Fox Valley's top stories of 2015

There were plenty of reasons 2015 was a memorable year for towns up and down the Fox Valley, from a major renovation kicking off at Spring Hill Mall to political battles in Kane County and a video of an Elgin cop seen by millions.

Here's a recap of some key events this past year.

<h3 class="leadin">Spring Hill Mall begins renovation

Spring Hill Mall representatives unveiled plans for a $37.8 million redevelopment project, which will include a Cinemark movie theater, an outdoor plaza and outward-facing retail and restaurants. Demolition of the mall's JCPenney wing began in October, causing several stores to relocate. In an agreement with mall owner Rouse Properties, the villages of West Dundee and Carpentersville pledged a total of $8.6 million in municipality contribution to the project. Using incremental tax revenue, West Dundee will reimburse Rouse for $7.6 million, and Carpentersville will contribute $1 million. Both villages are in the process of creating tax increment financing districts at the mall to facilitate the project.

<h3 class="leadin">Deputy dies after shooting

McHenry County Sheriff Deputy Dwight W. Maness died in early September from a blood clot during a rehab session for a leg injury sustained in October 2014 when he and another deputy were ambushed while conducting a well-being check in Holiday Hills. Earlier in 2015, Maness testified against Scott Peters, 53, who was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 135 years in prison for wounding Maness, 47, and shooting at two other deputies. Authorities ruled Maness' death was a homicide caused by Peters' actions, but declined to press new charges, citing Peters' lengthy prison term already in place.

<h3 class="leadin">Campton Hills gets new village president

Patsy Smith, the driving force behind the incorporation of Campton Hills in 2007, lost her bid for a third, 4-year term as village president. Smith, who was the first village president in Campton Hills' history, ran as a write-in candidate with two others, but her efforts were not enough to hold off Trustee Harry Blecker and his slate of candidates.

<h3 class="leadin">Elgin cop goes viral

Millions viewed a video of Elgin Sgt. Ken Ericson talking to a large group of young people about their loitering in the parking lot of a fast-food joint. His relaxed, nonconfrontational - but firm - manner defused a potentially volatile situation, and his levelheaded interaction with the youths was widely praised as an example of "good policing."

<h3 class="leadin">Guilty verdict overturned

An appellate court overturned in September the guilty verdict against Mario Casciaro in the 2002 death of Johnsburg teen Brian Carrick. Casciaro, 32, who was convicted in 2013 after a 2012 mistrial and sentenced to 26 years behind bars, was ordered released from prison. He recently spoke about his experiences at a workshop organized by the Kane County Public Defender's Office against wrongful convictions. Carrick, 17, was last seen at Casciaro's parents' former grocery store in December 2002 and a prosecution witness who was granted immunity to testify against Casciaro later recanted his story.

<h3 class="leadin">Legionella scare at U-46

Three Elgin Area School District U-46 buildings - Eastview Middle School in Bartlett, Larkin High School in Elgin and the district's Educational Services Center - were closed for three days in September after high levels of the bacteria that can cause Legionnaires' disease were found in water cooling towers. The district sent home about 3,000 students and roughly 350 staff members. U-46 CEO Tony Sanders called out the state on the lack of public health standards and protocols for dealing with the Legionella bacteria in schools.

<h3 class="leadin">Felipe Calderón visits Judson

Former Mexican President Felipe Calderón became the first Latin American former head of state to grace Judson University's World Leaders Forum stage in March. Calderón, who served as Mexico's 56th president from 2006 to 2012, talked about challenges he faced during his presidency, including a global economic crisis, the emerging H1N1 swine flu virus, a severe drought in several states, and the growing violence of drug cartels. He also highlighted his administration's economic reforms that helped stem the tide of Mexican immigrants to the United States.

<h3 class="leadin">Judson University launches inspirational series

Serbian Australian evangelist Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms and legs, shared how he overcame his physical challenges through faith as the inaugural speaker for Judson University's World Leaders Forum Inspirational Series in October. Vujicic, 33, struggled with depression and loneliness throughout childhood. Since giving his first inspirational speech at age 19, Vujicic has shared his story with millions worldwide.

