Opinion

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.

Caregivers hear all the time about the need to take some time for themselves. Knowing it and doing it can be two different things. But the rewards are worth the effort required to make it happen.

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.

Column: Lately, it’s clear that economic development isn’t just about numbers – it’s about people, place and connection. In short, it’s about community development, writes Melissa Amedeo of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation.

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.

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. 

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 late spiritual writer Henri Nouwen once wrote about the child of a friend asking him how big the heart is. Nouwen responded by spreading his arms out as far as they could go, and telling his young friend “Our hearts are as big as the world.”

Today's column showcases the story behind Charles Russell Lowell's 1859 purchase of the land that would someday become Dixon's Lowell Park.

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.

"For me, (inspiration is) often a comment I hear or read that captures me and demands that I do something with it," Lonny Cain, retired managing editor of The Times in Ottawa, in his weekly PaperWork column.

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

On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth the eleventh American federal holiday. This is the first holiday to obtain legal observance as a federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was designated in 1983.

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

Man thank everyone who helped him after he fell while riding an escalator.

Column: Many attendees of the recent IPW tourism conference are venturing beyond Chicagoland this week on FAM – short for “familiarity” – tours, with one such tour making stops in DeKalb County, writes Bradley Hoey of the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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. 

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.

"No one wants to think about dying, but death educators tell us the best way to deal with our own death is to acknowledge its reality while we are still healthy and full of life," Jerrilyn Zavada Novak writes in her weekly Spirit Matters column.

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.

"But know this. If I ever say to you, 'Good luck.' I really mean it," Lonny Cain, retired managing editor of The Times in Ottawa, writes in his weekly PaperWork column.

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 honor of Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month, the Alzheimer's Association offers tips that all of us can use to help lower our risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

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

"I play guitar. Haphazardly – the best I can. I taught myself just playing on my parents’ porch in Princeton," Todd Volker writes in a Write Team column.

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.

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.

"Believe it or not, one of the highlights of the trip was going to a living, functioning mall. Remember those?" Jerrilyn Zavada Novak writes in her weekly Spirit Matters column.

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 trip to New York always provides stories to tell. Or for starters, a series of observations. Let me share more of my notes," Lonny Cain, retired managing editor of The Times in Ottawa, writes in his weekly column PaperWork.

This is the final part of a five-part series about Dixon’s remarkable role in the Civil War. Today's column focuses on the battle at Chickasaw Bayou on Dec. 28-29, 1862, complete with a list of 44 soldiers from the Illinois 13th who died as a result of the battle.

Column: Trees offer many benefits for both us and the environment. The city of DeKalb is currently offering to help plant trees in the parkways along your roads, writes Rob Srygler of the DeKalb Citizens' Environmental Commission.

"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

As a caregiver, sometimes recognizing that there's a balance between taking care of one's charge and doing things for oneself can be difficult. And sometimes saying no to a function can be a form of self-care.

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

In the early days of Facebook, we were tagged, poked, prodded and issued friend requests. We had no idea why we’re getting poked, tagged and prodded but we knew we liked it, we just weren’t sure why.

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

Column: There’s a certain kind of magic that comes alive in Sycamore when summer arrives, writes Rose Treml of the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce.

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.