Fox Valley's top stories of 2018

A fatal police shooting, employee strikes, school changes and redevelopment projects were among the most memorable moments in the Fox Valley in 2018. Here are some of the top stories of the year:

<h3 class="leadin">Elgin charter school opens:

The Elgin Math and Science Academy Charter School opened this past fall with 208 students in kindergarten through third grade. A group of parents and community members managing the Elgin charter school fought for and won state permission to open it after previously being denied once by the Illinois State Charter School Commission and twice by the U-46 school board. In October 2017, the state panel sanctioned the charter primarily to serve at-risk students in the area under state oversight. The school site is the Neill building on the campus of the former Fox River Country Day School on Dundee Avenue, leased from the city of Elgin. School leaders plan to add grades each year through eighth grade for a maximum enrollment of 400 students.

<h3 class="leadin">Fatal police shooting in Elgin:

Elgin had its first fatal police shooting in 19 years in March, when resident Decynthia Clements was killed by a police officer. The 34-year-old woman had an hourlong standoff with police, during which she started a fire in her vehicle and exited holding a knife before she was shot by Lt. Christian Jensen. The investigation is in the hands of the Cook County's state attorney's office while Jensen is on paid leave.

<h3 class="leadin">School's out for ... a strike:

Geneva public school students had an unexpected break in December when their teachers went on a five-day strike during negotiations for a new contract. As far as anyone recalls, it was the first strike in Geneva. Geneva Unit District 304 teachers and the school board eventually reached an agreement that offers raises averaging 3.92 percent in each of the five years of the contract. Yearly salary increases range from 5.3 percent for newer teachers to 3.6 percent for more experienced teachers, including step and lane increases. Teachers with more than 22 years vested will receive a yearly cost-of-living increase of 1.6 percent total.

<h3 class="leadin">St. Charles elementary school closes:

Fox Ridge Elementary School in St. Charles was shut down at the end of the 2017-18 academic year and repurposed into an early childhood center. About 600 students were relocated as part of St. Charles Unit District 303's plan to realign attendance boundaries and reduce class sizes at the elementary level. The school board's decision received pushback from several parents and community members. District officials were aiming to address declining enrollment numbers and a disparity in the use of school facilities.

<h3 class="leadin">Underwood defeats Republican incumbent Hultgren:

Lauren Underwood mowed down six fellow Democratic challengers in a primary election and continued that momentum into November to unseat Republican Randy Hultgren. A ready-made grass-roots army and first backing from the Democratic Party fueled an Underwood victory that saw her win every county in the 14th Congressional District by the time all the ballots were counted.

<h3 class="leadin">Delnor Hospital hostage settlement:

A Delnor Hospital nurse traumatized when she was held as a hostage by a hospitalized Kane County jail inmate in 2017 received $7.2 million in a settlement of her lawsuit against the county. Another nurse at the Geneva hospital will receive $650,000 and two others will receive $25,000 each, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

<h3 class="leadin">New school report card:

How schools are graded changed dramatically this year, with the switch to a new statewide accountability and support system shifting the focus away from standardized test proficiency scores. Student growth and graduation rates account for 50 percent of how schools are evaluated. Roughly 92 percent of 620 suburban schools surveyed are performing well enough and don't require more state help, while 8 percent need targeted support, data show. Schools were designated as exemplary, commendable, underperforming or lowest-performing based on 10 performance measures. Funding and support is tied to schools struggling the most.

<h3 class="leadin">Grand Victoria Casino sold:

Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin was sold to Eldorado Resorts by MGM Resorts International and its venture partner. The $327.5 million acquisition finalized in August. Eldorado is based in Reno, Nevada, and owns and operates 20 other properties in 10 states. The Elgin casino, which opened in 1994, cut back on its buffet and burger joint hours in October.

<h3 class="leadin">Geneva library construction begins:

Construction began on a new 57,000-square-foot library for Geneva Public Library District residents, who approved an April 2017 referendum question seeking a $21.8 million bond for the building. The facility will have drive-up convenience, a variety of meeting areas, a community art gallery, outdoor reading spaces, an enhanced children's area, and labs for collaborating, using technology and experimenting.

<h3 class="leadin">Former village manager sues Carpentersville:

After weeks of negotiations surrounding Village Manager Mark Rooney's employment, Carpentersville trustees voted in January to accept what they considered Rooney's "voluntary resignation," saying he had stopped reporting for work. The village board initially had approved a separation deal, but it was later revoked after the two parties were unable to reach an agreement. In June, Rooney filed a lawsuit claiming the village fired him and refused to pay him severance, which violated his contract. The suit seeks at least $217,000 in compensatory damages. Assistant Village Manager Marc Huber was appointed to the interim manager position in January.

<h3 class="leadin">Downtown Main Street project in Algonquin:

Algonquin's downtown Main Street was under construction for the majority of 2018, disrupting local businesses and diverting visitors from the area. Work included reconstructing the street, expanding sidewalks, burying overhead lights and replacing water and sewer infrastructure. Brick pavers also were added along the road and sidewalks, a plaza was created, and decorative fixtures were enhanced. The improvements were part of the first major phase of the village's $30 million streetscape project. Village officials and some local businesses are hopeful the upgrades will attract new economic activity.

