Briefs: Teen pleads guilty in Jacobs fight

An 18-year-old Algonquin woman avoided a potential felony conviction Tuesday as part of a plea bargain in connection with a May fight at Jacobs High School.

Karen Ibarra admitted guilt to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from the May 12 altercation authorities say she sparked by shoving a classmate who then punched her in the face.

Under the deal, Ibarra must spend six months on court supervision, pay a $250 fine, donate $100 to Crime Stoppers and perform 30 hours of community service.

The second teen involved in the fight, Dowayne Beckford, 17, of Algonquin, also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor earlier this month and received court supervision, a fine and community service.

Student art featured on cards

Holiday cards featuring artwork by student artists in Community Unit District 300 are now available for pickup at local schools and the district's administration office. The District 300 Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports educational programs in the district, is selling sets of 10 holiday cards, each featuring a holiday design created by a District 300 student, for $15. The proceeds benefit the foundation. Cards can be ordered at www.d300foundation.org or by calling Linda Keyes at (847) 426-1300.

Violence counseling offered

The Community Crisis Center in Elgin is now providing domestic violence counseling services for northwestern Kane County. Counseling is provided by a licensed professional counselor and is available to adult and adolescent females. All domestic violence services are at no cost to victims. Experts say one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime and an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. For more information or an appointment, call (847) 697-2380. All calls are confidential.