Kendall County News Briefs

Chronicle Media Staff

Deputy Jason Larsen, a 10-year veteran of the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, with his canine partner Miko. The 2-year-old Belgian Malanois recently received a body armor. (Photo courtesy of Kendall Co. Sheriff’s Office)

Aurora

 

Police investigate cell phone store break-ins

Aurora Police are investigating break-ins or attempted break-ins at three different cell phone stores that have occurred in recent weeks. They include:

An attempted burglary at the Sprint store in the 1000 block of N. Rt. 59 between midnight and 9:30 a.m. June 21. There is no suspect information.

A break-in at the T-Mobile in the 900 block of E. New York St. at 3:13 a.m. June 23. Two suspects of unknown gender and race wearing dark clothing made entry into the store but were not able to take anything.

An attempted burglary at the T-Mobile in the 1400 block of Orchard Rd., sometime between July 4 and 11 a.m. July 6. There is no suspect information.

The incidents are probably related.

Anyone with information is asked to call APD investigations at 630-256-5500; Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000, or submit tips with our My PD app

 

Midweek Farmers Market open for season

Aurora’s popular midweek Farmers Market opened for the season on July 12.

Conveniently located in the former Walmart parking lot at 2131 W. Galena Blvd., the market will be open every Wednesday from noon. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 27.

The market opens with more than 20 farm, food and artisan vendors providing fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious meals & desserts and beautiful homemade arts and gifts.

Local farm vendors Theis Farms, Wiltse Farms and BR Honey Co. will be joined by farmers from throughout the region to offer shoppers the best produce in the area. Visitors can also enjoy food from such favorites as the Wurst Kitchen and Dick’s Mini-Donuts, as well as Georgie’s Chicago Style Hot Dogs, Yum Yum Chinese Cuisine and Legit Dogs and Ice.

While enjoying a meal at the market or picking up produce to prepare later, visitors can also purchase arts and gifts from AID, C & G Creations, Crafty Girls, Geri & Rosie’s Creations, House of Patricia, Kelly’s Dollar, Natural Refinery, Sweet Sensations and Rover’s K9 Snacks.

“The midweek market is a wonderful complement to our downtown Saturday market,” said Aurora Farmers Market Manager Karla Thomas.

Aurora’s signature downtown Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon through Oct. 21 at the Aurora Transportation Center, 233 N. Broadway Ave.

 

Study ranks Aurora among Best Run Cities

In a recent study conducted by finance website Wallet Hub, the City of Aurora has been ranked as one of the Top 20 Best Run Cities in America. Overall, Aurora ranked 20th among 150 of the country’s largest cities.

“For the second consecutive year, Aurora has earned the distinction of being named in the Top 20 Best Run Cities in America,” said Mayor Richard C. Irvin. “While today marks only my second month in office, for the past decade I have had the honor of serving on the Aurora City Council with dedicated public servants and working with stalwart City staff members who are all committed to doing what is best for Aurora. We are very proud that our efforts are being recognized locally, regionally and nationally.”

To identify the cities that are managed well by their leaders, WalletHub’s analysts compared 150 of the largest U.S. cities across six key dimensions, including financial stability, education, health, safety, economy as well as infrastructure and pollution. These categories were then combined to construct an “Overall City Services” ranking.

“A well-run city isn’t just the product of efficient budgeting or well-supplied coffers. It is the fruit of countless other decisions, financial or otherwise, that are made on behalf of the public’s best interest,” said Wallet Hub officials.

Other cities in the Top 20 with populations close to or greater than Aurora include: Lincoln, NE (18), Virginia Beach, VA (17), Raleigh, NC (14), Louisville, KY (10), Lexington, KY (5), and Boise, ID (3).

For more information about the study, visit

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-run-cities/22869/

 

Kendall County

 

Sheriff increases patrol effort in Boulder Hill

In response to recent gang-related violence, Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird had ordered an increase in patrol presence for the Boulder Hill subdivision. This includes extra patrols, targeted enforcement, use of unmarked and semi-marked patrol vehicles, and working with other agencies including the Oswego Police Department, the Montgomery Police Department, and the Illinois State Police Kendall County Criminal Intelligence Team.

This team effort has already yielded positive results including the seizure of two handguns on June 30.

During an investigative stop in Boulder Hill, deputies seized a loaded handgun inside of a vehicle driven by Kevin Cook Sr. a 54-year-old man from the 0-99 block of Sonora Drive, Montgomery. On that same date, Kendall County Criminal Intelligence Team members seized another handgun after stopping Antonio Blackburn a 22-year-old man from 0-99 block of Old Post Road in Oswego for a traffic violation in Boulder Hill.

