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The Observer
Have you noticed a white sticker under your classroom number? It’s a new feature of signage that reads, “access limited to students, faculty and staff,” in English and Spanish text. Access signs are approximately 5 inches long and 3 inches wide. Do you know why signs are there? ECC President Peggy Heinrich said access signs...
The Observer
After a year of increased ICE activity in Elgin, ECC students face an uncertain school year as immigration enforcement continues to raise concerns about campus safety, ESL and Latinx enrollment. An ECC student was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on the college campus, raising concerns among students and the...
The Observer
On September 9, 2026, Elgin became one of 11 governed bodies to pass a moratorium postponing data center development. In Northern Illinois, data centers and debates concerning their existence continue to spike. Elgin City Council members proposed a moratorium on data centers in Elgin, lasting one year. “We need to be proactive,” said Councilwoman Tish...
The Observer
The South Elgin Village Board of Trustees rejected a proposal Monday to annex land for a 200,000-square-foot data center. White Rose Partners presented “Project Kilo,” a data center situation on 20 acres of land near Route 25 and Kenyon Road. The property would be “directly within constraints of Prairie Point subdivision,” said Trustee Scott Richmond....
The Observer
Walking down Division and Spring Street, you might find a sleeping bag folded against the wall, its fabric frayed by dust and weather. People move slowly through the morning; their shoes worn at the heels as they carry their entire lives inside plastic bags stretched too thin. For years, Elgin’s homelessness crisis extends beyond the...
The Observer
Despite a raise this fall, roughly 80% of Support Staff at Elgin Community College Association (SSECCA) earn below a living wage, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Calculator and ECC data. A living wage is the hourly rate one must earn in order to support themselves without government assistance. In contrast, a minimum...
The Observer
Students express the need for visible signage eliminating (Immigration Customs Enforcement) ICE’s access to the ECC’s buildings and student facing areas. They are unaware that the signs they seek, they have already found in miniature form. Back in Sept. 2025, an ECC student was detained on campus just outside of Building K. Though ECC later...
The Observer
*The following is an unabridged letter from FIRE, “a nonpartisan nonprofit that defends free speech on and off campus” to Peggy Heinirch, ECC president, in response to a recent Observer editorial. The contents of this letter do not necessarily reflect the views of the Observer staff. * July 13, 2026 Peggy Heinrich President’s Office Elgin Community...
The Observer
*The following is an unabridged statement from Andrea Watson, Director of Communications, in response to a recent Observer editorial. The contents of this statement do not necessarily reflect the views of the Observer staff. * This statement is provided in response to the Observer’s June 23, 2026, editorial, which was difficult for me to read...
The Observer
Effective through June 30, 2029, Support Staff of Elgin Community College’s Association (SSECCA) ratified a new three-year contract. Granted an additional 10 days, the contract raises the annual total from 12 to 22 days of PTO. According to SSECCA’s President, Anitra King, 97 attended the ratification meeting—84 in favor and 13 against. “We’re still in...
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