Pictures of the year: Complete gallery
Dominic Genchi, a 2009 Burlington Central grad, consoles senior Jon Paul during the memorial around the flagpole at the high school for the late fellow student Jerry Martinez on Tuesday morning, September 29. Genchi and Paul were on the same hockey team together, the Central Hockey Club. Martinez died in a car accident in St. Charles.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Polly Thorne of Carpentersville digs through the remains of her bedroom looking for her cat Henry. The Thorne home was lost to fire Monday night.
BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com
A spectator holds a Twinkie as racers concentrate on getting through the rough whoop-de-doo section of the Chicago Cyclocross races at Carpenters Park in Carpentersville in November. Crowds also gathered on Heckle Hill to chant and wave cupcakes and money in an effort to distract the extremely fit, off-road bicycle racers. The competitors make several loops aroung the course and each race can last up to an hour. The expected heckling becomes more pronounced and creative as the day wears on.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
A player makes a reaching attempt to save the ball during the IHSA state volleyball finals at Redbird Arena in Normal.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
A worker ant on its way to a flower bloom, still on the clock after sundown.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Texting away while waiting for her makeup to dry, St. Edward High School graduate Brandy Beauchamp of Hanover Park is prepped for her part in A Chance in Hell on February 5 in a business in Elgin. Beauchamp portrays a zombie nurse in the short film being produced in the Elgin area.
BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com
Sheena May, an emergency room technician at Centegra Hospital in Woodstock, wipes tears after seeing the pink fire truck with her boss, Laurie Parisi, who is currently being treated for cancer. Were all like family. she said. The pink truck was on a nationwide tour to raise breast cancer awareness.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com ¬
A young boy picks dandelions, clearly not interested in the action of a Huntley vs. Burlington Central baseball game in the spring of 2010.
BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com
Loren Iwanicki of Batavia competes in the high jump as a runner warms up behind him on the track during Thursdays Western Sun Conference indoor track meet in Sycamore.
RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com
Emergency vehicles are engulfed by fans during Fridays victory parade for the Chicago Blackhawks following their Stanley Cup Finals win over Philadelphia.
RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com
John Seaton, middle, of West Dundee, puts up his legs during the big wheel races in West Dundee on March 13.
BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com
A woman walks past the burned garage and vehicles after a fire at 29W100 Hill Ct. in unincorporated West Chicago.
RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com
Jacobs pitcher Danny Paitl lets it fly against Crystal Lake South.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Patrick Kane hoists the Stanley Cup during Fridays victory parade for the Chicago Blackhawks following their Stanley Cup Finals win over Philadelphia.
RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com
Cadets with the Girls Scouts of Northern Illinois learned how to kayak on land before they took to the water putting their new skills to the test at The Hollows in Cary. 25 girls in grades six through eight were earning their Paddle, Pole and Roll interest project patch.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Isabella Rechtin and Ilana Greenstein, both 8 from Winnetka, play a game before the Halloween Hiawatha Ghost Story Train takes off from the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin on a Saturday evening in October. The train took passengers to the end of the rail line where they were told ghost stories around a campfire.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Competitors in a cyclocross race in Carpentersville race through a downhill s-curve called Heckle Hill.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
A new American flag is raised by American Legion Post 57 members Don Sleeman, left, and Gordon Steinway (holding the flag at right) at Willow Lake in Elgin Monday morning after retiring the old flag that had flown over the community for the past 20-plus years.
RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com
Second-grader Jayden Johnson gets emotional as he receives a copy of the book I Was Born on 9/11 along with classmate Madison Gats from authors Joyce Elliott, left, and Cindy Rodriguez after a reading at Louise White School Wednesday. The book was inspired by the two kids who were both born on Sept. 11, 2001. Elliot is a special education teacher at Louise White and Rodriguez is a paraprofessional at H.C. Storm.
RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com
St. Edward cheerleaders hoist Fred De La Cruz into the air for seven mid-air push ups after a touchdown is scored in the freshman vs sophomore powder puff game on September 23.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Cadet Starlet Bowlin, a student at Western Illinois University, makes an adjustment during placement of more than 1,700 flags for the Healing Fields event in Carpenter Park in Carpentersville. Each flag was placed as the name of an American MIA/POW soldier was read by members of the Dundee-Crown High School Honor Society.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Baylee Modaff, 7 of Naperville takes a break from setting up pig pens Tuesday to rest on two of her familys yorkshire pigs at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles. The Modaff family owns a farm south of Oswego, and spends their summers raising pigs and taking them to several local county fairs including Kane County and DuPage County Fairs. Baylee and her brothers show several different breeds during the fairs. Her mother Tracy said she and her husband grew up showing livestock at county fairs so they enjoy giving the same experience to their kids. We say theyre like country kids living in the city, Tracy said.
CHRISTOPHER HANKINS/chankins@dailyherald.com
Lightning strikes west of downtown Geneva as two men hustle across 3rd Street at James Street Wednesday evening. The storms washed out the night of festivities at the annual Swedish Days.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
A.J. Sheehan, left, laughs as Ray Bohne leans in to tell him a story during a luncheon in honor of Pearl Harbor Day for WWII veterans hosted by VFW Post #1307 and American Legion Post #57 at the Elgin VFW Tuesday. Sheehan was in the Army and Bohne served in the Coast Guard. Both men live in Elgin.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Caylee Warpehoski of Bartlett suffers from hearing loss and muscular dystrophy. Her before-school hearing program at Independence Early Childhood Center in Bartlett was cut by the district for financial reasons. Caylee, who is five, is pictured with her sister Alyssa, 7, top.
BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com
Elvis impersonators congregate near the starting line of the Geneva Academic Foundations Viva Geneva! 5K run and Youth Mile at the Kane County Government Center on October 2. Left to right are Willy Medina, race organizer, Jennifer Everhardus of Wilmette, and Aimee Vallero of Geneva.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Marmions Mark Peters makes a game-saving catch at the outfield wall to save a home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh while clinging to a 7-6 lead over Burlington Central during Thursdays sectional semifinal in DeKalb.
RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com
Third grader Michael Masters uses some body language as he tries his best to spell the word October during a spelling bee Wednesday at St. Johns Lutheran School in Algonquin. His classmate Abigail Smolinski did spell the word correctly, but forgot to capitalize the first letter so they both moved on to the next round. Abigail eventually prevailed as the third grade winner of the bee, which was part of Lutheran Schools Week activities.
CHRISTOPHER HANKINS/chankins@dailyherald.com
Ten-year-old Arthur Lyon of St. Charles holds up one of the six chickens his family owns. The Lyon family has joined a growing number of families raising chickens in their suburban backyards.
BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com
Suzy Sparacio of Naperville grins from ear to ear after her half-hour flight at Schaumburg Airport in a P51-C Mustang flown by Brad Lang, background, son of a Tuskegee Airman. Her flight was a 26th birthday present given to her by family friend David Mullins of Darien.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
Wheeling High School graduation ceremony on Sunday, June 6th.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Maine West High School graduates race for cover as the school graduation ceremony was moved indoors as heavy rain came down 30 minutes into the ceremony on June 6th.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Katie Stack looks into the hearse at the flag-draped casket of her husband, Marine Lance Cpl. James Stack at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Buffalo Grove Mayor Elliott Harstein does a parody of trustee Lisa Stone at a celebration for supporters in favor of Stones recall from office.
Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com
Cheering the results as they come in with Kirk pulling ahead are Barringtons Phil Bredeson, 22, and his friend James Zenn, 21, of Park Ridge as they wait for Mark Kirk to arrive and claim his election-night victory.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
Lee DeWyze laughs when the bell goes off as he begins singing at St. James Catholic School in Arlington Heights.
