Author: Fox Valley Magazine

(Photo credit Andrew Adams) By ANDREW ADAMS  Capitol News Illinois  Drivers who need to renew their license at a secretary of state facility will likely have to make an appointment starting this fall. Starting Sept. 1, 44 driver services facilities in medium- to large-sized cities around the state will require appointments for driver services – things like renewing a license, updating a license to meet Real ID requirements or taking a driving test. Vehicle services, like title registration, will still be offered on a walk-in basis. The facilities impacted by the move to appointment-based service are in some of the state’s…

Join in the fun at Blueberry Fest in August at Windy Acres Farm in Geneva. The festival will feature Blueberry Donut Sundaes with fresh Compote served fresh out of our bakery, blueberry slushies, a Beer Garden featuring a Variety of Summer Ales, and Hot off the grill- Local Brats, Angus Beef Burgers and Fresh Sweet Corn. Kids entertainment includes: And, of course, the farm stand will have all things Blueberry! Attraction area is $16 per person ages 2 and older. Under age 2 is free. Age 14 and younger must be accompanied by a paid adult at all times. No…

We enjoyed the first day of the Geneva Arts Fair. The event will be open again tomorrow from 10am – 5:00pm. (Photo credits Kevin Ketchum.)

St. Charles’ French Med Spa & ºCryothérapie held its 2nd Annual Block Party yesterday at its St. Charles location, and we were along for the ride. Here are some pics of the hot cars on this hot day. (Photo credits Kevin Ketchum.)

A former choir teacher at Matea Valley High School has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a student there. Nathan Bramstedt of Oswego appeared in court Friday where he entered a plea of guilty to one count of Criminal Sexual Assault – Position of Trust/Authority, a Class 1 Felony, in front of Judge Daniel Guerin, who handed down the sentence. Beginning in February 2019, through June 2019, Bramstedt, 43, sexually assaulted his victim, who was seventeen years old at the time, on multiple occasions at multiple locations within the school. The abuse came to light…

A Naperville man has been found guilty of sexually abusing a thirteen-year-old girl he met on SnapChat. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced yesterday that a jury has found James Nead, 30, guilty of three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 2 Felony), one count of Solicitation to Meet a Child (Class 4 Felony) and one count of Traveling to Meet a Child (Class 3 Felony). In June 2019, the victim, a thirteen-year-old girl, received a message on Snapchat from an account belonging to Nead. Nead and the victim exchanged photographs through Snapchat and several days later, Nead…

A Carpentersville man was sentenced to 23 years in prison in return for a guilty plea to the offense of home invasion, a Class X felony. In December 2020, 43-year-old Joshua A. Doss was going through a divorce and had been prohibited by court order from entering his marital home in the 3100 block of Merrywell Court in Carpentersville. Despite the restriction, on December 28, 2020, Doss entered the home and found his estranged wife and the victim. Doss, armed with a knife, pushed past his wife and lunged at the victim, stabbing him in the chest area and forearm,…

Congress is holding hearings on what are now called “Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon,” or UAP’s, but have been known for decades as Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFO’s. Three former military officials told Congress Wednesday that they believe the government knows much more about UFOs than it is disclosing. A House Oversight subcommittee heard mystifying testimony about unexplained object sightings and government possession of “nonhuman” biological matter. Effectively, the witnesses accused the federal government of a massive conspiracy to cover up the truth about encounters with alien life – up to and including having physical or “biologic” remains of “non-human” origin. Further, they’ve claimed…

A Chicago woman is in custody in relation to two residential burglaries to apartments in a Batavia retirement community. On Monday, Batavia Police placed a 41-year-old woman from Chicago into custody on an arrest warrant in connection with these burglaries. She was subsequently transported to the Kane County Jail for a bond hearing. Following consultation with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, the accused was charged with the following: According to Batavia police, on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, reports were received of residential burglaries to two apartments in a retirement community located in the 2400 block of Hawks Drive. The…

Comedy, confusion and love take center stage at Geneva’s Shakespeare in the Park performance of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at 6pm, Saturday, Aug. 5, at Island Park. A king convinces his lords to devote themselves to studying, fasting and swearing off women. The men agree but soon break that vow shortly after a princess and her ladies arrive in the kingdom. The men decide to secretly woo the women, but their letters become mixed up and delivered to the wrong person. The women resist these gestures and laugh at the men’s foolishness. Disguises and mistaken identities add to the confusion. Goodly…