Author: Fox Valley Magazine

A variety of events are planned for Memorial Day, Monday, May 29th, 2023, in Elgin. For further information, including possible weather-related changes, visit www.elginmemorialday.org ​Bluff City Cemetery, 11:00 a.m. 945 Bluff City Blvd. ElginThis year’s program will pay tribute to the 75th Anniversary of the Integration of United States Forces. The keynote speaker will be Stanley “Curly” Thompson, Marine Corps Veteran and Commander of Rockford American Legion Post #340. ​This program will also feature the Elgin Master Chorale, Elgin High School Band, and Elgin’s Poet Laureate Gareth Mann. Local students will continue the long held tradition of reading Lincoln’s Gettysburg…

The palpable excitement in the air, the athletes readying for their race, the splash as they enter the water—a swim meet is one of summer’s true joys. The perfect recreational team for any young swimmer, the STC Otters sees its season begin June 5 and run through July 20. Both an individual as well as a team sport, swimming builds strength and stamina as well as a sense of community and camaraderie in its participants. Swimmers on the STC Otters team range in age from 6 to 16. “I think we pride ourselves in creating a fun environment for new and…

Two men are in hospital after a shooting in downtown Elgin Friday evening. At 9:13 p.m., Elgin police officers responded to the 100 block of East Chicago St. for a reported shooting. Officers located two adult male subjects with non-life-threatening injuries who were subsequently transported to area hospitals. Detectives from the Major Investigations Division are actively investigating and have a subject in custody. There is no threat to the community. Anyone having information that may assist the investigation should call 847-289-2600 or, to text a tip, send a message to 847411 and include “ELGINPD” in the beginning of the text,…

Welcome to our latest edition of Fox Valley Magazine’s 4 FOR THE WEEKEND where it’s your money or your wife….we know, you’re thinking. So let’s get to it, starting with….. Proud To Be…Well, You Know We don’t know about you, but we still remember when “Proud To Be An American” first came out. Gave us chills. We just wanted to go out and kick some ass. It’s a little unfair to perpetually think of that song when one hears the name Lee Greenwood. Lee has had a monster career well beyond that iconic anthem. So come listen as the Justa…

A woman accused of having abducted her child six years ago has returned to Illinois after her daughter was located in Asheville, North Carolina. Heather Unbehaun, formerly of Wheaton, was arrested over the weekend in Asheville after her daughter Kayla was recognized by a local citizen after the case was included on Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries.” Law enforcement officials were supposed to pick up Unbehaun in North Carolina, but she came to Kane County on her own to turn herself in. She had posted $250,000 bail in North Carolina Tuesday, and was released from custody. She appeared in Kane County bond…

Three weeks after being indicted by a Grand Jury of malfeasance while in office, Former Kane County Circuit Court Clerk Thomas M. Hartwell was found dead at his Palatine office by police conducting a well-being check. Hartwell was 63 years old. See political commentator Jeff Ward’s remembrance of Hartwell, “A truly sad ending for a good man” On Thursday at approximately 9:30 a.m., Kane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Hartwell’s residence on Gingerwood Lane in Elgin Township for a report of a missing adult. Deputies met with a family member who reported that Hartwell, former Kane County Circuit Court Clerk,…

You can sort of feel a little bristle when you ask Lee Greenwood about his defining song “Proud To Be An American.” It’s understandable. Greenwood has loads more on his resume than just that song, having hit the charts dozens of times in his legendary career. But a song that powerful, that evocative of certain moments in our country’s recent history is bound to come up in every interview, every appearance, and every concert. But Greenwood’s career is unique and remarkable well beyind that early 80s smash. The guys speak with him about that, his time as a blackjack dealer…

Hugely popular Chicagoland band 7th Heaven will perform this Saturday at 8:30pm at The Piazza in Aurora. 7th heaven is an experience you just have to see and hear. The band has charted #1 on the Midwest Billboard Charts three times and has been heard on radio stations throughout Chicagoland with their hits “Beautiful Life”, “This Is Where The Party’s At”, Stoplight”, “Better This Way” and “Sing”. Also known for the famous “30 Songs in 30 Minutes” medley of songs from the 70’s and 80’s,7th heaven has been an entertainment staple for 37 years. Playing around 200 shows a year, with an average of 100 outdoor events,7th heaven has earned the right to say …”We’ve seen…

Elgin-area residents have a unique opportunity to see, hear, and learn about instruments that were owned and played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust. Twenty-four violins that have been lovingly restored by Israeli violin makers Amnon Weinstein and his son, Avshalom (Avshi), will be played by Elgin Symphony Orchestra musicians in a Violins of Hope concert on Saturday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m., at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, Ill. The event will also include commentary on the violins featured in the performance by Dr. James A. Grymes, musicologist and author of the book “Violins of Hope.”…

Aurora’s riverfront appears to be getting yet another facelift as a result of city council approval of a 187-unit residential development along the west bank of the Fox River. The Aurora City Council last week voted unanimously to approve a plan for downtown apartments on the west side of the Fox River, directly across from RiverEdge, called Pacifica Riverview. The development, proposed by Windfall Development, will be built on 2.34 acres and would offer 187 residential units comprised primarily of studio and one-bedroom apartments with some 3- bedroom units mixed in, along with 10 row houses directly along the riverfront…