The envelope came in the mail mid-week. Important notice inside, it said, with a return address from the Cook County assessor’s office. I put off opening it for several days because I didn’t want it ruining my weekend. But, eventually, I had to face the music.

My home’s property had been reassessed and, sure enough, the assessed value went up by nearly 23%. If I were planning to sell sometime soon, this might be welcome news, but I’m not and it could very well mean my property taxes are going to soar because my property is worth more. Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s letter with the reassessment cleverly noted in bold: “An increase in your assessment does not cause the same increase in your property tax bill. In fact, Crain’s Chicago Business and the Chicago Tribune have reported that residential assessment increases in the past two years have meant only a 1% average increase in residential property taxes.”

Nestled in a leafy and prosperous swath of suburban DuPage County, Center Cass School District 66 in Downers Grove at first glance appears to exemplify the best of public education.

The district boasts three tidy and modern school buildings, enthusiastic teachers a reputation for academic rigor and plenty of personal attention for its 1,100 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Jordan Esparza-Kelley switched schools in third grade when his family briefly moved from Waukegan to neighboring Gurnee.

The Cary village board has voted to make food trucks a regular feature on its downtown streets.

The decision last week followed a trial run this summer with Brothers’ BBQ food truck and catering kitchen, which “went off without a hitch,” said Brian Simmons, Cary’s community development director.

Hemp legalization set off a “gold rush” of hemp cultivation by enthusiastic growers across the country. Four years later, a significant number of hemp growers have left the business. And the amount of planted hemp acreage has dropped considerably.

The Farm Bill of 2018 legalized the growing of hemp in the United States for the first time since the 1970s. Hemp and hemp seeds were taken off the Drug Enforcement Administration’s schedule of controlled substances.