Category: Government

Robert J. O’Connor, alderman-at-large of Aurora, declines to run again

Robert J. O’Connor, alderman-at-large on the Aurora City Council, announced Wednesday, Aug. 26 that he will not be a candidate for reelection in the 2021 Spring elections. O’Connor is serving in his ninth term, first elected in 1985. O’Connor indicated that he has truly enjoyed his service on the Council

Aurora COW speakers offer opposing opinions on police gear

By Jason Crane At the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conferencing platform, the City Council listened to two opposing opinions from Aurora residents. The discussion was for resolution 20-0431 to purchase 150 complete sets of personal protective equipment (riot gear) at

Loose tea, sunflowers, ragweed, tomatoes: SWAT raids

By John W. Whitehead Backyard gardeners, beware: Tomato plants have become collateral damage in the government’s war on drugs, especially marijuana. In fact, merely growing a vegetable garden on your own property, or in a greenhouse on your property, or shopping at a gardening store for gardening supplies, incredibly enough,

Kite Fly Event Canceled in Light of Increasing COVID-19 Cases in Will County

Naperville Park District has canceled the Kite Fly event, which was scheduled for from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Sunday, Aug. 30 at Frontier Sports Complex, due to the elevated COVID-19 positivity rate in Will County. Although this is an outdoor event, based on participations at previous kite fly events, the

Grant Wehrli, three fellow State Republicans, seek to restart meetings

By Rebecca Anzel Four Republican lawmakers implored the co-leaders of a bipartisan, bicameral and multi-branch panel designed to present ethics and lobbying reform proposals to restart meetings that have stalled since the novel coronavirus outbreak. The call, made during an online news conference Monday by the Joint Commission on Ethics

Governor’s team missed newspapers’ capability in mask push

By Sam R Fisher Governor JB Pritzker hired a great deal of expert talent to guide his new $5 million “It Only Works if You Wear It” campaign to encourage Illinoisans to wear a mask. But the campaign apparently isn’t spending a dime on print advertising in newspapers. Instead, it’s

Reasons listed on census to those residents who need help

So many changes can happen in 10 years. The 1980s saw the first cellular phones, Nintendo Entertainment System, IBM and Macintosh computers, and compact disks. The 1990s exploded with the introduction of the world wide web, texting, and DVDs. Between 2000 and 2010, Facebook, YouTube, flash drives, and cameras in

Aurora City Council: Computers approved for Aurora Police, Fire, Departments

By Jason Crane The Aurora city government City Council meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conferencing platform, included more than 10 individuals concerned with the City’s plan to purchase 150 complete sets of riot gear for the Aurora police. Aurora resident Jordan Jeffries said he would like aldermen to vote

Future of ‘we the people’ fixed to hard work, Constitution

By John W. Whitehead And so it begins again, the never-ending, semi-delusional, train-wreck of an election cycle in which the American people allow themselves to get worked up into a frenzy over the misguided belief that the future of this Nation, nay, our very lives, depends on who we elect

Peach Recall Expands Due to Potential Health Hazard

The Kane County Health Department is advising that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners, is investigating an ongoing multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections potentially linked to peaches packed or supplied by Prima Wawona or

Illinois Senate GOP demands governor open Department of Employment Security (IDES) offices

By Rebecca Anzel Ten frustrated Republican Party senators demanded governor JB Pritzker allow State offices tasked with processing unemployment claims to reopen in a letter sent exactly five months after Illinois’ first stay-at-home order was issued. The Department of Employment Security was widely reported to struggle with the historic influx

Illinois making final push to increase census participation

By Raymon Troncoso The Illinois Department of Human Services said the State is poised to have one of the top census response rates in the country despite two tumultuous months of changing deadlines as determined by the Donald Trump administration. Illinois sits at a 69.1% self-response rate as of Thursday,

Whither the Illinois GOP in a post-Jim Thompson world

The recent passing of Illinois Republican governor Jim Thompson (1977-1990) begs the question: Can the Illinois Republican Party ever again capture the governor’s office? The only answer I can come up with is, unfortunately: Not likely, but not impossible. Here’s why. Jim Thompson served four terms, twice as many as