Author: Fox Valley Magazine

Get ready for some heavy R&B Thursday night as The Robert Cray Band plays the Arcada. The Robert Cray Band Thursday, August 19, 730pm Tickets:  $29 – $79 Robert Cray has been bridging the lines between blues, soul and R&B for the past four decades, with five Grammy wins and over 20 acclaimed albums. The Cray Band has been featured in concert with artists like Clapton, the Stones, John Lee Hooker, BB King and Bonnie Raitt, who declared that the band leader is “an original; he’s passionate, he’s a bad ass and puts on one of the best shows you’ll…

Aurora Police are searching for three suspects after they fired an automatic weapon in the air Tuesday afternoon. At approximately 12:30 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Hill Avenue for reports of gunshots. An officer in the area observed a vehicle driving erratically and one of the occupants shooting out of the window with an automatic weapon. Another officer responding to the call spotted the vehicle and attempted the make a traffic stop, but the vehicle did not stop. Officers pursued the vehicle into the Village of Oswego where the vehicle jumped a median and the officer lost…

An Aurora man has been charged with felony burglary and criminal damage to property as the result of an ongoing Naperville Police Department investigation into the incidents of vandalism and looting that occurred in downtown Naperville on June 1, 2020. The accused, a 25 year-old man, has been charged with burglary for allegedly entering Pandora Jewelry on the 100 block of S. Main Street and committing a theft. He is also charged with criminal damage to property for allegedly punching and kicking the windows of Beidelman Furniture on the 200 block of S. Washington Street, causing between $500 and $10,000…

A Kane County judge has sentenced 59-year-old Khamsaume D. Xayvong to 28 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Kane County Judge David P. Kliment in February found Xayvong guilty of the offenses of aggravated criminal sexual assault/victim older than 60, Class X felony; and unlawful restraint, Class 4 felony. Xayvong waived his right to a jury trial. Kane County Assistant State’s Attorneys Lori Anderson and Katy Flannagan presented evidence during the trial that on July 6, 2019, Xayvong sexually assaulted the victim. Xayvong knew the victim. Xayvong had faced a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment on the Class X…

By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker didn’t directly say Monday whether he would extend the state’s eviction moratorium for those facing hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic as cases, deaths and hospitalizations for the virus continue to rise. “We’ve looked at that, we continue to look at it. We’ll make a decision about that soon,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference in Springfield when asked if he would extend the moratorium, which is set to expire at the end of the month. The governor’s comments come as COVID-19 intensive care bed utilization has increased by…

By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinois Republicans in the Illinois General Assembly say new, detailed census numbers released last week show the legislative maps that Democrats pushed through in the spring are unconstitutional. The Census Bureau released the data Thursday, Aug. 12, several months later than usual due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. The numbers show population counts down to the block level, which is what lawmakers need in order to draw districts that are as close to equal in population as possible. Due to the delays, Democrats who control the General Assembly drew maps using…

(Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock) By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinois The final preparation for the opening of the 2021 Illinois State Fair took place Wednesday with the traditional unveiling of the butter cow. This year’s sculpture, which marks the 100th anniversary of the fair’s butter cow, is entitled “Embracing Tradition.” It features a dairy farmer embracing a cow. Hidden within the sculpture are 13 hearts, signifying the 13 essential nutrients found naturally in milk. “After a year where the world stopped, I felt including an exhibitor embracing the cow signifies the joy our youth are experiencing as they return…

Chicago area motorcycle and bicycle enthusiasts get ready, because the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows, now branded IMS Outdoors, is coming for the first time ever to Goebbert’s Farm in Pingree Grove, as the second stop of the nine city outdoor series. For four decades the show series has toured the country showcasing the latest in motorcycles and powersports. However, the pandemic accelerated a restructuring of the show in a way that allows for even greater interaction, increased display variety, and significantly different venues. The 2021 IMS Outdoors series is more than just a motorcycle show without a roof – it’s…

3 suspects still at large – APD photo The Aurora Police Department has arrested and charged 18 people with numerous illegal gun and drug related felonies as a part of a two-year special investigation codenamed Operation Kilo Kai. In the fall of 2019, the department received information about narcotics dealing and illegal firearms purchases by the Latin Kings street gang in Aurora. Investigators from APD’s Special Operations Group (SOG) started investigating the information. They uncovered a deep web of illegal criminal activity by the Latin King street gang over the period of two years. Throughout the investigation, SOG Investigators recovered…

According the results of the recently-released 2020 US Census, the Fox Valley boasts 3 of the 6 largest cities in the state, with Aurora and Naperville coming in 2nd and 4th, respectively, and Elgin leaping to the number 6 spot. Elgin saw the highest percentage growth in the Fox Valley, gaining 6,609 residents for a 6.1% increase. In fact, of the eight largest cities in Illinois, all with populations over 100,000, Elgin had the largest percent increase in growth from 2010 to 2020. “The newly released data brings great news for Elgin,” said Mayor David Kaptain. “Elgin is a city…