DuPage County briefs

Old cop shop floods: Aurora officials are trying to determine the extent of flood damage Saturday in a subbasement of the former police headquarters at 350 North River St. Authorities said a fire alarm was activated about 8 a.m. and employees found smoke coming from the north end of the basement. When firefighters arrived they found about 5 inches of water and traced it to a pipe that had burst. Authorities believe the water shorted out some electrical systems. The police department completed its move out of the old building and into its new headquarters at 1200 E. Indian Trail Road in January. The only police function remaining in the old building is the 911 Center, which was not affected.Center director to retire:Mary Ellen Durbin, executive director of the People's Resource Center, has announced \she is retiring on June 30 after 15 years of service. Durbin became director of the Wheaton-based PRC in 1995 after spending 12 years as the community services director for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet. At the time, the center had a food pantry and clothes closet. Under Durbin's leadership, the organization has became "a full-service, one-stop agency, featuring food, clothing, emergency assistance services" and a variety of programs that have "helped families take steps toward self-sufficiency," officials said. "In many ways, the PRC is the support center for other human service organizations," Durbin said in a statement.Park district receives grant:Naperville Park District has received its ninth Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources since 2001. The $400,000 grant will bring improvements to Knoch Park, a central hub for baseball and football, and home of the annual Ribfest. The project, which involves the redevelopment of the southern section of Knoch Park on Martin Avenue, includes renovations to the following amenities: two, 60-foot baseball fields; one, 80-foot baseball field; two softball fields; a playground; and a restroom building. New park features will include a picnic shelter and a half-mile loop trail. Sustainable features to help reduce future maintenance costs include the addition of solar lighting in the parking lot, native prairie grasses along the path, a cistern for collecting rainwater to be used for irrigation.