An ordinance that would establish Elgin as a “Welcoming City” will be created by the city attorney for review by the Elgin City Council in January.

Proposed by Elgin City Council members Corey Dixon and Diana Alfaro for the sake of discussion, the ordinance would emphasize inclusivity for all community members regardless of their immigration status.

“I think this is a way for our community to take a step forward. Personally, I think this is something we should’ve done a long time ago,” Alfaro said.

Elgin has already approved two resolutions in response to the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement efforts in the city, particularly those that occurred during Operation Midway Blitz. One urged state and federal legislators to ban ICE agents from wearing masks and the other created ICE-free zones on city-owned property.

The state of Illinois also has several laws in place, including the TRUST Act, which limits state and local law enforcement involvement in federal immigration enforcement.

“A ‘Welcoming City’ ordinance does not work against the existing things we have done,” Dixon said. “It acts as an umbrella.”

Welcoming City ordinances have been around since the 1980s in Illinois, he said. Chicago passed one this year and Evanston updated and expanded its version.

According to the ACLU Washington, the terms “welcoming city” and “sanctuary city” are used interchangeably, but there is no legal meaning or definition for either. Generally, the concept is a municipality will not ask about immigration status, limits cooperation with ICE, and provides outreach and services to immigrants, according to the Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights’ website.

Dixon said the ordinance doesn’t need to be called “Welcoming City,” but the concept would be the same. He’d like to see the ordinance include policies on providing translators at meetings, for example.

“This is something I think is important to make sure we have it in the law that this is how we as a community define our way of doing things and how we support our immigrant community,” Alfaro said.

Councilman Anthony Ortiz said he was opposed to the idea, maintaining it is unnecessary because Elgin is already a welcoming city.

“We are already living the values people are asking us to adopt,” Ortiz said. “Elgin welcomes everybody and we do not discriminate.”

The Elgin Police Department, for example, provides many events that embrace the entire community, he said.

Beyond that, Ortiz said he is worried that taking such an action will make Elgin “a bigger target” for ICE.

“I truly believe it could cause more harm than good,” Ortiz said. “I know this may be disappointing for some of you to hear.”

Even before the council members had a chance to share their thoughts, he made a motion to table the discussion indefinitely, seconded by Councilwoman Rose Martinez. Audience members booed his action, and ultimately it was not voted on.

“I think it’s too early to start picking apart something we don’t have in front of us in a concrete form,” Councilman John Steffen said. His request for a draft ordinance drew audience applause.

“How does this put us, as a community, at a bigger risk of being a target, for lack of a better term, than what we passed a few weeks ago,” Councilwoman Tish Powell said.

Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, was in Elgin for a detention raid in which four people were taken into custody. Two were later identified as U.S. citizens and released.

ICE escalated its operations in Elgin during Operation Midway Blitz and has continued to keep picking up residents it believes to be in violation of immigration laws, Powell said.

“I’m definitely in favor of seeing something come forward. I’m not of the mind that we need to back down because it will bring more scrutiny or retaliation on us because it’s already happening,” she said.

Three council members, Dustin Good, Steve Thoren, and Martinez, said they were hesitant or opposed to the ordinance idea.

Thoren said he won’t support it because leaders in the Hispanic community say they are opposed.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/welcoming-city-elgin-ordinance/ 

State Department To Require Social Media Review For H-1B Visa Applicants

Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/04/2025 – 15:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/state-department-require-social-media-review-h-1b-visa-applicants 

The Chicago Housing Authority board told the federal government this fall that Mayor Brandon Johnson was pressuring the agency behind the scenes to install a close political ally to lead the nation’s third-largest public housing agency.

CHA board chair Matthew Brewer wrote to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Oct. 1, laying out what he said were Johnson’s attempts to influence the agency to name former Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. CEO, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Tribune. The six-page message said the public housing agency’s Board of Commissioners never seriously considered Burnett, noting he lacked management experience, but only interviewed him as a courtesy.

