St. Patrick's Day No-Refusal Weekend Nets 3 Drunken Driving Arrests

The following information was supplied by the Kane County State's Attorney's Office. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

Three drunken driving arrests—one in Geneva and two in St. Charles—were one result of Kane County’s St. Patrick’s weekend No-Refusal operation, officials announced Tuesday, April 2. The no-refusal weekend is a collaboration between the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and five law-enforcement agencies: Batavia, Elburn, Geneva, South Elgin and St. Charles. Authorities obtained three blood-alcohol concentration samples — all breath samples. Of the three samples obtained, two were more than twice Illinois’ threshold of .08, and one was in excess of three times the .08 threshold. The communities and arrests are as follows: BATAVIA GENEVA ELBURN SOUTH ELGIN ST. CHARLES   “Our goal with these No-Refusal initiatives is for drivers to be …

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Dec. 20 Child-Porn Sentencing for Elburn Man Caught After 'Geek Squad' Tip in Geneva

Scott Burgholzer also was the junior leader of God’s Puppet Troupe, a group associated with the Congregational United Church of Christ in St. Charles.

Kane Board Chair To Seek Counsel In Pay Raise Lawsuit

An effort to retroactively approve executive pay raises is stalled as Kane Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay announces she's getting legal representation.

The Kane County Board was to vote Tuesday to retroactively approve department pay raises given by County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay three years ago, but the issue was pulled from the agenda at the last minute to be discussed in executive session.  That's when McConnaughay walked out of the meeting and announced she will "vigorously defend against a politically-motivated lawsuit over how the county set salaries for employees." The lawsuit was filed by McConnaughay's former political opponent, James MacRunnels, claiming the board chairman violated state statutes by issuing the raises without the consent of the full County Board.  In a press release issued by the chairman's office, McConnaughay states that she strives for transparency …

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POLICE: Batavia Man Charged With Attempted Armed Robbery Downtown

The incident took place Tuesday morning near the Chase Bank ATMs on Batavia Avenue. Here are more details.

Update: The man accused in the attempted robbery is now out on bond. For our latest story on this incident, click here. A 20-year-old Batavia man faces an attempted armed robbery charge after an incident early Tuesday morning on Batavia Avenue, police said. Zachary Schulz, of the 700 block of Houston Street in Batavia, told detectives he was the offender in the bank incident and turned himself in Tuesday afternoon, according to a Batavia Police Department press release. The attempted robbery occurred near the ATMs at Chase Bank, 130 S. Batavia Ave. in Batavia, the release said. Officers were dispatched to the scene at 2:03 a.m. Tuesday. A 42-year-old Batavia woman said she was conducting an ATM transaction in the drive-thru lanes when she …

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'Subway Robber' From Batavia Pleads Guilty to 3 Counts of Armed Robbery

Douglas E. Kelley, 27, agrees to a sentence of 20 years.

A Batavia man has pleaded guilty to a string of armed robberies at several Kane County businesses. Douglas E. Kelley, 27, last known address of the 1100 block of Lorlyn Circle, Batavia, agreed Friday, June 29 with the Kane County State’s Attorney to a sentence of 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The sentence is in exchange for a guilty plea to three counts of armed robbery, each a Class X felony. Circuit Judge Timothy Q. Sheldon accepted the plea. At about 8:40 p.m. Nov. 23, 2011, Kelley entered the Batavia Subway restaurant at 13 S. Randall Road. He revealed a black handgun to an employee and demanded cash, and then fled with about $600. At about 8:10 p.m. Nov. 28, 2011, Kelley entered the North Aurora Subway at 53 S. …

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Girl54

11:04 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I agree...seriously there are so many people who are working several jobs to make ends meet or did not have the best role models but turned out to be good citizens....I feel no sympathy for this man who ROBBED innocent people trying to make an honest living.   more ›

State's Attorney McMahon Will Seek Four-Year Term

Joe McMahon's formal announcement was made Tuesday.

Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon will seek election to a four-year term next year. The formal announcement for the 2012 bid came Tuesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. McMahon, who was appointed after former State’s Attorney John Barsanti left to become a judge, had previously said that he intended to run for a full term. As previously reported by Patch, McMahon worked in the Kane County State's Attorney's Office in the 1990s with Barsanti. He began a private practice in 2002 before returning to the public office. He is married with three children and lives in Elgin.

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Kane County 'No-Refusal' Project Set for New Year's Weekend

This weekend's operation is part of a county and national effort to crack down on drunken drivers.

If you get stopped on suspicion of drunken driving this New Year's weekend, you'll be made an offer you cannot—and will not—be able to refuse. Several Kane County municipalities are working with the Kane County State's Attorney in a nationwide crackdown on drunken driving that will not give drivers the option to refuse to take a lawfully requested blood or alcohol breath test. The project is called "no-refusal," and will continue through Jan. 3. During "no-refusal" operations, the DUI arrest process will be expedited by allowing police officers, through collaboration with the state's attorney's office, to quickly get search warrants to compel a suspected driver to submit to the tests. Failure to submit to such testing after a warrant is …

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