13th September 2016

The cows that cleaved Warren

The town emits a vibe similar to that of many small communities.People greet passersby. Business owners know customers by name, and restaurants serve coffee alongside the conversation that doubles as...

13th September 2016

Patriot Guard allows vets to continue active duty

His knuckles whitened, gripping the flagpole tighter as the vans approached. The murmur spread, leather-clad bikers whispering the warning: “The uglies are here.”The “uglies,” Westboro Baptist Church protesters, carried signs...

13th September 2016

Strip clubs, gangsters and the City Council: On its last legs (Part 1)

(Day 1 in a 3-Day Series)The pole provides stability. Angelina needs it first and foremost to spin, but recently, she’s found it to be her axis in...

13th September 2016

Strip clubs, gangsters, and the City Council: Party winds down (Part 3)

(Day 3 in a 3-Day Series)Brandi Ansel turns to her entourage of bridesmaids and screams: "This party's just getting started!"In a matter of days, she will walk down the aisle,...

13th September 2016

No miracle in sight for church facing closure

Tears pool in Karen Birch's eyes."We need a miracle," she says. "We need a miracle so badly."On Wednesday, Birch turned to her refuge in times of tribulation -- her parish....

13th September 2016

Grain bin rescue secures hero status

Arnie Eben stood atop the sea of golden kernels. He shifted his weight, determining whether the 30,000 bushels of corn would sustain him or suck him into its depths.Grains scattered...

13th September 2016

Immigration raid divides town

 Mona Kilborn holds her sign high - "An Illegal Alien Killed My Mother."Her voice carries as she tells her story, and a crowd draws near."Let me describe the terror I...

13th September 2016

Battle brews as visitor centers war for tourist town's love

On the east bank of the Galena River sits an agency with experience. The west side boasts an organization touting hope in an era unexplored.But which is better? This question...

13th September 2016

Paranormal cops bust bumps in the night

Blackness conceals the two men. Crouched in a corner, they linger in the attic, listening to discern late-night reverberations from other-worldly echoes.A creak slashes the silence. An eerie hush descends...

13th September 2016

Local radiation safety specialist joins search for Amelia Earhart's remains, plane

Before she became America’s aviator, Amelia Mary Earhart was just a Midwestern tomboy who thought of planes as nothing more than jumbles of “rusty wire and wood.” Then, she became...

13th September 2016

Strip clubs, gangsters and the City Council: Resurrecting Al Capone (Part 2)

(Day 2 in a 3-Day Series)"It wasn't Mike 'Bon Bon' Allegretti's time to die.Yet he knelt on the floor of his East Dubuque cafe.Reputed hitman Jack...

13th September 2016

Tractor to travel to Mordor

The face peering into Willis Schmitt's office was familiar. It was the question that caught him off-guard.Not once in the 39 years as owner of Schmitt Implement has any employee...

13th September 2016

One wild ride: Tractorcade sets record

The air buzzed.Humming, rumbling, purring -- once the symphony of steel reached its crescendo, nothing could quiet it. Like a hive of bees at work, the mob of machines droned...

13th September 2016

Four Score And Seven Years Later, Lincoln Impersonators Fail To Bring Top Dollar

The persistent "ring, ring, ring" ends with a machine's beep.But instead of the expected I-can't-come-to-the-phone schtick, a recorded Civil War tune greets the caller. The melody plays a few seconds...

13th September 2016

All aboard: Galena seeks passenger rail service 150 years after first attempt

Hezekiah Gear failed to hide his heartbreak.The emotional Galena, Ill., businessman stood before his detractors and delivered a damning prophecy."Gentlemen, you have sounded your death knell," he said. "Grass will...

13th September 2016

Galena forsakes favored son -- for one day

OK, President Grant. We get it. You lived here.But Abraham Lincoln slept here.For one day -- and one day only, mind you -- Gen. Ulysses S. Grant might feel a...

13th September 2016

In Ron We Trust?: Galena tells President Reagan to surrender to President Grant

Ulysses S. Grant never opted for surrender.Apparently, the community he called home has inherited his grudge against giving up ground, especially when it comes to its most beloved son.Don't believe...

13th September 2016

Bear finds love in Wisconsin?

He's still alive and well.The black bear that made headlines for his nearly 300-mile trek across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin did not die in La Crosse, Wis., officials say.Instead, state...

13th September 2016

Firefighter dies in line of duty before his wedding

She dreamed of standing at the altar in a white gown. Instead, she sat in the front pew, dressed in black.On Thursday - two months before her scheduled...

13th September 2016

"We were going to be grandparents:" Mother holds candlelight vigil for murdered pregnant daughter

For several seconds, Cathy Staver focused on the flicker cupped in her hands. Then the trance broke, and the Scales Mound resident spoke. "It's too late for my daughter." Mourners honored domestic...