A wrapper or cigarette butt might seem small, but multiplied across blocks of sidewalks, it reshapes how a downtown feels. Once a month from March to October, volunteers step up to change that in Sterling, cleaning it up and building friendships in the process.

Woman of Influence Beth Pertl shines with her commitment to success in business, community and wellness.

From farmers markets to boardwalk shops and everything between, creativity blooms in Kane County fashion.

Take a closer look at your wealth management with Kane County Magazine's My Advisor & Planner.

Why a serious lack of "cool" is key.

From sandwich sales to scholarships, Morrison High School’s Key Club is showing how student volunteers are shaping leadership, community and opportunity.

From early settlers to current football coaches, Prophetstown has launched lives that shaped the world. They're local leaders, inventors, artists and athletes who built and represented the town well, showing how hometown roots can leave a big mark.

Rap and rock. Country and blues. Hip-hop and pop. Folk and fun. Many ingredients make up the musical gumbo that five guys – including those from Morrison and Fulton – are mixing together, and they’ll be in concert this summer in Sterling, Savanna and Cordova.

Nicole Olinger didn’t plan to build a photography business, but she held on to moments. The Prophetstown photographer found purpose in preserving senior years, sports milestones and memories families don’t want to forget.

This Kane County Woman of Influence makes her mark facilitating happiness and mentoring other professionals amid her own business management.

Learn more about how local experts are taking your home aesthetic to the next level.

Communities can come together and solve anything with kindness and understanding.

Utilize the final frontier in your home to fit your needs and more.

What some call junk, Melissa Hull calls possibility. Inside her downtown Morrison studio, discarded items become art, and the creative itch in others is inspired.

Spray tan business owner Caitlin O'Connor has studios in Dixon and Polo, and has become part of wedding mornings – helping brides feel comfortable, natural and camera-ready for their big day before they ever step into their dresses.

Once an aging farm, an Oregon wedding venue is now a lovingly restored getaway where a mother-and-daughter team shape wedding weekends through antiques, photo nooks, heartfelt management and a devotion to making magic happen.

Learn more about this Kane County Woman of Influence — an integral professional and expert at Sage Healing Collective in St. Charles.

Check out the latest and greatest fashion trends on the rack this spring and summer.

Two Geneva women took the matter of a functional and stylish bag into their own hands.

When the chains in old farm equipment break, dealers often say, “No parts.” A Dixon business says otherwise, and farmers nationwide are dialing in to keep old iron running.

Find out how to make your front porch your next favorite spot.

Campus life reborn: A long-quiet part of Mount Carroll is filling with life again. Shimer Square blends housing, jobs and services into the town’s former campus.

Push open the door at a Galena pub and Illinois quietly disappears. What's inside? Irish wood shipped overseas, crowd-pulling music, history-rooted stories and a sense of welcome that treats strangers like family.

Play, learn and discover with St. Charles Park District.

Explore this unique boutique store in Batavia dedicated to vintage wares and wonders.

Learn more about the wine festival coming to Batavia.

Bold creative Steve Sherrell is an artist between tradition and progress.

Once a month, a Savanna museum comes alive after going dark. Candlelight, live music, poetry and neighbors share the room for a small-town concert series, turning the museum into one of Savanna’s most anticipated nights.

Before the first tee time, Tim Throop is already watching Lake Carroll's golf course breathe. Since the late 1970s, he’s seen storms, droughts, wildlife and change on the course, but he enjoys having something new to work on every day.

One proud papa: A Savanna restaurateur has taken on an alter ego and is making a business out of his grandkids'-inspired nickname. Meet "Papa Chubby" and his food – keeping customers coming back hungry, and leaving full.

An 80-year-old ag equipment company in Oregon is still shaping land and lives. At Woods Equipment, the machines matter, but the people who use them matter more.

The Geneva Public Library staff help make choosing your next read a snap.

Learn more about some simple yet necessary steps to taking better care of your skin.

Let the experts help pick out a flattering, fairy tale dream for you to wear on your wedding day.

Rethinking rural homes: Barndominiums look like barns, but live like homes. More rural families are choosing post-frame living, and an Indiana company is building them throughout the Midwest.

Explore local venues sure to wow guests and make your special day one that will last forever in time.

Don't miss JULIETS Weekend, a celebration of women and all the unique shops and eateries that make up the heart of downtown Geneva.

A year after opening, Morrison High School’s greenhouse is growing more than plants — it’s also growing their connections to food, as well as leadership and research.

The strength of this local service company just keeps growing after more than a century of dependability.

This legacy company is precise and dependable for all your fencing needs.

Turning the wheel: When a Chadwick woman's full-time job seemed to reach the bottom of her financial cup, she turned to a refill of an opportunity – serving lattes, smoothies and energy drinks from a truck.

Add warmth and atmosphere to your space with a local institution you can trust.

The past isn’t locked behind glass Carroll County. It lives in stone walls, school desks, train cars and family stories saved by neighbors who refused to let them disappear. A road trip through the county’s museums reveals how ordinary lives shaped the place we know today.

From Me to We: A Sterling husband-and-wife financial team helps soon-to-be newlyweds blend their habits, hopes and histories into a shared plan for lifelong stability.

From breezy afternoon games to tournament wins and travel-ready paddles, more people are embracing the growing sport of pickleball – whose quick learning curve and social energy keep drawing more players to the net. There are many places to play throughout northwest Illinois.

Let the experts help you choose the best time of year for your nuptials.

Learn more about Impact Massage Therapy's calming atmosphere in St. Charles.

Suburban Superdad reflects on some of life’s quiet earthquakes.

Find out how soundtracks are trending for couples saying "I do."

Step through the door at Basil Tree and time quietly rearranges itself. Inside one of Dixon’s oldest buildings, familiarity meets flexibility, from candlelit tables to hundreds of pasta possibilities, all built around making people feel at home.