By Bobby Narang The 2022 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) girls state track and field meet was a return of the old days. Somewhat, that is. After three straight years of irregular or no state competition, Thursday, May 19 marked the first time since the 2019 meet that the competitors...
By Woodrow Carroll Former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Curt Simmons celebrated his 93rd birthday May 19. Along with wishing the man continued good health, we know that Simmons is the last surviving member of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies team, called by many the “Whiz Kids” which captured the National...
Success in sports for participants revolves around setting goals, working to achieve them, and taking some joy with the knowledge that it is the process as much or more than the end results. Case in point are high school tournaments, rivalries, and exceeding realistic goals. Former West Aurora High School...
Caleb Wright of East Aurora High School flies through the air in the Rock Island AAA Sectional to capture third place in the long jump.
Sometimes, everything someone touches turns to gold. Luckily, for Shannon Gutierrez gold happens to be her favorite color. Gutierrez is the owner of Wyckwood House, which is now open in the renovated, former School District 129 offices at 80 S. River Street in downtown Aurora. Gutierrez, of Aurora, rewrote the...
May 26 The first copies of the classic vampire novel, Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker, appear in London bookshops on this day. – 1897. One hundred thousand steel workers and miners in mines owned by steel companies strike in seven states. The Memorial Day Massacre, in which 10 strikers...
The Quilters Dozen Quilt Club of Oswego has started its annual fundraiser, the PrairieFest Quilt Raffle. One lucky winner will take home the 2022 PrairieFest Quilt, “Japanese Garden,” named for its fabrics’ colorful prints. Soft creams, greens, and reds were used to produce a peaceful palette. The quilt measures 51”...
By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead “Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech.” —Benjamin Franklin Beware of those who want to monitor, muzzle, catalogue, and censor, speech. Especially be on your guard when the reasons given for limiting your freedoms...
The DuPage County’s inaugural Community Arts Festival will take place Saturday, May 28 at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton! A variety of musical acts will perform throughout the day and food trucks and a beer tent will be available to provide refreshments. Community artists will be showcasing and selling...
A visitor receives a blood pressure check at a 19th annual health festival Saturday, May 14, by Aurora-based Companeros en Salud (Partners in Health).
By Peter Hancock The cost of renovating the north wing of the Illinois Statehouse will be more expensive than officials initially estimated. Only one bid came in for the project, which is about to get underway. CORE Construction Services of Illinois Inc. priced the job at $243.5 million, well over...
Former high school basketball coaches, media, and friends, offer a farewell salute to former West Aurora High School head basketball coach, Gordon Kerkman, front row, far right, who at the end of the month will move with his wife, Marilyn, to the Oregon on the West Coast.
The next special day and holiday on the horizon is Memorial Day, May 30, which was changed in 1969 as a federal holiday to the last Monday in May. Memorial Day is more than picnics, baseball games, and family gatherings. It is based on memorials for soldiers who died and...
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council listened to an update on the rollout of the new fireworks provisions and enforcement options at the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday, May 17. Assistant chief of staff for the city government of Aurora, Alex Voigt, said, “In...
May 14, 2022Dear editor; Sadly, now that warm weather is finally arriving, we will hear the weekend death count from local shootings in Chicago and the surrounding area precipitously grow. Predictably, on the first warm, three-day weekend, the body count will double. We are seeing more violence and robberies taking...
By Tom Siebert, Assistant director for community relations Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) of Kendall County After several years of providing meals, shelter, and social services to the area’s unhoused community, Kendall County PADS has decided to dissolve the nonprofit homeless support organization. Citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic...
Illinois State representative Stephanie Kifowit, left, (D-Oswego), presents House of Representative Certificates of Appreciation to three VNA Healthcare professionals for their role in organizing clinics to administer Covid-19 vaccines, boosters and annual flu shots.
Reprinted from May 7, 2020 My first impression of Indians, which we now describe as Native Americans, wasn’t very positive. Our community movie theater ran many Friday night specials which starred cowboys who were always the good guy and fighting for justice against the bad-guy Indians. It was easy to...
A book-signing, blanket collection, and fundraiser, for Ukraine will be the highlight of the June meeting of Aurora Area Retired Teachers Association (AARTA). The Aurora-based nonprofit social-service group will meet at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, at Gaslite Manor, 2485 Church Road in Aurora. Retired teachers, administrators, support staff members,...
The Geneva Bridge Walk and 5K will help celebrate cancer survivors. The celebration will feature a walk and 5K run, with a fun-packed festival to follow. The event will be Saturday, June 4 at Northwestern Medicine Field (Kane County Cougars stadium, 34w002 Cherry Lane, Geneva). Registration will begin at 8...
