Aurora Beacon-News Opinion

David Heatley of Montgomery holds a gift box of his three Chef Heatley's Hot Pepper Farm sauces that won major awards at a national hot sauce expo. (Denise Crosby/The Beacon-News)

Column: Fox Valley chef’s career kicks into high gear as hot sauce champ

By Denise Crosby

May 3, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

David Heatley recently returned from the NYC Hot Sauce Expo, where his creations won four...

From left, Aurora GreenFest founder Mavis Bates and Jazmine Garcia, sustainability coordinator for the city of Aurora, stand in the city's former downtown post office, where GreenFest will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Mavis Bates)

Column: Old Post Office generating new energy for Aurora GreenFest

By Denise Crosby

May 1, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

After sitting unused for five years, the nearly 100-year-old former Aurora Post Office in the...

Kane County Treasurer Chris Lauzen, left, and Aurora Mayor John Laesch, who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum, are both throwing their support behind Lauzen's project, "Love Letters to America." (City of Aurora)

Column: Kane County invited to submit ‘Love Letters to America’ for nation’s 250th anniversary

By Denise Crosby

April 26, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

Love Letters to America is a community storytelling project celebrating America’s 250th birthday with voices...

Tessa Murphy Burke and her son Will have seen "Dear Evan Hansen" multiple times on national tours, but were impressed, said Burke, by the "top notch" production now playing at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. (Emilia Burke)

Column: Paramount Theatre’s ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ message of hope crosses generations

By Denise Crosby

March 16, 2026 at 3:09 p.m.

The musical at the Aurora theater tackles issues including social media, cyberbullying, school culture and...

Ashley Ann Klockenga displays the coffee mug she designed for the city of Naperville, which includes such landmarks as Centennial Beach, the Riverwalk and the Centennial Carillon/Moser Tower. (Ashley Ann Klockenga)

Donna Vickroy: Local artist designs coffee mugs that celebrate hometown pride

By Donna Vickroy

March 12, 2026 at 8:59 p.m.

Every town has hometown pride, which may be why mugs made by Ashley Ann Klockenga...

Tony Galvez of Aurora, who died March 5 at age 37, formed a nonprofit to raise money for children with disabilities and life-threatening illnesses, and was named a Volunteer of the Year by Serve Illinois in 2025 (Casildo "Casey" Cuevas)

Column: ‘There are not enough words’ to describe the life and legacy of Tony Galvez of Aurora, who died at 37

By Denise Crosby

March 10, 2026 at 4:26 p.m.

After surviving so many health scares of his own, an apparent heart attack took Jose...

Up until Thursday, March 5, 2026, when a short-term agreement between the village of Sugar Grove and Sugar Grove Township led to temporary repairs, many deep potholes were creating safety issues on the Hankes Road Bridge, in large part because of a 37-year dispute over who owns the road surface. (Denise Crosby/The Beacon-News)

Column: Hankes Road Bridge in need of solution to decades-long dispute

By Denise Crosby

March 8, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Those darn bridges. Why is it that things tend to get confusing when it comes...

Column: Plano basketball game incident a reminder to parents to play it cool

By Denise Crosby

March 5, 2026 at 5:08 p.m.

Incident yet another example of parents across the country behaving badly at youth sports events.

Jim MacRunnels, second from right, joins his "posse" of athletes at a Christmas party at Bootleggers Bar, Grill and Pizza in Maple Park in December of 2024. He died the following November but his commitment to Special Olympics will be long remembered. (Colleen MacRunnels)

Column: Maple Park pub corner a sign of love Fox Valley Special Rec has for its late ‘fearless leader’

By Denise Crosby

March 4, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

When Jim MacRunnels passed away, the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association lost more than a...

Hesed House Executive Director Joe Jackson leads his team toward a known homeless encampment on Jan. 25, 2024, during the 2024 Point in Time count of the homeless in Aurora. Jackson has announced he is leaving Hesed House to take on a new role with the Association for Individual Development. (Troy Stolt/Chicago Tribune)

Column: Leadership change at Hesed House in Aurora with Joe Jackson taking on new role at AID

By Denise Crosby

March 2, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Hesed House Executive Director Joe Jackson is leaving the shelter to take on a new...

Jerry Skinner of Aurora holds a refund check for building violations from the city of Aurora that was refunded to him in a settlement after he took his case to the Second District Appellate Court. (Dave Houghtaling)

Column: Aurora repays property owner nearly $30,000 in fines after appellate court admonishment

By Denise Crosby

March 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

This is a story where the little guy wins.

World War II veteran Richard Williams, who died in January a few months short of his 100th birthday, stands in front of the Veterans Memorial at Phillips Park in Aurora in 2015. The inscription at the top of the monument was written by Williams, a poet, at the request of the memorial committee. (Christine Williams)

Column: World War II vet Richard Williams remembered for poetry and patriotism

By Denise Crosby

February 22, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

The longtime Aurora resident who died Jan. 25 just a few months shy of his...

Hana Berger Moran shows LeRoy "Pete" Petersohn of Aurora some of the scars from her three weeks inside Mauthausen Concentration Camp when the two were reunited in 2005 during the 60th anniversary of the death camp's liberation. Petersohn died in 2010. His story of being one of the first to liberate the concentration camp was told on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, on the TV show "60 Minutes" on CBS. (Brian Petersohn)

Column: World War II death camp liberator from Aurora featured on ‘60 Minutes’

By Denise Crosby

February 18, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

LeRoy "Pete" Petersohn, who died in 2010, carried a lifetime of trauma from his experiences...