But then it was just him and the ball.

Benet’s 7-foot-1 senior had one free throw to send his team to the state championship game, stakes Stack had never faced for a free throw. How’d he handle it?

“I have to give credit to my teammate Ryan Walsh. He said ‘It’s just an empty gym,’” Stack said. “That’s what went through my head. I missed the first one but I just blocked it out, focused on the second.”

Stack swished the second, with 1.1 seconds left.

Benet survived a wild finish – a blown six-point lead in the final three minutes and those five timeouts at the end – to beat DePaul Prep 39-38 in the Class 4A semifinal at State Farm Center.

Perry Tchiegne forced a steal to set up the last possession as Benet (36-1) advanced to play for its second consecutive state title on Saturday night against East Suburban Catholic Conference rival Marist.

DePaul Prep (32-4), going for a fourth straight title after two in Class 3A and one in Class 2A, forced Benet turnovers on three straight possessions.

The second one turned into a Rykan Woo assist to Rashaun Porter with the tying basket with two minutes left.

“The story of the game was our resiliency,” Benet coach Gene Heidkamp said. “We didn’t play very well in the last few minutes and give them all the credit in the world for forcing that. But even when we coughed up the six-point lead we still made the big stop.”

After that third Benet turnover, DePaul Prep tried to milk the last minute off the clock for the final shot. But Tchiegne knocked the ball away on a drive and Jayden Wright got the steal.

“It was just being familiar with the play and giving us a chance to win,” Tchiegne said.

DePaul Prep fouled Benet’s Edvardas Stasys as he had a clear path to the basket at the other end, setting up the final possession with 2.4 seconds left, inbound underneath the basket.

And then the chess match began. The teams traded five timeouts.

“We changed the play 15 times,” Heidkamp said. “Their defense is so good and it’s hard to get the ball near the rim with Porter and [Gus] Johnson and their length. We kept changing what we’re doing. One time we had a play in and the player that we had checked in that we were trying to get the ball to had not checked in the game.”

DePaul Prep coach Tom Kleinschmidt called the last timeout.

“He kept changing and I changed,” Kleinschmidt said. “We didn’t know if we wanted size on the ball. And then they put Wright taking it out. Every time they changed who was taking it out, we changed.”

Finally, Benet went with a play Heidkamp hadn’t even designed.

“Ed came to me in the huddle and said ‘Let’s run a little action,’” Heidkamp said. “That’s not a play we have. That’s Ed and Colin making it up and Jayden throwing the ball toward and rim and it worked out about as well as it could.”

Wright lobbed it for Stack, and Porter got him on the arm on a shot in front of the rim.

“It was basically Ed screening for Colin and I was going to try to throw the ball to Colin,” Wright said. “I have a lot of trust in Colin, I’m going to put it in a place he can get.”

Wright finished with 11 points, Stasys had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Stack nine for Benet, which outrebounded DePaul Prep 26-16. Porter scored 14 points and Woo 11 for DePaul Prep.

The largest lead either way was six points, the last Benet’s 38-32 lead with 2:55 left on a Wright runner, in a game dictated by defense between two teams that know each other well.

Benet beat DePaul Prep in the Pontiac final, but the familiarity runs deeper.

“We weren’t going to be able to score, they weren’t going to be able to score. We knew that. We know their stuff, we know what they run, we’re both competitors, we’re both state champions,” Kleinschmidt said.

“My brother is on their bench, Gene said my dad’s eulogy, nothing was getting by anybody.”

Benet now gets another familiar opponent in its bid for a repeat state title, Marist, in the final year of the East Suburban Catholic Conference.

Benet beat Marist 77-68 in the conference’s last regular-season game.

“How ironic, first time downstate two teams are playing in the state championship and the league is over,” Heidkamp said.

“I haven’t spent too much time thinking about it [the repeat]. It’s cheesy, but all year we’ve just worried about the next game. Outside expectations, we block that out. We’re going to do what we can to get ready and give it our best shot.”

The Tigresses and Pirates combined for 16 runs and 21 hits, including seven for extra bases, with the visitors using a six-run second inning to take the lead, then hanging on for an eventual 9-7 victory.

“Ottawa has a great program and coming from La Salle-Peru I knew they would be fundamentally sound,” Princeton coach Jessica Strauch said. “I felt like today with the conditions the way they were it was going to come down who made the least mistakes.

“These girls really showed me, even being the first game, that they know how to win. We were able to put a few hits around some walks in the second to get the lead, and then when Ottawa came back to cut it to one run, really kept our composure and buckled down.”

Ottawa took the lead with an RBI double by Aubrey Sullivan in the first, but Princeton used bases loaded walks by Piper Hansen and Addi Parry, an RBI groundout by Avah Oertel, a run-scoring single by Sylvie Rutledge and finally a two-run base hit by Izzy Gibson to lead 6-1.

“We have a few freshmen in the lineup this year and our schedule is front loaded with some of the better teams in the state, so this was a learning experience,” Ottawa coach Adam Lewis said. “I know we will have some growing pains and the second inning we had some of those. After the inning we talked about how this is how you learn to compete at the varsity level. You can roll over because it’s cold and were down a few runs or you can compete.

“I thought the girls responded well. After those first couple of innings our at-bats started to get better, we played more relaxed defensively and we were able to claw our way back into it. We just put ourselves in a little too big of hole to completely crawl out of. We had a lot of positives, so despite the outcome, I’m pretty pleased with how we played overall.”

The Pirates got a run back in their half of the second on an RBI double by Resse Purcell.

Makayla Hecht’s RBI hit and a passed ball in the fourth made it 8-2 Princeton.

In the Ottawa fifth, Piper Lewis smacked a three-run home run to centerfield before Purcell and Joslyn Rose added RBI infield singles to cut the deficit to 8-7.

But from there, Princeton starting and winning pitcher Reese Reviglio (7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) retired six of the final eight batters she faced while Pary drove in another run.

“Reese really dug down deep for us,” Strauch said. “The last two innings she had to go through the top and middle of Ottawa’s lineup and she just did a great job of making great pitches when she needed to. She was mentally tough and just pitched a great game for us.”

Oertel finished with three doubles, all going the other way to right field, while Gibson, Kiyrra Morris and Rutledge each had two hits.

“Avah is good at just hitting the ball where it’s pitched and today she did that four times and every single one was hit hard,” Strauch said.

Sullivan led Ottawa with three hits, while Lewis and Purcell each posted two hits.

Pirates junior ace Addie Russell (1+ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K), Sophie Taylor (Loss, ⅔ IP, 2 H, 4 ER. 4 BB, 1 K) and freshman Kennedy Kane (5 ⅓ IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) all saw time in the circle.

“Addie was only going to go two innings regardless, but after pitching the first and sitting, her ankle (injured during travel ball) tightened up,’ Adam Lewis said. ”That put Sophie in a tough situation, especially for a freshman in her first varsity game. Kennedy came in, kept us in the game and pitched really well."

Ava Balestri was 2 for 2 with a home run, three runs and two RBIs for St. Bede (2-0), while Lili McClain was 2 for 3 with a double, two runs and an RBI.

Macy Strauch earned the win in the circle as she gave up two earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.

At Monmouth: Bureau Valley freshman Madisyn Shipp won two events at the Lincoln Trail Conference Indoor Meet at Monmouth College.

Shipp won the 200-yard dash in 29.1 seconds and the triple jump with a leap of 10.03 meters. The Storm’s Elise House won the 400 in 1:03.77.

The Storm placed second in all three relays with Caitlyn Egan, Lilah Fox, Madisyn Shipp and Mya Shipp in the 4x200 (1:55.56), Gemma Moore, Abby Stabler, Mya Shipp and House in the 4x400 (4:27.06) and Emma Mussche, Harper Wetzell, Mya Nugent and Summer Hamilton in the 4x800 (11:16.02).

Other runners-up for BV were Egan in the triple jump (9.5m) and Maddie Wetzell in the 3,200 (13:00.25).

In the boys meet, the foursome of Maddox Moore, Adrian Gallardo, Easton Taylor and Alex Gallardo won the 4x800 in 9:12.07.

BV’s Andrew Roth won the 60 hurdles in 8.86 seconds.

Second-place finishers for the Storm were Keenyn Richter in the 400 (53.22), Morgan Mahnesmith in the triple jump (11.35m) and Richter, Alex Gallardo, Lawsen Smith and Tucker Shane in the 4x400 (3:46.17).

St. Clair County 15, IVCC 6: Nolan Hunter hit a home run and had two RBIs as the Eagles lost a game in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Casey Clennon was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs for IVCC (2-6), while Nolan VanDuzer doubled, scored a run and drove in a run.

Jason Campbell took the loss on the mound.

No longer able to use the Lincoln Cultural Center due to storm damage, its youth performance of “Footloose” will take place at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School, 700 W. North St., Bradley.

The dates and times have changed, too. Shows will now be at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available at the door for $15.

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s storms, the kids learned of a new location, got a quick rehearsal in, and performed Thursday morning in a school show.

Courtney Stephens, the KVTA president, said the kids are just awesome; they’ve adjusted on the fly and persevered in extremely difficult circumstances.

Director Rhonda Stenzinger said there were a lot of tears shed, but she wanted nothing more than to encourage the kids. Some of the cast members and staff lost their homes in the tornado.

“We don’t want to take anything more away from them,” Stenzinger said.

The kids will be performing the stage adaptation of “Footloose” created by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, which is based on the hit 1984 movie.

Stenzinger said the kids had to adjust their choreography and learn the play in a brand new environment in just a few days. They went from the bells and whistles of the Lincoln Community Center to the auditorium at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School.

The kids were practicing at the Lincoln Community Center when the storm hit.

“It was tech night,” Stenzinger said. “We were having costumes, makeup and everything, and pictures. So, we were all ready, we got up on our bridge, which we couldn’t bring (to BBCHS), and the photographer got two quick snapshots.”

Then everyone’s phone went off and they scrambled down to the basement. There, they huddled and had snacks, and that’s when the phone calls from the KTVA Board and Stephens, and parents, all started coming in.

“We didn’t get into BBCHS until 8 p.m. to practice on Wednesday,” Stenzinger said.

But still, the kids practiced and practiced, and adjusted their performance to the new stage in time for their Thursday morning performance.

“They have been fantastic once we were here,” Stenzinger said. “And we’re, and they’re all excited that they can still do the show.”

The cast includes Hunter Lockhart, who plays Ren McCormack and Olivia Zwirkoski, who plays Ariel Moore. Kyren McElroy plays Reverend Shaw Moore, and Ella Nitschke plays Vi Moore. It also includes Sophia Sherrill as Ethel McCormack, Liam Lohrbach as Willard Hewitt, Alli Webb as Rusty, Anna Poole as Wendy Jo, Lauryn Balk as Urleen, Austin Lyle as Chuck Cranston, Olivia Douglas as Lulu Warnicker, Aidan Troendle as Wes Warnicker, Armando Figueroa as Lyle, Aryan Kashyap as Travis, Brady Perzee as Jeter, Carter Shule as Bickle, Kaliph Whitlow as Garvin, Katelynn McBurnie as Cowgirl Bonnie, Brady Perzee as Cowboy Bob, Finn Schmidt as Cowboy Jude, Aryan Kashyap as Cowboy Chet, and Anneliese Troendle as Cowgirl Laura. Other performers include Kane Rushing, Simone Copiskey, Teagan Tomblin, Kaliph Whitlow, Kinley Collins, Gracyn Allen, Zoey Christensen, Odelia Kirkpatrick, Katelynn McBurnie, Brooklynn McGill, Amelia Nugent, Sophie Powell, June Rader, Lily Spear, Layla Birkey, Stevie Martin, and Brynlee Shoufler.

Fans, many of them students, filled Champaign’s State Farm Center wearing bright York green.

Alternating with fans in Marist red, it looked like Christmas in March.

The scene did not go unnoticed by York senior Hunter Stepanich.

“To see so many people come down here, three-hour drive, it’s an amazing feeling,” Stepanich said. “We said before the game in our huddle ‘Just look around, this is what we dream for, to be down here, all our fans supporting us.’ It’s an amazing feeling.”

It’s been a marvelous, improbable run for the Dukes this season. On the court, though, it was not their day.

Marist, itself making its first-ever state tournament appearance, raced out to a 17-point lead after the first quarter.

York never recovered in losing 55-38 in the first Class 4A state semifinal.

“Disappointed in the performance and what we put out there today,” York coach Mike Dunn said. “But it doesn’t take away from what these kids have done.”

York (32-5) has done well making other teams play its game and its pace with a defensive-minded approach.

But that plan unraveled quickly Friday.

York committed six turnovers in the game’s first five minutes, and eight turnovers in the first quarter. Marist, meanwhile, shot 60% in the first quarter. Marist leading scorer Charles Barnes Jr.’s first basket, in the closing seconds of the quarter, made it 21-4.

It was 35-17 by halftime.

The Dukes seemed to find their footing offensively as the game progressed, but could not put a dent in the early deficit.

“They exploited our weaknesses,” Dunn said. “We sometimes struggle with a little pressure. They got it rolling and we never recovered. They got after us with their length and athleticism and it gave us problems. We needed to take care of the ball better. It was an uphill battle.”

Marist (32-5) forced 17 turnovers for the game, scoring 23 points off of them. And it was not by accident. The Redhawks don’t have the physicality of York, or the size of the 6-foot-9 Stepanich, but made the game theirs.

“We thought they were a little bigger than us, but we thought we had some better athletes,” Marist coach Brian Hynes said. “We wanted to not let them get into their action. We wanted to pressure their ball handlers in the court.”

Kendall Meyers, a 6-foot-5 junior who started the season on the bench, was the catalyst to that defense. He scored a game-high 15 points, twice his average, and had five of Marist’s 13 steals.

“We knew we were stronger, more athletic, more violent and more physical,” Meyers said. “We just wanted to play hard, play violent and execute.”

Stepanich scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Jackson Rennick scored nine points for York.

York junior guard and leading scorer Joseph Lubbe, averaging 14.4 points per game on the season, scored just three on 1-for-8 shooting.

“Their length and their athleticism and their pressure in the full court,” Lubbe said, “it just made it difficult for us.”

Marist, a preseason top five team, has played as well as any team in the playoffs.

The RedHawks beat Rich by 28 on Rich’s home floor in a regional final, and easily defeated Lockport and Homewood-Flossmoor in the sectional.

Two of Marist’s three losses to Illinois opponents this season came to Benet and DePaul Prep, the state’s top two teams facing off in the other semifinal.

Marist and Benet, both members of the East Suburban Catholic Conference, will play each other for the Class 4A title Saturday in the last year of that league.

Hynes, Marist Class of 1986, was previously an assistant for 12 seasons there under Gene Nolan, now at Naperville North.

“I don’t think it’s hit me that we’re playing tomorrow night, to tell you the truth,” Hynes said. “The last few weeks have been unbelievable.”

The Dukes were still guaranteed the program’s first state trophy later Friday, when they play DePaul Prep in the third-place game.

York’s two previous state appearances, in 1962 and 1967, came when eight teams made the state tournament.

“I’m so proud of these guys right here and our group, to get where we are right now, 32-5 and with no expectations at the beginning of the season,” Dunn said. “We just came in and worked every single day. The kids bought in, we kept getting better and better, kept stacking wins, kept doing what we’ve been doing.”

The Harvard Fire Protection District responded to a call at 7:24 p.m. Thursday to the 19000 block of Route 14 near Harvard for a reported multi-vehicle crash. First responders arrived at “two vehicles with heavy damage, with both drivers already out of their vehicles,” Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said in a news release. A second ambulance and a chief officer from Woodstock were requested to assist.

A female driver was taken to a hospital in Rockford “with serious injuries,” while another female driver was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, Vucha said in the release.

Route 14 was closed to traffic in both directions for almost two hours.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and the Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District assisted.

A high wind warning by the National Weather Service was in place for most of Friday for the region, with gusts reaching up to 60 mph.

“Damaging winds may blow down tree limbs and power lines,” the NWS said in the warning. “Power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.”

Those damaging winds have affected McHenry with downed communication wires, McHenry police reported. Green Street from Charles J. Miller Parkway to Pebble Creek Street was closed for a stretch on Friday until downed lines could be removed, according to a McHenry police alert issued about 9 a.m. Friday.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert at 9:40 a.m. Friday, that Barreville Road from Charles J. Miller Parkway to Biscayne Road in McHenry was also closed to traffic.

In Harvard, downed wires shut down State Line Road and Alden Road, the sheriff’s office reported in an alert about 7 a.m. Friday.

The sheriff’s office also reported a fallen traffic light closed off the intersection of Route 120 and Greenwood Road at about 4 a.m. Friday in Woodstock. The Illinois Department of Transportation was called to the scene for maintenance on the light.

ComEd reported some power outages scattered around McHenry County. As of Friday morning, 50 outages were affecting almost 400 customers, according to ComEd.

And the high winds also caused additional difficulty for those with garbage collections on Friday. Many toppled bins spread garbage around neighborhoods and sent bins into the roads. The Algonquin Police Department asked people to help by pulling in their bins as soon as possible.

“It appears that nature knew it was Friday the 13th with this wind on garbage day,” the department wrote in a Facebook post. “... If you are stuck at work like us, hopefully those at home can do the neighborly thing and bring your bins to your garage or to the side of your house to prevent them from blowing away.”

Multiple fire departments across the county responded to “numerous calls” related to the high winds Friday morning, said Alex Vucha, who serves as a public information officer for multiple McHenry County fire departments.

Firefighters handled incidents involving downed power lines and tree limbs, particularly in the rural areas of Woodstock, Marengo and Harvard, Vucha said.

“Despite the volume of calls, no significant property damage has been reported and no injuries were reported,” he said.

Vucha said residents should always use caution around downed wires and assume power lines on the ground are energized.

Looking ahead, the NWS predicts a strong storm to roll in on Sunday with more possible damaging winds. But McHenry County may be spared from the worst of it, as the greatest severe weather threat is expected to impact near and east of Interstate 55.

