Aurora

Social media sale ends in robbery

A transaction between two people arranged on social media went bad between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., March 2 at a home in the 2400 block of Sagamore Court, according to Aurora police.

Police said an 18-year-old man reported that he arranged on social media to swap cell phones with another man and supplement the deal with cash. The transaction was to take place at the 18-year-old’s home.

When the seller showed up, the 18-year-old gave him his cell phone and an undisclosed amount of cash. The other man then said he’d have to go back to his car to retrieve the cell phone he had for sale.

The 18-year-old proceeded to follow the other man to his car that was parked on the street and when they reached it, the other man pushed the teenager to the ground, entered the car, and the vehicle fled the area.

The victim suffered scrapes to his legs. He refused medical treatment.

He was not able to give a detailed description of the offender nor the car he was driving.

Police remind residents that if you sell or buy items over the internet, it is safer to meet the other party at the Aurora Police Department, either in our lobby or parking lot, to do the actual transaction.

State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego

Kendall County

Kifowit to host road construction information session

State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, is hosting an information session on upcoming road construction, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 15 at the Aurora Library-Eola Road Branch, located at 555 S. Eola Rd. in Aurora.

“I understand the frustration that can arise when road construction projects seemingly begin out of the blue, complicating commutes for an unknown length of time,” Kifowit said. “It is important that we make sure our residents are aware of upcoming projects so they can plan around them.”

Kifowit will be joined by John Baczek from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Kevin Donahue from the Illinois Tollway Authority and Jennifer Hughes from the Village of Oswego to discuss the upcoming Wolf Road project.

Representatives from the cities of Aurora and Naperville will also be in attendance. As seating is limited at the library, those interested in attending the information session are encouraged to RSVP by calling Kifowit’s constituent service office at (630) 585-1308, or by emailing at Stephanie.Kifowit@att.net. The event is free and open to the public.                                                 

Newark man charged With criminal sexual abuse

On Nov. 28, 2017, Kendall County Sheriff’s Detectives responded to a report of a 14-year-old juvenile reportedly having been the victim of a sexual abuse, which had occurred the previous July.

The investigation would reveal the suspect to be an acquaintance of the juvenile identified. The suspect was identified as Donald Lage, a 37-year-old man from the 400 block of Chicago Road, Newark.

The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office investigated, and on Feb. 23, the Kendall County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Lage with Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 1 felony, and Attempted Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 2 felony. Bond was set at $100,000, with ten percent to apply.

Sheriff appeals to residents in fight against crime

Responding to the increasing number of people wanting to assist law enforcement officials and build a stronger partnership in the fight against crime, Sheriff Dwight A. Baird has invited Kendall County residents to become associate members of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association.

Membership appeals have gone out in the mail. Individuals choosing to join the voluntary program can do so for as little as $25, while businesses can show their support for a $50 contribution. The funding provides critically important technical resources, training, and legislative support on key criminal justice issues.

Contributions are tax-deductible, and unlike other organizations in our state, the Membership Program does not solicit membership by telephone.

“With government funding becoming increasingly difficult to secure, the membership drive has taken on greater importance than ever before,” said Sheriff Baird. “The funding is vital to helping us carry out our mission of making our communities safer places to live, work and play.”

The Program is committed to its “No Telemarketing” policy and only sends out invitations by mail. Individuals that do not receive a membership appeal and would like more information can do so by contacting the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association; 401 E Washington Suite 1000; Springfield, IL 62701 Phone: (217) 753-2372. Information is also available online, www.ilsheriff.org.

Save energy as spring approaches

As spring brings warmer weather, it also brings many ways to save energy. According to the Kendall County Health Department, Spring-cleaning a few items will help to make your home more energy efficient and will cost you nothing, but time.

First, make sure all the fans in your home are working properly and dust-free. Changing the direction of the airflow on your ceiling fan to draw the warm air upward is helpful. Turn off ceiling fans when you leave the room. Remember that fans cool people, not rooms.

Next, set your thermostat as high, as comfortably possible in the summer. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.

