Montgomery Village Trustee Doug Marecek addressing a crowd of Old Dominion Freight Line employees at last week’s grand opening of a new distribution center on Aucutt Road. The company added 10 new hires, bringing its total workforce to 117 drivers, dock workers, customer service professionals, managers and logistics experts at the Montgomery service center.

GENEVA

High school boosts security in wake of shooting rumor

Geneva High School added extra security last Wednesday in the wake or rumors of a possible shooting planned at the school.

“We are taking extra steps to ensure our students’ safety after being alerted to rumors of a possible shooting at Geneva High School being planned,” according to a statement last Wednesday (Sept. 20) on the district web site.

“Geneva Police and extra staff will be on hand at GHS this morning, and students should come prepared to have bags and IDs checked. While we have not been able to validate the credibility of these rumors, we will continue to take extra precautions until we have determined that our students are totally safe attending our school, and updates will follow.”

The action comes in the wake of an unrelated incident when a Geneva High School student poured gasoline onto himself from a water bottle on Monday (Sept. 18) and was immediately prevented by students and staff from taking further steps to do self-harm or harm to others, officials said in a news release.

Officials said no other students were injured as a result of the incident, which occurred on Monday, Sept. 18.

The incident took place at around 7:30 a.m. in the student cafeteria of Geneva High School, 416 McKinley Ave. Local police and fire departments immediately were dispatched and arrived at the scene, and the student was transported to the hospital, the city of Geneva news release said.

High school administrators followed district protocol, temporarily put the school on a soft lockdown and rerouted students away from the cafeteria. Geneva Police said McKinley Avenue was briefly closed from Center to Stevens streets.

ST. CHARLES

Officials rule recent fires are not arson

The St. Charles and Geneva area saw its seventh structure fire since July 29 early last week, but fire officials underline that the causes of the fires are varied and unrelated.

According to a St. Charles Fire Department news release, firefighters were dispatched at 2:47 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18 to a reported house fire at 415 Jackson Ave. While in route, firefighters were advised that the police were on the scene and that there was visible fire in the rear of the home.

The 9-1-1 call was made by one of the occupants who awoke to the smoke-filled house. Three residents were in the home at the time of the fire, and all were able to exit safely by the time firefighters arrived at 2:52 a.m.

Firefighters found a fire in the basement and first floor of the home and were able to bring the fire under control in about 20 minutes. There were no injuries to firefighters or occupants.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and remains under investigation at this time. Fire loss is estimated at $200,000 to the structure and contents.

The home is not habitable, and the occupants are working with the Red Cross. The St. Charles Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Geneva, Batavia, Elburn and West Chicago fire departments.

“Lately we are experiencing a much higher rate of fire activity than normal,” St. Charles Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet said. “As we work extensively with the Geneva Fire Department, Chief (Michael) Antenore and I talk frequently to compare notes and discuss all things emergency service related.

“I would like to highlight that, even though St. Charles and Geneva are running more fires than normal, they are not related. We do not believe that we have any sort of an arson problem or that there is anything nefarious going on. Fire activity can be cyclical for any number of reasons, and we are prepared for that.”

GENEVA

Student douses self with gas, no one hut

A Geneva High School student poured gasoline onto himself from a water bottle last week and was immediately prevented by students and staff from taking further steps to do self-harm or harm to others, officials said in a news release.

Officials said no other students were injured as a result of the incident, which occurred on Monday, Sept. 18.

The incident took place at around 7:30 a.m. in the student cafeteria of Geneva High School, 416 McKinley Ave. Local police and fire departments immediately were dispatched and arrived at the scene, and the student was transported to the hospital, the city of Geneva news release said.

High school administrators followed district protocol, temporarily put the school on a soft lockdown and rerouted students away from the cafeteria. Geneva Police said McKinley Avenue was briefly closed from Center to Stevens streets.

“The safety of our students is the district’s first priority, and guidance staff are on hand to provide support and assistance as needed,” the news release said.

ELGIN

Annual Volunteer Palooza in Elgin on Sept 30

The Elgin Volunteer Coordinator Network (EVCN) will host the fourth annual VolunteerPalooza on Saturday, September 30 at the Gail Borden Public Library in the Meadows Community Room, located at 270 N. Grove Ave. The free volunteer fair runs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  

People of all ages are invited to attend and learn about ways to volunteer in the community. Dozens of local organizations, including social service agencies, educational institutions, civic groups and service clubs will be available to help people find the right volunteer opportunity to suit their interests.

The Elgin Volunteer Coordinator Network is a networking group made up of volunteer coordinators from area agencies, schools and other nonprofit organizations to share ideas in the recruitment, management and retention of volunteers.  Their mission is to promote and aid volunteer efforts in the community, which helps support the City of Elgin’s membership as a Cities of Service.

Organizations interested in having a table at VolunteerPalooza must register online in advance. Registration is free; however, space is limited.

For more information on VolunteerPalooza or the Elgin Volunteer Coordinator Network, please contact Nancy Haggard from the Gail Borden Public Library at 847-429-5840 or gbpl_volunteers@gailborden.info. Up-to-date information is available on the Elgin Volunteer Coordinators Network’s Facebook page.

SUGAR GROVE

WCC hosts college night at Sugar Grove campus

Representatives from more than 100 public and private colleges will be on hand for Waubonsee Community College’s College Night on Monday, Oct. 2 from 6-8 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public and takes place in the Academic and Professional Center at the Sugar Grove Campus, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive. It will provide those exploring college options with the opportunity to meet representatives of schools from across the country. There will also be informative sessions on choosing the right college, applying for financial aid and attending Waubonsee.

Faculty members and deans from all of Waubonsee’s academic divisions will be on hand to answer questions and discuss their programs.

For more information about College Night and a list of the participating schools and presentations, visit www.waubonsee.edu/collegenight or call (630) 466-7900, ext. 5756.  

DEKALB

NIU’s Homecoming history explored on Oct. 4

Fact or Fiction: NIU was the first school in Illinois to play a homecoming game? Attend the presentation by Mike Korcek, NIU Sports Information Director Emeritus, for answers to this and many other questions about the history of homecoming at NIU.

Korcek has over 50 years of experience as a sport staffer, writer, and editor. He is best known for his 22-year tenure at NIU as the Sports Information Director and his 37 years as the sports information office employee (1969-70, 1973-2009). Come discover what you thought you knew about the history of Homecoming.

The presentation begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4 in the staff found at Founders Memorial Library on the NIU campus.

Guests are encouraged to view the ‘Homecoming: 111 Years Strong’ exhibit in the library foyer following the presentation. This is a free event and open to all. Campus parking is free after 5 p.m., unless otherwise posted.

For more information email rhcua@niu.edu call 815-753-1779 or visit the Facebook event page at https://goo.gl/3UoXWv

–Kane County News Briefs–