Month: July 2020

More cannabis and COVID-19 concerns discussed at Aurora City Council Committee of the Whole

By Jason Crane – At the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conferencing platform, the City Council discussed an ordinance granting additional time for compliance of the Special Use for a cannabis dispensing facility at 1415 Corporate Boulevard that was granted in January.

Intolerance, vitriol, fear-mongering, knee-jerk reactions, again

By John W. Whitehead For those old enough to have lived through the McCarthy era, there is a whiff of something in the air that reeks of the heightened paranoia, finger-pointing, fear-mongering, totalitarian tactics, that were hallmarks of the 1950s. Back then, it was the government, spearheaded by senator Joseph

Illinois eviction rule change to benefit tenants, landlords

By Rebecca Anzel The Illinois Supreme Court announced last week that it approved a change to rules governing eviction proceedings that will simplify the process for both landlords and tenants. The rule change mandates that property owners must file all related documents simultaneously when they file a complaint. That includes

Teachers’ union urges most schools to not reopen for in-person learning

By Peter Hancock One of the State’s largest teachers’ unions said Monday that most schools in Illinois are not yet ready to reopen for in-person teaching in the fall and it urged schools to continue operating remotely until the safety of students, teachers, and staff members can be assured. “At

Aurora Public Art Announces Lineup for Free Youth Summer Programming

Aurora Public Art announces lineup for next week’s free virtual programs. Aurora Public Art announced the lineup of free virtual art classes for students sheltering in place amid COVID-19 cancellations. Summer programming includes sessions across many artistic media. Drawing, painting, music, dance, drama, and culinary arts are among the many

Governor hits the road to make census push

By Jerry Nowicki Governor JB Pritzker encouraged Illinoisans to complete the 2020 U.S. Census and touted a State investment in youth employment programs Thursday during two public appearances in Rockford. The state has a 66.9% census self-response rate currently. That’s nearly five percentage points better than the 62.1% national rate,

Beat the Heat in Kane County: Extreme Temperatures Forecast This Weekend

The Kane County Health Department is urging everyone to take precautions during the period of high heat forecast for this weekend. • Stay in air-conditioned buildings such as Kane County cooling centers. Due to COVID-19, facilities may have limited capacity and additional restrictions. Please contact your municipality for details. •

Court document shows utility agrees to pay $200 million, admits attempts to influence House Speaker

By Jerry Nowicki Hours after filing a court document implicating, but not charging, Illinois’ house speaker Michael Madigan in a years long bribery scheme, federal officials took to the courtyard of the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago on Friday to deliver a message to those engaging in public corruption: “We