Severed finger pointed at Elgin soccer center

A Wisconsin man who says he visited Elgin to play soccer and went home with one less finger will bring his attorney next time he comes to the area.

Isidoro Olmedo filed a lawsuit in Kane County this month against the indoor soccer arena where his right pinkie was severed by a piece of plexiglass.

Olmedo's suit says he was playing soccer at #10 Indoor Sports Center, 37W950 Mason Road, on April 29 when a ball was kicked over an 8-foot plexiglass partition separating two fields and became entangled in the fishnet curtain above it.

"Plaintiff jumped up and, using both of his hands gripped the plexiglass to retrieve the soccer ball," according to the civil suit. "After he swiped at the soccer ball with his right hand, plaintiff's right little finger (i.e., 'pinkie') became trapped between the plexiglass, causing his finger to become severed at the base."

Olmedo is suing for more than $50,000, arguing the facility had dangerous conditions that left him with severe and permanent injuries.

A man who answered the telephone at the sports center Friday said the facility was under new ownership and management, and was a "different entity" now. He said he had no contact information for the previous owner or its attorneys and declined further comment.

The case goes to Judge Stephen Sullivan on Jan. 25, 2010.

Storytellers: Kane County judges will read bedtime stories from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Kane County Law Library & Legal Self Help Center's 12th Annual Family Reading Night at the courthouse on Route 38 in St. Charles.

The free literacy program, which includes snacks and a courtroom tour, is open to children in second grade or younger who are accompanied by an adult. Participants are encouraged to wear pajamas.

For more information, call (630) 406-7126.

Award nominees: The Kane County Sheriff's Department gave three local women the 2009 Roscoe Ebey Citizen of the Year Award last week, and there were several other nominees worth mentioning:

• Annie Craig and Janet Swanson of Aurora were honored for being key players in a neighborhood watch group that has achieved "exceptional results and an impressive membership."

• Cliff McIlvaine of St. Charles was applauded for being a 50-year volunteer with his hometown's civil defense department and a six-year volunteer with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

• Nick Amatangelo, 17, of St. Charles was recognized for a "lifetime of service" that began with him assisting a blind student in kindergarten and led to volunteer efforts focused on the elderly and homeless. He also earned his Eagle Scout rank by collecting more than 10,000 items for soldiers overseas.

• Emily Laughead of North Aurora was honored for raising more than $35,000 for diabetes research since she was diagnosed with the disease in 2003.

• Dr. Timothy Brown, director of the Kane County Diagnostic Center, was recognized for his "countless hours" assisting authorities in emergency situations, and for setting up and running the county's mental health court program.