Column

According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, out-of-staters spent more than $1 million per day on recreational marijuana in 2024, accounting for 22.35% of annual sales.

It’s a homecoming of sorts. My very first newspaper job, not counting a paper route for the Tinley Park Star back in the 90s, was as a reporter at the La Salle NewsTribune.

Column: Summer is in full swing, and with it comes sunshine, smiles and plenty of opportunities to make memories right here in DeKalb. One such highlight is the 13th Annual Family Fun Fest on July 16, writes Anna Wilson of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.

This week marks the anniversary of Gettysburg, the most famous battle of the Civil War.

Lovina's “English” friend, Ruth, shares news of Verena and Daniel Ray's wedding day.

Congress must act now to make sure the nation’s next Postmaster General is not the last one.

Column: Kishwaukee United Way’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved the allocation of $100,000 for fiscal 2026, meant to support basic needs of area residents, writes Michele Vaughn.

He won a second term in 2022 capturing almost 55% of the vote, helping pace a Democratic sweep of statewide offices where the average victory margin was about 520,000.

This also is a story about procedure, because SB 328 is a textbook example for understanding the concepts of “shell bill,” “gut and replace” and the “enrolled bill doctrine.”

In that simple act of observation lies true freedom – and a calmer, more joyful life.

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster talks about a milestone birthday for her cat, Beach, as well as a unique volunteer opportunity with a local animal rescue. 

More legislators than you may realize have received credible threats of violence or have been stalked. Most refuse to talk about it for the record, but those shootings showed what could’ve happened to them and what still may happen in the future.

Make better choices and avoid these problems, right? That’s a lot easier to say from outside the courthouse.

Blood sugar spikes can influence your health even if you do not have diabetes or pre-diabetes.

The Trump administration has announced plans to discontinue minting new pennies, citing the cost of producing the 1-cent coins in relation to their value and importance in the U.S. currency system. 

Your local library card can get you access to all kinds of eBooks, movies and more in the digiverse.

I wanted to get to know Verena and Daniel Ray better as a couple, and thought maybe you did also, so today I visited with them for a bit and asked them some questions.

The issues here are specifically related to abortion and immigration, but privacy advocates could provide a detailed list of reasons anyone who drives in Illinois should be concerned about what the government knows and how well that information is protected.

Parks are ideal venues for physical activity, encouraging individuals to engage in regular exercise. Ultimately, parks serve as vital resources that support both mental and physical health, fostering healthier and more active communities.

When it comes to political violence, sadly, numb is normal, Scott Holland writes

Will Tier 2 pension changes be the defining political fight of 2025?

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster reflects on the music of The Beach Boys and the talented legacy of frontman Brian Wilson. 

There’s no practical restitution for the damages inflicted on Illinois by Mike Madigan, Scott Holland writes. Absent fully dismantled levers of power, this sentence isn’t the final chapter on Statehouse corruption

The Battle of Bunker Hill is one of the legendary engagements of the American Revolution, though it is full of misconceptions and oddities. Not only was it fought on a different hill, but its famous catchphrase was likely never uttered. 

Several extensive public infrastructure projects are underway in the Sauk Valley region, and project managers are working diligently to keep them moving forward.

Yesterday was a busy work day here. A lot of jobs were completed for the upcoming wedding of daughter Verena and Daniel Ray.

It’s good to think globally, but don’t leave out acting locally. We need you. Learn from those old seekers and do better this time. You can do it.

Paying attention to IDFPR can be quite instructive in terms of what’s happening in a community and understanding the ways in which Springfield attempts (and sometimes fails) to operate.

The burr oak at Hickory Knolls Natural Area is 240 years old and is 90 feet from branch tip to branch tip, the length of the world’s largest animal – the blue whale, Patricia MacMillan of the St. Charles Park District writes in her column.

The role of the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office is to uphold and protect the right to protest – while also ensuring the safety of all participants, bystanders and the broader community.

I’m reasonably sure there’s no suggestion box at the Statehouse, but surely voters have dozens of other ideas for ways to improve Springfield’s efficiency.

There are plenty of offseason championship jokes to go around Chicago, but the Bears did do some major heavy lifting since the end of a dysfunctional 2024 season, Marc Silverman writes

In this weekend’s “A Taylor-Made Life,” Taylor Leddin-McMaster shares some local gift ideas for Father's Day.

Ultimately both sets, whether macro or micro, require substantial dot connecting to yield policy recommendations.

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

Human beings tend to wait until the last minute to do things. But the leaders need to start enforcing earlier deadlines for giant issues like this energy proposal so they can deal with other time-sensitive things (the budget and revenues, for instance) at the end.

The methods we’ve selected have some noticeable shortcomings, and if the process impedes progress, then it might be time to reevaluate the rules of engagement.

DeWalt: A few years ago, I tried a recipe for “smashed” roasted potatoes. After smashing, the potatoes get drizzled with oil or butter, seasoned, then they go into the oven to roast. The result is a crispy disc of deliciousness.

One hundred and thirty years ago, in 1895, the first United States Open golf tournament was played. Illinois has a longer history with the event than most. 

We have entered the month of June. Oh goodness, I am actually getting nervous with the wedding of my daughter Verena and Daniel Ray being in 18 days.

A multi-sport complex at Proviso West High School in Hillside may be a great community investment. But it’s not more important than life safety issues elsewhere, and the GOP won’t let House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch shirk the spotlight.

"A candidate’s past margin of victory says nothing about the relative weight of mail-in ballots received after Election Day – and thus the strategic importance of extended poll-watching operations."

The Bears have changed course more than they’ve changed quarterbacks, Marc Silverman writes

Perhaps if the Virginia Burgesses knew they could profit from gambling, sports books wouldn’t have operated under the table for hundreds of years.

Every word you speak shapes the path ahead. So talk like someone who’s going somewhere.

Under the Senate’s plan, the Regional Transportation Authority would become the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, a better name than before provided you can get past all the territory in the northern part of the state that would still be on the outside looking in.

For quite a while now, most folks in politics have assumed that Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Comptroller Susana Mendoza will probably run for mayor of Chicago in 2027.

Forty-five years ago this spring, the eruption of Mount St. Helens in southwestern Washington captured the attention of the nation and dominated the airwaves for weeks.  

Happy 54th birthday, Mom. I wanted to thank you for all you have taught me.

There’s no way to fully satisfy either camp, underscoring the importance of making sure government functions adequately for enough voters to strike a balance.