Author: Paul Stukel

A 22-year-old West Chicago man was sentenced to ten years in prison after entering into a plea deal related to a fatal head-on collision in 2023. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that Jaime Damian appeared in Court this afternoon where he entered an agreed plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated DUI – Accident Causing Death (a Class 2 Felony) and one count of Aggravated DUI – Great Bodily Harm (a Class 4 Felony) in front of Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh, who handed down the sentence. On September 14, 2023, at approximately 1:25pm, Damian was…

According to a report in Entertainment Weekly, St. Charles resident and NKOTB founder Donnie Wahlberg and his fans got some good news recently. He will be the lead in a long-discussed spin-off of the hit series Blue Bloods beginning this fall. The working title of the series is Boston Blue. In the new series,. Wahlberg will reprise his popular roll as Danny Reagan, an old school, tough-as-nails New York Detective with a big heart. It is unclear how or if the plot will incorporate any former characters from the Blue Bloods ensemble, and speculation about Tom Selleck’s involvement as NYPD…

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra will be presenting a special concert, “Melodies of Resistance,” featuring the Chicago Bandura Ensemble on Sunday, February 23 at Journey of Hope United Methodist Church in Elgin. The week of February 24th marks eleven years since Russia first started its war on Ukraine and three years since the start of the full-scale invasion. This concert is designed to honor the resilience of the Ukrainian people, commemorate all who have perished through the power of music, and thank the American people for their support. Experience the captivating sounds of the Chicago Bandura Ensemble as they perform on…

A 23-year-old Campton Township man was arrested early Saturday morning for brandishing a weapon at a St. Charles bar and pointing it at passing vehicles. At approximately 12:21am Saturday, St. Charles police officers were dispatched to a bar in the 0-99 block of North 3rd Street for the report of a person inside that business who was armed with a handgun. Officers who were already on foot in the area conducting regular bar checks immediately responded and stopped the person as he was exiting the business. The person was found to have a loaded handgun in his waistband. An employee…

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, the folks at Trend + Relic in St. Charles held their annual “Galentine’s Day” event on February 7, featuring their incredibly diverse products and, among other things, a live charcuterie demo from Campbell Creations and crazy yummy cookies from Cookies By OO’s. As ever, our intrepid Kevin Ketchum was onsite checking out the fun. (Photo credit Kevin Ketchum)

A 39-year-old Texas man is in custody following an investigation by Naperville police into the online exploitation of a Naperville teen. In February 2023, a male juvenile reported to Naperville Police that he had sent explicit photos of himself online to someone purporting to be a 16-year-old female, who then threatened to release the photos publicly unless he sent the suspect electronic payments. “This is called sextortion, and it’s a growing problem in our society that every family should be aware of,” said Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres. “Twenty-seven incidents of sextortion have been reported to our department in the…

Aurora firefighters saved a horse from a burning barn off Sheffer Road in Aurora Friday morning. At approximately 6:50am Friday, the Aurora Fire Department responded to a first-alarm fire at a structure in the 1600 block of Sheffer Road, where they found a pole barn with fire showing but no nearby structures threatened. The initial response included two engine companies, one truck company, one medic unit, and one chief officer, totaling 12 personnel. Firefighters quickly deployed an attack line to suppress the fire and, due to the large amounts of hay and tires stored in the structure, extensive overhaul operations…

A North Aurora man has been convicted of murdering two women in a gang-related shooting in 2020. This afternoon, Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis announced that 31-year-old James Brown Jr., of North Aurora, was found guilty after a four-day jury trial last week on two separate charges of First-Degree Murder. The jury found Brown guilty after just 3 hours of deliberation. According to prosecutors, at around 11:00am on Veteran’s Day 2020, fourteen shots were fired by Brown into a house in the Boulder Hill subdivision of Oswego Township. Inside the residence were six individuals, two of which, Cassandra and…

Geneva police are investigating a rash of car burglaries reported early Thursday morning. Nearly 20 vehicles were reported burglarized. In a press release, police indicated the burglaries occurred at the following locations: Officers responded to the area and identified a possible suspicious vehicle, a white 1999 Ford Explorer, bearing Illinois license plate registration ET97912. The vehicle fled from the area when officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Due to a department policy prohibiting pursuit when only a property crime is involved, officers did not chase the fleeing vehicle. Investigators are working to locate the Ford Explorer and to identify…

Oswego police are seeking two men suspected of robbing a liquor store at knifepoint Tuesday evening. At approximately 10:31 pm Tuesday, police were dispatched to 1154 Douglas Road for a report of an armed robbery that had already occurred. It was reported that two men wearing ski masks entered the southside store entrance, produced a knife and stole an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency and liquor. The suspects left the store and were last seen heading in a southeast direction from the entrance. Police immediately conducted a search of the area, using both K9 and drone resources, without success. Police…