Author: Fox Valley Magazine

The Naperville Police Department is joining with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and nearly 200 other Illinois police and sheriff’s departments to remind motorists to Click It or Ticket and Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. “We want our community to understand that it’s up to them to make the smart decision to drive sober on Thanksgiving weekend and every day,” said Naperville Police Sergeant Rick Krakow. “Remember – if you’re going to drink or use other impairing substances, don’t drive. We will be stepping up patrols to keep impaired drivers off the roads and ensure…

Crystal Lopez of Elgin, 22, Identified As Victim. Crystal Lopez of Elgin, 22, has died from gunshot wounds sustained Sunday evening in the 800 block of Jefferson Avenue in Elgin. Ms. Lopez was transported from the scene of the shooting to Advocate Sherman Hospital where she was later pronounced dead. On Monday, the Kane County Coroner’s office performed an autopsy on Ms. Lopez, including toxicology tests, and subsequently announced that the preliminary cause of death is consistent with gunshot wounds. In what was Elgin’s 61st shots fired incident in 2021, at 6:27 p.m., Elgin police officers responded to a report…

A vehicle was carjacked from a husband and wife Saturday evening at a gas station in the 400 block of South State Street in Aurora. According to reports, the husband and wife were stopped at the gas station when a man accosted them, throwing the husband to the ground and pulling the wife out of the car and also throwing her to the ground before driving away with the car. Police have since recovered the vehicle, but the suspect or suspects remain at large. If you have any information regarding the incident, please call APD Investigations at (630) 256-5500. Information…

Shots fired incident is the 61st in Elgin this year. The record of 64 was set in 2016. A woman sustained serious injuries Sunday evening after being shot in the 800 block of Jefferson Avenue in Elgin. At 6:27 p.m., Elgin police officers responded to a report of a shooting and located an adult female victim who had sustained a serious injury. The victim was transported to an area hospital, and preliminary information indicates that this appears to be an isolated incident. Detectives from the Major Investigations Division and Special Investigations Group are actively investigating the case; updates will be…

The Graceful Ordinary, a brand new upscale restaurant in downtown St. Charles, announced on Facebook Thursday that it is temporarily closing as a result of one of its employees testing positive for COVID. The restaurant, which is located on the river at 3 E. Main in St. Charles, has been open for only ten days. In the post, Owners Chris and Megan Curren explained that “one of our employees has tested positive for COVID-19. Although this individual was not experiencing symptoms, they received a positive result this morning following their most recent shift at The Graceful Ordinary on Wednesday, November…

From the Forest Preserve District of Will County As the weather turns colder and leaves fall off the trees, coyotes may be more visible in late fall as young males seek new turf and food availability declines. In most instances, coyotes want to avoid human interaction. But should a situation present itself, there are some things humans can do to ward off any problems with these wild canines. The Urban Coyote Research Project provides tips for avoiding conflicts on its website. The key is not to feed coyotes either intentionally or unintentionally, the group stresses. “The number one most effective way to…

Another threat of school violence was identified this week as the Fox Valley continues to deal with a series of such incidents in the region. This time, it was South Elgin High School which, according to multiple reports, received a threat of gun violence via a phone message early Friday morning. The caller indicated that “they were going to come to school and shoot up the school.” The school went into lockdown briefly, whereupon two students ran from the building and were eventually apprehended in nearby woods. A third student stated that he had a gun in his backpack, which…

In what is just the beginning of holiday festivities, Aurora has begun to light the lights of Christmas with its annual Winter Lights Parade and Aurora’s Fox Valley Mall “Let It Shine” display of over 1 million lights. Take a look. In the next two weekends, the Fox Valley Christmas season really gets into gear with the St. Charles Holiday Homecoming, featuring the annual Electric Christmas Parade, Geneva’s Christmas Walk, Santa returning to his Naperville workshop, and Batavia’s Celebration of Lights, among many other. Check back to our special Christmas section for coverage of all the region’s holiday events.

Buckle up and don’t drive drunk. That’s the message from law enforcement regarding the coming holiday. The St. Charles Police Department announced Wednesday that it will be participating in a statewide initiative to enhance driver safety over the Thanksgiving holiday period. From November 19 through November 29, additional officers will be assigned throughout Illinois to DUI and seat belt enforcement.  St. Charles Officers will be participating in this statewide initiative, the goal of which is to prevent motor vehicle crashes and resulting injuries. According to the department, correct seat belt use is the most effective way to protect vehicle occupants…

A jury in Wisconsin has found Kyle Rittenhouse, formerly of Antioch but now a resident of Wisconsin, not guilty on all charges stemming from his killing of two men and injuring of another during the Kenosha riots that followed the August 23, 2020, shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha police officers. Rittenhouse, who claimed he acted in self-defense in shooting the three men, faced life in prison had the jury found him guilty. Activist groups have warned for weeks that a not guilty verdict would result in massive demonstrations. Wisconsin governor Tony Evers has 500 Wisconsin National Guard troops on…