Column: Not to toot my own horn, but these days I toot my horn to alert drivers who want to join the flow of rush hour traffic that they can enter in front of me. They wave, and I wave back, writes Richard Holinger.

Catch up on the week’s top Kane County news in minutes. Listen to the week’s 5 most popular stories for Oct. 19-25, read aloud for you

Here are the first round pairings for the IHSA playoffs.

The event will be held at The Graceful Ordinary in downtown St. Charles.

Check here for live updates and changes to Steve Soucie's IHSA football playoff projection for all eight classes.

The Chicago Bears placed cornerback Kyler Gordon and left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve Saturday in a string of moves before their game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Each year from 2017 to 2019, an estimated average of 9,200 fires were reported to fire departments in the U.S. over a three-day period around Halloween, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Prime Cut is a contemporary restaurant that focuses on making exceptional foods by scratch.

Column: Sing carols to the cows and dine with the Grinch this holiday season as the St. Charles Park District presents a holiday lineup filled with fun and new traditions for all ages, writes Melissa Rubalcaba Riske. Register now since these events fill fast

Thirty years ago Saturday, a Metra train struck a school bus in the heart of Fox River Grove, killing seven Cary-Grove High students and injuring many more. The community and rail safety were forever changed.

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland has had the start many expected from this year's first-round picks. Here's why the Bears are confident in Loveland heading into Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Here are Karen Naess' photos from Friday's game between Batavia and Warrenville South.

Quickly executing its offense and applying pressure defense in the first half of its season finale at Lake Park, St. Charles North beat the Lancers 35-16 to win a share of the DuKane Conference title.

Going down to Belleville Althoff and losing last year is something Kaneland senior lineman Jake Buckley hasn’t forgotten. That made Friday’s 55-28 victory in Maple Park even sweeter. 

Wide receiver Bennett Konkey and quarterback Ben Peterson connected for four touchdowns as Geneva beat St. Charles East 45-20 on Friday night in DuKane Conference action.

Burlington Central finished the regular season with a 42-6 Fox Valley Conference win against Dundee-Crown on Friday night, getting three touchdown passes from Landon Arnold.

St. Charles North scored twice in the final 15 minutes to force overtime, and the North Stars went ahead for good on a Jacob Piper goal to beat Huntley 4-2 and win the Class 3A Huntley Regional championship.

From Capitol News Illinois: Nicor Gas and Ameren Illinois customers will likely see a rate increase on their bills next year, pending a final decision from state regulators in the coming weeks.

The Chicago Bears will try to win their fifth straight game when they travel to play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Here are the top five storylines to watch.

The South Elgin Police Department was named the recipient of a Federal Fiscal Year 2026 Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program grant to support enhanced traffic safety enforcement efforts.

The Chicago Bears will be without three starters Sunday when they play the Baltimore Ravens. Cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson were both ruled out for Sunday’s game along with tight end Cole Kmet.

A segment on WTTW's "Chicago Stories" about iconic, defunct department store Marshall Field's features commentary by a McHenry County College instructor.

Check out these Halloween-themed events this weekend happening in the western suburbs.

Police activity in Huntley Thursday related to authorities serving a search warrant in the Talamore , which led to an arrest on child sex abuse materials charges, authorities said.

The Chicago Bears will try to win their fifth straight game when they travel to play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar give the latest news from Halas Hall and preview Sunday's game

In time for pumpkin spice latte season, a new Starbucks drive-through location has opened in Montgomery.

Haley Burgdorf put up 17 kills in her final game at her home court to lead St. Charles North to a straight sets victory over Downers Grove North

Here are Karen Naess' photos from Thursday's volleyball match between Downers Grove North and St. Charles North.

The Chicago Bears got some good injury news Thursday. Starters wide receiver DJ Moore (hip) and running back D’Andre Swift (groin) both returned in limited fashion after missing Wednesday’s practice.

From Capitol News Illinois: The commission will investigate actions by federal officials, including the fatal shooting of unarmed father and Mexican immigrant Silverio Villegas González by an ICE officer after dropping off his two young sons at school and daycare

Chicago Bears coordinators and assistant coaches met with reporters Thursday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest as the team continued to get ready for the Baltimore Ravens. Here are three of the most interesting things the Bears said Thursday.

From Capitol News Illinois: The new leader of the Illinois Federation of Teachers says state lawmakers should consider raising taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations that have received federal tax breaks under the Trump administration to increase state education funding

St. Charles North junior Sam Hill, who won the DuKane Conference boys cross country 3-mile race in 14:57.6 and led the North Stars to the team title, is the Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week.

This event offers something for everyone — from costumes and crafts to music, games and treats.

Frank Caliendo returns Oct. 25, Steve Cochran and Company return Nov. 15 and The Second City's annual holiday revue is set for Nov. 20-Dec. 23 in Paramount’s Copley Theatre.

Cirque Mechanics will perform Friday, Oct. 24 while Rhinestone Cowgirls will perform Nov. 21.

These northern Illinois pumpkin farms are ready to welcome guests for a day of family-friendly fall fun.

Sam Arville scored two goals as St. Charles East soccer won its regional semifinal on Wednesday.

Check out these delightfully frightening haunted houses in northern Illinois, guaranteed to bring the scares this season.

The son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren of Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey died in a helicopter crash Wednesday evening in Montana

Here are the Associated Press IHSA Week 9 football polls released Wednesday for all eight classes.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will try to reverse the trajectory of his development after a game full of season-lows against the New Orleans Saints. Here are three areas Williams should focus on ahead of playing the Baltimore Ravens.

Marc Silverman: The question I get the most is whether I’m worried about Caleb Williams and some of the issues he’s dealing with. The answer is no, and here’s why

Column: Batavia Business Beat: The public is invited to the 2025 State of the Community Breakfast on Nov. 6, writes Shirley Mott of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce.

Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge as they preview Week 9 in Illinois high school football and look ahead to the games that will matter the most for playoff pairings

The Chicago Bears were without four starters at practice Wednesday as they started their preparations for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Geneva Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Cocoa and Chocolate Crawl Nov. 8 for community members to stroll through the city and sample cocoa-inspired items.

A Roxana High School proposal that would expand the playoffs and provide a regional schedule model has released regional mockups for smaller schools programs (Class 1A and 2A). See the proposed regions here.

Gov. JB Pritzker ruled out a property tax break for a Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights while keeping the door open on infrastructure aid at an Economic Club of Chicago forum Tuesday

Discover the colors and activities of autumn at these parks in the Illinois Valley.