Accumulating or blowing snow may be in the mix of those Sunday storms, according to the NWS.

The meeting on Monday will start at 4:30 p.m. instead of the previously announced time of 5:30 p.m., according to a notice issued when the council agenda was posted.

The public hearing for the proposed data center, however, will not be held until 5:30 p.m. as previously announced, according to the notice.

A city spokeswoman said the vote on the data center will follow the public hearing.

The data center hearing is likely to attract more than 100 people. About 80 people spoke to the Plan Commission on March 5 at a special meeting held solely for consideration of the data center.

The meeting lasted for more than five hours, and attendance was standing room only, with people standing in the hallway outside the council chambers during the meeting.

The Plan Commission recommended approval, sending the project to the City Council for a final vote.

The city published a legal notice on Feb. 28 that a public hearing on the data center plan would be held at a City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on March 16.

The city, in issuing the latest change in the council meeting schedule on Friday, noted that the hearing on the data center would proceed at 5:30 p.m. as previously posted.

The council presumably will take up other matters in the hour preceding the public hearing.

The home at 532 1st Street in Marseilles was sold on Feb. 25 for $190,000, or $118 per square foot. This is a two-story house. The property sits on a 6,534-square-foot lot.

Other homes in Marseilles that have recently changed hands close by include:

· In June 2025, a single-family residence at 451 Ryall Street sold for $145,000.

· At 354 Ryall Street, in March 2025, a 1,524-square-foot single-family residence was sold for $169,000, a price per square foot of $111.

· A 1,220-square-foot single-family residence at 364 Ryall Street, sold in April 2025, for $165,000, a price per square foot of $135.

The 3,386-square-foot house, built in 2000, was sold for $593,000, or $175 per square foot. This two-story house has four bedrooms. Inside, there is a fireplace. The property is equipped with central A/C. Additionally, the building includes access to two parking spots.

These nearby homes in Algonquin have also recently changed hands:

· At 2320 Barrett Drive, in September 2025, a 3,264-square-foot single-family home was sold for $585,000, a price per square foot of $179.

· In September 2025, a 3,386-square-foot single-family house at 2305 Tracy Lane sold for $580,000, a price per square foot of $171.

· A 3,386-square-foot single-family home at 6 Greyshire Court, sold in November 2025, for $529,000, a price per square foot of $156.

The house at 515 Roberts Lane in Batavia was sold on March 3 for $480,000, or $294 per square foot. This two-story house has three bedrooms. Inside, there is a fireplace. The property is equipped with central A/C. Additionally, the building features an attached garage for two cars. The property is situated on a lot spanning 0.4 acres.

These nearby homes in Batavia have also recently been sold:

· In September 2025, a 2,190-square-foot single-family house at 620 Roberts Lane sold for $356,000, a price per square foot of $163.

· At 320 Ellen Lane, in November 2025, a 1,080-square-foot single-family residence was sold for $410,000, a price per square foot of $380.

· A 1,440-square-foot single-family residence at 311 Roberts Lane, sold in September 2025, for $312,500, a price per square foot of $217.

The event was free for employers, job-seekers and RTHS students. RTHS seniors and juniors participated in the event for an hour before it opened to the public. The public hiring expo event began in recent years after a workforce shortage was seen post COVID-19. It melded well with the yearly RTHS career fair, causing the events to be combined.

City Director of Community Engagement Jenny Thompson said the event saw a “great” turnout with students, job- seekers from the public and 32 area employers participating.

“This morning, we had the high school juniors and seniors here,” Thompson said. “I think they did an awesome job of going around and speaking with all of the employers and learning how a job fair works and what to do at a job fair. It’s great exposure for all of the kids to have this experience in a safe, local environment with people they’re familiar with and know. We’re excited and we hope everyone finds exactly what they’re looking for.”

In the years since the hiring expo was first held, organizers have streamlined the planning process, making the event easier to put on, Thompson said. RTHS handles the venue logistics, Kish College gets employers signed up and the city and the chamber handle promotion and more.

Thompson said the hiring expo will continue to be held going forward as long as demand is seen for it from employers and jobseekers.

“The employers really make the event,” Thompson said. “We were really excited by the amount of interest from area employers. We had employers from outside of Rochelle reach out. While we started this job fair to help out our local industries and employers, we also want to make sure we’re helping our local residents find opportunities that work for them. We were excited to welcome area employers as well.”

The hiring expo is a way for the city and the other organizing entities to provide a benefit for Rochelle’s business community, Thompson said.

“We’re always trying to think outside the box,” Thompson said. “If there’s something we can do or an idea that comes up that’s feasible for us, then we’re all ears and ready to help carry it out.”

Chamber Executive Director Tricia Herrera said the aspects of the event she enjoys include the involvement of RTHS students, face-to-face interaction, and building of connections between community stakeholders.

While the workforce situation for Rochelle’s employers has improved since the COVID-19 pandemic, Herrera said there is still work to be done.

“I’m still hearing that we have a lot of companies that say they could be hiring every day for different positions and skills,” Herrera said. “The need is a lot less than it was around the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s still a need. And there’s need for our job-seekers. Maybe it’s someone that already has a job and they’re looking for a new position to further their career. It’s always good to see what’s out there.”

Herrera called the event “a great collaboration” between the city, chamber and Kish College. Those organizations and representatives from local employers spending the day in one location at the hiring expo is another benefit of the event, she said. “We’re going to step up and give our employers a place and voice to find new employees,” Herrera said. “We always like having so many stakeholders and employees in the same room for a day. From a chamber perspective, some of the industries I speak to today, I don’t get to be in front of them all the time. I can talk to them about what needs they have.”

Below, we provide an overview of the top five properties in each area, chosen for their proximity to the desired price range and the largest living spaces.

Please note that the properties in the list below are for real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Feb. 16, even if the property may have been sold earlier.

1. $141,000

Priced at $141,000, this single-family house situated at 215 North Randolph Street, Princeton, was sold in February. The property comprises a 0.4-acre lot. The deal was closed on Feb. 19.

2. $120,000

Situated at 316 North La Salle Avenue, Ladd, this single-family residence, was sold in February for a price of $120,000. The lot size is 7,405 square feet. The deal was finalized on Feb. 4.

3. $120,000

This single-family home underwent a change of ownership in February. Located at 677 Park Avenue, Princeton, the home was sold for $120,000. The property sits on a lot measuring 8,216 square feet. The transaction was completed on Feb. 17.

4. $115,000

For a price tag of $115,000, the single-family residence, located at 1007 West Farnham Street, Princeton, changed hands in February. The property comprises a 0.5-acre lot. The transaction was completed on Feb. 17.

5. $115,000

In February, a single-family home located at 209 South Grove Street, Ohio, changed ownership. The property was sold for $115,000. The lot size encompasses 9,360 square feet. The deal was finalized on Feb. 9.

But according to Dr. Brandon Gumbiner, a podiatric surgeon with OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon, the risks often outweigh the perceived benefits.

Gumbiner says many of his patients tell him they “prefer to be barefoot,” but he routinely advises otherwise.

“Being barefoot might feel comfortable in the moment, but the long-term impact on your joints and the structures of your feet can be significant,” Gumbiner said. “Your feet need the support that a shoe provides, particularly in the arch and the fat pad of your foot, which is your natural cushion.”

Without proper support, individuals may be more prone to conditions such as plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, stress injuries and joint pain.

For those who avoid wearing shoes indoors out of concern for cleanliness, Gumbiner recommends a simple alternative: a designated pair of indoor-only athletic shoes.

“Keeping a clean pair of supportive shoes just for inside the home gives you the benefit of support without tracking in dirt,” he said.

And for people who enjoy the airy feeling of going barefoot, he notes there are supportive recovery sandals on the market that allow for breathability while still protecting the foot.

“There are excellent recovery sandals that provide structure, stability and cushioning,” he said. “You don’t have to choose between comfort and foot health.”

OSF HealthCare encourages individuals to talk with their health care provider or podiatrist if they experience foot pain or have questions about the best footwear for their lifestyle.

With the delivery, some might say, came a truckload of hope as well.

A group of about 40 Kankakee school district staff and volunteers gathered to unload and sort pallets of donations from a Convoy of Hope semi-truck.

As soon as the job was done, residents began lining up behind the school to pick up what they needed.

In addition to non-perishable food, the pantry in back of the Lincoln Cultural Center is also stocked with essentials like bottled water, toiletries, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, clothing and books.

The site will be open for donation drop-off and pick-up from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 13; from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 14; and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. Monday, March 16.

Convoy of Hope, a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to addressing hunger and poverty, stopped by Thursday afternoon to bolster the district’s food supply.

Smiles were worn and spirits seemed high as volunteers worked to organize the donations.

Amanda Sandy, sixth grade teacher at King Middle School, helped to pack bags of food for families.

“I do know two of my students have been directly impacted by it, so that gives me the extra push to do this,” she said.

Sandy was relieved to be able to hug one of her students when they came by the school for a free breakfast in the morning.

“It meant a lot to be able to have that connection and let them know that I was thinking of them,” she said.

This is Sandy’s second year teaching in the district. She moved to the community last summer.

“I feel it’s important to show the community and show students that we all help each other,” she said. “It shows some empathy.”

Krystal Clifton, instructional coordinator in Kankakee schools, was packing hygiene bags.

She knows of several students who lost their homes in the tornado.

“I think everyone feels like they want to help in some way,” Clifton said. “These are our students, our kids, our families.”

Ceejay Johnson, fourth grade teacher at King Middle School, helped to sort boxes of food.

At least one student in his class lost housing in the tornado. Others were without electricity.

“I believe in volunteerism, and I believe in not doing it for a name, but doing it for a cause,” he said. “If I can help someone through, I’ll do it.”

Rickey Tucker, long-term substitute at Taft Primary School, brought in his own collected food donations to add to the pantry.

Tucker planned to return Friday with cleaning supplies, including donations collected from the congregation at New Faith Baptist Church.

“I’ve got family members that have been affected by this, people I have been knowing forever, coworkers,” he said. “I’ve been out to Aroma Park; I’ve seen what it looks like.”

He lives in Bourbonnais and didn’t get any home or vehicle damage himself, but felt compelled to help out because “it still affects everyone.”

“It’s not just about me,” Tucker said. “I’ll do whatever I can do to help anybody.”

District 111 is still accepting donations from the community.

Superintendent Teresa Lance said the greatest needs are for personal hygiene products, diapers, dish detergent, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies.

“We look like we are doing pretty good on food and water,” she noted.

Baby wipes and other essential baby items are also needed.

To drop off or pick up donations, go to garage door No. 10 located on the back/ east side of Lincoln Cultural Center, 240 Warren Ave.

Visit the District 111 Facebook page for updates.

Historically, Chautauqua was a cultural and social movement that began in upstate New York in the 1870s and flourished through the mid-1920s, bringing lectures, music, drama and “cultural enrichment” to communities nationwide. This year’s Chautauqua series aligns with the museum’s year-long theme, “We the People,” commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

This year’s program features two trivia nights and two special guest speakers:

Monday, March 23 – Trivia night: We the People…250 years of history: Test your knowledge of American history from 1776 to 2026. Themed prizes will be awarded. Refreshments include Martha Washington gingerbread, coffee and tea.

Tuesday, March 24 – Guest speaker Bill Nicklas, DeKalb city manager, presents “What Are We Celebrating?”— a thought-provoking program previously shared in DeKalb. Refreshments include Martha Washington cake, her favorite recipe, with coffee and tea.

Wednesday, March 25 – Museum historian and author Tom McDermott shares “We the People of Rochelle”, featuring new and favorite local stories. Enjoy Naomi Baldwin’s quickie bars and Linda Daub’s recipe for brown sugar brownies with coffee and tea.

Thursday, March 26 – Trivia night: We the People of Rochelle…Almost 175 years of history. A hometown history challenge with prizes. Refreshments include brownies from Judy Stavrakas’ recipe and Jean Friestad’s peanut butter bars with coffee and tea.

Martha Washington’s recipes are sourced from the historic collection, “The Presidents’ Cookbook” by Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks, while local favorites come from the Rochelle Business and Professional Women’s Club recipe book “Burnt Offerings” — making these refreshments a perfect fit for March and Women’s History Month.

Chautauqua at the Museum offers an opportunity for informal learning that is engaging, informative, and community-focused. Programs are free and open to the public.

The mission of the Flagg Township Historical Society and Museum is to stimulate interest in Flagg Township history through education, research, collection and preservation of information for the benefit of the public of today and in the future.

The show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and then again from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. This year’s featured brands are Massey Harris and Allis Chalmers.

On Friday night, full-size and antique tractors will start rolling into town and will line the streets for the duration of the show.

“I didn’t want to see the toy show die out so I got involved,” said John Stenzel, Sublette village president and a toy show volunteer for over 20 years. He is now the chairman of the toy show committee.

Toy and collectible farm tractors and implements will be on display and for sale in five buildings around downtown Sublette. Admission to the show is $3 per person and admissions purchased on Saturday will cover Sunday.

Local 4-H clubs, the Sub-Let Indians and the Maytown Comets will have food stands on site.

Tickets for a 50/50 drawing will be on sale at Sublette businesses throughout the show, with the drawing at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Stenzel said the appeal of the show reaches across generations and to people regardless of whether they have a connection to agriculture.

“It’s good for the community but the younger generations really enjoy it,” Stenzel said. “There’s a lot to see. You can walk through the buildings and see kids buying stuff or their parents and grandparents buying them stuff. That shows me how important it was to keep it going.”

The show includes a model railroad display at Orzech Auto Truck and Tow, formerly Leffelman Automotive, and a kids pedal tractor pull.

The popularity of the show and a request by vendors prompted the committee to expand the show to two days.

On Sunday, the Sublette Fire Department kicks off the show with a pancake and sausage breakfast at the fire station.

It takes nine to fill a lineup card, and nine is what the WFC Warriors have on their roster with opening day a week away.

While certainly not an ideal situation, a silver lining can be found when looking closer at the nine. Eight of the nine are returning players with varsity action under their uniform belts.

“I think one strength is we have eight returning players who started or played in varsity games last year,” said fifth-year WFC head coach Dan Essman, who began last season with 13 players on a team that finished 2-19. “Everyone knows what to do and what to expect out of our team and other teams.

“We also came off of last year not having the best year, and I think that motivates kids as well to do better. So putting in the work to get better is a huge strength, as well.”

One senior, two juniors and one sophomore are expected to lead the Warriors. That group includes senior IF/P Nolan Price (.355 on-base percentage in 2025); junior C/P Brezdyn Simons (11 would-be base stealers caught last season); junior IF/P Reece Pelnarsh, a third-year varsity starter who comes over from the Flanagan-Cornell half of the co-op; and sophomore P/1B Brayden Matsko (team-leading .353 batting average, Times All-Area second team in 2025).

Also returning are senior 3B/OF Brian DeLara, junior P/UT Noah Lopez, sophomore OF/Ps Hayden Marsinko (also a possibility at second base) and Blaine Bates. Rounding out the WFC nine is P/UT Parker Hopkins, a versatile freshman who likely would have been a Day 1 contributor even if low numbers didn’t thrust him into the starting lineup.

As cliché as it may sound, Essman knows fundamentals such as more consistent hitting, the ability to make routine defensive plays and getting the most out of his arms on the mound will be the overriding factors in the 2026 Warriors winning more games than the 2025 ballclub managed.

“I think huge goals to have this year are to have a batting average as a team at .250, compete in games and win those games that were close last year [that we lost] by a few runs,” Essman said. “We competed with a lot of teams, but just couldn’t get over that hump of getting runs over the plate. I mean, we left around 200 players on base last season. We have to figure out a way to get those kids over the plate.

“Another big area we struggled with last year is catching those routine fly balls, and I am going to challenge the kids this year to make those routine plays.

“If we can do those two things, I believe we will do just fine.”

As for the pitching part of the equation, Essman knows he has three proven arms in Price, Matsko and Pelnarsh, and hopes he can get as many meaningful innings as possible out of them with mound backup from the rest of the roster.

“Then you’ve got Brez Simons, Noah Lopez, Parker Hopkins, Blaine Bates, Hayden Marsinko and Brian DeLara,” Essman said. “They all have to show me who can pitch in the 4, 5, etc. spots.”

The Warriors are scheduled to open the season Friday, March 23, at Gardner-South Wilmington ahead of their home and Tri-County Conference opener March 24 versus Route 17 rival Dwight at the Windy Confines of Woodland.

All activities are free and open to the public. The day begins from 10:00–10:30 a.m. with a morning blessing and brief history of the saint and the early LaSalle catholic community at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (725 Fourth Street), followed by live Irish fiddle music by Irish-trained Sarah Arter at 11:00 a.m at the I&M Canal Visitor Center (754 First Street). Downtown restaurants will feature Irish lunch fare before the First Street Parade steps off from 1:00–2:00 p.m. along First Street from Bucklin to LaHarpe Streets. Storytelling from 2:00–3:00 p.m. at the I&M Canal Visitor Center (754 First Street) will highlight Irish folklore and canal-era history told by Tricia Kelly, and the celebration concludes at 3:15 p.m. with a ceremony dyeing the Fountain at First and Gooding Streets green in honor of the Irish diggers. Visitors may also enjoy decorated window displays as part of a window decorating contest for downtown businesses.

Downtown businesses will join the celebration with festive food and drink specials inspired by Irish tradition and canal history. Chef Sara’s Table will feature reubens, Irish-inspired soups, Irish charcuterie boards, and other specialties. Millstone Bakery will be open for lunch featuring Dublin Coddle stew, Irish soda bread, colcannon and bacon danish, Irish cream mousse danish, Irish apple cake, and decorated sugar cookies. Lock 16 Café will have lunch with canal diggers soup, reubens and rachels (turkey reuben), and a lucky leprechaun mint shake. Additional offerings from other businesses, including Uptown, will be available throughout the day, inviting visitors to explore and linger along First Street.

