DuPage County Digest

Naperville driver dies:

A 22-year-old Naperville man has died from injuries he suffered in an early morning crash Friday at Ogden Avenue and Main Street in Naperville, police said Tuesday. Oscar Lopez was pronounced dead at 11 p.m. Monday at Edward Hospital, where he had been since the accident. Police said alcohol was "a factor in the crash" that occurred just after 2 a.m. Police said Lopez was driving east on Ogden Avenue when he lost control of his car and slammed head on into a tree in the parkway at 905 N. Main St.

Two water bills sent out:

Some residents in western Aurora received two water bills for periods ending in July, city officials said. The city's outside billing agent inadvertently printed and mailed a test batch of bills as well as the intended bills, they said. The information in both batches was identical. Residents who received two bills should just pay one and ignore the other. For details, call (630) 844-3611.

Solo art exhibit unveiled: International artist Zaki Knapen shows his abstract/expressionist work in a solo exhibit from Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 at Arbor Vitae and Juice Cafȩ at 1120 Deihl Road on the Naperville campus of Northern Illinois University. The cafȩ and Naperville Art League are co-sponsoring the exhibit, which is the first time the collection has been shown to the public. Titled "Bagatelle," the paintings are a study of nuances and complexity of brush strokes, pencil scribbles and colors. For details, call (630) 355-2530 or visit www.napervilleartleague.com.

Aurora to apply for grant:

The city of Aurora and Aurora Police Department will apply for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program for 2007. Aurora, Elgin, Carpentersville and Kane County are working together to apply for the grant, which may allocate up to $84,358 to the city. If approved, the city may use the funding to purchase a gunshot locator system. Public comments are sought and may be e-mailed to Deputy Chief Greg Anderson at andersog@apd.aurora.il.us. He also can be reached at (630) 264-INFO.

Car burglary spike:

Glen Ellyn police reports have shown an increase in people entering unlocked cars, and officials are warning residents about summer car burglaries. Many reports have come from residents of Maryknoll subdivision. Police advise residents to lock their cars, park them in brightly lit areas, not to leave belongings on the front seat or in plain view, and to keep garage doors closed and locked. "The weather is warmer, people are out and about, and there's a little more opportunity for people to be out wandering around looking for stuff," Deputy Chief Bill Holmer said. "It's more comfortable for them now than it is in the middle of February when it's 10 degrees outside."

Register for volunteer day:

Giving DuPage's annual DuPage Remembers and Gives: A Day of Volunteerism, a countywide volunteer event, will be Sept. 7-8. Register for a project by Aug. 15. The event commemorates the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, by bringing the community together to assist various not-for-profit organizations. Businesses, church groups, youth groups, Scout troops and individuals may participate in both hands-on projects and collection drives. For a list of projects or to register, visit www.givingdupage.org or call (630) 407-6458.