Opinion
We Were Wrong: Beck’s Is the Future of Streator
We need to admit something to our readers and we do hope you'll forgive us: we were wrong about the Beck’s development. For months, we’
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Opinion
Silence Before the Vote: Where is the Discussion on Beck’s?
Tomorrow night, Wednesday August 20th at 7pm, the Streator City Council is poised to vote on one of the largest taxpayer-funded development deals in recent memory: the
Opinion
Welcome to Streator: Please Bring Your Own Exit Ramp
The newest mural welcoming visitors from the east is a cheery vision: people peacefully canoeing down what we presume is the Vermilion River. It’s a postcard scene
Opinion
$36 Million into the Void: What Video Gambling Costs Streator
Let’s start with the numbers. Between May 2020 and May 2025, people in Streator lost $35,954,858 playing video gambling machines. That averages out to about
Opinion
Frustration Grows Over Streator’s Conflicting TIF Goals
In the same week Streator’s Plan Commission tabled a $15,000 facade grant request for Ace Hardware — questioning whether raised red metal shingles and new signage aligned
Opinion
Bowling Alone, Together Again
Why the health of Streator’s social fabric matters more than any single project by The Streator Standard Editorial Board In Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam warned that America’
Opinion
Make No Small Plans: What Daniel Burnham Can Teach Streator
Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers This is the final article — for now — in Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers, a continuing series in
Opinion
The Social Life of a Corner
Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers This article is part of Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers, a continuing series in The Streator Standard
Opinion
Option Value: Why Beck’s is a Bad Bet for a Prime Block
Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers This article is part of Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers, a continuing series in The Streator Standard
Opinion
Building Small vs. Betting Big
Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers This article is part of Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers, a continuing series in The Streator Standard
Opinion
Patterns Worth Keeping
Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers This article is part of Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. The Great City Thinkers, a continuing series in The Streator Standard
Opinion
The Illusion of the Big Check
Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. the Great City Thinkers This article is part of Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. the Great City Thinkers, a continuing series in The Streator Standard
Opinion
Eyes on the Street, Not Pumps on the Corner
Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. the Great City Thinkers This article is part of Lessons Ignored: Streator vs. the Great City Thinkers, a continuing series in The Streator Standard
Opinion
The Silent March Toward a Downtown Disaster
Somewhere between City Hall and the wrecking ball, the public got cut out of the conversation. Streator is on the verge of approving one of the most consequential
News
Streator Considers Local Grocery Tax as State Repeals Its Own
Beginning January 1, 2026, the State of Illinois will officially eliminate its 1% grocery tax. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the change into law on August 5, 2024,