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VARA Gallery opens in downtown Aurora
A three-liter bottle of 1972 vintage Bordeaux sat breathing on the bar of VARA Gallery, an adequate accent to an evening of fine art and high design in the burgeoning Aurora art scene. “I’m also a sommalier, and so we do a lot of wine …
Info sought on hit-run that injured Aurora boy
Aurora police late Wednesday night turned to the public for help in finding the motorist who seriously injured a 13-year-old bicyclist earlier in the evening in an apparent hit-and-run crash. A preliminary investigation indicated the boy around 5 p.m. was riding south on Talma Street …
Aurora plans to hire new city clerk
AURORA — City officials announced plans to hire a 10-year city employee as Aurora city clerk this week. Aurora will hire Isabel Garcia Kodron, previously a management assistant in the city’s Division of Property Standards, as city clerk. On Wednesday, 43-year-old Kodron said she’s a …
Indian Prairie stresses academic growth despite fiscal, staff cuts
AURORA — Presenting before the Illinois State Board of Education Wednesday, Indian Prairie School District 204 administrators stressed the district had grown academically in recent years despite budget and staff cuts, but acknowledged they had not met some five-year achievement goals, such as closing the …
West Aurora superintendent to retire in 2014
AURORA — West Aurora School District Superintendent James Rydland announced Wednesday that he would retire from his post in June 2014, with three years left on his contract. Rydland, 63, has served as West Aurora’s superintendent since 2005, when he moved to Illinois from Lacey, …
Aurora aims for revenue share with Oswego at Route 30 intersection
AURORA — Ahead of development at Route 30 and Wolf’s Crossing Road, Aurora officials are aiming to redefine the city’s eastern boundaries with the village of Oswego. Under the plan, some land would be deannexed from Aurora and annexed into Oswego, and Aurora would get …
Marberry Cleaners gets OK to expand
NORTH AURORA — Marberry Cleaners can expand its building in the downtown commercial strip if it repaves and stripes its parking lot, plants trees along the west edge of the property to screen it from nearby homes and does not add extra cleaning facilities to …
DuPage asks residents to watch out for turtles
DuPage County residents are being warned to watch out for some slow-moving traffic. Very slow moving. With hard shells, strong jaws and sharp claws, most turtles are well-protected from predators. But one threat they can’t combat is the automobile, so the Forest Preserve District of …
Coroner: Man found dead in home was estranged from family
The Kendall County Corner’s Office is waiting on toxicology reports before determining the cause of death of a 27-year-old Yorkville man who was found decomposing in his home Monday. An autopsy was performed Wednesday morning on Justin Ludolph, 100 block of Bertram Drive, who had …
Unclaimed cremains in Kane County to be buried
The remaining 40 unclaimed cremains in storage at the Kane County Coroner’s Office will find their final resting place. A non-denominational service and internment is planned Thursday and is designed to bring closure and a dignified burial for the unclaimed cremains, some decades old which …
Guilty plea withdrawn in Bethell murder case
When the prison doors closed behind Gareng Deng five years ago, Pauline O’Neill thought the nightmare surrounding the brutal murder of her sister, Marilyn Bethell, had ended. In 2007, Deng pleaded guilty to killing the Aurora woman on Halloween night in 2005 when he was …
Train display new touch at Swedish Days in Geneva
GENEVA — Swedish Days is up and chugging along in downtown Geneva. One feature of the fest is of special interest to train buffs. “Look, Mommy! There’s trains in there! Trains, Mommy!” a little girl squealed as she tugged her mother by the hand toward …
Lifeguards rescue teen at Batavia pool
Former Batavia High School quarterback Noel Gaspari was known for his athletic ability on the field, but now he’s known for saving a life as a lifeguard at Harold Hall Quarry Beach pool in Batavia. “I had extra help from a few guys,” Gaspari said. …
Oswego won’t ban assault weapons
Oswego will not ban assault weapons after a meeting of the Oswego Village Board Tuesday night that took place before a packed house. The possibility of such a ban was brought up Tuesday in a report from Village Attorney Karl Ottosen. “The only reason we …
Montgomery residents concerned about storm warning system
Some Montgomery residents are concerned the village’s storm warning system isn’t working as well as it should during bad weather. “My daughter and her family didn’t hear the sirens a few days ago during the violent storms,” said Bob Walker during the Village Board meeting …
Butterball to expand Montgomery plant
Butterball will be expanding its Montgomery processing plant to the tune of some $24 million and an estimated 75 new jobs. Butterball acquired Gusto Packing Co. in Montgomery in December. The facility currently employs some 500 people. Under an agreement with the state of Illinois …