Bill Zars/bzars@dailyherald.com
Sister Rose Bernadette, left to right, sister John Marie, and Mother Mary Patrick cheer on speakers at the Tea Partys Taxed Enough Already rally at Volunteer Plaza.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Fans cheer during Fridays Stanley Cup victory celebration for the Blackhawks in downtown Chicago.
Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
The Blackhawks Kris Versteeg celebrates after scoring the winning goal during game 2 of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against Vancouver at the United Center.
STEVE LUNDY/slundy@dailyherald.com
Lakes right fielder Mike Hough makes a diving attempt for the ball during Fridays home game against Mundelein.
PAUL VALADE/pvalade@dailyherald.com
Motocross riders appear to be flying over spectators heads during their practice Tuesday evening at the Lake County Fair in Grayslake.
STEVE LUNDY/slundy@dailyherald.com
A fire burned a barn to the ground at Golden Oaks Farm in Wauconda. Firefighters were hampered in containment of the fully-involved blaze due to high winds and lack of water hydrants in the area. Fire departments from as far as Waukegan and McHenry were called to assist in the fighting of the fire.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
Joakim Noah, left, Derrick Rose, and Carlos Boozer joke around as they pose for pictures during the Chicago Bulls Media Day at the Berto Center in Deerfield.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
Peg Sennett, left, has relocated and opened her Barker Shoppe Dog Grooming Salon after fire damaged the downtown Antioch business last week. The shop is set up in the rear of Hairaphernailia whose owner, Kathi Thompson, gives Peg a hug Monday.
PAUL VALADE/pvalade@dailyherald.com
About 7500 sailors create a living U.S. flag Monday at Great Lakes Naval Station on Flag Day. The event was in preparation for the centennial celebration for the naval base next year.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
Steve Barg with the Liberty Prairie Conservancy releases one of the swallows from his hand at the Oak Openings natural area Friday near Grayslake.
PAUL VALADE/pvalade@dailyherald.com
Round Lakes Matt Baum dives for a ball in center field during their game at Grayslake North Monday.
STEVE LUNDY/slundy@dailyherald.com
St. Charles East assistant coach Mark Pereda hugs Brandon Rubino after winning the 112-pound championship match during state wrestling finals in Champaign in February.
STEVE LUNDY/slundy@dailyherald.com
A wetland area is covered in snow as the sunsets on a Grayslake farm as snows cover the countryside around Lake County.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
Mayor George Pradel shows Evan Lysacek a sign that will be up at the school as Lysacek returns to Neuqua Valley High School as part of Evan Lysacek Day in Naperville on Friday.
BEV HORNE/bhorne@dailyherald.com
John Vent carries a box of toys out from his flooded home on Illini Drive in Carol Stream on Monday. He went through the same thing after a flood two years ago.
BEV HORNE/bhorne@dailyherald.com
Naperville Central players celebrate after beating St. Rita in the state championship game.
PAUL MICHNA/PMICHNA@DAILYHERALD.COM
Marine Corporal Danny Degrenier of Lombard arrives home after missing four Christmas celebrations while serving in Afghanistan.
TANIT JARUSAN/tjarusan@dailyherald.com
Glenbard Wests Maddie Morris, top, tags out Wheaton Norths Paige Wilson at second base in the third inning.
TANIT JARUSAN/tjarusan@dailyherald.com
Jill Markussen, right gets a hug from her neighbor Tina Bibergall, left, in the front of her Wheaton home which was damaged by fire.
TANIT JARUSAN/tjarusan@dailyherald.com
Naperville Mayor George Pradel screams Happy New Year! during the Bubble Bash at the DuPage Childrens Museum in Naperville.
PAUL MICHNA/PMICHNA@DAILYHERALD.COM
Anthony Keener of Glenbard North makes a dive for the ball but just misses during a baseball game against Naperville Central.
BEV HORNE/bhorne@dailyherald.com
Sammy Condon of Naperville Central leaps into the air as she celebrates a point won against Wheaton Warrenville South during girls volleyball in Wheaton.
BEV HORNE/bhorne@dailyherald.com
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