Five months after picketing outside City Hall and 20 months after beginning contract negotiations with the city, a group of unionized Aurora city employees is again demanding what they call a “fair contract.”

Built in 1918 on land donated by pioneers Anna and James Brown, the 1,500-square-foot Big Woods School near Butterfield Road served children in the Big Woods/Marmion area until 1963, when it was closed.

With classes having started or just about to begin at schools around the Aurora area, parents and students have hit the stores in full-force recently seeking the necessary school supplies.

Oswego returns 12 starters from 8A state runner-up, while Batavia, St. Charles North and Geneva appear to be formidable again.

Ammar Banire appears to be on the verge of big things for Oswego, which is No. 1 in Beacon-News/Courier-News preseason rankings.

Who is the No. 1 team in the Aurora/Elgin area? Here are our rankings before the high school football season kicks off.