Kankakee

New water rates for Aqua Illinois take effect this coming week.

Details of the facilities renovations and addition planned for Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School were explored Tuesday during an operations committee meeting.

Illinois State Police arrested Lisa E. Cotton, of Blue Island, in connection with Thursday’s crash of a semi-tractor trailer on Interstate 57.

Celebrations for America’s 249th birthday are planned, and there are various opportunities to catch fireworks and fun in Kankakee County and beyond.

The driver of a semi-tractor trailer was taken to a Kankakee hospital in critical condition following a crash this morning at Exit 312 on Interstate 57 this morning.

The long-awaited work on the Jaffe Drugs building in Kankakee is getting underway.

A $1.23M upgrade of Limestone Park District's Hawkins Park is complete and open to the public.

The long-anticipated project to find and relocated endangered Kankakee River mussels began Tuesday at the site of the planned Kankakee East Riverwalk.

Prospective students can learn about Kankakee Community College during an Explore KCC Day on July 9.

The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department announced Wednesday the arrest of a suspect in connection with Monday’s shooting in Pembroke Township.

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster talks about a milestone birthday for her cat, Beach, as well as a unique volunteer opportunity with a local animal rescue. 

The 42nd annual Kankakee River Fishing Derby begins Friday and runs through July 6.

Isaiah E. Drew, of Kankakee, was arrested Monday by Kankakee police after they allegedly found a firearm on him.

Children excitedly explored the Exploration Station's new Storybook Forest exhibit on Monday, June 23, 2025, during its grand opening event.

Current Michigan football star and 2023 Kankakee graduate Jyaire Hill will host his second annual Suga Summer Camp at his alma mater next weekend.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County has made its first major land acquisition under its 2025–2030 Capital Improvement Program, purchasing a large parcel in Custer Township.

Bourbonnais Police officers will be passed the Flame of Hope and begin their role as “Guardians of the Flame” on Wednesday at approximately 1 p.m. for the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois. The run makes its way south on Route 45 from Manteno.

Attendees sipped, shopped and strolled the grounds of the B. Harley Bradley House in Kankakee last week during the Sip, Shop & Stroll event, one of many planned events in celebration of the Frank Lloyd Wright home's 125th anniversary.

A pair of Bourbonnais natives and defending track champions won the feature races in their respective classes and more from last Friday night's action at Kankakee County Speedway.

Parade participants and spectators kicked off the Juneteenth Freedom Festival weekend celebration on Saturday, June 21, 2025.

Parade participants and spectators christened the newly improved Hobbie Avenue on Saturday as the Juneteenth Freedom Festival weekend celebration began.

Nurses at Saint Joseph Medical Center have been urging Joliet residents to speak out on local hospital cuts at a state board meeting on Monday.

In an effort to spark some residential housing development, the Kankakee City Council approved an ordinance designating an area within the corporate limits as an redevelopment zone.

Garden enthusiasts are invited to stroll through seven private gardens, peruse vendors and explore the museum grounds during the Kankakee Kultivators Garden Club’s annual Garden Tour & Artisan Faire on Thursday, June 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A list of recent births at Riverside Medical Center.

The Exploration Station invites families and children of all ages to step into a world of wonder as it opens its most ambitious and enchanting exhibit in three decades — Storybook Forest — which will be unveiled on Monday during a free open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kankakee's Friday Night Concert Series returns this Friday at the city's downtown Hill Stage. The free, family-friendly events feature live performances and rotating food and drink vendors.

The Bradley Elementary School District is looking to complete a project to replace light fixtures with brighter, more energy-efficient LED bulbs in its buildings.

Despite heavy rains passing through the area Wednesday afternoon, officers from across the county completed the Kankakee County leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois.

The Kankakee Day Committee and the The Rotary Club of Kankakee is celebrating Kankakee Day on Saturday, June 21, 2025, marking the city's 172nd anniversary with an open jam music event at the Farmers' Market gazebo at noon until Cruis'n the Square begins at 6 p.m.

More than two dozen music acts have been announced for this summer's Merchant Street MusicFest, with headliners to include Warren G, Bright Light Social Hour and the All American Throwbacks.

More than $3,000 was raised during Electric Lady Lounge's 3rd annual Pride celebration on Saturday, with most of the funds being donated to the Kankakee Area LGBTQ Network and some going toward future drag events.

The annual Relay for Life of Kankakee County celebrated 30 years of cancer advocacy as the annual event returned Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the new community campus in Bourbonnais, The Grove.

The start of the East Riverwalk construction could be delayed until Aug. 1 due to another environmental issue - spawning river redhorse fish.

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster reflects on the music of The Beach Boys and the talented legacy of frontman Brian Wilson. 

The 30th annual Relay For Life in Kankakee County once again celebrated cancer survivors, remembered loved ones lost to cancer and raised over $134,000 in funds so far to help improve the lives of those affected by cancer.

Three elected officials in Kankakee County are being sued by the county for failing to file a required document with County Clerk Dan Hendrickson.

The annual Kankakee Juneteenth Parade is set to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at East Oak Street in downtown Kankakee and parade participants will be the first to travel along the brand new Hobbie Avenue surface.

The man who drowned in the Kankakee River last week remains unidentified, Kankakee County Coroner Bob Gessner said Tuesday.

Seventy acres of unutilized acreage on Shapiro Developmental Center’s campus has been tabbed for the state’s new “Surplus to Success” program.

During an initial hearing presided over by Circuit Judge Lindsay Parkhurst on Monday, Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe asked for 30 days for the two sides to work on a settlement.

In his sixth season both in the NFL and hosting his free football camp, Kankakee native and 2016 Bishop McNamara graduate Jonathan Ward has become a veteran leader in the locker room and community alike.

Bike lanes and pedestrian crossings join the freshly-painted lines on Hobbie Avenue in Kankakee as seen on Monday. The long-awaited reopening of the road, which has been closed since Oct. 2023 for a $10 million rebuild, will occur following the 10 a.m. Juneteenth Parade on Saturday, June 21, 2025. For the full story, see tomorrow's Daily Journal.

Kankakee County has lined up a construction management company to oversee upgrades to the courthouse.

Approximately 500 people flooded the sidewalks of the Kankakee County Courthouse for a ‘No Kings’ rally in Kankakee on Saturday, June 14, 2025, to protest actions by President Donald Trump.

Kankakee native and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jonathan Ward returned home for his sixth annual football camp at Kankakee High School Saturday, June 14, 2025, one that included 7-on-7 flag football action for the first time.

The Kankakee County Coroner’s office is requesting assistance from the public in identifying the man whose body was recovered from the Kankakee River Friday.

Approximately 500 people flooded the sidewalks of the Kankakee County Courthouse for a ‘No Kings’ rally in Kankakee on Saturday, June 14, 2025, to protest actions by President Donald Trump. For the story, see Monday's edition of the Daily Journal.

The downtown Kankakee Salvation Army is overwhelmed by a cash shortage and is having greater troubles serving those in need.

Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe filed a complaint in circuit court Wednesday regarding Prime Healthcare testimony before a state agency regarding the sale of St. Mary’s Hospital.