The village and Community Christian Church will be hosting the sixth annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 24 at Montgomery Park. (Photo courtesy of village of Montgomery)

Aurora

Aurora man sentenced for gun, drug offense

An Aurora man is headed to prison for possessing a gun in close proximity to illegal drugs he planned to sell.

Kane County Circuit Judge Donald M. Tegeler, Jr., on Thursday, Feb. 22, sentenced 21-year-old Angel Arredondo to 10 years’ imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Judge Tegeler convicted Arredondo on the offense of armed violence, Class X felony, on Aug. 7, 2017. Arredondo waived his right to a jury trial.

Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Rodgers presented evidence that on Feb. 11, 2016, Aurora police officers served a search warrant at Arredondo’s residence in the 700 block of Spring Street, Aurora. Police found Arredondo in the basement in the residence with a loaded 12-gauge shotgun within his reach and more than 60 grams of marijuana that he admitted he sells.

According to Illinois law, Arredondo is eligible for day-for-day sentencing. He receives credit for 205 days served in the Kane County jail.

Plano man faces guns, weapons charges

Aurora police took four handguns (one of which was stolen out of DuPage County) and numerous rounds of ammunition off the streets Feb. 16 after serving a search warrant in the 800 block of Serendipity.

Parish A. Riley, 25, of the 4000 block of Osborn St., Plano, was charged through the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office with single counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful possession of a stolen firearm. Cortez H. King, 22, who lives in the home that was searched, was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Both men are being held in the Kane County Jail.

Riley likewise had outstanding warrants out of DeKalb for aggravated discharge of a firearm and out of Kendall County for obstructing police.

Five other men were released without being charged pending further investigation.

The warrant, which resulted from an investigation initiated by our Special Operations Unit, was served around 5:22 p.m. by members of our Special Response Team. Our K-9 Unit, Community Policing and Patrol officers all assisted.

Kendall County

Scholarship applications now being accepted

The Kendall County Association of Chiefs of Police is currently accepting applications for their annual college scholarships.

The purpose of the scholarship fund is to provide financial assistance to outstanding students who meet eligibility guidelines set by the Association and is pursuing an undergraduate degree from an accredited university or college.

Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded and are intended to defer the cost of tuition, books and/or fees for the two recipients.

Eligibility requirements are included with the application, which can be obtained at all Kendall County area Police Departments, all high schools within Kendall County and online at www.co.kendall.il.us/sheriff

Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 13, 2018

Sheriff’s Office presents accreditation award

In March 2015, the Kendall County Correctional Facility began a long and lengthy process of accreditation through the American Correctional Association (ACA).

The process moved to the audit stage, which was completed with a two-day onsite assessment of the correction facilities by the ACA , and was concluded on Sept. 19, 2017. The ACA reported that the jail met 100 percent of the mandatory standards and greater than 93.2 percent of the non-mandatory standards.

The goal of ACA accreditation is to improve facility operations through adherence to clear standards relevant to all areas and operations of the facility, including safety, security, order, inmate care, programs, justice, and administration.

In January, members of the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office accepted the formal award of accreditation from the ACA in Florida.

On Feb. 20, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office presented the American Correctional Association Award to Kendall County Board Chairman Scott Gryder.

“We are very proud of the hard work undertaken by the Sheriff and Kendall County corrections team to earn ACA accreditation. ACA accreditation is intended to improve operations by adherence of clear standards. It is notable that Kendall County serves as a standard for operational efficiency as one of a few jails in the state to earn accreditation. This is a highly commendable recognition of our correctional staff,” Gryder said.

“ACA accreditation is an important and highly respected indicator which demonstrates that this jail is being operated safely, professionally, humanely and in compliance with the U.S. Constitution, Sheriff Baird added. “My congratulations to all of the men and women in our Corrections Bureau who work hard on a daily basis to ensure that this jail can be held up as one of the finest in the nation. This was an outstanding conclusion to an outstanding effort, and I am very proud of our corrections staff.”

Super Seniors event planned

On Monday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Senior Services Associates will be hosting a Super Seniors Event. This is a convenient and voluntary program for driver’s license renewal, which includes Rules of the Road classroom instruction, and a vision-screening exam. The Rules of the Road Review Course also includes a review of safe driving techniques and Illinois driving laws.

