Columnists
Focus on Safety – Staying Safe in the Age of AI: Protecting Yourself Online
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not new, but it has grown rapidly in recent years. Today, AI can create audio, images and text so realistic...
Fire Prevention 24-7 – Spring Cleaning Fire Hazards
Although it might not quite feel like it here, it is officially spring. Yay! With the arrival of spring comes blue skies, blooming flowers,...
Art Talk – A-Mays-ing Grace
Gospel music has always been more than a genre–it is also a vehicle for comfort and resilience, one that has fostered unity and hope...
Transitions – Not Just Movies for Nerds: ‘The Martian’ and ‘Hail Mary’
Last month, Hail Mary was released to theaters, the second movie made from a book written by Andy Weir – a certified nerd, former...
Word of Mouth – Dr. Joe & Staff Take Chicago: 2026 Midwinter Meeting
Each February, our staff heads to McCormick Place in Chicago for Chicago Dental Society’s Midwinter Meeting. As the largest dental meeting in the United...
KidsMatter 2 Us – Finding Joy in Everyday Moments
Finding joy in midst of the chaos, stress and even boredom of everyday life can seem a little crazy. But being able to find...
Visit Naperville – Naperville CVB Drives Economic Growth
In Naperville, every hotel stay, dinner reservation, or weekend getaway marks the beginning of the city’s economic loop, a powerful cycle of visitor spending,...
Movies With Tarek – ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’
This sequel is fun. It drags a bit, but fantasy keeps the momentum going in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Directed by Aaron Horvath, Michael...
Little Friends: April Is Autism Acceptance Month
Every year when Autism Acceptance Month happens in April, I take the opportunity to share information about autism statistics, based primarily on the latest...
Movies With Tarek – ‘Project Hail Mary’
A breathtaking space adventure that will blow the audience’s minds. An audacious book adaptation that feels like a new world of spectacular elements.
Project Hail...
Diveheart: Stories From the Heart Blind Downhill Skier Turns Blind Scuba Diver Turns Actor in the Upcoming Film
In the mid 1980’s I started guiding and teaching blind children and adults to downhill ski.
You see, my oldest daughter was born blind and...
Lizzy’s Fund: One Lucky Dog, Mabel’s Story
In the month of March many of us think about luck, most likely because of St. Patrick’s Day. Luck comes in all forms. Luck...
Naperville Woman’s Club News – Candlelit Evening Offers Soothing Classical & Contemporary Music
The Naperville Woman’s Club will host an Illumination Concert on Fri., April 24, featuring the evocative, globally-inspired music of Quartet 61. Set in the...
Mark Stanley Schmidt: Master Mason Served Many in Naperville
Mark Stanley Schmidt was born April 5, 1906, in Polo, Ogle County, Illinois, the son of Rev. Louis Carl Schmidt and Mabel Catherine Mohr.
Mark...
North Central College: Don’t Miss Out on This Exceptional College
This spring, high school seniors are making their college decision. As someone who graduated from Naperville North High School nearly two years ago, I...
Naperville Gardener – Getting To Know Illinois Houseplants
March is when I tend to my houseplants—repotting, dividing and general grooming (removing dead leaves, cutting back, etc.)—before they get ignored as I tend...
Transitions – Women’s History Month: They Went to War
As a high school senior, I wanted to become a nurse like my mother. Being a bit adventurous, I would have volunteered for Vietnam....
Real Life – Be Prepared
I hadn’t been in an ambulance since I got food poisoning when I was 23.
That highly embarrassing episode had unfolded at work, yet it...
Track Your Digital Privacy
Whatever happened to protecting ourselves online?
Recently, several major social media platforms have implemented identity verification measures. Meta Platforms, YouTube, and X now require users...
Nutrition Knowledge – A Spoonful of Sugar?
Added sugars and naturally occurring sugars both raise blood glucose—but they don’t affect the body in the same way.
All sugars are carbohydrates, and during...