U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (left) greeted Siddhanth Pattisapu. 9, of Aurora (second from left) at Illinois regional finals of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) held last month SciTech Hands On Museum in Aurora. Pattisapu, a student at Aurora University’s STEM school, was a member of the third-place Pearl Pirates team. Four teams totaling 10 elementary to middle-school students qualified for WRO national finals at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Mich. Students built computer-programmed Lego robots in the competition sponsored by Aurora-based Chasewood Learning. (Al Benson photo)

Kane County

Riverboard Committee grapples with funding requests

Requests far exceed available funds as the Kane County Board’s Riverboat Committee grapples this week with requests for grants for a share of a little more than $900,000 in Grand Victoria Riverboat Funds.

Nearly $2 million in grant requests have come from more than 50 agencies, charitable organizations and government units. This week the Riverboat Committee and, ultimately the Kane County Board, will determine which recipients are most worthy.

Requests are contained in a 1,322-page document that presents applications and supporting documents for each submission.

Requests range from as small as $3,696 from the Elgin-based Ecker Center for Mental Health to as much as $100,000 for the local University of Illinois Extension Service.

Other top requests include $62,400 for the Illinois Math and Science Academy, $57,000 for Aurora’s SciTech Museum and $50,000 apiece for the Fox River Study Group and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Submitted funding requests total $1.98 million, according to Riverboat Committee documents.

The Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund was established by the Kane County Board in 1997 under an agreement with the Elgin Riverboat Resort (Grand Victoria Riverboat).

The agreement provides for an annual contribution to the county equal to 7.5 percent of the riverboat’s annual net operating income. The County Board uses riverboat funds to support a variety of projects and programs aimed at strengthening communities, promoting collaboration among area organizations, and providing long-term solutions to current problems facing county residents.

Aurora 

Charges filed in 2014  liquor-store robbery

A 36-year-old Bolingbrook woman was charged last week in connection with a 2014 armed robbery of a liquor store on Aurora’s Far East side.

Wynter K. Lopez of the 200 block of Vernon Drive, Bolingbrook, is charged with single counts of aggravated robbery and robbery through the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Aurora Police secured the charges and members of the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force took Lopez into custody without incident at her home on Aug. 24.

Lopez allegedly scoped the liquor store, located in the 2200 block of Ogden Ave., Aurora, at around 10:30 p.m., June 23, 2014. She was captured on video making a small purchase and peering over the counter, looking into the cash register as change was being made. Within moments after she exited the store, her alleged accomplice, a man, robbed the business at gunpoint.

Investigators were able to zero in on Lopez because she made the purchase with a LINK card, which they were able to trace.

Police are pursuing leads into the identity of the man who robbed the store and are continuing their investigation.

The clerk, a 49-year-old man, was not injured during the robbery.

Aurora

District 131 seeks volunteers for heart screenings

East Aurora School District 131 is looking for volunteers to help with electrocardiogram screenings that will take place at East Aurora High School in September.

Volunteers will attend a 90-minute training on Sept. 23 and then assist help students during screenings on Sept. 24 or Sept. 25. To volunteer, go to VolunteerSpot or contact East Aurora Family Involvement Facilitator Rosalinda Saucedo at rsaucedo01@d131.org or (630) 299-7265.

Volunteers will be registering students, assisting families in waiting rooms, helping with paperwork, entering data, or assisting with equipment. Volunteers will receive a free volunteer T-shirt and a lunch or snack.

This is the first year that East Aurora High School will be offering free electrocardiogram screenings through the Young Hearts for Life Cardiac Screening Program. The free ECG screenings will be available to all East Aurora High School students during the day on Sept. 24 and 25 at the school. Each family will have the option of whether they want their student to participate.

Kane County
McMahon seeks another term as state’s attorney

Joe McMahon announced last week his intention to seek a second full term as Kane County State’s Attorney.

Appointed to the position in 2010 to replace John Barsanti, who moved into a judgeship, McMahon ran unopposed in 2012 as a Republican.

According to reports, McMahon is the first candidate to announce his intentions to run.

— Kane County news briefs —