Two important documents were the highlight of the Sycamore City Council meeting on Monday. The council unanimously passed the 2005-200 fiscal-year budget of more than $34.1 million. The budget appropriates $6.8 million to capital programs, including $1.3...

Gov. Blagojevich has proposed a $440 million increase in funding for K-12 education to take place by 2006. The Higher Standards Better Schools plan will increase funding and raise graduation requirements for all Illinois public schools, said Gerardo Cardenas,...

Similar street names can lead to confusing situations for police and fire emergencies. The DeKalb City Council changed the name of the newly-developed Grand Avenue to St. Andrew’s Drive at the request of the DeKalb fire department. Grand Avenue shared...

For many, the thought of granting three wishes is something to be left in storybooks. But to some children in Illinois and Wisconsin, their genies in a bottle will be NIU professor Todd Buck and his brother Bob. The Buck brothers are planning a 4,500...

Students and residents soon will be able to once again enjoy coffee and live local music at The House. The House, 263 Lincoln Highway, was sold to associate music professor Fareed Haque, who is excited about reopening his favorite DeKalb hangout. "I have...

Every Friday evening at the intersection of 1st Street and Lincoln Highway, about 20 to 30 members of the DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice meet to protest the war in Iraq. Members are armed with signs such as, "War is not the answer" and...

While neatly wrapped presents may not be on the agenda, city officials are hoping DeKalb’s 150th birthday celebrations next year prove to be a benefit to the city. The celebrations will aim to focus on DeKalb’s historical highlights as well as bring...

With the fall harvest season approaching, some Illinois farmers are choosing to plant crops that require a little more pruning instead of repetitive planting. Growing grape-producing vines has become an option for more local farmers because of the good...

Conservative lawmakers introduced the 2005 Constitution Restoration Act in March, reviving the age-old battle between states’ rights and federal government. After a year ripe with controversy over states’ rights, such as the sodomy case in Texas and...

The Greek Row Task Force discussed plans to assess the safety of the housing exteriors and landscape of Greek Row. As part of improving safety along the area, the task force discussed implementing the Safety Through Environmental Design, said Sue Guio,...

DES PLAINES, Ill. (AP) - Open a newspaper and find stories about people suing McDonald's because its food supersized them, its coffee burned them and its fries were secretly cooked in beef-flavored oil. Turn to the dictionary for a word that means low-paying,...

Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss came to the Rosecrance addictions facility in Rockford, Monday to console recovering drug and alcohol addicts. Earlier in life, Dreyfuss was an addict using an assortment of drugs, and he described his recovery as...