Day: March 2, 2021

State changes proposed: Draw districts differently

By Peter Hancock Republican Party members in the State General Assembly has introduced a new bill that would hand over the process of drawing new legislative and congressional district maps to an independent commission that would be required to use official U.S. Census Bureau, rather than survey estimates, to draw

Aurora’s Equity-Focused Vaccination Clinic

More than 700 individuals receive COVID-19 vaccinations Tuesday morning in Aurora at Cathedral of Grace St. John AME provided by the city government, in a Black Vax Coalition program. Less than three percent of black residents in Aurora previously had received vaccinations. The Aurora Equity-Focused Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic received

U of I System authorized for saliva-based test

By Grace Barbic The University of Illinois System received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Monday for its saliva-based COVID-19 test. The statewide, seven-day, rolling positivity rate reached 2.4%. The FDA approval allows for the covidSHIELD test to expand beyond the U of I System.

Commuter train study in Kendall

The Kendall Extension Study is examining the feasibility of extending the BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) commuter rail line beyond the existing end of the line in Aurora. This study is looking at new outlying yard locations, in addition to new commuter rail stations in Montgomery, Oswego, Yorkville, Plano, and

Hines VA Hospital offers vets vaccine at sites

Hines VA Hospital is scheduling appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine for March 6 and April 3 at its Aurora Community Based Outpatient Clinic. Hines continues to vaccinate according to this stratification plan: • Veterans age 60 and older; • Dialysis patients; • Chemotherapy patients; • Organ transplant veterans; • Homeless

Plan: Build a veterans’ community

Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity (FVHFH) announced its plan to break ground on a sustainable community for veterans. The Yorkville project called Operation Home America, seeks to raise $6 Million by June 15. Funds will be used to develop and zone land for permanent, full-equity, affordable single-family and duplex homes

Aurora critical incident intelligence center in view

By Jason Crane At the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conference platform, the City Council gave consent to nearly three-quarters of a million dollars for a critical incident intelligence center at the Aurora Police Department (APD). City of Aurora government documents show

Divide extensive on climate change perils, benefits

Third of four parts “In 2008, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced $306 million in grants to promote high-yield sustainable agriculture among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The Foundation’s plans included creation, through genetic manipulation, of high-production, drought-resistant dairy cows, and the development and proliferation of

Mendota origins of Aurora University Tuesday

Aurora University will present a virtual discussion of “Occupy till I Come: The Origins of Aurora University in Mendota, Illinois, 1893-1912” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9. University president Rebecca L. Sherrick will lead the Zoom discussion with “Occupy” author Susan Palmer of Aurora, an Aurora College alumna, professor emerita

Aurora Central Catholic protocols for musical High School

Aurora Central Catholic (ACC) High School’s Spring musical will go on with pandemic protocols. “Bright Star,” written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, will be staged March 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. each and Sunday, March 14 at 3 p.m.. Phillip A. Nohl, play director and school drama instructor,

Egg Hunt on the Island: Month-long scavenger

Egg Hunt on the Island will welcome all ages to downtown Aurora to search for artsy eggs placed in more than a dozen downtown storefronts. This month, the Aurora Downtown organization will be partners with Adventures in Scavenger Hunting to create an Easter scavenger hunt at 14 locations throughout downtown.