My mother penned the Amish Cook column for 11 years. I was a teenager at home when she started writing. After her sudden death on Sept. 17, 2002, I started writing.

Column: With grass growing slower and leaves starting to drop, our lawn care shifts from beautifying to cleaning up and preparing for the cold winter ahead, writes Rob Srygler of DeKalb's Citizens' Environmental Commission.

Column: Homecoming is just around the corner, and as Executive Director of the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau and an NIU alumnus, I can barely contain my excitement, writes Cortney Strohacker.

Column: On Wednesday, Oct. 8, the public is invited to join the “Makers on the Move” Bus Tour as it stops in DeKalb County to celebrate centennial manufacturers and farms, writes Melissa Amedeo.

The beloved "Peanuts" comic strip debuted 75 years ago on Oct. 2; two of the original four characters were written out.

I enjoy a coffee with a Long John roll. I made two batches on Friday and took some along for family night. I told the family they are Short John rolls because I made them short. Haha!

Abraham Lincoln’s connections to Ottawa were not limited to his 1858 debate with Stephen A. Douglas. He was also a staunch supporter of the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

I canned more V-8 last week, but the garden season is slowing down. I have red beets yet to can into pickled beets. Also, another round of tomatoes that I will can into tomato chunks.

Dog n Suds was a popular choice for fast food in the 1960s and 1970s, and remains a recognized root beer brand today. A co-founder of the chain was formerly a high school music teacher in Illinois.