dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-24--Conviction overturned, new trial ordered in 2014 Geneva murder case

Citing improper and damaging testimony from an FBI profiler , the Illinois Supreme Court on Friday ordered a new trial for Shadwick King , a Geneva man who was convicted of strangling his wife in July 2014 and staging her body on a railroad track to make it look like she collapsed while jogging .
King , now 52 , was sentenced to 30 years in prison for first-degree murder of Kathleen King , 32 , who Kane County prosecutors argued was killed in a jealous rage after she started an emotional affair with a man she met at Army @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Shadwick King murdered his wife at their home on Geneva 's east side and staged her body and cellphone on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in an effort to make it look like she collapsed while jogging .
A forensic pathologist who performed Kathleen 's autopsy ruled she was strangled , but an expert called by the defense said a heart condition killed her .
In a 21-page ruling Friday , the state 's highest court overturned King 's conviction , with the key issue being testimony from Mark Safarik , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene analysis . ''
An appellate panel in 2018 ruled that parts of Safarik 's testimony should not have been allowed by Judge James Hallock , who has since retired .
The Supreme Court justices agreed with the appellate panel , saying in Friday 's opinion that significant portions of his testimony went well beyond crime scene analysis , such as opinions and conclusions about Kathleen King 's manner and cause of death , whether injuries on her body were made before or after her death , and if leaves on her body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple 's home .
`` That is hardly the same thing as being an expert in forensic pathology or botany , both of which are scientific fields into which Safarik 's testimony repeatedly transgressed , '' read part of Friday 's opinion .
`` What happened here is that the jury was presented with a decedent whose cause of death was not only not obvious , but in fact hotly contested by two competing and highly qualified medical experts , one saying it was a homicide caused by manual strangulation and the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by sudden cardiac arrhythmia .
Safarik was in no position to jump into the fray , '' the opinion continued .
King has been held at the Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg .
His next court appearance in Kane County has not been set .

Conviction overturned, new trial ordered in 2014 Geneva murder case
Because of improper testimony from an FBI profiler, the Illinois Supreme Court Friday ordered a new trial for Shadwick King, shown here testifying in his own defense on charges he strangled his wife, Kathleen, 32, in July 2014. POOL PHOTO BY SANDY BRESSNER/KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
Citing improper and damaging testimony from an FBI profiler, the Illinois Supreme Court on Friday ordered a new trial for Shadwick King, a Geneva man who was convicted of strangling his wife in July 2014 and staging her body on a railroad track to make it look like she collapsed while jogging.
King, now 52, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for first-degree murder of Kathleen King, 32, who Kane County prosecutors argued was killed in a jealous rage after she started an emotional affair with a man she met at Army training.
At trial, prosecutors argued that Shadwick King murdered his wife at their home on Geneva's east side and staged her body and cellphone on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in an effort to make it look like she collapsed while jogging.
A forensic pathologist who performed Kathleen's autopsy ruled she was strangled, but an expert called by the defense said a heart condition killed her.
In a 21-page ruling Friday, the state's highest court overturned King's conviction, with the key issue being testimony from Mark Safarik, an FBI profiler and expert in "crime scene analysis."
An appellate panel in 2018 ruled that parts of Safarik's testimony should not have been allowed by Judge James Hallock, who has since retired.
The Supreme Court justices agreed with the appellate panel, saying in Friday's opinion that significant portions of his testimony went well beyond crime scene analysis, such as opinions and conclusions about Kathleen King's manner and cause of death, whether injuries on her body were made before or after her death, and if leaves on her body were consistent with leaves found in the couple's home.
"That is hardly the same thing as being an expert in forensic pathology or botany, both of which are scientific fields into which Safarik's testimony repeatedly transgressed," read part of Friday's opinion.
"What happened here is that the jury was presented with a decedent whose cause of death was not only not obvious, but in fact hotly contested by two competing and highly qualified medical experts, one saying it was a homicide caused by manual strangulation and the other saying it was a natural death caused by sudden cardiac arrhythmia. Safarik was in no position to jump into the fray," the opinion continued.
King has been held at the Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg. His next court appearance in Kane County has not been set.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-24--Guilty verdict in murder, home invasion in Hinsdale; jury rules it especially brutal

A jury has found Dominic Sanders guilty of first-degree murder , home invasion and residential burglary in the slaying of Andrea Urban of Hinsdale in 2017 , and it called the murder especially brutal or heinous .
That means Sanders would be eligible for a natural life sentence .
The jurors believed the prosecutors ' argument , that Urban was killed in a vicious outburst of rage during a burglary of her home , and not the defense argument , that somebody else killed her later that day , after Sanders stole and sold two of Urban 's rings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced afterward that his office will indeed seek a life sentence for Sanders .
He also confirmed that he never offered Sanders a plea deal .
Urban 's daughter , son , mother , brother and other friends and relatives were in the courtroom for the verdict .
Urban 's son , Alexander `` Sasha '' Kuznetsov , gave a brief statement at a news conference .
`` We are very grateful to the wonderful police officers on this case and to the prosecutors for the verdict they achieved on this case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nice relief for our family right now . ''
Berlin credited the work of not just his prosecutorial team but of the police officers from Hinsdale , Burr Ridge , Downers Grove and other departments that investigated the case .
Their work , he said , `` gave my office a great deal of evidence , '' Berlin said .
`` DNA is very powerful evidence . ''
And he also credited the residents of Hinsdale who , when they learned of the murder that day , started calling police to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a man walking around the area .
`` It shows how important community is , '' Berlin said .
Those calls led police to look for video surveillance cameras that might show the man .
That ultimately led police to video of the man entering and leaving a parking lot , and a silver Dodge Charger entering and exiting that lot around the same times .
A check of a nearby gasoline station showed a silver Dodge Charger and its driver buying gasoline .
A 40-year veteran Hinsdale police investigative aide knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ogden Avenue and Wolf Road in Western Springs , and a check of that gave police a license plate .
That led to finding out Sanders was the owner of the car , and a detective 's hunch to run Sanders name through a database of pawnshop transaction reports led to the Melrose Park pawnshop where the rings were sold .
During closing arguments earlier Friday at his murder trial , prosecutors painted a picture of Sanders casing houses to burglarize the morning of May 4 , 2017 , entering Urban 's house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then beating her and slashing her throat from behind , when she discovered him .
`` So the last moments of her life were spent in that degrading position on the kitchen floor , bleeding to death , '' Assistant State 's Attorney Catherine DeLaMar told the jury , showing them a photograph of Urban , face down , surrounded by blood , with her clothing cut and her leggings around her knees .
DeLaMar repeated a statement made by Sanders when he was arrested and questioned by police 20 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted stealing the rings but said he immediately wanted to go back and apologize , but feared Urban would call police .
`` That 's why he took that knife and slit her throat and hit her with the knife '' so hard she suffered skull fractures , DeLaMar said .
But senior public defender Teresa Rioux argued the timeline the state presented , with videos from a bank , parking lots and a house , indicate Sanders could n't have had the time to walk from where he parked , get to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and murder her and get back in the time presented .
She raised doubts about the storage of one of Sanders ' shoes , on which authorities say they found drops of Andrea Urban 's blood , suggesting they may have come into contact with other collected evidence .
The shoes were collected when Sanders was arrested .
She noted that aside from the large amount of blood on the kitchen floor , there were no bloody footprints , that Urban 's purse and wallet were still in the kitchen , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belonged to Sanders .
The home , including the kitchen , appeared tidy , with the knife block from which the knife was taken neatly lined up with two other knife blocks on a counter .
`` It does n't appear there was a struggle with a stranger , '' Rioux said .
She suggested Urban may have been wearing the rings that day , took them off to do some weeding and put them on a ledge inside the front door .
Urban 's son had testified only mail was put on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rings , which were family heirlooms , were stored in a dresser cabinet in Urban 's bedroom when they were n't being worn .
Sanders told police Urban 's front door was unlocked , and that he opened the door , saw the rings , leaned in and took them .
The jury of five women and seven men received the case shortly before 1:30 p.m. Friday .

Guilty verdict in murder, home invasion in Hinsdale; jury rules it especially brutal
A jury has found Dominic Sanders guilty of first-degree murder, home invasion and residential burglary in the slaying of Andrea Urban of Hinsdale in 2017, and it called the murder especially brutal or heinous.
That means Sanders would be eligible for a natural life sentence.
The jurors believed the prosecutors' argument, that Urban was killed in a vicious outburst of rage during a burglary of her home, and not the defense argument, that somebody else killed her later that day, after Sanders stole and sold two of Urban's rings.
DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin announced afterward that his office will indeed seek a life sentence for Sanders. He also confirmed that he never offered Sanders a plea deal.
Urban's daughter, son, mother, brother and other friends and relatives were in the courtroom for the verdict. Urban's son, Alexander "Sasha" Kuznetsov, gave a brief statement at a news conference.
"We are very grateful to the wonderful police officers on this case and to the prosecutors for the verdict they achieved on this case," he said. "It is a nice relief for our family right now."
Berlin credited the work of not just his prosecutorial team but of the police officers from Hinsdale, Burr Ridge, Downers Grove and other departments that investigated the case. Their work, he said, "gave my office a great deal of evidence," Berlin said. "DNA is very powerful evidence."
And he also credited the residents of Hinsdale who, when they learned of the murder that day, started calling police to say they had seen something suspicious that day about a man walking around the area.
"It shows how important community is," Berlin said.
Those calls led police to look for video surveillance cameras that might show the man. That ultimately led police to video of the man entering and leaving a parking lot, and a silver Dodge Charger entering and exiting that lot around the same times. A check of a nearby gasoline station showed a silver Dodge Charger and its driver buying gasoline.
A 40-year veteran Hinsdale police investigative aide knew there was a red-light camera system at Ogden Avenue and Wolf Road in Western Springs, and a check of that gave police a license plate. That led to finding out Sanders was the owner of the car, and a detective's hunch to run Sanders name through a database of pawnshop transaction reports led to the Melrose Park pawnshop where the rings were sold.
During closing arguments earlier Friday at his murder trial, prosecutors painted a picture of Sanders casing houses to burglarize the morning of May 4, 2017, entering Urban's house because he thought no one was home, and then beating her and slashing her throat from behind, when she discovered him.
"So the last moments of her life were spent in that degrading position on the kitchen floor, bleeding to death," Assistant State's Attorney Catherine DeLaMar told the jury, showing them a photograph of Urban, face down, surrounded by blood, with her clothing cut and her leggings around her knees.
DeLaMar repeated a statement made by Sanders when he was arrested and questioned by police 20 days after the slaying, in which he admitted stealing the rings but said he immediately wanted to go back and apologize, but feared Urban would call police.
"That's why he took that knife and slit her throat and hit her with the knife" so hard she suffered skull fractures, DeLaMar said.
But senior public defender Teresa Rioux argued the timeline the state presented, with videos from a bank, parking lots and a house, indicate Sanders couldn't have had the time to walk from where he parked, get to Urban's house blocks away, burglarize and murder her and get back in the time presented.
She raised doubts about the storage of one of Sanders' shoes, on which authorities say they found drops of Andrea Urban's blood, suggesting they may have come into contact with other collected evidence. The shoes were collected when Sanders was arrested.
She noted that aside from the large amount of blood on the kitchen floor, there were no bloody footprints, that Urban's purse and wallet were still in the kitchen, and that of fingerprints suitable for testing, none belonged to Sanders.
The home, including the kitchen, appeared tidy, with the knife block from which the knife was taken neatly lined up with two other knife blocks on a counter. "It doesn't appear there was a struggle with a stranger," Rioux said.
She suggested Urban may have been wearing the rings that day, took them off to do some weeding and put them on a ledge inside the front door. Urban's son had testified only mail was put on that ledge, and her daughter testified the rings, which were family heirlooms, were stored in a dresser cabinet in Urban's bedroom when they weren't being worn.
Sanders told police Urban's front door was unlocked, and that he opened the door, saw the rings, leaned in and took them.
The jury of five women and seven men received the case shortly before 1:30 p.m. Friday.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-24--One killed in Arlington Heights crash Friday