<h3 class="leadin">New police chief in Elgin:

Ana Lalley was promoted in July to police chief in Elgin. She is the second female police chief in the city's history. Lalley previously served as commander since 2012 and took over as acting deputy chief after former Chief Jeff Swoboda stepped down in June. During a swearing in ceremony, Lalley promised to be accessible, promote community engagement and be innovative.

<h3 class="leadin">Probation officers strike:

Kane County's probation officers went on strike after working without a contract for nearly six months. The county board would not budge on requests to increase the court services budget to better accommodate some of the requests made by the officers. The result was a three-year contract that provides raises between 2 and 2.5 percent, less than the county's original offer.

<h3 class="leadin">Taxes increase in St. Charles:

St. Charles aldermen approved a new gasoline tax, along with increases to the city's alcohol and hotel tax rates, to help fund an anticipated budget shortfall in future years. The additional revenue sources are expected to put about $1.38 million into the city's coffers annually. The proposals received pushback from some aldermen who believed residents and businesses are being overburdened. Those who supported the tax increases said it's fair for the residents and visitors who use the city's services to pay for them.

<h3 class="leadin">Kane County approves drug treatment facility:

With a $68 million civil rights lawsuit lingering in the background, the Kane County Board agreed to allow a drug-treatment center to open just outside of Campton Hills. The board had twice voted down the facility prior to the lawsuit and a judicial consent decree set the wheels in motion for the eventual approval. County board Chairman Chris Lauzen was a firm opponent of the project. He went as far as to call Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon's defense of the lawsuit incompetent. The county's insurance company dropped the county's coverage partially as a result of the lawsuit.

<h3 class="leadin">Students protest violence:

Thousands of students across the region - and nation - walked out of classrooms in March and April calling on legislators to tighten gun laws and take steps to make them feel safer. Some students risked detention or unexcused absences, as some administrators chose not to support the walkouts. Others had their parents call and excuse them to avoid punishment. Still others walked out from schools that promised to handle protest-related absences the same as any other or to evaluate them on a case-by-case basis. These actions were a way to again call attention to the threat students feel whenever there is gun violence at a school.

<h3 class="leadin">Blackberry Inn closes:

The Blackberry Inn Bar and Grill near Elburn, which had been in business for more than 60 years, closed at the end of October. The state took the property for road and drainage work it plans to do at Route 47 and Main Street Road.

<h3 class="leadin">Controversial East Dundee development shut down:

A plan to close part of Water Street in East Dundee and construct a four-story residential building along the Fox River was shut down after it was met with resounding opposition from residents and stakeholders. The project at 1 E. Main St. was proposed by local development group Billitteri Enterprises. East Dundee officials supported the development in its early stages, but they later came to a mutual decision with developers to withdraw the project from consideration after it sparked public outcry.

<h3 class="leadin">Elgin's Tower Building gets residents:

The first residents moved in January into the renovated Tower Building in downtown Elgin. The 15-floor building, a historical landmark dating to 1929, was redeveloped into 44 apartments by Capstone Development Group of St. Louis with tax increment financing money from the city, and state and federal historic tax credits.

<h3 class="leadin">St. Charles breaks ground on new police station:

Construction is under way on a new St. Charles police station at 1515 W. Main St. With a nearly $25 million price tag, the 56,000-square-foot facility is designed to include more public spaces and a more operationally efficient layout than the department's existing headquarters in the city's downtown. The building will contain a wellness center, a community room, secure offices and a squad car garage with a drive-in bay. It's on track to be ready for occupancy in late 2019.

<h3 class="leadin">MCC's new science center opens:

McHenry County College's new state-of-the-art Liebman Science Center opened this fall. The $17 million center was funded through more than $7 million in donations, college funds and student fees. The two-story, 40,867-square-foot building - on MCC's Crystal Lake campus off Route 14 - includes more than 22,000 square feet of classroom and laboratory space for the physical and life sciences. It houses science labs, a new cadaver lab, a student resource lab, two lecture halls, prep rooms, student collaboration spaces, a weather center and a larger planetarium.

<h3 class="leadin">Mill Race Inn plans stalled:

A developer's plan to tear down the remnants of the oldest building on the former Mill Race Inn site in Geneva was scuttled by the city's determination that the limestone structure is a local historical landmark. It could still be demolished, however, if the Historic Preservation Commission approves. The building will be discussed during a community workshop in 2019 about how the whole site can be redeveloped.

<h3 class="leadin">Kindergartners not prepared:

A new state report offering a snapshot of students' developmental readiness showed only one in four Illinois children enters kindergarten fully ready to learn, and the rest need additional support. The Illinois State Board of Education released the first year of data from the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey, or KIDS, an observational tool designed to help teachers, administrators, families and policymakers better understand how prepared students are when they enter kindergarten. The results highlight the need for more funding for preschool programs as well as equity issues with access to early learning, educators say.

• Daily Herald staff writers Elena Ferrarin, James Fuller, Madhu Krishnamurthy and Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report.