Brewer was first appointed to the board by Mayor Rahm Emanuel before Johnson named him its interim chair last year. The board appointed him interim CEO, too, when Angela Hurlock resigned that post in September. He then wrote to HUD’s public housing director just before the federal government shutdown in response to HUD’s request for additional information on the CHA CEO selection process.

In his letter, Brewer wrote that the effort to find a permanent leader had been delayed for several months because Johnson was pushing the board to appoint Burnett to the post.

“We informed the Mayor that we do not recommend him as CEO,” Brewer wrote. “The Mayor has continued with his nomination of Mr. Burnett. … The CHA Board of Commissioners will ultimately select the CEO who is best for the organization, our residents, and the city of Chicago.”

HUD has been in the process of reviewing Burnett’s potential conflicts of interest due to the fact he and his wife own property in which CHA voucher recipients live. But Brewer’s most recent letter to HUD suggested the board was less concerned about the potential conflicts than about Burnett’s overall credentials for the job.

Because Johnson didn’t back down on his support for Burnett, per Brewer’s account, the housing authority had requested HUD review Burnett’s potential conflicts of interest and issue a waiver on the mayor’s office’s behalf.

Johnson’s spokesperson Cassio Mendoza wrote in a Thursday statement, “The timeline and descriptions in this letter do not seem accurate and do not match our understanding of the process to this point,” but did not immediately elaborate. Burnett declined to comment.

Reached on Thursday, Brewer wrote in a statement: “The board has not yet voted on any candidates for CEO. When the time comes, we will do what’s best for our residents, our organization, and the City of Chicago.”

It’s unclear which of the finalists the search committee wanted instead. The CHA Board of Commissioners held its last scheduled meeting of the year in November without voting on a CEO pick, although the body could still convene a special meeting any time.

Burnett, the former alderman of the 27th Ward who also served as Johnson’s vice mayor, stepped down from the City Council in July after weeks of public speculation that Johnson wanted him appointed to lead CHA. The issue of this HUD waiver has stalled that process, however, and Brewer’s October letter signaled that Burnett’s approval was a nonstarter with the board.

Burnett was a key Johnson supporter on the council. The mayor picked his son, Walt “Red” Burnett, to take over representing the ward heading into tense fall budget negotiations in which Johnson will likely need all the votes he can get in order to pass his 2026 spending plan.

According to Brewer, HUD had requested a timeline of the CEO search that began in November 2024 and was supposed to conclude by this July. The interim head wrote that the agency worked with the mayor’s office to ensure the two were “aligned” on a national search process before recommending finalists to the mayor, with the CHA board having the final say.

However, the mayor’s office would then take a backseat until the spring, according to Brewer’s summary. His letter said out of 107 potential candidates, five finalists got interviews in early May, with the committee recommending its top two contenders and a third name as backup to Johnson. All three were described as having served as CEO of multiple housing authorities and being proficient in HUD regulations and programming, per Brewer’s letter.

Then the mayor abruptly waded in to tip the scales in favor of Burnett, Brewer’s letter alleged.

“The Mayor did not interview the candidates recommended by the Selection Committee – instead, he delegated the task to one of his staffers before eventually making it known that he wanted Walter Burnett to be the next CEO,” Brewer wrote. “Mr. Burnett was not part of the 107 candidates who initially expressed interest, or the five finalists interviewed by the Selection Committee during the week of May 5.”

Brewer wrote that “while he is not a typical candidate for the CEO position given his lack of operational experience,” Burnett’s storied career as an alderman who supported public housing access and grew up in CHA housing afforded him a committee interview in early June “as a courtesy.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, second from left, talks to reporters after a City Council meeting on May 7, 2025. With Johnson are Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, from left, Mayor Johnnson, Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, 48th, and Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

After that, the committee told Johnson it didn’t recommend Burnett, per Brewer, but the CHA nonetheless requested the HUD waiver on Johnson’s behalf “so the Board of Commissioners can formally consider the nomination.” The Burnetts have since initiated the process to move the vouchers to instead be administered by the Housing Authority of Cook County, Brewer informed HUD in August, “eliminating the conflict of interest.”

