The Chicago Bears' loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night raised a question: Is the Bears defense ready for the playoffs? Here's a look at what the numbers say.

The Chicago Bears fell a play short in a 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar break down the loss and what's next with a week left in the regular season

Expect some slick roads late Tuesday afternoon and again on New Year's Eve as periods of light snow move in

These 15 stories from The Scene saw the most visitors this past year.

The top-seeded Kaneland boys basketball team used a game-changing 14-0 run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters in a 67-50 victory over No. 4-seeded La Salle-Peru in Monday's semifinals of the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic.

Julian Hartwig won all three of his matches, but it didn’t prove to be enough for host DeKalb, which dropped three duals on the opening day of the Don Flavin Invitational on Monday.

The biggest increase in hospital admissions for the flu in Illinois is in children ages 5 to 17. Only 1 in 5 Illinois residents has received the flu vaccine

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson met with reporters virtually Monday a day after his team fell a play short in a 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Here are three of the most interesting things Johnson said Monday.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Trump administration filed a lawsuit seeking to nullify a new state law that allows Illinois residents to sue federal immigration agents who arrest them in or near courthouses or if they believe their constitutional rights were violated

The law applies to both part- and full-time workers. It covers a broader swath of workers than the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

2025 saw a number of restaurants open across northern Illinois.

The Chicago Bears couldn't pull off some late-game magic in a 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. Here are the five big takeaways from tough loss out on the road.

The Chicago Bears had a chance to win their game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. But Caleb Williams and the offense fell a play short. Here's a breakdown of the final minutes of the Bears' failed comeback.

The Chicago Bears' DJ Moore and Darnell Wright will both be active Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers after they were added to the injury report over the weekend with illnesses.

Strong winds, with gusts ranging from 45 to 55 mph, will usher in a cold front Sunday night that could result in snow showers in some areas, the National Weather Service said.

Indian Creek won the Shipyard Showdown for the third time; Sycamore took third at the Elgin tournament and more from Saturday in the roundup.

After more than a decade of whole milk being absent from school cafeterias, legislation allowing for more milk options awaits the president’s signature.

These 10 stories across Shaw Local saw the most visitors in 2025.

Catch up on the week’s top DeKalb County news in minutes for the week of Dec. 21-27. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you

On Dec. 18, the pantry served 622 families as part of its Christmas distribution.

The Chicago Bears won their first NFC North championship since 2018 on Saturday night after the Green Bay Packers lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

Applications are available for KVAL’s 55th annual Northern Illinois Art Show

The Indian Valley Theatre will hold auditions for its upcoming performances of “Birthday Club.”

Marshawn Cocroft had 22 points, five assists and five steals, Jalen Carter hit four three-pointers and Kaneland's defensive pressure overwhelmed Timothy Christian as the two-time Plano Christmas Classic defending champs rolled into the semifinals with a 65-33 win.

Storms and falling temperatures are expected Sunday into Monday in northern Illinois.

Planned Parenthood provided services for nearly 35,000 Illinois Medicaid customers across the state in 2024, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services said.

Chicago Bears cornerback Josh Blackwell has come through with impactful special teams plays for much of this season. Here's how he found a niche for himself on special teams.

Is the DeKalb County Courthouse open? Find out what days DeKalb County offices, as well as the courthouse, will be closed in 2026.

The meeting schedule for every DeKalb County Board meeting, and all of its committees, has been set for 2026.

The Chicago Bears will be without their top wide receiver but will get another one back Sunday night when they play against the San Francisco 49ers. Rome Odunze was ruled out for Sunday was Luther Burden III was expected to return.

The Chicago Bears are heading out to the West Coast for a marquee playoff appetizer against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. Here are the top five storylines to watch.

It is important to know how credit can change your spending power as well as know how you can recognize the danger signs of credit misuse.

The Chicago Bears will travel to the west coast and play the San Francisco 49ers in front of a national audience on Sunday Night Football. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar break down the game and the Bears' chances to win the NFC North this weekend

DeKalb Township will partner with the Northwestern Medicine advance care-planning team to offer residents ages 18 and older one-on-one advance care-planning sessions.

Shaw Local photographers across northern Illinois captured some amazing moments this year, including the excitement and drama of high school sports, the hometown pride of a summer festival, and the reality of the news events that shaped our communities. Together, these images preserve not just what happened in 2025, but how it felt to live in the towns and neighborhoods we call home.

The DeKalb Public Library will host a workshop for adults to learn how to care for houseplants during the winter.

Here’s where Rooted for Good's DeKalb County area mobile food pantry will make stops in January. The pantry offers free food for all in need, no questions asked.

Kashmir, a Led Zeppelin tribute band, will perform at the Sandwich Opera House Dec. 27.

Celebrate the New Year at these exciting events in northern Illinois.

Here are the winners for the best coffee shops in the Best of the Fox, Best of the Illinois Valley, DeKalb County's Finest and Sauk Valley Favorites contest.

A Sandwich man has been charged with driving under the influence after multiple people were hospitalized following an early morning crash involving a Mercedes on Christmas Eve, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

The Chicago Bears got some good injury news Wednesday as Luther Burden III and C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned to practice in limited fashion. Wide receiver Rome Odunze remained out.

Chicago Bears coordinators met with reporters at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Wednesday as they continued preparing for Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Here are three of the most interesting things the Bears said Wednesday.

The Kishwaukee College Foundation recently awarded $124,250 in program enhancement funds for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The Chicago Bears added another NFC honor Wednesday. The NFL named kicker Cairo Santos the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 16.

Teenagers in sixth through 12th grades are invited to sound off against DeKalb Public Library teen staff in various games to celebrate winter break.

Adults 18 and older will be able to create personalized take-home dryer balls during a hands-on program at the DeKalb Public Library.

Three congressional candidates vying to serve different parts of the Northwest or West suburbs will find out early next month if they’ll appear on March 2026 primary ballots or be booted.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area to support its immigration crackdown, a significant defeat for the president’s efforts to send troops to U.S. cities.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Monday against Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker over new state laws aimed at protecting immigrants at courthouses, hospitals and day cares.