<h3 class="leadin">Fox River Grove eyes redevelopment

Fox River Grove is gearing up for a $250 million, 20-acre downtown redevelopment project comprising a mix of apartments, commercial office space and retail built in four phases along both sides of Route 14 from Algonquin Road on the east to the Fox River on the west. The proposed concept plan, by Gart Partners, calls for building roughly 500 apartments, about 90,000 square feet of commercial/retail space, and a hotel/marina.

<h3 class="leadin">Conviction in Geneva's first murder in decades

After a two-week trial, a Kane County jury convicted Shadwick King of strangling his wife, Kathleen, and dumping her body on the Union Pacific railroad tracks in Geneva. The July 2014 murder was Geneva's first in nearly 40 years; King, 48, who prosecutors argued killed his 32-year-old wife in a jealous rage and later staged her body on the tracks hoping he'd get run over, was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

<h3 class="leadin">Lake in the Hills trustee resigns

Lake in the Hills village Trustee Denise Barreto stepped down in July after six years on the village board citing a lack of diversity in the county. Barreto, 43, lived in the county 12 years. She was the town's first black trustee elected in April 2009 and again in April 2013. She moved to Evanston for personal and business reasons, relinquishing her village board seat.

<h3 class="leadin">U-46 adopts boundary changes

The Elgin Area School District U-46 school board approved boundary changes affecting 566 students in 13 of the district's 40 elementary schools next school year. The changes are meant to alleviate overcrowding at several schools and accommodate full-day kindergarten districtwide next year. Fifth-graders would be grandfathered in and could remain at their current schools, if they choose.

<h3 class="leadin">McHenry 156 settles 8-day teachers strike

An eight-day teachers strike that halted classes at McHenry High School District 156 in October ended after the district and union came to agreement on a three-year teachers' contract. Teachers were granted step increases of 3.6 percent in the first two years, and a 1.8 percent increase in year three of the agreement. The district put an end to step increases and the salary structure after year two of the new contract. Teachers not on the step salary schedule would receive base pay increases. All teachers also receive a one-time bonus at the end of this school year.

<h3 class="leadin">Elgin police tests technology

A group of Elgin police officer tested body-worn cameras this year and the results of the pilot program were so positive that it decided to move forward with outfitting all its officers with the help of a federal grant. The department also hopes to purchase - with city council approval - a drone, or "unmanned aircraft system" after testing one in October. Elgin police said they mainly wants to use drones for evidence photography and traffic crash reconstruction.

<h3 class="leadin">Library coming to South Elgin

Gail Borden Public Library officials announced plans to open a branch at 121 S. McLean Blvd. in South Elgin sometime next year. The estimated $1.4 million project by the Gail Borden Public Library District will come at no increased cost to taxpayers and was made possible by a donation by The Hoffer Foundation of South Elgin. "This was a dream of ours for a long time," library board President Jean Bednar said.

<h3 class="leadin">Elgin city hall renamed

The renaming of Elgin's city hall as the "Robert Gilliam Municipal Complex" was finalized in April with the installation of signs above both entrances of the building at 150 Dexter Court. Bob Gilliam, the city's longest-serving council member, died at age 69 in December. He was the city council's first black member and served for 40 years until 2013; he also served as commissioner of the The Housing Authority of Elgin for 25 years.

<h3 class="leadin">Fermilab unveils grand plan

Fermilab officially unveiled plans to construct the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. It will entail building four buildings, a tunnel, two underground chambers and a five-story hill on the Batavia campus. The experiment would shoot neutrinos underground to a detector at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota Costs for the project were roughly estimated, in 2012, at $1.2 to $1.5 billion. It also announced an $85 million plan to update the overall campus, including the proposed construction of a centralized research building near Wilson Hall.

<h3 class="leadin">St. Charles restarts First Street project

After first dumping the longtime development team for the city's long-stalled First Street project, aldermen rehired the team shortly after in hopes of moving the construction forward. That became possible when ALE Solutions decided it needed a larger headquarters than the office space it currently leases in the downtown. With an anchor office tenant secured, the long-awaited mixed-use building broke ground this summer.

