they wanted this session by passing a bill that prohibits drug manufacturers from interfering with their access to discounted medications through a federal drug pricing program

The 73 districts receiving grants provide fire protection to about 250,000 Illinois residents, primarily in rural areas of Illinois.

The Chicago Bears will start the latest part of their offseason Tuesday when they start a three-day mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. Here are a few storylines to watch at minicamp this week.

The third annual Bradley 315 Music Fest returned with three evenings of music on the grounds of the village-owned Northfield Square mall over the weekend, with Warrant headlining on Friday, June 5, 2026.

The United Way of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties is celebrating the one year anniversary of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in the region, which has distributed 11,415 free books to over 1,500 across Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.

Catch up on the week’s top Kankakee County news in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you, for the week of May 31-June 6

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA OHS) has tips on how to include your pet in family disaster preparedness plans.

Teens entering 6th grade and up can bring their Nintendo Switch or use Harbor House's gaming truck for multiplayer games, plus free food and giveaways, at the Watseka Public Library on June 8 from 2–4 PM.

Marquette pulled away from Wilmington for an 11-2 victory in the IHSA Class 2A Herscher Sectional championship on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

A single-family home in Kankakee that sold for $42,500 tops the list of the best real estate deals in Kankakee County in the past two weeks.

In this week's column, Dennis Marek wonders how civilization may function if or when we exhaust specific natural resources.

Visitors will tour seven private gardens and one public garden, plus bonus stops at the Column Garden and Let Freedom Ring Gardens at Small Park, browse the Artisan Faire, enter raffles, and enjoy food and drinks.

A list of recent births at Riverside Medical Center.

Illinois lawmakers reacted with alarm, frustration and urgency after the Chicago Bears announced plans to advance a stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, though several officials stressed the move is not final and said there is still time to reach a deal to keep the team in state

From our editorial board: The Bears have now advanced a “site TBD” in Hammond, Indiana. The phrasing matters. It is not a plan. It is not a commitment. It is not even a fully described proposal. It is a directional signal carefully calibrated to do two things at once

From Capitol News Illinois: The former defendants known as the “Broadview Six” are moving forward with an aggressive plan to force the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago to reveal the machinations behind how they were indicted

Shaw Local newspapers received a combined 45 awards in contest categories that included general excellence, photography, news writing, opinion writing and design.

Transcripts from Xandria Harris’ first attempt of a trial earlier this year have been received by her attorney.

From Capitol News Illinois: Bills banning Glocks, creating a prescription drug board and regulating algorithmic pricing advanced in the final days of session, but not to the governor’s desk

The Chicago Bears announced Friday that its board of directors voted to advance its stadium project in Hammond, Indiana. However, two Illinois lawmakers confirmed to Capitol News Illinois that any talk of the Bears leaving the state is premature

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is determined to be "excellent" after an injury-plagued season last year. Here's how he's working over the offseason to get there.

From Capitol News Illinois: State Treasurer Mike Frerichs visited the Vatican this week with a gift for the pope: $8.65 of his own money

The pre-built exterior wall of 7 Brew coffee are in place, but coffee is not yet brewing.

Data centers have become a hot-button topic nationally. When reading or hearing about a proposed data center, people foresee drastic changes if allowed. This hit home Monday at the Bourbonnais board meeting.

From Capitol News Illinois: House Bill 4418 creates the Plastic Pellets Pollution Control Act, which takes a step toward controlling the amount of plastic that ends up in Illinois waterways

In her biweekly column, “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster writes about a trip to Utah, which offered spectacular views and the chance to swim in a 12,000-year-old crater.

The Riverview Historic District will turn into a scenic route for bicycle racers this Sunday as the Cobb Park Criterium returns.

Gardner- South Wilmington fell to Waltonville 2-1 in extra innings in the Class 1A softball state semifinal in Peoria.

The National Weather Service said warm, dry conditions, combined with southwest winds gusting as high as 25 mph will result in an increased grass and brush fire threat this afternoon

The Gebhard Woods Dulcimer Festival, a weekend full of acoustic music under the trees, returns from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14, at Goold Park in Morris.

Wilmington is now a game away from its third straight sectional championship after defeating rival Manteno 6-2 in a Class 2A Herscher Sectional semifinal Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

After each team snapped a regional title drought this year, both Clifton Central and Gardner-South Wilmington had their seasons come to an end Wednesday in the Class 1A Dwight Sectional semifinals.

From Capitol News Illinois: Lawmakers on the final day of the General Assembly passed a bill to regulate how minors interact with social media and other online platforms to make them less addictive

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and some players met with reporters Wednesday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest as they continued their Organized Team Activities (OTA) practices. Here are three of the most interesting things the Bears said Wednesday.