Long before railroads crossed the prairie or smokestacks rose along the river, LaSalle began with picks, shovels, and determined hands carving a waterway through rock and earth. Completed in 1848, the canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River system and transformed northern Illinois into a center of trade and settlement. Nearly ten thousand immigrant laborers—many newly arrived from Ireland, some even before the Great Famine—endured dangerous conditions to dig the canal by hand.

They faced backbreaking labor, prejudice, and disease. Cholera outbreaks swept through shantytowns along the canal route, including in LaSalle, claiming hundreds of workers. Paid about a dollar a day and often in canal scrip redeemable for land, many remained after construction ended, turning from laborers to farmers and founders, and choosing to make LaSalle their permanent home.

In its early years, LaSalle’s population was nearly 50 percent Irish. Today Irish ancestry remains about 15 percent. The Irish community established a lasting Catholic presence, including St. Patrick’s Church, believed to be the oldest continuously active Catholic parish in Illinois, as well as historic cemeteries such as St. Vincent’s.

Digger’s Day is not simply a St. Patrick’s observance, but a remembrance of the people who literally built the city and whose legacy still shapes LaSalle today.

The event is hosted by the LaSalle Business Association and sponsored by Millstone Bakery, JB Contracting Corp. Electrical/Mechanical Contractors, LaSalle State Bank, and Just Needs Done Enterprises. Both Millstone Bakery and LaSalle State Bank trace their origins to Irish ancestors who arrived in the community in 1836 and 1840 — a reminder that LaSalle’s canal story is not distant history, but living heritage.

Ava Balestri was 3 for 3 with two RBIs and a run for St. Bede, while Beatrice Affelt went 2 for 3 and drove in a pair of runs.

Chipper Rossi was the winning pitcher, giving up two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks in three innings.

Yorkville 4, La Salle-Peru 1: Karmen Piano doubled twice and scored the Cavaliers’ only run in a nonconference loss in Yorkville.

Makenzie Chamberlain was 1 for 3 and drove in a run for L-P (0-2). Taylor Vescogni took the loss, allowing four unearned runs on five hits while striking out 10 and walking two in a complete game.

At Sterling: Amboy co-op’s Damion Bender won three events at the Thursday Thriller at the Westwood Complex.

He won the 60 meters in 7.55 seconds, the 200 in 24.89 seconds and the high jump at 1.68 meters.

Also for the Clippers, Anthony Linder won the 3,200 in 11:25.35.

St. Bede had a pair of winners in Landon Balestri in the 400 (56.65) and Bronko Withey in the 60 hurdles (10.39).

Putnam County’s Alex Rodriguez won the shot put with a toss of 16.3 meters.

In the girls meet, St. Bede’s Lily Bosnich won the 200 (28.19) and 60 hurdles (9.62).

Bureau Valley’s Leah House won the 3,200 (15:13.85), while Amboy’s Olivea Glasper won the shot put (11.57 m) and teammate Bella Yanos won the long jump (4.95 m).

IVCC 9, Mid Michigan 0: Shae Simons pitched a four-hit shutout and had three hits to lead the Eagles to victory Thursday in Winter Haven, Florida.

Simons pitched six scoreless innings with three strikeouts and a walk. She also went 3 for 3 with two doubles.

Lauren Harbison was 2 for 2 and scored a pair of runs for IVCC (3-3), while Joyce Walkling doubled and drove in three runs.

Ellsworth 5, IVCC 0: Jenna Setchell went 3 for 3 as the Eagles dropped a game in Winter Haven.

Harbison took the loss.

Cuyahoga 2, IVCC 0: Kaitlyn Anderson doubled for the Eagles’ lone hit in a loss Tuesday in Winter Haven.

Harbison was the losing pitcher, giving up two runs (none earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

IVCC 14, SUNY-Adriondack 4 (5 inn.): Cassie Zimmerman was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run as the Eagles cruised to a victory Tuesday in Winter Haven.

Simons was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run.

Kendyl Danner earned the win with 4⅓ scoreless innings of relief. She gave up two hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

IVCC 3, Bay College 1: Torii Chaney doubled and drove in two runs Thursday to lead the Eagles to a victory in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Adrian Arzola and Paul Kakoliris each had a hit and scored a run for IVCC (2-5), while Peyton Dye earned the win, allowing one earned run on two hits with four strikeouts and three walks in five innings.

Westmoreland County 14, IVCC 10: Arzola went 3 for 4 with a double, two runs and an RBI as the Eagles came up short in Myrtle Beach.

Chaney was 2 for 5 with a run and an RBI for IVCC, while Nolan VanDuzer doubled and scored two runs.

Austin Aldridge was the losing pitcher.

IVCC 14, St. Clair County 12: Arzola went 2 for 3 with a home run, two runs and two RBIs as the Eagles outslugged the Skippers in Myrtle Beach.

Brady Romagnoli was 3 for 5 with a double, two RBIs and a run for IVCC, while Rohan Arnold was 1 for 2 with two walks and scored three runs, and Kelton Logan went 1 for 2 with two RBIs and a pair of runs.

Jackson Piecha earned the win in relief, giving up two earned runs on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in four innings.

Wabash College 7, IVCC 0: The Eagles lost a match in Sylvan Lake, Florida.

Rick’s Relics on 66

116 North Water Street

Reminisce while searching through hundreds of vinyl LP’s and 45’s at Ricks Relics on 66. Lovingly alphabetized, they can help you to find that certain record that takes you back to a particular moment in time. And if you have nothing to play them on, Rick’s can take care of that too, where you’ll find a stereo turntable or two available for sale from time to time. You’ll also find lots of matchbox cars, antiques and other collectibles – as well as a good selection of Route 66 souvenirs and motorcycle wear.

Le Fleur De Lis Boutiques & Antiques

219 N. Water St.

Le Fleur De Lis Boutiques & Antiques, a fan-favorite store along Route 66, offers an authentic and ever-changing French Country Mercantile shopping experience. Inside, you’ll find a wonderful selection of home decor, gourmet food and gift baskets, collectible vintage items, candles, jewelry and much more. There’s always something new and inspired in this eclectic, but well curated, mix of merchandise.

Sincerely, Salli’s

118 N. Water St.

Sincerely, Salli’s is a premier antiques retailer located in a beautiful vintage storefront on downtown Water Street. Since 2014, Sincerely, Salli’s has been specializing in vintage items, collectibles and re-purposed furniture. You’ll also find dolls, glassware, military memorabilia, Army surplus, jewelry, miniatures, outdoor and garden supplies, seasonal decor, toys and plenty of vintage apparel.

Lionsmark Auctions

202 N. Water St.

High quality art and antiques is what you’ll find here at Lionsmark Auction Gallery. An estate liquidation company, you’ll find high end pieces, furniture and jewelry in an ever-changing selection. Find China sets, books and collectable toys can sometimes round out the selection. Visit their website or follow the Lionsmark Facebook page for the upcoming auction schedule and featured collections.

The Flower Loft

221 N. Water St.

Take some time to stop and smell the roses at one of the mother road’s best flower shops. Not just a stop for fresh flowers, at The Flower Loft you’ll also find potted plants, housewares and botanical gifts for everyone on your list. Or gift some of this registered florist’s beautiful arrangements to your friends and family who couldn’t join you on a Route 66 road trip.

Art on 66

208 N. Water St.

Located in the historic Wilmington Watch Shop building, and founded in 2024, Art on 66 aims to showcase the work of various local and regional artists – presenting their work to the art connoisseurs traveling Route 66. The gallery is home to paintings, sculptures, original works and limited edition prints.

The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department initially responded to a medical call at 10:01 p.m. Thursday to West Woodstock Street, which was upgraded to a possible structure fire while en route. First responders arrived at a single-family home with “active fire on the exterior rear of the structure,” according to a Crystal Lake Fire Rescue news release.

While upgrading the response to a working fire, crews confirmed there was no medical or traumatic emergency at the scene. A hose line was deployed, and crews searched the home for occupants. The fire was deemed under control in less than 10 minutes, according to the release.

Only the home’s exterior was damaged from the fire, but it remains uninhabitable due to damage to some utilities, according to the release. Fire officials estimate $10,000 in property loss.

No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported, officials said in the release. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department.

Fire departments from Algonquin-Lake in the Hills, Cary, Huntley, McHenry Township, Carpentersville and Woodstock assisted in the call.

Burlington Central: Bennek Braden, jr., G, Patrick Magan, jr., F

Cary-Grove: Adam Bauer, sr., F; AJ Berndt, sr., G; Dylan Dumele, sr., G

Crystal Lake Central: Danny Spychala, jr., F

Crystal Lake South: Ryan Morgan, so., F; Nick Stowasser, jr., G; Carson Trivellini, jr., G

Huntley: Aidan Gibbs, sr., G

Jacobs: Elijah Bell, sr., G; Malachi Bell, fr., G

McHenry: Adam Anwar, sr., F; Nathan Ottaway, jr., F

Prairie Ridge: Eli Loeding, sr., F/G

Gregory N. Porod will step into the role on June 29, following Dr. James Quaid, who held the position for three years.

In a statement announcing the new appointment, the Diocese of Joliet describes Porod as “a veteran educator and administrator” with more than 40 years of experience in both public and Catholic education.

As superintendent of schools, Porod will be in charge of 47 Catholic elementary and high schools in Will, DuPage, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Iroquois and Ford counties.

Porod currently serves as the principal of St. Cletus Parish School in LaGrange. St. Cletus is the third school for which he has been principal over his career.

In 2018, Porod was named Principal of the Year for the South Cook Region by the Illinois Principals Association in recognition of his “impact and the respect he has earned among educators statewide.”

He also holds a K-12 administrative superintendent license.

In the announcement, the diocese praised Porod for his “reputation for collaborative leadership and building strong school culture.”

“Catholic schools are one of the Church’s most important ministries for forming disciples of Jesus,” said Bishop Dennis E. Spies, the apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Joliet.

“Greg brings a wealth of experience, a heart for mission, and a proven record of leadership to help strengthen our schools and support the families who entrust their children to us each day,” Spies said.

“I am grateful and humbled that the Spirit has led me to serve as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Joliet,” Porod said in a statement. “Catholic schools provide both the spiritual and academic foundation for our students to become scholars and saints. As Pope Benedict XVI once said, ‘a good school provides a rounded education for the whole person. And a good Catholic school should help all its students to become saints.’ ”

Chief Operating Officer for the diocese Peter J. Tamosaitis said the diocese believes Porod’s leadership will help advance its long-term vision for its schools.

“Greg’s experience and commitment to Catholic education makes him exceptionally well-suited to guide our school system,” Tamosaitis said. “His vision reflects our shared belief that Catholic schools are vital to the life of the Church and our communities. Under his leadership, we will continue to advance academic excellence, deepen Catholic identity and improve the vitality of our schools across the Diocese.”

Porod’s hiring comes at a transitional period for the diocese as it has been undergoing a major restructuring initiative to both save money and better focus resources on fewer parishes.

It also comes just a month after Bishop Ronald J. Hicks left the diocese to become archbishop of New York. Pope Leo XIV has yet to appoint a permanent successor for Hicks in Joliet.

In addition to expressing hope for the future of the Diocese’s schools under Porod, the diocese thanked Quaid for his service as superintendent, emphasizing his work in strengthening academic programs and supporting school principals.

Before the announcement of Porod’s hiring, there had been no announcement from the diocese of Quaid’s departure.

“As part of Southwest’s ongoing efforts to refine its network, the company will discontinue service to O’Hare effective June 4,” a spokesperson said Friday.

“Operating at Chicago O’Hare continues to be challenging, and we are confident we can serve Chicagoland through our strongly held position at Midway.”

Southwest debuted service at O’Hare in February 2021 to give customers a choice of locations, the company said at the time.

By April 2024, the carrier was offering 30 departures a day but scaled back to 18 after experiencing delays in obtaining new planes from Boeing, related to a mishap with a 737-9 MAX jetliner.

Saturday’s schedule showed 15 flights set to take off from O’Hare to Orlando, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Cancun, Tampa, Nashville, Austin, Dallas, and Denver.

“Our robust service from our long-standing base at Midway will continue to serve more than 80 destinations, including the 15 markets we serve from O’Hare. Southwest remains committed to providing its signature hospitality to our customers in Chicagoland,” a spokesperson added.

Chicago Department of Aviation leaders said they understood “the airline’s need to continually evaluate its network and make the appropriate business decisions. The department looks forward to welcoming Southwest back to O’Hare International Airport in the future.”

Southwest is also ending flights from Washington Dulles International Airport on June 4.

Passengers booked on Southwest trips through O’Hare starting June 4 and beyond have options including the following.

• Customers can rebook or travel standby (within 14 days of the original date of travel) without paying to change.

• Passengers can switch to alternate airports that include Midway, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport or Indianapolis International Airport.

• Customers can receive a refund for the unused ticket plus travel charges, such as priority boarding.

Southwest employees working out of O’Hare will also be impacted. The airlines said workers have a chance to bid for open jobs at Midway and across the network.

Southwest has operated out of Midway for 41 years with up to 244 daily departures landing at 80 destinations, including all locations served at O’Hare.

City officials said they anticipated “many more years of strong partnership between Southwest Airlines and Midway as we continue working together to enhance and modernize the passenger experience at the ‘busiest square mile in aviation.’”

Travelers seeking for information can visit, southwest.com/travel-advisory.

The Knights wouldn’t let the Warriors score for almost eight more minutes, allowing Kaneland to storm back and force overtime.

Ultimately, the comeback bid fell short in bonus time.

Marshawn Cocroft’s 3-pointer from the top of the key bounced off the rim at the buzzer for Kanland, preserving a 49-48 Deerfield win on Friday in Champaign.

“We needed a quick basket,” Cocroft said. “There was no time to think with 2.4 seconds left.”

Deerfield (25-11) handed the Knights (35-1) their first loss of the season. It was also the Knights’ second straight game that went down to the final possession after a 49-47 win against Morton in the Class 3A NIU Supersectional on Monday.

The Knights possessed the ball for the final 53 seconds after Deerfield’s 6-foot-9 senior Jake Pollack made a layup to put the Warriors ahead for the first time in overtime.

Pollack blocked a jumper in the paint by Connor Kimme, but the Knights retained possession with 26 seconds left. They swung the ball around the perimeter until Kaneland coach Ernie Colombe called a timeout with 2.4 seconds left.

After the timeout, Cocroft had an open look, but the shot didn’t fall.

“I just wanted to make sure we got the shot at the end,” Colombe said. “We ended up getting the shot at the end, so all you can ask for is the opportunity.”

The Knights took their first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer by Jalen Carter with 2:56 left, going up 40-39. The teams went back and forth, with Evan Nagler putting the Warriors ahead 45-43 at the free-throw line with 35 seconds left, making one of his two attempts.

After a Kaneland timeout, Cocroft drove to the basket and scored. Pollack missed in the paint at the buzzer for Deerfield, and a putback attempt by Donahue was too late.

“Every basket they had we made sure was tough,” Cocroft said. “There was nothing easy for them. We made sure we took away open looks and made sure everything was hard.”

The teams traded the lead back and forth early, but after a Carter 3-pointer, the Warriors scored 12 straight for a 22-11 lead with 6:52 left in the second quarter. They took a 29-18 lead into halftime.

Cocroft and Jeffrey Hassan, who entered Friday averaging a combined 32.4 points per game, had only two points total at halftime. But Hassan came out red-hot in the third quarter with eight points, three blocks and four rebounds.

He also didn’t turn the ball over after three turnovers in the second quarter.

“I just thought I had to turn it around,” Hassan said. “The first half didn’t go well. I just wanted to win.”

Hassan opened the second half with a dunk, but Donahue answered with a pair of 3-pointers to open a 34-20 lead for Deerfield, its biggest of the game.

But the Knights scored the next 13 points, concluded by a Hassan dunk with 21 seconds left in the third. Neither team scored again until a Pollack putback with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter, putting Deerfield up 36-33.

“They were playing good, solid defensive pressure on us, and it is a state semifinal game,” Deerfield coach Dan McKendrick said. “Maybe we felt it for a little bit. Maybe we got timid for a little bit.”

Pollack finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and four assists. Nagler scored 11, and Donahue added nine. The Warriors shot 47.1% from 3-point range.

Evan Frieders and Hassan scored 10 points apiece for Kaneland. Hassan had 15 rebounds and three blocks. Carter and Kimme had nine points each, and Cocroft finished with eight.

Kaneland shot 38% from the floor and 28% from 3-point range. They were 3 for 4 from the line while Deerfield was 9 for 12.

“That’s just basketball on any level,” Colombe said. “You have good shooting nights some nights, and some nights your shots don’t drop. And a big part of that is Deerfield’s defense. So I wouldn’t necessarily do anything different. Obviously, I would have liked to hit a few more shots.”

Deerfield advances to the state championship game at 4 p.m. Saturday against East St. Louis. Kaneland was to face Leo in the third-place game late Friday.

“We have to bounce back. That’s what we expect to do,” Colombe said. “I think a lot of people have talked about the third-place game or whatever. But we’ve got a lot of pride, so we’re going to want to finish the season with a win.”

The 3,615-square-foot house, built in 1999, was sold for $1.75 million, or $484 per square foot. This three-story house has five bedrooms and five bathrooms. Inside, there is a fireplace. The property is equipped with forced air heating and central A/C. Additionally, the building features two parking spots. The property’s lot measures 6,970 square feet.

These nearby homes in Hinsdale have also recently been purchased:

· In January, a 2,821-square-foot single-family home at 544 South 7th Street sold for $1.23 million, a price per square foot of $437.

· A 3,718-square-foot single-family house at 724 South Madison Street, sold in September 2025, for $1.45 million, a price per square foot of $390. The home has four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

· At 604 South Monroe Street, in August 2025, a 3,497-square-foot single-family home was sold for $2.36 million, a price per square foot of $676.