One person died Friday evening after an SUV that was turning left onto Hintz Road from northbound Arlington Heights Road @ @ @ @ @ Cavalier , according to Arlington Heights police .
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ has not been released .
According to Arlington Heights police , the red Kia Sportage @ @ @ @ @ Cavalier , which was southbound on Arlington Heights Road , just before 5 p.m .
@ @ @ @ @ left onto Hintz on a yellow light when the crash occurred , a news release @ @ @ @ @ was taken to the hospital but died shortly after arrival , police said .
Buffalo @ @ @ @ @ Chevy driver , who was not hospitalized , police said .
The intersection fully reopened @ @ @ @ @ police said .
The crash remains under investigation .

One killed in Arlington Heights crash Friday
The driver of a red Kia Sportage died after the vehicle was struck by a yellow Chevy Cavalier while making a left turn on a yellow light onto Hintz Road from Arlington Heights Road about 4 p.m. Friday, police said. Courtesy of Arlington Heights police
One person died Friday evening after an SUV that was turning left onto Hintz Road from northbound Arlington Heights Road was struck by a Chevy Cavalier, according to Arlington Heights police.
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday, and the victim's identity has not been released.
According to Arlington Heights police, the red Kia Sportage was struck by the yellow Cavalier, which was southbound on Arlington Heights Road, just before 4 p.m.
The Kia driver was turning left onto Hintz on a yellow light when the crash occurred, a news release said. The Kia driver was taken to the hospital but died shortly after arrival, police said.
Buffalo Grove firefighters tended to the Chevy driver, who was not hospitalized, police said.
The intersection fully reopened by 9:30 p.m. Friday, police said.
The crash remains under investigation.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-24--District 220 fires Barrington High teacher whose work computer contained porn

Barrington Area Unit District 220 board members have fired a teacher whose work computer was found to have pornographic images after an investigation began into his job performance , documents show .
Ending a case that began nearly two years ago , the District 220 board last week approved a resolution ordering the tenured teacher 's dismissal for cause .
The board 's action came about a month after a hearing officer 's finding and recommendation that the district fire the longtime Barrington High School instructor .
`` After a due-process hearing with the Illinois State Board of Education , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on May 15 , 2018 , to terminate a staff member , '' District 220 board President Penny Kazmier said .
Documents show the school board pursued the mathematics teacher 's dismissal partly based on in-house accusations he stored pornographic images on his district-issued laptop computer , which were found in 2018 after officials began investigating his job performance .
He was suspended without pay from his roughly $ 126,000-a-year post , pending the final disposition of his case .
As outlined in the report by hearing officer Lisa Salkovitz Kohn , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substitute boys gymnastics coach on March 8 , 2018 , when he asked a student on the team about how to back up pictures from his personal cellphone to flash drives .
Salkovitz Kohn wrote that the student responded he could transfer the images to the flash drive by using the teacher 's laptop as a `` middleman , '' then delete them from the computer .
In an interview with an administrator , the teacher said he offered to buy movie tickets for the pupil if he completed the task before a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , the student did n't finish and district administrators found the porn on March 14 , 2018 , after taking the instructor 's computer as part of the probe of his job performance .
According to Salkovitz Kohn 's report , the teacher contended all he wanted was for District 220 's computer to be used as an intermediary device to transfer the pictures and be erased immediately .
She wrote that he maintained the student `` refused to finish the job . ''
She said the issue -- at best -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or -- at worst -- coerced him to manipulate the pornographic and other noninstructional files for the teacher 's benefit , taking the teenager away from the gymnastics meet .
`` The issue is not whether ( the teacher ) was misled by the student into a transfer method that got ( him ) into trouble for putting pornography onto a district computer , '' Salkovitz Kohn wrote .
While the teacher contended the student could not have seen the porn , the hearing officer found he lacked technical knowledge to provide such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving an `` unsatisfactory '' rating from the district in February 2018 , documents state that administrators received audio recordings some students made while he went on `` off-topic rants '' in his math classroom .
Officials said the recordings from the first semester in 2017-18 indicated he impeded available instructional time .
But the teacher countered the students violated district policy against using cellphones in class unless authorized by an instructor for educational purposes .
He also cited a violation of the Illinois Eavesdropping Act because he never consented to the recordings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a defense the hearing officer rejected .
Salkovitz Kohn also dismissed the teacher 's position that the district failed to meet a burden of proof in the case to fire him , and she found that he violated school board policy on district laptop use , that he wasted instructional time on `` unprofessional off-topic and often angry digressions '' and that he singled out and embarrassed students about their grades .
The teacher represented himself in the hearing , which covered six days spread from May to August in the Chicago office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teacher is n't being named by the Daily Herald because the accusations the district leveled did n't involve a criminal case .

District 220 fires Barrington High teacher whose work computer contained porn
Barrington Area Unit District 220 board members have officially fired a teacher whose work computer was found to have pornographic images after an investigation began into accusations of poor job performance, documents show. The teacher worked at Barrington High School. Daily Herald file photo
Barrington Area Unit District 220 board members have fired a teacher whose work computer was found to have pornographic images after an investigation began into his job performance, documents show.
Ending a case that began nearly two years ago, the District 220 board last week approved a resolution ordering the tenured teacher's dismissal for cause. The board's action came about a month after a hearing officer's finding and recommendation that the district fire the longtime Barrington High School instructor.
"After a due-process hearing with the Illinois State Board of Education, the board reaffirmed a previous action taken on May 15, 2018, to terminate a staff member," District 220 board President Penny Kazmier said.
Documents show the school board pursued the mathematics teacher's dismissal partly based on in-house accusations he stored pornographic images on his district-issued laptop computer, which were found in 2018 after officials began investigating his job performance. He was suspended without pay from his roughly $126,000-a-year post, pending the final disposition of his case.
As outlined in the report by hearing officer Lisa Salkovitz Kohn, the teacher was serving as Barrington High's substitute boys gymnastics coach on March 8, 2018, when he asked a student on the team about how to back up pictures from his personal cellphone to flash drives.
Salkovitz Kohn wrote that the student responded he could transfer the images to the flash drive by using the teacher's laptop as a "middleman," then delete them from the computer.
In an interview with an administrator, the teacher said he offered to buy movie tickets for the pupil if he completed the task before a gymnastics meet ended, documents show. However, the student didn't finish and district administrators found the porn on March 14, 2018, after taking the instructor's computer as part of the probe of his job performance.
According to Salkovitz Kohn's report, the teacher contended all he wanted was for District 220's computer to be used as an intermediary device to transfer the pictures and be erased immediately. She wrote that he maintained the student "refused to finish the job."
She said the issue -- at best -- was whether the instructor cajoled the student or -- at worst -- coerced him to manipulate the pornographic and other noninstructional files for the teacher's benefit, taking the teenager away from the gymnastics meet.
"The issue is not whether (the teacher) was misled by the student into a transfer method that got (him) into trouble for putting pornography onto a district computer," Salkovitz Kohn wrote.
While the teacher contended the student could not have seen the porn, the hearing officer found he lacked technical knowledge to provide such assurance.
Along with the teacher's receiving an "unsatisfactory" rating from the district in February 2018, documents state that administrators received audio recordings some students made while he went on "off-topic rants" in his math classroom. Officials said the recordings from the first semester in 2017-18 indicated he impeded available instructional time.
But the teacher countered the students violated district policy against using cellphones in class unless authorized by an instructor for educational purposes. He also cited a violation of the Illinois Eavesdropping Act because he never consented to the recordings and had a reasonable privacy expectation -- a defense the hearing officer rejected.
Salkovitz Kohn also dismissed the teacher's position that the district failed to meet a burden of proof in the case to fire him, and she found that he violated school board policy on district laptop use, that he wasted instructional time on "unprofessional off-topic and often angry digressions" and that he singled out and embarrassed students about their grades.
The teacher represented himself in the hearing, which covered six days spread from May to August in the Chicago office of the district's attorneys.
The teacher isn't being named by the Daily Herald because the accusations the district leveled didn't involve a criminal case.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--Watch Republican Senate candidates debate in their bids to replace Durbin

