Residents from all over Oswego gathered on Saturday to express their artistic creativity, socialize, shop, and eat delicious foods at the Annual Oswego Lantern Festival. Many locals showed up, and even some non-Oswego residents joined in on the fun.
Event organizer and Oswego community relations department member Kelley Bertog said, “We love having community participation, so I think there’s a lot of ways to get involved.”
Bertog also alluded to the fact that the event, centered around an evening lantern parade, serves as a platform to engage the community in local arts because “they thought this would be a really great way to have people create art and then celebrate that art as a part of a larger event.”
As part of this November’s ballot, SD#308 residents will have the opportunity to vote on whether to approve a $317 million dollar bond measure to support the updating and repairs of district buildings as part of the district facilities plan.
“The purpose [[of the referendum]] is to invest in our facilities, primarily in the infrastructure… since most of our buildings have now reached the 20-year mark or older,” SD#308 Chief Communications Officer Theresa Komitas said.
Even the best cared for buildings need repairs eventually, and for SD#308 schools, SD#308 Director Operations Ondre Schoensee said that time is approaching.
Yet again, the annual OH girls volleyball (OPV) fundraiser does more than raise money: it raises motivation for the entire community. This past Saturday, the team hosted a successful car wash to kick start the season and help fund their camps and equipment.
“[[The carwash]] brings us together at the beginning of the season,” said OH Girls Varsity Volleyball Coach and Special Education teacher Gary Mosley. “We know it's going to be a tough day, but it's also a very, very positive day. So it's something we look forward to every year.”
Despite the fact that it is an annual event, it is still one the team looks forward to as it brings connections to the community.
As climate change becomes more of an issue, artificial intelligence's (AI) energy use slowly raises more problems, even if users are unaware.
The increase of climate change has been ongoing since the Industrial Revolution. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information reported that 2024 was the warmest year since global records started in 1850. This indicates the amount of sunlight energy absorbed and the heat traveling back to space is out of balance, and the temperature either rises or falls.
To power AI, it takes massive amounts of energy to run for long periods of time.
“I would say in the early stages, the concern of energy consumption would be my biggest concern," said OH AP Environmental Teacher Zachary Horn. "But obviously, there are some advantages that AI can do that can maybe streamline things, maybe reduce our need for burning fossil fuels, and other ways like transportation and communication. I think it's too early to say whether or not it's gonna have a bigger impact,” Horn added.
Starting her high school career, OH sophomore Alli Wiertel has gained national popularity due to her impressive golf accomplishments. With conference champs 1x and regional champs 2x, Wiertel has led her team to amazing results.
This season, she was the individual Southwest Prairie Conference (SPC) girls' golf champion. At the conference tournament, she fired a 68, which secured her the win by 11 strokes. The top individual scored a 65 at the regional championship; at sectionals, she placed second.
Wiertel has practically been playing golf for her entire life. “My dad got me into golf,” said Wiertel. “I started when I was four years old and started my first tournaments when I was eight.”
Oswego’s Co-Op girls golf team Head Coach Brian Chandler shared his insights on Wiertel’s amazing golf talent.