Visitors and residents alike all find something to love about this town. Anything that cannot be found right in town is just a short trip away. South Elgin has long benefited from a close proximity to major transportation corridors. Residents routinely travel to Chicago for work or recreation and gladly return to their hometown at the end of the day. Of course, with so much to do around town, who needs to look any further?  

Latest Headlines:

Judson U. announces first doctoral program
Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:27:35 -0500

ELGIN — Judson University announced its first-ever doctoral program, a doctor of education in literacy, at Monday’s kickoff to the school’s four-day Literacy in Motion conference. That program also will be the first doctor of education in literacy program in the area, according to its co-director, Gillian Stewart-Wells. When she and co-director Steven Layne began researching a program four years ago, there were only two in the state of Illinois, Stewart-Wells said. And it “couldn’t have come at a more blessed time for our 50th Golden Centennial Anniversary,” with Adoniram Judson’s strong ties to literacy, said Judson University President Gene …

Carpentersville molester draws 30-year sentence
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:04:00 -0500

ST. CHARLES TWP. — A Carpentersville man has been sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to having sexual contact with a child he knew. Alfredo Vidigaray, 37, of the 100 block of San Juan Road, Carpentersville, agreed on Wednesday to a sentence of 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to two counts of criminal sexual assault, each a Class 1 felony, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. Circuit Judge John A. Barsanti accepted the plea. Between June 1, 2001, and Nov. 11, 2012, Vidigaray had sexual contact at least …

DuPage asks residents to watch out for turtles
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:46:58 -0500

DuPage County residents are being warned to watch out for some slow-moving traffic. Very slow moving. With hard shells, strong jaws and sharp claws, most turtles are well-protected from predators. But one threat they can’t combat is the automobile, so the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is reminding drivers to be cautious, especially now when turtles are active. In late spring and early summer, female turtles move to nesting sites to lay their eggs, journeys that can take them across busy roads. “Roads or no roads, turtles focus on one thing: getting where they’re going,” explains Kevin Luby, a …

Train display new touch at Swedish Days in Geneva
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:48:00 -0500

GENEVA — Swedish Days is up and chugging along in downtown Geneva. One feature of the fest is of special interest to train buffs. “Look, Mommy! There’s trains in there! Trains, Mommy!” a little girl squealed as she tugged her mother by the hand toward the “sneak peek” window at the Geneva History Center, where passersby on Third Street can stop and look in at the large-scale model train layout in the meeting room. “We’re hearing that a lot,” said center volunteer Sarah Clemens. “We’re also getting a lot of people coming inside.” Center officials booked the LGB Model Train …

Hanover Twp. Emergency Services Department receives certification
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:38:01 -0500

HANOVER TOWNSHIP — The Hanover Township Emergency Services Department has received formal Emergency Management Agency certification from the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The certification recognizes the department’s training program, disaster planning and emergency response capabilities. County certification has been an objective for the department since it was established by the township board to respond to man-made and natural disasters. The department is trained and equipped to assist public safety agencies serving Hanover Township residents on emergency scenes. “This really has been work in progress since I arrived at the township two years ago,” said Dan …

Unclaimed cremains in Kane County to receive burial
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:49:44 -0500

The remaining 40 unclaimed cremains in storage at the Kane County Coroner’s Office will find their final resting place. A non-denominational service and internment is planned Thursday and is designed to bring closure and a dignified burial for the unclaimed cremains, some decades old which have not been claimed by next-of-kin. A few months after taking office, Kane County Coroner Rob Russell discovered the unclaimed cremated remains of 47 people in his office storage unit. This discovery prompted Russell to enlist the help of the media in hopes of uniting any of the unclaimed cremains with their next-of-kin. When the …

From Hampshire to Panama Canal Zone and back: A unique angle on life
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:13:30 -0500

HAMPSHIRE — Bonnie Engel today is a licensed psychologist residing in Florida, but she remembers when she lived with her parents in Hampshire and in the Panama Canal Zone. Bonnie’s father, Earl Charles Engel, and her mother, Hazel Irene Andersen Engel, both grew up on farms in the Hampshire-Burlington area. “My parents met for the first time at the Blue Moon Dance Hall in Elgin,” Bonnie said. “They were married in 1940 at St. John Lutheran Church in Burlington.” It is in her father’s honor that she established the Earl C. Engel Award of Excellence, presented each year to a …

Elgin Woman’s Club members July 4 parade marshals
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:22:15 -0500