The agency’s Board of Commissioners has 10 members, appointed to 5-year terms by the mayor, who can only remove them for cause. Three of them were installed by Johnson, but four other members’ terms have expired, meaning Johnson could replace them at any time and wield a majority.

The CEO search committee includes Brewer and fellow board members Hurlock, James Matanky and Francine Washington, plus Johnson’s Department of Housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda and Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright. The outside firm was Gans, Gans & Associates.

Former Interim Chicago Housing Authority CEO Angela Hurlock, left, and former Interim CHA Chairman Matthew Brewer before CHA called a special board meeting at the CHA headquarters in Chicago on Feb. 20, 2025. The board appointed Brewer interim CEO when Hurlock resigned the post in September. (Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune)

The CHA has been without a permanent leader since last November, when CEO Tracey Scott left the agency. In September, interim CEO Hurlock also stepped down and was replaced by Brewer.

Johnson has presided over a large duration of interim leaders among his cabinet and sister agencies. Besides CHA, the Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago Public Schools system have been without permanent heads for several months.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/chicago-housing-authority-hud-not-recommend-mayor-brandon-johnson-ally-ceo/ 

Critics of the way American Healthcare Systems (AHS) is operating Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan and those with a more neutral view share one belief — a hospital in the city is a necessity.

“Having a strong, reliable hospital right here in Waukegan is not a luxury; it is a lifeline,” Ald. Lynn Florial, 8th Ward, said in reading a statement from Mayor Sam Cunningham. “Vista Medical Center East should be a cornerstone of stability.”

When AHS acquired Vista Health Systems from Quorum Health in July of 2023, it assumed its predecessor’s debts. It hoped for financial stability by the end of 2023, but among its current outstanding obligations are more than $2.3 million in unpaid property taxes and water bills.

Community members are looking for answers to ensure the hospital can stay afloat, whether in the hands of AHS or someone else who could operate it as a not-for-profit medical center.
AHS is a privately held Los Angeles area-based corporation that operates hospitals for profit.

More than 70 people attended a town hall moderated by Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart on Wednesday at the College of Lake County’s Lakeshore campus in Waukegan, where healthcare experts and others offered ideas on how to keep Vista Medical Center East operating.

“What we do know is there is a problem,” Hart said. “Vista was invited to participate in this town hall. They declined. We would like to hear what they have to say about the future. The community wants answers.”

More than 70 people attended a town hall on conditions at Vista Medical Center East on Wednesday in Waukegan. (Steve Sadin/For the Lake County News-Sun)

Alarm bells first sounded nearly two years ago when members of Vista’s advisory board were not getting answers to questions about doctors leaving the hospital because they were not being paid. It temporarily lost its designation as a Level II trauma center, and employees were furloughed.

More recently, Vista eliminated its obstetrical and neonatal services effective in October, and the following month, AHS failed to cure its property tax delinquency for the second consecutive year. The tax buyer could start the process to take title to the real estate this summer.

Though Vista did not send a representative to the town hall, Deanna Cruz, the hospital’s community engagement and marketing director, said in an email Thursday that it is working on a plan to make the hospital financially sustainable. She was not specific.

“Vista is implementing a multi-phase operational and financial stabilization plan focused on strengthening core services, improving operational efficiencies, and ensuring sustainable access to care for northern Lake County,” Cruz said in the email. “Break-even projections remain part of internal planning, and no public timeline is being released at this time.”

Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek talks about problems at Vista Medical Center East during a town hall on Wednesday in Waukegan. (Steve Sadin/For the Lake County News-Sun)

Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek — who is also a nurse anesthetist — was one of the presenters at the town hall. She talked about the differences between a for-profit hospital like Vista and not-for-profit medical centers like the others in Lake County.

