The city of Rock Falls and two fire officials are taking steps that could pave the way for an appeal of a $31.5 million verdict issued against them in connection with Sterling Fire Lt. Garrett Ramos’s 2021 line-of-duty death

No charges were filed regarding the Nov. 23 shooting death of a Chicago man along East Court Street in Kankakee.

Della Travis served on the Lockport Township High School Board of Education from 2015-2019. She passed away Sunday at the age of 84.

A 20-year-old Chicago man was killed Sunday night in Kankakee, a victim of a shooting.

John Fleet, 70, is charged with a class 4 felony under Scott’s Law following the fatal crash on Dec. 23, 2024, which took the life of 35-year-old Illinois State Trooper Clay Carns.

Partrick McDonald, 67, passed away on Tuesday night after an 18-month battle with cancer, the City of Lockport said.

Rock Falls officials say they’re reviewing all options to pay the $31.5 million in damages that a Whiteside County jury on Friday awarded to the family of a Sterling firefighter killed in the line of duty four years ago

A Whiteside County jury has awarded $31.5 million to the widow and two young daughters of a Sterling firefighter killed in the line of duty four years ago

Sarah Safranek, 38, admitted Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, that she was responsible for the 2021 death of her son, Nathaniel Burton.

Sarah Safranek, 38, pleaded guilty Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, to first-degree murder in connection with the February 2021 death of her son.

The widow of Sterling Fire Lt. Garrett Ramos, who was killed in the line of duty, testified at the Whiteside County Courthouse on Wednesday, telling a 12-member jury how her husband’s death has affected her and their two young daughters

Memories of Sterling Fire Lt. Garrett Ramos’ life were displayed on a projection screen for a Whiteside County jury Monday during the sixth day of a civil trial to decide if Rock Falls fire officials are to blame for Ramos’ December 2021 line-of-duty death

Former Rock Falls Fire Chief Cris Bouwens testified Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, that several of his actions were contributing factors that led to the 2021 death of Sterling Fire Lt. Garrett Ramos.

Dixon Fire Capt. Aaron Brown described what he saw during a fatal 2021 fire during his testimony in a Whiteside County courtroom Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, the second day a 12-member jury heard testimony in a wrongful death lawsuit.

From Capitol News Illinois: Terminally ill adults in Illinois may have the option to take life-ending medication prescribed by a physician under a bill passed by the Illinois legislature last week during its fall session

When the first Sterling fire engine arrived at the scene of a rural Rock Falls garage fire Dec. 3, 2021, Sterling Fire Lt. Garrett Ramos was on it. Just two hours after he arrived, firefighters would be removing his body from the basement – his death caused by asphyxia.

After a full-day’s work, a Whiteside County jury was seated Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, to hear a wrongful death civil case that could see the jury asked to award tens of millions of dollars to a Sterling firefighter’s widow and children.

A farm equipment and field fire Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in rural Steward resulted in a fatality, Rochelle Fire Department Capt. Zach Prewett said.

A pool of nearly 80 potential jurors was waiting it out in a Whiteside County courtroom Monday as jury selection began in a wrongful death civil case that could see the jury asked to award tens of millions of dollars to a Sterling firefighter’s widow and children

The Kankakee County Coroner’s Office and Kankakee Police Department are investigating the death of a man whose body was recovered from the Kankakee River Saturday.

A civil trial will begin Monday in Whiteside County Circuit Court to determine whether the widow of a Sterling firefighter, killed in the line of duty in 2021, should be paid damages in connection with his death

Work to improve the safety at the intersection of Illinois Route 50 and County Line Road started Monday.

Decision to be made in October 2025 after case law is reviewed.

Glen Ellyn Trustee Steve Szymanski has died.

The program teaches how to recognize the symptoms of being stuck in grief as well as receive valuable information about facing a new normal in life and renewing hope for the future

Adults experiencing grief and loss are invited to attend a support group hosted by the DeKalb Public Library in partnership with the Family Service Agency of DeKalb County.

The Illinois State Police issued a reminder for drivers to be careful on and around motorcycles as fatalities increase over the summer months.

The office of Will County Coroner Laurie Summers has identified an Aurora man killed in a crash on I-55 in Will County Saturday.

During the public comment period at the start of the meeting, several people alleged misconduct by a female high school teacher played a role in the deaths.

The incident remains under investigation. No further threat to the community exists at this time, authorities said.

The defense attorney of a former Carroll County sheriff’s deputy accused of reckless homicide and destroying evidence calls the July death of a Mount Carroll teen a suicide.

The father of a Rock Falls man murdered Feb. 14 wants the Rock Falls police chief to resign after officers testified last month that several protocol violations happened during the investigation.

A 14-year-old boy from Joliet died in Wilmington after he was “reportedly not breathing,” according to police officials.

A Rock Falls man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Whiteside County Circuit Court, then apologized for fatally stabbing the man, whom he considered a friend.

Eldon C. Childs, of Bradley, died as a result of injuries he sustained in a structure fire Sunday.

Prosecutors said Brandon Simonson killed Matthew Phillips, a Jewish inmate, to become a member of a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang.

Dozens attend memorial service for former Gov. George Ryan.

Wake and funeral services for the late Gov. George Ryan of Kankakee have been set and will be held in his hometown of Kankakee.

Former Woodridge Mayorr Bill Murphy, who led Woodridge as mayor from 1981 to 2013, died March 30. He was 81.

The sheriff’s department received a call at 9:59 a.m. Friday, March 7, 2025, of a deceased person at the small rural home located about 3 1/2 miles east of Oregon.

The victim of a March 2 house fire has been identified, authorities said.

Few details as investigation continues.

Illinois lawmakers are considering legalizing a controversial medical practice that proponents say could ease suffering for the terminally ill

The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department and Kankakee County Coroner’s office are investigating a fatal vehicle vs. pedestrian accident that occurred Thursday in Yellowhead Township. The victim, Jacob M. Riechers, of Grant Park, was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation into the death of a person found Tuesday in the parking lot behind the McDonald’s in Gilman is underway

The skeletal remains discovered in a Bolingbrook park in December have been identified as belonging to a missing Minneapolis man.

All evidence at this time indicates this to be an isolated incident in which a man died as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a Sterling Police Department news release.

The first U.S. bird flu death has been reported — a person in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms. Health officials have said the person was older than 65 and had underlying medical problems.

A Crest Hill man who died on Christmas morning at a Joliet hospital after he was taken in police custody was suffering from a cardiac arrest, according to a paramedic report.

An inmate from an infirmary at Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill has died but the cause and manner of his death is not yet known.