Stephanie Markham

Reporter at Kankakee Daily Journal

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Articles

Architects still working on BBCHS schematic design

6 days ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

BRADLEY – The architects planning Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School’s $70 million facility overhaul are back to the drawing board with the building’s schematic design. BLDD Architects, the firm working with BBCHS to plan the renovations, did not give its scheduled presentation during the school board’s finance and facilities committee meeting Thursday.
Heard on the Street: Vintage clothing, record store opens in Bourbonnais

2 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

BOURBONNAIS – A new store specializing in vintage clothing and music, Glue Man Vintage & Records, had its grand opening Friday at 616 S. Main St.Located in the former Quilt Shop of the now-closed B&J Sewing Center, the business is situated between the El Burrito Loco and Subway restaurants. The new venture is co-owned by engaged Kankakee couple James LeRoy and Jessi Bosie. LeRoy, 19, graduated in 2024 from Grace Christian Academy.
KHS tightens requirements to walk in graduation ceremony

2 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

KANKAKEE – Kankakee High School seniors who haven’t earned enough credits to graduate won’t be allowed to walk in Thursday’s commencement, a change in practice from years past when students close to the finish line were allowed to participate. May 8 was the final day for students to have completed all of their coursework to participate in the May 22 ceremony.
ATHENA Awards recipients honored

2 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

When navigating the complexities of career moves and big life decisions, it is important to remember that small steps count. “You don’t need the whole map to make the next step,” said Tami Galbreath, keynote speaker of a Thursday ceremony celebrating this year’s ATHENA Award recipients. Hosted by the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce, the 2025 Women in Networking Leading Ladies Luncheon was held in Bourbonnais’ Adventure Commons.
3 incumbents sworn in to BBCHS board

3 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

BRADLEY – Three incumbents took oaths of office Monday to continue serving on the Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District 307 Board after the results of the April 1 election. Sally Martell, Jim Patterson and Ann Brezinski each were sworn in to serve another four-year term on the seven-member board. Although the BBCHS race was contested, the three incumbents defeated the three challengers who sought to gain spots on the board.
Pembroke searching for new school superintendent

3 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

Pembroke Community Consolidated School District 259 is in search of a new superintendent. Nicole Terrell-Smith, the district’s superintendent since 2022, has accepted a position as treasurer of schools for Thornton Township, where she will oversee the finances of 12 school districts within the township. Terrell-Smith is slated to begin her new role in the south Chicago suburbs July 1. The Pembroke district contains one elementary building for kindergarten through eighth grade, Lorenzo Smith School.
Momence mother-daughter duo get involved in local government

3 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

MOMENCE – Hearing the way they make each other laugh, Natalie Ojeda and Lizbeth Varela could be mistaken for best friends, but the mother-daughter bond they share is undeniable. The love and support between the two women has been key for the duo getting involved in local government. They hope to inspire others to do the same.
Bradley Elementary School District 61 Board seats new member

4 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

BRADLEY – A new member was sworn in to serve his first term on the Bradley Elementary School District 61 Board during a special meeting this past week. Ryan Barrie ran unopposed for a four-year term in the April 1 consolidated election. He takes the place of Mary Fisher, who did not run for another term. Fisher had been on the board for 10 years.
Teacher Amber Burks connects with kids through art

4 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

Elementary school art is more than coloring inside the lines. In Amber Burks’ classroom at Lorenzo Smith School, art is resilience. Art is self-expression. Art is a history lesson. Art is critical thinking. Art is anything her students want it to be. “We do a lot with a little and stuff that the kids are really proud of,” Burks said.
Coach Josh McDaniel values inclusion on court, in classroom

4 weeks ago | shawlocal.com | Stephanie Markham

Josh McDaniel, fifth grade teacher at Liberty Intermediate School and junior high basketball and track coach for Bourbonnais Elementary School District, has always felt “the best coaches are people who can teach.”When he thinks back to the coaches in his life who made the biggest impact, they were the ones whose connections in the classroom carried over to the athletic field. They were the ones who taught not just academics but also what was important in life.