From packed tour buses to rising conversion numbers, clergy across Illinois say the first American-born pope is energizing Catholics one year after his election

Prime Healthcare says it has reached an agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois to extend in-network patient healthcare coverage beyond June 1.

About 1,400 area students experienced Impossible Science, a traveling museum featuring hands-on experiments, hosted at the Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene by the Iroquois-Kankakee Regional Office of Education in partnership with other ROEs in Illinois on May 4 and 5, 2026.

In this week’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMasters celebrates Mother's Day by reflecting on what she's learned from the mothers in her life.

Trustees heard the first of two readings for Bourbonnais’ budget ordinance during Monday’s meeting.

While a major hurdle still remains, the developer for a planned 32-unit Kankakee senior housing plan gained approval from the Kankakee City Council.

Blue Cross patients in Illinois could soon find themselves out-of-network at Prime Healthcare facilities, such as Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Mercy Hospital in Aurora, and Saint Mary Medical Center in Kankakee.

A group of six 100 year olds at Westwood Riverside Senior Living Community have seen much and continue their journey.

Kankakee County Coroner Bob Gessner identified 38-year-old Aaron Moore, of Chicago, as the victim killed in Tuesday’s shooting.

The Kankakee Speedway will host Friday Night Lights racing on Friday, May 8.

The Kankakee Police Department filled its sergeant vacancy and hired another officer.

The Coal City Middle School band will bring an original story of an underwater village to musical life during its concert on Thursday. Annabelle, 9, Beedle, and her sister Abigail Beedle, 5, who both have a rare incurable condition, created the story.

A shooting on South Fifth Avenue in Kankakee left one man dead and another with non-life-threatening injuries Tuesday.

Prior to being recognized at the Kankakee City Hall meeting Monday night, 2019 Kankakee graduate Keagen Trost was celebrated at his alma mater as the school's first NFL draft pick in almost 50 years.

A hearing is set for May 20 regarding the civil lawsuit brought against the building of the Gotion factory in Manteno.

A Kankakee home sustained $15,000 in damages to the exterior of the residence Monday.

A long-awaited park on Manteno's east side recently opened, but it is a much different area.

Fresh produce, live music and more greeted hundreds of visitors at the first Kankakee Farmers’ Market of the year on Saturday, May 1, 2026.

Kankakee Community College’s agriculture and horticulture program is being recognized as an Innovator in Agriculture for the Daily Journal’s 2026 Progress Awards.

Michael Matthews resigned as a commissioner for the Kankakee Valley Park District.

The National Weather Service has issued a blowing dust advisory beginning at 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday for most of Illinois along Interstate 80 and south, along with patchy blowing dust west of the Fox River

The roots of the high school date back to its founding in Kankakee in 1922 as St. Patrick High School. The co-ed school moved to its current location in 1956 and became St. Patrick Central.

Catch up on the week’s top Kankakee County news in minutes. Hear the week’s 5 most popular stories, read aloud for you, for the week of April 26-May 2

In the role of sentinel and strategic advisor for businesses and organizations reliant on information technology is Advanced Computer Specialists in Bradley, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year.

A list of recent births at Riverside Medical Center.

The plan authorizes $376 million in funding for grade crossing safety improvements and highway-rail grade separations at approximately 387 crossing locations.

A single-family home in Kankakee that sold for $447,000 tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Kankakee County over the past week.

Silva’s Illinois roots go back to 1979, but it wasn’t until 1994 that it opened its first processing facility in Momence, now its headquarters.

The wheels continue to turn in regards to the pending construction of the Bradley-based indoor waterpark.

About 75 people attended a May Day Strong rally at the Kankakee County Courthouse on May 1, 2026. The event was part of a national day of action at more than 3,000 rallies, marches and walkouts across the U.S. which aimed to assert "workers over billionaires," calling for peace, higher wages and better working conditions.

The Bradley Village Board unanimously approved its Fiscal Year 2027 budget this week.

In this week's column, Dennis Marek about taking another listen to the rock classic, "For What It's Worth."

Earlier this month at a Kankakee County Board committee meeting, Sheriff Mike Downey mentioned how close the tornado came to striking the public safety center and jail.

Seventeen schools from the region competed in the Herscher Track Invite on Friday, May 1, 2026.

A union for legal aid workers decided to strike Friday in downtown Joliet as they seek a contract with fair pay.

How much rain fell in northern Illinois in April? In some places, it was more than twice the average, swelling rivers in the region beyond their banks.

Property damage from the March 10 tornado and severe storms is currently estimated at $28.7 million for Kankakee School District 111.

Kankakee downtown parking lot, including the Farmers' Market lot, will be getting some needed attention.

Take a look back at those first steps toward recovery after the March 10 tornado as part of the Daily Journal's "Stronger Together: Kankakee County's Recovery" special section.

The Daily Journal “Salute to Service” special section will publish Wednesday, May 20.

The impact of March 10 tornado will ripple through the Kankakee County community for years to come. The Daily Journal is reflecting on that impact with today's commemorative special section, "Stronger Together: Kankakee County's Recovery."

The first Kankakee Farmers Market of the 2026 season is Saturday, May 2.

Houses were destroyed and communities will be altered for years to come, but one Kankakee County golf course took a direct hit from the March 10 tornado, losing approximately 300 trees with some as old as 250 years old.

Illinois State Police released the body camera footage Tuesday from the two Bradley Police officers involved in the April 8 shooting of 34-year-old Jose Orozco, of Bradley.

Sean Barry, a deputy sheriff with the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, is a self-described weather geek.

Olivet Nazarene University has called Bourbonnais home since 1940, with roots extending back to 1907. It numbers 775 full- and part-time employees, not counting part-time adjunct instructors

While some movement in a school district’s teaching staff is normal, poor teacher retention hurts student achievement and hits districts financially, studies show. It can cost nearly $12,000 to recruit, hire and train a new teacher.

Riverside Healthcare seeks to have new direction for the former Bourbonnais Cigna property before 2026 ends.

As tornadoes hit Northern Illinois, millions are turning to livestreaming weather creators instead of traditional forecasts — raising new questions about how people stay safe

The Kankakee Regional Land Bank Board Authority approved two sales at its meeting on Tuesday.