Author: Fox Valley Magazine

The City of Naperville announced in a press release that the second phase of work to improve streets, sidewalks and utilities in portions of downtown Naperville is scheduled to begin Monday, February 5, pending weather or unforeseen circumstances. These updates are designed to improve pedestrian mobility, accessibility and safety in this area. Work will take place between Chicago Avenue and Benton Avenue and is scheduled to be complete by the end of October. Phased work schedules will close portions of streets at various times while still allowing pedestrian access to businesses. Intermittent lane closures on Washington Street will begin the…

“The universe isn’t stranger than we imagine, it’s stranger than we CAN imagine.”Physicist Arthur Eddington Why is our universe composed of matter? How does an exploding star create a black hole? Are neutrinos connected to dark matter or other undiscovered particles? The answers to these and many other mysteries about our universe may be one step closer, thanks to Batavia’s world-class Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab. Excavation workers have finished carving out the future home of gigantic particle detectors for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. Located a mile below the surface, the three colossal caverns are at the core of a…

During 2023, the city of Elgin experienced a reduction in gunfire activity compared to prior years, with a total of 52 incidents reported compared to 58 in 2022 and a record-setting 66 in 2021. But 2024 isn’t starting out so well. In the month just ended, Elgin police responded to eight gunfire incidents, twice the amount reported last January. The most recent incident occurred Wednesday afternoon, with EPD officers responding to the 900 block of Congdon Avenue for a report of past shots fired. EPD suspects that this incident is related to an earlier report on Tuesday in the same…

Kanecountyconnects.com Punxsutawney Phil isn’t the only famous groundhog celebrated on Groundhog Day.​ Kane County’s neighbor to the north is home to Woodstock Willie, the official weather-predicting groundhog of Woodstock. Of the 24 predictions Woodstock Willie has made so far, 14 were for an early spring and 10 for six more weeks of winter.  Woodstock Willie also has his own official fan club on Facebook and appears at the annual Groundhog Days celebration this weekend. Also making a special appearance there this year for the first time on Groundhog Day is WGN-TV Meteorologist Tom Skilling, who is retiring at the end of February.   Woodstock Groundhog…

Bruce Graham’s The Outgoing Tide will begin a month-long run at the Playhouse Theatre at Mcaninch Arts Center on Thursday, February 1, with a performance that includes a pre-show discussion with the direcor and designers of the show. The pre-show discussion will take place at 6:45pm. Performances will be Thursday through Saturday at 8:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm. Set in Chesapeake Bay, a man has a plan to safeguard the family’s future. He is stunned to find his wife and son have other plans. Weaving both surprising humor and powerful emotion, this highly relatable story poses thoughtful questions about personal choice, and…

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra will be presenting “The Magic of Hollywood,” a concert full of classic Hollywood movie scores, this weekend at The Hemmens Cultural Centre in Elgin. The performances, conducted by ESO Musical Director Chad Goodman, will feature musical moments from Hollywood’s biggest movies – E.T., Star Wars, Cinema Paradiso, the Harry Potter series, and more. The 2023/24 season marks Goodman’s inaugural season as Music Director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra—only the fifth leader in the orchestra’s prestigious seven-decade history. He has received widespread praise for thrilling conducting that combines “precision, agility and fervor” (N. Stanić Kovačevic, South Florida…

Aurora’s The Venue will be offering a free show and open house on Friday, February 2. Doors will open at 5pm with the show beginning at 6pm. Take a peek inside The Venue and experience their premier music listening room. This is an Open House and the bar will be open for soft drinks, beer, and wine. Playing a mixture of R&B, Delta, New Orleans and Chicago style Blues as well as well as Jazz and a taste of Rock and Roll has kept the Chicago-based Downtown Charlie Brown Blues Band gigging on a weekly basis for over 20 years.…

By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinois Former President Donald Trump’s name will appear on the March 19 Republican primary election ballot in Illinois, barring any extraordinary action by state or federal courts to remove him. The Illinois State Board of Elections voted unanimously Tuesday to deny an objection based on the “insurrectionist clause” of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits former public officials who engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States from holding public office again. An attorney for the objectors said in an email that they would appeal the decision to the Cook County Circuit Court. Board spokesman Matt Dietrich…

Blues, Duke’s BBQ and Rookies RocHaus. Now that’s a great combination. On Friday, February 2, it will be Duke’s Blues Night at Rookies RocHaus in West Dundee. The fun begins at 6pm with the DRD Blues Band taking the stage, followed by the Tom Holland Band at 7:30pm, Omar Coleman Band at 8:45pm and Luke Repass Band at 10pm. And of course, great food will be available from Duke’s Blues N BBQ. This is a 21-and-up event. To get tickets, contact Duke at (224) 587-2677 or purchase tickets at the door. Rookies RocHaus is only allowing 300 attendees. Rookies RocHaus…

An Aurora man and his two sisters were found guilty of assaulting a police officer after a routine traffic stop in June 2021. Paul Sherrod Taylor and his sisters Jennifer and Sheba Taylor were convicted of the following crimes by Judge Alice Tracy after a bench trial: Paul Sherrod Taylor, 32, was found guilty by Judge Alice Tracy of the following offenses: Sheba A. Taylor, 29, was found guilty by a jury of the following offenses: Jennifer M. Taylor, 26, was found guilty by a jury of the following offenses: Just after 10:30 p.m. on June 21, 2021, an Aurora…