Mayor of Aurora, John Laesch honored a community member who ran the entirety of the Mississippi River this summer, raising more than $12,000 for childhood cancer research. Grant Bell is an Aurora resident, Makerspace manager at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), avid runner, and running coach. He was
By John & Nisha Whitehead What began publicly as Donald Trump’s lavish, taxpayer-funded vision of a gilded White House ballroom is now being justified by the administration—in and out of court—as a matter of national security. To president Trump, it seems, a ballroom by any other name is a bunker.
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker said during Illinois State Fair festivities this month that he agrees public schools need more funding. But he also boasted about the additional funding his administration has already provided, and he said that has led to improved performance in reading and math,
August 21, 2026Dear editor; The following letter is intended to support Democrats like Angie Nixon. Angie Nixon won the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in the Florida Primary August 18. The next day she was interviewed on MS NOW’s Morning Joe to answer questions about affordability, universal health care, immigration and
Many varied representatives dig a shovel into the dirt August 20 to commemorate the start of the historic Mastodon Lake Dredging and Shoreline Restoration Project.
At Tuesday, Aug. 25’s City Council Meeting, the Aurora City Council approved a first-of-its-kind housing proposal that is set to implement the energy efficiency targets of the 2026 Illinois Stretch Energy Code without any City incentives. The “Kingsley Row” subdivision, planned for construction by M/I Homes near the intersection of
By Bela “Bill” Suhayda Do you want to own your own home? Would you like to build your own business? Do you believe the wages you earn should reflect the skills and efforts you’ve made to be productive? If your answer to these questions is “yes”, you just said “no”
By John & Nisha Whitehead This is what comes of giving a lawless agency unlimited funds to build detention centers, terrorize communities, and act as a secret police force. Anything goes. Masked raids. Unmarked vehicles. Warrantless arrests. Racial profiling. Sweeping surveillance. Detention camps. Excessive force. Citizens dragged off the streets.
By Maggie Dougherty & Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com When governor JB Pritzker signed tax incentives for data centers into law in his first year as governor in 2019, Republicans and Democrats celebrated the plan as an economic driver. “In today’s world, data centers are as critical a part of our
By Ben Szalinski & Associated PressCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Department of Public Health is not adopting new federal child vaccine guidelines and will continue following recommendations by a leading pediatric medical group. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that calls for giving the measles, mumps and
August 16, 2026Dear editor; The impact of George Orwell’s novel “1984” reverberates with more force today than when it was written in 1948, two years before he died of tuberculosis on a remote Scottish island. The novel draws from his experiences and reflects the tumultuous times in which he lived:
The Kane County Board has approved a balanced Fiscal Year 2027 budget totaling just under $403 million, continuing the County’s efforts to strengthen its long-term financial position while maintaining essential services. “Balancing this year’s budget required thoughtful planning, collaboration and a willingness to make difficult decisions,” said Kane County Board
The City of Aurora’s Water Production Division is leading public education efforts on the City’s Lead Action Level Exceedance Notice, which was issued July 14, along with the City’s lead service line replacement progress. The notice detailed the discovery of an elevated level of lead in drinking water in select
This past weekend, the Daily Herald released their Readers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for 2026 and the Aurora Regional Fire Museum was voted the Best Suburban Museum. This recognition is another testament of the impact the Aurora Regional Fire Museum is having in the region. In the last
By John & Nisha Whitehead The National Guard was just the beginning. One year after president Donald Trump deployed military troops to the nation’s capital, we find ourselves navigating a posse comitatus presidency in which the visual trappings of martial law are the norm, not the exception. When Trump declared
By Peter Hancock, Brenden Moore &, Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Rideshare drivers can unionize in Illinois, a new law seeks to regulate and classify plastic pellets as a pollutant, and the State will exercise greater oversight of a federal prescription drug discount program. Those are a few of the 75
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois farmers heard pitches from incumbent governor JB Pritzker and downstate Republican farmer Darren Bailey, Monday as each argued they’re best positioned to address agricultural issues. Bailey, a former State lawmaker who was also his party’s nominee for governor in 2022, told the crowd at
August 7, 2026Dear editor; As Kane County continues to grow, so must a transportation system that keeps pace with the needs of our residents, businesses, and economy. That is why I support the Illinois Tollway’s proposed toll increase and the long-term investments it will make in the Interstate 88 and
The City of Aurora government, in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, launched its 2026 Special Census initiative, targeting new construction and development within the City to establish a more complete and accurate count of total population. The effort was prompted by the City’s significant undercount in the 2020 Census,
The City of Aurora government will host a free electronics recycling drive-thru Saturday, Aug. 22 from 8 a.m to noon at the Route 59 Train Station, 1090 N. IL Route 59. The event will take place on the south side of the tracks. All items are free to recycle, but
