As the United States Navy celebrates its 250th anniversary on Oct. 13, it’s a time to commemorate the Liberty ships, which were used for cargo and other utility purposes in WWII.

Column: Community members who wish to learn more about the flora and fauna of the area and who are interested in the work needed to support it are encouraged to check out the Kane County Certified Naturalist information session Nov. 6, writes Patricia MacMillan.

‘If I were the federal government, I’d strongly urge holding off until Thursday,’ she said of the plan to activate troops. But she added, it’s ‘up to them.’

The announcement last week that the Illinois AFL-CIO was withdrawing from the “agreed bill process” at least 40 years after its inception took almost everyone by surprise, but nobody was really shocked.

The Illinois ag sector is vital to the local, state and national economies.

German ancestry is the most prevalent ancestry in the state, and the culture of the German homeland has been a mainstay in Illinois for a century and a half.

Column: Brush pickup begins Monday, Oct. 13, for east side residents and Monday, Oct. 20, for the west side, writes Lori Botterman.

Anyone with a talent for carving or decorating pumpkins won’t want to miss submitting their masterpiece for Ghoulish Gourds on Parade with the St. Charles Park District.

Column: Since many Scandinavians live in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and South Elgin, I would love to hear from anyone who has baked with antler salt, writes Janet Lagerloef.