DuPage County briefs
Aurora death a homicide
An Aurora man's shooting death was declared a homicide Wednesday by a Kane County coroner's jury. Donald C. Franklin, 38, was gunned down about 10:41 p.m. June 24 as he had a cookout with friends on the front porch of his home on the 200 block of North Kendall Street, police said. Franklin, who was shot in the abdomen, right leg and right arm, died at a hospital early the next day. Two other men also were shot but survived. At an inquest Wednesday, Aurora Detective Jeremiah Shufelt said the case does not appear to be gang- or drug-related and it remains under investigation.
Vote in 'great places' contest
Several area sites have been named among 40 finalists in the Metropolitan Planning Council's "What Makes Your Place Great?" contest to name Chicagoland's best neighborhood public spaces. Finalists include: Aurora's Phillips Park, Naper Settlement in Naperville, the Naperville Riverwalk, Graue Mill and Museum in Oak Brook and the Illinois Prairie Path that runs through Cook, DuPage and Kane countries. The public can vote online at placemakingchicago.com/places. Voting ends Sept. 14. A video contest is running simultaneously.
Indian Prairie ACT scores up
Members of Indian Prairie Unit District 204's Class of 2009 posted an average composite score of 23.8 on their ACT tests, up from last year's 23.4, officials said Wednesday. District 204 students continue to outperform the state average of 20.8 and the national average of 21.1. This year's score is a full point higher than the 22.8 score district students posted in 2005.
Benet scores high on ACTs
Members of the Benet Academy Class of 2009 posted an average composite score of 28.1 on their ACTs taken during their junior year. This is the sixth consecutive year the Lisle school has posted a composite score of 28 or higher, Benet officials said Wednesday. All Illinois graduates take the ACT, which consists of tests in English, math, reading and science. The Illinois composite average was 20.8 and nationwide the average was 21.1.