Plans for a Marriott-branded hotel were met favorably by DeKalb city leaders this week, as project leaders sought a proposed tax-sharing agreement after the hotel developer blamed tariffs and inflation for rising construction costs. A final vote is expected in September.

Discussions about constructing a possible roundabout at the intersection of Normal and Dresser roads in DeKalb are preliminary, DeKalb city attorney Matt Rose said.

DeKalb city clerk Bradley Hoey talks about his first 100 days on the job.

DeKalb city leaders are pushing for state pension reform to help shore up what they call “structural problems” in their 2026 budget.

A hotelier is asking for DeKalb city financial aid to construct a four-story, Marriott-branded hotel, blaming “current economic conditions, tariffs and inflation” for increasing his cost to build, documents show.

A bank was awarded $83,000 in assistance this week from the city of DeKalb to help offset some costs for opening a new location downtown.

The construction of a new $1.8 million roundabout at the intersection of Lucinda Avenue and Normal Road in DeKalb is on pace for completion, just in time for the start of classes at Northern Illinois University, officials said this week.

A new Amoco gas station and convenience store is one step closer to coming to DeKalb’s Fourth Street corridor.

The Mexican food establishment Burritoville became the latest this week to be granted public funds from the city of DeKalb.

Plans for an Amoco gas station and convenience store to take over a former 7-Eleven in the city’s Fourth Street corridor were met this week with preliminary approval from a DeKalb panel.

Big O’s Barbecue is the latest beneficiary of the city of DeKalb’s architectural improvement program.

A divided DeKalb City Council this week sought to give one last chance to the local developer behind plans to turn the former St. Mary’s Hospital building into apartments.

City Manager addresses engineering missteps impacting DeKalb's financial planning.

A DeKalb housing development that would have seen 32 apartments built in a 103-year-old building that’s been vacant for more than 30 years may not happen, according to the city of DeKalb.

DeKalb City Council approved cannabis tasting rooms in a pair of unanimous decisions this week. “I think that this is so unique and just a brilliant business model," 1st Ward alderwoman Carolyn Zasada said.

Heartland Bank soon will have a new location to call its own along Grove Street in DeKalb. The bank's Grove Street plans were greenlit this week.

Plans for Heartland Bank to build a new drive-thru facility along Grove Street received preliminary support from DeKalb city leaders this week.

A DeKalb cannabis dispensary has been given the green light this week to move forward with plans to open a tasting room. “We also want to use it as a means to bring the community together as well to use it as an education for cannabis," owner Maria Davis said.

DeKalb city leaders recently banned vape vending machines and the sale of unregulated THC and the stimulant kratom, citing safety concerns. But some business owners argued the prohibition would harm sales and was unfair because of the growing legal cannabis industry.

When the state grocery tax lifts on Illinoisans in January, DeKalb purchases will continue to be taxed locally, the DeKalb City Council voted this week. Officials argued the tax is needed to maintain public services.

DeKalb Fire Chief Mike Thomas gave an emotional farewell to the City Council on Monday, saying he feels grateful to everyone who made it possible for him to serve the DeKalb Fire Department the past 30 years.

The DeKalb City Council had a busy agenda Monday night including approving a city grocery tax, voting to prohibit the sale of unregulated hemp-derived THC products and saying farewell to DeKalb Fire Chief Mike Thomas.

DeKalb 1st Ward Alderwoman Carolyn Zasada told the public this week that she’s missed five recent City Council meetings because she’s started a new job. She spoke with Shaw Local to explain.

DeKalb elected officials this week voiced early support for a potential local grocery tax. Some blamed Gov. JB Pritzker for what they said was forcing their hand on a tax they argued brings needed revenue for city services. “It really does irritate me," Mayor Cohen Barnes said.

A new Italian steakhouse is coming to downtown DeKalb.

DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas is recommending the city enact a local 1% grocery tax, arguing not doing so would slash needed funds for city departments responsible for keeping the public safe.