GOP Senate candidates Casey Chlebek , Mark Curran , Peggy Hubbard , Robert Marshall and Tom Tarter squared off in @ @ @ @ @ representatives of the Daily Herald Editorial Board .
Watch the full exchange in the Republican @ @ @ @ @ held by Democrat Dick Durbin .
Chlebek of Glenview , is president of the Illinois @ @ @ @ @ Congress ; Curran , the former sheriff of Lake County .
is from Libertyville ; @ @ @ @ @ analyst and a former U.S. Navy veteran and law enforcement officer , is from Belleville @ @ @ @ @ and former trustee for the village of Burr Ridge ; and urological oncologist Tom Tarter @ @ @ @

Watch Republican Senate candidates debate in their bids to replace Durbin
GOP Senate candidates Casey Chlebek, Mark Curran, Peggy Hubbard, Robert Marshall and Tom Tarter squared off in a joint interview Friday with representatives of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.
Watch the full exchange in the Republican primary for the seat now held by Democrat Dick Durbin.
Chlebek of Glenview, is president of the Illinois division of the Polish American Congress; Curran, the former sheriff of Lake County. is from Libertyville; Hubbard, a retired IRS analyst and a former U.S. Navy veteran and law enforcement officer, is from Belleville; Marshall is a physician and former trustee for the village of Burr Ridge; and urological oncologist Tom Tarter is from Springfield.
The election is March 17.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-24--Man who escaped squad car after arrest near Lake Villa recaptured, authorities say

Lake County authorities have caught a 26-year-old man they say was arrested Friday but ran from a squad car while still handcuffed .
Sheriff 's deputies first arrested Nicholas A. Valentino , who has no permanent address , after they were sent to the 37400 block of North Cermona Avenue near Lake Villa for a drug investigation and learned he had two outstanding warrants .
Valentino was handcuffed and put in the back seat of a squad car about 1:35 p.m. , but he escaped after a deputy briefly returned to a residence on North Cermona to collect evidence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were cuffed behind him when he escaped .
Authorities found and rearrested Valentino without incident about 8:55 p.m. Friday near Columbus and West Isola avenues near Lake Villa .
He was still wearing the handcuffs but had maneuvered them to be in front of his body , authorities said .
Valentino was wanted in Lake County on a warrant for possession of a stolen vehicle and in DuPage County on a warrant for a drug possession , authorities said .
Authorities are reviewing additional charges against Valentino in connection with Friday 's case @

Man who escaped squad car after arrest near Lake Villa recaptured, authorities say
Lake County authorities have caught a 26-year-old man they say was arrested Friday but ran from a squad car while still handcuffed.
Sheriff's deputies first arrested Nicholas A. Valentino, who has no permanent address, after they were sent to the 37400 block of North Cermona Avenue near Lake Villa for a drug investigation and learned he had two outstanding warrants.
Valentino was handcuffed and put in the back seat of a squad car about 1:35 p.m., but he escaped after a deputy briefly returned to a residence on North Cermona to collect evidence, a news release said. His hands were cuffed behind him when he escaped.
Authorities found and rearrested Valentino without incident about 8:55 p.m. Friday near Columbus and West Isola avenues near Lake Villa. He was still wearing the handcuffs but had maneuvered them to be in front of his body, authorities said.
Valentino was wanted in Lake County on a warrant for possession of a stolen vehicle and in DuPage County on a warrant for a drug possession, authorities said.
Authorities are reviewing additional charges against Valentino in connection with Friday's case.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-24--Elgin serious crime at all-time low since 1972

Serious crime was down in Elgin last year , with a 17 % overall decrease including in homicides ( there was one ) , batteries , assaults , criminal sexual assaults , thefts , arson , motor vehicle thefts and motor vehicle burglaries .
Police data released Friday shows there were 1,665 serious crimes last year in the city of about 112,000 residents , compared with a high of 4,905 in 1989 , when the population was about half .
Crime is at an all-time low since police started keeping data in 1972 .
Serious crime in Elgin has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increases only in 2014 and 2018 .
Last year , the only two serious crime categories that showed increases were robberies , which went up from 57 to 68 last year -- seven of them had an online component -- and burglaries , which went up from 172 to 192 .
Elgin 's single homicide in 2019 was the fatal shooting of Tyler Bey in August , for which two men were charged and are awaiting trial .
There were three homicides in 2018 and two each in 2017 and 2016 .
Nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 31 incidents of shots fired with no victims , a 9 % decrease in total compared to 2018 .
This year , there have been three reports of shots fired , including two on New Year 's Day .
Police Chief Ana Lalley said reducing gunfire incidents is going to be a focus of the department this year .
`` I 'm extremely proud of the work the police department does .
Also , I 'm extremely proud of the engagement with the community -- that 's where the magic happens . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is never done and the department remains committed to improving wherever possible .
Violent crime fell sharply across the country in the last 25 years as per data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics , according to an October report from the Pew Report Center .
In Elgin , less serious crime -- including drug-related offenses , simple batteries and assaults , disorderly conduct , deception , kidnapping and more -- also declined last year , with an overall decrease of 6 % .
Traffic crashes were down 7 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to nine in 2018 .
Elgin police responded to 186,347 calls last year , a 3 % overall decrease compared to 2018 , and 54,001 calls to 911 , a 1 % increase .
There were 2,970 arrests , a 10 % decrease compared to 2018 .
The number of times officers pointed a handgun steadily decreased from 25 times in 2016 to five in 2019 .
Officers ' use of Taser declined from 21 times in 2016 to 12 times in 2019 .
However , residents ' complaints increased from 12 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said others areas of focus in 2020 will be promoting fitness and mental health programs for officers , completing a comprehensive review of department policies , and preparing for employee turnover , because a significant number of employees is reaching retirement status in the next few years .
Twelve officers have retired in the last 18 months .
The latest one is Cmdr .
Rick Ciganek , who starts Monday as chief deputy sheriff of Winnebago County .
Lalley said she 's especially proud of two initiatives implemented last year .
One is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two officers and three-part time mental health professionals who do follow-up visits for individuals who can benefit from mental or behavior health services .
The other is an emergency services detail , made of two SWAT officers who can respond without delay -- in regular uniforms but with specialized gear -- to calls that involve emotionally distressed people .
Elgin is the only department in Illinois with an emergency services detail , an idea that came from a visit to New York police in 2018 , Police Deputy Chief Colin Fleury said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' drive to continually improve and `` never get stuck in a traditional mindset , '' Lalley said .
`` That 's a credit to the police department and the people that work here . ''

Elgin serious crime at all-time low since 1972
Serious crime was down in Elgin last year, with a 17% overall decrease including in homicides (there was one), batteries, assaults, criminal sexual assaults, thefts, arson, motor vehicle thefts and motor vehicle burglaries.
Police data released Friday shows there were 1,665 serious crimes last year in the city of about 112,000 residents, compared with a high of 4,905 in 1989, when the population was about half. Crime is at an all-time low since police started keeping data in 1972.
Serious crime in Elgin has been decreasing steadily since 2007, with slight increases only in 2014 and 2018.
Last year, the only two serious crime categories that showed increases were robberies, which went up from 57 to 68 last year -- seven of them had an online component -- and burglaries, which went up from 172 to 192.
Elgin's single homicide in 2019 was the fatal shooting of Tyler Bey in August, for which two men were charged and are awaiting trial. There were three homicides in 2018 and two each in 2017 and 2016.
Nine people suffered gunshot wounds and there were 31 incidents of shots fired with no victims, a 9% decrease in total compared to 2018. This year, there have been three reports of shots fired, including two on New Year's Day.
Police Chief Ana Lalley said reducing gunfire incidents is going to be a focus of the department this year. "I'm extremely proud of the work the police department does. Also, I'm extremely proud of the engagement with the community -- that's where the magic happens."
Still, Lalley said, police work is never done and the department remains committed to improving wherever possible.
Violent crime fell sharply across the country in the last 25 years as per data from the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, according to an October report from the Pew Report Center.
In Elgin, less serious crime -- including drug-related offenses, simple batteries and assaults, disorderly conduct, deception, kidnapping and more -- also declined last year, with an overall decrease of 6%.
Traffic crashes were down 7% to 4,361, with six fatalities compared to nine in 2018.
Elgin police responded to 186,347 calls last year, a 3% overall decrease compared to 2018, and 54,001 calls to 911, a 1% increase.
There were 2,970 arrests, a 10% decrease compared to 2018. The number of times officers pointed a handgun steadily decreased from 25 times in 2016 to five in 2019. Officers' use of Taser declined from 21 times in 2016 to 12 times in 2019. However, residents' complaints increased from 12 in 2018 to 20 in 2019.
Lalley said others areas of focus in 2020 will be promoting fitness and mental health programs for officers, completing a comprehensive review of department policies, and preparing for employee turnover, because a significant number of employees is reaching retirement status in the next few years. Twelve officers have retired in the last 18 months. The latest one is Cmdr. Rick Ciganek, who starts Monday as chief deputy sheriff of Winnebago County.
Lalley said she's especially proud of two initiatives implemented last year. One is a collaborative crisis services unit, made of two officers and three-part time mental health professionals who do follow-up visits for individuals who can benefit from mental or behavior health services. The other is an emergency services detail, made of two SWAT officers who can respond without delay -- in regular uniforms but with specialized gear -- to calls that involve emotionally distressed people.
Elgin is the only department in Illinois with an emergency services detail, an idea that came from a visit to New York police in 2018, Police Deputy Chief Colin Fleury said.
It's all part of officers' drive to continually improve and "never get stuck in a traditional mindset," Lalley said. "That's a credit to the police department and the people that work here."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--Ionescu claims Pac-12 assist mark, Ducks beat Oregon State

