Mike Ramirez recently opened Needle ‘N Groove Records at 17 Jefferson St. in downtown Oswego. The store had a soft opening on June 7.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said bridge repairs will begin Friday and end in July.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams no longer felt like he was drowning at the end of mandatory minicamp Thursday. Williams and the offense looked comfortable heading into training camp next month. Plus more notes from the final day of minicamp.

A section less than a block long will be closed to provide access for a crane.

Joliet put out an announcement two minutes before 3 p.m. that it would close City Hall at 3 p.m. But city will keep doing business by phone.

Class 4A state softball champion Lincoln-Way West highlights the list of area all-conference selections.

More severe weather is expected Thursday across northern Illinois, with the entire region placed under a tornado watch Thursday afternoon into Thursday evening.

Davion Thompson, a consensus top 25 recruit in the country, made his college commitment to Arkansas on Wednesday evening.

The Grundy County Board approved a new solar guideline Tuesday that requires solar developers to have concrete plans in place before receiving permits from the county, a move that State's Attorney Russ Baker said would strengthen the county's standing in a case it plans to appeal

Memorial for those who died in Global War on Terror will be Friday, while Concert on the Hill scheduled tonight has been canceled.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins Thursday, June 11. The U.S. men's team plays at 8 p.m. Friday, June 12.

Officials participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at Oswego East High School on Wednesday for a 30-mile, nearly $400 million Lake Michigan transmission main extension to provide Lake Michigan water to the three communities.

Flatbed Fords plays the best of the Eagles, with a blend of harmonies and intricate guitar leads, recreating the music of one of the biggest bands of all time.

Local favorites Johnny Russler & the Beach Bum Band will perform from 5-7 p.m. Friday, June 12 as part of the city’s inaugural Friday Night Music Series.

After a rollercoaster season, Chicago Bears Braxton Jones has regained trust in himself as he competes for the starting left tackle spot this offseason. Plus more notes from the second day of mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall.

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill that will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will officially remove an estimated 10,000 people from the state’s Medicaid program, leaving them without any form of health coverage.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said his office was underfunded by $10 million in the latest budget, and that could make it more difficult to fight legal battles against the Trump administration.

The Illinois Coaches Association announced its 2026 ICA All-State teams this week, with 11 Herald-News area softball standouts selected for first-team honors and dozens more for other ICA accolades.

Joliet police are seeking information on the whereabouts of Reonah Epting, 25, who was out of state but now may be back in the area. Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call 911 or 815-724-3020.

From Capitol News Illinois: A federal judge on Tuesday OK’d the release of highly anticipated and extremely rare transcripts from a trio of grand jury sessions in October, showing alleged prosecutorial misconduct by assistant U.S. attorneys.

High heat and humidity will continue over the next two days across northern Illinois, with several rounds of severe thunderstorms expected.

Layoffs began in May for workers of Ideal US Talent Systems in Cook, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties. Ideal is a platform where workers use their smartphones to find on-demand shift work

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.

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

Romeoville now has the second-highest number of reported monarch way stations in Illinois behind Chicago.

Celebrate Illinois Free Fishing Days weekend with free fishing pole rentals and giveaways throughout the weekend.

Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery Memorial Squad, which provides full military honors for veterans.

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

Waste Management will be changing its pick up times in Will County communities due to temperatures reaching 90 and above this week.

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.

Outside of Lincoln-Way West softball's historic state championship, it was a busy weekend around the Herald-News coverage area. Here are a few of the other top stories in our Weekend Rewind.

Seneca seniors Lexie Buis, Camryn Stecken and Tessa Krull led the Fighting Irish softball team to a runner-up finish at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals at Peoria's Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

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.

Read the description of each pet to learn about it, including where it can be adopted in Will County.

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 Chicago Bears board of directors voted to advance its stadium project in Hammond, Indiana. Does that mean the team is moving to Indiana? Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar discuss that and preview this week's minicamp.

The Timbers of Shorewood awarded its Joni Hilger Volunteer of the Year Award to Joel Martis of Shorewood.

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.

Here is the list of Wilco award winners from Plainfield School District 202 for the 2025-26 school year.

Catch up on the week’s top Will 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 Forest Preserve District of Will County is bringing back food trucks on Fridays and spalsh days.

A single-family home in Mokena that sold for $750,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Will County over the past week.

The Seneca softball team battled to the very end but came up just short in a 3-1 loss to Carterville in Saturday's IHSA Class 2A championship on OSF Healthcare Field inside the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria. The Fighting Irish ended the season 39-3.

It has become very difficult to contain the Minooka baseball team's offense as Edwardsville found out on Saturday as the Indians pounded out 14 hits in a 15-1 win to claim the Class 4A Normal Community Sectional title.

The Illinois River Valley Chapter serves 1.1 million people in five counties including Grundy, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, and Will.

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 Joliet that sold for $355,250 tops the list of the best real estate deals in Will County in the past week.