Suburban Chronicle

07/02/2023

Spending time with your children away from screens and other distractions is really fun. Passing on a family tradition and strengthening relationships are a couple of reasons why people camp.

Camping with kids may seem like a tough challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. Spending time with your children away from screens and other distractions is really fun. Passing on a family tradition and strengthening relationships are a couple of reasons why people camp. Set Reasonable Expectations ...

07/01/2023

Before you dash to the grocery store, why don’t we make popsicles at home? Here’s a refreshing treat bursting with red, white and blue colors and fresh fruity flavors that bring relief on hot summer days.

Independence Day is just around the corner. Celebrating the Fourth of July brings a sense of patriotism and community as people gather to enjoy parades, fireworks and barbecues. The summer heat adds an extra sizzle to the festivities, making it the perfect time to cool down by indulging in ice pops....

07/01/2023

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is ringing in fiscal year 2024 by celebrating a record-high $1.94 billion in Illinois’ “rainy day” fund and setting her sights on doubling that figure in the next decade. “$2 billion sounds like a lot of money, certainly in contrast to $48,000,” Mendoza said in an interview Friday.

There are no champagne toasts or fireworks, but when the clock strikes 12 a.m. on Saturday, it’s the start of a new year in Illinois – a new fiscal year, that is. And just as a new year is a time to contemplate recent accomplishments and make resolutions for the future, Illinois Comptroller Susa...

06/29/2023

In a whirlwind visit to Chicago on Wednesday, June 28 President Joe Biden trotted out a re-election campaign message built on economic recovery — and effusively praised Gov. J.B. Pritzker for helping him win the White House in 2020.

CHICAGO – In a whirlwind visit to Chicago on Wednesday, June 28 President Joe Biden trotted out a re-election campaign message built on economic recovery — and effusively praised Gov. J.B. Pritzker for helping him win the White House in 2020. “There’s a guy that helped me more than — I can...

06/28/2023

An educator with decades of experience as a teacher and administrator in a wide range of settings, Andalib Khelghati was unanimously chosen by the school board and given a three-year employment contract.

An educator with decades of experience as a teacher and administrator in a wide range of settings is the new superintendent of Oswego Community Unite School District 308. The district board voted unanimously this month to name Andalib Khelghati as top administrator, awarding him a three-year employm...

06/28/2023

In May, there were 2,525 Illinois residences in foreclosure, a 3.6 percent increase from April. Despite having the nation’s highest percentage of homes in foreclosure, Illinois’ numbers are better than they were a year ago.

Illinois has the nation’s highest percentage of housing units in foreclosure. One in every 2,144 Illinois residences was in foreclosure proceedings for May, according to the most recent data from ATTOM, a property data provider. In May, there were 2,525 Illinois residences in foreclosure, a 3.6 pe...

06/28/2023

Amid record-high inflation last spring, the General Assembly temporarily waived the state's grocery tax for the coming fiscal year and delayed the annual increase in the motor fuel tax for six months. “I would like very much to eliminate entirely the grocery tax, but it is a matter of local governments and what they would do if they didn’t have that income as a result of the grocery tax,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.

SPRINGFIELD – A new state fiscal year will begin July 1, ushering in the reinstatement of a 1 percent tax on groceries and a second increase to the state’s motor fuel tax in 2023. Amid record-high inflation last spring, the General Assembly temporarily waived Illinois’ grocery tax for the comi...

06/26/2023

As of Friday, Starbucks workers began participating in Strike with Pride, demanding that the company negotiate a fair contract with union stores and stop what workers call a “union-busting campaign,” which has impacted the company’s LGBTQIA+ workforce.

Workers at more than 150 Starbucks stores across the country, including several in Illinois, may strike over the next week, claiming unfair labor practices. As of Friday, June 23, Starbucks workers began participating in Strike with Pride, demanding that the company negotiate a fair contract with un...

06/26/2023

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old female who was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 32. I am 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weigh 130 pounds. I’ve been taking 240 mg of verapamil for all of these years. A few years back, my medication started coming in 120-mg dosages, so I started taking...

06/25/2023

The humble potato is underrated. It’s a low-fat, low-cholesterol source of carbs and protein, packed with vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron, calcium and more potassium than a banana. The bad reputation comes from typical toppings, like copious amounts of butter, sour cream and bacon.

Remember stuffed baked potatoes? I was discussing food with some friends, and none of us could recall the last time we had stuffed baked potatoes. We’ve been so occupied with quinoa and cauliflower rice that we overlooked the King of Carbs — good carbs, of course. The humble potato is underrated...

06/24/2023

Gardens, farmers markets, and stores are benefiting from the wide variety of fruits and vegetables available during summer months. And summertime brings the best colors of produce..

Gardens, farmers markets, and stores are benefiting from the wide variety of fruits and vegetables available during summer months. And summertime brings the best colors of produce. No fruit or vegetable has the same mix of vitamins and minerals. By eating different fruits and vegetables (in a variet...