By Jerry Nowicki Governor JB Pritzker encouraged Illinoisans to complete the 2020 U.S. Census and touted a State investment in youth employment programs Thursday during two public appearances in Rockford. The state has a 66.9% census self-response rate currently. That’s nearly five percentage points better than the 62.1% national rate,
By Jerry Nowicki Hours after filing a court document implicating, but not charging, Illinois’ house speaker Michael Madigan in a years long bribery scheme, federal officials took to the courtyard of the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago on Friday to deliver a message to those engaging in public corruption: “We
By Jason Crane Discussions at the Aurora City Council meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conference platform, included requiring a certified statement of expenses detailing line items to a contractor’s statement and an owner’s statement to be included as part of an amendment to a redevelopment agreement before the City
As part of the National Census Surge Week, Aurora, Elgin, and cities in Kane County are joining forces to literally make some noise about the importance of completing the 2020 Census. With lights, sirens and horns activated, a caravan of vehicles from the Aurora Complete Counts Committee will make a
By Jerry Nowicki The State’s COVID-19 test positivity rate remained at three percent Monday when the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 883 new confirmed cases of the virus. The 30,012 test results reported Monday followed more than 70,000 total reported the previous two days, driving Illinois to more than
By Peter Hancock Illinois House speaker Michael Madigan Thursday, July 9 called for removing statues and portraits of the 19th Century U.S. senator Stephen A Douglas from the Statehouse along with other known slaveholders. “While reading Sidney Blumenthal’s book ‘All the Powers of Earth’ concerning the pre-Civil War period a
Applications for vote-by-mail ballots for the November 3 general election are available. Kane County Clerk John A. Cunningham recently announced applications can be obtained in two ways, online and by paper copy. In a July 2020 letter to Kane County voters, he said the first method is to complete an
By John W. Whitehead What exactly is going on? Is this revolution? Is this anarchy? Is this a spectacle engineered to distract us from the machinations of the police state? Is this a sociological means of re-setting our national equilibrium? Is this a Machiavellian scheme designed to further polarize the
A hot weather streak will bring air temperatures in the 80s and 90s for at least the next two weeks, with some days reaching triple digits the heat index. The city government of Aurora is advising residents to take necessary precautions to stay safe and has opened a centrally-located cooling
By Jerry Nowicki Days after the governor donated $51.5 Million of his personal fortune to a committee supporting a graduated income tax constitutional amendment, a new coalition has begun an effort to defeat the measure. At stake is governor JB Pritzker’s signature policy proposal, a constitutional amendment scrapping the state’s
Now that Illinois has moved into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan, which permits groups of up to 50 to gather, the Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners will resume in-person meetings beginning July 9. Both of the July meetings will be held at Fort Hill Activity Center Multipurpose
By Jason Crane At the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conference platform, the City Council gave consent to approximately 15 agenda items to be voted on at the full City Council meeting next Tuesday. Consent was given to a resolution authorizing the
Get excited, Aurora: It’s census time! You may have heard that April 1 is Census Day, but that is a reference point, not a deadline. You can still complete the census online, by phone, or by mail. The census only comes around once in a decade, so it may not
As both a sign of progress and with an abundance of caution, the city government of Aurora reopened City Hall and other City offices this week to the public with additional safety measures in place. Aurora City Hall, the Aldermen’s Office and the Customer Service Center reopened to the public
A hot weather streak will bring air temperatures in the 80s and 90s for at least the next two weeks, with some days reaching triple digits with the heat index. The city government of Aurora is advising residents to take necessary precautions to stay safe and has opened a centrally-located
By John W. Whitehead “Violence creates many more social problems than it solves…. If they succumb to the temptation of using violence in their struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and our chief legacy to the future will be an endless
Judd Lofchie, real estate broker, attorney, and 10th Ward alderman for Aurora, announced Tuesday, June 30, his intentions to run for mayor. With three years of aldermanic experience and a storied history of community advocacy and support, Lofchie becomes the first to formally announce his entry to Aurora’s mayoral election
The Aurora city government will take time on the Fourth of July Independence Day holiday to pay special tribute to its health care heroes for their stalwart efforts during COVID-19 and their daily sacrifices beyond the pandemic. Aurora mayor Richard C. Irvin announced Tuesday the City’s plans to be host
Mayor Richard Irvin of Aurora gives a briefing Tuesday on the impact of illegal fireworks on the community, including children, the elderly, those with PTSD, and pets.
In accordance with Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Reopening Plan, the city government of Aurora will reopen parks and some outdoor recreational areas. Visitors to the reopened areas should maintain social distance, wear a face covering if adequate social distancing is difficult, and wash their hands thoroughly before and
