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Four people were displaced Monday night when a fire damaged their two-story home in the 1300 block of Kensington Avenue in Kankakee.

The only constant in life is change and in 2025, like most years, there were plenty of changes which took place in Kankakee County.

A possible tornado caused damage in northeastern Iroquois County and southeastern Kankakee County during a severe thunderstorm shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday.

A Sunday night fire severely damaged a single-family home in the 100 block of South Center Avenue in Bradley.

From the passing of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan to county historian Jack Klasey, the Kankakee County community experienced the loss of beloved people.

The Kankakee Kays secured the maroon bracket title in a 54-50 victory over Lincoln-Way Central at the 75th Kankakee Holiday Tournament championships on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, as Manteno fell 65-52 to Christ the King in the blue bracket final.

The parents of Caleb Outerbridge, who never fully regained consciousness after a rare autoimmune disorder took hold just over a year ago, are holding onto moments of hope as they prepare to celebrate another Christmas with their son’s future uncertain.

The 75th Kankakee Holiday Tournament kicked off Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, with semifinals following on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025.

The year of 2025 proved as the years before it to have big stories that carried the news.

The first move following Mattel's move with the indoor water park in Bradley took place at Monday's Bradley Village Board meeting.

A list of recent births at Riverside Medical Center.

The Kankakee Regional Land Bank has filled its vacant board of directors seat.

Michael Turk, owner and president of Turk Furniture’s, said the company’s goal hasn’t changed since Joseph Turk founded Turk Furniture in 1885 in downtown Joliet.

Larenz M. Walters, the son of former Kankakee School District superintendent Genevra Walters, agreed to plead guilty Tuesday in Iroquois County to a traffic violation.

“Some of our ordinances are old. We haven’t even reviewed them in a long time. I would say it’s over 20 years." said Bourbonnais Mayor Jeff Keast.

In this week's column, Dennis Marek writes that as the end of the year rapidly approaches that there is hope in the coming year for America.

The Veterans Assistance Commissions ensure eligible veterans and their dependents have access to necessities during times of financial hardship.

Kankakee police said a homicide at a Kankakee apartment on the city’s east side Sunday occurred during an attempted forced entry.

A former Will County sheriff’s deputy is facing six more felony charges accusing him of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and possession of child sex abuse materials.

The Salvation Army Kankakee has collected 36% of its $75,000 goal in the annual Red Kettle campaign.

Vote for your favorite Kankakee and surrounding counties businesses.

Kankakee police and the Kankakee County Coroner’s office are investigating the shooting death of a person on Kankakee’s east side Sunday.

There is one possible solution to this lack of lawyers and overworked lawyer problem being considered that has many concerned.

Bishop McNamara rang up a 78-45 win over Bulls College Prep in the Fightin' Irish's fifth annual Silent Night game on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.

A list of recent births at Riverside Medical Center.

A national publication, Food Bank News, named Northern Illinois Food Bank CEO Julie Yurko was named 2025 Food Bank Leader of the Year.

Bourbonnais trustees approved the village’s tax rate during the board’s Monday meeting.

State Rep. Haas recently toured Chicago Dough and presented the owners with a certificate of appreciation, citing the restaurant’s history and community involvement.

A federal nutrition program, SNAP-Ed, will end this year after losing federal funding, affecting local families in Kankakee and Will counties who rely on free healthy eating education.

The River Valley Wind Ensembles presented its annual Holiday Concert, preceded by Christmas carols, on Sunday at Olivet Nazarene University’s Larsen Fine Arts Center in Bourbonnais.

67-year-old Kankakee woman Lori Anderson is seeking a kidney donor.

The Bradley Village Board on Monday unanimously approved its $2.37 million property tax levy.

Hicks will remain bishop of the Diocese of Joliet until his installation in New York on Feb. 6.

In this week’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster shares a list of gift ideas under the category of: it doesn’t have to cost much to mean much. 

The city of Kankakee will continue its curbside recycling program with contractor Republic Services, of Phoenix, Arizona.

Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 81,225 deer during the seven-day 2025 Illinois firearm deer season that concluded Dec. 7

Bradley police made another arrest in an Oct. 2 incident where officers discovered an alleged marijuana growing operation in the 100 block of South Jefferson Avenue while investigating an armed robbery in progress.

There are three days left to donate to the United Way’s “Home for the Holidays” drive.

New York and national Catholic media, along with local Catholics, say they hear Bishop Ron Hicks will be named archbishop in New York.

Iroquois West won the tournament trophy over Wilmington and Peotone as the Iroquois West Holiday Hoops Tournament came to a close on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.

Santa will roll past the downtown Herscher grain bins once again for the 30th annual Christmas in Herscher celebration on Friday evening, Dec. 19.

Bradley-Bourbonnais secured a 59-43 win over Naperville Central on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.

Bishop McNamara pulled ahead to a 62-41 victory over Clifton Central in the Watseka Holiday Tournament championship on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.

For her excellence in financial operations and for executing key strategic responsibilities with Riverside Healthcare, Patt Vilt has been recognized by Becker’s Healthcare as part of its 2025 “Women hospital and health system CFOs to know” list.

The Kankakee Police Department announced last week that it will be making a special effort to enforce laws regarding drunk driving this holiday season.

The beginning of the end to AT&T landline phone service as it was known for many decades will begin fading from existence beginning in 2027.

Attendees and parade participants braved the cold for the Kankakee Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.

Single digit temperatures didn’t stop the Kankakee Christmas Parade on Saturday.

The United Way of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties has been hard at work addressing the area’s housing needs.