“For me it’s been a more comfortable, more confident start to the season,” Ericson said. “I learned so much from last year being my first year as head coach, and that’s helped me be even more prepared for this year. It’s been a smooth start, we’ve had some really great practices, and thankfully, the weather has allowed us to work on a lot of things on the field.”

The Pirates finished last season 18-17 overall, going 7-8 in Interstate 8 Conference play and reaching a Class 3A regional final.

Ottawa has eight seniors on this season’s roster in Colt Bryson (P/SS/2B/3B), Brayden Batistini (OF), Michael McGill (OF/P), Lucas Farabaugh (3B/P/C), Adam Swanson (P/C/OF), Noah Marvin (P), Brody Pagakis (1B/P) and Brendyn Fuchs (1B/P).

Swanson is a two-time unanimous Times All-Area first-team selection and was an I-8 all-conference pick last year after hitting .396 with 10 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 31 RBIs, and going 3-3 with a 4.40 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 55 innings.

Fuchs and Farabaugh were both Times All-Area second team honorees.

“Anytime you can build anything around a kid of Adam Swanson’s caliber it makes things easier,” Ericson said. “He will be the focal point on offense and defense. He’s a great hitter with power, he’s a guy who’s hitting high 80s, low 90s on the mound, and he is, in my opinion, one of the best catchers in the area.”

Rounding out the roster is juniors Kaden Konwinski (2B/3B/OF/P), Brecklin Winter (2B/P), Alexio Fernandez-Jobst (OF), George Shumway (P/2B/SS/3B), Jack Carroll (OF/P), Rizon Contreras (2B/OF/P), Sam Clift (OF/P), Maverick Burress (3B/OF/P), Jackson Lucas (UTL/P), Dane Schmitz (1B), Logan Cottingham (1B/C) and Logan Olson (3B/OF/C).

“I feel like the strength of this team is going to be our pitching and defense. We only graduated around 20 innings from last year,” Ericson said. “After Swanson, Lucas Farabaugh was second on the team in innings pitched, Noah Marvin was our late-inning guy and closer, and George Shumway was brought up midway into the season and kind of ran away with the No. 3 conference starter. I also feel we have 12 more arms that we feel can come in and be effective.”

Ericson said there has been a lot of work and talk in Ottawa’s opening practice sessions about having a good approach at the plate. While he feels the pitching and defense will be strong, he also believes the Pirates can be a pretty good offensive team throughout the order.

“We’ve spent a lot of time talking about having approach at the plate, having a plan not only in each at-bat but every pitch,” Ericson said. “Every at-bat brings with it a different situation, so you have to have a plan before you step in the box, but also have the ability to adjust. We have to be ready to hit every pitch.

“I felt like we were a little too passive at times and took too many middle-middle fastballs that we should have been putting in play. I feel like this group collectively has great baseball IQ and is working very hard on doing the things that we are asking of them at the plate.”

Ericson said the early season will bring with it a lot of moving parts in trying to find the right spots and roles for his players.

“We have a great core back, a great mix of experience and new guys to the varsity level,” Ericson said. “We also have guys that can play multiple spots on the field. We are going to have the ability to be flexible as far as who is playing where, depending on who is pitching, but also in certain situations.

Peru attorney John Fisher started his law career prosecuting domestic violence cases in the early 1990s. Back then, female suspects charged with domestic battery were virtually unheard of.

Times have changed dramatically. Fisher is now a solo practitioner in La Salle County, and an increasing number of his clients are women charged with domestic violence.

“I’ve seen more and more women getting charged for attacking men,” Fisher said. “In the last two years, it’s really picked up.”

Court statistics back him up, revealing a significant generational shift in domestic offenses by gender. In 2000, just 13% of misdemeanor domestic battery charges filed in La Salle County were against women. Last year, that figure had more than doubled to 28%.

The trend is not unique to La Salle County. Nationally, women still make up the majority of victims. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 41% of women and 26% of men experience physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. More than 61 million women and 53 million men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner.

Police and prosecutors interviewed for this story cite broad societal shifts: Stricter police policies, rising substance abuse, changing family structures and the legalization of same-sex marriage. But experts disagree on whether women are truly committing more domestic violence or whether men are finally reporting abuse they previously hid.

La Salle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro said substance abuse is a key factor in the rise.

“It’s equal to both parties with regards to substance abuse,” Navarro said. “That’s been a key theme that’s followed this type of case.”

Tom Templeton, who spent 50 years with the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office, the last 20 as sheriff, acknowledged that men were historically reluctant to report abuse due to stigma.

“The crime was terribly underreported from the early 1970s and 1980s and not only by women,” Templeton said. “Men were not going to call the cops and say, ‘My wife beat me up.’”

Templeton noted that in the 1970s and ’80s, police focused on immediate safety rather than investigation. “We were taught: Get them separated. Get her safety. Get the guy out of the house,” he said.

And at that time there wasn’t much protest from the victims. “As bad as things were, they still needed him at work and to put food on the table,” Templeton said. “So a lot of them just endured, which was horrible.”

A fundamental shift occurred in the 1990s when lawmakers limited police discretion in domestic violence cases. Police who spotted corroborating evidence of abuse — blood, bruising, or other injuries — were effectively required to make an arrest.

“There was no help. There was no aid. They were on their own,” Templeton said of victims in earlier decades.

But as studies and high-profile cases brought attention to domestic violence, the response shifted from mediation to evidence collection and prosecution. Police began coordinating with prosecutors for court intervention, such as counseling or classes.

That policy change has boosted not only the number of cases but also increased the number of women taken into custody.

Police and prosecutors agree that women today struggle as much with substance abuse as men, which has ratcheted up domestic disputes.

La Salle County’s problems with drug-fueled violence mushroomed in 2004 with the arrival of heroin. Felonies climbed 60% over the next four years, and other drugs of abuse surged over the same span.

Emily Baker, communications specialist for the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies have responded to calls where both women and men are aggressors.

“The calls, like most domestics, typically involve alcohol, drugs, mental health, relationship and financial issues,” Baker said.

The sheriff’s office social workers follow up on domestic calls and provide resource referrals, she said.

Historically, domestic disputes have been between husband and wife, with the male partner typically the assailant. But the rise of same-sex unions has skewed the statistical data.

Some of the statistical shifts may also reflect changes in how relationships are recorded.

Illinois enacted civil unions in 2011 and same-sex marriages in 2014. When a domestic dispute occurs between same-sex female partners, the assailant is necessarily logged in court records as female. This has created a statistical bump in the number of women charged with domestic violence.

Mendota attorney David Kaleel, a longtime defense lawyer in La Salle County, noted this shift. In his first 10 years of practice, starting in 1981, he could recall only one woman charged with domestic battery – she was accused of stabbing her cheating husband in the leg.

“Now, in a lot of my current cases a woman is a defendant,” Kaleel said, “and the victim is also a woman.”

In Crystal Lake, the largest city in McHenry County, Deputy Chief Richard Neumann said that since 2022, Crystal Lake police have responded to 1,404 domestic-related incidents. In 848 of those calls, the victim was listed as female, while in 556 calls the victim was male.

Although cases of domestic abuse may be underreported, police who respond to all cases, regardless of who calls for help, “are expected to conduct thorough investigations,” Neumann said.

Tomorrow: Part 2 examines the debate over whether women are truly committing more domestic violence, explores the experiences of male victims, and presents real cases that illustrate the complexity of these situations.

While some northern Illinois jurisdictions have noted an increase in the number of women charged with domestic violence, not everyone agrees that women are on the rise as domestic abusers.

Mary Margaret Maule, executive director at Turning Point Inc. in McHenry County, takes issue with the inference that female aggression is increasing.

“In domestic violence cases that I am aware of, 97% involve male aggressors and maybe just about 3% involve female aggressors,” Maule said.

Maule emphasized that domestic abuse is fundamentally about control. Domestic abuse comes in the form of physical, sexual, mental, financial, religious abuse and stalking, she said.

“Domestic violence is an intentional and repeated pattern of behavior,” Maule said. “Control can be rooted in financial control, threats to do harm to children or loved ones, immigration status. The dynamics are the same, regardless of gender.”

Historically, male partners held control over female partners. Until the 1970s, women could not have their own credit cards. Until the mid-1980s, property owners were not legally obligated to rent to single women with children. Even until 1992 in Illinois, it was not considered a crime for a man to rape his wife.

“Women didn’t stay because it was bliss; they were stuck,” Maule said.

When women gained more independence and economic power, particularly through sports and professional opportunities in the 1970s, they developed tools to leave abusive relationships, Maule said.

Still, Maule said that underreporting affects both genders.

“Yes, both can do it, and yes, it is underreported on both sides,” she said.

But in her professional experience, reports of abusive men still surpass the number of abusive women. “We have men who have gone through our programming seeking emergency shelter or counseling or treatment as aggressors, so yes, it can happen,” Maule said. “But at the end of the day, domestic violence doesn’t discriminate. It happens in any race, age, gender, economical status. A man can be a survivor or perpetrator.”

Turning Point facilitates a men’s mental health group and a 26-week Partner Abuse Intervention Program for aggressors who may have their own traumatic history.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the most common form of abuse experienced by men is psychological. This abuse “usually targets a man’s masculinity. Men are usually accused of not being ‘manly’ enough, not making enough money, being weak or crying when abused.”

Men also are more likely to report being stalked by an intimate partner.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men often are reluctant to report abuse because they feel embarrassed, fear they won’t be believed or are scared their partner will take revenge. “About 16 million women and 11 million men who reported experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime said that they first experienced it before age 18,” according to the CDC.

While national data shows females are more often victims of domestic homicide – 57 female victims in 2023-24 – there also were 33 men killed as a result of domestic abuse during the same time frame.

An abusive partner who needs to make up for any difference in strength might hit, kick, bite, punch, spit, throw things or destroy possessions. An abusive partner might attack while their partner is asleep or catch them by surprise, abuse or threaten the partner’s children or pets, or use weapons such as guns or knives.

Husbands’ reluctance to press charges mirrors a pattern seen in abused women. Men who experience abuse may minimize incidents or protect their abuser due to financial dependence or fear of retaliation.

In August, a 30-year-old McHenry woman was accused of stabbing her husband in the abdomen with a steak knife. She was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a Class 3 felony, and domestic battery causing bodily harm.

At an initial court appearance, Judge Cynthia Lamb ruled the woman was a danger to her husband and the community at large and detained her in the county jail pretrial. Police had made at least five previous calls to the home in response to domestic violence allegations, and the woman has a pending assault case in another state.

Lamb said that the couple “had been verbally arguing” when the man tried to leave the home. The woman threw his keys into the toilet. When he retrieved them and tried to leave again, the woman “approached him with a kitchen knife ... stabbed her husband in the abdomen,” the judge said.

Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller said the couple had argued the night before, with the dispute continuing the next morning and escalating to the stabbing. The man was afraid of her, Miller said.

However, the defense told a different story. Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger said the husband was not afraid of her, did not request an order of protection and wanted her released. The man said his wife suffers from anxiety and was on medication, which “may have been the reason” for the incident, Giesinger said.

The woman denied going after him with a knife. She claimed that during the argument, she had a knife in her hand, and the man knocked it to the floor. She picked up the knife, and during a struggle, the man was stabbed, according to the defense.

After the case was reported, readers commented seemingly in the woman’s favor, questioning what the man had done before she stabbed him – a reaction that illustrates how domestic violence cases can be complicated and how public perception may differ from legal reality.

The woman has been accepted into mental health court and is receiving mental health treatment, court records show. Her case is still pending.

In 2020, a woman in St. Charles township was charged with domestic battery, violating an order of protection and criminal damage to property, according to Kane County Sheriff’s reports.

She was accused of breaking items in their residence, then beating her boyfriend with the handle of a rake after he wouldn’t reveal the name of the woman she believed he was cheating on her with. Before the physical attack, she had picked up a shovel and dented the man’s truck.

Before the physical attack, she had been accused of violating a protection order. This woman eventually pleaded guilty to domestic battery and was sentenced to 18 months of probation, which included completing domestic violence counseling and an evaluation.

While some experts question whether women are truly committing more domestic violence, most agree that underreporting has historically masked the true scope of abuse by both men and women.

What’s clear is that domestic violence – regardless of the perpetrator’s gender – remains a serious issue rooted in substance abuse, mental health challenges, economic stress and power dynamics. And as police policies have shifted to mandatory arrest and prosecution, more cases involving female perpetrators are entering the criminal justice system.

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where 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.

Illinois governor and lieutenant governor: Incumbent JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has filed to run for reelection. He has named Christian Mitchell as his running mate after Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton announced her intention to run for the U.S. Senate.

Conservative research group Wirepoints president Ted Dabrowski, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, former state Sen. Darren Bailey and Gold Rush Gaming owner Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills have filed as Republicans.

The only other Democrat to file, Patricia L. Tillman of Chicago, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection as was Republicans Gregg Moore of Broadview and Joseph Severino of Lake Forest. Republican Max Solomon of Hazel Crest withdrew his candidacy.

· Ted Dabrowski’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “‘More listening and less talking’: Darren Bailey insists results will be different in 2nd run for governor”

· Coverage: “GOP governor candidates in McHenry say abolishing TRUST Act would end need for ICE raids”

· Coverage: “Conservative policy wonk Ted Dabrowski gets off sidelines with run for governor”

· Coverage: “Few fireworks as Illinois GOP governor hopefuls share stage for first time”

· Coverage: “Bailey talks Bears stadium as GOP gubernatorial candidates pile on Pritzker”

· Coverage: “Bailey talks faith, family, future at Sterling campaign stop”

· Coverage: “Bailey proposes ‘Illinois DOGE’ as Republican governor’s race focuses on spending”

· Coverage: “Taxes, sanctuary status and electability key issues in GOP gubernatorial joust”

Illinois attorney general: Incumbent Kwame Raoul, a Democrat, has filed to run for another term. Former Chicago alderman Bob Fioretti has filed to run as a Republican.

Republican Andy Williams Jr. of Darien was removed from the ballot following a successful objection and has since filed as a write-in candidate. JoAnne Guillemette of Chicago withdrew after an objection was filed.

· Andy Williams Jr.’s candidate questionnaire.

Illinois secretary of state: Alexi Giannoulias, an incumbent Democrat, has filed to run for reelection. Walter Adamczyk of Chicago and Joliet Junior College Trustee Diane M. Harris filed to run as Republicans.

· Walter Adamczyk’s candidate questionnaire.

· Diane Harris’ candidate questionnaire.

Illinois comptroller: Incumbent Susana Mendoza, a Democrat, is not running again. State Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim of Mundelein, state Rep. Margaret Croke of Chicago and state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego have filed to run as Democrats and Bryan Drew of Benton filed as a Republican.

Champaign County Auditor George Danos, a Democrat, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· Holly Kim’s candidate questionnaire.

· Margaret Croke’s candidate questionnaire.

· Stephanie Kifowit’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “4 Democrats seeking to replace Mendoza as Illinois comptroller”

· Coverage: “Democratic comptroller candidates make push for why they’re voters’ best option”

Illinois treasurer: Incumbent Michael Frerichs, a Democrat, has filed to run for a fourth term. Max Solomon filed as a write-in candidate on the Republican side.

U.S. Senate: Incumbent Dick Durbin, a Democrat, is not seeking reelection.

Casey Chlebek, former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy, R. Cary Capparelli of Chicago, Pamela Denise Long of Edwardsville, Jimmy Lee Tillman II of Chicago and Jeannie Evans of Chicago have filed to run as Republicans.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, Kevin Ryan of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Lynwood, Steve Botsford Jr. of Chicago, Jonathan Dean of Chicago, Sean Brown of Orland Park, Bryan Maxwell of Urbana, Awisi A. Bustos of Springfield and Christopher A. Swann of Chicago as Democrats. Independents Tyrone Muhammad and Austin J. Mink have also said they are running.

Democrats Adam Delgado of Chicago, Anthony Williams of Dolton and Jump Shepherd of North Riverside were removed from the ballot following successful objections as was CaSándra Claiborne of Chicago. Delgado has since filed as a write-in candidate. Democrat Robert Palmer of Chicago and Republican John Goodman of Des Plaines withdrew as candidates.

· Don Tracy’s candidate questionnaire.

· R. Cary Capparelli’s candidate questionnaire.

· Pamela Denise Long’s candidate questionnaire.

· Raja Krishnamoorthi’s candidate questionnaire.

· Robin Kelly’s candidate questionnaire.

· Steve Botsford Jr.’s candidate questionnaire.

· Jonathan Dean’s candidate questionnaire.

· Bryan Maxwell’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “Democratic Senate candidates clash on donations, opine on extraterrestrial controversy"

· Coverage: “GOP Senate candidates offer contrasting solutions to rising costs and economic challenges”

· Coverage: “Ukraine support key for GOP Senate candidates despite cost concerns”

· Coverage: “Illinois GOP Senate candidates take stage in first major debate”

U.S. House of Representatives: All 17 members of Congress representing Illinois are up in 2026. To find what district you live in, go to congress.gov/members/find-your-member.

District 3: Delia Ramirez, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Angel Oakley of Wheaton filed to run as a Republican. Republican Spomenka Vajic of Chicago and Democrat Mark John Pasieka Sr. of Chicago were removed from the ballot following successful objections.

District 4: Incumbent Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, filed to run for reelection but then withdrew his candidacy. Lupe Castillo of Chicago has filed to run as a Republican, Ed Hershey of Chicago for the Working Class Party and Garcia’s chief of staff, Patty Garcia of Cicero, as a Democrat.

District 6: Sean Casten, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich of Chicago also filed to run as a Democrat and Niki Conforti’s of Glen Ellyn and Skylar Duensing of Shorewood have filed to run as Republicans.

· Sean Casten’s candidate questionnaire.

· Niki Conforti’s candidate questionnaire.

