Author: Fox Valley Magazine

The Aurora Police Department is searching for 40-year-old Jill Simmons. She was reported missing from Aurora on August 30th. Simmons was last seen around 1:00 a.m. on August 31st at Mikes Gas located at 2700 Central Ave., Lake Station, Indiana. Simmons reported to a Mike’s Gas employee that she was having vehicle difficulties. Simmons was wearing bright red gym shoes, a blue shirt with white designs, and blue athletic pants with a white stripe down the side. Jill does suffer from some mental health concerns. If you’ve seen Jill or have any information on her whereabouts, please call 9-1-1 or…

A neighbor of Hal Phipps, the Wayne man who shot and killed Ludwig, a Dogo Argentino belonging to fellow Wayne resident Joe Petit, has sworn an affidavit that Phipps told her that he was planning to “shoot and kill” the dogs if they were ever on his property. Caitlyn Ballard, a friend of Petit’s and who lives on the same street as both men, swore out the affidavit after having received a visit from Mr. Phipps on the evening of June 29 to discuss what Phipps claims was an attack on him by Ludwig earlier that day. Mr. Phipps told…

All this week the Elgin Fringe Festival is in full swing, concluding on Sunday, September 12. Here’s a flippable (is that a word? Hey, it’s the Fringe Festival! “Whatever Happens, Happens”) downloadable brochure (to pdf) of all the events during this crazy week. Stay tuned to this page, as we’ll be doing daily highlights of particular events during the festival. Have fun!

The Tenth Annual St. Charles Jazz Weekend is hosting live jazz music on Sept. 9-12 throughout St. Charles. There are over 25 different performances set between 15 different venues for lunch, dinner and late night entertainment. This year’s venues include: Baker Community Center, Pollyanna Brewing Company, Mount St. Mary Park in collaboration with the St. Charles Park District’s Sip & Stroll, Eden Restaurant and Events, The Filling  Station Pub & Grill, McNally’s Traditional Irish Pub, Riverlands Brewing Company, 116 Gallery, Jeans and a Cute Top Shop, First Street Plaza, Club Arcada, The Wine Exchange, Rox City Grill, and The Office…

Elgin police responded to two separate shooting incidents Sunday. Neither involved injuries, although one did produce an undisclosed amount of property damage. At approximately 2:24am officers responded to the 400 block of Moseley St. for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, evidence of a shooting was located. According to the Elgin Police Department’s Transparency Dashboard, an undisclosed amount of property damage was also discovered. Also on Sunday, at approximately 4:50 p.m. EPD responded to the 2000 block of Hayloft Ln. with what it called a “large police presence” for a disturbance occurring between two individuals. When officers arrived, gunfire…

Joe Petit of Wayne, whose dog Ludwig was shot and killed by neighbor Hal Phipps on August 10, met with Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser and Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain on Tuesday, August 21, to discuss the incident. While the details of the meeting remain largely undisclosed, Fox Valley Magazine has learned that Mosser told Petit that a new witness had come forward in support of Petit’s claims. The identity of the witness was not divulged to Petit. Further, Hain told the Chicago Sun-Times that he and Mosser were scheduled to visit the Petit home on Wednesday, August…

(Photos by The Little Traveler) Joe Greenberg, “part of the heart and soul of The Little Traveler family for over 50 years” died Thursday at the age of 95. According to a post on The Little Traveler social media accounts, Greenberg had “worked until last month, doing everything that’s possible to do in our store, from coordinating our annual inventory, to roaming the store in costumes to celebrate major holidays, to being our staff photographer for all our special events, to being the first person in each morning to turn on the lights and the last one out each night…

A 64 year-old Elgin woman was killed in a fire early this morning in a townhome on the 2400 Block of Anna Way. Just after 4:30 a.m., members of the Elgin Fire Department responded to the townhome complex for a report of a carbon monoxide alarm sounding. On arrival, the investigating fire company found smoke coming from the adjacent townhome and immediately called for additional fire companies. The first crew soon found the victim on the second floor, removed her from the building and began performing CPR.   Additional crews deployed hand lines to extinguish the fire, finding a large…

As previously reported, Governor J. B. Pritzker has imposed a state-wide mask mandate on all indoor facilities. And just this week, the United Center, home to the Bulls and the Blackhawks, upped the ante by requiring proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test to enter the facility. “Vaccination Passports” policies such as the one imposed by the United Center have spurred fierce debate around the country, with one side decrying what they see as an infringement of civil liberties while the other emphasizes public health and community responsibilities. We want to know what you think. Please take…