Banek said for-profit hospitals like Vista operate under a different set of regulations than not-for-profit medical centers like Advocate Condell Medical Center, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital and Endeavor Highland Park Hospital.

Approximately 65% of hospitals in Illinois are not-for-profit operations. Banek said 20% are for-profit and 15% are government-operated. Not-for-profits are tax-exempt and responsible to the community rather than shareholders and a corporate board of directors.

“Vista Medical Center is the only for-profit hospital in Lake County,” Banek said. “All the others are not for profit. Not-for-profits offer a community benefit.”

Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, center, holds a microphone for two firefighters talking about ambulance service during a town hall on conditions at Vista Medical Center East on Wednesday in Waukegan. (Steve Sadin/For the Lake County News-Sun)

Todd Johnson, a Waukegan resident, asked at the meeting if Vista has reached out to the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County for assistance. The organization has $60 million that it can use to benefit healthcare in the area.

Cruz said Vista has had conversations with the foundation, but its corporate structure does not enable it to qualify for foundation grant funding. In a news release issued Thursday by Vista, it said it is in the process of balancing financial obligations and patient care. Patients come first.

“Redirecting critical resources away from patient care solely to address financial obligations would undermine our mission and compromise the stability of healthcare access throughout Northern Lake County,” Vista said in the release.

Hart and Banek suggested people remain engaged. Additional town halls may help spur change.

“We don’t have definite answers,” Banek said. “Community action and these discussions are a first step.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/vista-medical-center-east-town-hall/ 

The new Orland Park budget approved this week will focus village resources on police force improvements and hiring across departments, taking steps Mayor Jim Dodge says will correct errors made by the previous administration.

The board also approved a property tax levy increase of 3.75% and signed off on a Dick’s Sporting Goods being added to the vacant Sears space at Orland Square mall.

The village expects to spend $236 million and receive $201 million in revenues in 2026. The Police Department will receive a large portion of new funding to hire eight officers and one Freedom of Information Act clerk for an increase in requests for body camera footage, according to the village budget presentation.

The department is also expected to benefit from incorporation of artificial intelligence and data analytics to predict and prevent certain crimes, and the department’s structure will be taken under review “to develop a model which meets the community’s service expectations,” officials said.

In October, Orland Park police touted its drones program, where drones are deployed to reduce emergency response teams, as well as the recruitment of therapy dog Holly to its ranks. The village budgeted for the continuation of both programs and for another therapy dog to be trained to provide emotional support to village staff, crime victims and community members.

Residents can also expect a beefed up Emergency Management Agency, renamed from the all-volunteer Emergency Services and Disaster Agency.

The agency aims to maintain a roster of 60 part-time, on-demand employees to work a minimum of 120 hours per year. In addition to being called on in emergencies, workers will help with security at events, which is now outsourced. An emergency and events staffing coordinator will be hired as the agency’s only full-time position.

The budget allows for hiring three public works maintenance employees, one parks and recreation maintenance worker, one parks program coordinator whose role will include bringing in new sponsorships, one village engineer, one village manager’s office performance analyst, one content creator/writer to help develop a new website and one development services advocate.

Several trustees questioned the need for so many new positions, though others laid blame on the previous administration for failing to invest in workers. Expenditures for the village’s 2025 budget totaled $276 million.

Orland Park Trustee William Healy, right, speaks during a Village Board meeting Dec. 1, 2025. (Olivia Stevens/Daily Southtown)

“The hiring is just way, way a lot,” Trustee William Healy said.

Healy said he understands the need for more police and development staff, but said the village should limit adding positions elsewhere.

“Health insurance and pensions just keep rising and rising,” Healy said. “I would like to take a call, an appeal to the rest of the board to cut back on payroll by half.”

Healy recommended budgeting for the same number of positions over several years, rather than hiring 18 new full-time employees in 2026.

Trustee John Lawler defended the hiring boost, saying he chose to seek a board seat earlier this year after noticing a decrease in quality services for residents.

