Author: Fox Valley Magazine

(Photo credit: Amy Nelson) Friday, December 2 is going to be a winter wonderland in downtown Aurora. Aurora Downtown’s fourth annual Cocoa Crawl joins First Fridays to bring a night of holiday festivities to downtown. First Fridays is a free event. To participate in this year’s Cocoa Crawl, patrons must have a mug and a button. Mugs and buttons can be purchased prior to the event (until sold out) for $20 at Aurora Historical Society, 20 E. Downer Pl.; Society 57, 100 S. River St.; Renew Salon & Spa, 160 S. River St; Wyckwood House, 80 S. River St. Buttons…

Embrace the holiday spirit this season at a community sing-along of pieces from Handel’s masterpiece Messiah.  This free event makes you a participant in the audience choir, accompanied by the amazing talent of Elgin area musicians and vocalists, and raises needed funding for Food For Greater Elgin, which provides nutritious food to more than 23,000 people in Elgin, South Elgin, East Dundee and West Dundee.  No musical experience is necessary, so gather your friends and join in celebrating, singing and giving on Friday, December 2, 2022, 7pm at Blizzard Theater, Elgin Community College. Reserve your free tickets here.

Officers from the Aurora Police Department and the Aurora Fire Department joined forces Wednesday afternoon to rescue a 9-year-old boy who had fallen through the ice of a retention pond and could not extricate himself. Just before 4:30p.m. on Wednesday, Aurora’s 911 Telecommunications Center received reports of a 9-year-old drowning. Aurora Police officers and Aurora Firefighters were dispatched to the scene. When officers arrived, they found the boy, who had fallen through ice, and an adult woman who had gone in to attempt to save the child. Officers were able to determine the 9-year-old had entered a frozen section of…

A 65-year-old woman is dead after a fire engulfed her Carpentersville home in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Her husband escaped the house and did not need medical attention. According to a press release, at approximately 2:45am On Wednesday, Carpentersville Fire and Police Departments responded to a structure fire at 1736 Papoose Road. Initial information from QuadCom dispatch and police officers on scene stated that the husband made it out of the home and the wife was still in the home. The first Engine arrived within 5 minutes from the time of notification. Additional fire companies arrived shortly after.…

Thanksgiving, especially in the Midwest, is a unique, and supremely American, holiday. (We publish this column annually. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!) Drenched in tradition, the holiday harkens back to the time of the Puritans and the Plymouth Rock settlement, when it was largely a celebration of the harvest (although the Puritans could make every occasion religious of course). The element of giving thanks to God for our blessings took root as the pilgrims became settlers, and then colonists, and then a nation. The first Presidential Proclamation of a “day of thanks-giving and prayer” was issued by President Washington in 1789, the…

Feel the Christmas Spirit with your loved ones with the treasured tale of Ebenezer Scrooge as the MAC presents “A Christmas Carol” to usher in the holiday season. Adapted for the College Theater department in a family-friendly show by William J. Norris, Charles Dickens’ treasured tale of Ebenezer Scrooge is brought to life by a high-spirited cast of 60 local actors and children creating the perfect family event for Christmas. Come see the lavish sets, a cast of 60 and a magical surprise at the end. Take a picture with Santa before the Saturday and Sunday Matinees. This 70-minute production…

A former Naperville School District 203 paraprofessional has been charged with four counts of Felony Possession and Child Pornography, according to a joint press release issued by the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Naperville Police Department. DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin emphasized that the school district was not at fault. “I want to stress…that these charges are in no way connected with [the subject’s] association with Naperville School District 203. Authorities at the school have been exceedingly cooperative and for that I thank them,” he said in the release. “Naperville 203 has, and will continue to, work…

Aurora Downtown will once again have mugs flowing with hot cocoa throughout downtown. The downtown organization will host the fourth annual Cocoa Crawl on December 2 as part of its First Fridays events. To participate in the hot cocoa sampling from 5 to 9 p.m., patrons will be required to have an official Cocoa Crawl mug and a new button for this year. The button acts as a ticket to the event. Buttons are not required for ages 12 and under. Cocoa Crawl mugs from previous years can be used, however a new button for $10 will be needed in…

The driver of a vehicle that caused a fatal accident on Route 38 near Maple Park has been charged with multiple crimes related to driving under the influence of drugs, including reckless homicide. A 4-year-old child was killed in the three-vehicle crash. According to the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, the driver, 20-year-old Edgar Barrios of DeKalb, has been charged with the following: “We take a zero tolerance approach to our proactive traffic enforcement to avoid tragedies such as this,” Sheriff Ron Hain said in a statement, “but when irresponsible people get behind the wheel when they should not, we will…

Jim Riley, the founder of Riley Drug in Geneva and longtime community leader, died peacefully at his home Thursday. He was 94 years old. Riley, born in Albion, Nebraska, founded Riley Drug in 1967 by purchasing Wayne Drug in Geneva. This followed a successful career at Walgreens and a stint in the United States Army. As Geneva grew, so did Riley’s involvement in the city.  He was very active in Geneva holding positions on the Planning and Parking Committee, First National Bank of Geneva Board and Chamber of Commerce.  He was proud to be a Wood Award Recipient in 1999. …