Here are the semifinal round pairings for the 2025 IHSA playoffs.

Wilmington had five touchdown drives of two plays or less as the Wildcats controlled Tri-Valley in Saturday's IHSA Class 2A quarterfinal, sending Wilmington to its third straight state semifinal.

Montini started slow but finished strong in its Class 4A quarterfinal with Coal City, topping the Coalers 35-0 to advance to face Morris next weekend.

The Earl D. Schoeffner Farm Museum in Momence has opened a Charles Dickens Christmas exhibit, which runs every Friday and Saturday through December from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cissna Park swept Stockton to claim the IHSA Class 1A State championship title with a victory in two sets, 25-11, 25-14, on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.

From Capitol News Illinois: The bill specifies that Metra is allowed to reach agreements to provide service outside the Chicago area “when it is deemed beneficial to the state”

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster writes about SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the methods that have helped her better it.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson has made a seamless transition to the Chicago Bears after the team signed him a couple weeks ago. Here's how Gardner-Johnson's daily 6 a.m. arrival at Halas Hall has helped.

Athletes from across Illinois competed in the IHSA Girls State Swimming Preliminaries at FMC Natatorium in Westmont on Friday, Nov. 14.

Kankakee County Circuit Judge Kathy Bradshaw-Elliott sentenced Xandria Harris to 10 years Friday for being in direct contempt of court.

The Chicago Bears will try to win their first NFC North game of the season Sunday when they travel to play the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Here are the top five storylines to watch Sunday.

The Chicago Bears announced that safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Jaylon Johnson were questionable for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. The team ruled out linebacker T.J. Edwards and wide receiver Jahdae Walker.

Cissna Park swept Tremont in two sets, 25-19, 25-20, in the IHSA Class 1A State semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, to advance to the State championship.

Can Cissna Park make another run to state? Will the upswings at Bishop McNamara and Manteno continue? Those storylines and more from the Daily Journal area are examined ahead of the start of the girls basketball season.

The Chicago Bears could be getting major defensive reinforcements sooner than expected. Chicago announced Friday that they’ve activated cornerback Jaylon Johnson’s window to come off injured reserve

From Capitol News Illinois: The governor’s office said in an email to Capitol News Illinois that it does not intend to release the state-approved funding until it sees “stability” on federal education policy coming from Washington

The Chicago Bears will return to NFC North action on Sunday when they travel to play the Minnesota Vikings. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar provide the latest news from Halas Hall and preview the key matchups in Sunday's game

With the winter sports season right around the corner, the Coal City community took a little more time Wednesday to celebrate the boys soccer team's first-ever run to state.

The Coal City Unit 1 School District yet again has filed a complaint with the Grundy County Tax Assessor's office over the valuation of GE Hitachi's Morris operation, a one-of-a-kind nuclear waste storage facility.

From Capitol News Illinois: Most state agencies were required to submit spending cut plans to Gov. JB Pritzker by Oct. 23, but the governor’s office has declined to release details about those plans

About 1.9 million Illinois residents are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program this year.

Chicago Bears coordinators met with reporters at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Thursday as they continue to prepare for their rematch against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Here are three of the most interesting things the Bears said Thursday.

The Chicago Bears continued to miss two defensive starters at practice Thursday as the prepared for Sunday’s game at the Minnesota Vikings. Safety Jaquan Brisker (back) and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) both missed practice for a second straight day.

As members of a large family in a small town, Cissna Park girls volleyball players Josie and Kendyl Neukomm are the latest among countless members of their family to excel in Timberwolves athletics.

Nazareth and East St. Louis are still on track for a titanic showdown, but other upstarts are hoping to derail that plan. Steve Soucie breaks down the quarterfinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 6A Playoffs.

Class 5A was probably the most wide open field to try to analyze in the state playoffs, and with the ousting of one of the favorites, Prairie Ridge, that wide open feel remains. Steve Soucie breaks down the second round of the 2025 IHSA Class 5A Playoffs.

The Bears have had plenty of slogans over the years. “Never Apologize for a Win” is the title of this year’s highlight film. Now with the team in playoff position, the next question is: How far can the Bears go when their greatest asset is Caleb Williams’ ability to escape?

The campaign gives the local Salvation Army the opportunity to raise funds that will be used locally to aid those in need, Lt. LaToya Surratt said.

Never apologize for beating teams on the schedule. For years, the Bears were the team that others looked forward to playing. They are no longer that, Marc Silverman writes

The Coal City Theatre Department is heading deep into the depths of the ocean with its performance of "The Spongebob Musical- Youth Edition" at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.

President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown that caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks,

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings previously determined that ICE had violated the consent decree which, among other things, requires the agency to show documentation for each arrest it makes for people besides those being specifically targeted in an operation

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked a team record 68 times last season. He's on pace for 26.4 this year. Here's how Williams and the Bears fixed his sack problem.

Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge, along with Mason Schweizer as they preview the quarterfinals in the Illinois high school football playoffs

Trees continued to shed their leaves in Momence after approximately 12 inches of snow - the most in the area - fell on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. The white, blanketed landscape was short-lived as temperatures returned to the mid-50s on Wednesday with more seasonal fall weather predicted to stay.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that he still expects cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon to return from their respective injuries this season. Plus some key starters missed Wednesday's practice.

It appeared early on that the Class 3A bracket was going to provide some blockbuster matchups in later rounds. That time has arrived now. Steve Soucie breaks down the quarterfinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 3A Playoffs.

In this week's column, Toby Moore writes that maintaining a life balance is crucial, but this balance is allowed to be altered.

Manteno had its best cross country season in over four decades this year, with the girls team competing at state for the first time ever and the boys team having multiple runners advance to state for the first time since 1979.

Buoyed by a raucous Kane County crowd, Republican candidates in the Illinois gubernatorial primary race debated taxes, crime and electability Monday.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended an order blocking full SNAP payments, amid signals that the government shutdown could soon end and food aid payments resume

The Coal City Unit 1 school board approved placing a tentative tax levy for 2026 during its November school board meeting, anticipating a 21.77% increase over last year.

From Capitol News Illinois: After a helicopter crash claimed the lives of his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, Darren Bailey said late Monday that he will move forward with his campaign for governor

The Kankakee Township Fire Protection District with aid from several local and area departments battled a structure fire on River Road Tuesday morning.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Round 2 of the 2025 high school football playoffs

The Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams led his fourth fourth-quarter game winning drive against the New York Giants on Sunday. Here's a look at how him using his legs changed the trajectory of Sunday's win.

A Roxana High School proposal that would expand the playoffs and provide a regional schedule model has released regional mockups for Class 7A and Class 8A. See the proposed regions here.

One of the city's most successful seasons came to a collective end, Wilmington and Coal City marched on, and more in this week's Daily Journal 2-Minute Drill.

A number of ranked teams bowed out in the second round of the playoffs shaking up the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings considerably. Check out the new rankings here.

Cissna Park defeated Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg in in two sets, 25-22, 25-11, in the Class 1A Heyworth Super-Sectional on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, to advance to the State finals for the third straight time this weekend.