16th Judicial Circuit forum will go on

A snowstorm earlier this month took a little wind out of an election forum for judicial and gubernatorial candidates, but the show will go on.

The Women's Bar Association of the 16th Judicial Circuit has rescheduled its forum for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, at Eagle Brook Country Club, 2288 Fargo Blvd., Geneva - minus the governor candidates.

Organizers say the new date conflicts with previously scheduled engagements for those in the gubernatorial race. But there still will be plenty of judicial candidates from across the region.

All Democratic and Republican judicial candidates have been invited. Among those expected to participate are associate judges Kevin Busch, Robert Janes and Leonard Wojtecki, and candidates David Akemann, John Dalton, Michael Funkey, Thomas Patrick Rice, and D.J. Tegeler.

Busch is seeking the Republican nomination for a circuit judgeship also sought by attorney Fred Morelli. Democrats Dalton and Funkey, and Republicans Akemann, Janes, Rice, Tegeler and Wojtecki are all seeking their party's nomination to a Kane County judgeship.

The forum, to be followed by a meet-and-greet with candidates, also will feature justices Ann Jorgensen and Mary S. Schostok, who each are in separate races for two open seats in Illinois' 2nd District Appellate Court.

If you can't make it to Tuesday's forum, you might catch some of the candidates Monday night, Jan. 25, at Northern Illinois University College of Law's Francis X. Riley Courtroom in Swen Parson Hall in DeKalb.

The women's bar association has planned a 7 p.m. judicial forum expected to be attended by Jorgensen, Schostok, Busch and Morelli, as well as three candidates for a DeKalb County resident judgeship.

For details, call (630) 546-1954. The primary is Feb. 2.

Reward offered: Aurora Area Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the August robbery that left an 84-year-old business owner injured.

Police say the Aurora man was locking the front door of his sporting goods store on the 0-99 block of East Downer Place about 3:15 p.m. Aug. 8 when a man accompanied by a woman pushed him back into the business and began kicking and punching him while demanding money.

After stealing the man's wallet, the pair ransacked the front counter and stole cash from the till. The owner was treated for serious cuts, bruises and other injuries, police said.

The robbers are described as African-American. The man appeared to be about 40 years old, between 5-foot-11 and 6 feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. The woman was described as roughly 30 years old, between 5-feet-5 and 5-feet-7, and weighing 120 to 130 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000. Tipsters can remain anonymous.