· Skylar Duensing’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “Completely close the border? GOP candidates in 6th Congressional District differ on immigration”

· Coverage: “What’s the top issue facing Illinois’ 6th Congressional District? Casten, challengers disagree”

District 6: Sean Casten, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich of Chicago also filed to run as a Democrat and Niki Conforti’s of Glen Ellyn and Skylar Duensing of Shorewood have filed to run as Republicans.

· Sean Casten’s candidate questionnaire.

· Niki Conforti’s candidate questionnaire.

· Skylar Duensing’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “Completely close the border? GOP candidates in 6th Congressional District differ on immigration”

· Coverage: “What’s the top issue facing Illinois’ 6th Congressional District? Casten, challengers disagree”

District 8: Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, is not seeking reelection and instead running for the U.S. Senate. Neil Khot of Hoffman Estates, Kevin B. Morrison of Mount Prospect, Junaid Ahmed of South Barrington, Ryan Vetticad of South Barrington, Melissa L. Bean of Barrington, Yasmeen Bankole of Hanover Park, Dan Tully of Carol Stream and Sanjyot Dunnug of Des Plaines have filed as Democrats. Mark Rice of Arlington Heights, Jennifer Davis of Huntley, Kevin Ake of Elk Grove Village and Herbert Hebein of Chicago have filed as Republicans.

· Neil Khot’s candidate questionnaire.

· Junaid Ahmed‘s candidate questionnaire.

· Yasmeen Bankole‘s candidate questionnaire.

· Dan Tully’s candidate questionnaire.

· Sanjyot Dunung’s candidate questionnaire.

· Mark Rice’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “8th Congressional District GOP hopefuls debate U.S. immigration policies”

· Coverage: “8th Congressional District Democratic candidates debate U.S. policy in Israel and Gaza”

District 11: Bill Foster, a Democrat representing parts of Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will, has filed to run for reelection. Elburn Village President Jeff Walter, Michael Pierce of Naperville and Charlie Kim of Aurora have filed as Republicans. Tedora Brown of Palos Park was initially removed from the ballot but an appeals court ordered she be added to the ballot after early voting started in some counties.

· Jeff Walter’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “GOP congressional candidates express doubts about Biden’s 2020 White House win”

Illinois State Senate: Like its federal counterpart, only some of its members are up for reelection this year. In northern Illinois, that includes:

District 21: Laura Ellman, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Julie Berkowicz of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.

· Julie Berkowicz’s candidate questionnaire.

District 23: Suzy Glowiak Hilton, a Democrat representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection. Linda Z. Polacek of Lombard filed to run as a Republican

District 24: Seth Lewis, a Republican representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection. Benjamin “Ben” McAdams of Bloomingdale has filed as a Democrat.

· Ben McAdams’ candidate questionnaire.

District 33: Don DeWitte, a Republican representing Kane, DuPage and McHenry counties, is not running for reelection. Michele Clark of Algonquin filed to run as a Democrat and Danielle Penman of St. Charles and Jessica Breugelmans of Geneva as Republicans. Satnaam Singh Mago, a Democrat from Wayne, withdrew his candidacy, and Cody Holt, a Republican from Elgin, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

District 39: Don Harmon, a Democrat representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection.

District 41: Senate Minority Leader John F. Curran, a Republican representing Cook, DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.

District 42: Linda Holmes, a Democrat representing DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Edgardo “Eddie” Perez of Aurora filed as a Republican. Democrat Justin H.S. Breaux of Aurora was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

Illinois House of Representatives: All state representative seats are up every two years. Among some of the races in northern Illinois:

District 7: Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Anabel Mendoza has filed to run as a Democrat.

District 41: Janet Yang Rohr, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ajay Gupta of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.

District 42: Terra Costa Howard, a Democrat representing DuPage County, is running for reelection. Margaret A. DeLaRosa of Glen Ellyn and Lynn LaPlante of Glen Ellyn have also filed as Democrats and Stephanie W. Trussell of Lisle filed as a Republican.

· Margaret DeLaRosa’s candidate questionnaire.

· Lynn LaPlante’s candidate questionnaire.

District 45: Martha “Marti” Deuter, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Gina Parrilli of Westmont has filed to run as a Republican.

District 46: Diane Blair Sherlock, a Democrat representing DuPage County, has filed to run for reelection. Pedro Jovany Mendoza of Villa Park filed to run as a Republican.

· Diane Blair Sherlock’s candidate questionnaire.

District 47: Amy L. Grant, a Republican representing DuPage County, is not running for reelection. Robert A. Vrankovich of Carol Stream has filed to run as a Republican and Erica Bray-Parker as a Democrat.

District 48: Jennifer Sanalitro, a Republican representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Amanda Zahorak of Itasca has filed to run as a Democrat.

District 49: Maura Hirschauer, a Democrat representing Cook, Kane and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. John Paul Augustynowicz of Warrenville has filed as a Republican.

District 50: Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat representing Kane and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection.

District 56: Michelle Mussman, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection. Edward “Ed” Lapinski of Des Plaines filed to run as a Republican. Fellow Republican Peter R. Dombrowski of Schaumburg was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

District 65: Dan Ugaste, a Republican representing DuPage and Kane counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ricky Rivard of St. Charles has filed to run as a Democrat.

· Ricky Rivard’s candidate questionnaire.

District 77: Norma Hernandez, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Anthony Airdo of Melrose Park has filed to run as a Republican.

District 81: Anne Stava, a Democrat representing DuPage County, has filed to run for reelection. Laura Hois of Downers Grove filed as a Republican.

District 82: Nicole La Ha, a Republican representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection.

District 84: Stephanie A. Kifowit, a Democrat representing DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, is not running for reelection as she is running for comptroller. Saba Haider and Jared Ploger, both of Aurora, have filed to run as Democrats and Brian Scopa of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.

· Saba Haider’s candidate questionnaire.

· Jared Ploger’s candidate questionnaire.

District 85: Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Chris Metcalfe of Bolingbrook has filed as a Republican.

Also on the ballot will be County Board members, county clerks, treasurers, sheriffs, assessors, and regional superintendents. Some counties also elect their Boards of Review, sanitary districts, and forest preserve district commissioners and president

County Board Chairperson: Incumbent Deb Conroy filed as a Democrat and challenger Gary Grasso as a Republican.

Sheriff: Incumbent Sheriff James Mendrick, a Republican, is not seeking reelection as he is running for governor. Peter Joseph Coolidge filed as a Democrat and Edmond (Eddie) Moore and Sean T. Noonan as Republicans.

Robert Carroll withdrew as a Democrat from the race on Feb. 5.

· Coverage: “DuPage sheriff’s hopeful vows to continue campaign amid investigation, administrative leave”

· Coverage: “DuPage sheriff candidate cleared of wrongdoing by department”

· Coverage: “Oak Brook police release details about crash involving DuPage County undersheriff”

County Clerk: Incumbent Jean Kaczmarek, a Democrat, is seeking reelection. Paula Deacon Garcia has also filed as a Democrat and Patricia Kladis-Schiappa filed as a Republican.

County Treasurer: Incumbent Gwen Henry, a Republican, is seeking reelection. Yeena Yoo filed to run as a Democrat.

Regional Superintendent of Schools: Incumbent Amber M. Quirk is seeking reelection. Rebecca Gamboa filed as a Democrat. Misael Nascimento filed as a write-in candidate on the Democratic side.

DuPage County Board

District 1: Incumbent Michael L. Childress filed as a Democrat and Eric Poplonski and Onkar Singh Sangha as Republicans for a four-year term, and Nicholas R. Panicola Jr., Melissa Villanueva and Maria Sinkule filed as Democrats and Paula Pezza as a Republican for a two-year term.

District 2: Christopher Espinoza and Guido Nardini filed as Democrats and Robert “Rusty” Stevens as a Republican for a four-year term, and Mahnoor Ahmad and Mary Rada Walters filed as Democrats and Theresa McClear as a Republican for a two-year term.

· Guido Nardini’s candidate questionnaire.

District 3: Marcus King filed as a Democrat and incumbent Kari Galassi as a Republican for a four-year term, and Ericka Polanco-Webb filed as a Democrat and incumbent Brian J. Krajewski as a Republican for a two-year term.

District 4: Syed V. Hussain and Paula McGowen filed as Democrats and incumbent Grant Eckhoff as a Republican for a four-year term, and incumbent Mary FitzGerald Ozog as a Democrat and Isobel Michaud as a Republican for a two-year term.

· Syed Hussain’s candidate questionnaire.

District 5: Incumbent Sadia Covert, Marylee Leu and Ian Holzhauer filed as Democrats and Chris Jacks as a Republican for a four-year term, and Incumbent Dawn DeSart as a Democrat and Daniel Alejandro Lomeli as a Republican for a two-year term.

· Ian Holzhauer’s candidate questionnaire.

District 6: Jesse Gutierrez filed as a Democrat and incumbent James F. “Jim” Zay filed as a Republican for a four-year term, and Lauren “Laurie” Nowak and incumbent Melissa Martinez filed as Democrats and Kathleen Zander as a Republican for a two-year term.

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

President: Incumbent Daniel Hebreard filed a Democrat and Carl Schultz as a Republican.

District 1: Quinn F. Fulmer and Susan M. Smentek filed as Democrats and Carolyn Ubriaco as a Republican.

District 2: Incumbent Tina Tyson-Dunne, a Democrat, filed for reelection. Jacalynn “Jax” West and Dana Moreau also filed as Democrats and William “Bill” Wehrle as a Republican.

District 5: Incumbent Barbara A. O’Meara filed as a Democrat and Michael Farmer as a Republican.

Three vacancies are up at the Illinois appellate court level, according to an Illinois State Board of Elections list as of Sept. 3. Voters will also get to vote on retentions.

They include seats in the First, Third, and Fifth districts.

The Third Appellate District sits in Ottawa and includes Bureau, La Salle, DuPage, Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and Iroquois counties. Margaret “Peggy” O’Connell of Lisle and John Pavich of Frankfort has filed to run as Democrats and Jason A. Helland of Mazon and Mark Senak of Glen Ellyn has filed as Republicans.

· Margaret O’Connell’s candidate questionnaire.

· John Pavich’s candidate question.

Referendums:

City of Wood Dale — Zoning Amendment to Allow Hens in Single-Family Residential Districts

Milton Township — New Tax Rate for Road Machinery and Equipment

Naperville Park District — $120M Park Bonds: Pulls votes from Will and DuPage counties.

Oakbrook Terrace Fire Protection District — New Tax Rate for Emergency and Rescue

Tri-State Fire Protection District — $38M General Obligation Bonds

School District 45 — Proposition to Increase Limiting Rate: Pulls votes from DuPage and Cook counties. Read more here.

March 17: Election Day for the 2026 primary. Polls close at 7 p.m. Voters can request a partisan ballot with either Democratic or Republican candidates listed or a non-partisan ballot, which includes any referndums.

The release comes a day after a man’s body was located in his storm-damaged home in Aroma Park.

Workers in the area of Oakwood Drive located the body of 65-year-old Maurice R. Norington.

Following an autopsy Friday, preliminary indications suggest Norington suffered fatal injuries as a result of the storm, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office said in the release.

Teams continue to search the area with a three-tiered approach, where Kankakee County first responders are partnering with neighboring counties and resources, according to the release.

The three-tiered approach involves specialized K-9s, specialized unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, as well as search-and-rescue teams on the ground, according to the release.

Kankakee County officials said it is important to note that the high winds have hampered initial efforts with the drones and dogs due to flying and scent issues. Weather remains paramount in these search-and-rescue efforts for the safety of everyone involved, according to the release.

However, when capable, these teams will be in the area referencing databases and speaking with family, neighbors and friends and focusing their search based on high-targeted areas, including trees on houses, homes with missing rooftops, according to the release.

“I want to (assure) the community-at-large that the dedicated men and women involved in this incident are some of the most dedicated and professional people I have ever met,” Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said in the release.

“Our first responders live and reside here and have also been impacted, as almost all of them have friends and family who live in the damaged areas themselves. However, we will remain in the area until each and every person is completely accounted for.”

The National Weather Service in Chicago said Friday that residents of northern Illinois definitely should brace for wind, bitter cold, and, most concerning, the potential for another round of severe weather.

Kevin Birk, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office in Romeoville, said rain is forecast on a rather warm Sunday (projected daytime high: 61 degrees) followed by a much colder and windier Monday (projected high: 36 degrees) that could bring snow.

“There will be a return to winter,” Birk said ruefully.

What Birk and his peers don’t yet know is how much snow is coming. While a strong cold front will follow the Sunday rain, forecasters aren’t sure how quickly it will arrive and therefore can’t say how much rain will be converted to snow.

The good news is Chicago and the collar counties are less likely to get snow – Birk estimated 1 to 4 inches – than Rockford, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, which could see 7 inches or higher.

Bureau and Whiteside counties have been placed under a Winter Storm Watch to last Sunday evening through Monday evening.

The bad news is the cold front will not arrive slowly and gently – “It’s a very, very strong system,” Birk said – but with wind gusts up to 40 mph or higher. Northern Illinois residents are urged to keep the weather radios handy on Sunday in case we see another bout of severe weather.

That forecast didn’t make Fred Moore very happy. Moore is director of the La Salle County Emergency Management Agency, and, to his chagrin, he unveiled the county’s mobile command center on Tuesday, mere hours before his and neighboring counties were besieged with severe weather warnings.

Moore said Friday the short-term outlook isn’t as worrisome as Tuesday, though he encouraged all residents to be vigilant and attuned to weather reports. The potential for severe weather, he said, is “significantly reduced” from Tuesday and more likely to impact the Interstate 55 rather than the Interstate 80 corridor.

“We’re looking at more of a wind event than any tornado event,” Moore said.

Nobody relishes more severe weather, but Sunday’s rain will be welcome. Except for DuPage and most of Cook County, nearly every Illinois county needs precipitation.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, updated Thursday, shows “abnormally dry” conditions across the suburbs and moderate to severe drought across the rest of northern Illinois. True, that update was computed before Tuesday’s storms – meaning the March 19 update could show improved conditions – but farmers need more help.

“We need more rain to get the sub moisture built back up,” said Steve Michelini, who farms in La Salle, Bureau, Putnam, and Marshall counties. “We have enough moisture to get the crop in the ground and get going, so we’re not worried about that now, but we need to continue to have moisture.”

The proposal to start the IHSA softball season a week earlier was passed this season seemed a bit of a head-scratcher with traditional unseasonable climates traditionally throwing a curve ball at games in early March.

Nonetheless, all four Bureau County teams got their season under way with one game this week. Bureau Valley and Hall found away around Mother Nature by moving up their season-opener one day to Monday to avoid the severe storm forecast on Tuesday.

Hall has postponed its Saturday game with Marquette due to the cold and more rescheduled games will follow next week.

Princeton coach Jessica Strauch was pleased with the earlier start regardless if the Tigresses got a game in or not because “it gives us an extra week of practice.”

The St. Bede Bruins have been the area’s top softball program with two state trophies, including a state championship in 2023 and a third-place finish in 2019, six regional and two sectional titles in the last seven seasons.

The Bruins have all the makings of continuing that success on the diamond with three seniors - Lily Bosnich, Ava Balestri and Emma Slingsby - in their fourth year on the varsity players and a pair of three-year varsity players in Lili McClain and Jillian Pinter.

St. Bede coach Jim Ruppert calls Bosnich, their leadoff hitter, a ”one of a kind" player, who can bunt, she can hit for average, she can hit for power.” Last season she batted .472 with six home runs, four triples, 31 runs and 17 RBIs.

Jessica Strauch has taken over as the new head coach at Princeton, bringing in new enthusiasm to the program. She was an assistant coach at L-P, her alma mater, where she was a catcher, for eight years, and has extensive experience as a travel coach.

She inherits a PHS program that has 10 leading contributors from last year’s 15-12 team, implementing her own tweaks to make them better.

“We’re always going to change things, but for the better. And they’ve been adapting super well to the changes I’ve made,” Strauch said. “They’re like a bunch of sponges. They’re absorbing a lot of stuff.”

Bureau Valley coach Dave Shepard and Hall coach Ellie Herrmann were able to get a good look at their respective teams in Monday’s opener to see what they will need to work on for the rest of the season. The Storm won 4-0.

“I thought the girls played really well. Before the game, we talked, let’s see what we need to work on because we have a full week now before our next game,” Shepard said.

Herrmann said the Red Devils would be drilling hard in practice to work out the “silly errors” they had, but knows “we can play better than that.”

The Hall coach got to see freshman pitcher Maddie Krewer under fire for the first time and liked what she saw.

“She’s where we want her to be right now, and is only going to keep getting better,” Herrmann said.

There are several players in line as leading contenders for 2026 BCR Player of the Year honors, including:

Ava Balestri, St. Bede, sr. - A big bopper for the Bruins, Balestri batted .338 with six homers, nine doubles and 24 RBI.

Lily Bosnich, St. Bede, sr. - The Bruins leadoff hitter, who batted .472 last season, has speed (31 runs) and power (six home runs, four triples).

Izzy Gibson, Princeton, sr. - The fourth-year varsity player has plenty of pop, batting .447 with seven homers and 16 RBI. She had three hits in last year’s regional championship game.

Keely Lawson, Princeton, sr. - The senior infielder/outfielder is in her third season at PHS, batting .395 with four home runs and 15 RBI last season.

Avah Oertel, Princeton, jr. - The BCR reigning Player of the Year was the first Triple Crown winner in Bureau County since 2002, leading the area in average (.474) and RBIs (43) along with the 12 homers. She also went 4-4 with a 3.35 ERA in the circle.

Emily Wright, Bureau Valley, sr. - The Storm catcher in her fourth season, who will hit in the No. 3 hole in the BV lineup, batted .351 last year with 16 RBIs, nine doubles and a home run.