EUGENE , Ore. -- Sabrina Ionescu had 23 points and nine assists , breaking the Pac-12 's career assist record , and No .
4 Oregon held off a late rally for a 76-64 victory over No .
7 Oregon State on Friday night in the first game of consecutive meetings between the rivals .
Satou Sabally added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Ducks ( 16-2 , 6-1 ) , who have won four straight and improved to 11-0 at home .
Ionescu broke Gary Payton 's conference record of 938 assists on the first basket of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a layup .
Freshman Taylor Jones had 21 points for Oregon State ( 16-3 , 4-3 ) , which has lost three of its last four games .
The rivalry shifts to Corvallis for a rematch on Sunday .
STANFORD , Calif. -- Freshman Ashten Pretchel made a putback in the final two minutes for the go-ahead points and Stanford slipped past Colorado .
Mya Hollingshed hit a 3-pointer with less than 2 seconds to play in regulation to give Colorado a 64-62 lead , but Stanford tied it with a layup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had four rebounds - all in the final 5:01 - to send the game to overtime .
Lexie Hull , who scored a career-high 29 points , hit a layup with under 20 seconds remaining to give Stanford a 62-61 lead , erasing a seven-point deficit .
She also had a layup in the final 41 seconds of overtime to give Stanford a 71-68 edge .
Freshman Jaylyn Sherrod scored a season-high 21 points and had seven assists for the Buffaloes , who have not beaten a Top 25 team in nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Aubrey Knight had 12 for Colorado , which won just two games in conference play last year .
LOS ANGELES -- Michaela Onyenwere scored a career-high 31 points and UCLA used an 8-1 run in overtime to beat Washington .
Natalie Chou added 18 points off the bench for the Bruins ( 17-1 , 6-1 Pac-12 ) , who got back on track after losing its first game of the season to USC .
UCLA was the only unbeaten team in the country .
Amber Melgoza had 14 points and Missy Peterson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2-5 ) , which played well but squandered a 15-point , second-quarter lead .
Onyenwere , who missed the loss to USC due to a sprained ankle , shot 13 of 26 from the field and 5 for 7 from the line .
CHICAGO -- Sonya Morris scored a career-high 30 points and DePaul remained undefeated in the Big East with a win over Villanova .
Morris was 12-of-23 shooting , making 5 of 12 from beyond the arc .
She had five assists and five steals for the Blue Demons ( 18-2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ninth straight game .
Lexi Held added three 3-pointers and 21 points while Deja Church scored 12 points and Chante Stonewall 10 .
Kelly Campbell had 11 rebounds and eight assists .
Mary Gedaka scored 20 points , Madison Siegrist 19 and Bridget Herlihy 14 for the Wildcats ( 11-8 , 5-3 ) , who had won five of six .
TUCSON , Ariz. -- Aari McDonald had nine of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 rebounds to help Arizona beat Arizona State .
Dominique McBryde 's 3-pointer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run for the Wildcats ( 16-3 , 5-3 Pac-12 ) that ended at 52-42 with 1:36 to go .
Sam Thomas added 13 points and Amari Carter scored 11 for the Wildcats .
VERMILLION , S.D .
-- Ciara Duffy had 13 points and seven assists , and No .
24 South Dakota used a balanced scoring attack to beat Purdue Fort Wayne for its seventh straight victory .
The Coyotes ( 18-2 , 7-0 ) had won their previous six Summit League games by an average of nearly 35 points .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 % and missed all 16 of their 3-point attempts .
Hannah Sjerven added 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds , Chloe Lamb scored 11 points and Monica Arens 10 for South Dakota .

Ionescu claims Pac-12 assist mark, Ducks beat Oregon State
CORRECTS MONTH TO JAN. NOT NOV. - Oregon State's Kennedy Brown, left, and Mikayla Pivec, right, battle Oregon's Ruthy Hebard, center, for the ball during the first quarter of an NCAA college basketball game in Eugene, Ore., Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. Associated Press
Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu celebrates a three-point basket against Oregon State during the first quarter of an NCAA college basketball game in Eugene, Ore., Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. Associated Press
EUGENE, Ore. -- Sabrina Ionescu had 23 points and nine assists, breaking the Pac-12's career assist record, and No. 4 Oregon held off a late rally for a 76-64 victory over No. 7 Oregon State on Friday night in the first game of consecutive meetings between the rivals.
Satou Sabally added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Ducks (16-2, 6-1), who have won four straight and improved to 11-0 at home.
Ionescu broke Gary Payton's conference record of 938 assists on the first basket of the game when she dished to Ruthy Hebard for a layup.
Freshman Taylor Jones had 21 points for Oregon State (16-3, 4-3), which has lost three of its last four games.
The rivalry shifts to Corvallis for a rematch on Sunday.
NO. 6 STANFORD 76, COLORADO 68, OT
STANFORD, Calif. -- Freshman Ashten Pretchel made a putback in the final two minutes for the go-ahead points and Stanford slipped past Colorado.
Mya Hollingshed hit a 3-pointer with less than 2 seconds to play in regulation to give Colorado a 64-62 lead, but Stanford tied it with a layup by Pretchel, who scored 12 points and had four rebounds - all in the final 5:01 - to send the game to overtime.
Lexie Hull, who scored a career-high 29 points, hit a layup with under 20 seconds remaining to give Stanford a 62-61 lead, erasing a seven-point deficit. She also had a layup in the final 41 seconds of overtime to give Stanford a 71-68 edge.
Freshman Jaylyn Sherrod scored a season-high 21 points and had seven assists for the Buffaloes, who have not beaten a Top 25 team in nearly three years.
Hollingshed scored 15 points and Aubrey Knight had 12 for Colorado, which won just two games in conference play last year.
NO. 10 UCLA 85, WASHINGTON 80, OT
LOS ANGELES -- Michaela Onyenwere scored a career-high 31 points and UCLA used an 8-1 run in overtime to beat Washington.
Natalie Chou added 18 points off the bench for the Bruins (17-1, 6-1 Pac-12), who got back on track after losing its first game of the season to USC. UCLA was the only unbeaten team in the country.
Amber Melgoza had 14 points and Missy Peterson added 13 for Washington (10-8, 2-5), which played well but squandered a 15-point, second-quarter lead.
Onyenwere, who missed the loss to USC due to a sprained ankle, shot 13 of 26 from the field and 5 for 7 from the line.
NO. 11 DEPAUL 85, VILLANOVA 69
CHICAGO -- Sonya Morris scored a career-high 30 points and DePaul remained undefeated in the Big East with a win over Villanova.
Morris was 12-of-23 shooting, making 5 of 12 from beyond the arc. She had five assists and five steals for the Blue Demons (18-2, 8-0), who won their ninth straight game.
Lexi Held added three 3-pointers and 21 points while Deja Church scored 12 points and Chante Stonewall 10. Kelly Campbell had 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Mary Gedaka scored 20 points, Madison Siegrist 19 and Bridget Herlihy 14 for the Wildcats (11-8, 5-3), who had won five of six.
DePaul turned 17 Villanova turnovers into 16 points.
NO. 18 ARIZONA 59, NO. 16 ARIZONA STATE 53
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Aari McDonald had nine of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 rebounds to help Arizona beat Arizona State.
Dominique McBryde's 3-pointer with 3:05 to go sparked a 7-0 run for the Wildcats (16-3, 5-3 Pac-12) that ended at 52-42 with 1:36 to go.
Robbi Ryan led the Sun Devils with 25 points.
Sam Thomas added 13 points and Amari Carter scored 11 for the Wildcats.
Eboni Walker added nine points and 10 rebounds.
NO. 24 SOUTH DAKOTA 79, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 25
VERMILLION, S.D. -- Ciara Duffy had 13 points and seven assists, and No. 24 South Dakota used a balanced scoring attack to beat Purdue Fort Wayne for its seventh straight victory.
The Coyotes (18-2, 7-0) had won their previous six Summit League games by an average of nearly 35 points. The Mastodons (4-15, 0-6) shot 21% and missed all 16 of their 3-point attempts.
Hannah Sjerven added 12 points and a game-high seven rebounds, Chloe Lamb scored 11 points and Monica Arens 10 for South Dakota.
___
More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--Woman kills state police officer in Lisle, wounds 2 more, kills self

A 51-year-old woman shot and killed one retired state police officer and wounded two other troopers before taking her own life Friday night in a Lisle cigar lounge , police said .
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly announced at a Saturday morning news conference that 51-year-old retired Trooper Gregory Rieves has died following the shooting .
Off-duty Trooper Kaiton Bullock , 48 , who has been with the force 22 years and is assigned to District Chicago , is hospitalized in serious but stable condition .
Retired Special Agent Lloyd Graham , 55 , suffered serious injuries and remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Obviously for the men and women who serve in the Illinois State Police , it 's part and parcel of their job to have to deal with crime , violence and difficult circumstances on a regular basis , '' said Kelly , at the press briefing from the DuPage County Coroner 's office .
`` It is not always expected that while they 're off duty that they may have to face that type of violence . ''
Kelly , flanked by DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen and DuPage County State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the retired trooper 's death before gathered cameras and reporters `` with much sadness and a heavy heart , '' he said .
Rieves retired in March 2019 after a 25-year career with state police .
`` I think he 's someone who was well-loved by all those who worked with him , '' Kelly said .
`` He was known to be a great personality and many people thought very fondly of him . ''
Kelly asked the public to keep Graham and Bullock -- who are recovering at local hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prayers .
Lisle police officers responded about 10:13 p.m. to the Humidor of Lisle , 1600 Ogden Ave. , for a report of a shooting in progress .
They arrived one minute later .
Responding officers found the woman dead at the scene .
She was later identified as Lisa V. McMullan of Chicago 's Hyde Park neighborhood , according to police .
The three victims were taken to the hospital , where the retired trooper later died .
The victims were brought to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove and Edward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The shooter knew the subjects and had visited the cigar lounge with them before ; however , we are not yet sure of the extent of their relationship , '' Acting Lisle Police Chief Ron Wilke said in an email Saturday .
`` We are continuing to investigate a possible motive , but we can not provide one as of yet . ''
The shooting was captured on a surveillance video , and was reviewed by officers at the scene .
It shows several people seated in a media room watching a big-screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman seated in a chair behind the victims stands up , draws a handgun and shoots the first male victim in the back of the head , police said in a news release .
According to the video , she then fires several rounds at two additional male victims , before fatally shooting herself in the head .
The shooting was contained to a single room within the building and no other people were injured or involved , police said .
The cigar lounge , meanwhile , was closed Saturday .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ask you to pray for the victim and the speedy healing of the injured , '' a Humidor Facebook post stated .
Several area police departments assisted with the response and investigation , including the DuPage Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigation Team , the DuPage County state 's attorney 's office and DuPage coroner 's office , police said .
Daily Herald reporters James Kane and Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report .

