More than 100 Aurora-area residents in 20 teams lined up for head shavings last week at Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant in Aurora in a third annual benefit for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation which funds kids’ cancer research. (Al Benson photo)

AURORA

East employee investigated for ‘inappropriate behavior’

Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) are investigating a report of inappropriate behavior that allegedly took place between an unidentified East Aurora District 131 staff member and a student.

The district announced the investigation last week after it said it was informed on March 8.

“It is our responsibility to take such concerns seriously and to cooperate with the State’s Attorney’s Office and DCFS, as needed in their investigation,” the district said in a statement on its web site. “While the investigation is taking place, the staff member has been placed on administrative leave, as is customary practice.

“District 131’s highest priority is the safety and emotional well-being of all students,” the statement continued. “We will continue to cooperate with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office throughout their investigation. “

REGION

Layoffs hit firms in Batavia, West Chicago

The recently-announced closure of Carson’s stores in Aurora and DeKalb and other Illinois cities is among a series of layoffs occurring at other companies in the region.

According to the  Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Batavia’s Amcor Rigid Plastics is laying off 75 employees, joining 110 who lost jobs last year.

Amcor Rigid Plastics, which is closing a plant in Batavia that manufactures plastic bottles for the food industry, also announced it plans 75 additional layoffs on top of the 110 it announced last summer. Amcor makes plastic bottles.

Siemens Industry, located in West Chicago, is expect to lay off 200 people, according to the state report.

Earlier this year, BonTon Stores announced layoffs of 330 employees at Carson’s and Bergner’s stores in Illinois.

ELGIN

State Police investigating officer-involved shooting

Illinois State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting after a 34-year-old Elgin woman was killed last week after she allegedly brandished a knife and officers attempted to pull her from a burning vehicle on I-90.

Authorities identified the woman as DeCynthia Clements of Elgin and the officer involved as veteran SWAT team member Lt. Christian Jensen.

According to a news release posted on the Elgin Police Department Facebook page, officers made contact with a suspicious vehicle at around 12:34 a.m. on March 12 in the area of Cedar Avenue in Elgin.

During the encounter, Clements from the scene in her vehicle. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, and subsequently the pursuit was terminated, Elgin police said.

A short time later, Clements’ vehicle was located westbound on I-90 near Route 25 with obvious damage, police said. Elgin officers made contact with Clements and observed she was armed with a knife.

According to reports, officers then disengaged from the vehicle and proceeded to negotiate with her for more than an hour. During that time, Clements would periodically move her car several feet.

At one point, officers noticed a fire had started inside the vehicle. They approached the burning vehicle to pull her out, police said.

Clements was transported to St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates, where she was pronounced deceased.

The woman’s identification was withheld until notification was made to family members. A direct line of communication has been provided to the family of the shooting victim, including meeting with them, to ensure accessibility to department resources and information.

“I wish to express our condolences to the family,” Elgin Chief Jeffrey Swoboda said. “We are all very saddened by this incident.”

Swaboda said Jensen has been with the department for 19 years and has received 22 commendations and/or awards between the years of 2002-2017, inclusive of the 2014 Manager of the Year.

ST. CHARLES

Interim director named for visitors bureau

St. Charles, IL- March 15, 2018- DeAnn Wagner has been named interim Executive Director of the Greater St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau (GSCCVB), serving the city of St. Charles, Village of Campton Hills, Village of Elburn, St. Charles Township and Campton Township.

Wagner brings a diverse breadth of experience to the role with more than a decade of experience in the tourism industry to her credit, having previously served as the Operations Manager and Associate Director for the Greater St. Charles bureau.

Wagner will closely collaborate with the GSCCVB’s board of directors and stakeholders to further tourism in the Greater St. Charles area.

The GSCCVB is funded by the Illinois Office of Tourism and a portion of the hotel/motel tax collected by the City of St. Charles hotels to promote the St. Charles area as a destination for leisure visitors, trade shows, conventions, meetings, weddings and sporting events.

AURORA

Police investigate head-on collisions that hurt two

Aurora Police continue  to investigate the two-vehicle, head-on crash that occurred around 1:10 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, that critically injured two Aurora men.

According to a post on the Aurora Police Department Facebook page, the preliminary investigation indicates that a 21-year-old man was driving a 2014 Ford Explorer westbound on Bilter Road when it crossed the center line and hit an eastbound 2006 GMC Savana about two-10ths of a mile east of Wilton Lane.

The Savana was being driven by a 48-year-old man. The men were the only occupants of their respective vehicles and both had to be extricated by Aurora Fire Department personnel.

They were both transported by ground ambulance to a suburban hospital for critical, but non-life threatening injuries.

There have been no citations issued at this time pending further investigation. It is not clear if alcohol or drugs played a factor in the crash.

Bilter Road between DuPage Parkway and the I-88 tollway was closed for several hours while the crash was reconstructed. Volunteers from Aurora’s Emergency Management Agency assisted with traffic.

KANE COUNTY

County Fair will mark 150th anniversary this summer

The Kane County Fair will be celebrating its 150th birthday when it comes this summer to the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles.

Fair organizers are asking Kane County residents to  save the date and to take part in what they’re calling the “sesqui-FAIR-tennial” from July 18 to July 22.

The Kane County Fairgrounds are located in St. Charles, on Randall Road and Oak Street.

Board member Brian  Dahl to resign next month

County Board member and Jobs Committee Co-Chair Brian Dahl announced Tuesday that he is resigning as representative of the county’s 6th District, effective April 7.

The move is bittersweet for the board member who first was appointed to the role in 2015, then won election in November 2016. The happy news is he will be getting married and moving into a home in Sugar Grove. The sad news is that he will no longer live in District 6 and so must give up his post.

“It has been a pleasure to with with my fellow board members, elected officials, county staff and employees of the county,” said Dahl, who is director of membership services for the Painters District Council No. 30 in Aurora. “I have enjoyed serving on many standing committees, particularly co-chairing the Jobs Committee.”

Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen will make the appointment to replace Dahl on the board for the two-year-plus balance of his term, with the approval of the full County Board. Typically, political party leaders make recommendations for the appointment. Dahl is a Democrat.

While county officials do run in primary elections under the banner of specific political parties, the majority of the work done in local government is non-partisan in nature. Dahl expressed his gratitude for his initial appointment in 2015 and for the confidence voters showed in his 2016 election.

–Kane County News Briefs–