Thursday, May 16, 2013
Interactive map: One St. Charles home was burglarized as a couple and their three children slept after a garage-door opener in an unlocked vehicle likely was used to gain access to an unlocked door.
Imagine waking up early in the morning to get ready for work only to discover that while you, your spouse and three young children slept, someone had crept into your home without waking anyone and made off with a laptop and a mobile tablet. That was the disturbing realization a St. Charles family faced a week ago, one among a string of 11 incidents on the West Side in which peoples’ vehicles either were entered or burglarized. In addition, the one home was burglarized, and someone entered another residence while the resident slept, although no vehicle entry was reported in that incident. Police began responding to reports about 4:30 a.m. Friday, May 10, and the reports did not stop until after 8 a.m., although one call came in Friday …
The Kane County Chiefs of Police Association hosts its annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Ceremony at Mooseheart in Batavia.
To serve and protect. It’s a motto that many of us take for granted, but it is one that peace officers live by, and sometimes the stakes are high. Since records started being kept in 1791, 20,000 peace officers have made the ultimate sacrifice, putting their lives on the line for the residents of the communities they serve. Nationally, 16 officers have died in the line of duty this year, including Illinois State Trooper James Sauter. 28, who died in a fiery crash on March 28, 2013. Sauter, who according to Officer Down Memorial Page had been a trooper for nearly five years, was parked on the side of Interstate 294 late at night when his vehicle was rear-ended by a semitrailer. He is survived by his wife and family. Sauter’s family members …
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Man cited with public drunkenness tried to enter four establishments which denied him entry.
St. Charles police on Friday, April 12, watched a man they said was intoxicated as he staggered and stumbled around the downtown area about midnight, trying to enter one bar after another. Each time, he was denied entry, and after officers cited the man and sent him off to his home, they returned to the bars to commend them for denying him access. Clifford William Blanck, 34, of the 15N000 block of Walker Road, Hampshire, was cited at 12:10 a.m. with disorderly conduct-public drunkenness, according to police, who said he appeared highly intoxicated. As officers watched, Blanck tried to enter The Beehive Pub, 204 W. Main St., then Alley 64, 212 W. Main St., then The Alibi Bar and Grill, 12 N. 3rd St., and finally the beer garden at Pub 222…
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Graffiti spree rips through St. Charles heading into Easter Sunday; two churches are among those hit.
A graffiti spree hit both the East and West Sides of the city leading up to Easter Sunday, and the damage, including to two churches, will cost hundreds of dollars to clean up, St. Charles police reports show. It’s unclear if all the incidents are related, although some clearly are. Two separate reports involved East Side churches and nearby fences or building. On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013, police were called at 4:32 p.m. on a report of graffiti to fences at homes on the 1300 block of Rita Avenue. During their investigation, officers learned an electrical box at The Salvation Army, 1710 S. 7th Ave., also had been tagged. The resident who reported the graffiti believed the vandalism had been done in the prior hour. Black spray paint was…
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Thefts occurred between Valentine’s Day and Feb. 21, according to reports.
The St. Charles Police Department is investigating the thefts of catalytic converters and their surrounding exhaust pipes from several trucks parked at two Dean Street businesses. The thefts were reported Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, from two businesses on the 1800 block of Dean Street. According to police, TK Sealcoating and Paving, 1870 Dean St., initially reported two Ford truck had had their mufflers stolen, but the officer checked and found the mufflers were still in place. The catalytic converters had been removed, along with the attached exhaust pipes. The officer then checked the lot and discovered a Chevrolet truck registered to Union Electric Co., 1860 Dean St., also was missing a catalytic converter. All the thefts were believed to …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Police said a neighbor saw suspect in the home whose owners were not at home.
The residents of a home on Millburn Court have an alert neighbor to thank after he boldly followed an uninvited visitor into their home and surprised the man, who fled but was arrested minutes later by St. Charles police. Carl D. Newsome, 39, of the 1600 block of Indiana Street, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon at his home. He was charged with residential burglary, a Class 1 felony. Police said they are investigating to determine if there is any connection between Newsome and other burglaries in the neighborhood. Police were called about 2:50 p.m. Wednesday to the home on Millburn Court on a report of a burglary in process. A resident told officers he saw an older-model dark blue Honda four-door vehicle pull into his neighbor’s …
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Work continues on the pedestrian bridge.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Wednesday, January 9
A construction worker was injured Wednesday morning at the Red Gate Bridge, which opened less than a month ago on the north end of St. Charles, the Kane County Chronicle reported. Police found the man on the bridge’s pedestrian deck, which remains closed as work continues on it. The pedestrian bridge is directly below the two-lane bridge for vehicles, which opened Dec. 15, 2012. St. Charles police told the Chronicle that the incident occurred shortly before 9 a.m. and that the man’s injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Classes are scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from March 5 through April 30.
- PUBLIC SAFETY
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Thursday, January 3
Ever wonder what it’s like to be a part of the law enforcement profession? The St. Charles Police Department once again will host its annual Citizen’s Police Academy from March 5 through April 30, 2013. The Citizen Police Academy is meant to give its students a better understanding how the St. Charles Police Department operates. Some of the areas covered in the Citizen Police Academy are: criminal and narcotics investigations, arrest and courts procedures, traffic stops, the K-9 unit, SWAT Team, crime scene processing, domestic violence, and the firearms training simulator, or FATS. When possible, the curriculum makes use of both classroom instruction and outside demonstrations, where the student can get an opportunity to do the activity …
Monday, December 31, 2012
Some think police over-reacted, others declare it was the right move. Here's what some folks had to say about the Christmas incident on Route 31.char
The police response to a teen walking on Route 31 Christmas Day with an Airsoft rifle elicited strong reactions from Patch readers. Some residents thought charges against the teen would be excessive; others thought the response was appropriate after the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Conn. In the days after that shooting, St. Charles-area schools reassured parents that their children's safety is an ongoing priority. At about 11:35 a.m. Dec. 25, Geneva police began to receive calls about a male of an undetermined age with a firearm near First and Stevens streets. Police caught up to the 15-year-old boy and took him into custody. His gun was determined to be an Airsoft rifle. The Airsoft guns shoot plastic BBs and other projectiles, but…
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Business has had five sets of Christmas decorations stolen since late November.
The weather outside is about to turn frightful, and one downtown business would be delighted if St. Charles police can put some heat on the Grinch who has been making off with its Christmas decorations. La Vie Encore, 211 S. 3rd St., reported the thefts at 1:28 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12. The latest incident had occurred between 10 a.m. and noon that day, with theft of garland from the lower level south windows. It apparently was the straw that broke the reindeer’s back, as it were. The business reported to police this was the fifth such theft since Nov. 25, but the business apparently shrugged off the earlier thefts and not reported them to police. But the tally has been adding up — La Vie Encore estimated the value of all the Christmas …
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La Vie Encore
211 S 3rd St, Saint Charles, IL
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Ted Schnell
9:55 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
I grew up in a subdivision west of Elgin, so the mischief we got into as kids generally did not get any worse than ding-dong ditch. But I have to say it worries me something fierce when I see kids getting into trouble today. There seems to be far worse things available as distractions today than when I was, say, 30 years or so younger. Regardless, we never snuck into folks' homes. more ›