Briefs: Man sentenced for pulling gun on police

An Aurora man who was shot by police has been sentenced to 17 years in prison. Geomarrio Henderson, 26, of the 1000 block of Emerald Drive, was convicted on Oct. 31, 2007, of armed violence. On June 26, 2006, officers investigating drug sales on the 2000 block of Lilac Lane had chased Henderson and shot him in the leg after he pulled a .40-caliber handgun from his pants. Henderson was sentenced Thursday and must serve at least half his prison time.

Physics lecture at Fermilab

The future of physics will be the subject of a lecture by Chris Quigg of Fermilab at 8 p.m. Friday. Quigg will talk about the impact the Large Hadron Collider at CERN will have on the study of particle physics and the new discoveries that physicists are working toward. Tickets are $5 and are available by calling (630) 840-2787 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. The lecture will be held in Ramsey Auditorium in Wilson Hall.

Police officer ceremony:

New officers for the Kane County Chiefs of Police Association will be installed at an event at 8 p.m. Thursday at Riverview Banquets, 1117 N. Washington Ave., Batavia. Geneva Police Cmdr. Joe Frega will be sworn in as president, St. Charles Police Chief Jim Lamkin as vice president, Campton Hills Police Chief Greg Anderson as secretary, retired West Dundee Police Chief Edward Dennis as treasurer and Elgin Deputy Police Chief Robert Beeter as sergeant at arms. Kane County Chief Judge Donald Hudson will administer the oath of office to the 2008 officers.

Heritage Center gala:

The St. Charles Heritage Center will celebrate its 75th anniversary with the Diamond Ball and Auction at 6 p.m. Jan. 19 at Hotel Baker, 100 W. Main St. The fundraiser will include dinner, dancing, auctions, live music and a diamond ring giveaway valued at $6,000. Tickets are $125 and available by calling (630) 584-6967. Seating is limited.

Charlemagne Awards set:

The St. Charles Chamber of Commerce's 86th annual Charlemagne Awards Dinner is scheduled for Feb. 1 at Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St. Tickets are $50. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and includes cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dinner, music and dancing. The chamber will present several awards, including the Charlemagne lifetime achievement award.

Call (630) 584-8384 for more.

Coupon book in the works:

The St. Charles Chamber of Commerce is seeking businesses to participate in this year's St. Patrick's Parade Program and Coupon Guide. The book will be distributed before and during the March 8 parade through downtown St. Charles, an event attended by an estimated 11,000 people. Coupons are $50. Call (630) 444-0444 for details.

Donate stuffed bears

Fox Valley Unity Church, 230 Webster St., Batavia, is collecting stuffed bears until Feb. 10. Bears will be delivered to a nursing home for Valentine's Day. Call (630) 879-1115 or go online to www.foxvalleyunity.org for details.