Author: Fox Valley Magazine

An Aurora man is listed in good condition after having been shot in the early morning hours Saturday. Shortly before 1:00am Saturday, Aurora police responded to a report of shots fired outside a business in the 700 block of North Lake Street. While the officers were confirming the shooting event, a 29-year-old Aurora man arrived at a local hospital with gunshot injuries. The man’s injuries were not life-threatening and he was listed in good condition. Detectives from the Aurora Police Department’s Investigations Bureau are continuing their investigation into the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call Aurora Police’s Investigations…

Bison have been a familiar feature at Elgin’s Lords Park Zoo since the beginning of the 20th century. Yesterday, the zoo lost one of its two remaining bison inhabitants when 24-year-old Becky was humanely euthanized. Becky arrived at the Lords Park Zoo in February 2013 with one of the zoo’s other bison, Drew. Laura, the park’s third bison, joined Drew and Becky in November 2016. Drew, also 24 years old, died from natural causes in September. The normal life expectancy for bison in captivity is 25 to 30 years. On Sunday, staff discovered that Becky was unable to get up by herself…

The Norris Cultural Arts Center will present its fourth annual “Baker’s Dozen Holiday Festival” beginning tomorrow, December 12. Each day leading up to Christmas, Norris will post a different artist perfoming a Christmas-related piece leading up to “The Essential Christmas Carol,” a unique retelling of Dickens’ holiday classic by Norris’ Michael Sherry. Performances will be posted each day at 7pm on the Baker’s Dozen website here or on the Center’s YouTube page here. The Justa Coupla Guys podcast recently spoke with Sherry and the Center’s Director Mark Smith about this year’s presentation. (Stick around to the end to hear former…

Wine selections available at local wine stores and wineries in the Fox Valley area Wine Barrel Aged CiderWe aged House Cider made with fresh pressed apple in our award winning Marquette 2020 Illinois Reserve barrel for 12 months. This complex cider has subtle notes of vanilla and chocolate. Apple flavor dominates the pallet and finishes with red wine hint character. A perfect holiday treat. Broken Brix Homebrew Shop(Broken Brix Winery & Cidery)225 W Main St,St. Charles, IL 60174 Chandon By The Bay Reserve Blanc de BlancsCarneros Vineyard, CA. Chandon By The Bay is a sparkling wine that is composed of…

Must try appetizers, entrees, desserts or cocktails available at local Fox Valley restaurants. (Above: Pitstachio Crusted Whitefish from Entourage.) The Urban Counter Turkey BurgerOur Turkey Burger is made in-house with all-natural turkey and cooked to perfection. Topped with Swiss cheese, honey mustard sauce, mayo, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles. Served on a fresh Brioche Bun. This favorable burger is filling and sure to please when you want something a little different. Pair your Turkey burger with sweet potato fries for the perfect combo. Stop by any of the seven Urban Counter locations throughout Chicagoland including our St. Charles location…

Featured selections of Craft Beers created by local Fox Valley area brewing companies. Northwind Imperial Stout(9.1% ABV). Full-bodied and flavorful, Northwind offers a warming sensation with robust notes of roasted coffee and chocolate, perfect for enjoying during winter nights by a roaring fire. If you’re a fan of Northwind, make sure to try its variants, exclusively available at Two Brothers Tap House and Roundhouse! Cherry Northwind (9.1% ABV) is crafted with Door County cherry juice, while our new Barrel Aged Northwind (11% ABV) ages for 12 months in our own Two Brothers Artisan Spirits bourbon barrels. Two Brothers Artisan Brewing30W315…

An Aurora man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for multiple violent felony offenses dating back to 2016. Last month, Noah Rodriguez, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault and was sentenced to 8 years. That was the last of four felonies Rodriguez has been sentenced for since 2016. His other offenses include: “This defendant is the perfect example of someone who needs to be incarcerated for a long time,” said Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weiss. “Rodriguez has a history of violent offenses and even when he is in custody he resorts to…

A unidentified Aurora man is in critical condition after having been found shot in his car on Aurora’s east side Wednesday afternoon. Just after 3:00pm on Wednesday, Aurora police officers were called to a location near Fifth Avenue and Bangs Street where they discovered a 22-year-old Aurora man suffering from gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. Aurora Fire Department Paramedics transported the man to a local hospital where he was listed in critical condition. No other injuries were reported during the incident. Few details are available at this time, but police investigation into the incident remains active. Anyone with information is…

Illinois State’s Attorney General Kwame Raoul yesterday charged an Elgin police officer with possession of child pornography. The 33-year-old officer, who lives in Kirkland, was charged in DeKalb County Circuit Court with five counts of possession of child pornography, Class 2 felonies, each punishable by up to seven years in prison. The accused, a police office for five years with the Elgin Police Department, is currently detained at the DeKalb County Jail, and his next court date is December 20.  “All child predators, particularly those in a position of authority, must be held accountable for the horrific crime of child…