Shaw Local Front Headlines

We should all have bosses who believe in us the way George McCaskey and Kevin Warren believe in Ryan Poles, Marc Silverman writes

A McHenry man was acquitted of charges that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl in McCullom Lake. The not-guilty verdict came after the girl testified that he forced himself on her.

TV advertising has already begun in Illinois’ 2026 Democrat primary for U.S. Senate, and new fundraising numbers released Tuesday show the race is shaping up to be expensive

Illinois has one of the nation’s worst problems with child sex abuse at juvenile detention centers, attorneys representing more than 900 survivors who have filed lawsuits said Wednesday

Officials are still searching for the owner of three stray goats that were found Sunday in Marengo.

A Johnsburg couple is stuck in the Dominican Republic after the husband needed emergency brain surgery during their vacation.

Customers at McHenry's Preserved Peculiarities can find bugs mounted under glass, dioramas of dried flowers and butterflies, animal skulls, rabbits feet from real rabbits, tattooed pigs ears, and exotic animal mounts.

Hemp has become the subject of heated debate in Illinois and elsewhere as the plant has been increasingly used to create synthetic products with intoxicating compounds not regulated by the federal government.

Storms on Wednesday afternoon and evening in northern Illinois may produce damaging winds, brief tornadoes, and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning

A Lake in the Hills man who was convicted of defrauding the state out of more than $3 million in sales taxes from Denny's restaurants he owned is asking the court to seal related documents.

A former executive for electric utility Commonwealth Edison has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in bribing ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan for jobs and contracts for the Democratic power broker’s political allies

Joshua Smith’s congenital heart defect and surgeries to fix it put strain on his kidneys. The 17-year-old Johnsburg student received transplants of both in May

A Chicago man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the robbery of a Marengo gas station where an employee was shot. He will serve the time concurrent with a Kane County robbery sentence.

This week, communities across northern Illinois will take part in “Good Trouble Lives On,” a national day of peaceful protest marking the fifth anniversary of civil‑rights icon Rep. John Lewis’s death

Hundreds of ZIP codes in Illinois are high-risk for lead exposure, according to a news release from IDPH

Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Monday requiring Illinois agencies to draft recommendations to respond to tariffs being implemented by President Donald Trump

The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced overnight lane and ramp closures on I-80 at Houbolt Road for Monday and Tuesday.

The TALK-LINE interview for July 11 featured Sterling/Rock Falls Family YMCA Marketing and Development Director Ellie Hanlon talking about the success of the summer day camp program for 2025.

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office is taking steps to curb use of all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, mini-bikes and go-karts on public roadways.

Democratic candidates want Illinoisans to ‘understand the ripple effects’ of cuts

Joliet police officers are now able to do real-time translation in more than 50 languages thanks to a new technology the department implemented this week

The TALK-LINE interview for July 10 featured Lee County State’s Attorney Charley Boonstra discussing the current criminal court cases being handled by the state’s attorney’s office.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is issuing a “SCAM ALERT" after reports of fraudulent text messages involving scammers claiming people owe money for traffic tickets, tolls and other fines.

"Day" Jones interviews Annie Pesola and Laura Walker from Hegeler Carus Mansion. They discuss their Third-Thursday Concert Series, with Steve Sharp performing on July 17. Tickets are $5.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch across much of northern Illinois until 11 p.m. Friday.

The greatest flooding risk is expected near and north of Interstate 80, according to the National Weather Service

“It means literally hundreds of millions of dollars in less reimbursement to hospitals,” A.J. Wilhelmi, CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association said

The TALK-LINE interview for July 9 featured Shaw Local News Managing Editor of the Dixon Telegraph and Sterling Gazette, Charlene Bielema, looking at stories of interest to the area.

Two weeks after confirming he was considering a run for Illinois governor, State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, decided to seek a fifth term instead.

A 40-year-old man is dead, and another person injured, following a mid-air skydiving incident near Rochelle.

DeKalb mom Kassandra Santos wants lawmakers and others to know that her 1-year-old daughter, Marely's life depends on 24/7 in-home health care funded mostly through Medicaid. But as Medicaid cuts loom under President Trump's new budget bill, what about Marely's longterm care?

Under the law, work requirements to qualify for SNAP benefits have been expanded to include people up to age 64, along with homeless people, veterans and young adults leaving foster care. Previously, only people age 18-54 had to meet work requirements

For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at U.S. airports

The TALK-LINE interview for July 7 featured the Executive Director of the Sauk Valley Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Knack, discussing upcoming events on the chamber’s calendar.

Joliet police are investigating a shooting which took place Saturday morning damaging two homes in the 800 Block of Richmond Street.

Authorities said someone attempted to enter the McHenry County courthouse in Woodstock with a weapon and then fled the scene.

Mitchell has a reputation as a hard-nosed negotiator, even among fellow Democrats. Though he has sometimes angered political allies, Mitchell said he’s open to listening to anyone’s ideas

President Donald Trump on Monday placed a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, citing persistent trade imbalances with the two crucial U.S. allies in Asia

A Round Lake Park man charged with criminal sexual abuse is already on the Illinois Sex Offender registry and held pending trial, officials said

Here is the 2025 Suburban Life All-Area baseball team.

Heath A. Knipple, 46, was charged in Lee County Circuit Court with six counts of Class X felony dissemination of child pornography with each listing that the victim was younger than 13

There will be parking lot closures and traffic alterations around Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park and Theatre for the city of Joliet’s fireworks Thursday evening

The unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May, the Labor Department said Thursday

A Kankakee County jury found Wali Borders Jr., 32, of Bradley, not guilty of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child on June 13.

The freeze applies to funding already approved by Congress, and state education leaders say the delay is putting school districts in a difficult position with the 2025-26 school year looming

At least 14 counties across northern Illinois are experiencing moderate drought conditions as of July 1

Illinois students won’t need to fill out applications for most state universities to be admitted — if they have high enough grades. The program will begin in the 2027-28 school year, with nine of the state’s 11 public universities participating

The organizations behind the nationwide “No Kings” protests on June 14 announced another day of protests for July 17

Northern Illinois residents should prepare for severe storms today and dangerous heat beginning this weekend, according to the National Weather Service

A two-day stretch of severe weather is headed to northern Illinois, with storms expected to impact the region Tuesday afternoon before a more significant threat arrives on Wednesday