By Peter Hancock Financial aid is about to start flowing for Illinois businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity published emergency rules this week to implement the Business Interruption Grant program, or BIG. Those rules took effect July 21 when they
The recent admission by behemoth electric utility Commonwealth Edison that it repeatedly bribed minions of Illinois House speaker Mike Madigan for years (of course, Madigan knew nothing about all this; sure, right) was breath-taking for its brazenness. The bribery is a classic example of otherwise upright citizens fueling the culture
By Peter Hancock Republicans in the Illinois House Tuesday, July 21 called on Democratic governor JB Pritzker to convene a special session of the General Assembly to focus on ethics reform. During a video news conference, repsentatives Grant Wehrli, Deanne Mazzochi, and Dan Ugaste said there is an urgent need
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 Peter Hancock The State has released new guidelines for schools, colleges, and universities to return to in-person learning in the Fall as the State prepares to enter Phase 4 of governor JB Pritzker’s reopening plan Friday, June 26. During a news conference Tuesday in Chicago, Pritzker said every school,
To whom it may concern: Notice is hereby given that the regularly-scheduled Committee of the Whole meetings for Tuesday, April 7, and Tuesday, April 21, in Aurora are canceled. Dated this 6th day of April, 2020. /s/Richard C. IrvinRichard C. IrvinMayor/s/JenniferJennifer StallingsCity clerk
By Peter Hancock The Illinois comptroller’s office borrowed $105 Million from various funds in March, in large part so it could make bigger-than-normal payments to hospitals as they brace for the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak later this month. But Illinois comptroller Susana Mendoza is advising all State vendors that
Kane County Clerk John A. Cunningham has certified the final election results from the March 17, 2020 General Primary Election. Following the canvass of all ballots, including vote by mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, the election results for all contests, from president down to local races, and
Kane County clerk John A. Cunningham announced that the County Clerk’s Office will operate by appointment only at the Clerk’s Geneva location, 719 S. Batavia Avenue, Building B, until further notice. The Aurora location was closed temporarily March 24. Residents who wish to make appointment should call the Clerk’s Office
Martin Lyons, the city government of Aurora’s chief financial officer/city treasurer explains a resolution authorizing the City to repay a line of credit to save money at the Aurora Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday.
By PETER HANCOCK A bipartisan group of lawmakers is proposing strict new limits on health insurance policies that require patients to receive “prior authorization” from the company before they can receive certain treatments, tests or prescription drugs. It’s a common practice under most health plans, one originally intended to hold
By REBECCA ANZEL First, there were cordless phones and text messages. Then, internet access and video calls. Now, wireless’s fifth generation will drive mobile phone speeds even faster and allow for advances in telemedicine and management of traffic signals, for example, according to the Federal Communications Commission. But two lawmakers,
By PETER HANCOCK A group of Republican lawmakers said Tuesday, Feb. 18 they want to see internal reforms at the Department of Children and Family Services in addition to the increased funding that Democratic governor JB Pritzker is expected to propose. Pritzker is scheduled to deliver his annual budget address
The Village of Oswego invites residents to join Village president Troy Parlier for coffee from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at Oswego Village Hall. Winter Coffee with the Mayor offers residents the opportunity to chat with Village president Parlier, ask questions, enjoy coffee and light snacks, and
At the December 12 meeting, the Naperville Park District Board of Park Commissioners voted to adopt the 2020 Budget and appropriation ordinance. A draft budget was posted on the District’s website for a 30-day public review period. The approved budget reflects the District’s commitment to providing excellent parks, facilities, and
By John W. Whitehead By all means, let’s talk about impeachment. To allow the president, or any rogue government agency or individual to disregard the rule of law whenever, wherever, and however it chooses, and operate above the law is exactly how a nation of sheep gives rise to a
Emma Newburger, of CNBC Make It, wrote: “Despite gains, the U.S. ranks 75th globally in women’s representation in government. “When president Donald Trump praised the record number of women in Congress at his (most recent) State of the Union address, female lawmakers, many clad in white to honor the suffrage
By John W. Whitehead “Am I going to get shot again.” —Two-year-old survivor of a police shooting that left his three siblings, ages one, four, and five, with a bullet in the brain, a fractured skull, and gun wounds to the face. Children learn what they live. Family counselor Dorothy
By John W. Whitehead “Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other.… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” — James Madison Eventually, all military empires fall and