2026 - Keighley Davis, Princeton

2025 - Keighley Davis, Camryn Driscoll, Princeton

2024 - Ali Bosnich, St. Bede

2023 - Keighley Davis, Olivia Gartin, Princeton

2022 - Mckenzie Hecht, Princeton

2021 - Jaci Cinotte,Hall

2020 - Hannah Hart, Hall

2019 - Saige Barnett, Bureau Valley

2018 - Lexi Loftus, LaMoille/Ohio

2017 - Hunter Galassi, Hall

2016 - Hunter Galassi, Hall

2015 - Darcy Kepner, Heaven Bennett, Bureau Valley

2014 - Megan Foes, Annawan (Mineral)

2013 - Mo Dean, St. Bede

2012 - Jaclyn Kain, Hall; Jasmine Kunkel, PHS

2011 - Emily Considine, Hailee Brayton, St. Bede

2010 - Melanie Thompson, Bureau Valley

2009 - Sam Galas, Abby Toraason, St. Bede

2008 - Jen Andes, Hall

2007 - Brooke Jensen, Austyn Miller, Princeton

2006 - Kailey Klein, Hall

2005 - Kailey Klein, Hall

2004 - Kailey Klein, Hall

2003 - Kailey Klein, Hall; Nigel Geuther, LaMoille

2002 - Nigel Geuther, LaMoille

2001 - Karisa Dinges, St. Bede

2000 - Erin McGunnigal, St. Bede

1999 - Tiah Romagnoli, Princeton

1998 - Tiah Romagnoli, Princeton

1997 - Tiah Romagnoli, Princeton

1996 - Marissa Heath, Annawan

1995 - Andrea Blackert, Manlius/Tampico

1994 - Maria Lorenzi, St. Bede

1993 - Jolene Bair, Neponset

1992 - Jolene Bair, Neponset

1991 - Megan Lanham, Western; Tina Colgan, Bradford

1990 - Nicki Hansen, Manlius

1989 - Angel Jaggers, Manlius

1988 - JoAnn Thomson, Western

1987 - Angie Noble, Princeton

March 17 marks the 2026 primary, where 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.

Illinois governor and lieutenant governor: Incumbent JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has filed to run for reelection. He has named Christian Mitchell as his running mate after Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton announced her intention to run for the U.S. Senate.

Conservative research group Wirepoints president Ted Dabrowski, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, former state Sen. Darren Bailey and Gold Rush Gaming owner Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills have filed as Republicans.

The only other Democrat to file, Patricia L. Tillman of Chicago, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection as was Republicans Gregg Moore of Broadview and Joseph Severino of Lake Forest. Republican Max Solomon of Hazel Crest withdrew his candidacy.

· Ted Dabrowski’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “‘More listening and less talking’: Darren Bailey insists results will be different in 2nd run for governor”

· Coverage: “GOP governor candidates in McHenry say abolishing TRUST Act would end need for ICE raids”

· Coverage: “Conservative policy wonk Ted Dabrowski gets off sidelines with run for governor”

· Coverage: “Few fireworks as Illinois GOP governor hopefuls share stage for first time”

· Coverage: “Bailey talks Bears stadium as GOP gubernatorial candidates pile on Pritzker”

· Coverage: “Bailey talks faith, family, future at Sterling campaign stop”

· Coverage: “Bailey proposes ‘Illinois DOGE’ as Republican governor’s race focuses on spending”

· Coverage: “Taxes, sanctuary status and electability key issues in GOP gubernatorial joust”

Illinois attorney general: Incumbent Kwame Raoul, a Democrat, has filed to run for another term. Former Chicago alderman Bob Fioretti has filed to run as a Republican.

Republican Andy Williams Jr. of Darien was removed from the ballot following a successful objection and has since filed as a write-in candidate. JoAnne Guillemette of Chicago withdrew after an objection was filed.

· Andy Williams Jr.’s candidate questionnaire.

Illinois secretary of state: Alexi Giannoulias, an incumbent Democrat, has filed to run for reelection. Walter Adamczyk of Chicago and Joliet Junior College Trustee Diane M. Harris filed to run as Republicans.

· Walter Adamczyk’s candidate questionnaire.

· Diane Harris’ candidate questionnaire.

Illinois comptroller: Incumbent Susana Mendoza, a Democrat, is not running again. State Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim of Mundelein, state Rep. Margaret Croke of Chicago and state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego have filed to run as Democrats and Bryan Drew of Benton filed as a Republican.

Champaign County Auditor George Danos, a Democrat, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· Holly Kim’s candidate questionnaire.

· Margaret Croke’s candidate questionnaire.

· Stephanie Kifowit’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “4 Democrats seeking to replace Mendoza as Illinois comptroller”

· Coverage: “Democratic comptroller candidates make push for why they’re voters’ best option”

Illinois treasurer: Incumbent Michael Frerichs, a Democrat, has filed to run for a fourth term. Max Solomon filed as a write-in candidate on the Republican side.

U.S. Senate: Incumbent Dick Durbin, a Democrat, is not seeking reelection.

Casey Chlebek, former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy, R. Cary Capparelli of Chicago, Pamela Denise Long of Edwardsville, Jimmy Lee Tillman II of Chicago and Jeannie Evans of Chicago have filed to run as Republicans.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, Kevin Ryan of Chicago, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Lynwood, Steve Botsford Jr. of Chicago, Jonathan Dean of Chicago, Sean Brown of Orland Park, Bryan Maxwell of Urbana, Awisi A. Bustos of Springfield and Christopher A. Swann of Chicago as Democrats. Independents Tyrone Muhammad and Austin J. Mink have also said they are running.

Democrats Adam Delgado of Chicago, Anthony Williams of Dolton and Jump Shepherd of North Riverside were removed from the ballot following successful objections as was CaSándra Claiborne of Chicago. Delgado has since filed as a write-in candidate. Democrat Robert Palmer of Chicago and Republican John Goodman of Des Plaines withdrew as candidates.

· Don Tracy’s candidate questionnaire.

· R. Cary Capparelli’s candidate questionnaire.

· Pamela Denise Long’s candidate questionnaire.

· Raja Krishnamoorthi’s candidate questionnaire.

· Robin Kelly’s candidate questionnaire.

· Steve Botsford Jr.’s candidate questionnaire.

· Jonathan Dean’s candidate questionnaire.

· Bryan Maxwell’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “Democratic Senate candidates clash on donations, opine on extraterrestrial controversy"

· Coverage: “GOP Senate candidates offer contrasting solutions to rising costs and economic challenges”

· Coverage: “Ukraine support key for GOP Senate candidates despite cost concerns”

· Coverage: “Illinois GOP Senate candidates take stage in first major debate”

U.S. House of Representatives: All 17 members of Congress representing Illinois are up in 2026.

· District 1: Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Marcus Lewis of Matteson and Christian Maxwell of Chicago have filed as Republicans.

· Marcus Lewis’ candidate questionnaire.

· District 2: Robin Kelly, a Democrat representing parts of Champaign, Cook, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Vermilion and Will counties, is not seeking reelection and instead running for the U.S. Senate. Robert Peters of Chicago, Eric France of Lynwood, Donna Miller of Lynwood, Yumeka Brown of Matteson, Willie Preston of Chicago, Jesse Louis Jackson Jr. of Chicago, Patrick J. “PJK” Keating of Flossmoor, Toni C. Brown of Chicago Heights, Sidney Moore of Calumet City and Adal Regis of Chicago have filed to run as Democrats and Michael Scott Noack of Bonfield as a Republican. Republican Ashley Ramos of Clifton withdrew her candidacy.

· Willie Preston’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 3: Delia Ramirez, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Angel Oakley of Wheaton filed to run as a Republican. Republican Spomenka Vajic of Chicago and Democrat Mark John Pasieka Sr. of Chicago were removed from the ballot following successful objections.

· District 4: Incumbent Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, filed to run for reelection but then withdrew his candidacy. Lupe Castillo of Chicago has filed to run as a Republican, Ed Hershey of Chicago for the Working Class Party and Garcia’s chief of staff, Patty Garcia of Cicero, as a Democrat.

· District 5: Mike Quigley, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and Lake counties, filed to run for reelection, though he confirmed in January that he would run for Chicago mayor in 2027. Matthew Conroy of Chicago, Anthony Michael Tamez of Chicago and Ellen A. Corley of Chicago also filed as Democrats and Tommy Hanson and Barry Wicker, both of Chicago, filed to run as Republicans. Chicagoan Jonny Antonio Bishop, a Democrat, withdrew his candidacy.

· Ellen Corley’s candidate questionnaire.

· Barry Wicker’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 6: Sean Casten, a Democrat representing parts of Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich of Chicago also filed to run as a Democrat and Niki Conforti’s of Glen Ellyn and Skylar Duensing of Shorewood have filed to run as Republicans.

· Sean Casten’s candidate questionnaire.

· Niki Conforti’s candidate questionnaire.

· Skylar Duensing’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “Completely close the border? GOP candidates in 6th Congressional District differ on immigration”

· Coverage: “What’s the top issue facing Illinois’ 6th Congressional District? Casten, challengers disagree”

· District 7: Danny Davis, a Democrat representing parts of Cook County, is not running for reelection. Anthony Driver Jr. of Chicago, Richard R. Boykin of Oak Park, Melissa Conyears-Ervin of Chicago, Jazmin J. Robinson of Chicago, La Shawn K. Ford of Chicago, Felix Tello of Glenview, Reed Showalter of Chicago, Rory Hoskins of Forest Park, Jason Friedman of Chicago, Kina Collins of Chicago and David Ehrlich of Chicago and Thomas Fisher of Chicago have filed to run as Democrats and Chad Koppie of Gilberts and Patricia “P Rae” Easley of Chicago filed to run as Republicans.

· District 8: Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, is not seeking reelection and instead running for the U.S. Senate. Neil Khot of Hoffman Estates, Kevin B. Morrison of Mount Prospect, Junaid Ahmed of South Barrington, Ryan Vetticad of South Barrington, Melissa L. Bean of Barrington, Yasmeen Bankole of Hanover Park, Dan Tully of Carol Stream and Sanjyot Dunnug of Des Plaines have filed as Democrats. Mark Rice of Arlington Heights, Jennifer Davis of Huntley, Kevin Ake of Elk Grove Village and Herbert Hebein of Chicago have filed as Republicans.

· Neil Khot’s candidate questionnaire.

· Junaid Ahmed‘s candidate questionnaire.

· Yasmeen Bankole‘s candidate questionnaire.

· Dan Tully’s candidate questionnaire.

· Sanjyot Dunung’s candidate questionnaire.

· Mark Rice’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “8th Congressional District GOP hopefuls debate U.S. immigration policies”

· Coverage: “8th Congressional District Democratic candidates debate U.S. policy in Israel and Gaza”

· District 9: Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry, is not seeking reelection after being in office since 1999. The candidates who filed as Democrats so far include: Phil Andrew of Wilmette, Kat Abughazaleh of Chicago, Mike Simmons of Chicago, Laura Fine of Glenview, Sam Polan of Wilmette, Nick Pyati of Evanston, Bushra Amiwala of Skokie, Justin Ford of Chicago, Daniel Biss of Evanston, Bethany Johnson of Evanston, Jeff Cohen of Evanston and Hoan Huynh of Chicago. On the Republican side, John Elleson of Arlington Heights, Paul Friedman of Chicago and Dongbo Mark Su of Chicago filed. Bruce Leon of Chicago and Natalie Angelo of Park Ridge withdrew their candidacies. Howard Rosenblum of Skokie announced on Facebook that he paused his campaign.

· Phil Andrew’s candidate questionnaire.

· Mike Simmons’ candidate questionnaire.

· Laura Fine’s candidate questionnaire.

· Sam Polan’s candidate questionnaire.

· Bushra Amiwala’s candidate questionnaire.

· John Elleson’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “More than $12M pouring into 9th Congressional District race”

· Coverage: “Republican congressional candidate confronts Democratic rival with prison-themed gift bag at event”

· Coverage: “GOP hopefuls in 9th Congressional District differ on immigration policy”

· Coverage: “Most Democrats in 9th Congressional race cite affordability as top issue”

· Coverage: “GOP House hopefuls in 9th District cite immigration, gerrymandering among top issues”

· District 10: Brad Schneider, a Democrat representing parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry, has filed to run for reelection. Morgan Coghill of Mundelein also filed as a Democrat and Carl Lambrecht of Highland Park has filed as a Republican. Democrat Thomas Rudd of Lake Forest withdrew his candidacy and John Minarcik of Zion had his name removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· Coverage: “War or genocide? Schneider and Coghill clash over Israel-Gaza conflict”

· District 11: Bill Foster, a Democrat representing parts of Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will, has filed to run for reelection. Elburn Village President Jeff Walter, Michael Pierce of Naperville and Charlie Kim of Aurora have filed as Republicans. Tedora Brown of Palos Park was initially removed from the ballot but an appeals court ordered she be added to the ballot after early voting started in some counties.

· Jeff Walter’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “GOP congressional candidates express doubts about Biden’s 2020 White House win”

· District 12: Mike Bost, a Republican representing the southern part of Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Julie Fortier of O’Fallon has filed as a Democrat.

· District 13: Nikki Budzinski, a Democrat representing the east side of St. Louis into parts of central Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Jeff Wilson of Mahomet and Joshua Loyd of Virden have filed as Republicans and Dylan Blaha of Urbana as a Democrat. Democrat Emily Lux of Urbana withdrew her candidacy.

· District 14: Lauren Underwood, a Democrat representing parts of Bureau, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Putnam and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Gary Vician of Naperville and James T. “Jim” Marter of Oswego have filed to run as Republicans. Krystal Dorey also filed as a Republican but as a write-in candidate.

· Jim Marter’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “14th District GOP candidates say curbing government spending, overreach are top issues”

· District 15: Mary Miller, a Republican who represents much of central Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Judy Bowlby of Dawson and Ryan D. Tebrugge of Springfield also filed to run as Republicans and Jennifer Todd of Edwardsville, Randy Raley of Highland, Paul Davis of Collinsville and Kyle Nudo of Glen Carbon have filed to run as Democrats.

· District 16: Darin LaHood, a Republican representing Boone, Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, La Salle, Lee, Livingston, McHenry, Ogle and Putnam counties in addition to other counties in north-central Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Paul Nolley of Roscoe has filed to run as a Democrat. Republican John Kitover of Chicago was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· District 17: Eric Sorensen, a Democrat representing Carroll and Whiteside counties as well as other counties in northwestern Illinois, has filed to run for reelection. Dillan Vancil of Gladstone and Julie Bickelhaupt of Mount Carroll has filed as Republicans. Democrat Montez Soliz was removed from the ballot.

· Dillan Vancil’s candidate questionnaire.

· Julie Bickelhaupt’s candidate questionnaire.

Illinois State Senate: Like its federal counterpart, only some of its members are up for reelection this year. In northern Illinois, that includes:

· District 14: Emil Jones III, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ahmed Karrar of Orland Park and Kenny Williams of Chicago also filed to run as Democrats and Brian Skala of Crestwood as a Republican.

· District 15: Napoleon Harris III, a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Republican Kenneth “Ken” Henderson of Dixmoor was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· District 17: Elgie R. Sims Jr., a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Frederick L. Walls of Crete filed to run as a Republican.

· District 21: Laura Ellman, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Julie Berkowicz of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.

· Julie Berkowicz’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 23: Suzy Glowiak Hilton, a Democrat representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection. Linda Z. Polacek of Lombard filed to run as a Republican

· District 24: Seth Lewis, a Republican representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection. Benjamin “Ben” McAdams of Bloomingdale has filed as a Democrat.

· Ben McAdams’ candidate questionnaire.

· District 26: Darby A. Hills, a Republican representing Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Hills was appointed in February 2025 to fill out the remainder of Dan McConchie’s term. Nabeela Syed of Inverness has filed as a Democrat.

· District 32: Craig Wilcox, a Republican representing Lake and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Karen Battaglia of Antioch has filed to run as a Democrat.

· Karen Battaglia’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 33: Don DeWitte, a Republican representing Kane, DuPage and McHenry counties, is not running for reelection. Michele Clark of Algonquin filed to run as a Democrat and Danielle Penman of St. Charles and Jessica Breugelmans of Geneva as Republicans. Satnaam Singh Mago, a Democrat from Wayne, withdrew his candidacy, and Cody Holt, a Republican from Elgin, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· District 35: Dave Syverson, a Republican representing Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry and Winnebago counties, has filed to run for reelection. Sarah B. Mertens of Crystal Lake filed as a Democrat.

· District 38: Sue Rezin, a Republican representing Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, La Salle and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ernie R. Marcelain of Yorkville has filed to run as a Democrat.

· Ernie Marcelain’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 39: Don Harmon, a Democrat representing DuPage and Cook counties, has filed to run for reelection.

· District 41: Senate Minority Leader John F. Curran, a Republican representing Cook, DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.

· District 42: Linda Holmes, a Democrat representing DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Edgardo “Eddie” Perez of Aurora filed as a Republican. Democrat Justin H.S. Breaux of Aurora was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· District 45: Andrew S. Chesney, a Republican representing Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties, has filed to run for reelection. Joseph H. “Joe” Berning of Galena filed as a Democrat. Republican Joshua T. Atkinson of Freeport was removed from the ballot following a successful objection but has since filed as a write-in candidate.

· Joe Berning’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 53: Chris Balkema, a Republican representing Bureau, Grundy, La Salle, Livingston, Putnam and Will counties, among others, has filed to run again.

Illinois House of Representatives: All state representative seats are up every two years. Among some of the races in northern Illinois:

· District 7: Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Anabel Mendoza has filed to run as a Democrat.

· District 27: Justin Slaughter, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.

· District 29: Thaddeus Jones, a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.

· District 34: Nicholas K. Smith, a Democrat representing Cook, Kankakee and Will counties, is not running for reelection. Cleopatra “Cleo” Cowley of Chicago and Aja Kearney of Chicago filed to run as Democrats. Antwon T. Russell and Tracy Murray, both Democrats, withdrew their candidacies.

· District 37: Patrick Sheehan, a Republican representing Cook and Will counties, filed to run for reelection. August O’Neill Deuser, also a Republican, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· District 38: Debbie Meyers-Martin, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection.