A Secretary of State Mobile Driver Services Unit will be available for participants to renew their driver’s licenses. An identification card can be obtained for $20; however, if you are age 65 and older you may obtain a free, non-expiring State of Illinois photo ID card.

Drivers age 75 and older are required to take a driving test to renew their driver’s licenses; therefore they must visit a Driver Service Facility.

The Rules of the Road Review Course will take place on April 9  from 10-11:30 a.m. This course is designed to give drivers — especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities — the knowledge and confidence needed to renew or obtain a driver’s license. The review course combines an explanation of the driving exam with a practice written exam.

Anyone interested in attending will need to register by calling Senior Services Associates, at (630) 553-5777 to sign up.

Program provides light bulbs to Boulder Hill residents

Oswego Township and the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office has teamed up to provide high efficient LED light bulbs to the residents of Boulder Hill to light the outside of their homes in an effort to prevent crime.

The furnishing offices hope the light bulbs will help provide added safety for residents.

The free LED light bulbs can be picked up Tuesday through Thursday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. every week while supplies last at the township office located at 84 Templeton Drive in Oswego.

Light bulbs will also be available on Saturdays, March 10 and 17, between 10 a.m. and noon at 89 Boulder Hill Pass, Montgomery.

Once you have picked up your LED light bulb residents are encouraged to keep the porch lights on during the evening hours.

Anyone who knows a senior citizen or resident with physical limitations without transportation should contact Deputy Dan Briars at (630) 553-7500, Ext. 1133 or email dbriars@co.kendall.il.us prior to March 10 to arrange a delivery date for light bulbs

Montgomery

Village hosts Easter Egg hunt

The village and Community Christian Church will be hosting the sixth annual Easter Egg Hunt for kids aged 1-10 on Saturday, March 24 from 10:30 a.m. until noon.

Plan to arrive by 10 a.m. to get to the correct area.

The egg hunt will take place at Montgomery Park, while refreshments, face painting, crafts and other fun activities will follow in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Village Hall. Don’t forget to bring a camera to take a picture with the Easter Bunny. Call (630) 896-8080, Ext. 9023 for more information.

Oswego

Early voting begins in at Village Hall

Oswego Village Hall is an early voting location for Primary Election scheduled for March 20.

Registered voters can vote at Oswego Village Hall beginning Thursday, March 1. Early voting hours at Oswego Village Hall are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. 

You can register to vote right at Oswego Village Hall. Several Village staff members are certified registrars, and staff is typically available to register citizens from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information, on eligibility, required identification and more, visit  http://www.oswegoil.org/i-want-to/apply-for/voter-registration.aspx

Additional information can also be found on the Kendall County Election & Voter Information page at www.co.kendall.il.us.

Still have questions?  Contact the Village Clerk’s office at 630-554-3259.

Half Price Rain Barrels Offered to Residents

The Village of Oswego’s ECO Commission, Upcycle Products and the Illinois Conservation Foundation have partnered to offer Oswego residents the opportunity to buy rain barrels for about half their retail price.

Rain barrels collect rain runoff from roofs and gutters and store it for later use on gardens and lawns. In addition to saving our community’s precious water resources and reducing water bills, rain barrels are often beneficial to gardens because rain water can be softer and have fewer minerals in it than ground water.

A portion of proceeds from rain barrels purchased through the Village’s partnership with Upcycle Products also benefit The Conservation Foundation, which is responsible for conservation projects across Oswego and the region. Local projects have included rain gardens, native plantings, and watershed protection plans.

Rain barrels cost between $55 and $60, about half the price of similar models purchased on Amazon. They are made from food-grade upcycled materials, including former pickling containers, and specially washed clean for garden use.

Residents may purchase barrels online by April 17 at www.upcycle-products.com/oswegoil.html, for pick-up at the April 21 ECO Earth Day event. Home delivery is also available throughout the year for an additional $5.

For more information, visit www.upcycle-products.com/oswegoil.html or call Upcycle Products directly at 815-735-9535.

–Kendall County News Briefs–