Aurora Beacon-News Opinion

Column: Questions remain after AVAC controversy but missions to help vets continue

By Denise Crosby

June 14, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

New Fox Valley Veterans Alliance moving forward with goal to help more veterans.

Prior to last year's Aurora Pride Parade, New England Congregational Church hosted an ecumenical celebration of the LGBTQ community, and will do so again this Sunday. (Rick Guzman)

Column: New England Congregational in Aurora continues its march for LGBTQ inclusivity

By Denise Crosby

June 12, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

This Sunday, eight congregations will join together to celebrate Pride with a special ecumenical service...

Hollywood Casino in downtown Aurora, as seen on May 29, 2026. The downtown casino was set to close at 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 10, with the planned opening of the new Hollywood Casino Aurora near Interstate 88 in the city set for June 24. (R. Christian Smith/The Beacon-News)

Column: Casino leaves downtown Aurora but its mark will remain: ‘It helped put Aurora on the map’

By Denise Crosby

June 10, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

With the new Hollywood Casino Aurora set to open near Interstate 88 in the city...

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...

Retired Aurora Central Catholic Coach Mike Curry, right, with his son Joe at the University of St. Francis in Joliet. Mike Curry was an assistant football coach there after retiring as a high school coach. Joe Curry is currently the head football coach at the university. (Curry family)

Column: Former Aurora Central Catholic football coach Mike Curry looks back on his years of success: ‘I loved the kids’

By Tom Strong

February 15, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

His many accomplishments include membership in two halls of fame.

In 2024, Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross, now retired, talks to mourners during an event marking the fifth anniversary of the mass shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora in 2019. The city of Aurora will hold a ceremony marking the seventh anniversary of the tragedy at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at Aurora City Hall. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Column: Remembering Henry Pratt shooting and the weight of the badge today

By Denise Crosby

February 15, 2026 at 8:07 a.m.

The Aurora Police Department plans to be part of the city’s wreath-laying ceremony on Sunday...

Column: New Black empowerment group in Aurora calling for action over reaction

By Denise Crosby

February 10, 2026 at 2:57 p.m.

Organizers said the Black Empowerment Coalition's mission is to serve as an umbrella organization for...

Column: Fox Valley parishes responding to archbishop’s call to prayer in wake of immigration enforcement violence

By Denise Crosby

February 8, 2026 at 6:00 a.m.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recently called for an “Hour of Prayer for...

Kane County Board member Mavis Bates, who is being presented with the Thomas Weisner Memorial Award by the Conservation Foundation for her environmental efforts as an elected official, stands by a ceremonial switch during an event in 2023 unveiling an eight-acre solar field behind the old Kane County Sheriff’s Office that is projected to save taxpayers millions of dollars over the next two decades. (Jodie Wollnik)

Column: Kane County Board member from Aurora receives Conservation Foundation award

By Denise Crosby

February 5, 2026 at 3:39 p.m.

Mavis Bates honored for her work as a longtime environmental advocate.