In both incidents, the drivers of the vehicles were charged with unlawful use of a firearm. Sheriff Baird said “there are now two less guns on the street that pose a threat to the citizens we serve. We will continue our efforts to thwart violence of any kind within Kendall County.”

The public is encouraged to remain vigilant and to report all suspicious activities by calling 911. If you have information about a crime and wish to remain anonymous, you can contact the Kendall County Crime Stoppers at (630) 553-5999. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1000 for information leading to an arrest.

 

Sheriff’s Officer K9 Miko to get body armor

Kendall County Sheriff’s K9 Officer Miko will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Miko’s vest is sponsored by Lincolnwood Training Club for German Shepherd Dogs of IL and will be embroidered with the sentiment “Donated by Lincolnwood Training Club for German Shepherd Dogs”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, Mass., whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 2,400 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 2.1 million dollars.

Deputy Jason Larsen, a 10-year veteran of the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, teamed up with his canine partner Miko, a 2-year-old Belgian Malanois from Poland, in October 2016 when they underwent a rigorous 10-week training program together.

Deputy Larsen and Canine Miko are certified through Macon County Sheriff’s Office K9 Academy in Decatur for both Police Service and Narcotics Detection.

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office is proud and grateful to receive this donation, “Miko’s new protective vest adds another layer of security to keep him safe. It will help both Deputy Larsen and Miko perform their job safer and more efficiently,” said Sheriff Dwight Baird.”

 

Montgomery

 

National Night Out stops announced

On Tuesday, Aug. 1, neighborhoods throughout Montgomery are invited to join forces with the Montgomery Police Department and local fire protection districts (Oswego, Sugar Grove, Bristol Kendall, Montgomery and Aurora Township) for National Night Out.

National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime efforts, strengthen neighborhood spirit, and foster community policing partnerships.

This year, the Montgomery Police Department along with the fire departments that provide service to all of our residents, will be visiting the following many locations throughout the area. Find your location here: https://ci.montgomery.il.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=639

Come out and meet your local police and fire personnel and engage with other members of our community. Start planning now to make your stop location a memorable one. Plan a cookout with neighbors, an ice cream social, a friendly game of Frisbee—be creative.

 

Oswego

 

Oswego East principal posts resignation

Oswego East High School principal announced he was leaving his post and School District 308 last week. Scott Savage served as principal for two years.

In a letter he wrote to the school community and posted on the school’s Facebook page, Savage said, “It has truly been an honor and joy to serve as principal of a school with such amazing students, parents, families, staff, and community members.”

The decision to leave appeared to be sudden as Savage wrote leaving Oswego East so soon “was not a part of my immediate career plans.”

He has decided to pursue a principal position with another school district for the 2017-18 school year.

“I will greatly miss working with you and our amazing students. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your principal and I will forever cherish the wonderful experiences, memories and relationships created during my two years at Oswego East High School,” Savage said.

 

 Public invited to comment on Police Dept.

The Oswego Police Department is scheduled for an onsite assessment as part of a program to maintain law enforcement accreditation by verifying that it meets nationally recognized professional public safety standards.

Administered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), the accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services.

As part of the onsite assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session held by the Commission’s Assessment Team on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. The session will be conducted in the lower level community room at the Oswego Police Department, located at 3525 Route 34, Oswego.

A telephone session is also offered for those unable to attend the public information session. Those wishing to offer comments are invited to call the Assessment Team at (630) 551-7300 between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 8.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to ten minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. Arrangements may be made to view standards at the Police Department by contacting Accreditation Manager Cathleen Nevara at (630) 551-7300.

 

Plano

 

 Police Department receives local grant

On July 7, the Plano Police Department was presented with a grant check in the amount of $2,500 from Wal-Mart Supercenter in Plano. With this grant the Plano Police Department was able to purchase a new portable radio and 14 new firearms, with a trade in deal, at no cost to the City of Plano.

“We are extremely appreciative of every grant that we win and continue to strive to build partnerships with all stakeholders in our community,” the police department said in a statement.

 

Sandwich

 

Help the library host a blood drive

The Sandwich Public Library District is interested in sponsoring a blood drive with the American Red Cross.

To hold a blood drive, we need at least 30 interested donors. If you would be interested in donating blood, contact Barb at the Sandwich Public Library District via email: posingerb@sandwichpld.org or phone: (815) 786- 8308.

If the library attracts enough interested participants, the library will host a blood drive on Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Appointments may be made immediately. Walk-ins are welcome. Check out the library’s website for more information that includes general FAQ, eligibility, and more donation resources.

–Kendall County News Briefs–