Briefs: Not guilty plea in slaying

A factory worker pleaded not guilty Thursday in the death of his ex-girlfriend, who was found stabbed to death in her Aurora apartment. Hezekiah Hamilton, 24, is charged with murder and other offenses in the Oct. 30, 2007, slaying of Brenetta Beck, 25. Police said Beck was stabbed more than 50 times and was discovered slumped in the bathroom, her infant children nearby. Hamilton is in jail and due in court again March 28.

Stay tuned for Hunter

"Jeopardy!" fans watching Wheaton's Hunter Brown compete on the popular television show Thursday afternoon didn't get to see how he finished. The show was pre-empted by live television news coverage of a shooting at Northern Illinois University. Thursday's show ended with Naren Tallapragada having the highest dollar total at $30,001. Brown followed with $29,999. The teen tournament sends the winners of the five shows this week, plus the top four nonwinning dollar amounts to the next round. A publicist for "Jeopardy!" would not reveal if Brown's score is high enough to move on because today's show will determine that. The next round begins Monday.

Sheriff offers inside look

DuPage County residents who want to learn more about operations of the DuPage County Sheriff's Department can participate in a 15-week citizens police academy. Applications are being accepted for the classes that begin March 12 and continue for 15 consecutive Wednesdays. The academy exposes students to law enforcement activities and inside glimpses of duties at the county's jail, crime lab and courthouse. For details, call (630) 407-2032 or e-mail Sgt. Jim Kruse at james.kruse@ dupagesherifforg.

Church awarded grant

Grace Lutheran Church, 493 Forest Ave., Glen Ellyn, will receive a $30,000 grant from the Retirement Research Foundation through its Accessible Faith Grant, which provides funding to enable Chicago area houses of worship to make facilities more accessible. The grant will be used to renovate six restrooms, make them accessible and bring the facilities up to code. New restrooms and social areas will become accessible to those with limited mobility.

Traffic crackdown planned

Aurora police will increase traffic patrols today at some of the most dangerous intersections on the city's far east side, authorities said Thursday. The detail will focus on locations that typically experience a high number of accidents, police said. Officers will use unmarked vehicles as part of the crackdown on drivers who speed, follow too closely or otherwise violate traffic laws. A similar operation last month netted 118 citations along Eola Road.