Purr-fect fit

Sandra Wilcoxon didn’t walk into Naperville’s ADOPT Pet Shelter last October with the idea of bringing home another animal. She already had two cats at home, for one thing. Plus, the purpose of this unannounced visit was to check out ADOPT to see if she …

Trial to begin on murdered granddaugter’s birthday

It was the second time in three months I spoke to Toni Keller’s grandmother. And for the second time I heard the heartbreak in 72-year-old Joan Knable’s voice. Another postponement. Another delay until the trial begins for the man accused of killing her beloved granddaughter, …

Male stabbing victim finds shelter - finally

We all should have someone in our corner like Sharain Spears, especially when experiencing the kind of month like her cousin Brian Ingram is having. Ingram was stabbed three times by his girlfriend, Diane M. Romano, on Nov. 4, after an argument at their home …

Journalists share a few Election Night memories

Bill Foster: Shy Congressman Maybe it’s his background in science instead of law or politics, but the new representative for the 11th Congressional District is notoriously camera-shy. Which made for an odd sight at Congressman-elect Bill Foster’s victory party Tuesday night. The race was one …

Overdose Awareness Day: Acknowledging the crisis among us

So, did you know this is the state’s first official Overdose Awareness Day? And the bigger question: Do you care? For those who answered no to at least one of the above, here’s something to chew on: Accidental drug overdoses caused more deaths in Illinois …

King of Poop now on eBay

So OK, we all know money doesn’t fall from the sky ... but Brandon Tudor is hoping for a little manna from heaven after a bird decided to plop an unexpected gift on the windshield of his car. Call him a bird brain if you …

Sister determined to honor  former police chief’s final wish

It was 12 years ago Evelyn Westwood made a promise to her dying brother: that a sign with his name would be erected at the park on the corner of Oak and Willow Way streets in North Aurora — not only because Edward A. Kelley …

Residents: Bed bug problem out of control at Aurora apartment complex

It’s been a while since I last visited Forest Ridge apartments. The first time I covered a story at this low-income subsidized complex back in the mid-’90s, it was known as The Woodlands. And Aurora police dubbed it the most dangerous place in town, as …

Coming soon: Drug documentary available on DVD

Jill Kapson has plenty of reasons to be proud of the hottest new producers in the Fox Valley. “Neuqua on Drugs,” the documentary produced by her son Jack and his friend Kelly McCutcheon, premiered a couple weeks ago to rave reviews — and lots of …

Project celebrates 30 years of finding tomorrow’s leaders

I couldn’t blame Shelia Lovette Coston for those few yawns.

She wasn’t bored, that’s for sure. There was a whole lot going on — speakers, songs, candle lightings and awards — at the TSTM/Project Ready 30th Anniversary Celebration and Alumni Homecoming Banquet last week at …

Years later, Aurora firefighter battles PTSD

It was Aug. 27, 2004, when the fire — and the controversy — ignited in the basement of a home in the 600 block of Palace Street on Aurora’s West Side. Lt. Joseph Bartholomew, a 26-year veteran firefighter who had spent two decades with the …

Neuqua students make film to show drug use at school

Like so many of the kids and staff at Neuqua Valley High School, Kelly McCutcheon was pretty shook up when she heard about the heroin overdose of senior Megan Miller in February. This was the fourth student the Indian Prairie school lost to drugs in …

What’s with the female mug shots?

Is it my imagination, or have girls gone wild here in the Fox Valley? Check out the local news recently and you’ll notice mug shots have taken on a decidedly more feminine look. In Tuesday’s paper alone, there are three female photos staring back at …

Tragedy puts America’s game in a poignant light

I’ve got two pint-size tykes in my life — one a grandson; the other a step-grandson — who run around in diapers just about every waking minute of their lives with a bat and a ball in their hands. It’s pretty amazing to watch: Like …

Derby gala coming up roses for Hesed House

Mary Ensor knows a thing or two about throwing a party. I met her years ago when she was pulling together a huge fundraising gala for Mutual Ground: an organization close to her heart because she served as board president for the Aurora domestic violence …