“I also felt that we had invested some funds in the wrong places,” Lawler said. “Yes, we are hiring a lot of people, and it is a big expense and an increase, and we are going to hold staff accountable to see results.”

The budget was ultimately approved 5-2, with Healy and Trustee Cynthia Katsenes voting no.

The concert venue at Orland Park’s Centennial Park West. (Village of Orland Park)

The village plans to invest in data-driven studies to ensure resources are allocated efficiently. Village Manager George Koczwara said Centennial Park West in particular will be scrutinized, after he said it was approved without a strategic operating plan.

Dodge, before entering office, was critical of spending on the 12-acre concert venue adjacent to the larger Centennial Park that includes a 3,200-square-foot performance stage, and promised to evaluate its use.

“This is going to help us set the future for Centennial Park West,” Koczwara said.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

After creating a tax increment financing district as an incentive, the village approved an agreement with Dick’s Sporting Goods to fill the long-vacant Sears store at Orland Square.

Construction must begin construction on the retail space, which will include a climbing wall, an indoor batting cage, a golf simulator, yoga classes, a juice bar, a running track and an outdoor athletic field, by May 31, 2027.

The Dick’s Sporting Goods store at Orland Park Place shopping center in Orland Park in June 2025. (Mike Nolan/Daily Southtown)

The village and Dick’s Sporting Goods must close on the deal by Feb. 27 and the House of Sports concept store must be open to the public by March 31, 2029.

The village agreed to provide $6 million for the acquisition of the existing Sears space in the mall as well as reimburse up to $800,000 through the TIF after Dick’s told officials it would need financial support to open there.

“(For) this board and prior boards, there’s always been a question about what to do with that at the mall,” Dodge said to representatives of Dick’s Sporting Goods. “The kind of success you’ve had with this format, the location, we’re all pretty optimistic about it.”

ostevens@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/orland-park-budget-18-news-hires/ 

Dumb AI, Golden Yuan, & Q-Day Comes Early: Here Are Saxo’s Outrageous Prediction For 2026

Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/04/2025 – 15:25

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/dumb-ai-golden-yuan-q-day-comes-early-here-are-saxos-outrageous-prediction-2026 

Lake Station City Hall is still off limits to the public six months after a faulty sprinkler system pipe burst, flooding much of the building.

Many of the portable trailers city office workers relocated to in June have been removed and most workers are back in their offices.

Inside, hallways, floors and other areas are still being painted and carpeted. Ceiling tiles are being replaced and electrical work is ongoing.

The police department was not affected by the flooding and has remained open.

Mayor Bill Carroll said Tuesday he wouldn’t be comfortable providing a timeline for a reopening because of insurance delays and back orders on carpeting, baseboard trim, and other materials.

Earlier, officials hoped the building could be reopened in November.

Lake Station Board of Works members, from left Paul Redar and Mayor Bill Carroll, along with city attorney Frank Koprcina and deputy clerk Amy Byers, discuss bills during a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Carole Carlson/For the Post-Tribune)

On Tuesday, the Board of Works sat in front of a white folding table in the clerk-treasurer’s office as wires dangled from a wall. Fire Chief Chuck Fazekas and a reporter attended the 1 p.m. meeting and a few chairs were still available, but no one from the public attended.

Typically, the board meets in the mayor’s conference room.

Mold has been removed and other environmental concerns have been rectified, Carroll said. That makes it possible for workers to return to offices while repairs are still being done.

“It’s safety first for our citizens and our employees,” he said.

Workers in the utilities office have returned and citizens can pay bills at a drive-through window.

“We didn’t charge any late fees, but it was very important for us to get the drive-through open for our citizens, so it’s easier for them to pay,” said Carroll.

Clerk-Treasurer Brenda Samuel said ceiling tiles in her office were replaced Monday and some workers have returned, but furnishings weren’t there yet.

Paint supplies sit outside the clerk-treasurer’s office Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2025, at Lake Station City Hall. (Carole Carlson/For the Post-Tribune)

Carroll is also working out of his office. The office foyer just got a coat of new blue paint and new LED lighting.

