The City of Aurora government’s Water Production Division has discovered elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes. Between January 2026 and June 2026, the City of Aurora’s Water Production Division collected 100 samples of water and analyzed them for lead. More than 10% of the samples collected
By Tara SunMedill Illinois News Bureaunews@capitolnewsillinois.com With the growing season well underway in Illinois, farmers once again are struggling to turn an abundant harvest into survival. In 2025, family farm bankruptcies surged 46% Nationwide — reaching 315 filings and marking the third consecutive year of increases. The Midwest recorded 121
By Jenna SchweikertCapitol News Illinoisjschweikert@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Department of Corrections is officially planning to rebuild both Logan and Stateville correctional centers in Crest Hill, dashing locals’ hopes that the State would rebuild Logan at its current Lincoln location. The Friday, June 5, announcement comes two years after government JB Pritzker
By Brenden Moore & Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Hours after Illinois lawmakers failed to approve a stadium incentives structure aimed at keeping the Chicago Bears in Illinois, governor JB Pritzker acknowledged that the “pride and joy of Illinois” may take a deal to build a football palace in Indiana. That
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
Construction and upgrades to convert three Oswego well sites into Lake Michigan water receiving stations is expected to begin this spring and progress east. WaterLink, in partnership with the DuPage Water Commission, is constructing a 30-mile pipeline to expand Lake Michigan water service to Oswego, the Village of Montgomery, and
The City of Aurora government and the Aurora Fire Department will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the City’s two newest fire stations Thursday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Station 9, 500 N. Eola Road, and Station 13, 1701 Bilter Road. Both stations
State representative Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, and State senator Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, recently visited the site of a new water tower in North Aurora, a project they worked to include within the state’s 2026 budget to ensure accessible drinking water for residents and businesses. “The weather may be dreary, but the
The City of Aurora’s Water Production Division has discovered elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes. Between July 2025 and December 2025, the City of Aurora’s Water Production Division collected 100 samples of water and analyzed them for lead. More than 10% of the samples collected exceeded
By Maggie DoughertyCapitol News Illinoismdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com Editor’s note: A correction was made to the current return on equity approved by the ICC in 2023 was supposed to be 9.38%, not 5.5%. Peoples Gas on Monday filed a $202.3 million rate hike request with the Illinois Commerce Commission, sparking public outcry and
By Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois’ electric grids may soon face power shortages and further price increases as fossil fuel plants go offline and data centers fueling the rise of artificial intelligence demand ever-increasing amounts of power. That’s the conclusion of a new report by three state agencies that foreshadows
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois lawmakers approved new funding for public transportation agencies without large statewide tax increases previously proposed. Instead, the measure would be fueled by revenue sources that currently feed the state’s Road Fund and an increased sales tax targeted to the Chicago area. The bill frustrated
Time was, you could catch the interurban trolley at Main and Washington streets in downtown Oswego and, with inexpensive transfers, ride electric lines all the way east to the Atlantic Coast and all the way west to the Mississippi River. That era will be brought to life once again at
If you haven’t been to Aurora Public Library District’s Eola Road Branch in a while, there’s a lot going on! So much has happened since we first shared our renovation plans with the community summer of 2024. Thanks to all the work that’s been done, we are happy to announce
By Andrew AdamsCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans earlier this month curtailed federal tax incentives for the solar energy industry and for individuals and companies that purchase solar panels. The move sent shockwaves through the industry nationwide, pulling key incentives for major projects and residential rooftop solar
Famous Oswego house, “The Pillars,” is being torn down after it caught on fire more than one year ago.
With the winter heating season kicking off, Illinois State representative Jed Davis condemned the staggering impracticality of replacing the state’s coal-fired power plants with “clean” energy by 2045, calling the current law “an alarming disregard for Illinois’ energy costs and land-use realities.” Using solar farms as an example of “clean”
By Andrew AdamsCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois utilities are set to invest more than a billion dollars into upgrading the state’s electric distribution grid, resulting in higher rates for customers around the state. The Illinois Commerce Commission on Thursday approved scaled-back plans submitted by Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois, the electric
By Andrew AdamsCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com With nearly half a million dollars of state funding, a new electric vehicle charging station opened in Joliet on Monday. It is the first of hundreds of charging stations set to be installed over the next 18 months as part of a state-funded grant program.
The DuPage Water Commission (DWC) announced Monday, Oct. 21, they have signed contracts to provide Lake Michigan drinking water to the Kendall County communities of Montgomery, Oswego, and Yorkville (WaterLink project). The communities are currently served with water from the Ironton-Galesville aquifer, which will be insufficient to provide water for
