As Shaw Media continues celebrating its 175th anniversary, we took a look back at four front pages published on Sept. 16 throughout our history. These archives act as a window into the past, documenting major national defining moments alongside the everyday decisions, challenges, and stories of local communities.
1976: Dixon Evening Telegraph
On Sept. 16, 1976, the Dixon Evening Telegraph led with a education update as the school board approved a “Kindergarten shuffle” to adjust teacher assignments and class sizes. Lower down the page, local tensions surfaced in a report titled “Dogs the issue in Grand Detour,” detailing a legal dispute over township dog control ordinances. The front page also covered regional judicial matters with “Seven indictments by Ogle Grand Jury” and reported on national economic trends, noting that personal income gains had slowed to their smallest increase in 13 months.
2001: Daily Chronicle (DeKalb)
Five days after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Sept. 16, 2001 edition of the Daily Chronicle captured a nation preparing for conflict with the headline “Bush warns: Brace for war.” Below the main banner, local coverage highlighted community solidarity, noting that anti-Arab sentiment was rare in the area and showcasing local residents showing unity. The front page balanced heavy national news with regional stories, including coverage of a local wheelchair contest for RAMP and a report that the Taylor trial was set to begin in December in Sycamore.
2001: Northwest Herald
Also on Sept. 16, 2001, the Northwest Herald reflected the gravity of the post-9/11 landscape with the top banner “AMERICA ATTACKED” above its main headline, “Bush: ‘We’re at war’.” The front page featured a prominent photo of a honor guard for a fallen firefighter alongside coverage of potential shifts in national security policies and potential civil liberties trade-offs. On the local level, the paper covered regional criminal proceedings, reporting that a second warrant had been issued in a high-profile case.
2008: Morris Daily Herald
On Sept. 16, 2008, the Morris Daily Herald focused heavily on natural disaster response as severe flooding hit Grundy County, running the front-page story “River passes record levels.” Detailed coverage followed evacuations along Cemetery Road and Ravine Woods, including local officials monitoring the rising waters. The edition also paid tribute to a local leader with the headline “Arnold loses battle with rare disease,” honoring former alderman Jeff Arnold, while reporting on local education news as Coal City District 1 brought select special education services back in-house.
:quality(70)/author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/shawmedia/59fc2deb-4690-4608-b846-d6af698839c4.png)