The city council chambers, also the site of city court, is still closed.

City council meetings are being held on the second and fourth Thursdays in the community room at Edison High School. City court proceedings are also at the same site.

“Without the schools, we’d be kind of scrambling for a place to hold us,” said Carroll. “We probably could hold it at the Fire Department, but the schools are set up for it, and it suits what we need it for.

“We have a great relationship with the schools. We helped out a lot during the referendum. And we’re good community partners.”

Still, Carroll can’t wait for City Hall to be completed.

“It’s like a waiting game, and it’s frustrating because we want to get open,” he said.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/repairs-keeping-lake-station-city-hall-closed-after-pipe-burst/ 

Charles Dickens, “living” windows, craft markets, a parade, visits with Santa and carolers are all part of the 38th annual Dickens in Dundee festivities.

Set for 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, events are held throughout East Dundee and West Dundee.

East Dundee

East Dundee’s activities take place near The Depot on River Street and the surrounding downtown area, said Katherine Diehl, special events coordinator for the village.

New this year is Santa’s East Side Market, co-hosted by Huffman Vendor Fairs, which will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday at The Depot. Alexis Huffman organizes the village’s summer and fall markets, and this is a new one-day addition.

Fifteen artisans will be selling their wares in a large tent in the public parking lot south of The Depot behind Duke’s Blues-N-BBQ.

“They will have very unique holiday gifts and many are handmade,” she said. “I added (a similar event) to this past Oktoberfest and it was a huge hit. It was very well attended. I’ve been wanting to add a holiday market to this event for a few years now. … If it’s a hit, we will expand the tent to a bigger size next year and have more vendors.”

Railroad Street will be closed for carriage rides so attendees should enter via Hill Street, she said. Parking is available in the village’s new public garage at 304 Hill St. or at 309 Jackson St. There is also public parking at the AT&T parking lot at the northwest corner of Jackson and Water streets, she said.

Dundee Township Park District Theater’s cast of “The Christmas Schooner” will perform Friday night as part of East Dundee’s Dickens in Dundee festivities. (Village of East Dundee)

Friday’s activities include performances by the Dundee-Crown Chamber and Varsity treble choirs at 5:30 p.m., Dundee Township Park District Theater’s cast of “The Christmas Schooner” performing at 5:45 p.m. and again from 6 to 8 p.m. The tree lighting ceremony will be at 6 p.m. followed by Santa arriving by firetruck.

“He is brought to the front of The Depot and he steps off and sings with the kids all the way to the front door, which is amazing,” Diehl said.

Santa will be at The Depot for visits from 6 to 9 p.m. Free hot chocolate and cookies and crafts for kids are being provided by the Fox River Valley Public Library District.

The Frozen Robins Caroling Quartet performs from 6 to 9 p.m. The Frozen Fab 4 will greet guests from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and perform at 7 and 8 p.m., she said.

Those Funny Little People, dressed as toy-making elves, will entertain from 6 to 8 p.m. Free horse-drawn carriage rides will be offered.

The Living Windows featuring live actors will be in action from 6 to 8 p.m. along River and Main streets. Look for displays at Willow and Birch, Century 21 New Heritage, The House of Creativity, River Street Tavern, Vapor Haus Dundee and One Cut Above the Rest.

“We have six window scenes from Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol,’” Diehl said. “We have expanded our costumes because so many people want to be a part of (displays) and I’ve had to keep adding extras to the windows. This year we have 28 Living Window participants.”

Adult beverages will sold by Eastside Cafe in the teal-colored tent, she said. Offerings include mulled wine, red and white wine, plus Irish Cream and peanut butter whiskey added to hot cocoa.

Events carry over into Saturday with the Winter Wonderland from noon to 3 p.m. at East Dundee Village Hall. There will be cookie decorating, photo ops, concessions and visits with Santa from 1 to 3 p.m.

