Late last week, I came across a story announcing that Governor Pritzker had just inducted 48 small businesses — the state’s largest class ever — into the Illinois Office of Tourism’s “Illinois Made” program.

This grabbed my attention for a couple reasons:

Congratulations to Mion Artisan Soap and Illuminate Space on being selected for the program. Illinois Made truly is an impactful initiative, generating real exposure for the businesses involved at both a state level and in national advertising campaigns.

From a tourism perspective, Illinois Made aims to showcase Illinois businesses, artists and craftspeople who can create a unique, memorable experience for visitors — allowing them to see and feel the authentic local flavor of a place.

But it’s also about celebrating small businesses and entrepreneurs for the outsized role they play in molding the character of our communities while stimulating the local economy.

It was a fun project to work on, and I’m glad to see folks from our corner of the state getting wider recognition.

And it’s never too early to start thinking about next year.

If you’re a local business owner, passionate employee, artisan or artist, you can view the program’s criteria and nominate a business (yours or another) for next year’s class.

Keep in mind, Illinois Made is geared primarily toward:

The following Tri-Cities businesses are already part of the program: Hearth & Hammer (Batavia), Gindo’s Spice of Life (St. Charles), Broken Brix Winery (St. Charles) and All Chocolate Kitchen (Geneva).

Bonus points are usually given to businesses with a charitable, community-focused element to them.

There’s certainly no shortage of worthy candidates around here — if any pop into mind, forward this newsletter over to them as a heads-up.

The 🔒 icon indicates a potential paywall. The *️⃣ icon indicates that an account/login is needed.

🔒 Know your boundaries: Details about St. Charles School District 303's proposed enrollment zone changes to alleviate overcrowding are now public following an informational session last week.

🔒 An ongoing challenge: Despite some notable initiatives, a new report indicates that Illinois is lagging behind other Midwestern states in terms of renewable energy projects and production.

☑️ Conservation victory: Six new Kane County farms have been added to the now 7,000 acres of local farmland that is permanently protected under a sustainability-minded ordinance.

🔒 EV infrastructure: Anyone had issues lately with the EV charging station at the Kane County Courthouse on Third Street in Geneva? You’re not alone.

☑️ School scare: Batavia High School and H.C. Storm Elementary School went into lockdown last Thursday following a report of a nearby person with a gun. Ultimately, there was no direct threat.

☑️ Parkway trees: Geneva residents interested in purchasing and planting a tree in their parkway at a discounted price need to place their order by 1/5. Batavia’s 2023 program is closed, but St. Charles’ program appears to still be active.

☑️ Smooth resolutions: If you have any local property concerns you’re looking to address, Kane County’s new Property Code Enforcement Division is a great place to start — just file your issue directly online.

☑️ Relocated: Grainology BrewStillery is the new home of the Batavia Indoor Market, where you can peruse homemade food and handmade wares from 9AM-12PM on Saturdays through May 11.

☑️ Working on walkability: Batavia will host an Open House on 12/14 at 6PM to share information about its 2024 Safe Routes to School Sidewalk Program plans that will affect three neighborhoods.

🔒 Drumroll, please: Judges have selected winners from a pool of 60 floats that participated in St. Charles’ Electric Christmas Parade last weekend — including VW Vocho Club Chicago as “Best in Show.”

☑️ More pickle, please: The STC Park District is launching new round-robin pickleball leagues starting in January. Registration for residents begins on 12/11 and non-residents on 12/18.

☑️ Feeling charitable: The holiday season is about gifts, sure — but it’s also about giving back. The St. Charles Library is offering several opportunities to do so.

☑️ Community cuts: Having recently opened on Randall Road between Jewel and Target, Caliber Barbering is offering special discounts to teachers and families with kids this holiday season.

☑️ Restaurant accolades: According to the travel-focused publication OnlyInYourState, Ella’s Italian Pub is the best new restaurant in Geneva for 2023.

🔒 Cocktail hour: Tapping into the ready-to-drink cocktail craze, Riverlands Brewing is launching a new series of fruited sour beers that mimic the taste of popular tropical drinks.

All three City Councils will be holding meetings tonight:

☑️ Batavia: Agenda includes oath of office for new 7th Ward Alderperson Robin Barraza.

☑️ Geneva: Agenda includes the Mental Health Board annual report presentation.

☑️ St. Charles: Agenda includes a Government Operations Committee report.

The 🎟️ icon indicates a paid event.

🎟️ Tuesday | Winter Wonderland Concert: 400+ BHS musicians will perform a holiday-themed concert at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre at 6:30PM and 8:30PM tomorrow night.

🎟️ Friday | St. Charles History Museum Holiday Gala Fundraiser: The 6PM event will celebrate the theme “It’s A Wonderful Life In St. Charles In 1933” and include a cocktail reception, cash bar, three-course meal and silent auction.

☑️ Fri + Sat | Joyful Holiday Market: A cozy and festive weekend in downtown Batavia at CryBaby Wellness featuring self-care (and pet care!) services, handmade gifts and more from local makers.

🎟️ Saturday | Holiday High Tea with Santa: Grab the fam and head to The Graceful Ordinary for holiday sweets and canapés, festive beverages, a meet-n-greet with Santa and other surprises on Saturday morning or early afternoon.

This week’s live music lineup covers today (12/4) through Sunday (12/10). We’ll get back to our regular Monday/Thursday newsletter sends next week.

On tap for this week:

⛅ Today: High 40F | Low 31F | December gray

🌨️ Tuesday: High 38F | Low 30F | Possible wintry mix

🌤️ Wednesday: High 40F | Low 34F | Mid-week clear-up

🌤️ Thursday: High 51F | Low 43F | Late week warm-up

🌤️ Friday: High 52F | Low 34F | Unseasonably nice

🌧️ Saturday: High 44F | Low 31F | Return of the rain

🌤️ Sunday: High 38F | Low 27F | This will inevitably change

We’re also on Facebook and Instagram. Follow us for updates about what’s happening in the area throughout the week.

Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with:

P.S. If you enjoy Tri-Cities Central, please refer others and/or leave a review! We grow primarily through word of mouth.