Also, clean your seals. On a sliding glass door, make sure the track is clean. A

dirty track can ruin the door’s seal and create gaps where cold air can escape.

Refrigerators account for up to 11 percent of your household’s energy use so make sure the seal is clean and tight. Consider walking around your home and seal cracks or openings to prevent warm air from leaking into your home.

Finally, use warm days to cook outside on the grill instead of the stove. This small

act will keep heat out of your home and take the load off your air conditioner.

Oswego

Income tax assistance available for seniors

The Oswego Senior Center is now accepting appointments to assist seniors and low income individuals and families (not exceeding $55,000 income) with filing their taxes.

Appointments should not be made until the taxpayer has received all documentation for calendar year 2017.

Also, the taxpayer must bring in last year’s federal and state income tax returns, photo ID, and for married filing joint returns, both spouses must be available to sign.

Only prepare on a cash basis Schedule C’s (schedule for self-employed businesses) with no inventory and maximum expenses of less than $25,000. To make an appointment, call (630) 554-5602.

Spring free paper shredding event

Identity theft is a serious crime.

To assist in the prevention of identity theft, the Oswego Police Department is partnering with First National Bank of Oswego to offer a free shredding service to the community. Important personal documents no longer needed that should be shredded may include charge receipts, copies of credit card applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks, bank statements, or expired charge cards and credit offers you get in the mail.

This event will take place on Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at the First National, 6601 U.S. Route 34. You may bring up to 3 large file boxes full of papers to be shredded.

For further information regarding Identity Theft, visit the Oswego Police Department website at www.oswegopoliceil.org and click on the Community Programs and Services link.

he Oswego Police Department is warning about prepaid card scams. (Image courtesy of Oswego Police Dept.)

Police warn of prepaid card scams

The Oswego Police Department has noticed an increase in prepaid card scams. Some residents have been asked to purchase a prepaid card to pay a utility bill, to bail someone out of jail or to pay the IRS.

The Oswego Police Department has created a sign to remind potential victims to be aware of prepaid card scams. The signs will be posted at stores such as Meijer and Walgreens in Oswego where prepaid cards are available for purchase, to remind people to be aware of the methods criminals are using to perpetuate these types of scams.

These crimes are usually perpetrated over the phone. The scammer may represent themselves as a bill collector and request the victim to purchase a pre-paid re-loadable debit card like MoneyPak or MyVanilla, for a specific amount of money.

The scammer will tell the victim their utility will be shut off or they will be arrested if they do not comply. The scammer tells the victim to call them back with the PIN or account number to the card. Once the scammer has this information, they are able to transfer the funds to any other card making this an untraceable crime. The victim is left with nothing. This scam has also been used to make the victim believe someone has been arrested and needs to be bailed out of jail, or that their computer is locked and Homeland Security requires a prepaid card to unlock it. No legitimate utility company, the IRS, federal or local governments will require customers to use prepaid cards or wire transfers.

Prepaid cards, gift cards and services like Money Gram and Western Union have valid purpose, so use them wisely.

If you have questions or if you believe you are a victim of this type of a scam, call the Oswego Police Department at (630) 551-7300.

Yorkville

Dual language kindergarten information night

Dual language kindergarten is open to all students enrolling in the fall for the 2018-19 school year. A lottery will be held if there are more students interested than spaces available.

The Dual Language Information Night, to held from 6-7 p.m. on April 5, provides parents an opportunity to turn in their children’s application form to enter the program, and to ask questions.

The event will take place at  Autumn Creek Elementary School Cafeteria (Door 2), 2377 Autumn Creek Blvd., Yorkville

All students develop high levels of proficiency in Spanish and English and learn to read, write, listen, and speak two languages equally well over time

• Students achieve grade level academic performance in Spanish and English
• Students develop positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors
• Students gain an upper edge in high school, college, and the workplace of a global economy.

Questions can be directed to the district’s Coordinator for Bilingual and English Learner Services Jill Zapata, at jzapata@y115.org or (630) 553-4048.

–Kendall County News Briefs–