Copyright 2013 Daily Herald, Paddock Publications, Inc. http://www.dailyherald.com/community/aurora/ en-us Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:20:37 -0400 http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130619/news/706199903/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130619/news/706199903/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:59:17 -0400 An autopsy is expected to take place on the remains of a 27-year-old Yorkville man whose badly decomposed body was discovered this week in his home — likely months after he died. Police tell The (Aurora) Beacon-News that Justin Ludolph's body may have been in the home since at least October. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130619/news/706199816/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130619/news/706199816/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:19:09 -0400 An Aurora man on Wednesday admitted stealing nearly $300,000 from an Oak Brook company where he worked as a bookkeeper. Shaun Horan, 32, faces a maximum 15 years in prison but also could receive probation after pleading guilty to felony theft. Horan was a bookkeeper at Resource 1, an IT staffing and consulting firm in Oak Brook. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/news/706189729/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/news/706189729/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:52:50 -0400 A 26-year-old Cary man has been charged with robbing three banks in a 10-day span, authorities said Tuesday. Evan L. Hall, of the 100 block of River Drive, was formally charged Monday and remains in federal custody. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179951/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179951/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:29:47 -0400 A bridge is the next frontier for RiverEdge Park in Aurora. The new park, fresh off its grand opening weekend, is meant to revitalize downtown Aurora and the city's Fox River shorelines. Leaders say the next step toward that goal is building a bridge to carry walkers and bikers between the west side of the river and the concert venue and transportation hub on the east. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179957/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179957/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 05:30:18 -0400 Hollywood Casino has been floating on the Fox River in Aurora for 20 years, spanning at least two major pushes to revitalize the downtown of Illinois' second-largest city. The casino has brought $238.7 million in tax revenue to Aurora since it opened June 17, 1993. "There's no question that the revenue infusion that's come to Aurora from the casino is very significant," Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130615/news/706159913/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130615/news/706159913/ Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:27:23 -0400 "Beautiful" was a common word Friday night as Aurora's RiverEdge Park hosted its grand opening for Blues on the Fox. The night was relaxing for thousands of guests, but stressful for a couple hundred staff members working behind the scenes. "We have an amazing system we need to tweak into place," operations leader Jeremy Gehman said. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130614/news/706149642/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130614/news/706149642/ Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:36:43 -0400 A state appellate court on Friday voided a 35-year prison sentence for a man who pleaded guilty to killing a woman in Aurora in 2005. Gareng Deng, now 21, was 17 when he accepted a plea agreement with Kane County prosecutors for the Oct. 31, 2005, murder of 47-year-old Marilyn Bethell of Aurora. On Friday, the Second District Illinois Appellate Court overturned a circuit court ruling, allowing the case to go back to that court where Deng can enter a new plea. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139698/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139698/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:05:48 -0400 Lee R. Patterson III acknowledged the forgiveness shown by the mother of the 22-year-old woman he killed while driving drunk 20 months ago in North Aurora. "Whether I walk out of the courtroom today or I go to prison, that's the best grace I've been given in my entire life," Patterson said in the second day of an emotional sentencing hearing during which he repeatedly apologized to the family of Doreen Cardenas. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139746/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139746/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:51:50 -0400 A federal jury awarded an Aurora man $50,000 as part of a civil rights lawsuit against an Aurora police officer. The jury ruled Kurt Kopek had been a victim of excessive force, false arrest and malicious prosecution stemming from his 2008 arrest. The jury's ruling allows the city to cover $35,000 of the damages awarded Kopek, but Detective Edgar Gallardo is responsible for the remaining $15,000. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139838/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139838/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:11:00 -0400 A lightning strike has not been ruled out as the cause of a house fire Wednesday night in Aurora, authorities said Thursday. The fire began just before 9 p.m. at a two-story single-family home on the 2100 block of Schoolhouse Lane on the city's west side, according to Aurora spokesman Dan Ferrelli. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/entlife/706139976/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/entlife/706139976/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:23:11 -0400 The new Superman reboot "Man of Steel" opens today and prominently features the Northwest suburbs of Oswego, Naperville, Aurora, Sugar Grove, Plano and Sandwich, all playing parts of Clark Kent's hometown of Smallville. Clark Kent meets Lois Lane at the IHOP on Augusta Way in Aurora. A tornado touches down in Sugar Grove. A school bus careens off a bridge in LaSalle County. And more! http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/business/706189899/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/business/706189899/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:41:28 -0400 Konen Insurance Inc., a family-owned business serving the Fox Valley area, welcomes customers, neighbors and friends to an open house making the company's 50th anniversary. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130619/news/706199939/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130619/news/706199939/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:41:24 -0400 Batavia Unit District 101 purchase cards were used by employees 253 times last year to buy almost $25,000 worth of food and other goods totaling more than $1 million. District officials signed off on all the purchases and contend checks and balances are in place to make sure use of the 97 cards is justified, but one taxpayer disagrees. "They're not really being good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars," Carl Dinwiddie says. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/news/706189661/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/news/706189661/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:27:07 -0400 Naperville city councilmen on Tuesday indicated they are willing to provide $7.5 million worth of incentives to the developer of a long-sought hotel and conference center planned for Freedom Plaza on the city's north side. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/news/706189758/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/news/706189758/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:44:35 -0400 DuPage County Forest Preserve officials ended a nearly 15-year legal battle Tuesday when they walked away from a property they still very much want to own. Commissioners voted unanimously to abandon efforts to forcibly acquire the 204-acre Country Lakes Country Club in northwest Naperville. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/news/706189813/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130618/news/706189813/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:49:35 -0400 Kindergarten will last longer next fall for more than 500 students in Naperville Unit District 203. Board members voted unanimously Monday to approve a 2013-14 budget that, among other things, provides funding to switch to all-day kindergarten at seven of the district's 14 elementary schools. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179891/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179891/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:21:40 -0400 After a 40-year career with Illinois Bell and Ameritech and a decade of involvement with the Naperville Heritage Society, Mike Krol now is serving as the interim president and CEO of Naper Settlement. In his new position, he'll develop community partnerships, work on a succession plan, continue fundraising efforts and move forward with the capital campaign. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179754/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179754/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:19:53 -0400 A wrongful death lawsuit is filed against an Oswego man seeking damages for a Feb. 15, 2013, crash in Batavia that killed David Schele, 61, of Sugar Grove. Craig Schindlbeck was ticketed for failure to yield but is fighting it in court and is set to go on trial in early July. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179772/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179772/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:42:27 -0400 A project aiming to increase the reliability of the water distribution system in downtown Naperville began Monday and is expected to last until September, city officials said. Crews began staging equipment for a $471,000 water main improvement project along 5th Avenue and Columbia Street in advance of construction scheduled to start Wednesday, spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179961/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130617/news/706179961/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:02:06 -0400 The appeal process for a proposed suburban virtual charter school was cut short last week — but not before 18 suburban school districts spent more than $320,800 in legal fees fighting the issue. Not to mention the hundreds of hours school staffs spent researching the proposal, officials say. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139754/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139754/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:46:12 -0400 The annual Batavia Green Walk Saturday has grown, with plans for 70 exhibitors and vendors on all manner of topics related to healthful living, reducing waste, using less fossil-fueled energy and more. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139825/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130613/news/706139825/ Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:53:45 -0400 Did the Geneva Library annex a narrow piece of land to prevent the Batavia Library from annexing its land, or was it just the side effect of the Geneva Library pursuing its long-held objective of providing service to Geneva school district residents?