Soon, St. Charles residents will no longer need to have workers come into their homes to read their water meters. A city project is upgrading systems to make the work a little more hands-off.

Residents are encouraged to avoid washing laundry when flushing is performed in or near their neighborhood, as temporarily discolored water may stain laundry.

The project continues the city of Yorkville's focus on improving roadways and transportation in the city's expanding subdivisions.

The Rochelle city council voted 4-3 on Monday to table a vote on a development agreement with a developer who aims to bring a potential data center to the city.

Lane closures connected to the Chicago Street interchange reconstruction along Interstate 80 in Joliet will begin Wednesday.

The Ogle County Board on Wednesday unanimously approved a $200,700 low bid from O’Brien Civil Works for a Memorial Plaza project on the south side of the historic Ogle County Courthouse property.

Sterling's work on stormwater management projects took the spotlight during a March 2 Sterling City Council budget discussion.

The Rochelle City Council unanimously approved a special-use permit Monday for a new car wash next to 450 Coronado Drive in Rochelle.

Storm sewer reconstruction on North 14th Street in Rochelle is upsizing existing storm sewers to allow for better drainage in the area.

The city of Yorkville is laying the groundwork for the complicated process of hiring contractors needed to pull off the high-powered engineering data centers need.

The City Council OK'd a $60,089 contract with EMA, Inc. to conduct a customer billing audit that the city hopes will reduce water that is delivered but “lost”because it is not accurately measured.

State Rep. Tony McCombie met with current and former elected officials Wednesday to celebrate essential funding delivered to the city of Lanark to help with local infrastructure improvements.

After two decades of steady grain storage capacity growth that matched production increases, on-farm and off-farm expansion has become stagnant.

As we move closer to spring here in Rochelle, the temperatures are finally beginning to feel far more comfortable than the below-zero stretch we experienced not long ago.

The work will be carried out in several stages but initially will require lane closures in both directions of Chicago Street between McDonough Street and Doris Avenue, according to IDOT.

Following the Jan. 26 Rochelle City Council's approval of an $11.89 million bid for transmission line construction, Rochelle Municipal Utilities will see its new electrical substation project on Centerpoint Drive west of town break ground in mid-March.

March will see three city of Rochelle construction projects in the downtown area ramp up, and two of the three will continue until the end of 2026, Interim City Manager and City Engineer Sam Tesreau said Feb. 25.

The Rochelle City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Monday for its intent to borrow funds from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to drill a new well, build a new well house and construct approximately 7,400 feet of water main.

As the weather begins to warm, construction is set to ramp up throughout downtown Rochelle, a Feb. 20 city of Rochelle news release said.

Lake County is slated to receive more than $3 million in federal funding through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, signed by President Trump on Feb. 3.

City Administrator Bart Olson said the last bids for the large construction project should open in the middle of March. He said after that, the city should know around 99% of the project’s official total costs.

Warehouse Pollution Reduction Act described as 'first in the nation' would monitor and regulate warehouse pollution across Illinois.

The Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees on Wednesday heard another report from Village Engineer Kaitlin Wright on the short-term repair and long-term replacement of the currently closed Hemstock Road bridge.

Roughly two blocks will be closed for fiber optics repair on Monday and Tuesday along Ottawa Street, the city said.

Illinois Senate Bill 3612 would address minimum broadband speeds and maximum prices for low-income consumers, Sen. Rachel Ventura's office said.

State funding is enabling the expansion of pre-apprenticeship opportunities for workers looking to begin a career in the construction trades. Recruitment for the program is focusing on residents in Kane, Kendall, and DeKalb counties.

Quickly becoming a favorite gathering place along the scenic Fox River, St. Charles' downtown First Street Plaza has received an award of excellence.

The 2026 Road to Better Roads project is focusing on the areas of River’s Edge and Briarwood. The city is also resurfacing and concrete patching the pavement in the area near Menards.

The Joliet bridge was shut down Sunday due to what IDOT said was an electrical failure.

The first remote operation of Joliet drawbridges began last week, an IDOT spokeswoman said.

The work will begin in late January and will continue through month of February.

Here's the Illinois Department Transportation's plan for openings, closings and maintenance of Joliet bridges in the coming year. Remote control of three bridges starting any day.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has no estimate on when the Ruby Street bridge may be returned to service after being shut down for emergency repairs.

With $40,000 coming towards the pockets of the Whispering Meadows Homeowners Association for reimbursed maintenance costs, a 20-year ordeal in Yorkville is coming to a close. Overall, the city has received $1.56 million in settlements from the developers.

The plan outlines long-term goals for the city of Dixon in five major areas: increasing available housing, improving transportation, growing the city’s economy through commercial and industrial developments and investing in community services and public infrastructure.

The right lane on westbound Interstate 80 between Richards and Chicago streets in Joliet is closed for emergency repairs, IDOT announced.

"The area needs infrastructure upgrades and improvements such as clearly marked pedestrian crossings, sufficient lighting, and revised speed limits to keep up with the growth," State Sen. Patrick Joyce and state Rep. Anthony DeLuca said.

The city of Rochelle and Rochelle Municipal Utilities held a ribboncutting ceremony for RMU’s new well house at Well 8 off Caron Road on Monday, Jan. 12.

County elections, leadership changes at the Diocese of Joliet and for some large school districts are just some of the stories we will be following this year.

It was a busy year in Kendall County. Here is a rundown of some of the 2025's top stories.

The City of Rochelle’s work in 2025 included infrastructure work, small business development, and staffing replacement and expansion, City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said Dec. 17.

The infrastructure, which includes a new water tower, is part of the larger Lake Michigan water sourcing project that has the city eyeing around $224.4 million in total project costs.

The project is a collaboration between Will County, Illinois Department of Transportation, the City of Joliet, and the Village of Channahon.

Snow and dropping temperatures means the proposed road closure for the Chicago Street Streetscape project in downtown Joliet is being postponed.

State points to age of bridge and announces another delay in reopening. It is one of six drawbridges over the Des Plaines River in the Joliet area.

The city of Rochelle’s fiscal 2026 budget is $13 million less than the previous year’s, primarily due to less spending on capital projects, City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said.

The joint project is funded by Yorkville, Oswego and Montgomery, with around $400 million in shared overall costs to extend water infrastructure from Naperville out to their respective cities.

The city of Rochelle is moving toward construction on a new electrical substation project for Rochelle Municipal Utilities on Centerpoint Drive off Illinois Route 38 west of town, RMU Superintendent of Electric Operations Blake Toliver said Nov. 19, 2025.

The city of Rochelle is considering issuing alternate revenue bonds for potential projects at the Rochelle Municipal Airport and the Rochelle Technology Center that would likely total $2.7 million, City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh said Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

State Sen. Sue Rezin. R-Morris, traveled to Washington, D.C. to lead a two-day series of discussions with lawmakers, utility leaders, grid operators, and energy experts from across the country.