Author: Fox Valley Magazine

(Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki) By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinois State Sen. Emil Jones III has been charged in federal court with three criminal counts tied to his dealings with a red light camera company. Jones, a Chicago Democrat, is the son of former Senate President Emil Jones Jr. The younger Jones has served in the Senate since 2009 following his father’s retirement. He is deputy majority leader and chairs the Committee on Licensed Activities. He also is on the ballot for reelection in November and does not have an opponent. “The Democrat Party of Illinois has become…

After a spring and summer filled with construction projects to improve pedestrian mobility, accessibility, infrastructure, and safety in the downtown area, Naperville non-profit Downtown Naperville Alliance is putting on a party to celebrate construction wrapping up. The free Progress in Progress Celebration will be held on Saturday, September 24th from 11a-3pm. “Let alone was the construction a beautification project, it also allowed for desperately-needed replacement and repair of the underground infrastructure in our downtown,” says Danielle Tufano, Executive Director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance. She continues, “What better way to show off our beautiful new downtown area and showcase the…

Go back to the days of flappers, spats, and 23-skidoo by participating in The Roaring 20s History Crawl on Saturday, September 24, in St. Charles. The event is presented by the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. Hundreds of residents and visitors will tour 1920s sites associated with fun and recreation during the Roaring Twenties. Both hidden and iconic downtown St. Charles sites will showcase the good times before the Great Depression; from prohibition-impacted businesses to good, clean, outdoor fun. Activities will include: Behind-The-Scenes tour of the recently renovated Arcada Theatre. See the original sculptures from the lobby ceiling, signatures…

Northwestern Medicine Field will be raising the woof in support of animals over the next two weekends. (OK, it doesn’t have a roof, but we needed the pun.) South Elgin-based Anderson Humane Society will hold the seventh annual Pet-AH-Palooza on Sunday, Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Northwestern Medicine Field, 34W002 Cherry Lane in Geneva. The event will include adoptions, demonstrations, pet contests, exhibitors and an agility course.  The public is invited. Admission and parking are free. The Rev. Rob Hamilton and the Rev. Lisa Telomen, pastors at United Methodist Church of Geneva, will bless pets in a tent…

The intense storms that passed through the Fox Valley last night didn’t just result in hail damage. The severe lightning generated by the storms also set ablaze a Naperville home. At 10:59 p.m. Sunday night, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a call from a resident stating their home was on fire after being struck by lightning. The single-family home is located in the 4600 block of Corktree. PSAP dispatched a general alarm assignment consisting of 10 pieces of fire apparatus and 24 personnel, including an Incident Commander and Incident Safety Officer to the reported address. At 11:05 p.m.,…

(Photo Credit: Kevin Ketchum) Like it or loathe it, galleries were large and boisterous for the first ever LIV Invitational at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove this weekend. They saw a very different type of professional golf tournament.

The popular, free-admission Wednesdays @ One event series resumes September 28 at the historic Baker Community Center in downtown St. Charles, when Laurie Milbourn performs “Comedy Confidential.” Register online to attend at www.NorrisCulturalArts.com. The Norris Cultural Arts Center produces Wednesdays @ One events at the Baker Center in cooperation with the St. Charles Park District. Share some laughs – and a behind-the-scenes look at the comedy club circuit and some of your favorite TV shows – with St. Charles’ own Laurie Milbourn. Laurie has performed stand-up comedy at The Laugh Factory Chicago, Zanies Rosemont and various other clubs in the Chicagoland area. A…

The Fox Valley Park District’s 53-year-old living history museum remains a popular destination throughout the year. But every fall, just about the time Mother Nature starts to change her outfit, historical Blackberry Farm and its natural beauty plays host to Pumpkin Weekends – a popular, monthlong event for families to celebrate the season and add memories to the digital scrapbook. Pumpkin Weekends are held every Saturday and Sunday in October along with Columbus Day, at Blackberry from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can roam the park, festively decorated in the spirit of pumpkin season, and enjoy unlimited rides on…

(Photo Credits: Kevin Ketchum) By Fox Valley Magazine and LIV Staff If you’re having difficulty understanding why some of the biggest names in golf have defied the USPGA to sign up with an upstart challenger like LIVE Golf, look no further than the following three numbers: $2.5 million, $3.6 million and $4.06 million. The first two numbers represent what Australian Cameron Smith received for winning The Open Championship and the Players Championship in 2022, two of the USPGA’s most prestigious tournaments. On Sunday, Smith received $4.07 million for three days of work at what is only the fifth tournament held…

The only haunted house in the Chicagoland area located inside a real abandoned prison, The Old Joliet Haunted Prison returns Saturday, September 24, for the 2022 haunting season. Officially open to the public select nights through November 5, 2022, The Old Joliet Haunted Prison promises more scares than ever before.   The Old Joliet Haunted Prison will feature two new main attractions: The Abominations: Dormant for centuries, The Abominations are tragic beings hungry for the companionship of living flesh. Cursed with an insatiable appetite, they cannot help but feast upon the innocent souls they capture, condemning everyone to eternal suffering.Tormented: Rageful…