· District 41: Janet Yang Rohr, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ajay Gupta of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.

· District 42: Terra Costa Howard, a Democrat representing DuPage County, is running for reelection. Margaret A. DeLaRosa of Glen Ellyn and Lynn LaPlante of Glen Ellyn have also filed as Democrats and Stephanie W. Trussell of Lisle filed as a Republican.

· Margaret DeLaRosa’s candidate questionnaire.

· Lynn LaPlante’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 43: Anna Moeller, a Democrat representing Cook and Kane counties, has filed to run for reelection.

· District 45: Martha “Marti” Deuter, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Gina Parrilli of Westmont has filed to run as a Republican.

· District 46: Diane Blair Sherlock, a Democrat representing DuPage County, has filed to run for reelection. Pedro Jovany Mendoza of Villa Park filed to run as a Republican.

· Diane Blair Sherlock’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 47: Amy L. Grant, a Republican representing DuPage County, is not running for reelection. Robert A. Vrankovich of Carol Stream has filed to run as a Republican and Erica Bray-Parker as a Democrat.

· District 48: Jennifer Sanalitro, a Republican representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Amanda Zahorak of Itasca has filed to run as a Democrat.

· District 49: Maura Hirschauer, a Democrat representing Cook, Kane and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. John Paul Augustynowicz of Warrenville has filed as a Republican.

· District 50: Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat representing Kane and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection.

· District 52: Martin McLaughlin, a Republican representing Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Erin Chan Ding of South Barrington and Maria Peterson of North Barrington have filed to run as Democrats.

· Martin McLaughlin’s candidate questionnaire.

· Maria Peterson’s candidate questionnaire.

· Coverage: “52nd House Democratic hopefuls discuss immigration, Illinois TRUST Act”

· Coverage: “Candidates spar over which Democrat could oust Republican in state’s District 52″

· District 56: Michelle Mussman, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, is running for reelection. Edward “Ed” Lapinski of Des Plaines filed to run as a Republican. Fellow Republican Peter R. Dombrowski of Schaumburg was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· District 63: Steven Reick, a Republican representing McHenry County, has filed to run for reelection. Democrat Brian D. Meyers of Crystal Lake was removed from the ballot following a successful challenge.

· District 64: Tom Weber, a Republican representing McHenry and Lake counties, has filed to run for reelection. AJ Johnson of Lake Villa has filed as a Democrat.

· District 65: Dan Ugaste, a Republican representing DuPage and Kane counties, has filed to run for reelection. Ricky Rivard of St. Charles has filed to run as a Democrat.

· Ricky Rivard’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 66: Suzanne M. Ness, a Democrat representing Kane and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Laurie Parman of Sleepy Hollow filed as a Republican.

· District 69: Joe C. Sosnowski, a Republican representing Boone, McHenry and Winnebago counties, has filed to run for reelection. Peter Janko of Marengo has filed as a Democrat.

· Joe Sosnowski’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 70: Jeff Keicher, a Republican representing DeKalb, Kane and McHenry counties, has filed to run for reelection. Veronica Garcia-Martinez of Cortland has filed to run as a Democrat.

· Veronica Garcia-Martinez’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 73: Ryan Spain, a Republican representing Bureau, Henry, Lee and Whiteside, among other counties, has filed to run for reelection. Nicole Dopler of Rapids City has filed to run as a Democrat.

· District 74: Bradley Fritts, a Republican representing DeKalb, La Salle, Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties, has filed to run for reelection. Nolan Kemp of Dixon has filed to run as a Democrat.

· Nolan Kemp’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 75: Jed Davis, a Republican representing DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, La Salle and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Caroline McCree of Yorkville has filed to run as a Democrat.

· Caroline McCree’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 76: Amy “Murri” Briel, a Democrat representing Bureau, DeKalb and La Salle counties, has filed to run for reelection. Crystal Loughran of Peru and Liz Bishop of La Salle have filed to run as a Republican. Tyler Thompson, a Democrat, filed as a write-in candidate.

· Amy “Murri” Briel’s candidate questionnaire.

· Crystal Loughran’s candidate questionnaire.

· Liz Bishop’s candidate questionnaire.

· Tyler Thompson’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 77: Norma Hernandez, a Democrat representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection. Anthony Airdo of Melrose Park has filed to run as a Republican.

· District 79: Jackie Haas, a Republican representing Cook, Grundy, Kankakee and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Robert S. Ellington-Snipes of Kankakee has filed to run as a Democrat.

· District 80: Anthony DeLuca, a Democrat representing Cook and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Adam M. Beaty of Braidwood filed to run as a Republican.

· Adam Beaty’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 81: Anne Stava, a Democrat representing DuPage County, has filed to run for reelection. Laura Hois of Downers Grove filed as a Republican.

· District 82: Nicole La Ha, a Republican representing Cook and DuPage counties, has filed to run for reelection.

· District 83: Matt Hanson, a Democrat representing Kane and Kendall counties, has filed to run for reelection. Jesse Rodriguez of Aurora has filed to run as a Republican.

· District 84: Stephanie A. Kifowit, a Democrat representing DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties, is not running for reelection as she is running for comptroller. Saba Haider and Jared Ploger, both of Aurora, have filed to run as Democrats and Brian Scopa of Naperville has filed to run as a Republican.

· Saba Haider’s candidate questionnaire.

· Jared Ploger’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 85: Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, a Democrat representing DuPage and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Chris Metcalfe of Bolingbrook has filed as a Republican.

· District 86: Lawrence “Larry” Walsh Jr., a Democrat representing Will County, has filed to run for reelection. Jim Lanham has filed as a write-in candidate for the Republican ballot.

· District 89: House Minority Leader Tony M. McCombie, a Republican representing Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties, filed to run for reelection. Victoria Onorato of Byron also filed to run as a Republican.

· Tony McCombie’s candidate questionnaire.

· Victoria Onorato’s candidate questionnaire.

· District 97: Harry Benton, a Democrat representing Kendall and Will counties, has filed to run for reelection. Gabby Shanahan of Joliet has filed as a Republican.

· District 98: Natalie A. Manley, a Democrat representing Will County, has filed to run for reelection. Nona Parker of Joliet filed to run as a Republican.

· District 105: Dennis Tipsword, a Republican representing Bureau, La Salle, Livingston and Putnam, among other counties, is not running for reelection. Tim Ruestman of Kappa has filed to run as a Republican. Lisa Diana Tejeda, a Democrat from Lowpoint, was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· District 106: Jason R. Bunting, a Republican representing Grundy, La Salle, Livingston and Will, among other counties, has filed to run for reelection.

County-level races: Also on the ballot will be County Board members, county clerks, treasurers, sheriffs, assessors, and regional superintendents. Some counties also elect their Boards of Review, sanitary districts, and forest preserve district commissioners and president

· Bureau County

· Carroll County

· DeKalb County

· DuPage County

· Grundy County

· Kankakee County

· Kane County

· Kendall County

· McHenry County

· La Salle County

· Lee County

· Ogle County

· Will County

· Whiteside County

Three vacancies are up at the Illinois appellate court level, according to an Illinois State Board of Elections list as of Sept. 3. Voters will also get to vote on retentions.

They include seats in the First, Third, and Fifth districts.

The First District includes just Cook County. Judith C. Rice of River Forest and Christopher Swann of Chicago filed to run as Democrats.

The Third Appellate District sits in Ottawa and includes Bureau, La Salle, DuPage, Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and Iroquois counties. Margaret “Peggy” O’Connell of Lisle and John Pavich of Frankfort has filed to run as Democrats and Jason A. Helland of Mazon and Mark Senak of Glen Ellyn has filed as Republicans.

· Margaret O’Connell’s candidate questionnaire.

· John Pavich’s candidate question.

The 5th District sits in Mt. Vernon and covers much of southern Illinois, including Vermilion, Champaign, Piatt, De Witt, Macon, Christian, Montgomery, Bond and Madison. Amy E. Sholar of Godfrey filed to run as a Republican.

Nearly 30 vacancies are up in Cook County. The candidates include:

· Six at-large seats: Linda Sackey of Chicago and Luz Maria Toledo of Palos Hills have filed to run as Democrats for the Cobbs vacancy. Michael Cabonargi of Wilmette and Ashonta C. Rice of Chicago have filed as Democrats for the Coghlan vacancy. Ava George Stewart of Chicago has filed as a Democrat for the Hooks vacancy and D’Anthony “Tony” Thedford of Chicago as a Democrat for the Karkula vacancy. Steven Q. McKenzie of Chicago has filed as a Democrat for the Burke vacancy.

· Three on the 1st Subcircuit: Radiance Ward and Natalie L., Howse, both of Chicago, have filed as Democrats for the Balanoff vacancy and Ashley Greer Shambley, Tiffany N. Brooks and Ginger Odom, all of Chicago, as Democrats for the Walker vacancy.

· Two on the 3rd Subcircuit: John Carroll of Riverside has filed as a Democrat for the Murphy vacancy and Martin Douglas Reggi of Cicero and Rachel Marrello of Riverside as Democrats for the Sherlock vacancy.

· Two on the 8th Subcircuit: Kathleen Cunniff Ori, Garson Fischer and Elizabeth Christina Dibler, all of Chicago, filed as Democrats for the Gamrath vacancy and Dan Balanoff, Lester Finkle and Katherine Carole Morrison, all of Chicago, as Democrats for the Mikva vacancy.

· Two on the 11th Subcircuit: John R. Carrozza, a Democrat from Elmwood Park, and Jarrett Knox, a Democrat from Oak Park, filed for the Meyerson vacancy, and Kim Przekota, a Democrat from Park Ridge, filed for the Roberts vacancy.

· Four on the 13th Subcircuit: Robert “Bob” Groebner, a Democrat from Inverness, filed for the Curry Jr. vacancy, Brittany Michelle Pedersen, a Democrat from Elgin, for the Martin C. Kelley vacancy, and Dan Naranjo, a Democrat from Barrington, for the O’Malley vacancy. William F. Kelley of Schaumburg has filed as a Democrat for the Thomas J. Kelley vacancy.

· Two on the 16th Subcircuit: Julian Sanchez Crozier, a Democrat from Chicago, filed for the Callie L. Baird seat, and Jessica Karina Veleza Democrat from Chicago, for the Patricia Mendoza seat.

· Two on the 17th Subcircuit: Meridth Hammer, a Democrat from Chicago, and Natalia Moore, a Democrat from Calumet City, filed for the Lloyd J. Brooks seat. Bianca B. Brown, a Democrat from Lynwood, and Amari Dawson of Homewood and André Thapedi of Chicago filed as Democrats for the James R. Carroll seat.

· Two on the 18th Subcircuit: Juan Ponce de Leon of Des Plaines filed as a Democrat for the Jeffrey G. Chrones seat and Sam Bae of Mount Prospect has filed as a Democrat for the Frank J. Andreou seat. Lynn Terese Palac, a Democrat from Arlington Heights, withdrew her candidacy for the Chrones seat.

· Two on the 19th Subcircuit: Sara McGann, a Democrat from Chicago, filed for the John A. Fairman seat, and Monica Somerville and Dave Condron, both Democrats from Chicago, and John Harkins, a Democrat from Palos Heights, for the Michael J. Kane seat. Jessica Megan Scheller, a Democrat from Chicago, withdrew her candidacy for the Kane seat.

· Two of the 20th Subcircuit: Jon Stromsta and Belle Katubig, both of Chicago, filed as Democrats for the Stephanie K. Miller seat and Michael J. Zink, also of Chicago, as a Democrat for the David E. Haracz seat.

More than 20 more seats are up across the rest of Illinois:

· 2nd Circuit, one in Edwards County, one in Richland and one in Wayne: Chelsey E. Clark of Olney and Mark A. McCormick of Richland both filed as Republicans for the Vaughn vacancy; Matthew E. Vaughn as a Republican for the Molt vacancy; and Brian T Shinkle of Browns for the Valentine vacancy.

· 3rd Circuit, which includes Madison and Bond counties, on the 2nd Subcircuit: Patrick G. King has filed as a Republican to run for the Stobbs vacancy on the 2nd Subcircuit.

· 4th Circuit, which includes nine counties in central Illinois: Phillip Givens of Louisville, Brenda Mathis of Ramsey, Aaron C. Jones of Effingham and Wesley A. Gozia of Salem filed as Republicans.

· 8th Circuit, two at-large seats, serving eight counties in western Illinois: Christopher W. Pratt of Quincy and Tim Bass of Paloma filed to run as Republicans for the Adrian vacancy, Gabriel “Gabe” Grosboll as a Republican for the Lannerd vacancy and Scott P. McClintock as a Republican for the Standard vacancy.

· 9th Circuit, one at-large seat and one in Warren County: Carissa Ann Bryant of Sciota filed to run as a Republican but was removed from the ballot following a successful objection.

· 10th Circuit, one in Peoria County: Timothy J. Cusack of Peoria has filed as a Republican and Michael P. Vespa of Peoria as a Democrat.

· 11th Circuit, one at-large, one in Livingston County and one in Woodford County: Gregory Michael Minger of Eureka filed as a Republican for the Feeney III vacancy.

· 12th Circuit, three total seats in the Will County circuit, one each in the 1st, 3rd and 5th subcircuits: John Paul Ivec of Plainfield has filed to run a Republican for the Carlson vacancy in the 1st Subcircuit and Amy Christiansen of Aurora as a Democrat for that vacancy. Sonni Choi Williams of Lockport filed to run as a Democrat for the Anderson vacancy on the 3rd Subcircuit. Erin O’Brien of Frankford and Art Smigielski of Homer Glen filed as Republicans for the Petrungaro vacancy in the 5th Subcircuit.

· 13th Circuit, one at-large member for the circuit, which includes La Salle, Grundy and Bureau counties: Melissa Olivero of Peru filed as a Democrat and Michelle A. Vescogni of Peru as a Republican.

· 14th Circuit, one in Rock Island County: Tionn Fambro Carter of Moline filed to run as a Democrat.

· 15th Circuit, one in Jo Daviess County and one in Stephenson County: John D. Hay has filed to run as a Republican for the Ward vacancy and Karla M. Niemann of Freeport and Judd Thruman of McConnell as Republicans for the Hauser vacancy.

· 17th Circuit in Winnebago and Boone counties, on the 1st and 2nd subcircuits: Paul Carpenter of Rockford and Erin C. Hannigan of Rockford filed to run as Democrats in the 1st Subcircuit and Scott Robinson of Rockton as a Republican in the 2nd Subcircuit.

· 18th Circuit in Winnebago and Boone counties, on the 4th and 5th subcircuits: Christina Kye and Michael W. Fleming, both of Elmhurst, filed to run as a Democrat for the Wilson vacancy on the 4th Subcircuit and Terra Costa Howard of Glen Ellyn as a Democrat in the 5th Subcircuit.

While most ballots will tackle local issues in their referendums, voters in many counties will see a similar question.

Voters in McHenry, Ogle, Lee, Grundy, Carroll and many other counties throughout the state will see a question on their March 17 primary election ballots asking if Illinois should opt into a voucher-style federal scholarship program that would give donors a tax credit.

Read more here.

March 17: Election Day for the 2026 primary. Polls close at 7 p.m. Voters can request a partisan ballot with either Democratic or Republican candidates listed or a non-partisan ballot, which includes any referndums.

Edith Graff, 74, is charged with three felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death, a felony for aggravated reckless driving, and a felony for reckless conduct.

Graff turned herself in on March 13, according to a release by the Yorkville Police Department.

The crash occurred around 4:28 p.m. on Oct. 4, 2025, in the area of Illinois Route 71 and Walsh Drive.

An investigation by the Yorkville Police Department indicated that Graff’s vehicle crossed the white line and struck a pedestrian walking in the area.

The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital where they were later pronounced dead.

Graff was allegedly using a cell phone at the time of the crash and a toxicology report also indicated the presence of alcohol in her system, according to Yorkville police.

“These factors are believed to have contributed to the crash,” the police said in the release.

The police department extended its “deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of all who were affected.”

If no deal is reached by the end of March, the NFL club may not wait longer and depart for northwest Indiana instead, Tinaglia suggested.

“Waiting until the end of May I think is a no go for the Bears,” Tinaglia said during a state of the village address, his first since his election almost a year ago. “They’ve already been through the [wringer] too many times.”

Arlington Heights officials, the Bears and their lobbyists have circled next Wednesday on their calendars when the House returns after a nearly three-week break.

Legislation that would give the NFL franchise a tax break at its 326-acre property in Arlington Heights advanced out of a House committee Feb. 26, but legislators adjourned before the measure got a vote on the full House floor.

Although Tinaglia admits he and Village Manager Randy Recklaus were skeptical of the Bears-backed megaproject bill’s chances last year, the mayor said Bears brass believed it would have passed, and were disappointed when it didn’t.

Now the tone and political calculus may have changed in Springfield, Tinaglia believes. The House returns the day after primary elections, and Indiana is “the new kid in town,” he said.

“When you’re being asked to vote on something that is as massive as keeping the Bears in Illinois, it is important to get that election over with first so there’s not so much pressure on that political process,” he said.

Chicago legislators’ initial resistance to the Bears-friendly bill was out of hopes to keep the team in the city, Tinaglia said.

Then came team President/CEO Kevin Warren’s announcement last December that the stadium search was expanding to Indiana amid lack of “legislative partnership” in Springfield. Just days later, the Kansas City Chiefs secured a deal to move across state lines from Missouri to Kansas, Tinaglia said.

The Warren announcement – on the eve of a big game against the rival Green Bay Packers – was criticized by some as “crazy” at the time, Tinaglia said, but the temperature quickly changed.

“The Bears aren’t just kidding around. Maybe they would consider going to Indiana,” he said. “Since that happened, it’s been a whole different tone.”

Tinaglia and Recklaus meet regularly with Bears leadership, including Warren, Chairman George McCaskey and Karen Murphy, the team’s executive vice president of stadium development and chief operating officer. A recent hourlong Zoom meeting was held to discuss the upcoming week in Springfield.

