Tri-Cities briefs
Trial ends in hung jury:A South Elgin man's child pornography trial in Kane County ended in a hung jury Friday, officials said. Jurors deliberated more than 12 hours over two days but were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of 44-year-old William S. Muth, who is charged with 23 counts of felony possession of child pornography. Judge T. Jordan Gallagher continued the case to Thursday, at which time a new trial date will be set, authorities said. In a separate and pending case, Muth also is accused of sexually assaulting a child younger than 13.'Chili for Charity':Zylstra Harley Davidson, 131 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, will host a "Cooking Chili for Charity" tasting at 1 p.m. today. More than 40 award-winning chili recipes will be available for tasting for $5 per person. The event is a Chili Appreciation Society International-sanctioned cook-off. It will feature the Illinois Ladies State Open Championship, which will benefit LivingWell Cancer Resource Center in Geneva. The Men's State Open Championship portion of the cook-off will benefit Children's Club Courageous. People can also register to cook the day of the event. You must be 18 or older, there is a $20 entry fee and a cook's meeting at 8 a.m. Call Pam Ward at (630) 687-2381 for details on cooking. Judging will be based on aroma, consistency, red color, taste and aftertaste. For other details on the event, call Gloria Molitor (630) 584-2816.Road closures in Kane:Daily lane closures of one northbound lane on Randall Road, just north of Thornwood Avenue in South Elgin, will begin Monday and last through Friday. The closure, which will start about 9 a.m., is required to allow for the installation of new storm sewer lines along Randall Road. Beginning May 29, there will be daily lane closures in the vicinity of Route 25 near the Illinois Prairie Path between St. Charles and South Elgin. Closures will be during daytime hours and are needed to allow for new road paving of Stearns Road near the bridge project. The work should conclude June 9. Concerns or questions about the closures can be directed to David Boesch of the Kane County Transportation Department at (630) 845-7875.Senior spelling bee:State Sen. John Millner of Carol Stream will host a local senior citizen spelling bee Tuesday in St. Charles. The contest is open to anyone 50 and older. and local winners will advance to the regional semifinals, with an opportunity to go to the statewide finals at the 2010 Illinois State Fair. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Hunt Club Village, 200 Hunt Club Drive. For more information, contact Millner's office at (630) 351-9340.Library board opening:The St. Charles Public Library District board of trustees invites interested people to apply for an opening on the library board. The term will expire in May 2011. Applicants must be residents of the St. Charles Public Library District. Send letters of interest and qualifications to the Board of Trustees, St. Charles Public Library District, 1 S. Sixth Ave., St. Charles, IL 60174 before Friday. For information, contact Diana Brown at (630) 584-0076, ext. 228 or dbrown@stcharleslibrary.org.