Around Aurora

Mayor John Laesch Honors 12 Aurora Residents Who Placed In The Top 15 In The Country At The Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games!
Amateur Athletic Union Athletes
At Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Mayor John Laesch honored 12 Aurora residents who earned national recognition at the 2026 Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games, placing within the top 15 in a number of track and field events.

The competition, which took place in Iowa from August 3 through August 8, featured athletes from both the Aurora Sundowners Track Club and the Aurora Flyers, who competed among 11,000 total track and field athletes from across the nation at the meet.

Amari Lewis, a 13-year-old phenom from the Aurora Flyers, placed second in the nation in the 200-meter hurdles event, fourth in the 100-meter hurdles event, and sixth in the 200-meter run. Jakoi Ruff, the 12-year-old standout from the Aurora Sundowners Track Club, placed third in the nation in the 100-meter dash and 10th in the 200-meter sprint. Lewis and Ruff’s placements served as some of the highest finishes among the Aurora residents competing in the event and proudly put the City on the map.

Additional athletes who placed in the top 15 include Alexandria Richmond, who finished third in the country in the triple jump, Noah Howard, who placed third in the pentathlon, Harper Hutton, who placed second in the high jump, Brisline Lankah, who placed second in the 400-meter hurdles, Chloe Crimm, who placed seventh in the 800-meter run, Victoria Sanuade, who placed ninth in the 400-meter dash, Sanuade again, along with Rowan Slowinski, Kayla Jackson, and Kaodichimma Ifeajekwu, who placed 11th in the girls’ 4x400-meter relay, and Ari Watson, who placed 15th in the 400-meter dash.

“What an outstanding effort from both the Flyers and Sundowners at the Junior Olympic Games,” Mayor Laesch said. “You represented our City so well and put together such a phenomenal effort at the national level.”

Congratulations to all of Aurora's young athletes for their amazing finishes at the Junior Olympic Games! You continue to make the City proud!

Watch The Highlight On ABC 7 Chicago!
City of Aurora Launches New Community Solar Partnership To Help Residents Lower Electricity Costs
Community Solar Subscription
Click on the photo to see the program featured on ABC 7 Chicago!

The City of Aurora, in partnership with Ampion, is excited to unveil a new community solar offering designed to help residents lower their monthly electricity costs while supporting local renewable energy.

Through the program, eligible residents can subscribe to a local solar farm and receive credits directly on their monthly electric bills. Participants can save up to 10 percent on their electricity costs without installing rooftop solar panels, purchasing equipment, or changing their current utility provider.

Residents can enroll online through Ampion using a current electric bill or utility account number. Once enrolled, the participating solar farm generates clean electricity that feeds into the local power grid. Subscribers then receive credits based on their share of the solar farm’s output, reducing their monthly electricity bill through their existing utility provider. There is no need to install rooftop equipment or switch utility providers.

Because the solar farm has limited capacity, enrollment is limited. Residents interested in participating can learn more and enroll at ampion.net/cityofaurorail. Additional program information is available through the City of Aurora at www.aurora.il.us/CommunitySolar.

For enrollment assistance, residents can contact Ampion directly at (847) 579-4658 or at signup@ampion.net.

Enroll In The Community Solar Partnership!
Special Census Continues Canvassing Initiative
Special Census Canvassing
The 2026 Aurora Special Census continues, with field workers beginning to go door-to-door and following up with residents who did not respond during the Internet Self-Response Period, along with those who did not receive any mailings from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Official Census canvassers will have proper identification visible when coming to your door. You will be able to take the Special Census with the Census canvasser. If you are not home at the time of the visit, the Census canvasser will leave an official notice of visit.

The notice will contain the phone number for the Special Census Field Office, based in Aurora, which is (630) 256-6680. Residents are not able to go to the Field Office in person, but can call this number between 8 A.M. and 8 P.M. to respond to the Special Census, too! This process will continue until a response is received from every household within the Special Census area.

For more information on the 2026 Aurora Special Census, please visit: http://www.aurora.il.us/SpecialCensus