<h3 class="leadin">Neighbor convicted of killing in Elgin

A repeat felon, Paul Johnson, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after a jury convicted him of the brutal stabbing death of his new neighbor, Lisa Koziol-Ellis, in March 2013. She was stabbed more than 50 times with a knife and screwdriver by Johnson, 37, who lived three doors down in the same townhouse unit on the city's near west side and was attempting to burglarize her home. Johnson blamed the murder on his half-brother, who died of a drug overdose before the trial began, but prosecutors placed Johnson at the murder scene via DNA and bloody shoe prints.

<h3 class="leadin">Elgin cop reinstated

An arbitrator ruled that Elgin police officer Jason Lentz, came back to work in October, just more than a year after he was fired after making Facebook posts including one about the shooting by a police officer of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. An arbitrator ruled that Lentz should have instead received a six-month suspension.

<h3 class="leadin">Batavia aldermen resign

Batavia Fifth Ward Alderman Steve Vasilion resigned in January because of the potential for him to have a conflict of interest between his business as an architect, and his role as an alderman. Many of his clients are local. Fourth Ward Alderman Jamie Saam resigned in June to become executive director of Batavia MainStreet, the organization that promotes the welfare of downtown Batavia businesses. The city council welcomed a new member, Michael Russotto, in May, as 6th Ward Alderman Lisa Clark did not seek re-election.

<h3 class="leadin">Kane Co. sheriff vs. county board

Kane County Sheriff Don Kramer spent much of the year battling the county board and board Chairman Chris Lauzen. The disagreement centered on Kramer's decision to cancel a contract to house federal inmates at the county jail. Kramer was not comfortable with the ratio of inmates to corrections officers and the overtime shifts many of the officers were working. The county board cut his budget to reflect the lost revenue from the contract. Kramer eventually identified areas to trim costs. He is set to close the books on 2015 with a budget deficit of less than 1 percent.

<h3 class="leadin">Geneva High grad arrested in mass shooting plot

A young Geneva woman brought unwanted worldwide attention to the town in February, when Canadian police arrested her in connection with a plot to conduct a mass shooting at a mall in Halifax on Valentine's Day. Lindsay K. Souvannarath was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit arson, conspiracy to use weapons for a dangerous purpose and unlawfully conveying threats through social media. She had met two Canadian men online and formed the plot, authorities said. She is being held without bond, pending trial. Souvannarath was a 2010 graduate of Geneva High School.

<h3 class="leadin">90-year-old gets Elgin award

Elinor Richoz calls Elgin's local 1410 AM radio station almost every day at 6:55 a.m. to wish people she knows a happy birthday or anniversary. It's because of those small, everyday kindnesses accumulated over a lifetime, along with her civic engagement and involvement the community, that the lifelong Elgin resident was honored in March with a citizenship award by the city of Elgin during the yearly Image Awards ceremony.

<h3 class="leadin">Animal cruelty sentence

Stacy Fiebelkorn of Elgin pleaded guilty in December to animal cruelty, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. She had been accused of neglecting more than 90 animals in her care on farms in Hampshire and Maple Park, including horses, poultry, llamas, alpacas, donkeys, goats and rabbits, in a case brought in March 2014.

<h3 class="leadin">Kane Co. coroner opens wallet to pay back county

Kane County Coroner Rob Russell, much like Sheriff Don Kramer, spent much of 2015 embroiled in a financial disagreement with the county board. Auditor Terry Hunt withheld payment on what some county board members described as promotional items for the coroner's office. When the vendors demanded payment, Russell used a county credit card to pay the debt. The county's finance committee saw that as violation of the county's purchasing process, sparking an ongoing review of all county credit cards. Russell then attempted to end the debate by cutting a personal check to repay the credit card charges.

<h3 class="leadin">Blackjacks denied license

New owners hoping to take over the operation of Blackjacks Gentlemen's Club in unincorporated South Elgin sought a liquor license through the county as part of the remake of the facility. But the county board rejected the application in hopes of ultimately luring a different use to the property. The location is still operating as a gentlemen's club as of December. And the would-be owners are engaged in a pending lawsuit with the county over the license denial.