Woman fatally shoots state trooper in Lisle cigar lounge, wounds 2 more, kills self
Editor's note: This story has been changed to include new information Sunday from acting Lisle Police Chief Ron Wilke that police have learned McMullan and the slain trooper did not attend the same high school in the 1980s, as authorities originally reported.
A 51-year-old woman shot and killed one retired state police officer and wounded two other troopers before taking her own life Friday night in a Lisle cigar lounge, police said.
Retired Trooper Gregory Rieves, 51, died after Lisa V. McMullan of Chicago suddenly pulled out a gun inside a room of the lounge and shot the three others at close range, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said at a Saturday morning news conference.
Retired Illinois State Police Trooper Gregory Rieves, 51, was killed in the shooting at a Lisle cigar lounge Friday night. - Courtesy of Illinois State Police
Off-duty Trooper Kaiton Bullock, 48, who has been with the force 22 years and is assigned to District Chicago, is hospitalized in serious but stable condition. Retired Special Agent Lloyd Graham, 55, suffered serious injuries and remains hospitalized and stable, officials said.
"Obviously for the men and women who serve in the Illinois State Police, it's part and parcel of their job to have to deal with crime, violence and difficult circumstances on a regular basis," said Kelly, at the press briefing from the DuPage County coroner's office. "It is not always expected that while they're off duty that they may have to face that type of violence."
Kelly, flanked by DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen and DuPage County State's Attorney Bob Berlin, addressed news of the retired trooper's death "with much sadness and a heavy heart," he said.
Rieves retired in March 2019 after a 25-year career with state police.
"I think he's someone who was well-loved by all those who worked with him," Kelly said. "He was known to be a great personality and many people thought very fondly of him."
Kelly asked the public to keep Graham and Bullock -- who are recovering at local hospitals with their loved ones -- in their prayers.
Lisle police officers responded about 10:13 p.m. to the Humidor of Lisle, 1600 Ogden Ave., for a report of a shooting in progress. They arrived one minute later.
- Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer A retired state police officer was killed and two others wounded in a shooting Friday night in a Lisle cigar lounge, police said.
Responding officers found the woman dead at the scene and later identified her as McMullan, of Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. She has no known criminal history and no known local contacts with Lisle police. Acting Lisle Police Chief Ron Wilke said Sunday that police have learned McMullan and the slain trooper did not attend the same high school in the 1980s, as authorities originally reported.
"They have also been known to frequent the humidor cigar lounge at the same time," police said in a statement Saturday night. "But we have not determined if their relationship was more than just acquaintances."
Lisa V. McMullan
McMullan had a valid Firearm Owners Identification card and a concealed carry license through the Illinois State Police.
A total of seven bullets were recovered by police, including the one McMullan used to take her life.
The three victims were taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove and Edward Hospital in Naperville. Rieves died in the hospital.
Police said they would not interview the surviving victims until at least Monday to allow them to recover and rest from their surgeries.
"At that time any connection between the suspect and the victims will be looked into," police said in the statement.
Earlier Saturday, Wilke said the shooter knew the victims, but investigators were not yet sure of the extent of their relationship.
"We are continuing to investigate a possible motive, but we cannot provide one as of yet," Wilke said in an email.
- Christopher Placek | Staff Photographer Flags were flying at half-mast Saturday at Illinois State Police District 15 headquarters on Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove in honor of fallen retired Trooper Gregory Rieves.
The shooting was captured on a surveillance video and was reviewed by officers at the scene. It shows several people seated in a media room watching a big-screen television.
Without apparent provocation, a woman seated in a chair behind the victims stands up, draws a handgun and shoots the first male victim in the back of the head, police said in a news release. She then fires several rounds at two additional male victims, before fatally shooting herself in the head.
The shooting was contained to a single room within the building and no other people were injured or involved, police said.
The cigar lounge remained closed Saturday.
"We look at all our customers as family and we ask you to pray for the victim and the speedy healing of the injured," a Humidor Facebook post stated.
Several area police departments assisted with the response and investigation, including the DuPage Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigation Team, the DuPage County state's attorney's office and DuPage coroner's office, police said.
"The quick thinking, decisive action by Lisle PD Officers and all responding personnel in this case is to be commended," Lisle police said in the Saturday night statement. "They acted without regard for their own safety, and entered a chaotic and dangerous scene not knowing what they were going to encounter. Their courage is to be applauded!
"Our hearts are heavy for the loss and injuries to our ISP colleagues, and they remain in our thoughts as we conduct this investigation."
Lisle Trustee Sara Sadat said Saturday night that she learned about the shooting at the airport after returning from an overseas trip.
"It hurts my heart to have to address this act of senseless violence," she said in an emailed statement. "My husband and I are regulars at that lounge. ... My heart and thoughts are in Lisle with the families of the victims of this senseless crime."
The cigar lounge will remain closed Sunday, but a group of its regular patrons will hold a vigil for Rieves outside the business at 10 a.m., the Sun-Times reported.
• Daily Herald staff writers James Kane and Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--'I'm still in Auschwitz': 75 years after camp's liberation, Holocaust survivor remains haunted by me

It 's been 75 years since Fritzie Fritzshall and thousands of other prisoners were marched out of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp complex by their Nazi tormentors , headed toward an uncertain fate .
She was Fritzie Weiss then , a Czech teenager torn from her home and her family and imprisoned in a barbed wire-encircled hell , death all around her .
It 's been 75 years since she and another prisoner ran from the marching column into the woods , no longer caring if they 'd be gunned down .
Seventy-five years since a couple in a nearby town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's been 75 years -- to everyone except Fritzie Fritzshall .
`` In my mind , I 'm still in Auschwitz , '' the Buffalo Grove resident said .
`` Seventy-five years feel like yesterday . ''
Monday marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Soviet Union 's Red Army .
The date has become known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day .
Fritzshall , the president of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie , spoke vividly with the Daily Herald about her experiences .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of Holocaust survivors still living and able to tell their tales .
Fritzshall 's memories are sharp -- and her words are often gut-wrenching .
Established in southern Poland in 1940 , Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest German concentration camp complex .
It consisted of more than 40 concentration and extermination camps .
Originally a prison camp for Polish political prisoners , it expanded and , starting in 1942 , played a key role in the attempted extermination of European Jews .
More than 1.1 million people , mostly Jews , died at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were victims of gas chambers , gunfire , starvation , disease , diabolical medical experiments and other causes .
Preserved as a state-run memorial and museum since 1947 , many of Auschwitz 's structures are still standing , including barracks , a crematorium and the metal gate that hauntingly proclaims `` arbeit macht frei '' -- German for `` work will set you free . ''
The site remains one of the most recognizable remnants of the Holocaust .
In the mid-1940s , a few years after Czechoslovakia was occupied by German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , her mother , her two brothers and other relatives by freight train to Auschwitz because they were Jews .
Fritzshall ca n't recall the exact date or year , but she says with full confidence that she was 13 -- so it probably was around 1943 .
Fritzshall 's father escaped his family 's fate .
He had earlier moved to the U.S. for work , intending to bring his family one day .
That day never came .
Fritzshall remembers being pushed and pulled as she and other Jews were unloaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She remembers soldiers with guns .
She remembers dogs barking .
She remembers children being torn from mothers ' arms .
She remembers people being beaten .
`` It 's such a horrible vision , '' Fritzshall said .
`` It 's a nightmare that I relive every day . ''
Prisoners who were n't immediately murdered in gas chambers were put to work .
Fritzshall recalled that her first job was moving heavy rocks from one place to another .
The next day , she was ordered to move them back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued for a while .
Fritzshall eventually was taken to Birkenau , the largest of the camps in the Auschwitz complex .
She was put to work in a factory with 599 women .
`` My job was to put a spring into a certain piece ( of equipment ) , '' she recalled .
As has been widely reported , there was n't enough food for concentration camp prisoners , nor warm clothes , nor comfortable bedding .
An aunt also in the camp sold her rations of bread to other women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a bunk to sleep .
`` She put her arms around me every single night when we went to sleep because we were so cold and so hungry , '' Fritzshall told the USC Shoah Foundation for an interactive museum program .
`` And I was crying myself to sleep . ''
As time went on , the prisoners knew little of how the war was going .
News only came from fresh arrivals -- and they did n't know much , either .
But then prisoners heard airplanes overhead -- and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Soviets advanced from the east in the second half of 1944 , the Nazis began evacuating prisoners from Auschwitz-Birkenau to other camps in what was left of German-occupied Europe .
They also began covering up their crimes by dismantling the crematoriums and gas chambers , removing or burning documents and destroying other evidence .
After the Red Army broke through the final German defenses near Auschwitz-Birkenau in mid-January 1945 , the Nazis marched some 56,000 prisoners west out of the camps .
Some were loaded onto trains or trucks and transported elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9,000 prisoners were left in the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex .
Before the Soviets arrived , however , mass executions were carried out .
Some prisoners were burned alive .
The Soviets entered the camps on Jan. 27 .
About 7,500 surviving prisoners were liberated .
Fritzshall , however , was among the prisoners who had been marched out earlier .
`` It truly was a death march , '' she recalled .
`` You need to imagine all of us cold and hungry , undernourished . ''
The marchers were led from town to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , maybe a week or more , Fritzshall said .
Exhausted prisoners dropped dead in the street .
`` Wherever they fell , they were left , '' she said .
Prisoners who were too weak to march were shot .
Prisoners who tried to escape were shot .
Fritzshall reached a breaking point .
She clasped hands with another girl , and together they dashed toward a forest .
`` We just could n't march any longer , '' Fritzshall said .
`` If they shoot us , they 'll shoot us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw gunfire .
Either their captors did n't notice their escape , Fritzshall said , or they did n't care .
After spending most of the night in the woods , the girls found a town and knocked on the door of a house .
The people who answered gave them sanctuary in a barn .
When the Red Army arrived , their civilian saviors brought the Soviet soldiers to them , knowing the troops could offer assistance .
The girls were reunited with the now-liberated prisoners with whom they 'd been marching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showers , medical attention and clean clothes .
`` I remember that first shower , '' Fritzshall said .
`` I just did n't want to get out . ''
Fritzshall was taken to a camp for displaced persons .
After a while , she was given transportation to her hometown in Czechoslovakia , where she hoped to find other members of her immediate family .
There were none .
Her mother and brothers had been killed at Auschwitz .
Only one uncle and one aunt survived . '
I see all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the United States and reunited with her father .
She married and had a family of her own .
Fritzshall did n't talk about her experiences at Auschwitz-Birkenau for many years .
Once she opened up , though , teaching others about the Holocaust at the museum and through public speaking became therapeutic .
`` That 's how I live with it , '' she said .
`` That 's how I handle it . ''
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield knows Fritzshall through her work at the museum .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teacher and witness . ''
Schneider , who is Jewish , was part of a congressional delegation that toured Auschwitz-Birkenau last week to commemorate the anniversary of its liberation .
`` We must never forget the evils unleashed by anti-Semitism , extremism and hatred , and remain steadfast in our fight against these threats in our own time , '' Schneider told the Daily Herald during his trip .
Fritzshall has returned to Auschwitz-Birkenau several times since the war .
Last summer , an ABC 7 news crew accompanied her and Cardinal Blase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The resulting footage became a documentary called `` Return to Auschwitz : A Survivor 's Story . ''
`` Every time I go back and walk into it and walk on those roads ...
I see all of us , '' Fritzshall said .
`` People say it was so many years ago .
But it was n't .
It was my lifetime . ''