ELGIN — The city of Elgin and the Downtown Neighborhood Association, in conjunction with presenting sponsor Advocate Sherman Hospital, has announced that members of the Elgin Woman’s Club will serve as grand marshals of the 2013 City of Elgin Fourth of July Parade. Representatives from the Elgin Woman’s Club will ride in a vintage convertible to kick off this year’s parade, at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 4, beginning at the intersection of Slade and Douglas avenues. The theme of this year’s Elgin Fourth parade is “Elgin Marching Through Time” — a timeline-based community celebration of the individuals and organizations who …

DCFS investigating death of Bartlett toddler pulled from pool
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:55:51 -0500

BARTLETT — The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services is investigating Tuesday’s death of a toddler pulled from a swimming pool earlier this month. Two-year-old Edgar Fernandez was found June 14 in a swimming pool in the 200 block of East Country Drive in Bartlett, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. Edgar, who lived in Bartlett, had been hospitalized since the incident at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, a medical examiner’s office spokesman said. He was pronounced dead there at 6:03 p.m. Tuesday. An autopsy Wednesday found Edgar died from drowning and his death was …

Top storm chaser at Elgin disaster preparedness expo Friday
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:00 -0500

ELGIN — The city’s Office of Emergency Management will hold a disaster preparedness expo Friday featuring well known storm chaser and author Warren Faidley. The free expo will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. in The Centre of Elgin Heritage Ballroom. Faidley will be the keynote speaker at 7 p.m. Faidley is described as “America’s foremost, hands-on severe weather and disaster survival expert.” He is an extreme weather journalist and has followed violent weather for 25 years. He has provided live reports for major news networks, and appeared in specials including National Geographic and The Discovery Channel, according to …

Sleeping motorist charged in Elgin
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:38:15 -0500

Elgin Asleep at the wheel: Elgin police arrested a South Elgin woman after finding her apparently asleep at the wheel of a car, with its gear shift in “drive,” reports stated. The car was found parked at the exit from the Walgreen drugstore parking lot at 1700 Larkin Ave. at about 5:15 a.m. Monday, police said. Linde Smith, of the first block of Ridge Court in South Elgin, was charged with driving under the influence of drugs. According to police reports, she admitted having taken Xanax and Dilaudid pills, and a person in the car’s front passenger seat also seemed …

St. Charles promotes Schelstreet as its new fire dept. chief
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:39:52 -0500

ST. CHARLES — Joseph Schelstreet, a 25-year veteran of the St. Charles Fire Department, has become its fire chief effective Monday. Schelstreet had been serving as acting fire chief since November 2012, when Chief Patrick Mullen retired. Schelstreet was officially sworn in at this week’s St. Charles City Council meeting. Schelstreet joined the department full-time in 1988 as a firefighter. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1992, captain in 1997 and assistant chief in 2003. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree in management and organizational behavior from Benedictine University, and a master’s in fire …

City of Elgin’s Fourth of July plans bring some figurative fireworks
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:37:54 -0500

ELGIN — The city’s plans for the Fourth of July are taking shape, with political fireworks concerning a visit from foreign dignitaries. The sparks center on a contingent from Elgin’s Sister City of Cauquenes, Chile, coming to Elgin for an early July visit. While more people were planning to come to town, “The delegation is down to four because they were late getting their visa applications to the embassy,” Elgin Fire Lt. Bob Bedard said. Bedard has been extensively involved with the Sister Cities project and visited Cauquenes in March. Prior to last week’s city council meeting — which was …

Cook Co. board to slash tax on businesses that shop across the border
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:16:45 -0500

It was promoted as part of a “buy local” push to keep business within the county. But the tax and its reporting requirements drew complaints. At least two lawsuits accuse the county of illegally imposing a value-based tax not authorized by the state Legislature. Preckwinkle has argued the tax falls within the county’s home-rule powers.

Controversial new grading scale in U46 won’t get board vote
Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:04:00 -0500

ELGIN — The secondary grading committee gave its third update about the controversial changes to Elgin School District U46’s grading and late work policies Monday night at the U46 Board of Education meeting. The meeting was moved to the auditorium at Gifford Street High School, next door to the U46 Educational Services Center. Only about 50 people attended, though 13 teachers, students, parents and community members made public comments against the new grading policy. Next school year, middle and high schools in U46 can choose between two grading scales proposed by the committee, according to the district. One is a …

Scientists: Timber in Lake Michigan centuries old
Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:20:00 -0500

A wooden beam embedded at the bottom of northern Lake Michigan appears to have been there for centuries, underwater archaeologists announced Tuesday, a crucial finding as crews dig toward what they hope is the carcass of a French ship that disappeared while exploring the Great Lakes in the 17th Century.

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