August 6 At Auburn Prison in New York, the first execution by electrocution in history is carried out against William Kemmler, who had been convicted of murdering his lover, Matilda Ziegler, with an axe. – 1890. At 8:16 a.m. Japanese time, an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, drops the
By Brenden Moore & Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com July 25 is now officially Emmett Till Day in Illinois. Illinois governor JB Pritzker signed legislation codifying the designation ahead of what would have been Till’s 85th birthday. It was one of 78 bills the governor signed last week. Till, a 14-year-old
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Students in all Illinois public schools will soon have to abide by rules barring them from using cellphones or other personal electronic communication devices during school hours unless they have been given specific permission to use them. Although many districts already have similar policies in
Aurora mayor John Laesch, left, presents Sriyan Kantamneni with a Mayor’s Award of Excellence for his entry in the Illinois PTA Reflections Program.
Chester “Chet” Romans is a medical minstrel. On Wednesday mornings, the 78-year-old Oswego man gives two-hour guitar concerts in a waiting area at Rush Copley Cancer Center in Aurora, entertaining cancer patients, caregivers, and family members. “I think it’s an important adjunct to what the Care Center does medically,” Romans
Communities throughout Aurora will come together to celebrate National Night Out Tuesday, Aug. 4. National Night Out is a nationwide event that occurs annually on the first Tuesday in August. Across Aurora’s 10 wards, neighbors will gather in the community to strengthen relationships among residents, public safety officials, and City
Aurora’s Dunham Foundation has awarded a $15,000 grant to the Aurora Lions Club Foundation. Susan Koepke, Lions’ children’s vision program co-chair, said the grant supports the Lions’ exam program. She explained, “This grant will support bilingual English-Spanish educational materials for parents and caregivers, along with a centralized website for vision
By Rhea LandholmCenter for Rural Affairs Once a week in the summertime, brightly colored tents pop up in a corner parking lot in my community. Under each one of those tents is a producer, crafter, or small business owner who has tables of goods for sale. We celebrate these farmers
By Russ George Sixth annual “Dan Jakusz Night”, fundraiser, to benefit the Diabetes Club of Fox Valley, will be held Saturday, Aug. 1, at Joliet Slammers Stadium, 1 Mayor Art Schultz Drive, Joliet. Joliet Slammers vs. New York Boulders. First pitch at 6 p.m.. Nick Jakusz, organizes this yearly fundraiser
National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign to promote police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, will take place Tuesday, Aug. 4 across the Nation. Below are a few select communities with events. Batavia The Batavia Police Department will host an event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, at
The Southeastern Kane County TRIAD will hold its annual senior picnic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 11, at Phillips Park, Main Pavilion, Aurora. The annual picnic is a great event supporting seniors with live music, great food, vendors, community partners, and BINGO. Cost is $7, with a
The National Beep Baseball Association world series will come to Aurora Monday-Saturday, Aug. 3-8. Blind and visually impaired athletes will compete aided by volunteers at the 50th annual event at Stuart Sports Complex, 39W585 Jericho Rd., Aurora. Admission is free. — Al Benson
The Aurora Police Department’s honor guard will host a fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 8 from 1 p.m. to midnight at Southbank Original Barbecue, 129 E. Hydraulic Ave., Yorkville. The event will feature a raffle and live band. —Al Benson
North Aurora Days will be two days of free fun, Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8 at North Aurora Riverfront Park, 25 East State Street, North Aurora. The days will be filled with music, food, fun for the kids, and fireworks August 8 at 9:30 p.m..On the same days
State representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) released the following statement regarding workplace protections in response to the Chicago Tribune article about former representative Harry Benton and the lack of accountability in the district offices of representatives in the IL House. “The Illinois House has begun another review of policies in response
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) led 18 of his colleagues in introducing the Federal Naming Standards Act. This legislation would prevent federal buildings, facilities, and programs from being named after elected officials or political appointees until at least 10 years after they leave office. Even beyond that time frame, no former
U.S. representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) will host a summer town hall series across every county in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District throughout July and August 2026. These public forums provide constituents an opportunity to ask questions, share perspectives, and hear legislative updates. The town hall series stops include the following dates
The Kane County Health Department (KCHD) is encouraging parents and caregivers to talk to their pediatrician about lead testing at 12 and 24 months of age to help identify lead exposure as early as possible. Early detection is key to protecting children during critical stages of development and connecting families
Aurora mayor John Laesch, honors Project Altogether students Zaire Robinson, Amirrah Robinson, and Faith Berry for their exceptional volunteerism and hard work in the community.
Employees and family of the RJ O’Neil business hold the commemorative sign celebrating 100 years of business July 27 at the Village of Montgomery board meeting.
