A tractor trailer truck flipped over on Galena Blvd. just west of Route 31 on Friday, closing the main Aurora thoroughfare for hours as it spilled recycled materials on the street and damaged cars. One person reportedly suffered minor injuries. (Photo by Jack McCarthy / Chronicle Media).

ELGIN

Police releases reports of

Clements shooting probe 

The Elgin Police Department has made public two reports on the DeCynthia Clements fatal shooting case that indicate some failures to follow protocols including deactivated body cameras and not following up on aid after Clements was shot at around 2:07 a.m. March 12, 2018.

The reports also contain a review of police policies and recommendations for improvements in procedures.

Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley said in a Facebook post that Hillard Heintze, the consulting group selected to conduct the independent professional standards investigation surrounding the Clements case, has completed its investigation.

The findings of their investigation have been provided to the city of Elgin in two reports: An Administrative Review of the Encounter with DeCynthia Clements on March 12, 2018, and Critical Incident Policies Review.

The two reports are located at www.cityofelgin.org/HHReport and are provided in full with the exception of voluminous appendices which will be made available once required personal identifying redactions (such as phone numbers and addresses) have taken place.

Hillard Heintze will be presenting their investigative findings at a special Committee of the Whole meeting that will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 20, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 150 Dexter Court Elgin.

The meeting is open to the public.

Jensen remains on paid administrative leave and a decision will be communicated regarding his status sometime after the public presentation by Hillard Heintze.

KANE COUNTY

Coroner identifies Batavia man killed by freight train

The Kane County Coroner’s Office has identified the 24-year-old Batavia man who died on July 5 from injuries sustained when he was struck by a freight train while on the Union Pacific railroad tracks west of the Randall Road Bridge.

The Coroner’s Office said Charles Grimse was pronounced deceased at 4:30 p.m. on July 5. The cause of death remains under investigation.

The preliminary investigation indicates the victim was walking west along the wooden railroad ties, on the outside of the railroad tracks. The victim was on the southern side of the tracks with an eastbound freight train on the northern tracks.

A second freight train was headed west on the southern tracks. The westbound train continuously sounded the air horn and immediately applied the emergency stop brakes.

Witness accounts indicate the victim did not turn around to make visual contact with the westbound train. His attention was focused on the eastbound train. The victim was struck by the westbound train on the railroad tracks just west of the Randall Road Bridge.

The stopped train caused Western Avenue to be closed for more than five hours during the investigation.

The accident remains under investigation by the Geneva Police Department as well as the Kane County Coroner’s Office.

GENEVA

Street closures planned for July 27-28 Geneva Art Fair

With downtown Geneva turning into a virtual art gallery during the last weekend in July, the Geneva Police Department announced a section of South Third Street will be closed during the festival.

The Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28. To accommodate the event setup, Third Street from James to South streets will be closed to traffic and parking starting at 4 p.m. Friday, July 26.

“No Parking” signage will be posted during the morning of July 26 to notify downtown visitors of the upcoming festival restrictions. If vehicles remain on South Third Street after 4 p.m., the Police Department will have them towed from the downtown.

The primary Arts Fair detour route is Second Street, but the cross streets along Third Street will remain open throughout the festival.

South Third Street is expected to be reopened to traffic by 8:30 p.m. July 28.

For more information about the Geneva Arts Fair, please call the Geneva Chamber of Commerce at 630-232-6060 or visit  www.genevachamber.com/geneva_art_fairs.php

KANE COUNTY

South Elgin man charged with posing as firefighter

A South Elgin man faces felony charges for pretending to be a firefighter.

Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon has charged 45-year-old Guy M. Landmeier with the offense of false personation of a firefighter, a Class 4 felony.

Kane County prosecutors allege that Landmeier falsely represented himself to be a firefighter of the Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District.

According to Sugar Grove police, at about 8:15 a.m. July 8, police stopped Landmeier at Route 56 and Hankes Road, Sugar Grove, for an alleged traffic violation. When questioned by police, Landmeier allegedly identified himself as a firefighter and displayed a badge of the Rutland-Dundee Township Fire Protection District.

When contacted by police, officials at the Rutland-Dundee Township Fire Protection District said Landmeier last worked for the district in 2009 and should not be in possession of the badge.

AURORA

Blazes causes $400,000 in damages to recycling firm

Damage is estimated at $400,000 after a July 9 fire in a one-story building in the 600 block of Spruce Street, an industrial area on the city’s near West Side.

According to the Aurora Fire Department, responding firefighters found heavy smoke billowing from all sides of the one-story brick building that was the home of a scrap-metal recycling company.

Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes said a third alarm was requested “due to the rapid spread of fire throughout the front half of the building, bringing a total of 38 firefighters to the scene where an exterior defensive operation was established.”

The building was divided into three sections, and firefighters were able to contain the fire to the front section, which Rhodes said prevented a total loss of the entire structure.

As the fire progressed, the roof and an exterior wall collapsed.

Rhodes said there were no injuries to firefighters or civilians, and the fire is under investigation at this time.

STATE

LWV event addresses gender wage discrimination

The League of Women Voters of Illinois will convene its annual luncheon with an event created to ignite action and advocacy to end gender wage discrimination.

“Rhetoric vs. Reality: Why the Time is Now for Equal Pay” will be held Aug. 6 at the Metropolitan Club of Chicago, inside Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive.

The luncheon will feature Laurel Bellows, former president of the 400,000-member American Bar Association and managing principal at The Bellows Law Group, P.C, a Chicago law firm. Bellows has long advocated for the end of wage discrimination and she still remains passionate about the issue.

“Over the years I have watched many attempts for ending the gender pay gap never meet fruition,” Bellows said. “I know that speaking and partnering with the passionate and purposeful women and men of the League of Women Voters of Illinois will help to create a grassroots advocacy that will bring the action necessary to make change happen now.”

Audra Wilson, LWVIL executive director, believes the luncheon and its topic aren’t just about women but about all Illinois residents.

“Many still think that (gender wage discrimination) is a women’s issue, but it is much more than that,” Wilson said. “Women are paid 77 cents for every dollar earned by men and even less for African American and Latina women. This under-compensation is not only unjust for these women, but for the millions of families in which women are the sole or co-breadwinner. This is a community issue that affects us all.”

To learn about the event, visit lwvil.org.

STATE

Society plans day trips to Illinois state museums

The Illinois State Museum Society is planning two upcoming day trips that invite participants to explore the history and culture of Illinois by motor coach.

The first trip on Aug. 10 will feature a visit to the Illinois State Museum (ISM) Lockport Gallery on the banks of the historic Illinois & Michigan Canal in Lockport.

Curator John Lustig will give a tour of the current exhibition Rocked and Rolled, which playfully features music-inspired artwork by Illinois artists, and rocks, fossils, and minerals from ISM’s geology collection.

From Lockport, participants will travel to the Old Joliet Prison in Joliet for a 90-minute walking tour. Illinois’ second state prison was in operation from 1858 until 2002 and is historically significant for its architecture, fascinating inmates and the many film and television references, including “The Blues Brothers.” Recently, some parts of the prison were opened for tours that recount the notorious history associated with the institution.

The cost of the Lockport/Joliet trip is $129 for Society members and $149 for non-members and covers travel, lunch, admission to all facilities, and educational presentations by museum staff and volunteers. For additional information contact Elizabeth Bazan regarding special pricing with no transportation provided at (217) 558-6696 or elizabeth.bazan@illinois.gov.