Opinion

School districts should conduct the most thorough background checks available when hiring new employees, columnist Tom Weitzel mantains

Sign up for the June 14 Florissa Family 5K to support the pediatric developmental center, which provides developmental services for children.

The working theory seems to be protecting earnest homeschoolers from red tape intended to entangle those who simply pull their kids from class and ignore them, or worse, but that raises two concerns.

I’m not trying to sell you that the Bears should pass on drafting a running back, just one in the first round, Marc Silverman writes

The observance National Poetry Month offers language and word lovers a chance to reflect on how many ways poetry has touched their lives.

Rigid belief in the infallibility of police, prosecutors, judges, juries and sentencing laws from the last millennium allows the inference that everyone serving a life sentence fully deserved that punishment and is nominally human but otherwise irredeemable.

Toby writes about how the road you’re on has always been waiting for you to realize – you’re the one who’s paving it

Let me answer some modern-day questions about Easter.

Government is an ongoing process and sometimes the governor’s signature is only a blip in the long timeline of impact.

Gov. JB Pritzker said last week that the extreme uncertainty with the U.S. government and the international economy might mean that the legislature may have to reconvene to reconfigure the state budget after it adjourns at the end of next month.

The buds on the trees, the layers of greens, the sprouting of spring flowers – the sense of renewal in nature is a powerful metaphor for the rejuvenation in our lives.

During this spring’s legislative session, bills calling for the consolidation or elimination of townships were filed. They are working their way through committees and will eventually be called for a vote or, hopefully, forgotten.  

The night of April 14, 1865, proved fateful for Abraham Lincoln, who was mortally wounded by an assassin’s bullet and died the next day. This week marks 160 years since the assassination.

The dandelion greens are up everywhere, and my husband Joe keeps reminding me that we haven’t had Dandelion Salad yet, and before we know it, the yellow flowers will be popping up, making the greens too bitter to use.

I was a young girl at home when my mother started penning the “Amish Cook” newspaper column in 1991. She wrote that column until her sudden death in 2002, and then I picked up writing it.

A look at headlines from Aprils passed.

What is the wisdom of the rule wherein a candidate can give enough money to their own committee to make it legal for others to give millions more?

The tree outside our window reminds me this morning of how the grounding aspects of the natural world have guided me through life.

Opinion: April has brought the end of Mac & Cheese Madness and the start of spring events, writes Alexis Aviles of the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

From 1861 to 1865, Camp Dement at Dixon was a major training center, which then sent thousands of Dixon-trained soldiers to clash with Confederate soldiers in nearly every southern state, from Missouri to the Atlantic.

A warm breeze, flowers in every color and hue, the sound of birdsong—the telltale signs of spring mean Easter’s on its way. Community members are invited to make holiday memories with a wide array of Easter programs and events offered by the St. Charles Park District.

Pharmacy Benefit Managers are taking manufacturer discounts on prescription medications – savings intended for patients – and keeping the money for themselves.

The idea just a few thousand dollars could shift a senator’s focus from the best interests of constituents to the personal bottom line is the exact thing that undercuts faith in all elected officials.

My belief is that Williams showed way more good than bad and will still become the franchise star quarterback Bears fans have been lusting for, Marc Silverman writes

Let’s take a moment to celebrate all the individuals who put their names on the ballot - those who took the leap of faith to run for office, regardless of the outcome.

Caregivers for those with Alzheimer's disease do well not to dwell in the past or look too far into the future. However, sometimes events, particularly stressful ones, provide a forceful reminder of just how much has been lost to this insidious disease.

Aimless consolidation is no cure, but no agency has made a strong case for just pouring new money into the current systems.

Shared goals, voiced early, dissolve resistance before it ever shows up. They create alignment, and alignment creates momentum.

Last Tuesday we lost Val Kilmer, a vastly underrated actor, who chiseled into our memories some great characters. Kilmer was only 65.

The idea is for students who opt in to get one notification of admission offers to every Illinois public college, then have the ability to accept and enroll through the same portal.

You’ve probably read about the Republican Party’s implosion last week in suburban municipal and township campaigns, particularly in DuPage County.

Reuter: At Westwood Wellness, we are dedicated to supporting your journey toward optimal health by providing you with the most effective tools and resources available.

For decades, a central feature of over a hundred Illinois communities was the Carnegie Library, the gift of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie around the turn of the 20th century.

What do the studies of Freud, Jung and the dalai lama have in common? Their studies found the importance of dreams in understanding human behavior.

The question remains unanswered in Springfield: Whose interests are served when felonies become misdemeanors as long as the government gets assets in the deal?

I was a student at Illinois Valley Community College when I first heard Kenny Loggins’ “Conviction of the Heart,” in 1991.

In high-pressure moments, when everything is on the line, leaders must be able to make the right call.

The report is well-timed as Springfield considers many changes aimed at meeting the state’s workforce needs.

While their record will be the ultimate factor, the Bears seem to finally be making sense.

New Zealand has embraced all the mystery pinot has to offer in fruit flavors, spice notes and stunning aromas – and done so at very affordable prices.

Obviously, these mothers could connect over tragic circumstances. Without diminishing those emotions, they have caught my attention for their citizen advocacy.

Opinion: If you’re passionate about a healthy environment and sustainable future, then DeKalb County Earth Fest – a free and family-friendly event from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. this Saturday in DeKalb – is for you, writes Thomas Skuzinski.

I was cleaning celery the other day and thought about my mom.

Toby writes about how the mind responds to imagined experiences as if they were reality.

If the idea of "Swedish death cleaning" sounds a bit too morbid, there's another strategy to tackle clutter: "Norwegian life cleaning." Either way, the idea is to take care of the junk in one's life while there's still time.

Election winners often vow to be representatives for all constituents, not just those who filled in the correct oval.

The state imposes an additional sales tax in the Regional Transit Authority’s jurisdiction. Last week’s study found that expanding those specific RTA sales taxes to services could generate an additional $315 million a year.

This time of the year, the phrase “March Madness” is everywhere, from pre-game shows to office pools. The words have become synonymous with college basketball, and have raked in cash for the NCAA. 

This system seemed frustratingly flawed to me. It’s a system that appears to prioritize medication over prevention, a system that could be improved.

Letters to the Editor for the Daily Chronicle: Support Linh Nguyen for DeKalb mayor