Author: Fox Valley Magazine

Alex Bandoni/ProPublica (Source images: Whitney Curtis for ProPublica; document and photo from Illinois State Police file obtained by Capitol News Illinois and Lee Enterprises Midwest) By BETH HUNDSDORFERCapitol News IllinoisMOLLY PARKERLee Enterprises Midwest This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois and Lee Enterprises. (See part I here.) Strapped to His Bed for Hours As the beating of Blaine Reichard continued, one of the employees shouted for restraints. Reichard was dragged to his room and bound to his bed with black nylon straps around his ankles, wrists and chest. An IDHS record included in…

Wine selections available at local wine stores and wineries in the Fox Valley area 2020 Bonobo Chardonnay C $24Hand harvested in mid-October and cold soaked for 16 hours to enhance aromatics. Hints of lemon zest, pineapple & baked pear. It’s bright throughout the palate with a clean, refreshing finish. Up North Wine Tasting Room9 N 2nd St.Geneva, IL 60134 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Dundee Hills Brut M.V.4 Composed with fruit from some of our most coveted Single-Vineyard sites in the Dundee Hills, the fourth edition of our Multi-Vintage Brut hits all the notes one would expect of a world class…

Mirus means wonderful, amazing, strange, surprising, extraordinary. When John Hamel (owner of Pal Joey’s and Bar Evolution in Batavia) mentioned this Latin word, which he had always been fond of, as a potential name for a new restaurant concept, something clicked. He and the team from Sidecar (owner Melissa Monno, partner Ryan Shaver, Executive Chef Rick Kanuiga) made the decision to work together to bring new life to the vacant restaurant space on the corner of the River Street Woonerf and Wilson. The name immediately began to influence the whimsical décor choices and culinary decisions that led to the concept…

Alex Bandoni/ProPublica (Source images: Whitney Curtis for ProPublica; document and photo from Illinois State Police file obtained by Capitol News Illinois and Lee Enterprises Midwest) By BETH HUNDSDORFERCapitol News IllinoisMOLLY PARKERLee Enterprises Midwest This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois and Lee Enterprises . As Blaine Reichard rose from a breakfast table at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in southern Illinois, a worker ordered him to pull up his sagging pants. A 24-year-old man with developmental disabilities, Reichard was accustomed to workers at the state-run residential facility telling him what to do.…

My art, much like my life, is a collection of strange and beautiful things I’ve both meticulously curated and also surprisingly stumbled across.  I am a painter and a poet, a mixed media artist who sees no distinction between colors and words. By combining bold, bright colors with clippings, bits and glitter, I see my art as blurring the line between dream and reality. Not quite here and not quite there. Every piece is an unplanned surprise; I let the colors and textures and trinkets speak to me. My pieces contain obvious themes: goofiness, radical joy, with a touch of…

  In what the team describes as “one of the largest development projects in Illinois state history” should it come to fruition, the Chicago Bears announced their plans yesterday to build a new, domed stadium and massive entertainment district on land they have contracted to purchase in Arlington Heights.  “We envision a multi-purpose entertainment district anchored by a new, best-in-class enclosed stadium, providing Chicagoland with a new home worthy of hosting global events such as the Super Bowl, College Football Playoffs, and Final Four,” the team said in a statement issued yeterday. “Make no mistake, this is much more than…

The City of St. Charles is seeking input form citizens in updating its five-year Strategic Plan via a “Virtual Visioning Session” to be conducted via Zoom on Wednesday, September 7 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm. According to the city, the plan which will serve as a road map, guiding decisions about the city’s future. “It’s our residents and businesses that make St. Charles the great city that it is,” says Mayor Lora Vitek. “[Citizen] involvement in the Strategic Planning Process is invaluable. We want to make sure that this plan truly reflects our community and what [it] thinks is important. “…

(Photo credits Pamela Murphy) The Naperville Jaycees “Last Fling” closed out last night, marking the unofficial end of summer. Despite some cloudy weather and a bit of rain early Saturday evening, the event was heavily attended, and the show went on without a hitch. Here are some sights and scenes from the celebration.

A 25-year-old Elgin man and School District U-46 employee has been arrested and charged with criminal sexual assault charges arising from is alleged sexual contact with an underage student. According to prosecutors, the accused met the victim, who is under 18 years of age, while she was a student at Tefft Middle School in Streamwood. Prosecutors allege that between May 1, 2022, and August 30, 2022, the accused had sexual contact with the victim and, on at least one occasion, drove the victim to his home in Elgin, where the sexual contact occurred. The accused has been charged with: Criminal…

Aurora police are searching for a suspect in an armed robbery that took place on Aurora’s east side last night. The man eluded a large police presence, K9 trackers and a drone team after having allegedly robbed a business in the 400 block of North Eola Road. APD was on the scene of the robbery quickly enough to take one suspect in the robbery into custody. It is alleged that two males, possibly armed, fled from the business just after committing the robbery. The outstanding person of interest is described as: Male / African AmericanApproximately 6’02” / Skinny BuildApproximately 19-20…