By Grace Kinnicutt As omicron surges across the State, governor JB Pritzker warned Monday that hospitalizations are about as high as they were last Winter before vaccines were widely available. About 85% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 across the State are unvaccinated. “It is frustrating and tragic that two years
By Jason Crane At the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday, consent was given to a resolution approving the appointment of Michael Nelson to manager of the Events Division within the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs Department. He will serve as liaison for all city of
January 3, 2022Dear editor; As we enter the new year, many of us are making resolutions. We may be resolving to exercise more often, take up a journaling practice, or choose more vegetables over sweets. This year begins my final year in the Illinois House representing the 97th District and
By Peter Hancock A three-judge federal court panel has upheld the legislative redistricting plan that state lawmakers approved during a special session last summer, thus leaving in place the new maps that will govern state legislative elections for the next 10 years. In their 64-page opinion, released Thursday, Dec. 30,
In her ongoing effort to maintain an open line of communications with both constituents and media, State representative Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, has named veteran television broadcaster Howard Sudberry as her director of communications. “During this important time in our lives, where residents need true and accurate information about not only
By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead Disgruntled mobs. Martial law. A populace under house arrest. A techno-corporate state wielding its power to immobilize huge swaths of the country. A Constitution in tatters. Between the riots, lockdowns, political theater, and COVID-19 mandates, 2021 was one for the history books. In
By Beth Hundsdorfer Community hospitals and health departments in the State will receive help from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IDEMA) to meet the health-care demand during a COVID-19 surge, by adding staff members to provide medical care and provide additional vaccines
By Beth Hundsdorfer Governor JB Pritzker signed a law recently that ends parental notification, a requirement that doctors notify the parents of a minor seeking an abortion. “With reproductive rights under attack across the Nation, Illinois is once again establishing itself as a leader in ensuring access to health care
Congressional representative Sean Casten (IL-06) recently announced that approximately $94 million in new federal funding under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will go to Illinois to make much-needed improvements to O’Hare and Midway airports. O’Hare is set to receive $73,672,455, and Midway will receive $20,245,396. “Thanks to the
By Peter Hancock Minimum wage workers in Illinois will see a boost in their hourly pay to $12 per hour starting January 1, 2022 while tenants in affordable housing units will be allowed to keep pets. Those are just some of the more than 300 new laws that take effect
A member of the Aurora Police Department presents stuffed animals to children at the APD’s stuffed animal giveaway Monday at the Benavides STEAM Academy in East Aurora School District 131.
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council honored Aurora’s Water Production Department Tuesday, Dec. 21 at the Aurora City Council Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting for achieving first place in the Kane County Water Association Water Taste Contest. It is the eighth time Aurora’s water received the award for
By Mavis Bates As a member of the Kane County Board and our American Rescue Plan Committee, I am thrilled to announce Kane County’s Community Support Grant Program. In recognition of the devastating impact felt by our local nonprofit organizations during the COVID-19 public health crisis, the Kane County Board
Is the notion of “One Illinois” a reasonable hope, a noble aspiration, or an impossible dream? The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is inviting Illinois college students to help us examine this theme and other important questions in the coming Spring at the institute’s second Renewing Illinois Summit. The institute
Following an influx of new funding for rejuvenating businesses in districts across Illinois, State representative Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, called attention to $1.7 million dollars in grant opportunities for local businesses in her community. “Businesses have struggled thoughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and many continue to do so,” said Hernandez. “I look
By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead The Christmas story of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one. The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife, Mary, traveled to the little town of
By Jerry Nowicki A State program aims to take a comprehensive approach to ending Illinois’ firearm violence epidemic will be expanded under a law signed Friday by governor JB Pritzker. The Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA) became law in June, but the expansion signed Friday, Dec. 10 clarifies guidelines in
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council honored the Metea Valley High School girls volleyball team Tuesday, Dec. 14 at the Aurora City Council meeting. Metea Valley won the Class 4A State championship last month. It was the School’s first State championship. The Aurora team, with a 40-2 record, defeated
Question: Who’s afraid of Anthony Fauci? Answer: We all should be, because he’s not to be trusted, because he’s not a part of the solution to COVID-19, but a part of the problem. Apparently, president Joe Biden and the Democrats in Congress are afraid of him. There have been calls
By Beth Hundsdorfer In the wake of the Friday night, Dec. 10 storms that left six dead at an Amazon warehouse in downstate Edwardsville, a disaster proclamation was issued Monday for 28 counties in southern and central Illinois. The proclamation will bring personnel or equipment from the Illinois Emergency Management
