🌽 The best corn in the area (according to your neighbors)

On Monday, I asked you this question: Where’s the best place near the Tri-Cities to buy quality corn on the cob?

Your collective answer: Wiltsie’s Farm in Maple Park. Enthusiastically.

Several other spots received multiple votes:

• Tom’s Farm Market (locations in Huntley and Bartlett)

• Goebbert's Farm in Pingree Grove

• Klein’s Farm in Elgin

• Poplar Farms in Batavia

🍗 What’s your go-to spot for wings?

Look around the Tri-Cities with a keen eye and you’ll notice signs of strong demand for chicken wings.

St. Charles alone is home to at least four specialty wing outlets: Wings and Chips, Fry N’ Wings, Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop.

But these spots are only the tip of the iceberg — wings are a bar-food staple, and plenty of nice restaurants feature them on the appetizer menu. Which is why we’re exploring which establishment (bar, restaurant, food truck, whatever) Tri-Cities residents consider to serve the best wings.

You might have questions. Saucy or dry rub? Grilled, smoked or deep fried? Drums or flats? Dine-in or takeout?

My answer: Whatever tickles your fancy. We’re equal opportunity wing evaluators over here.

We’ll use these submissions to create a list of contenders, which we’ll share on Monday.

📰 News to use

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☑️ Dam removal delay: The Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would like to do more research before moving forward with its recommendation to remove nine Fox River dams.

☑️ New alderman: Batavia appointed Kevin Malone to fill its 3rd Ward Alderman vacancy at a committee meeting on Tuesday. He’ll serve in the role through 2027.

☑️ Work zone: Western Avenue in Batavia is closed through Aug. 11 from Crestview Drive to Fabyan Parkway to allow for pavement removal and replacement.

☑️ Lead replacement: If you’re an STC resident who received a letter about your home’s lead or galvanized water service line, the city offered tips for minimizing lead exposure as you wait for your line to be replaced.

🔒 Mayoral race: St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek is promoting her first “Lagers for Lora” campaign event, where it’s reported that she intends to announce her bid to seek reelection.

☑️ Be aware: Phone scammers posing as officials from the Kane County Sheriff's Office, FBI, local police departments and other law enforcement agencies are telling people a warrant will be issued if they don’t pay money owed.

🏘️ In the community

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☑️ Farm pilots: Ever get startled by low-flying aircrafts on rural roads west of town? This explanation of crop dusting operations (with photos) may answer some of your questions.

☑️ Sayonara summer: On September 1, Batavia is hosting an end-of-summer Block Party & Taste of Batavia celebration featuring a car show, pie bake-off and food/libations from local vendors.

☑️ Bye bye bottleneck: Weather permitting, the Route 31 underpass in Geneva is set to reopen on August 16.

☑️ New neighbors: U-Haul rental data reveals where newcomers to Chicagoland are coming from — both folks from out of state and other regions of Illinois.

🔒 Creative campaign: An accomplished local artist has painted new murals on a prominent downtown St. Charles building to drive awareness and encourage donations to local animal shelters.

🎸 Live music

From a fresh round of STC Live shows to a wide range of performances at all the usual haunts, there’s a lot of live music to choose from this weekend.

I’ll also give a shout out to The Venue in Aurora where Anthony Padilla Trio will be headlining a free show for “First Fridays.”

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🦊 It’s never too early for fresh fall finds at The Little Traveler

Crisp air, cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice everything — autumn will arrive in all its glory before you know it.

Get a jump on the season at The Little Traveler, where you’ll discover fresh fall finds around every corner. From earthy, elegant candles to snug cardigans and playful throw pillows, they’ve got everything you need to prepare for the season in style.

🏬 Local biz

☑️️ Chicken Boulevard: Dave’s Hot Chicken will become the newest of many chicken restaurants on Randall Road in Batavia when it opens its doors on Friday (8/2) near Jewel.

☑️️ TV appearance: After Geneva business Parla was damaged in a fire last week, owner Dawn Muir appeared on WGN TV to share her emotional story of recovery and community support.

✳️ Great local contractors: Considering a new roof, siding or deck project this summer? There’s no one better at turning bold ideas into beautiful realities than 212° Construction Group.

☑️️ Back in action: According to a sign on the front door, Geneva’s China Wok restaurant (in the shopping plaza on State Street near Ace Hardware) officially reopens today (8/1).

☑️️ All eyes on BTown: Batavia MainStreet has been selected to host the 2024 Illinois Main Street State Conference in November, which celebrates historic downtown districts and community hubs.

🗓️ Events + things to do

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☑️ First Fridays | Fri 8/2, 7:30AM-10:30PM | Downtown Geneva | Special deals at local businesses plus raffles, giveaways and various activities.

☑️ North Aurora Days | Fri 8/2 & Sat 8/3, 5-11PM | Riverfront Park, N. Aurora | A fun-filled weekend festival super close to the Tri-Cities.

🎟️ Design Your Own Sun Catcher | Sat 8/3, 10AM-4PM | Red Hive Market, Batavia | You handle creative design and leave the experts to assemble your piece!

🎟️ Kane County Flea Market | Sat 8/3 & Sun 8/4 | Kane County Fairgrounds, STC | Browse 600+ dealers offering furniture, decorations, collectibles, antiques and much more.

🎟️ “Fill a Bag” Back-to-School Shopping | Sat 8/3, 9AM-5PM | Batavia Boardwalk Shops | Purchase a bag for $40, then fill ‘er up with supplies.

☑️ Shakespeare in the Park | Sat 8/3, 6PM | Sunset Park Field, Geneva | A performance by Goodly Creatures Theatre plus picnic-style food and drink, contests and more.

🎟️ Project Pet | Sat 8/10, 1-4PM | Pinot’s Palette, STC | Paint a pet portrait while supporting Anderson Humane (photo submission deadline is 8/3).

🚀 Market your business locally

Do you — or any of your friends and colleagues — do business in the Tri-Cities area? If so, don’t miss a chance to connect directly with 3,700+ local residents with an ad in Tri-Cities Central.

Just fill out this quick form (or share it with a friend) to get more info and start the process.

🌖 Weather snapshot

⛈️ Today: High 87F | Low 68F | A heavy storm

🌤️ Friday: High 83F | Low 65F | Isolated storms

☀️ Saturday: High 90F | Low 63F | Scorcher

🌤️ Sunday: High 88F | Low 66F | Heat continues

📖 Thanks for reading

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