Here's a lede you don't often get to write: "Dateline - Batavia, Illinois: The definition of 'reality' was challenged today..." Okay, so that might be over the top, but based on the news coming out of Fermilab recently, perhaps only by a little. more ›

With the current recession pushing local and national unemployment levels to new highs, it's hard to take more trivial casualties of the recession very seriously. Yet, sometimes it's the small things that help ease - if only temporarily - our worries and fears in a tanking economy. And one of those things are fireworks. The loud, sparkly explosions still leaves many a Chicagoist staffer in wide-eyed awe. But for some areas, budget cuts in the current recessions mean events like 4th of July fireworks are among the first to go. For example, North Aurora has reportedly already canceled theirs and Batavia is considering doing the same unless they can find more money. more ›

Ahh, Chuck E. Cheese. Where a kid can be a kid. Skee-ball. Pizza. Ball-pits. Frightening animatronic shows. And now... booze? The Chuck E. Cheese in Batavia has been charged with selling alcohol to minors. We weren't even aware that the restaurants served alcohol, let alone to minors, but it turns out a worker at the 511 N. Randall Rd. location was allegedly caught selling to an underage police decoy. more ›