By Andrew Adams, Jerry Nowicki, & Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker Wednesday, June 5, signed the State’s $53.1 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year, the largest in State history. The signing caps months of work – and tension – among top Democratic Party leaders in Springfield
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council viewed a presentation by executive director of APS Training Academy, Nicole Astra, at the June 11 Aurora City Council meeting. The presentation is a 2023 Annual Report recap from Aurora STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) Academy which listed a successful 2021
By Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com In order to boost infrastructure spending and avoid a projected fiscal cliff facing the State in the next couple of years, Democrats who control State government are betting on two of its most rapidly growing revenue sources: Sports wagering and video gambling. The industries –
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council is considering providing funds for improvements to the Stolp Island Parking Deck to enhance the experience for visitors of a new theater in the first floor space of the parking deck, which is set to open in July. The funding likely will be
May 30, 2024Dear editor; The Sugar Grove Village Board will have a public hearing Tuesday, June 18, at 6 p.m. at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove. All residents within Blackberry Township will be directly impacted by this proposed development. The targeted area is the Route 47 and Reagan Tollway
June 3, 2024Dear editor; According to the 2020 Census report, the City of Aurora’s population declined from approximately 197,000 in 2010 to now around 180,000, indicating a loss of 17,000 residents. However, the decline is an unfortunate and unacceptable product of a faulty 2020 Census report, which exacerbates inaccuracies and
By Jim Edgar and John Shaw As we all know, the United States is in the midst of a bitterly contentious political campaign in which the presidency and control of Congress are in question. Analysts say that the United States faces graver threats to its national security than it has
By John & Nisha Whitehead If America’s schools are to impart principles of freedom and democracy to future generations, they must start by respecting the constitutional rights of their students Take the case of Lucas Hudson. With all the negative press being written about today’s young people, it’s refreshing to
Dear Governor Pritzker, I hope this message finds you well. I’m Marcus Robinson, also known as Coach HYPE, a military veteran, social entrepreneur, and co-founder of Gametime Life Skills, based in Aurora. Our organization is proud to affiliate with MLB’s Nike RBI Program, which fosters youth baseball and softball development.
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com A package of health insurance reform measures that Gov. JB Pritzker called for at the beginning of the legislative session will soon be headed to his desk for his signature. The Illinois House gave final approval Saturday to a pair of bills that limit the
By Dilpreet Raju, Cole Longcor, & Alex AbbedutoCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois lawmakers missed a self-imposed Friday deadline for passing a budget, but they had approved more than 250 bills last week as of Friday afternoon. Amid the flurry of legislation was a measure prohibiting State universities from admitting students based
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is a step closer to acquiring a 1,500-acre state park in DeKalb County, much of which was once part of a reservation that was illegally seized from the tribe in the mid-19th Century. As the Senate worked through its last
By Jason Crane Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin presented his Mayor’s Award of Excellence to representatives from the Fox Valley Mall at the May 28 Aurora City Council meeting. International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Global Awards are the most recognized achievement for professional excellence in the marketplaces industry. The
At the May 23, meeting, the Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners approved the naming of the synthetic turf field at Knoch Park, “Wintrust Athletic Field.” The Park Board approved the naming by resolution following a 60-day consideration period required by the Park District’s policies, which began March 14. Earlier
By John & Nisha Whitehead The police state does not want citizens who know their rights. Nor does the police state want citizens prepared to exercise those rights. This year’s graduates are a prime example of this master class in compliance. Their time in college has been set against a
By Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com It’s been four years since some of the worst scenes of COVID-19 played out in locked-down nursing homes during the early months of the pandemic. But while most of the world has moved on, the nursing home industry is still reeling from COVID, which exacerbated
By Dilpreet RajuCapitol News Illinoisdraju@capitolnewsillinois.com In the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month, Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton hosted a panel in Springfield this week at which he pledged to expand the state’s behavioral health services. With several dozen services providers from around the state in attendance,
By Jason Crane Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin, expressed disgust with the U. S. Census Bureau, at the Committee of the Whole meeting, Tuesday, May 21. Mayor Irvin made the following statement about the U.S. Census Bureau population estimates: “The most recent population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau are
By John & Nisha Whitehead We are caught in a vicious cycle of too many laws, too many cops, and too little freedom. It’s hard to say whether we’re dealing with a kleptocracy (a government ruled by thieves), a kakistocracy (a government run by unprincipled career politicians, corporations, and thieves
Aurora concluded National Police Week with an annual ceremony that honored the current officers and those who died in the line of duty. Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin and Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross led the ceremony with the mayor presenting a proclamation to recognize the week. The mayor and