A former DeKalb Ward 2 Alderman and the last DeKalb City Clerk to serve a full term in the office full time has died at the age of 78. Donna Johnson, who died June 3 at her home, was a “champion of the underdog,” stepson Dirk Johnson said Friday.

Got bud? The city of DeKalb wants to help one local dispensary in making that pitch to consumers easier to act on. DeKalb city leaders moved one step closer this week to allowing Excelleaf Dispensary, 305 E. Locust St., to open what its founders are calling a “tasting room.”

You’ve heard of beer and wine tastings at local establishments and breweries. What if you could go to a cannabis edible tasting at your neighborhood dispensary? That’s a question one DeKalb dispensary owner will pose to the DeKalb City Council this week.

A feature of the new Hopkins Pool in DeKalb includes an expanded concessions stand with two windows, plans show. That will offer pool-goers on the deck, as well as families enjoying Hopkins Park playground area outside the pool, a chance to purchase treats.

The DeKalb City Council this week approved a plan to expand Oakwood Cemetery at 611-615 N. First St. in DeKalb Township.

The DeKalb Park District is asking the city for permission to build a new $14 million public swimming pool, documents show. It's the latest step as district officials plan an anticipated new pool opening of June 2026.

Fewer people called 911 seeking help from the DeKalb Fire Department in 2024 compared to 2023, according to data released this week.

Multiple newly-elected officials were sworn in and seated for a packed meeting of the DeKalb City Council Monday. Mayor Cohen Barnes began his second term touting collaboration. "The only way we’re going to be successful is by working together," he said.

DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes was sworn in to his second term on Monday. He was joined by some new and returning City Hall faces during a crowded DeKalb City Council meeting at the DeKalb Public Library.

To help ensure continuity of service, the DeKalb City Council at a recent meeting gave a green light to solidify an agreement between the city and a local mental health clinic to embed social workers in police response to behavioral health concerns.

Oakwood Cemetery, 611 to 615 N. First St. in DeKalb Township, could be getting ready for an expansion thanks to a local church.

DeKalb city leaders are one step closer to replacing the last of the lead service lines in town.

School resource officers from the DeKalb Police Department are here to stay for at least the next five years in DeKalb schools.

DeKalb city leaders could soon discuss whether to implement a local grocery tax as the state’s 1% grocery tax expires in 2026. “We’re not talking about a tax increase. The only thing we’re talking about is keeping the existing tax in place," Mayor Cohen Barnes said.

In case you missed it: The city of DeKalb‘s fourth fire station, 1130 S. Malta Road, is officially in service. Take a look inside the new space.

The City of DeKalb on Thursday announced the apartment at 930 Greenbriar Road is inhabitable again more than four months after a Dec. 22 fire.

Citing unknown effects from inflation, the DeKalb City Council approved a plan this week to increase residents’ water bill rate by 3.8%.

DeKalb city leaders recognized outgoing 4th Ward Alderman Greg Perkins during a City Council meeting this week.

Some candidates running for DeKalb mayor in the consolidated election this spring raised more campaign dollars than others, according to new campaign spending records recently released by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

A DeKalb panel is preliminarily backing plans to rezone a Grove Street building that once housed a motorbike seller, in hopes of helping the building’s owner market the vacant space for new business.

Newcomer Bradley Hoey has been elected to the DeKalb City Clerk’s Office by a wide vote margin, unofficial write-in results released Thursday show.

Cohen Barnes is the first DeKalb mayor in 32 years to secure a consecutive term in office, unofficial election results show. "It's a real privilege," Barnes said Wednesday of his reelection.

Incumbent Ward 2 Alderwoman Barbara Larson won reelection to the DeKalb City Council on Tuesday, grabbing 68% of the vote over opponent Michael Embrey, if unofficial results hold.

Voters this week in DeKalb County determined who will make the important decisions regarding their communities, schools, townships, fire departments, parks and libraries. See the results here.