'I'm still in Auschwitz': 75 years after camp's liberation, Holocaust survivor remains haunted by memories
A picture taken just after the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Soviet army in January 1945 shows a group of children wearing concentration camp uniforms. Associated Press
ABC 7's Alan Krashesky, Fritzie Weiss Fritzshall and Cardinal Blase Cupich at the former Auschwitz concentration camp in summer 2019. Fritzshall and other prisoners were liberated by the Red Army on Jan. 27, 1945. Courtesy of ABC 7
Fritzie Fritzshall of Buffalo Grove survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Holocaust and was liberated by Red Army soldiers in January 1945. John Starks | Staff Photographer
Fritzie Fritzshall, president of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, stands near a German rail car that's on display. It's similar to the ones that brought Fritzshall and other Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust. John Starks | Staff Photographer
WATCH AT DAILYHERALD.COM/VIDEO: Fritzie Fritzshall survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and is president of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie. Speaking of her experience "is how I handle it." John Starks | Staff Photographer
It's been 75 years since Fritzie Fritzshall and thousands of other prisoners were marched out of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp complex by their Nazi tormentors, headed toward an uncertain fate.
She was Fritzie Weiss then, a Czech teenager torn from her home and her family and imprisoned in a barbed wire-encircled hell, death all around her.
It's been 75 years since she and another prisoner ran from the marching column into the woods, no longer caring if they'd be gunned down. Seventy-five years since a couple in a nearby town took pity on them and offered shelter.
It's been 75 years -- to everyone except Fritzie Fritzshall.
"In my mind, I'm still in Auschwitz," the Buffalo Grove resident said. "Seventy-five years feel like yesterday."
Monday marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Soviet Union's Red Army. The date has become known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Fritzshall, the president of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, spoke vividly with the Daily Herald about her experiences. Now 90, she is among a dwindling number of Holocaust survivors still living and able to tell their tales.
Fritzshall's memories are sharp -- and her words are often gut-wrenching.
What was Auschwitz?
Established in southern Poland in 1940, Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest German concentration camp complex. It consisted of more than 40 concentration and extermination camps.
Originally a prison camp for Polish political prisoners, it expanded and, starting in 1942, played a key role in the attempted extermination of European Jews.
More than 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, died at Auschwitz-Birkenau before the war's end. They were victims of gas chambers, gunfire, starvation, disease, diabolical medical experiments and other causes.
Preserved as a state-run memorial and museum since 1947, many of Auschwitz's structures are still standing, including barracks, a crematorium and the metal gate that hauntingly proclaims "arbeit macht frei" -- German for "work will set you free." The site remains one of the most recognizable remnants of the Holocaust.
'A horrible vision'
In the mid-1940s, a few years after Czechoslovakia was occupied by German troops, the Nazis forcibly transported Fritzshall, her mother, her two brothers and other relatives by freight train to Auschwitz because they were Jews. Fritzshall can't recall the exact date or year, but she says with full confidence that she was 13 -- so it probably was around 1943.
Fritzshall's father escaped his family's fate. He had earlier moved to the U.S. for work, intending to bring his family one day.
That day never came.
Fritzshall remembers being pushed and pulled as she and other Jews were unloaded like cattle upon arrival at the camp. She remembers soldiers with guns. She remembers dogs barking. She remembers children being torn from mothers' arms. She remembers people being beaten.
"It's such a horrible vision," Fritzshall said. "It's a nightmare that I relive every day."
Prisoners who weren't immediately murdered in gas chambers were put to work. Fritzshall recalled that her first job was moving heavy rocks from one place to another. The next day, she was ordered to move them back to their original spots. That pattern continued for a while.
Fritzshall eventually was taken to Birkenau, the largest of the camps in the Auschwitz complex. She was put to work in a factory with 599 women.
"My job was to put a spring into a certain piece (of equipment)," she recalled.
As has been widely reported, there wasn't enough food for concentration camp prisoners, nor warm clothes, nor comfortable bedding. An aunt also in the camp sold her rations of bread to other women so Fritzshall could have room with her on a bunk to sleep.
"She put her arms around me every single night when we went to sleep because we were so cold and so hungry," Fritzshall told the USC Shoah Foundation for an interactive museum exhibition. "And I was crying myself to sleep."
As time went on, the prisoners knew little of how the war was going. News only came from fresh arrivals -- and they didn't know much, either.
But then prisoners heard airplanes overhead -- and gunfire from nearby ground battles.
It was January 1945.
The Soviet Union's Red Army was coming.
Liberators arrive
As the Soviets advanced from the east in the second half of 1944, the Nazis began evacuating prisoners from Auschwitz-Birkenau to other camps in what was left of German-occupied Europe. They also began covering up their crimes by dismantling the crematoriums and gas chambers, removing or burning documents and destroying other evidence.
After the Red Army broke through the final German defenses near Auschwitz-Birkenau in mid-January 1945, the Nazis marched some 56,000 prisoners west out of the camps. Some were loaded onto trains or trucks and transported elsewhere; others stayed on foot.
About 9,000 prisoners were left in the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex. Before the Soviets arrived, however, mass executions were carried out. Some prisoners were burned alive.
The Soviets entered the camps on Jan. 27. About 7,500 surviving prisoners were liberated.
Fritzshall, however, was among the prisoners who had been marched out earlier.
"It truly was a death march," she recalled. "You need to imagine all of us cold and hungry, undernourished."
The marchers were led from town to town and field to field for days, maybe a week or more, Fritzshall said. Exhausted prisoners dropped dead in the street.
"Wherever they fell, they were left," she said.
Prisoners who were too weak to march were shot. Prisoners who tried to escape were shot.
Fritzshall reached a breaking point. She clasped hands with another girl, and together they dashed toward a forest.
"We just couldn't march any longer," Fritzshall said. "If they shoot us, they'll shoot us."
But the girls didn't draw gunfire. Either their captors didn't notice their escape, Fritzshall said, or they didn't care.
After spending most of the night in the woods, the girls found a town and knocked on the door of a house. The people who answered gave them sanctuary in a barn.
When the Red Army arrived, their civilian saviors brought the Soviet soldiers to them, knowing the troops could offer assistance.
The girls were reunited with the now-liberated prisoners with whom they'd been marching. The Soviets gave them food, showers, medical attention and clean clothes.
"I remember that first shower," Fritzshall said. "I just didn't want to get out."
Fritzshall was taken to a camp for displaced persons. After a while, she was given transportation to her hometown in Czechoslovakia, where she hoped to find other members of her immediate family.
There were none. Her mother and brothers had been killed at Auschwitz. Only one uncle and one aunt survived.
'I see all of us'
After the war, Fritzshall emigrated to the United States and reunited with her father.
She married and had a family of her own.
Fritzshall didn't talk about her experiences at Auschwitz-Birkenau for many years. Once she opened up, though, teaching others about the Holocaust at the museum and through public speaking became therapeutic.
"That's how I live with it," she said. "That's how I handle it."
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield knows Fritzshall through her work at the museum. He called her "an extraordinary and inspirational teacher and witness."
Schneider, who is Jewish, was part of a congressional delegation that toured Auschwitz-Birkenau last week to commemorate the anniversary of its liberation.
"We must never forget the evils unleashed by anti-Semitism, extremism and hatred, and remain steadfast in our fight against these threats in our own time," Schneider told the Daily Herald during his trip.
Fritzshall has returned to Auschwitz-Birkenau several times since the war. Last summer, an ABC 7 news crew accompanied her and Cardinal Blase Cupich on their visit to the camps. The resulting footage became a documentary called "Return to Auschwitz: A Survivor's Story."
"Every time I go back and walk into it and walk on those roads ... I see all of us," Fritzshall said. "People say it was so many years ago. But it wasn't. It was my lifetime."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--Somber farewell for East Aurora grad killed in Afghanistan

BROWNSVILLE , Texas -- At least 300 people attended the funeral service Saturday for U.S. Army Spc .
Miguel Angel Villalon , an East Aurora High School graduate , in the Brownsville Events Center , where a religious ceremony was held to give the soldier a final blessing .
Community members and elected officials including U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela , Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez and City Commissioner Jessica Tetreau attended the funeral to give their final goodbye and express their support to the family .
Tetreau said the community intends `` to honor him in every way possible and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day , every chance that we get to celebrate his contribution and his ultimate sacrifice to our freedom we will celebrate him and his legacy . ''
After the funeral Mass , people made their way to the Buena Vista Burial Park , where his loved ones celebrated his life with mariachi and songs such as `` Amor Eterno '' and `` A Mi Manera . ''
`` It 's going to be hard because not every day we lose one of our own , '' said Joaquin Garcia , a Vietnam veteran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains at the airport and also attended the funeral .
Villalon 's loved ones were seen wearing black T-shirts that said , `` I did my duty , I paid the supreme price .
I pray you 'll remember , my sacrifice .
My life was short , I did my best .
God grant me peace , in my eternal rest . ''
During the religious ceremony , Villalon 's family placed red roses on top of the casket while hundreds waited in line to give their condolences to the family .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose one too many , '' Garcia said .
His mother , Olivia Guzman Villalon , will return to his alma mater , East Aurora High School , Wednesday , Jan. 29 , for a 2 p.m. service in the school auditorium that will give the Aurora community a chance to pay its respects .
Villalon , 21 , a Brownsville native , was killed in Kandahar province , Afghanistan , on Jan. 11 while conducting operations in support of Operation Freedom 's Sentinel , part of NATO 's Resolute Support Mission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a combat engineer and reported to the 307th as his first assignment .
His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart , Bronze Star , Army Achievement Medal with `` V '' device ( awarded to service members who perform `` meritoriously under the most arduous combat conditions '' ) and the Combat Action Badge .
`` As a community we mourn , '' Tetreau said .

