Good morning!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday week with family and friends.

Speaking of, we met up with friends for a holiday dinner at Fortunato, a North Aurora seafood and Italian spot that opened in 2024 — our first visit. They bill themselves as “upscale and edgy yet comfortable,” which honestly felt pretty spot-on. I’d recommend giving it a try if you haven’t been.

Holiday housekeeping reminder: There will be no newsletter sent on Thursday (New Year’s Day). The normal schedule will resume on Monday, January 5.

📮 Need to contact me with questions, tips or suggestions? Get in touch here.

As the year wraps up, let’s look back at what resonated most with Tri-Cities Central readers.

From breaking local news to stories and anecdotes that sparked conversation, these were some of the most popular stories of 2025. Topics included new restaurants, major developments, deep dives into local history, and community favorites — prompting plenty of clicks and shares.

Here are 12 of those pieces — a snapshot of what resonated most in our community last year.

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If “local” matters to you, Hundred Oaks Farm is a small, family-run farm on the east side of Geneva, raising livestock on rotating pasture under old oak trees.

Their approach is simple:

Spring reservations are now open for pork and lamb boxes, whole chickens, and eggs — all raised right here in Geneva, with first pickups expected in April. Follow along on Instagram for farm updates as spring approaches.

☑️ New 3rd Street spot: In his latest video, local realtor Chris Wallace takes us through Bread & Vine, the new Geneva bistro now open in the former Graham’s 318 Coffeehouse space.

☑️ Airport tragedy: A small twin-engine plane crashed shortly after takeoff from DuPage Airport in West Chicago just east of Geneva, killing both people onboard and prompting an investigation.

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☑️ Murder investigation: Batavia police charged a 37-year-old Batavia man with murder after finding a woman with life-threatening injuries in a Church Street apartment last week (she died at the scene). The man had called dispatchers saying he had killed his wife.

☑️ New laws to know: An expansive list of new Illinois laws taking effect on January 1 will bring changes to public safety, housing, schools, health care, and policing — many of which will likely impact residents across the Tri-Cities.

☑️ Storefront crash: A Jeep crashed into Rosati’s Pizza in Batavia on Christmas Eve, damaging the restaurant and sending two employees and the driver to the hospital. Police said the driver may have been experiencing a medical issue when he crashed.

🔒 Riverfront makeover: St. Charles officials continue to explore redevelopment options for the former police station site along the Fox River downtown, hiring a public engagement firm to gather community input on possible projects.

☑️ Emergency alerts: Kane County launched a new public safety alert system that lets residents sign up for free, real-time emergency notifications by text, phone, email, or app. Get more info and sign up.

☑️ Vanity vanquished: In what’s become a humorous annual tradition, Illinois rejected more than 550 vanity license plate requests (out of 56K total) in 2025 for being offensive, confusing, or hard to read. See which ones topped the list.

☑️ Debate continues: Geneva City Council is set for a special meeting on January 12 to hear the case from developer Shodeen Group after they filed an appeal to overturn the denial of a demolition request for the 4 E. State St. blacksmith shop in Geneva.

☑️ Immigrant rally: Local activist organizations have planned community rally in downtown St. Charles on January 3 aimed at celebrating immigrants and their contributions to the area.

☑️ Local holiday magic: A new children’s book by St. Charles author Suzanna Palmer brings Geneva’s Christmas Walk tradition to life by telling the story behind Bob’s Candy Cane Parade, which was created by the owner of Graham’s Chocolates.

☑️ Artistic explosion: The Geneva Chamber is organizing an “Art Explosion” event for May 2 where downtown shops and restaurants will feature pop-up galleries, live demos, and a wide range of local art. Local artists can apply here to get involved.

☑️ Keeper of history: Ken Shepro has begun work as Kane County’s new, unpaid historian, focusing on preserving local history and preparing for the nation’s 250th anniversary. Learn how he got here and what’s to come.

☑️ Winner winner: According to the Illinois Lottery, one of the $50K winning tickets from the recent $1.87 billion Powerball jackpot drawing was sold at a 7-Eleven location in St. Charles.

☑️ Elementary school refresh: Batavia School officials approved a summer 2026 renovation plan at Louise White School that adds security upgrades, new classrooms, and significant infrastructure improvements.

Another week, another unusual holiday schedule. This rundown once again features the full week (Monday through Sunday) since we don’t be sending a newsletter on Thursday (New Year’s Day).

Plenty of fun performances to choose from through the weekend — enjoy!

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Sunday brunch is a time-honored tradition — and you won’t find a better value in the Tri-Cities than at The Little Traveler’s Atrium Café. In fact, it was named Best Brunch in West Suburban Living’s 2024 Best of the West.

For just $12.95, enjoy a full spread of fresh, house-made favorites, from fluffy omelets with crispy bacon to Swedish pancakes and Crab Cakes Benedict. Trust me, there’s a reason so many local folks have been coming back for decades.

💥 Holiday Almanack is out! Check out The Little Traveler’s 2025 Holiday Almanack & Look Book for upcoming events and festive new products.

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☑️ Recall alert: A Geneva-based sweets company recalled two types of holiday bark sold at Aldi stores nationwide after a packaging mix-up led to undeclared allergens that could pose serious health risks.

☑️ Career booster for veterans: Fermilab in Batavia will receive $8 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand its VALOR program, which trains and places military veterans into technical careers at the lab.

✳️ Upgrade your Bears gear: The Chicago Bears made the playoffs — make sure you prepare accordingly! Urban Artisan in Geneva has the hoodies, shirts, coasters, decor, and other items you need to support your hometown team in style. View their sports selection.

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☑️ Local home sales: See recent property sales for Kane County — including this nearly $1M estate with private lake access on Old Homestead Road in St. Charles.

✳️ Need a trustworthy local realtor? Get in touch with Tri-Cities expert Chris Wallace at [email protected] or chriswallacere.com.

☑️ Local obits: Recent obituaries posted by Tri-Cities funeral homes.

☑️ Police reports: View police reports and arrest logs for Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and Campton Hills.

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☑️ Last-minute NYE plans: Here’s a comprehensive list of New Year’s Eve events happening across the Tri-Cities area — with several new additions over the past week.

🎟️ Santa’s Rock N Lights | Mon 12/29 – Wed 12/31 | Kane County Cougars Stadium, Geneva | Last chance to catch the massive drive-thru holiday lights display.

☑️ New Year Pajama Party | Thu 1/1, 10AM-All Day | Flagship on the Fox, STC | Don your favorite PJ’s and watch the college football playoffs.

☑️ Winter Sale at The Rustic Fox | Thu 1/1 – Sat 1/18, 10AM | The Rustic Fox, North Aurora | Shop 100+ vendor booths with major discounts and Fox Funds deals.

☑️ Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament | Fri 1/2, 6:45PM | Evergreen Pub, STC | A free poker tournament every Friday night for a shot at exciting winnings.

☑️ Pickleball Kingdom Sneak Peek | Sat 1/3, 10AM-5PM | Pickleball Kingdom, North Aurora | Get an early look inside the major new pickleball facility and upcoming plans.

🔥 Loved it, keep up the good work

😐 Mediocre, could take it or leave it

🛑 3 minutes I’ll never get back

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