As winter is now becoming a reality, we really cannot complain of a terrible fall. We have been truly fortunate here in Northern Illinois.

November marks a 50-year love/hate relationship I have with the Illinois high school football playoffs; dating back to the very first year the IHSA instituted post-season play.

It is my pleasure to submit to you the Operating and Capital Improvement Budgets for the City of Rochelle and Rochelle Municipal Utilities for the calendar year (CY) beginning Jan. 1, 2025.  The numbers reflected in this column were part of the PowerPoint presentation for the Nov. 4 budget workshop. The entire City of Rochelle proposed CY 25 budget is $133,500,472. 

National Apprenticeship Week celebrates its 10th anniversary from Nov. 17-23, a week dedicated to sharing the life-changing impact that registered apprenticeships have for jobseekers and employers alike. U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeships offer a debt-free pathway to a middle-class career, while advancing racial and gender equity.

I served for 33 years in the United States Military. As the former commanding officer of the Navy’s largest aviation training installation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, I know firsthand the deep relationships between military aviation and our airline industry.

I’m uncertain about most things, including politics. I’m trying to stay that way. A democracy dies when its people fail to question their political beliefs.

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters," Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher once said.

Are you one of the millions of Americans traveling over Thanksgiving? Are you worried that your travel plans might be disrupted, leaving you stuck in an airport? You’re not alone — traveling can be quite an adventure these days. However, there are several things you can do to help manage any issues that may arise during your trip. 

The staff at our Rochelle ALDI have been meeting the special needs of their customers for years by purchasing gift cards to "help" customers when times are difficult.

USDA’s Crop Production Report and August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, published in August, confirms that we have very large crops in American fields, with corn, soybeans and other spring wheat projected to have record and above-trend yields in 2024. The August reports are the first of the year to estimate yields for corn and soybeans based on farmer surveys and satellite imagery.

The Kiwanis Golden K Club of Rochelle would like to extend a sincere thanks to the Rochelle community for making our recent Annual Peanut Days an outstanding event. With your support we can continue our mission of providing student scholarships as well as funding many local youth activities.

“Prairie fire Burning all around us.” Diary of David Navarro Sr. Oct. 17, 1852. “Prairie burned between Smith house and Me.” Navarro diary Oct. 17, 1853. Fire was a part of the history of the area even before we had officially named the community.

Amidst the picturesque scenes of the fall harvest, a pressing concern emerges — the safety of farm vehicles on rural roads.

Everyone dreams of a European vacation, but many think it's beyond their budget. What most people don’t realize is that foreign travel can, in many cases, be cheaper than traveling within the U.S. I recently returned from a trip to Ireland, for which I only paid $200 for a round-trip ticket — cheaper than a flight to Vegas! So, how can you score such great deals? Here’s what I’ve learned over the years:

There will be many men that won’t be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris on Nov. 5 because she’s a woman.  I have heard friends, family, and others say that she doesn’t know what she is doing, and she hasn’t done enough in the last three and a half years

My old boss Jack used to say, “The world would be a boring place if all folks were the same.” Yep, all of us take our own journey and make our own choices; good and bad. You only hope that the bad choices you make can be mitigated and not fatal. But alas, for some the opportunity to exhibit incredible stupidity cannot be constrained.

As I write this, we are two weeks and two days from our election.  According to polls, both candidates are running neck and neck.  Though I don’t put much, if any, stock in polls I have heard that the economy is the number one issue on people’s minds.  Former President Trump says the economy is in shambles.  One of his long-time measures was to see if the stock market was doing good.  Let’s take a quick look at this.

Understanding the technology in the world is a way that we can gain a level of control in our lives. Choices we make about the products and services we choose can be more informed, satisfying, and economical.

October is a beautiful month. The leaves start falling, temperatures get cooler, Rochelle Hubs football is in full swing and hoodies are the norm. 

As we move into the beautiful fall time of year, there is once again a lot going on in the city.

Political issues always come down to moral ones. That’s never been more obvious than in this presidential election.

The left (the Democrat party) has lost their minds concerning the former president as a presidential candidate running for a second term. Since they think the former president may win, they are relying on something other than the voters to come through for their candidate. Here are some of the undemocratic means used to keep the former president from winning the presidency.

There are three quick takeaways from a recently released report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) on the “State of the Unions” in Illinois.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, increasing awareness about bullying and prevention programs designed to help kids and adults. Anti-bullying campaigns help communities and individuals within them create supportive and safe schools, organizations, family units, and neighborhoods. 

In an era where energy challenges are increasingly pressing, the role of public power has never been more significant. For residents of Rochelle, RMU exemplifies the benefits of a public power system, highlighting the advantages that come with local governance, community engagement, and reliability.