October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the city of Aurora government is offering a free home internet security course for families. The City of Aurora’s Information Technology Department is collaborating with KnowBe4, the world’s largest internet security awareness training platform, to offer Aurora residents a free home internet security
Halloween is almost here! To gear up, the Aurora Public Library District (APLD) will present a slew of scary, and some not so scary, programs throughout October! To start the Halloween season, our Paranormal Discussion Group for adults will rise from the grave Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at
Whenever I go to a high school or college football game, I cringe at the sight of players on the field, standing as if witless, which they aren’t, looking to the sidelines for instructions from the coaches for the play to call and defense to mount. I fear that coaches
By Jerry Nowicki A case before the Illinois Supreme Court centers on whether a former Super Bowl MVP has a right to learn the identity of a woman who accused him of sexual harassment, allegedly leading to the termination of contracts between his energy services company and a subsidiary of
By Jerry Nowicki The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to consider the laws of the state of California and the U.S. Constitution in ruling on one man’s eligibility to be issued a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card by the Illinois State Police (ISP). The high court heard oral arguments
By Jerry Nowicki The State’s moratorium on enforcement of residential evictions will expire October 3, according to governor JB Pritzker’s latest COVID-19 executive order issued Friday. Pritzker had extended the order each month with minor to substantial revisions since March 2020. The extensions have come in 30-day windows, coinciding with
By Jerry Nowicki Governor JB Pritzker was joined by environmental and social justice activists, union representatives, and lawmakers from both parties Wednesday, Sept. 15 when he signed into law a sweeping energy regulation overhaul that aims to greatly reduce carbon emissions from the energy sector by 2045, while diversifying the
By Peter Hancock The Illinois House Thursday, Sept. 9 voted to accept changes to an ethics bill that governor JB Pritzker had requested, paving the way for it to become law once the governor signs it Thursday’s vote came a little more than a week after an earlier attempt fell
Governor JB Pritzker leads a discussion on passing legislation to protect access to reproductive health care Tuesday, Sept. 14 at Planned Parenthood in Aurora.
By Jerry Nowicki The House sponsor of a long-debated ethics bill that failed in the House recently said she will bring it up for another vote if lawmakers come back to the Capitol within a 15-day constitutional window in which such an action would be allowed. The House leadership decided
By Jerry Nowicki The Illinois House was scheduled to return to Springfield Thursday, Sept. 9 to try again at passing an elusive energy regulation overhaul, days after the governor’s office announced support for a new proposal. It’s the latest push for a legislative accomplishment that has eluded governor JB Pritzker
By Jerry Nowicki The statewide mask mandate indoors is back, and educators and health care professionals will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, governor JB Pritzker announced last week amid an ongoing surge in the pandemic that first arrived in Illinois in March 2020. Beginning Monday this week, indviduals
Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation into law August 20 introduced and passed by assistant House minority leader representative Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, which allows expectant mothers in their third trimester to obtain a free placard for their vehicle valid for 90 days permitting them to park in handicap designated spots throughout
I had lunch the other day with two friends from way back. When we sat down at a public golf course in Prophetstown in northwest Illinois, I realized each of us has been president of a respected statewide organization over many decades. There might be a column here, I thought.
By Peter Hancock A new law in Illinois will make it easier for part-time school and college employees to receive paid family and medical leave. Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill Tuesday lowering the threshold for those workers so that most will be eligible for the benefit after one year
To borrow a popular sports metaphor, 2022 is likely a rebuilding year for an Illinois Republican Party that is on the ropes (can’t get away from sports lingo). To be honest, chances of the GOP winning statewide offices next year are slim, but not impossible. And unless overturned by the
By Jerry Nowicki Within five miles of the scene of a 2019 workplace mass shooting that left six victims dead and five law enforcement officers injured, governor JB Pritzker signed a wide-ranging bill reforming the State’s gun laws Monday at the Aurora Police Department. Advocates for the new law, including
By Jerry Nowicki Illinois will have new COVID-19 guidance on face coverings after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance Tuesday to reflect that even individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 should wear masks while indoors in areas of the country where the virus is surging. CDC
By Jerry Nowicki Democratic Party governor JB Pritzker announced Monday he will seek a second term, joined once again by Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton as a running mate. In a three-minute kickoff video ending with the tagline “strong leadership in tough times,” the governor emphasized his response to the COVID-19
State representative Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, is informing residents of news from the Secretary of State’s Office that driver’s licenses and state ID card expiration dates have been extended. “Many driver’s facilities have experienced high volumes of individuals visiting since facilities have reopened during the pandemic, so the Secretary of State’s