Somber farewell for East Aurora grad killed in Afghanistan
A Fort Bragg honor guard covers the coffin of U.S. Army Spc. Miguel Angel Villalon with a U.S. flag during a funeral Mass in his honor at the Brownsville Event Center Saturday. Villalon was killed in Afghanistan Jan. 11. Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via AP
A large crowd gathers around the burial site for U.S. Army Spc. Miguel Angel Villalon Saturday at Buena Vista Burial Park in Brownsville, Texas. Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald
Military decorations and the seal of the United States adorn the vault lid of U.S. Army Spc. Miguel Angel Villalon Saturday for the burial service at Buena Vista Burial Park in Brownsville, Texas. Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald
Luis Portales holds up an American flag and salutes as taps is played for the burial service of U.S. Army Spc. Miguel Angel Villalon Saturday at Buena Vista Burial Park in Brownsville, Texas. Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald
A Fort Bragg honor guard carries the coffin of U.S. Army Spc. Miguel Angel Villalon during a funeral mass in his honor at the Brownsville Event Center Saturday. Villalon was killed in Afghanistan Jan. 11. Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via AP
BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- At least 300 people attended the funeral service Saturday for U.S. Army Spc. Miguel Angel Villalon, an East Aurora High School graduate, in the Brownsville Events Center, where a religious ceremony was held to give the soldier a final blessing.
Community members and elected officials including U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez and City Commissioner Jessica Tetreau attended the funeral to give their final goodbye and express their support to the family.
Tetreau said the community intends "to honor him in every way possible and it doesn't stop here. Every Memorial Day, every chance that we get to celebrate his contribution and his ultimate sacrifice to our freedom we will celebrate him and his legacy."
After the funeral Mass, people made their way to the Buena Vista Burial Park, where his loved ones celebrated his life with mariachi and songs such as "Amor Eterno" and "A Mi Manera."
"It's going to be hard because not every day we lose one of our own," said Joaquin Garcia, a Vietnam veteran who witnessed the arrival of Villalon's remains at the airport and also attended the funeral.
Villalon's loved ones were seen wearing black T-shirts that said, "I did my duty, I paid the supreme price. I pray you'll remember, my sacrifice. My life was short, I did my best. God grant me peace, in my eternal rest."
During the religious ceremony, Villalon's family placed red roses on top of the casket while hundreds waited in line to give their condolences to the family.
"If we lose one, we lose one too many," Garcia said.
His mother, Olivia Guzman Villalon, will return to his alma mater, East Aurora High School, Wednesday, Jan. 29, for a 2 p.m. service in the school auditorium that will give the Aurora community a chance to pay its respects.
Villalon, 21, a Brownsville native, was killed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on Jan. 11 while conducting operations in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission.
He joined the Army in 2018 to be a combat engineer and reported to the 307th as his first assignment. His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Army Achievement Medal with "V" device (awarded to service members who perform "meritoriously under the most arduous combat conditions") and the Combat Action Badge.
"As a community we mourn," Tetreau said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--4 state police troopers died in line of duty in 2019

Friday 's attack on three retired and current Illinois state troopers in a Lisle cigar bar comes after a year @ @ @ @ @ Police officers died in the line of duty .
• Trooper Christopher Lambert of Highland @ @ @ @ @ , 2019 , while he was out of his squad providing aid at a crash @ @ @ @ @ tried to drive around the accident scene .
• Trooper Brooke Jones-Story of Stockton , @ @ @ @ @ a vehicle March 28 , 2019 , while out of her vehicle on a traffic @ @ @ @ @ Trooper Gerald Ellis of Antioch was killed March 30 , 2019 , by a wrong-way @ @ @ @ @ Oaks .
He was off-duty , driving home in a squad car .
• Trooper @ @ @ @ @ , Illinois , was shot to death Aug. 23 , 2019 , while serving a @ @ @ @ @ in East St. Louis .
Lambert and Ellis were assigned to ISP District 15 , @ @ @ @ @ Downers Grove .

4 state police troopers died in line of duty in 2019
Trooper Nicholas J. Hopkins, of Waterloo, Illinois, was shot to death Aug. 23, 2019, while serving a search warrant at a home in East St. Louis.
Trooper Brooke Jones-Story of Stockton, Illinois, was killed in the crash that occurred on Route 20 near Route 75 on March 28, 2019, in Freeport, Ill. Jones-Story was inspecting a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the crash.
Trooper Christopher Lambert of Highland Park was killed Jan. 12, 2019, while he was out of his squad providing aid at a crash on I-294. A car tried to drive around the accident scene.
Trooper Gerald Ellis of Antioch was killed March 30, 2019, by a wrong-way driver on I-94 near Green Oaks. He was off-duty, driving home in a squad car.
Friday's attack on three retired and current Illinois state troopers in a Lisle cigar bar comes after a year in which four Illinois State Police officers died in the line of duty.
• Trooper Christopher Lambert of Highland Park was killed Jan. 12, 2019, while he was out of his squad providing aid at a crash on I-294. A car tried to drive around the accident scene.
• Trooper Brooke Jones-Story of Stockton, Illinois, was struck by a vehicle March 28, 2019, while out of her vehicle on a traffic stop near Freeport.
• Trooper Gerald Ellis of Antioch was killed March 30, 2019, by a wrong-way driver on I-94 near Green Oaks. He was off-duty, driving home in a squad car.
• Trooper Nicholas J. Hopkins of Waterloo, Illinois, was shot to death Aug. 23, 2019, while serving a search warrant at a home in East St. Louis.
Lambert and Ellis were assigned to ISP District 15, which is based out of Downers Grove.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--Where have we seen this before? Bill Murray appears back in Woodstock

It was like 1992 all over again in Woodstock .
Bill Murray , star of the film `` Groundhog Day , '' returned to the Square on Saturday , almost 28 years after the film was shot at locations on and around the Square and elsewhere in McHenry County .
This time , Murray was there to film a Jeep commercial .
Though no one from Jeep was immediately available to confirm the date the commercial would run , it was filmed eight days before the Super Bowl , which falls on Groundhog Day this year .
A photo taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray in front of a red pickup truck that looks much like the vehicle his character , Phil Connors , drives away in when he steals a groundhog and later drives off a cliff .
( The cliff-jump scene was actually filmed at a quarry in Loves Park . )
`` Groundhog Day , '' which was released in 1993 , features Murray as a TV meteorologist who finds himself stuck reliving the same day -- Groundhog Day -- in Punxsutawney , Pennsylvania .
Patti Zasada , owner of the gift shop Soul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she had never seen a Hollywood actor before seeing Murray shooting the commercial on Saturday morning .
`` To see Bill Murray , that 's pretty cool , '' Zasada said .
`` It was an unexpected surprise . ''
Mickey Mahler , who lives on the Square , said she wanted to check out what was going on , so she went out for the earlier shoot , got a massage , then came back .
`` I missed Bill Murray .
I guess he was over there earlier , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's cool to see all the stuff going on .
... More people should film stuff here . ''
In addition to people reporting seeing Murray , several local businesses posted an image of him on the Square on Facebook .
In an email to the Northwest Herald , a spokeswoman for Jeep 's parent company , FCA US , said the company does not comment on the details of ongoing video productions -- its own , or those of outside partners -- that may feature any of its vehicles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commercial would air locally or nationally , and whether a new vehicle model or feature will be highlighted in the commercial .

