Wilmington’s McKenna Van Tilburg will be heading to Saturday’s finals in four events after a spectacular performance in prelims of the IHSA State Meet. Plus more from the Herald-News area.

The owners blamed a fryer for starting the January fire, which caused an estimated $100,000 in smoke and water damage to the downtown Plainfield restaurant.

From neighborhood street fairs to beloved small-town traditions and Route 66 Centennial celebrations, these events reflect the state’s culture, food and music.

From Capitol News Illinois: The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday dropped all charges against the remaining “Broadview Six” protesters, citing apparent prosecutorial misconduct in the grand jury proceedings

From Capitol News Illinois: As state lawmakers work to pass a school funding plan for the upcoming fiscal year, some are expressing frustration over how this year’s budget has been implemented

Oswego junior Jezhian Sprinkle overcame hitting a hurdle on his first race to sweep both hurdles races, among the many individual highlights along with Lemont's Nathan Murray running the state's second-best 400 while Hinsdale Central took the team title at Downers Grove North.

From Capitol News Illinois: Senate Republicans are calling on their colleagues and the governor to opt into a federal school choice tax credit program.

From Capitol News Illinois: A Cook County judge has rejected a petition to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate and charge federal immigration agents accused of abuses during “Operation Midway Blitz” this past fall

Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and positional coaches met with reporters Thursday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest as the team continued its offseason workouts. Here are three of the most-interesting things the Bears said Thursday.

Both Sandwich and Seneca high schools chose this week to leave their current conference homes, the Kishwaukee River and Tri-County, respectively, to become the 9th and 10th members of the Illinois Central Eight Conference.

Additional performers in the concert series include Men At Work, Big & Rich, Andy Grammer and more.

The Oswego School Board approved hiring Adam Hurder at an annual base salary of $145,000.

The Chicago Street Market opens for the season at 10 a.m. Friday, May 22 in downtown Joliet.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation that a major gun rights organization says would effectively ban one of the nation’s most popular types of firearms

Discuss nature-inspired novels while walking the grounds of Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

The rate at which ComEd customers are charged for energy usage is increasing. Additionally, a temporary credit to Illinois customers is disappearing. Data centers for the artificial intelligence industry are among the factors driving the demand

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill heading to the House would allow minors to consent to receiving birth control without parental consent. The governor also says he will sign a measure to ban “junk fees,” or unlisted charges tacked onto the total of cost of ticketed events

The Coal City High School Theatre Department's performance of "Frozen: The Broadway Musical" has been named the Best Production at the 2026 Illinois High School Theatre Awards presented by Broadway in Chicago.

Marc Silverman predicts a 12-5 finish, another division title, and several statement wins in a loaded 2026 schedule for the Chicago Bears

Three-hit days from seniors Aubrie Goudreau and Alyssa Singleton and clutch efforts from freshmen Hannah Stritar and Mady Dye helped Manteno to an 11-6 win over Coal City in Wednesday's Class 2A Manteno Regional semis, highlighted by an eight-run third inning.

The Manteno softball team erupted for an eight-run third inning in the Panthers' 11-6 win over Coal City in the Class 2A Manteno Regional semifinals Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Lincoln-Way East boys track and field took second at the Rich Township Sectional, plus softball regional results in the Herald-News roundup.

Teams from Coal City, Herscher, Joliet Catholic, Manteno, Morris, Ottawa, and Streator all competed during the Class 2A boys track and field Sectional on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at Pontiac High School.

Ogden Point will have three multi-purpose gyms (basketball, volleyball, pickleball), five racquetball courts, a spin room, a group fitness room, a four-lane lap pool and a multi-purpose room.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois General Assembly is considering extending unemployment benefits to public school support staff during the 10 to 11 weeks of summer break

Council votes 8-1 for appointment-only tattoo studio next to City Square in the Crystal Building.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Joliet Public Library Downtown Branch, 150 N. Ottawa St., Joliet.

The Chicago Bears will face a difficult schedule to get back to the playoffs. Here's how likely a quick start and return to the postseason is after the release of the 2026 schedule.

More than 20 employers slated for job fair at 2-5 p.m. on Thursday at 1300 Copperfield Ave., Joliet.

If you spend too much of your life watching the crowd, eventually you stop asking what excites you, what moves you, and what feels true. You stop creating and start performing.

Roaring Nights concert series, new Dinos! Experience and anniversary celebrations headline can’t-miss summer lineup.

Ceremony is noon to 1 p.m. Joliet American Legion Band performance begins at 11:30 a.m.

Seneca got its 20th shutout of the season with an 11-0 win over Reed-Custer in the Class 2A Seneca Regional semifinals Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Thanks to four ninth-inning home runs, Bishop McNamara outlasted Wilmington 9-4 in an extra-inning Class 2A Seneca Regional semifinal for the ages Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

After going scoreless for seven straight innings, Bishop McNamara's softball team belted four home runs in the top of the ninth inning of Tuesday's IHSA Class 2A Seneca Regional semifinal against Wilmington, going on to win a wild extra-inning game 9-4.

Lockport, Minooka and all three Lincoln-Ways were among girls soccer regional winners, plus more in Tuesday's Herald-News Roundup.

Teagan Murphy scored four goals for Lincoln-Way East's girls water polo team, but the Griffins could not keep up with Naperville North in a 17-7 loss in the Hinsdale Central Supersectional on Tuesday.

Kessiah Purnell scored the game-winning goal in the 91st minute to help Plainfield East to a 2-1 victory over Kaneland, while Geneva had five different goal scorers to secure a 7-0 victory in the Class 2A Geneva Regional semifinals.

Seneca's softball team opened play in its home regional with an 11-0 win over Reed-Custer in Tuesday's semifinals, advancing to Friday's championship game where the Irish will play for their third straight regional title.

From Capitol News Illinois: Consumer advocates filed testimony last week, calling on regulators to slash $178 million, or roughly 80%, of Nicor Gas’ recent rate hike request

Along with the damage from Monday’s storms, a backed-up air handler at Boulder Hill Elementary School failed Tuesday morning, causing a significant leak that damaged ceiling tiles and soaked carpeted floors.

From Capitol News Illinois: A rare federal misdemeanor trial is set for next week in the case of the remaining “Broadview Six” protesters even after prosecutors dropped the overarching felony conspiracy charge against them earlier this month

Chicago Bears rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg didn't hold a Division-I offer at the end of his senior high school season. Here's how a year at Iowa Western Community College helped van den Berg fulfill his dreams of reaching the NFL.

The meeting on Wednesday is part of the Phase One Study on proposed improvements to the 9.3-mile segment of Wilmington-Peotone Road near Manhattan.

Minooka's boys volleyball team saw a late lead in the third set fall by the wayside in a 19-25, 25-21, 26-24 loss to Andrew.

The Herscher softball team defeated Peotone 8-2 in the Class 2A Manteno Regional quarterfinals at Herscher Monday, May 18, 2026.

Tied 2-2 late in Monday's Class 2A Manteno Regional quarterfinal against Peotone Monday, Herscher's Keira Ahramovich hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth before Lexi Crawford's three-run triple and run on an error in the sixth kept the Tigers' season alive.

Lockport beats Andrew in baseball and more in the Herald-News Monday Roundup.

With less than two weeks to go in the General Assembly’s spring session, Gov. JB Pritzker expressed confidence Monday that megaproject legislation that could bring the Chicago Bears to Arlington Heights would get done.

House Bill 4273 would prohibit a company selling homeowners insurance from increasing premiums by more than 10% without first notifying the consumer 60 days prior.