<h3 class="leadin">Longmeadow opposition revived

Perhaps the most vehement opposition to Kane County's Longmeadow Parkway project popped up in 2015. The project will bring a new Fox River crossing, complete with a toll, to the northern portion of the county. But a vocal group of opponents consistently brought objections to the plans to the county in 2015 in hopes of derailing the project. Opponents recently met with a lawyer to examine legal options, but so far the county has moved the project forward as planned.

<h3 class="leadin">St. Charles embraces liquor sales, video gambling

Despite protests from the community and several aldermen, the majority of the St. Charles City Council welcomed both drive-through liquor sales and video gambling to the community this year. Businesses and local fraternal organizations pushed for the changes in city policy. But community members feared irreparable harm to the charm and character of the city.

<h3 class="leadin">Fire district loses leader, gains foe

The Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District looked to be nearing fiscal desperation in 2015. But trustees decided to forego a tax increase referendum in favor of embracing an all part-time staffing model for firefighter and paramedics. The district's president, Jim Gaffney, resigned just before those big decisions were made. But he reappeared at a trustee meeting to express deep fears about the decisions as well as the district's opposition to a pending drug and alcohol treatment center the district would serve.

<h3 class="leadin">St. Charles graduate makes 'The Voice' finals

Jeffrey Austin first discovered and nurtured his vocal talents in the hallways of St. Charles Unit District 303. After a brief run in public relations, Austin put his all into a chance a stardom on this season of "The Voice," where he finished fourth.

<h3 class="leadin">McHenry County state's attorney drops re-election bid

McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi filed his petitions for the March 2016 Republican primary, but later withdrew from the race citing personal and family issues. While determining whether he should continue his re-election campaign, Bianchi asked his assistant state's attorney, Patrick Kenneally, to run in the event he dropped out. Bianchi, who has served in the position since 2004, said he will finish out his term through Dec. 1, 2016.

<h3 class="leadin">20-year anniversary of Fox River Grove accident

Oct. 25 marked the 20-year anniversary of the bus-train accident in Fox River Grove that killed seven Cary Grove High School students. Deputy Fire Chief Jim Kreher, who was the incident commander the day of the crash, says the village honors that with an annual blood drive, a prayer vigil at the local church, a gathering of classmates at Cary Grove High School, a gathering between family and friends at the site of the accident. The fire protection district added angel wings to their ambulance, and Kreher maintains a memorial in honor of the teens killed.

<h3 class="leadin">Sports facility coming to West Dundee

A new sports complex and lifestyle center is under construction at the former Target location at 999 W. Main St., West Dundee, which has been vacant for years. The facility, called Lifezone 360, will include turf fields for soccer and lacrosse, a gymnastics area, recreation and yoga rooms, gym equipment, a restaurant and juice bar, a physical therapy center and space for parties or gatherings. Clubs and leagues have already rented and are using the two large turf fields in the middle of the facility. Other features will be ready in the spring, representatives say.

<h3 class="leadin">Stanley Cup in Elgin

After the Chicago Blackhawks clenched their sixth Stanley Cup, the prized trophy made two visits to Elgin this year - one in August at the Elgin Country Club, exclusively for members and guests, and one in October at Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin for a public viewing.

<h3 class="leadin">Stolen ashes returned

Roger Stettner of Elgin had all but lost hope he'd ever get back his beloved late wife's ashes - and then came the surprise of his life July 10. Stettner found the cherry wood box containing Donna's remains, which had been stolen June 6, near a patch of bluebell flowers while he was mowing his lawn. "It's certainly wonderful," the 73-year-old Stettner said, who thinks the thief returned the ashes after the theft gained media attention. "Unbelievable." Stettner was visiting a son in California when the burglary took place.

• Staff writers Lauren Rohr, Susan Sarkauskas, Harry Hitzeman, James Fuller and Madhu Krishnamurthy contributed to this story.