By Beth Hundsdorfer & Hannah Meisel In courtrooms around the state early this week, judges conducted the first hearings under a new system that determines whether a defendant will be jailed while awaiting trial based on dangerousness and risk of fleeing prosecution, rather than their ability to post bail. The
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council is considering a Resolution authorizing the director of the Purchasing Department to execute a contract with Hitchcock Design Group for preliminary design services for Millennium Plaza in the amount of $70,000.00. Information was provided at the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting, Tuesday,
Restoring a century-old Viking ship’s dragon head and tail wasn’t easy. Tuesday, Sept. 12, Anna Weiss-Pfad chronicled the process in a speech titled “Conserving a Dragon: The Conservation and Restoration of the 1893 Viking Ship Dragon Head and Tail.” The principal conservator at Elmhurst-based Third Coast Conservation keynoted the September
By John & Nisha Whitehead Those who gave us the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights believed that the government exists at the behest of its citizens. It is there to protect, defend, and even enhance our freedoms, not violate them. Unfortunately, although the Bill of Rights was adopted
By Peter Hancock The State has paused a new policy requiring certain noncitizens enrolled in a Medicaid-like health insurance plan to pay copayments for certain services, instructing health care providers to refund any such payments they have already collected. Omar Shaker, the interim chief of administrative rules at the Department
Oswego Village president Ryan Kauffman is recommending the appointment of interim Police Chief Jason Bastin as the Village’s next Police Chief. He has served as interim chief since the retirement of former Police Chief Jeff Burgner on June 13. The Village Board will vote on Bastin’s appointment at its September
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council unanimously approved an Ordinance authorizing the purchase of 3.16 acres of property to facilitate the construction of a new Fire Station #9 at the City Council meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 12. The property, known as the Hamman property, is at 7S330 Eola Road, between
By John & Nisha Whitehead First came 9/11, which the government used to transform itself into a police state. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which the police state used to test its lockdown powers. In light of the government’s tendency to exploit crises, legitimate or manufactured, and capitalize on the
September 5, 2023Dear editor; Many question whether election totals reported by Illinois election authorities are always accurate. Errors can occur, and sometimes election contests are decided by only a handful of votes. However, in Illinois, independent audits of computerized election reports prepared by county clerks and election boards are not
By Jason Crane Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin, announced Brandon Tolliver as his nominee for Ward 7 alderman at a special City Council meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 5. Born and raised on Aurora’s West Side, Tolliver attended West Aurora School District 129 from kindergarten through 12th grade, where he was graduated
Six elected officials of the 103rd Illinois General Assembly were honored this week for stalwart work in passing legislation that directly impacted the city of Aurora. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin presented the Mayor’s Award of Excellence to the six legislators representing Aurora in the Illinois House of Representatives and the
By John & Nisha Whitehead Ever since Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his ground-breaking “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom August 28, 1963, the Deep State has been hard at work turning King’s dream into a living nightmare. The end result of
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that residents and businesses impacted by the fire at the Arden of Oakbrook apartment complex in Oakbrook Terrace July 28 may be eligible for low-interest loans to assist with recovery efforts. An SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be established in DuPage County
And then there were three. Fourteen aspirants applied to fill the Aurora Ward 7 aldermanic seat left vacant due to the unexpected death of longtime alderwoman Scheketa Hart-Burns. City ordinance calls for mayor Richard Irvin to appoint the person who will complete the remaining term until the next general election
Illinois State representative Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, a United States Marine Corps veteran, was honored to be host to a roundtable discussion Monday, Aug. 21 with United States senator Dick Durbin to reaffirm their unwavering support and commitment to our veterans. Numerous critical topics were discussed by the veterans who were
By Bela “Bill” Suhayda How could Donald Trump have overturned the presidential election of 2020 in Georgia? By what method or process could this have been possible? Trump and his coconspirators (attorneys) would have had to use the courts, judges, and state legislature just to get a recount. Trump would
By John & Nisha Whitehead “Make no mistake about it…your DNA can be taken and entered into a national DNA database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason.”—Justice Antonin Scalia dissenting in Maryland v. King Be warned: The DNA detectives are on the prowl. Whatever
Tim Mapes was charged with lying to grand jury investigating Madigan and his inner circle. By Hannah Meisel A federal jury has convicted the once-top aide to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, finding Tim Mapes guilty on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for lying to a grand
Shoppers at Fox Valley Mall in Aurora now have eight new stores to visit. Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin joined new business owners and store managers to celebrate their new ventures with a joint ribbon-cutting ceremony. Following the group ceremony, a crowd of well-wishers visited each store with the mayor
By Jerry Nowicki Six interagency law enforcement task forces received grant funding this Spring to combat car thefts through an initiative of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office. Giannoulias was in Belleville Tuesday to promote the initiative and highlight a $2.5 million grant to the Metro East Auto Theft Task