Bears officials have been largely mum about the interstate stadium saga, only releasing short statements after Indiana legislators advanced stadium legislation and saying that progress continues during negotiations in Illinois.

McCaskey and Warren were in Des Plaines on Wednesday for the annual Ed Block Courage Award luncheon at Manzo’s Banquets, but haven’t taken questions from the media for months.

During his speech Thursday morning at Metropolis Ballroom in downtown Arlington Heights, Tinaglia said he believes the Bears have “been getting a bad rap,” but also “are not the greatest in public relations.”

“I spend a lot of time talking to those guys,” Tinaglia said, “and I can tell you that I know they want to come here. They can’t come here unless they get some help from Springfield on this.”

The bill would allow the Bears or any developer spending at least $500 million on a project to negotiate property tax payments directly with schools and other local governments for up to 40 years.

Tinaglia was asked by an audience member if those taxing bodies are on board with such an arrangement. Indeed, the Bears, village and three school districts whose boundaries encompass the vacant Arlington Park property already have a memorandum of understanding that reduced the team’s annual tax bill from $16 million to $3.6 million. Now they’re lobbying together for state permission “to identify what that number should be” long term, Tinaglia said.

Another audience member asked: How about neighboring communities Rolling Meadows and Palatine? At his State of the Village address last week, Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz raised concerns towns like his would have to take on debt to help pay for infrastructure surrounding the Bears project.

“We have worked really hard with Mayor [Lara] Sanoica in Rolling Meadows and Mayor Schwantz in Palatine, two really, really good people that have a lot of interest in this,” Tinaglia responded. “Traffic is going to go through their towns. … We’ve included them with almost everything that we do because we want to be respectful of that. And when it comes time to really sit down and talk about brass tacks, they’ll have a seat. They’ll have an opportunity to weigh in on everything.”

Although a site plan for the entirety of the sprawling property hasn’t been finalized – and the project still faces local zoning review and approvals – Tinaglia suggested at least a ceremonial groundbreaking could be held as early as this summer.

The domed stadium could take three years to build, while the adjoining mixed-use district – including hotels, restaurants, residential, office and medical space – might take 15 years to come to fruition, Tinaglia predicted.

That’s how the Seneca Fighting Irish started the 2026 season early Thursday evening, scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth inning to overcome a gamelong, one-run deficit and top the visiting Maple Leafs 4-1. Seneca put up the four spot in the fifth with only one hit – junior center fielder/No. 9 hitter Aurora Weber’s bases-loaded bloop single over a drawn-in Geneseo infield to score courtesy runner Brynlee Hunt and tie the game.

Seneca (1-0) would go on to add three more runs thanks to a two-run error on an Emma Mino comebacker, followed by a Lexie Buis sacrifice fly. However, it was Weber’s soft-hit RBI single the other way that broke open the floodgates on what until that point had been a frustrating offensive day for the Irish.

“When I was up to bat,” Weber said, “I was just thinking to myself, like our coach says, ‘You’ve got to be tougher together.’ And if all my other teammates can get on, then I can do my job – just put the ball in play and things will work out for the best.

“I was like, ‘Go, [to the ball], get a little more out there!’ I saw it go up and the second baseman, and I was just like, ‘Come on, just go a little farther.’ ”

Starting pitcher Tessa Krull (4 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K) started the Irish’s fifth-inning rally by laying off multiple nasty changeups from Geneseo right-hander Addison Snell (loss, 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K) to draw a base on balls. Ameliah Weber then tried to sacrifice bunt courtesy runner Hunt to second, but reached herself when the Leafs’ defense failed to cover first.

No. 8 hitter Marlie Lissy drew a walk herself to load the bases for Aurora Weber.

“Actually, the hardest-hit ball the whole inning, which would have cleared the bases, they snagged a line drive down the line when Graysen [Provance] just smoked a ball,” Seneca coach Brian Holman said. “And what I told the girls was, ‘Sometimes you’ve got to give yourself a chance to get a break.’ ...

“Sometimes you’ve got to get bases loaded, and they play in, and you hit a blooper. You’ve just got to give yourself chances.”

Four runs were plenty for Krull and reliever/winning pitcher Hayden Pfeifer (3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K), who held down a potent Geneseo lineup.

“I knew that my stuff wasn’t working as much and [Geneseo] was going to put the ball in play,” Krull said. “But I had Aurora behind me [in center] making so many plays, and my whole defense behind me. I knew someone was going to make the play.”

Pfeifer didn’t allow a runner to reach after Seneca took the lead, its first since falling behind 1-0 on a Leah Falk RBI double in the top of the second.

Leadoff hitter Penny Kline had two singles for Geneseo (1-1), which opened the season earlier in the week with a win over La Salle-Peru.

No Seneca player managed multiple hits, with Pfeifer, Aurora Weber and Emma Mino all singling on a day the Fighting Irish won despite being outhit 7-3.

“The fifth inning, we kind of made some errors, [Seneca] got the momentum going, and momentum’s huge, right?” said Geneseo coach Jenni Johnson. “But we fought the whole game. It just wasn’t our day.”

Johnson and her Seneca counterpart expressed gratitude not only for getting a game in as early as March 12, but also the opportunity to test their teams against good competition.

“I told [the team], it’s great to win, but more importantly, we know everything now that we need to do after seeing their pitching, their defense, their hitting,” Holman said. “This will make us better, a good early-season softball game.

“I’m not sure the girls know yet how good of a win this is.”

About 9:20 a.m. Thursday, an officer on patrol near Essington Road and Vimy Ridge Drive found an injured man, according to a news release from the Joliet Police Department.

The man was lying in the southbound curb lane of Essington Road next to a bicycle near the entrance to Station No. 8 for the Joliet Fire Department, police said.

A Chevrolet Blazer also was found nearby on Essington Road.

A preliminary investigation has led police to believe the 64-year-old male from Joliet was riding a bicycle and tried to cross Essington Road from west to east near the fire station entrance, police said.

The man was struck by a Chevrolet Blazer driven south by an 86-year-old woman from Romeoville, police said.

The bicyclist was taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet for injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

The driver of the Chevrolet was not injured.

The southbound lanes of Essington Road were temporarily closed while traffic investigators reconstructed the crash scene, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.

Anyone with video footage or additional information is encouraged to contact the Joliet Police Department Traffic Unit at 815-724-3010.

Those actions, along with an apparent mix-up over a phone number, led Oak Brook police to determine the candidate for county sheriff should not face criminal charges for leaving the scene without reporting the crash to police, according to the reports.

“Due to the circumstances of the incident, including Edmond [Moore] stopping to check on [the man] and offering aid, [the man]’s refusal of medical assistance, and the subsequent discovery that the phone number provided was misinterpreted due to a language barrier, I determined that probable cause did not exist” to charge Moore with misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident, Oak Brook police officer Justin Zychowski wrote in the incident report.

The release of the reports comes as an internal DuPage sheriff’s investigation also cleared Moore of wrongdoing Wednesday.

According to police reports, the accident happened about 11 p.m. Feb. 14, when Moore was driving a Lincoln Navigator SUV through a parking lot to pick up his wife after they dined at Gibson’s Steakhouse.

A man who works at Gibson’s said the SUV struck him from behind and rolled over his lower right leg, leaving a tire mark on his pants, according to the reports.

The man later reported to police that he had a swollen ankle. He also told an officer that Moore smelled of alcohol after the crash, according to the incident report.

In the incident report, a police officer said he reviewed surveillance video from a nearby bank that shows the Navigator hitting the man. Two of the man’s co-workers also told police they witnessed the crash.

Those witnesses told police Moore got out of the vehicle after the impact and asked if the man was OK.

One of the witnesses said she did not call for an ambulance because the man did not appear to want one, reports state. The other said she did not call an ambulance out of respect for the man’s wishes and concern about the cost of the ambulance, according to the report.

Moore provided a written statement to the police through his attorney.

In that statement, Moore said he saw someone in dark clothing fall near the driver’s side front door of his SUV as he drive through what he described as a dark parking lot. He said he did not hear or feel an impact, and that there was no damage to the Navigator.

His wife also asked if the man wanted them to call the police or an ambulance, and the man declined, Moore said. She then gave the man her phone number, according to his statement.

The incident report indicates that the man sought medical attention later and returned to work the next day.

Oak Brook police said the man visited the police department Feb. 17, after he was unable to reach Moore at the number he’d been given.

According to the incident report, it appeared the man – or someone who wrote the number down for him – transposed digits in the phone number. The number was “misinterpreted due to a language barrier,” according to the report.

Sean Noonan, who is running against Moore in the GOP primary, has criticized Moore’s handling of the accident. He said Moore should have called the police immediately.

Bradbury was in Arizona on Friday, where he spends time training during the offseason, when the New England Patriots called him out of the blue. Over one minute, the Patriots told him he’d been traded to the Bears. Then came a second one-minute call from the Patriots before Bradbury saw the news released to the public.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson capped off a dramatic 10 minutes when he called Bradbury to welcome him to Chicago.

“In a matter of about 10 minutes, everything changed, and I hadn’t had a chance to even tell my wife,” Bradbury said over Zoom on Thursday. “So that was a shock to the system. But I think once you download it, once you process it, you start thinking through the logistics, and then you get excited, so definitely shocked though.”

Once the dust started to settle, Bradbury realized the situation he was suddenly in. His wife was thrilled once she heard about the trade since she’s originally from Naperville.

Bradbury also started to realize the football situation he was now in. Yes, he left a team that had just reached the Super Bowl, led by second-year quarterback Drake Maye. But he joined a Bears team that had just won the NFC North and lost in the NFC divisional round in overtime, led by second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.

The excitement only grew once Bradbury spent some time with Williams on Sunday at Halas Hall to finalize the trade.

“I’ve heard great things about him, and that reaffirmed everything that I’ve heard,” Bradbury said. “He’s an awesome guy, he’s obviously an awesome player, so I’m looking forward to getting to work with him and helping him any way I can and learning from him as well.”

Bradbury has a history of working with great quarterbacks during his seven-year career.

He spent five seasons as Kirk Cousins’ center with the Minnesota Vikings and one year as Sam Darnold’s in Minnesota. He also helped Maye last year during a most valuable player-like season.

Those quarterbacks had success with Bradbury as their general on the offensive line. Cousins threw for more than 4,000 yards four times and at least 29 touchdowns three times with Bradbury. Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, and Bradbury and Maye finished with 4,394 and 31 touchdowns last season.

Bradbury learned a lot through his experiences with Cousins and Darnold. Cousins provided veteran leadership as Bradbury came into the league. Meanwhile, Darnold and Bradbury learned from each other.

Bradbury found himself in a veteran role with Maye and tried to impart his wisdom whenever the young quarterback needed it. The play on the field wasn’t bad either, allowing just two sacks and 29 quarterback pressures.

He’ll try to find those spots with Williams as he continues his progression after a big season leap.

“I think the quarterback position is so unique that there’s so many people talking to them, there’s so much on their plate that you don’t want to be a guy that just adds to that,” Bradbury said. “I kind of want to pick my spots and find ways. If I can help him in any way, then great, that’s what I’m here for. But I don’t want to add. I don’t just want to be another voice in their head.”

He’ll try to fill the role that former Bears center Drew Dalman left behind. Dalman surprised the Bears last week when he suddenly retired at the age of 27 after spending one season in Chicago.

Williams grew as a quarterback with Dalman as his center. Not only did he allow only one sack and 31 quarterback pressures last season. Dalman showed how smart he was, quickly grasping Johnson’s offense and helping Williams see everything opposing offenses presented.

That’s why Bears general manager Ryan Poles, Johnson, offensive line coach Dan Roushar and assistant offensive line coach Kyle Devan acted quickly to find Dalman’s replacement. They evaluated the landscape at center and decided Bradbury was the right replacement to help Williams.

“The big thing for us is finding the right fit in terms of what’s going to be adaptable and that’s going to fit into, especially the outside zone scheme, mid zone,” Poles said. “And we kind of went through that list and what’s best for us. You could go into free agency, you could trade. We felt like the best thing for us to do was to make that trade with a veteran center that’s played with a young quarterback before, that’s very good with his communication, smart, been in different systems. We feel like he can plug in and have command of that [offensive] line.”

While Bradbury is excited to work with a talented quarterback like Williams, he was “fired up” to play under Johnson.

Bradbury watched from the sidelines when the Vikings played the Detroit Lions just how hard the offensive line played with Johnson as its offensive coordinator. The Lions offense played a physical style of football and ran the ball a lot.

There are some offenses that a lineman wants to play in. Bradbury will get his chance after it came out of nowhere.

“It’s a physical brand of football, which I think everyone wants to sign up for,” Bradbury said. “The brief time I got to talk with him, he relayed that message. And so it’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be a lot of hard work, and that’s what I’m ready to sign up for.”

Hillwood and PowerHouse Data Centers issued a news release announcing the support on Friday ahead of a decisive vote by the Joliet City Council on the project.

The council will vote at a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday on whether to approve the annexation of 795 acres for the project, which would be a green light for developers.

The data center would be built in an area that is largely farmland in the vicinity of Rowell Avenue and Bernhard Road.

The 6,000 letters suggest widespread support for a project that has faced intense public opposition at public meetings.

About 80 people spoke out on the project at a Plan Commission public hearing on March 5, and all but nine of them opposed the data center. They presented a petition with more than 3,000 names of people opposed to the project.

The Plan Commission voted 7-1 to recommend approval of the data center to the City Council.

The council, which has the final say, is likely to approve the project.

City staff also is recommending approval. The city on Thursday announced that the data center developers will contribute $100 million to Joliet if the project is approved.

The money is in addition to an expected $310 million in property taxes and $40 million in property taxes that the data center is expected to generate over the next 30 years.

Such community contribution arrangements for big development projects are not unusual.

Developers of a 1,037-acre data center in Yorkville are making a $91 million community contribution to the city. The Yorkville City Council this week approved the $91 million community contribution agreement while also approving the project.

The Joliet City Council on Monday also will vote on the $100 million contribution agreement at the same time that it votes on whether to approve annexation for the project.

The 6,000 letters of support were described as coming from “local residents” in the news release from Hillwood and PowerHouse; it did not specify how many letters came from residents of Joliet and neighboring towns.

The data center has support from regional construction unions, which expect to get more than 7,000 jobs building the project.

Unions are among 12 “local organizations” that have submitted letters of support for the data center, according to the news release from the developers.

Those organizations also include the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

The 1,804-square-foot house, built in 1998, was sold for $405,000, or $225 per square foot. This two-story house has three bedrooms and four bathrooms. The property is equipped with central A/C. The property is situated on a lot spanning 3,150 square feet.

Other homes in Lake In The Hills have recently been sold nearby:

· At 2 Margate Court, in February, a 3,167-square-foot single-family residence was sold for $545,000, a price per square foot of $172.

· In August 2025, a 2,975-square-foot single-family home at 3341 Banford Circle sold for $505,000, a price per square foot of $170.

· A 2,077-square-foot single-family house at 3331 Banford Circle, sold in August 2025, for $430,000, a price per square foot of $207. The home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

All three were in effect for the Joliet West softball team Thursday in a 16-8 season-opening home loss to Sandburg.

Tigers’ starting pitcher Laci Cole worked out of a jam in the top of the first, allowing only one run and stranding two runners. West went down in order in the bottom of the first before the Sandburg fireworks started.

The Eagles loaded the bases with one out. A single by Olivia Trunk brought home Genna Cisek with the first run of the second inning, and Olivia Miele followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Kylie Johnson. A single to left by Jaclyn Donnelly brought home Zoe Trunk and Olivia Trunk for a 5-0 lead.

West got on the board in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Olivia Horn (2 for 4, 2 runs) singled and went to second on a wild pitch. One out later, she scored the Tigers’ first run of the season on a single to Mackenzie Mielke (2 for 4, 3 RBIs).

Unfortunately for West, Sandburg kept scoring and put up four runs in both the third and fourth innings. The Tigers answered with a four-spot of their own in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run double by Mikaela Muñoz and a two-run single by Mielke that brought the score to 9-5.

Horn came on to pitch in the fourth for West, and Sandburg touched her for four more runs. The key to the inning was a bases-loaded double by Zoe Trunk, who was 5 for 6 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Horn allowed just three runs in the final three innings.

“Our girls didn’t give up,” Joliet West coach Heather Suca said. “I am proud of them for that. It was a pretty typical opening game. We only have two seniors, and we are also down a pitcher right now.

“I was happy with the way our girls fought, kept their focus and made adjustments. I honestly felt like we improved as the game went on, which was good to see. Offensively, we did a good job. If we can put up eight runs in a game, I like our chances.”

Sandburg got RBIs from Genna Cisek and Abigail Marcus in the top of the fifth, and added its final run on an RBI single by Johnson in the sixth.

West, meanwhile, scored a run in the bottom of the fourth on a double steal with Maddie Woods stealing home. They scored twice in the bottom of the sixth, getting RBIs from Caitlin Jadron (2 for 4, 2 runs) and Ella Featherston (1 for 2, RBI, run).

“With such a young team, we are trying to keep things simple this season,” Suca said. “We want to focus on making the plays we should make in the field and put the ball in play and play situational offense.

“I was pretty happy with how Olivia Horn threw in relief, and we did hit the ball pretty well. Like I said, I’ll take eight runs. Now, we just have to keep working hard and getting better, which I know these girls will do.”

“Find Your Luck In Downtown Aurora,” which takes place on March 14 and 15, will feature 15 downtown businesses in an event that is expected to deliver significant Irish cheer.

From festive food specials to green beer, themed drinks, live entertainment, family-friendly fun and shamrock-worthy surprises, there will be something for everyone.

Some of the participating businesses include Altiro Latin Fusion, Tavern on Broadway, Aurora Tap House, Foreign Exchange Brewing Company and more.

For more information on “Find Your Luck,” and a full lineup of participants, visit auroradowntown.org/downtownhappenings.