Where have we seen this before? Bill Murray appears back in Woodstock
Bill Murray shoots a Jeep commercial Saturday in Woodstock Square in front of a truck like the one that appeared in the 1993 film "Groundhog Day." Photo provided to the Northwest Herald
Bill Murray appears in the Woodstock Square on Saturday while filming a Jeep commercial. Courtesy of Jon Bergstrom via Northwest Herald
It was like 1992 all over again in Woodstock.
Bill Murray, star of the film "Groundhog Day," returned to the Square on Saturday, almost 28 years after the film was shot at locations on and around the Square and elsewhere in McHenry County. This time, Murray was there to film a Jeep commercial.
Though no one from Jeep was immediately available to confirm the date the commercial would run, it was filmed eight days before the Super Bowl, which falls on Groundhog Day this year.
A photo taken while the commercial was being filmed shows Murray in front of a red pickup truck that looks much like the vehicle his character, Phil Connors, drives away in when he steals a groundhog and later drives off a cliff. (The cliff-jump scene was actually filmed at a quarry in Loves Park.)
"Groundhog Day," which was released in 1993, features Murray as a TV meteorologist who finds himself stuck reliving the same day -- Groundhog Day -- in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Patti Zasada, owner of the gift shop Soul Focus at 120 N Benton St., said she had never seen a Hollywood actor before seeing Murray shooting the commercial on Saturday morning.
"To see Bill Murray, that's pretty cool," Zasada said. "It was an unexpected surprise."
Mickey Mahler, who lives on the Square, said she wanted to check out what was going on, so she went out for the earlier shoot, got a massage, then came back.
"I missed Bill Murray. I guess he was over there earlier, by like 10 minutes," she said. "It's cool to see all the stuff going on. ... More people should film stuff here."
In addition to people reporting seeing Murray, several local businesses posted an image of him on the Square on Facebook.
In an email to the Northwest Herald, a spokeswoman for Jeep's parent company, FCA US, said the company does not comment on the details of ongoing video productions -- its own, or those of outside partners -- that may feature any of its vehicles.
She didn't disclose whether the commercial would air locally or nationally, and whether a new vehicle model or feature will be highlighted in the commercial.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--Man charged with trying to kill Elburn resident via natural gas

A Waterman man has been charged with attempted murder , accused of directing natural gas into an Elburn house .
@ @ @ @ @ , was arrested Friday , according to a news release from Elburn Police Chief Nick @ @ @ @ @ with two counts of attempted murder , two counts of reckless conduct , two counts @ @ @ @ @ of felony criminal damage to property , According to Sikora , around 2:26 a.m. Jan. @ @ @ @ @ that they awoke to a strong odor of natural gas in his residence on the @ @ @ @ @ , and heard a loud hissing noise .
The resident found gas leaking into his @ @ @ @ @ Someone had tampered with the gas supply line , directing the flow directly in to @ @ @ @ @ County Major Crimes Task Force assisted with the investigation as did the Aurora Police Department @ @ @ @ @ and the DeKalb County sheriff 's department .
Kane County jail records indicate Ryan will @ @ @ @ @ morning .

Man charged with trying to kill Elburn resident via natural gas
Frank E. Ryan, 33, of Waterman has been charged with attempted murder, by directing natural gas into an Elburn house, Elburn police say.
A Waterman man has been charged with attempted murder, accused of directing natural gas into an Elburn house.
Frank E. Ryan, 33, was arrested Friday, according to a news release from Elburn Police Chief Nick Sikora.
He is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of reckless conduct, two counts of battery and one count of felony criminal damage to property,
According to Sikora, around 2:26 a.m. Jan. 19 a resident told police that they awoke to a strong odor of natural gas in his residence on the 500 block of Downing Street, and heard a loud hissing noise.
The resident found gas leaking into his home and called 911.
Someone had tampered with the gas supply line, directing the flow directly in to the residence.
The Kane County Major Crimes Task Force assisted with the investigation as did the Aurora Police Department, the Waterman Police Department and the DeKalb County sheriff's department.
Kane County jail records indicate Ryan will have a bail hearing Sunday morning.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--Police: Men armed with handguns rob gas station in Naperville

Naperville police are searching for two men who robbed a gas station at gunpoint early Saturday .
Police responded to @ @ @ @ @ 1900 block of Brookdale Road at about 12:25 a.m. Two men entered the gas station @ @ @ @ @ and stole an undisclosed amount of money and cigarettes , police said .
The pair @ @ @ @ @ a black sedan , police said in a news release .
There were no reports @ @ @ @ @ are described as black men , about 5 feet , 6 inches tall .
One @ @ @ @ @ has a slender build and a mustache , was wearing a dark mask , hooded @ @ @ @ @ , police said .
The other man , who has a medium build , was @ @ @ @ @ a hooded sweatshirt and jeans , according to police .
Anyone with information about the @ @ @ @ @ the department 's Investigations Division at ( 630 ) 420-6666 .

Police: Men armed with handguns rob gas station in Naperville
Naperville police are searching for two men who robbed a gas station at gunpoint early Saturday.
Police responded to the armed robbery on the 1900 block of Brookdale Road at about 12:25 a.m. Two men entered the gas station; each showed a handgun and stole an undisclosed amount of money and cigarettes, police said.
The pair then fled the area in a black sedan, police said in a news release. There were no reports of injuries.
The suspects are described as black men, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall. One of the men, who has a slender build and a mustache, was wearing a dark mask, hooded sweatshirt, pants and boots, police said.
The other man, who has a medium build, was wearing a dark mask, a hooded sweatshirt and jeans, according to police.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the department's Investigations Division at (630) 420-6666.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--Round Lake man charged in Chicago sex assault by fake delivery driver

A 57-year-old Round Lake man was ordered held without bail Friday for allegedly posing as an Amazon delivery driver and @ @ @ @ @ her Albany Park home in December .
Forrest Petersen knocked on the door of the @ @ @ @ @ 4200 block of North Francisco around 8 p.m. on Dec. 29 , carrying a package @ @ @ @ @ Esmerelda Rubio said .
Once inside , Petersen groped the woman and pushed her against @ @ @ @ @ .
Petersen was arrested Wednesday evening in the 900 block of Village Drive in Round @ @ @ @ @ invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault , police said .

Round Lake man charged in Chicago sex assault by fake delivery driver
Chicago policeForrest PetersenA 57-year-old Round Lake man was ordered held without bail Friday for allegedly posing as an Amazon delivery driver and sexually assaulting a woman inside her Albany Park home in December.
A 57-year-old Round Lake man was ordered held without bail Friday for allegedly posing as an Amazon delivery driver and sexually assaulting a woman inside her Albany Park home in December.
Forrest Petersen knocked on the door of the victim's apartment in the 4200 block of North Francisco around 8 p.m. on Dec. 29, carrying a package, Assistant State's Attorney Esmerelda Rubio said. Once inside, Petersen groped the woman and pushed her against a wall, Rubio said.
Petersen was arrested Wednesday evening in the 900 block of Village Drive in Round Lake and charged with home invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault, police said.
For the complete story, visit chicago.suntimes.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--One killed in Arlington Heights crash Friday

One person died Friday evening after an SUV that was turning left onto Hintz Road from northbound Arlington Heights Road @ @ @ @ @ Cavalier , according to Arlington Heights police .
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ has not been released .
According to Arlington Heights police , the red Kia Sportage @ @ @ @ @ Cavalier , which was southbound on Arlington Heights Road , just before 4 p.m .
@ @ @ @ @ left onto Hintz on a yellow light when the crash occurred , a news release @ @ @ @ @ was taken to the hospital but died shortly after arrival , police said .
Buffalo @ @ @ @ @ Chevy driver , who was not hospitalized , police said .
The intersection fully reopened @ @ @ @ @ police said .


dailyheraldchicago--2020-01-25--No. 2 Baylor routs Texas Tech 87-79 to extend Big 12 record

WACO , Texas -- Juicy Landrum scored 20 points and had two 3-pointers in an early run that put No .
2 Baylor ahead to stay , and the Lady Bears beat Texas Tech 87-79 on Saturday to extend their Big 12 record for consecutive regular-season conference victories to 47 .
Lauren Cox added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Bears ( 17-1 , 6-0 Big 12 ) .
They also have a national-best 50-game home winning streak over the past three years .
Queen Egbo added 16 points and eight rebounds , and Te ' a Cooper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brittany Brewer had 24 points and nine rebounds for Texas Tech ( 13-4 , 2-4 ) .
Lexi Gordon had 18 points and Chrislyn Carr had 16 .
GREENVILLE , N.C. -- Christyn Williams scored 26 points , Megan Walker had 15 points and 12 rebounds and UConn routed East Carolina .
Freshman Anna Makurat was 8 of 10 from 3-point range and finished with 24 points .
The Huskies were 15 of 25 on 3-pointers .
UConn ( 18-1 , 8-0 ) improved its record in American Athletic Conference regular-season and postseason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3-16 , 0-6 ) lost its 12th straight game and dropped to 5-100 against ranked opponents .
Lashonda Monk had 17 points for the Pirates .
SPOKANE , Wash. -- Jill Townsend scored a career-high 28 points and Gonzaga beat Loyola Marymount to extend its nation-best winning streak to 18 games .
Gonzaga ( 20-1 , 9-0 West Coast Conference ) is off to the best start in program history and is closing in on the program record of 23 straight wins set during the 2004-05 season .

No. 2 Baylor routs Texas Tech 87-79 to extend Big 12 record
Baylor forward Lauren Cox, right, scores past Texas Tech guard Lexi Gordon, left, in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Waco Texas. Baylor won 87-79. Associated Press
Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey calls in a play in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Waco, Texas. Baylor won 87-79. Associated Press
Baylor forward Lauren Cox, right, battles Texas Tech guard Sydney Goodson, left, for a loose ball in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Waco Texas. Baylor won 87-79. Associated Press
WACO, Texas -- Juicy Landrum scored 20 points and had two 3-pointers in an early run that put No. 2 Baylor ahead to stay, and the Lady Bears beat Texas Tech 87-79 on Saturday to extend their Big 12 record for consecutive regular-season conference victories to 47.
Lauren Cox added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Bears (17-1, 6-0 Big 12). They also have a national-best 50-game home winning streak over the past three years. Queen Egbo added 16 points and eight rebounds, and Te'a Cooper had 15 points with eight assists.
Brittany Brewer had 24 points and nine rebounds for Texas Tech (13-4, 2-4). Lexi Gordon had 18 points and Chrislyn Carr had 16.
NO. 3 UCONN 98, EAST CAROLINA 42
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Christyn Williams scored 26 points, Megan Walker had 15 points and 12 rebounds and UConn routed East Carolina.
Freshman Anna Makurat was 8 of 10 from 3-point range and finished with 24 points. The Huskies were 15 of 25 on 3-pointers.
UConn (18-1, 8-0) improved its record in American Athletic Conference regular-season and postseason games to 128-0. East Carolina (3-16, 0-6) lost its 12th straight game and dropped to 5-100 against ranked opponents.
Lashonda Monk had 17 points for the Pirates.
NO. 13 GONZAGA 78, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 52
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Jill Townsend scored a career-high 28 points and Gonzaga beat Loyola Marymount to extend its nation-best winning streak to 18 games.
Gonzaga (20-1, 9-0 West Coast Conference) is off to the best start in program history and is closing in on the program record of 23 straight wins set during the 2004-05 season.
Chelsey Gipson scored 14 points for the Lions (7-15, 3-6).
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More AP women's basketball: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25