The paper

Submissions and editorial policy

Area 847 is a neighborly paper for Chicago's northwest suburbs. We'd love to hear what's good around here: the new bakery, the school play, the recipe your family fights over.

No politics. Ever.

This is the one rule we never bend. We don't publish anything about candidates, elections, parties, referendums, petitions, or hot-button issues — no matter whose side it's on, and no matter how local. We also skip crime reports, school-board fights, complaints about neighbors or businesses, and rumors.

Houses of worship are welcome to share events open to everyone — a fish fry, a rummage sale, a concert. We don't run sermons, causes, or calls to action. Submissions about government or school-board meetings aren't for us either.

Our test: would nine out of ten neighbors agree it's worth knowing and good to see? If a piece would start an argument in a Facebook group, it isn't for us. There are plenty of places online for that; this isn't one of them.

What we're looking for

Recipes — family favorites, holiday dishes, things you make with produce from a local farm stand. In your own words, please; if it came from a cookbook or website, tell us which.
Restaurant reviews — first-hand, from a meal you paid for yourself. Tell us what you ordered and what you'd send a friend for. We run reviews that recommend; if a place let you down, tell the owner, not us.
Business openings and milestones — a new shop, a move, a big anniversary. One factual note, not an ad.
School happenings — concerts, plays, science fairs, team seasons, student achievements.
Civic happenings — park-district and library events, food drives, cleanups, block parties, open houses, new trails.
Good news — the kind that fits our Brightside section: neighbors helping neighbors, lost pets found, centennials.
Events — public, non-political events in or near our towns, with the date, time, place, and price.

It should be in or near our towns: the ones listed on the About page.

How to send it

Email submissions@area847.com with:

The town, and what happened or is happening — when and where.
A link to the official page if there is one (the school, village, or business).
Your name and town. We'll credit you by first name and town unless you'd rather not.
Photos only if you took them yourself. Sending one means anyone recognizable in it is OK with it, and you're giving us permission to publish it on Area 847 and our social pages, with credit to you.

How we edit

We check event dates, times, prices, and links against an official source when there is one. If we can't confirm an event, it waits.
We may shorten or reword a piece to fit our style. We won't change what it means.
We decide what runs and when. Not everything we receive will appear, and we can't always reply.
We don't pay for submissions and we don't charge for them. A submission is never paid placement, and running a note about a business isn't an endorsement.
Restaurant reviews and business notes are fine; owners reviewing their own place, or friends reviewing it on their behalf, are not. Tell us about any connection.

Kids and privacy

We never publish your email address. We don't print children's last names, and a photo where a child can be recognized needs a parent's OK — tell us you have it. School news is best sent by, or with the blessing of, the school or a parent group.

Corrections

Spot something wrong — a time, a price, a phone number? Write to the same address; if we got it wrong, we'll fix it.

October 2026. Not an official village or county page.