City of Aurora’s Public Art Division opened a new exhibit Friday, June 5 entitled “Unfinished Independence,” a new dynamic, multi-artist exhibition that explores freedom, community identity, and the American promise. The exhibit is on display at 20 W. Downer Place, third floor, in the public art gallery. The gallery’s hours
By Maggie DoughertyCapitol News Illinoismdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com In a surprise move, governor JB Pritzker announced Friday that he is putting a pause on all new state tax incentives for data centers and calling on lawmakers to pass new data center reforms during the fall veto session. The governor has directed the Illinois
By John & Nisha Whitehead “We’re gonna win so much, you may even get tired of winning.”—Donald Trump Donald Trump promised Americans they would get tired of winning. If this is what winning looks like, America can’t afford much more of it. We are losing ground economically. We are losing
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois lawmakers approved the Illinois budget early Monday morning, June 1, after slogging through the night, enacting new taxes on businesses and authorizing less spending than what governor JB Pritzker proposed in February. “It’s allowed us to be prepared for the great reality we face
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker says he intends to sign legislation imposing a statewide ban on cell phones and other wireless communication devices during instructional time in public schools and charter schools. Although many districts in Illinois have already adopted more stringent bans of their own, Senate
Mayor of Aurora, John Laesch honored an Aurora University student at Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting for being selected to represent the State of Illinois at the 2026 College Student Congress presented by the Henry Clay Center in Washington, D.C.. Giselle Martinez, who is majoring in political science,
The Kane County Health Department (KCHD) published its 2025 Annual Report, showcasing the programs, partnerships and services that helped improve health outcomes and strengthen communities across Kane County during the past year. The report highlights KCHD’s work in behavioral health, communicable disease prevention, environmental health, emergency preparedness and maternal and
In response to the passage of the Fiscal Year 2027 Illinois State Budget in the Illinois General Assembly, State representative Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) released the following statement: “I voted no on this year’s budget because it is packed with tax and fee increases, which will have a direct effect on
State representative Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, voted in support of the Fiscal Year 2027 Illinois State Budget, a balanced spending plan that strengthens investments in education, public safety, healthcare, and essential services while maintaining Illinois’ commitment to fiscal responsibility. “As lawmakers, one of our most important responsibilities is passing a balanced
By Bela “Bill” Suhayda Who is the Neville Chamberlain of “The Voice?” It’s Charles “The Chas” Coddington of course. He recently announced his opposition to all of America’s wars in the May 21 edition of The Voice. What a great pacifist he is for opposing every war the U.S. has
Representatives from the Waldo Middle School Girls Soccer Team show their Aurora Mayor’s Award of Excellence awards, commemorating their success in the City of Lights Tournament.
By Allison ClementsExecutive director,Illinois Housing Council Illinois is in the grip of an affordable housing crisis that reaches every corner of the state. Nearly 300,000 affordable rental homes are missing for our lowest-income residents. Rents have climbed to unsustainable levels, and homeownership is increasingly out of reach. The consequences are
I thought I’d begin with a quote from a classic Tennessee Ernie Ford song, Sixteen Tons: “Another day older and deeper in debt,” which is applicable to just about all of us here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.. Me especially, since I’m tapping this blurb out on my
By John & Nisha Whitehead One way or another, the American taxpayers always get screwed by politicians eager to spend our hard-earned dollars on programs and projects that do little to improve our lives, safeguard our freedoms, or secure our future. Donald Trump—the billionaire trust-fund baby/reality TV showman who transformed
By Marisa Guerra EcheverriaMedill Illinois News Bureaunews@capitolnewsillinois.com Diverse interest groups — from public school activists and downstate voters to state officials and school boards — have pushed governor JB Pritzker to finally make a decision about the Donald Trump administration’s Education Freedom Tax Credit. Yet, there has been mostly silence
By Maggie DoughertyCapitol News Illinoismdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com Watchdog groups are calling on regulators to reject $178 million, or 80%, of a $220.8 million rate hike requested by Nicor Gas earlier this year, citing wasteful capital spending, excessive shareholder profits and “lavish” executive bonuses. Consumer advocate groups including the Citizens Utility Board, the
May 31, 2026Dear editor; I work closely with business owners and leaders in Black and Brown communities across Illinois. If the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act takes effect on July 1, it won’t hurt only small businesses. It will affect whole communities. This law would change how credit card payments work
Following an open call for nominations, and a week-long voting period, the City of Aurora is excited to reveal the names of the four baby falcons who hatched while under the wings of their mother on the side of City Hall in early May. Over 500 votes were cast by
By Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinois Over hundreds of pages in legal filings this week, a group of well-known Chicago-based journalists, podcasters and voice actors accused tech giants like Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and others of “stealing” their voices to train Artificial intelligence. The nine class action lawsuits, filed in Chicago’s
The Village of Montgomery Beautification Committee proudly announced the winners of its 2026 Arbor Day Poster Contest during the Village Board Meeting held Monday, May 11, at the Village Hall. Each year, the contest invites local students to celebrate the importance of trees through art. This year’s theme was “Our
