Clifton Central held on for a 54-53 win at Gardner-South Wilmington in the River Valley Conference Tournament semifinals Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.

Blake Chandler's tie-breaking free throw with three seconds left ahead of a would-be game-winning buzzer-beater from Cooper Biros that swirled in and out allowed Clifton Central to top Gardner-South Wilmington 54-53 in a thrilling River Valley Conference Tournament semifinal.

From Capitol News Illinois: Former Republican state legislator Darren Bailey is trying to improve on his 2022 campaign for governor by taking a new approach to voters in the Chicago area. Bailey has also echoed President Donald Trump’s calls for Gov. JB Pritzker to be arrested

A single-family home located at 507 Cahokia Street in Joliet changed owners on Jan. 26.

Fred Hayes, who previously served Elwood and Joliet as chief of police, has been appointed as village administrator in Elwood.

Andy Williams Jr., candidate for Illinois Attorney General: The SAFE-T-ACT needs to be tweaked. Many parts of the SAFE-T-ACT are unconstitutional and should have been repealed. Read his full questionnaire here

Mania: The ABBA Tribute delivers an authentic and unforgettable tribute to the legendary Swedish band that has captured the hearts of fans for generations.

Romeoville's Daniela Santander hadn't wrestled all season before the conference tournament due to an arm injury. Now, she's heading to sectional after winning a regional championship.

A single-family residence located at 12717 Wexford Drive in Plainfield has a new owner since Jan. 27.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois residents can face long delays in clearing their marijuana-related records even after judges approve expungement and sealing orders

Learn what makes snakes unique, explore common species found in Will County and meet Ramen, the resident snake ambassador at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook.

The program will cover 2026 estate-planning updates, benefits, living trusts, probate, tax-saving strategies, life insurance, annuities, donor-advised funds and additional planning tools.

The four Republicans running for Illinois governor support giving the federal government access to state voter rolls but had more nuanced responses when asked about President Donald Trump’s suggestion of nationalized elections.

A 1,605-square-foot single-family house, built in 1927, has changed hands.

A 3,500-square-foot single-family house has changed hands.

Over the past few weeks, Shaw Local has evaluated how each position group from the 2025 Chicago Bears did over the past season and started looking toward the offseason. Here’s a look at the special teams room.

The Morris Community High School Board voted on a new mascot Monday night, deciding to rename the school mascot to the Warriors.

A Lockport man allegedly confessed to having child sex abuse materials on his phone, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.

Montage Wine Bar and the friends of Reverend Roy Backus will be celebrating his life from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 at 307 Liberty St. Morris, with an open jam session.

From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker is backing one of his longtime Statehouse allies, Rep. Margaret Croke, to be Illinois’ next comptroller

Illinois was unsuccessful in appealing FEMA's denial of a major disaster declaration from storms that caused damage around the Chicago area last August.

This year’s theme is “A Night in Emerald City” and will held at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6 at Bolingbrook Golf Club, 2001 Rodeo Drive.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where Will County voters can pull a Democratic or Republican ballot to pick who appears on the ballot come November. All voters, partisan or not, can weigh in on referendum questions.

Read the description of each pet to learn about it, including where it can be adopted in Will County.

New Canaan Land Christian Church in Joliet held the annual Super Soul Bowl Sunday on Feb. 8, 2026, which received recognition from the city and several state lawmakers. The event uses Super Bowl Sunday as a fun way to connect the community with worship

From Capitol News Illinois: A new report suggests Illinois could be on the hook for plugging and cleaning up thousands of inactive and abandoned oil and gas wells scattered across the state

Shorewood HUGS annual chocolate ball supports the grassroots nonprofit's HUGS & Wishes program. to date, Shorewood HUGS has fulfilled more than 1,400 wishes.

Eventual state champion Lincoln-Way East as well as Providence, Reed-Custer, Lockport and Lemont's competitive cheerleading squads won sectional championships and competed in the IHSA State Finals this past weekend.

The top prep sports action from the weekend across the Will and Grundy county area, led by regional girls wrestling titles for Lincoln-Way and Minooka, state cheer championships for Morris and Lincoln-Way East, and Joliet West boys basketball winning again.

Impress your Valentine with decadent chocolate from one of these gourmet chocolate shops in northern Illinois.

The approximately five acres of land is currently unincorporated agricultural land in Will County. The restaurant would be located directly east of Walker’s Grove Elementary School.

Looking for a good book? You now have plenty of options in Will and Grundy counties.

Over the past few weeks, Shaw Local has evaluated how each position group from the 2025 Chicago Bears did over the past season and started looking toward the offseason. Here’s a look at the safety room.

Neil “Muggsy” Gallagher: The real leadership I will provide for this district will protect farmland, get trucks out of our communities and stop my Republican opponents’ attempts to fund services for illegal immigrants. Read Gallagher's full questionnaire here

Judy Ogalla on a top priority for the Will County Board: Lower taxes, I voted for a ZERO percent Levy increase for 2026. In previous years, I have consistently voted against property tax increases. Read Ogalla's full election questionnaire here

Frankie Pretzel on a top priority for the Will County Board: We must stop raising our levy year after year which results in higher taxes. Read Pretzel's full election questionnaire here

Catch up on the week’s top Will County news in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you, for the week of Feb. 1-7

Hormel Foods recently donated $10,000 to Yes, Together We Can and Whole Foods Market donated $3,000.

The Chicago Bears will reportedly promote the team’s passing game coordinator Press Taylor to be its new offensive coordinator.

A single-family home in Frankfort that sold for $850,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Will County over the past week

From Capitol News Illinois: With Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual budget address less than two weeks away, a new report from his office is setting the table for a speech that’s likely to be bleak in tone

Lincoln-Way East won the Class 3A state cheerleading title, while Morris won the 2A crown. That and more in Saturday's Herald-News Roundup.

From Capitol News Illinois: Governor candidate Ted Dabrowski argues he is uniquely positioned to unite the fractured Illinois GOP, raise the funds needed to compete statewide and win back suburban voters crucial to a Republican victory

Marcus Lewis on top priorities for Congress: Revitalization of the first district with the infusion of new business investment with MAGA/America First Policies. Read his full questionnaire here

A single-family home in Orland Park that sold for $685,000 is leading the list of the best real estate deals in Will County in the past week.

The event organized by the Office of the Will County Executive offers a morning of family activities during the day off from school on Feb. 16.

Coal City Unit 1 announced Thursday that Amanda Herrera-Ford will be its new Director of Business Services starting July 1.

Participants will leave on school buses from The Loft at 15 Ash St. in Frankfort, at 5:30pm, to enjoy an evening of dining.

Enjoy the big game at one of these bars or restaurants in northern Illinois.

Sample different mocktails, learn about their connection to the Will County forest preserves, enjoy activity stations and more at Isle a la Cache Museum.