Author: Fox Valley Magazine

“I am just blessed that we are all still here to share the story.” That’s what City of Aurora Community Outreach Specialist Brian Moreno said about a harrowing involving a man with a firearm at one of the city’s warming centers recently. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin presented Moreno with the Mayor’s MVP Award, the highest award given to a City staff member, thanks to his help in securing guests from a man wielding a gun at the City’s overnight warming center this past Saturday. Moreno, who was staffing the warming center, witnessed the gunman striking a guest at the warming…

Funeral arrangements for Father Jonathan Bakkelund, pastor of Geneva’s St. Peter Cathoilic Church, have been announced. Fr. Bakkelund passed away last weekend at age 39. Visitation will take place Tuesday, January 30th from 3-8PM at St. Peter Catholic Church in Geneva, followed by the funeral on Wednesday, January 31st at 11AM, also at St. Peter Catholic Church. Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery in Winnebago, Illinois. St. Peter Catholic Church is located at 1891 Kaneville Road in Geneva.

The Batavia VFW Post #1197 will host a no-cost event on Friday, February 2, to provide information about resources for veterans and promote veteran-owned businesses. The event will be held at 645 South River Street in Batavia beginning at 10am. The resource fair and business showcase will be open from 10am until 4pm. At 4:30 p.m., Veterans association leaders from the state and national level will discuss important issues concerning the veteran community. A free lunch will be provided to all who register on Ticket Leap. The Batavia VFW has partnered with the Batavia United Way, the American Legion, Kane…

A 44-year-old homeless man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman near the Illinois Prairie Path in 2018. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced that Thursday evening a jury found Robert Davison guilty of twelve counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, a Class X Felony and one count of Unlawful Restraint, a Class 4 Felony. On May 18, 2018, at approximately 12:30 a.m., the Wheaton Police Department was notified of someone screaming for help near the PADS Shelter in Wheaton. Officers found the victim with dirt on her face and scratches and cuts to her upper body.…

According to a notice from the City of Elgin, recent drinking water quality monitoring has found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes and buildings in Elgin. The notice indicates that the source of this lead is likely lead service lines leading from the city’s municipal water pipes to homes of Elgin residents.  Lead is not present in Elgin’s source water (wells and river water), nor is lead in Elgin’s treated drinking water. Some homes and buildings, however, have water service lines, solder or fixtures made of lead, and lead can enter the drinking water through the…

You can’t make this up. On Wednesday, a Doordash driver was arrested on an unrelated charge while en route to making a delivery of food. Not one to let a family miss their dinner, an intrepid Kane County Sheriff’s deputy decided to continue the delivery himself. The Ring video of the delivery has now gone viral via conservative media outlet Breitbart. Talk about above and beyond… Well played, deputy. Well played.

“Our beloved Fr. Bakkelund passed away early this morning.” Father John McFadden announced the death of the pastor at Geneva’s St. Peter Catholic Church, Father Jonathan Bakkelund, in a message to parishioners today. “Fr. Jared Twenty was with him when he passed from this life to God. May he rest in God’s peace. Once we have more information on the funeral arrangements we will share them with you.” The 39-year-old priest had been moved to hospice as a result of health issues related to alcohol only recently. Bakkelund was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas Doran in 2011.  His first…

Hugely popular Chicagoland band 7th Heaven will perform this Saturday at 9:00pm at Rookies RocHaus in West Dundee. Doors open at 6:30pm and opening band Kicked Outta Choir beings at 7:45pm. 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…

The large-scale sculptures on display at St. Charles’ Mt. St. Mary Park have long added to the beauty of the 30-acre space. Beginning in June, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the rotating collection of the Sculpture in the Park exhibition for an entire year. Established in 2006, the exhibition not only serves to further recognition of the sculptural arts—pieces are original works, many from local artists—but the exhibition also fosters greater awareness and appreciation of the community’s parks. In previous years, pieces in the exhibition were showcased from May to September, then removed and returned to individual sculptors…

Popular comics Sam Tripoli and Jon Rudnitsky will grace the stage this weekend at The Comedy Vault in Batavia. Sam Tripoli, who will appear from Thursday to Saturday, is a renowned headlining comic with an extensive career spanning over 20 years. He has released five comedy albums, including his latest special titled “#NoLivesMatter!” In addition to his stand-up work, Sam has appeared in movies, TV shows, and co-hosted popular podcasts such as “The Tin Foil Hat Podcast” and “Conspiracy Social Club with Bryan Callen.” Jon Rudnitsky, who takes the stage Sunday, is a versatile performer known for his appearances in…