“It really is a magical event,” Diehl said. “Downtown East Dundee really does look like a Hallmark card with all of the lights on the trees and the depot building and the carriage ride. Santa and the lighting of the tree of course. It’s just beautiful and everyone is so happy and full of joy. it’s just a really fun, great family event.”

West Dundee

“In West Dundee, we have our standard events we bring to the community each year for Dickens,” village planner Kim Tibbetts said. “The signature events are the Living Windows and the Fezziwig festivities on Friday night, and on Saturday we have our events for families in Grafelman Park.”

Events in West Dundee are set for 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday with the Living Windows and Holiday displays on Main Street between 2nd Street and the Fox River.

The Dundee Lions Club Festival of Trees will be on display Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Grafelman Park as part of West Dundee’s Dickens in Dundee festivities. (Village of West Dundee)

“We’ll have both Living Windows and painted windows that artists have prepared for the event,” Tibbetts said. “We have six windows that are painted and around the same number of living windows. We invite members of community groups to coordinate themselves to do something of their choosing. (The number of actors) can vary pretty widely. The themes also vary from year to year.”

The tree lighting is at 7 p.m. at West Dundee Village Hall, with performances from the Dundee-Crown High School Varsity Treble Chorus and Chamber Choir. Visits with Santa will be from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Village Hall. Free hot chocolate and cookies will be provided, and the Fox River Valley Public Library District’s booth will be giving away free children’s books.

The evening continues with Fezziwig’s Ball from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the VFW Post 2298, 117 S. 1st St. Local band Controlled Burn will perform and food and drinks available.

“There are a couple businesses that do things during the Living Windows,” Diehl said. One business is doing pictures with The Grinch and another is doing a hot cocoa bar, she said.

Saturday’s focus is around the Grafelman Park area, she said.

Dundee Township Historical Society’s Dickens of a Sale is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, which is also offering a soup-and-sandwich lunch, bake sale and craft bazaar. Proceeds will support the FISH food pantry.

“People can come inside, get warm, do a little shopping, have lunch and the proceeds of that go back to things that help the community,” Tibbetts said.

The Dundee Lions Club Festival of Trees is Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Grafelman Park. Community groups decorate trees that will be on display for the weekend.

“It’s my favorite part,” Tibbetts said. “They’re always really beautiful. It’s so festive to see the way the groups decorate their trees.”

A Winter Wonderland event is presented by the village of West Dundee from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. It’s been moved to the Village Hall because of the cold temperatures and will include cookie decorating, concessions and visits with Santa from 1 to 3 p.m. Santa will arrives by firetruck, she said.

As she has done for more than 20 years, Victoria Wilbrandt will do a reading of “A Christmas Carol” Saturday at The Mansion Bed and Breakfast in West Dundee as part of Dickens in Dundee. (Village of West Dundee)

Retired schoolteacher Victoria Wilbrandt will do a reading of “A Christmas Carol” is at 2:30 p.m. at The Mansion Bed and Breakfast.

“It’s more than 20 that she’s been doing the reading for Dickens in Dundee. It’s an abbreviated version, but it still is about 40 minutes long,” Tibbetts said. “But it’s nice and cozy by the fireplace.”

Also at 2:30 p.m., McHenry County College professors Jim Gould and Ted Hazelgrove will present “A Christmas Carol Revisited: Scrooge’s Reclamation” at the Dundee Library in East Dundee, using uses role play and film to discuss Scrooge’s transformation.

“I think the things that people get most excited about are the Living Windows and just coming to the park,” Tibbetts said. “They may not express that it’s the trees that bring them there, but I think it’s a big draw because they’re so festive and so colorful, you can’t miss it. I really enjoy the Living Windows too … everybody is very creative about the way they go about that, deciding what idea they’re going to express and how they’re going to do it.”

Carpentersville

Winterville in the Park is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Triangle Park in Carpentersville. The village tree is lit at 4:30 p.m. followed by visits with Santa, Christmas carolers, hot cocoa and cider and a Homer Depot workstation where kids can create a make-and-take keepsake.

Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/dickens-dundee-christmas-holiday-fest/ 

Pentagon Deploys Its First Kamikaze Drone Squadron In The Middle East

Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/04/2025 – 15:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/pentagon-deploys-its-first-kamikaze-drone-squadron-middle-east 

Good afternoon, Chicago.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias revoked an Enterprise Rent-A-Car license plate after it was swapped out by federal immigration agents, records obtained by the Tribune show.

The move follows widespread concern during Operation Midway Blitz about federal officials changing out license plates while conducting raids throughout the region. Giannoulias opened a hotline for complaints in October and sent a letter to ICE leadership warning against tampering with plates after the Tribune reported on an encounter where a federal agent told a woman, “You can record all you want. We change the plates out every day.”

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

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A boat passes through Chicago Harbor Lock operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the connection of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan on Oct. 1, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Federal funding cuts threaten Chicago Harbor Lock, one of the nation’s busiest

The harbor lock is one of the nation’s busiest for both commercial and recreational use, but looming federal funding cuts have become a source of worry for boaters who rely on the lock. Read more here.

More top news stories:

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration rebuts budget proposal by aldermen
Cops yet to find evidence of drink tampering following Tara Reid allegations
Charges dropped against Lakeview comedy club manager accused of assaulting federal agents

Mark Mattei, a retired Chicago bike shop owner and collector, explains the history of the 1988 Schwinn Paramount which belonged to Edward Schwinn, hanging on the wall in the attic of his Lincoln Park home on Dec. 3, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Lance Armstrong narrates documentary on the rise and fall of Chicago-based Schwinn, once America’s bike maker

The remarkable rise and fall of Schwinn is the subject of a new documentary by emerging filmmaker Daniel Clarke, tracing the history of the most iconic bike maker of the 20th century — once a brand on par with Coke or McDonald’s. Read more here.

More top business stories:

Rush announces major donation to help it dramatically expand clinical trials for cancer patients
State/Lake ‘L’ station to close Jan. 5 for demolition, construction

An ad for the Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network on April 1, 2021, on opening day at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Column: Will Marquee Sports Network’s cost-cutting affect the Chicago Cubs’ offseason spending plans?

According to various blogs and websites, by laying off the Marquee general manager and the content creators at the website, the Cubs were signaling another offseason of cost-cutting, which obviously would affect their spending on free agency. Read more here.

More top sports stories:

Chicago White Sox reportedly sign left-handed pitcher Anthony Kay to a 2-year deal
John Blackwell scores 26 as Wisconsin tops Northwestern 85-73 in the Big Ten opener

Christian Pursell and Vanessa Becerra perform in Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Antonio Salieri’s “Falstaff” at the Studebaker Theater on Dec. 3, 2025. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Review: ‘Falstaff’ by Chicago Opera Theater is a sunny farce that shows off the real Salieri

Director Robin Guarino transplants Shakespeare-via-Salieri’s farce to the “Windsor Resort,” a chi-chi, “White Lotus”-style hotel. Read more here.

More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:

Review: A welcome return home of the spoof musical ‘Urinetown’ at Theo Ubique Theatre
Review: Brazil’s ‘The Secret Agent’ is an intoxicating political thriller

As Congress faces a year-end deadline on Affordable Care Act subsidies, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., left, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., meet with reporters about health care affordability, at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 3, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Affordable Care Act premiums are set to spike. A new poll shows enrollees are already struggling.

Many Americans dependent on Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance plans are already struggling with the high cost of health care, according to a new survey from the health care research nonprofit KFF. Read more here.

More top stories from around the world:

Man accused of planting pipe bombs before Jan. 6 attack on Capitol charged with explosives offense
Pentagon knew boat attack left survivors but still launched a follow-on strike, AP sources say

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/afternoon-briefing-federal-funding-cuts-threaten-chicago-harbor-lock/