Kendall County

It’s been 70 years since four Yorkville senior girl scouts went door to door collecting donations to bring back the Yorkville Independence Day parade and fireworks that have since helped shape the community’s identity over the past seven decades. Two sisters remember the days.

Firefighters responded to a barn engulfed in flames over the weekend in Yorkville. First indications suggested the fire started from a propane tank explosion.

If you're looking for an experience that harkens back to summers past, take a road trip to these vintage drive-in restaurants and enjoy a burger, shake, root beer and more.

The Sandwich Freedom Days parade starts at 10 a.m. A map of the two-mile parade route is posted on the Park District’s website, sandwichparkdistrict.org.

Rosary High School in Aurora, long known for its academic rigor in preparing girls for college, has added College Prep to its name as of July 1.

At the June 24 Oswego Village Board meeting, village trustees unanimously voted to increase the village’s water tap-on fees by $3,000 to bring them to $5,200 per unit.

From food trucks and live music to family-friendly festivities, here is a roundup of places to enjoy the Fourth of July across Kendall County:

A man reported missing in Joliet was last seen driving a silver Pontiac G5 sedan with Mississippi license plate number of JAD610.

Yorkville Christian guard Jayden Riley is enjoying a breakout summer, with up to six scholarship offers after his performances at Riverside-Brookfield and Romeoville. Riley, last year's Record Newspapers Player of the Year, has set lofty goals for his senior season.

After helping inspire the Child Abuse Notice Act, Colleen Murphy, of Yorkville, has been consulting for months with the Illinois Dep. Of Children Services, designing children-appropriate posters for placement in businesses and places frequented by kids.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville has one fewer potential Republican challenger to worry about in 2026.

Earthmover Credit Union recently awarded four Teen Investment Program College Scholarships totaling $4,000 to four local high school students.

Reports are starting again from area residents about mystery seeds they didn’t order showing up in their mailboxes. Simply put, the danger is in the unknown.

Village trustees unanimously approved the concept plan for Harrison Street Square. The property consists of three parcels. Applicant USC, LLC wants to renovate an industrial building at 174 S. Harrison St. into retail spaces.

The playground at Cannonball Ridge Park in Yorkville could be undergoing a more than $100,000 makeover with all new inclusive play areas.

Plano Library will host free community programs for kids and adults this summer. Summer Reading Program is underway.

Yorkville is saying goodbye to the underground aquifer that served the community for generations. Yorkville City Council has approved around 20% annual average water bill increases over the next five years.

Join the Oswegoland Heritage Association at noon on Saturday, July 12, to explore that era with Conversations with Farm Kids at the Little White School Museum.

Yorkville Public Library’s Adult Services Department has announced its program schedule for July.

The program provides transportation to residents in DeKalb, Kane and Kendall counties.

The Yorkville Police Department welcomed a new officer into their family. Bret Johnson, a lifelong resident of Plainfield, took the oath of office during the city council meeting on June 24.

Candy Cloud will have its grand opening from noon to 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 2. It is located at 2832 Route 34, Oswego, next to BIBIBOP Asian Grill.

For the second year in a row, the artwork of area students is displayed on banners as part of the Look Up Oswego banner program, an initiative of the Oswego Cultural Arts Commission.

At the public hearing for the 502-acre Project Steel data center development’s annexation, Mayor John Purcell wanted to make sure a portion of the revenue is guaranteed to the Yorkville School District 115.

At 8:53 p.m., Plano police were advised by an Amtrak engineer that they believed they had struck a pedestrian near the area of 800 W. Main St.

It just became more expensive to build residential developments in Yorkville. To help the Yorkville School District 115 cover rising student-care costs, the city council approved a 40% increase in residential transition fees.

Highlights include Yorkville's River Fest, Batavia's Windmill City Fest and many more.

Crumbl Cookies is coming to Oswego in September.

Owner Jocelyne Bermudez celebrated with family, friends, and Mayor Mike Rennels, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for her Anaite Beauty in downtown Plano.

Tap House Grill, which had been in business in downtown Oswego since 2008, on Feb. 24 closed its doors.

With a massive facility upgrade on the horizon, Yorkville School District 115 funded a demographic study to see how prepared or unprepared their current buildings are for future enrollment growth. By 2029-2030, an extra 825 students are projected by the study.

Shaw Local News Network celebrated the Best of the Fox in Kendall County on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at Fox Republic Brewing in Yorkville.

Seniors enjoyed a fun and challenging game of chair volleyball at the Beecher Center in Yorkville. Chair volleyball is played six players a side with unlimited hits to return the inflatable beach ball.

Kendall County has several exciting upcoming events, including a community clean-up event, sensory friendly swim, and Harry Potter trivia night.

The Honeyman family, who own St. Charles-based The Bike Rack, in 2023 bought Oswego Cyclery, located at 57 Main St. in downtown Oswego, from owner Art Black.

American-Male, which originally opened in 1977, had been closed for a number of years.

The Plano Police Department assisted a Homeland Security Investigations team on Tuesday in the 300 block of Alyssa Street in Plano.

Starting June 20, Yolkville Cafe in Yorkville will be featuring an all new senior menu designed to the tastes of their loyal customers, and an all new catering menu.

Pride Month is celebrated each year in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Kendall County Board member Brooke Shanley is disappointed the board has yet to adopt a resolution recognizing Pride Month.

To prevent nature from returning flooding to the town’s streets and properties, the city of Yorkville conducts annual inspections of the stormwater basins, identifying areas where extra care is required.

Aiyana Williams, 16, of Yorkville, was last seen around 10:30 a.m. June 16 in the Country Hills subdivision near Fawn Ridge Court.

Since the phrase “bursting at the seams” was first used by Yorkville School District 115 officials to describe their classroom capacity crisis, big changes have been anticipated. Four possible facility upgrades are being considered, two raise taxes. A referendum is likely.

With a heat advisory in effect, just how hot is it – hot enough to make Route 34 buckle and crack completely across in Plano. The Illinois Dep. Of Transportation is currently repairing the roadway.

There may be “new to you” vegetables or varieties of your favorite vegetables that can add excitement to your gardening life. And it’s not too late in the growing season to try something new.

With the $100 million Lake Michigan water sourcing project already under construction, the new water coming down the pipeline to Yorkville could come at double the cost over the next five years. To help pay for the project, the city is considering 20% annual hikes for five years.

Kendall County officials are looking at possible improvements to offices next to or part of the county’s John Street campus, including the public safety center.

Record stories that captured people's attention in years passed.

Members from the Plano Methodist Church gathered around the campfire in the church parking lot on June 6. Registration for Vacation Bible School is open.

At the April 22 Oswego Village Board meeting, trustees unanimously approved installing two additional stop signs at the intersection.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, is seeking federal funding for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation to build a government office on tribal land, according to a news release from her office.