For the first time since 2019, the City of Aurora, in partnership with the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, will host a Fiestas Patrias Parade, set to take place Sunday, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m.. The Parade, which celebrates Mexican Independence Day and the City’s vibrant Hispanic culture, is returning
Crowds fill Benton Street, from River Street to Broadway, at Aurora’s inaugural Summer Food Truck Festival July 18.
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council unanimously approved a motion to hold the vote for a 1% tax on grocery items until the August 26 City Council meeting. Hundreds of municipalities throughout the State have approved ordinances to impose a local tax to replace the State tax. The Illinois
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, This week, we’ll finish the history of Aurora’s bridges. The bridges over the Fox River in Aurora, have significantly impacted the City’s development and character. Bridges were initially built to overcome the Fox River, connecting the east and west sides of Aurora, to enable easier
The Aurora City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Stacey Peterson to serve as the City’s new chief financial officer (CFO) and City treasurer. Peterson, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the departure of former CFO Chris Minick, is a 26-year veteran of City Hall, initially beginning
The Aurora City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Jason Bauer to serve as the City’s new director of Public Works and City engineer. Bauer, who had been serving as the interim director of Public Works and interim City engineer since March, was appointed to permanently fill the role following
City of Aurora mayor, John Laesch, is set to kick off a City-wide listening tour, inviting residents to offer valuable feedback on the future of the City. The Community Listening & Action Town Hall Tour will take place on four consecutive Saturdays, to begin July 26. Each week, the workshops
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council is considering approval of a 1% tax on grocery items, and doubling the Hotel Occupancy Tax rate from 3% to 6%. Hundreds of municipalities throughout the State have approved ordinances to impose a local tax to replace the State tax. The Illinois state
By Ricky Rieckert Welcome readers, As we start this week, I was pleased to see the last edition, with my birthday, July 10, on it. I received several phone calls, texts and cards from several people. To them: Thank-you. This week, as promised, we’ll be looking at the history of
Fourth of July parade grand marshal, Hugo Saltijeral, center, waves to the crowd in downtown Aurora, July 4.
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council approved an ordinance amending Sec. 2-277(c) of the Code of Ordinances pertaining to the qualifications of the department heads of the City, at the Tuesday, July 8, City Council meeting. Ward 2 alderwoman, Juany Garza, and Ward 10 alderwoman, Shweta Baid, voted against
Patriotic inflatables and mini-U.S. flags are on display outside a service station on Aurora’s west side celebrate America’s upcoming July 4 holiday.
Aurora police officer, Gerardo Chaidez, was honored by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police at the Aurora Committee of the Whole meeting, Tuesday, July 1. January 19, 2024, Officer Chaidez was dispatched to a call of a dog viciously attacking a girl. When he arrived, he very quickly assessed
Mayor of Aurora, John Laesch, presents a banner to Hugo Saltijeral, center, 4th of July Parade Grand Marshal for this year.
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, As we start a new week, I want to add some information from a subscriber friend, Tom, about Jackson Street at North Avenue and to the north. He texted me that on the southeast corner of Jackson Street and the jog for North Avenue, was
The Aurora City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Yordana Wysocki to serve as the City’s new chief legal officer and Alison Lindburg to serve as the City’s first-ever director of sustainability. Wysocki comes to the City following an impressive 20-plus-year career in local government law. She previously served as
A document shred event for residents of Aurora Wards 4, 5, and 6 will take place Saturday, June 28, from 8 a.m. to noon at Jefferson Middle School, 1151 Plum Street. Cosponsors are aldermen Jonathan Nunez, Ward 4; Carl Franco, Ward 5; and Mike Saville, Ward 6.Residents are invited to
By Ricky Rieckert Dear readers, this week we’ll start on the northwest corner of S. Broadway and North Avenue in Aurora. Today, the corner is a Citgo gas station and mini-mart. Before that, it was a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). KFC had two locations in Aurora, S. Broadway and N.
Some things are priceless. One of those things is pride in community. It would be hard to put a price tag on feeling valued, welcome, and respected. Although I only attended a few flag-raisings held by the city in downtown Aurora, I always saw their worth for many reasons. The
Aurora mayor John Laesch, alongside City of Aurora officials, were host to the first listening session of the new Mayoral Administration Thursday, focusing on the future of downtown Aurora. “Let’s Talk Downtown: A Community Conversation” started mayor Laesch’s City-wide listening tour, in which Laesch will speak directly with residents, businesses,
