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Kane County citizen award nominations due Friday

The Kane County Sheriff's Department is accepting nominations through Friday for the 2010 Roscoe Ebey Citizen of the Year Award.

The annual honor is named after an 83-year-old war veteran who was murdered in his Aurora Township home on May 29, 2007. Sheriff's Lt. Pat Gengler said this year "probably holds a little extra significance" to those who knew Ebey, now that his killer has pleaded guilty and is facing a possible death sentence.

"For a lot of people, the fact that this whole thing is almost over is a huge relief," Gengler said. "And while Mr. Ebey is gone now, he is still being recognized for all the nice things he did for people. It shows his life meant something."

The first recipient of the Ebey award was Leslie Fleming, a neighbor who captured Ebey's killer by reaching through a basement window and yanking him out by the hair, then sitting on the perpetrator until authorities arrived.

Hector M. Mauricio, 24, of Aurora, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder earlier this month and is now awaiting sentencing. Prosecutors said a judge will hear arguments Nov. 29 about whether he is eligible for the death penalty.

Sheriff's officials said Citizen of the Year Award candidates should be representative of Ebey's reputation as a "kind, caring and selfless man who would think nothing of giving up his own time to help one of his neighbors."

Nominations can be sent by e-mail to DawnBarsanti@co.kane.il.us or faxed to (630) 513-5059 by the end of the day Friday. Hard copies should be addressed to Dawn Barsanti at the Kane County Sheriff's Office, 37W755 Route 38, St. Charles, IL, 60175.

For more information, visit kanesheriff.com.