Author: Fox Valley Magazine

Jim (James) will be appearing at the Des Plaines Theatre Friday, April 15 at 7pm with his all-improv ensemble, The Board of Comedy. Tickets are still available! The new Just A Coupla Guys podcast, which formally launches two weeks from today, is giving listeners a pre-launch “sneak peek” at the kind of quality guests and fascinating conversation the show will offer weekly as part of the new FLOCK podcast hub for the Fox Valley. Comprised of the beloved former mayor of St. Charles, Ray Rogina, and former assistant state’s attorney and Geneva lawyer Pat Crimmins, Just A Coupla Guys will…

Early Wednesday evening, police found a man suffering from gunshot wounds in the parking lot of Esporta Fitness near Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee. First responders attempted resuscitation on the man, but were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene. After ABC7 News reported that police had indicated that “the incident may be connected a deadly shooting in Elgin over the weekend that left two dead and at least four others injured,” West Dundee Chief of Police Anthony Gorski said in a statement that, at this time, there is no evidence linking this incident to any others and that…

Two Brothers celebrates milestone anniversary with new releases and 25th Anniversary party A lot has changed since 1996, when brothers Jim and Jason Ebel decided to follow their passion and do something very few in the country had tried. They opened a craft brewery. Now, 25 years later, that two-man passion project has grown into a lifestyle brand that includes craft beer, specialty coffee, handcrafted spirits and artisan restaurants. Along the way came hundreds of beers and almost as many awards that helped shaped the Chicago craft beer scene into what it has become. “It’s amazing to see how far…

Just after 3 a.m. on Saturday, December 18th, 2021, Aurora police, after receiving a tip, discovered a man apparently suffering from a gunshot wound in the 400 block of Clark Street in Aurora. Aurora Fire Department paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the man to Rush Copley Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased after 9 a.m. Yesterday, the department announced that it has arrested two people for murdering 37-year-old Edward Smith, Jr., that morning. According to police, the victim and the female suspect had been at a bar that evening and agreed to meet at the victim’s home.…

After taking over the family business from his father, PRIDE Store CEO Mario Spina has been a busy man. Spina has led the charge in completely reimagining what a convenience store/gas station actually is. By introducing three distinct high-end food service concepts throughout his 15 locations (9 in the Fox Valley), as well as adding beer, wine and spirits for virtually every budget, Spina has set a very high bar for customer experience for an activity that has heretofore been considered a nuisance. “Nobody WANTS to go fill up their tank,” he says wryly. And his latest? 93 Octane, a…

In the late evening hours of January 29, 2022, Francisco Zavala and two other men traveled together to a location just off Munger Road in Bartlett, near the Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve. The three men exited the vehicle and then, allegedly, two of the men shot Zavala multiple times before leaving the scene, killing him. On Saturday, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and the DuPage Forest Preserve District Police Chief Dave Pederson announced that bond has been set for a Round Lake Beach man accused of First Degree Murder. The accused, 31, appeared in Bond Court where Judge…

The Elgin Police Department announced today that two men injured in the shooting incident that occurred early Sunday morning in Elgin have succumbed to their injuries. The names of the victims are being withheld pending an autopsy by the Kane County Coroner’s Office. Four other people were shot and hospitalized in the incident. No further information is available at this time as to their condition. No suspects have been publicly identified in the shooting. On Sunday morning at 1:59 a.m., Elgin police officers responded to the 800 block of Congdon Ave for a reported shooting. They found five people with…

We speak with Amy Morton, founder and owner of Stolp Island Social in Aurora, about having a legendary father (Arnie Morton of Morton Steakhouses), the creation of Stolp Island Social and her new love affair with Aurora.

(Cover photo credit: Amy Radez) An intrepid wild turkey become an instant social media sensation yesterday as he wandered the streets of St. Charles for hours, seemingly unaware of the uproar he was causing. The precocious bird came out of the west, apparently, beginning his (we’re not sure about the gender here) sojourn by crossing Randall Road near Route 64 in St. Charles at around 7:45am. From that point forward, social media sites such as the popular “What’s Happening in St, Charles?” group [full disclosure: the group is maintained by Fox Valley Magazine] followed his every move throughout the day.…

This morning at 1:59 a.m., Elgin police officers responded to the 800 block of Congdon Ave for a reported shooting. They found five people with injuries who were subsequently transported to area hospitals. Officers were later notified of a sixth subject with injuries that had self-transported to a local hospital. Preliminary information received is that this incident occurred during a gathering and appears to be an isolated incident. Detectives from the Major Investigations Division and Special Investigations Division are actively investigating the case and updates will be provided as they become available. If you have information that may assist, please…