Author: Fox Valley Magazine

Earlier this month, Anderson Humane, the South Elgin-based animal welfare advocate and shelter, rescued 91 beagles from an abusive puppy mill in Virginia and successfully placed them in foster homes. On Friday, Anderson announced that it was heading back for more. “Thanks to the outpouring of support we received from our previous beagle transport, we are very excited to share that we will be making the trek back to VA to rescue more! We reached out to everyone that previously signed our beagle interest list, so we are all set on fosters.” The dogs are among approximately 4,000 beagles rescued…

The 11th Annual St. Charles Jazz Weekend will host live jazz on September 8-11 throughout St. Charles. 21 different performers will play a wide variety of venues beginning mid-day and continuing through late evening. This year’s venues include Baker Community Center, Pollyanna Brewing Company, Eden Restaurant, The Filling Station Pub & Grill, McNally’s Traditional Irish Pub, 116 Gallery, Jeans and a Cute Top Shop, First Street Plaza, Club Arcada, The Wine Exchange, Rox City Grill, St. Mary Park, the St. Charles History Museum, 1st Street Plaza and The Office. The venues will host performances ranging from soloists and ensembles, to…

Batavia MainStreet will host Block Party and Taste of Batavia on Sunday, September 4, from 4pm to 9pm at Peg Bond Center, with a car show on North River Street until 8pm.  Downtown Batavia restaurants will be at Peg Bond with $3 food tastings and drinks. In addition, there will be a performance from the Batavia Dance Academy, live music from Tyler Krienitz and ORD Rocks, and a family zone brought to you by the Congregational Church of Batavia with bounce house and more. See if you are a better baker than your neighbor by participating in the annual Pie…

A 43-year-old Aurora man was sentenced to 25 years in an Illinois prison this week for repeated sexual assaults on a woman he knew. Last week, Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo sentenced José C. Salinas of the 700 block of Claim Street in Aurora to 25 years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offense of aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony. Salinas had previously pleaded guilty to the charge. Between April 2010 and June 2013, Salinas sexually assaulted the victim multiple times. Salinas knew the victim. “Thanks to this victim for her bravery and for believing…

The perfect storm of COVID, labor shortages and high food prices that has thrashed the restaurant industry recently has claimed another victim, Aurora’s popular Gillerson’s Grubbery in downtown Aurora. Yesterday, after 7 years at its 33 West New York Street location, the eatery shut its doors for good. “Having a brick and mortar space is not only a ton of hard work, but it is a profit killer,” owner Dan Emerson explained on social media. “Overhead, labor, and everything in between (cough, cough, Covid and some unmentionables because we are trying to embrace grace) has made operating a restaurant in…

The community gun buy back event held at the Kane County Health Department in Aurora resulted in a lot of guns being taken out of circulation. So many, in fact, that sponsor Christ Community Church ran out of gift cards to compensate those turning in their guns. All told, over 100 weapons were recovered. According to a press release by the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, however, most of the guns were old rifles and revolvers that people just had no idea how to get rid of, calling into question the effectiveness of the effort overall. Due to the turnout, the…

The dark side of social networking became all too apparent to a an area girl who met a person online pretending to be a woman, only to find herself extorted into sharing lewd phots of herself. The extortionist, 23-year-old male Anchit Nayyar of Carol Stream, was sentenced this week to 4 years in prison by Kane County Judge Alice C. Tracy. Nayyar had previously pleaded guilty to the offense of child pornography, a Class 2 felony. According to prosecutors, Nayyar first contacted the victim through the social media application Snapchat posing as a woman. He initially requested photos of the…

A shooting this morning in the 1000 block of Howell Place in Aurora resulted in East Aurora High School and Gates Elementary School being put on “secure & teach” status. According to the Aurora Police Department, officers responded this morning to a report of a shooting with a victim in the 1000 block of Howell Place on Aurora’s east side. APD reported a large police presence in the area and asked for the public to avoid the area. East Aurora High School and Gates Elementary School were immediately put on “secure & teach” as a precautionary measure while APD was…

An updated report from Penn Wharton analyzing the fiscal impact of President Biden’s announced student loan forgiveness plan has increased its overall fiscal impact to $605 billion over ten years. Penn Wharton’s previous estimate was roughly $300 billion. The analysis was updated to include the details included in the President’s announced plan, which include debt payment deferral and an income-based repayment regime that caps payments to 5% of eligible income for each borrower. The updated study found that over 60% of all benefits from the plan would accrue to households in the top 60% of earners. The White House has…

Petty Officer 3rd Class Nestor Gibson, a native of Aurora, serves the U.S. Navy aboard amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, which is homeported in San Diego. Gibson, a 2014 graduate of Waubonsie Valley High School, joined the Navy four years ago. “I joined the Navy because I wanted to become a U.S. citizen and the military helps you with that process,” said Gibson. “I also wanted to grow personally and professionally.” Today, Gibson serves as a machinery repairman. Gibson relies upon skills and values from lessons learned in Aurora to succeed in the military. “Growing up, I learned to be…